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In the distant past an alien race took to the stars. They found the nearby systems to be
strangely devoid of any type of life, although signs of previous habitation were prevalent. The
reason for the lack of life was obvious from the ruins they discovered: the populations had all
been decimated by war. The alien race armed themselves for their meeting with this unseen
enemy, and so when it finally came they were prepared. The enemy was an ancient starfaring
race of lizard-like carnivores. They had ravaged the galaxy for millennia, treating all races that
they came in contact with as food to be eaten. When all animal life of the planet was devoured
they would move on to the next system. Because they had prepared themselves for the conflict
the aliens were not decimated like so many other systems. The war between the races lasted for
centuries, with neither side being able to defeat the other.
Robot probes were sent throughout space by both sides to search out resources for the war
effort. One such probe sent by the aliens landed on Earth and secured genetic material from the
plant and animal life it found. A small pocket universe was created to begin the experiment of
nurturing and altering the creatures they had discovered to suit their military needs. Ocean
water from Earth was brought in to fill the ocean of the universe, and an island was built as its
sole landmass. The island and the ocean were created to be the habitats for their specimens:
plants and animals from the age of dinosaurs. A large mountain was built in the middle of this
island to house the military complex needed to protect the experiment from the enemy. A
smaller sub-island, connected to the main island by a peninsula, was built to house the
laboratory that controlled the experiment.
The enemy discovered the pocket universe before the project was completed. A fierce battle
was fought; the military base of the small universe was destroyed along with all defenders. The
island was blasted with nuclear weapons, making it radioactive for many years. A few of the
enemy found themselves stranded in this strange and harsh environment. In the ensuing years
they reverted to brutal, stone-age creatures, living in caves they dug beneath the northern part
of the island. The laboratory survived the attack relatively unscathed, and the Computer housed
there was able to use its Service Robots to repair the damage the laboratory and the island
sustained in the attack. It restarted the project, and since then has kept it running, waiting for its
masters to return.
While the machinery of the laboratory has kept the pocket universe running for millions of
years, it has begun to malfunction over the last few millennia. These malfunctions are
manifesting in lack of repairs to the infrastructure and violent storms that are hitting the island.
The computer handles the storm problem by opening up doorways to vent the storms into our
world. It tries to keep up with the repairs, but is falling behind.
In approximately 1000 A.D. several large canoes were sailing across the Pacific, filled with
Polynesian settlers looking for a new island home. Seemingly out of nowhere the most violent
storm any of them had ever witnessed engulfed their small boats. Lightning played along the
masts of the canoes, and balls of light danced along the rigging. As the settlers watched in fear,
the lights intensified in brightness. With a blinding flash the lights disappeared, along with the
storm. The Polynesians found themselves sailing on a perfectly calm sea; the storm had
disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared. They thanked Kanaloa, god of the ocean, for
settling the storm. They saw evidence that they were nearing an island, and land was sighted in a
few hours.
Once they landed the settlers unloaded their canoes and brought their livestock ashore.
Before the day was done they were attacked by huge beasts the like of which they had never
seen before. Many were killed and their livestock was decimated. The survivors eventually made
their way onto the smaller sub-island to the west. Very few of the beasts lived on there, and the
settlers were able to kill or drive them off. They built a village on the sub-island, planted the
seeds they carried with them, and fished the sea around the village. A barrier was constructed
across the entrance peninsula, which all but the largest of the beasts were unable to break
through.
The islanders called themselves the Kanaka. They began to explore the sub-island and
climbed the extinct volcano that stands on the northwestern edge. From there they could see
the basic shape of the island and named it Hono Moku, meaning Turtle Island. At the top
they discovered strange ruins and flying metal beings. They incorporated these into their
mythology, calling the top of the mountain Po, the realm of the dead, ruled by Limu, the Lord
of the Po. The flying metal beings were the servants of Limu, who flew over the island bringing
the spirits of the dead to Po. The islanders had no fear of Po or of Limu, as death is seen as a
natural ending of one phase of life and the beginning of the next. They did not worship Limu, but
respected him as the ruler of the underworld. While they generally staid off the mountain out of
this respect, they made no taboo against going there.
