Site-Based Adventure Creation

[Laraqua]

I'm currently creating an adventure set in a massive mansion that is meant to be entirely within said mansion. There's a bit of a ball going on but the main events will kick off once most of the guests have left and those who are staying the night get to go on a tour. There's a big occult craze in this mansion, a number of conspiratorial secrets, and an attempt to prepare for a bit show off event seals the mansion off and tears a small rift that allows a number of, erm, gate crashers. The trick is that I don't know what to populate the mansion with or how to space out the clues. Does anyone have any advice or any links to articles or threads on this very subject?

Also, if someone could link that old Clues thread where we brainstormed numerous clues that would be great as my search terms are currently off and I can't find that gem of a thread.

Thank you!

[Shimmin Beg]

Question time!

When you say "populate", are you talking rooms, people, furniture?
What era are you setting it in?
Where's the mansion? Loire chateau, Shropshire country house, Melbourne actress' house?
How old is it, and its decor, at the time of the scenario? What sort of style does the owner go for? If they're an eccentric Finnish minimalist fashion designer, it might be all sleek emptiness.

[Laraqua]

I've got people. I need a bit of furniture and some overall ideas for clues, props, the odd trap, and possible encounters.

By trap I don't mean D&D-style traps with poisoned doorknobs or Indiana Jones-style spiked pits, but something that might be either time-sensitive, alarmed, or what-not. Just something to make them realise that their surroundings may, in and of themselves, be dangerous (though not lethally so).

The setting is early-Victorian, Venice. A huge Venetian mansion (in truth, it's probably TOO big, but I'm cool with that) that has been laid out in a somewhat Victorian style with a room for everything.

The owners include a well-travelled man who likes to travel far and wide, especially to places like the Amazon Jungle, Egypt, and the Middle East, although he has collected some paraphernalia from Japan. His wife is more politically minded, as far as that goes with women of that era, but has spent much of her time 'distracted' by her studies into Alchemy, Necromancy (capturing and distilling the human essence, or ghost, to power items for her) and the Mythos (which she knows in terms of astronomical entities rather than a coherent and all-too-often terrestrial Mythos). Also in attendance is a physician and a botanist with some zoological expertise and a taxidermy hobby who both regularly go on expeditions with them and who stay in their mansion whenever they're in Venice and therefore have their own rooms. The wife doesn't go as often as she prefers to complete her studies in the basements of her mansion (yes, they should by rights be very damp and possibly flooded which may disturb the players as well through signs that something isn't right).

[GBSteve]

Actually the posher palazzos could have basements made from water-impervious stone (search for basement). It's only if the water goes over the top or through the door that there's a problem.

When you say "early Victorian", Venice was Austrian (Doppler died there in 1853) from 1814 until 1866 when it became part of the Kingdomw of Italy (with a brief flirtation with republic in 1848-49).

Could I also recommend San Francisco della Vigna and the Lazzaretto Nuovo vampire.

[Shimmin Beg]

Okay, let’s have a think. I’m going to have to work off Victorian tastes, as I don’t have much idea about 1840sish Venetian fashions...

Obviously the usual domestic stuff, in large quantities. I don’t know if you’re expecting to explore domestic areas, so I won’t think about it too much. Might be a fair range of strange gadgets in a rich household, which investigators may not be used to.

A well-travelled man with a substantial mansion strikes me as the type to collect, and indeed show off. Maybe he’s set up themed areas of the house – the Amazon Wing, or a whole floor devoted to Egyptiana. These would hold those things that’d be considered outlandish within the reception rooms, but perfectly accepable to own (and maybe some less acceptable things). You probably wouldn’t have so much in the way of steles or stuffed animals in a drawing-room. Japan is a bit of a different case, as Japonism was about to kick off and a traveller might well be getting in early on that trend. So things like porcelainware (Chinese most likely, but it got pretty popular so is a logical thing), ukiyo-e prints, Japanese cabinets and so on would be relatively subtle but striking elements to include in public rooms. Cabinets are good for hiding things, of course... Collecting “exotic” things with a semblence of mysticism would also tie in with his wife’s esoteric interests, and they might have collected some things specifically to that end.

If she’s interested in astronomy and astrology, an observatory would be a fun element to include. A couple of telescopes, maybe some older instruments like astrolabes , and an array of celestial maps, astronomical and astrological texts and armillary spheres. Perhaps an astronomical clock in a corner. You could combine this with the orientalism and grab a version of Su Sung’s cosmic engine (http://blog.onlineclock.net/famous-c...ld-know-about/). Investigators with Astronomy, Occult or similar might work out that something’s not quite right with some of the information around the place (because of Mythos ideas floating around) or even find some minor Mythos texts with an astronomical bent.

Given it’s Venice, I’d be unable to pass up the temptation to have a Mask Room, just full of all kinds of Venetian masks, and maybe some more exotic ones brought back from their travels. Masks can get very creepy, and some might have occult connotations. You could also have robes, kimonos and related items in here. Alternatively, you could have a line of masks progressing up the staircase.