Food was scarce for the Kanaka during times of poor fishing. The mightiest of the villagers
would then brave the beasts found on the main island and hunt them for food. Many of the
stories the Kanaka tell today deal with the exploits of these mighty hunters, and their knowledge
of the main island comes from their explorations.
In 1835 the Anastasia, a cargo ship from Sydney, was cruising the waters near the New
Hebrides in the Pacific when an unnatural storm suddenly engulfed the ship. Strange lightning
caused the ship to catch fire, and the sailors abandoned ship on makeshift rafts. Most of the
crew drowned or died of dehydration, but one sailor, Richard Loomis, washed ashore near the
village of the Kanaka. They nursed Loomis back to health, and he lived with them for several
years, learning their language and customs.
Loomis was a learned man from England, a scientist travelling the Pacific cataloging all he
found. His insatiable curiosity drove him to climb the volcano and see for himself if the legends
of Po and Limu where true. Loomis found many strange things at the top of the mountain - a
part of the mountain leveled as smooth as glass and a metal doorway leading into a cliff face.
The doorway opened as he approached it, and inside Loomis discovered what he later called the
Laboratory of the Builders. Flying robots met Loomis at the doorway and ushered him into the
Laboratory. He was taken through the entire upper level of the base, and eventually brought to
the Laboratory Control Room.
Several intense weeks of study by Loomis followed. He was shown videos of the war and of
the creation of the pocket universe. He named the aliens who built the Laboratory the Builders
and their enemies the Volsar after a particular unloved sea captain with which he had once
sailed. The Laboratory Computer learned English from Loomis and accepts commands from him
in it and in the language of the Builders, although the control that Loomis has over the computer
is severely limited. The robots were placed partially under his control, and Loomis has free reign
over the upper level of the Laboratory, but the doors to the lower levels will not open for him.
Loomis used the robots to repay the Kanaka for the kindness they showed to him. He had the
robots dig a canal to separate the sub-island from the Main Island and build a drawbridge across
it. Loomis also had the robots dig pens to hold plant-eating dinosaurs, giving the Kanaka another
source of food. He led the Kanaka on an excursion to gather eggs, and since that time the
Kanaka have a herd of hadrosaurs near their village to supply them with meat and hides.
Life has continued at a slow pace for Loomis since he discovered the Laboratory. Most of his
time is spent in the Laboratory - he rarely goes to the village. He has learned to operate most of
the machinery in the upper level, including the Regenerator, which has kept him alive and young,
healing him of all ailments and injuries. He has learned to speak and read the language of the
Builders, but all attempts to gain access to their scientific knowledge found in the lower levels of
the Laboratory have been fruitless.
In mid August 1937, a Japanese transport ship bringing soldiers to China from Japan ran into a
dense fog. The crew watched in amazement as bright lights began dancing along the ships
rigging. The lights disappeared in a bright flash, and with an explosion the ship sank
immediately; survivors reported that a section of the ship sheared off and disappearing into
thin air. The ship was caught in a closing doorway to the pocket universe, and the part of the ship
that entered the doorway was cut away from the remainder, transported to the pocket universe
of the Builders, and grounded on the shore of the Central Lake. The Japanese soldiers aboard
this section of ship fought their way to the north, setting up camp in the Northern Hills. For the
last few months they have lived off the dwindling supplies that they removed from their ship,
but both food and ammunition have gotten very low.
The Volsar
All Volsar living on Hono Moku come from the survivors of the attack that almost destroyed
the small universe. The attack centered on the military base on the central island, and the
mountain that housed the base was shattered. A deep crater was all that was left of the base
and the Central Hills are the remnants of the mountain that housed it. Many of the attacking
craft were destroyed, but a few escaped, believing the universe destroyed. One craft was sunk
off the northern shore of the island. The survivors from this wreck escaped to the island and
made their way to the smoking Central Hills. They dug deep underground to escape the radiation
left over from their attack. They emerged from their caves when the service robots removed all
radiation from the island, and built a city outside their tunnels. As time passed they became
more and more primitive, and finally abandoned their city and returned to the caves to live.
Though highly intelligent, they are primitive beings. Their weapons are crude copies of ones
used by the Kanaka, and these are their only tools.
The Volsar are made up of three distinct sexes; males, females, and drones. Female Volsar
look like giant toads. Their mouths open to reveal a mass of tentacles which they use much like
toads and frogs use their tongues. The Queen is the largest of the females and except for size is
identical in looks to the regular females. The Queen is chosen from among the females to lead
the species.
Females have the ability to alter the genetic makeup of the drones, creating workers of any
size or shape. When a desired drone form is decided upon by the Queen, she secretes a
hormone that contains the genetic code for this newly shaped drone. The hormone is consumed
by a female, and any drone eggs laid thereafter will be of this new shape. Not all females
necessarily consume the hormone; at times different females are laying drones of different
shapes and sizes to suit the need of the colony. Queens can only create genetic code that mimics
forms she has eaten. For instance after eating a fish the Queen can create codes to give the
drones gills, but not before.
Males look like a cross between an armadillo and a scorpion. They are the tunnel diggers of
the Volsar, spreading the acid from their stingers onto rocks to make them crumble. Males and
females mate for life, and consider it their duty to avenge the killing of their mate.
Drones are the main workers of the Volsar. They can assume any shape or size as desired by
the Queen. Currently they all have a vaguely humanoid form, suggesting that not every Kanaka
that disappeared in the jungle was eaten by dinosaurs!
I tend to draw from the deck to check for encounters at the beginning of the day. I dont show
the players what Ive drawn. Then I wait while they travel and see where an opportune time to
play the random encounter. Often they will go through several areas, and Ill wait and play the
encounter in an area where they havent had one recently. If I dont play it by nightfall then Ill
make the encounter happen while they sleep.
Perhaps you think that one draw per day for a random encounter is not enough; after all they
are travelling on an island filled with carnivorous dinosaurs! Even though you are only drawing
for one encounter per day, the characters may see or hear many more dinosaurs while travelling
and their actions may cause other encounters. For instance you may check for a random
encounter, draw a face card and play out the random adventure. Later in the day the characters
may see a herd of herbivore dinosaurs off in the distance, realize that they need food, and
decide to go hunting. This brings on another encounter that is not random but is a result of their
actions. ]
zSecret Stash Discovered (page xxx): The characters are attacked by Japanese soldiers using
Thompsons! This adventure can be run anywhere on the island.
zThe Big Game Hunter (page xxx): The characters witness a plane crash. This adventure
can be run anywhere on the main island or sub-island.
zWar of the Volsar Prelude - Aerial Attack (page xxx): The Volsars are preparing for an all
out war against the humans.
disastrous results.
z War of the Volsar Prelude - Aquatic Attack (page xxx): The Volsar are preparing for an all
z Caught in the Attack (xxx): The characters are boating near the beach when they are caught
between a hungry tyrannosaur and his prey.
[Authors Note: In the thirties the name pterodactyl was used In print and in the movies to refer
to all flying reptiles. Since it was used in common culture then Ive done it in this adventure.]
Ocean Encounters
This encounter table covers all areas of the ocean except the Pterodactyl Fishing Grounds.
d20 Encounter
1-3 1d6 Medium Pterodactyls
After part one of the Plot Point adventure Escape is run, the Ocean Encounters table changes
as below.
d20 Encounter
1-3 1d6 Medium Pterodactyls
Yarg - change above after Plot Point Escape is run. Aquatic reptiles now.
zRock the Boat (xxx): The characters are fishing and a group of small pterodactyls takes interest
in their catch.
d20 Encounter
1-2 1d6 Large Pterodactyls
3-5 1d6+2 Medium Pterodactyls
6-8 2d6 Small Pterodactyl Swarms
9-14 Fish - The water around the characters begins to look like it is boiling. A large school of
fish is below the characters boat. The fish are almost jumping into their canoe. Any
fishing attempt gains a +4 bonus.