An actual laboratory wouldn’t be that unlikely. There might be an associated darkroom, given the travel they do. One or both might likely be in a back garden (if there is one) due to flammable chemicals. Lots of lovely scientific texts and instruments. Human skeletons for the physician, and phrenological busts, and surgical instruments.

Stuffed animals were fairly common at the time, even in public rooms (birds and so on), but you could easily justify a crocodile and some very big snakes in an Amazon area. There could be a whole room full of butterflies, hummingbirds and other pretty critters, while the botanist might have drawers full of plant samples, spiders, skulls and skins. Jars of formaldehyded piranhas, snakes and frogs are very creepy for people not used to them.

Egyptiana can obviously include rows of mummified cats and baby crocodiles, and perhaps some human mummies... which the wife might be tempted to exploit for alchemical purposes. Canopic jars and ankhs are nice touches. A corridor might be decorated with hieroglyphics, with animal-headed statues and stele in corners. On that line, Goodwood House in Sussex had an Egyptian dining-room in 1800 so a mansion in Venice might well have one too. Perhaps a mischievous Travelling Man has fitted a sarcophagus with clockwork so it’ll swing open with a sinister groan..?

The library might be themed, with ornaments appropriate to each section – also makes things easy to find! A sphinx could guard the entrance. A large round table might be inlaid with the zodiacs (Western and Eastern) overlaying one another, in bronze, copper and glass. It might also be used for seance-like activities. More sensitive books might go elsewhere if visitors are likely to enter the library. If you’ve read “...The Silver Key”, a version of that clock could be a great addition.

You could have a music-room with piano, harp, maybe some other things for aesthetic value or historical interest, like a virginal or lutes. There would probably be another piano in a drawing-room for use during social evenings. These are handy for making noise when people blunder around in the dark... and for producing suspicious noises at night.

Depending how much space you want to allow, a garden (or a large balcony) could hold greenhouses, where the botanist would keep specimens of rare plants from their travels. Some could easily be dangerous, and might be slightly segregated. Flowers with dangerous perfumes are a staple of jungle stories, otherwise there’s your simple poisonous berries and fungi, thorns, and nasty sticky goop. Flytraps and sundews look creepy to the uninitiated (but see also http://www.cracked.com/article_18979...dnt-exist.html). Less odd greenhouses could just show off exciting flowers, orangeries and so on. These are also nice hot, humid environments– great for discomforting investigators.

More to follow…

[GBSteve]

The John Soane Musuem is an early Victorian house (well, Georgian really). The decor is pretty sparse but he does have a collection of architecture including a monk's cell and an enormous marble sarcophagus, as well as a painting room with three layers of paintings cleverly folded into the walls. However Venice was big on Rococo and there would have still been a lot of this around (like in the Sargeant from the 1890s).

[Shimmin Beg]

If you’re looking for an offbeat and non-lethal ‘trap’, how about some wildlife? Given all the travelling they do there are plenty of possibilities. Obvious ‘alarms’ outside the dog-cat range might be some parrots or even a monkey. Either one could raise the alarm if disturbed, either because investigators mess up, or because something much worse has burst into their room… Investigators could exploit some ingenuity to quiet down or avoid disturbing the creatures, or even pre-emptively befriend them so they’ll be able to sneak around later. More alarming guests could be some pythons or big spiders running loose in the greenhouse – mostly harmless, but very alarming if you’re not expecting them and liable to raise a shriek.

I mentioned poisonous plants already, and any labs or studies this crowd have could contain all kinds of unpleasant substances.

Rooms like studies or libraries might have a bell over the door (like a shop) to alert occupants if someone comes in unexpectedly, especially if they’re using nasty chemicals or suchlike. Or just for paranoia reasons… at night that’d be enough to attract someone’s attention.

Rooms with Japanese, Middle Eastern or Amazon themes could all include some rather nasty weapons with sharp bits, unpleasant to blunder into or mess about with. Also fairly noisy if you tumble into them. In general, Victorian-style décor is very busy, so anyone running around at night is liable to fall over all kinds of little tables, vases, horrible statues of dogs and so on, which will make noise and slow them down. On the plus side there’s more to throw at monsters!

I’m not sure about anything time-sensitive… what sort of thing did you have in mind?

There’s also potential for occult/Mythos nastiness but I dunno if you want to go down that road yet.

Encounterwise, do you want people (servants, inhabitants), animals and stuff, occult stuff or Mythos?

[Shimmin Beg]

Oh, a Japanese-themed room or corridor could usefully feature a nightingale floor...

If your players have read "The Nameless City" (which I personally love) then a row of cases full of preserved crocodiles (or hey, Komodo dragons) might get them on their toes...

An alchemist's equipment might well include playing with batteries, which don't look like much to the uninitiated but could be pretty painful to mess with. And since what you'll get is a shock and maybe a flash, they won't necessarily work out what they've messed with.