15 Hazard: Storm
16 Canoe with 1d6 Japanese
17 Saltwater Crocodile
18 1d4 Great Whites
19-20 3d6 Maneaters
z War of the Volsar Prelude - Sand Trap (xxx): The Volsar are preparing for an all out war
against the humans.
[yarg - a tsunami tale? If this is in encounters as below (and hazards on the encounters sheet), should it
happen often?]
z AWOL (page xxx): The characters are attacked by a giant centipede that they notice emerges
from a cave. The entrance seems to be glowing.
Main Island Cliff Encounters
Cliff Encounters
d20 Encounter
1-5 1d4+1 Small Pterodactyl Swarm
6-10 1d4 Medium Pterodactyls
11-14 1d2 Large Pterodactyls
15-17 Giant Centipede
18-20 Giant Spider
z Stuck in the Mud (xxx): Stuck in the Mud - the characters are bedding down for the night on
the main island, in the trees near a river. They hear a loud commotion. Upon investigating
they discover a baby Apatosaurus stuck in the mud. The young dinosaur is bellowing
loudly, and is sure to attract predators.
d20 Encounter
1-4 Hazard: Quicksand
5-7 1d6 Saltwater Crocodiles
8-9 Large Herbivore
10-11 3d6 Herd of Large Herbivores
12-13 Medium Carnivore
14-15 Large Carnivore
16-17 Small Carnivore
18-19 2d6 Small Carnivore Pack
20 1d6 +1 Medium Carnivore Pack
z The Lost Child (page xxx): The characters find a young lost triceratops that begins following
them around.
z Dead Meat (page xxx): The characters are not the only ones in the Savannah!
z Wheres Our Stuff? (page xxx): The characters spend the night on the Savannah and wake to
find some of the gear is missing.
zDino Riders, Attack! (page xxx): The party is attacked by a group of Japanese riding
dinosaurs like cavalry mounts.
Savannah Encounters
d20 Encounter
1-3 3d6+4 Large Herbivore Herd
4-6 3d6+4 Medium Herbivore Herd
7-8 Large Herbivore
9-10 Medium Herbivore
11 Small Herbivore
12-13 1d4 Large Carnivore Pack
14-15 1d6 Medium Carnivore Pack
16 1d12 Small Carnivore Pack
17 Giant Spider
18 Giant Centipede
19-20 1d6 Giant Ants
Central Hills
Before the Volsar attack Hono Moku was dominated by a large central mountain, but it was
shattered by the blasts from the Volsar craft. The Central Hills are the remnants of this mountain.
These steep hills rise hundreds of feet in the air. The area is very rocky and the rivers and
streams are full of rocks and boulders.
Because this area was originally covered by the mountain, the Builders never planned for
ferns to be planted in this area. The Laboratory Computer followed this original plan when it
restarted the experiment, and so the Central Hills has grown wild. A thick jungle has sprouted
in this valley and on the hills. Many species of dinosaurs make their home in this area, especially
in the jungle near the savannas as the jungle gives them more cover and protection than the
open fern fields where they graze.
Both the Volsar and the Japanese make their home in this region.
Volsar City
The Volsar on Hono Moku are the descendants of the crew of a warship sent to destroy the
island. It was damaged and crashed into ocean in what is now the Pterodactyl Fishing Grounds.
The Volsar escaped with gear and equipment that they used to survive the harsh conditions that
existed on the island after the attack. Lasers were used to cut away rock and form deep caves.
The Volsar lived here for several of their generations while the Service Robots removed the
radiation left over from the attack from the island.
The Volsar emerged from their tunnel lair to a bleak world. Only the devices they had brought
with them from their now sunken spaceship allowed them to survive during this period. These
Volsar, though, were different from the ones who had entered the caves. They had forgotten the
knowledge of their race; its science and technology was lost. They considered the devices that
came from the now sunken spaceship as wondrous and holy relics of their ancestors. Hono
Moku was a bleak place at this time, and the Volsar depended on their devices for substance,
which reinforced their reverence of the items brought from their spacecraft.