The TM's interest in the various cultures could go in different ways. One is a very scholarly take, with lots of reference works, curios of antiquarian or academic interest, and so on - things like artworks are quite likely. Another is a sort of enthusiastic tourist take, keeping lots of souvenirs of "foreign stuff" to show visitors and enthuse about - likely to be things that seem peculiar, quaint or attractive, without much coherence. The third is the sort of xenophile take, embracing them with enthusiasm, which was quite popular. So he might have a kaftan and fez to lounge in while reading Arabic works (or translations), a hookah, and a collection of kimonos and a Japanese tea-set to show off. A xenophile is more likely to take things to heart, so he'd have what at least he thinks is a representative and noble collection of (say) Persian artefacts and books, rather than random tat. The scholar and the xenophile could both have made efforts to learn suitable languages, and might use them to spice their conversation, or chat with certain staff...

If they're extremely rich, it's not impossible that they'd have recruited staff during their travels, especially if they are fond of particular places. So a Turkish houseboy, or a Japanese drawing-master, could be found amongst the staff, and they might even go so far as to have several. These would most likely have their own special quarters apart from the general servants.

[wombat1]

You might also look at specific artists, who often doubled as interior decorators--Venice was a favorite stop.

Thus, though a bit later than the period you want, James MacNeill Whistler visited Venice, and he also did that wonderful Peacock Room in Green and Gold which is found in the Freer Gallery of the Smithsonian--the perfect foil for Shimmen Beg's proposed oriental collection:

http://www.asia.si.edu/exhibitions/o...ck/default.htm

So also does John Singer Sargent, the leading American portrait painter of the early 20th century (again, too late for your setting, but perhaps inspirational for the sort of things we might find in the house.)

Looking more to the earlier period, Turner also shows up in Venice--perhaps the house has one of his celebrated seascapes, but with something dark and sinister seen gloomily in that hazy background for which Turner is known. Lawrence also visited the continent, though he would have died before the Victorian period got underway--perhaps when Lawrence was doing the paintings of the allied leaders, he also painted the mansion owner, who was perhaps involved as a young man in the Congress of Vienna.

The Egyptianesque has a wide-spread following and that translates into decorative arts as well, not just antiquities brought back:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypti...ecorative_arts

One might also have various of the French painters who do a wide variety of portraits or landscapes, some with an oriental theme. Consider Horace Vernet, for example:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypti...ecorative_arts

[Laraqua]

Ooh, this is all good stuff. I basically want to ensure that the place feels very unique and interesting. I love the idea about foreign servants, themed rooms and such. The observatory and greenhouse are definitely going in there as well.

I want to introduce the Mythos elements slowly, sort of like with a good ghost story, rather than all at once. A sense of things being off-kilter where even encounters with the creatures, while both threatening and dangerous, are somewhat confusing as well.

[wombat1]

As I look at the Smithsonian's site for the Peacock room, which I give above, I think there is a scenario lurking somewhere in there. The portrait that forms the centerpiece of the room--"The Princess from the Land of Porcelain", has an interesting hunched over curve to her back, almost, dare I say it, ophidian--perhaps it is a double portrait, or double sided--one side has a human and the other, a serpent folk? Or perhaps it is painted over? The details of the room, done in bright green and gold paint, depict peacocks, but they could as easily depict dragons. It could be made creepy without being over done.

[Shimmin Beg]

If you go for quite strongly themed rooms, I think that'd be quite disconcerting because your brain needs a minute to adapt to your surroundings every time you pass through a doorway.

Mirrors are nice for getting people off-balance, and a wealthy family might be inclined towards that sort of flashiness. There's a fine line between a slightly odd mirror and a genuinely weird one... is that cold sensation pure evil or cold glass on warm flesh? Is the mirror clouding over, or are you just leaning too close..? What exactly did you just see reflected in it..?

A taxidermy display is a nice place for dimensional interlopers to lurk, since it's already full of weird-looking critters.

A big house might have a nice whispering gallery or similar trick, which provides creepy opportunities for apparently ghostly whispers.

For slow occult creep, how about some kind of musical instrument - wind chimes or the like - which actually creates a minor effect? Things like singing bowls are used to alter mood, so that sort of thing would be a plausible backstory for an instrument that affected skill rolls, say.

Large scarabs, tortoises or similar slow-moving critters can initially seem like ornaments. They're also plausible for a collector to have around, I'd say, especially someone with a sense of humour.

Collection rooms might have only dim lighting for conservation reasons, which makes them creepier and also harder to get around and spot monsters in.

A large house would have servants' stairs and similar "secret passages" which basically allow for their geography to change. Always fun! You could tie this in with the mirrors thing, so there are large mirrors that conceal doors or passageways - did you just see someone move through a door in front of you, or behind you..?

Someone of the travelling, occult and privileged persuasion might be inclined to mess about with things like hashish, which would mess with their emotions and perceptions. Maybe they want to introduce their guests to some of the fascinating aspects of foreign cultures, or maybe they use some drug or other in a ritual they want to show off? This would again blur the ordinary weirdness/Mythos boundary.

[Laraqua]

They may explore domestic areas. I plan on locking them down in this mansion to explore.

[Laraqua]

Ooh, I love the idea of the creepy noises and animals. I was already thinking about a parrot that likes to pretend it's stuffed and then squawks at people as they go by - loving to watch them get startled. You've met the Cat Scare now meet the Parrot Scare! The windchimes and other sensory details are great too. We always mention sight but then there's sound, taste, etc.