The Volsar used the lasers one last time, to cut away part of the hillside covering their
tunnels. They quarried the stone, building a city where they could live. The city was massive and
grand, but eventually the Volsar left it and returned to the tunnels as they descended even
farther and became stone-age brutes. The city was left to be reclaimed by the jungle. Today the
remnants of this city stand in front of the Volsar Tunnels. Crumbled walls, fallen obelisks, and
broken monuments give testament to how far the Volsar have fallen.
Volsar Tunnels
The tunnels begin in the huge entrance room.
Japanese Encampment
Forty Japanese soldiers landed on the eastern shore of Hono Moku. They were all armed, and had a
moderate amount of ammunition, but no food or water. They hid their boats in a nearby wooded grove, and
set off to explore. They have not fared well in the month since they landed. They took heavy losses as they
made their way west and north. Twelve soldiers remain, and they have made a camp on a high hill in to
Northeast. Much of their ammunition was used fighting dinosaurs, and they have no explosives of any
kind. Each soldier has 15 rounds of ammunition for his rifle. There are 30 rounds for the Light Machine
Gun. If the Japanese Raid Encounter was played, and any Japanese soldiers escaped, then each soldier will
have an obsidian tipped spear and a bow with 6 obsidian tipped arrows
The current plan of their commander, Captain Miyake Katsumi, is to gather enough food and supplies for a
long sea voyage. He then plans on leading the soldiers back to the boats, and sailing them from the island.
He has correctly figured out that some unknown weapon destroyed their ship, and that it was not a US
weapon. He wants to report the presence of the island and the weapon so that it can be used by Japan. He
hopes to find a Japanese held island or to be picked up by a Japanese plane or boat. As a soldier, though,
his orders are to kill the enemy. To this end he will fight and US troops he sees on the island to the death.
None of the soldiers in his command will surrender.
Currently the soldiers are living in a small cave. The cave is really just a hollowed out place near the top of
a hill near the North river. The soldiers have dug it out to make it defendable and livable. Behind them the
hill slopes steeply to the ocean. A line of trenches rings the cave entrance, and the entrance itself has rocks
piled in front of it. Both these give any characters behind them heavy cover.
The Japanese are catching small dinosaurs and smoking the meat. They are using fish caught from the
North River as bait in small pit traps. Much of this is being stored for the boat trip off the island. There is
25 days worth of food stored in the cave. The smoking is being done in a small pit covered with a crude
log covering. Smoke from this fire can be seen if the character is within 1 mile of the camp with a
successful notice roll.
There are always two guards stationed in the trenches, both day and night. One is manning the Light
Machine gun and the other has a rifle. When the Japanese leave to get water, fish, or check the traps they
always go in no fewer than groups of three, with two standing guard with rifles while one is doing the
work. To conserve ammunition, the Japanese climb trees whenever possible to avoid dinosaurs instead of
shooting them. They will only fire if escape is not possible.
All the Japanese are in the camp if the characters attack it - unless the GM wishes to have some of the
Japanese soldiers away from camp at the time. This could give other encounters later.
The guards have a good view of the valley below. When the characters are within mile of the camp you
can begin making notice rolls for the guards. The guards have no binoculars and are only using their eyes.
At a long distance they will only see movement, and not be able to identify the source. They will alert the
other soldiers in the camp that dinosaurs are in the valley below. Once the characters are out of the jungle
the soldiers will be able to identify them.
If the characters have fired any weapons within 3 miles of the camp, the Japanese will be alerted to the
gunfire. They will not know who fired the weapon, but will be on guard. If the characters do not encounter
the Japanese at this time then the Japanese will search for the characters. Since they do not know who fired
the weapon, the Japanese soldiers will be on guard in their search.
If the Japanese run out of ammunition they will perform a banzai charge. They will run down the hillside
with bayonets in place, attempting to kill as many Marines as possible.
The characters may attempt to cross the lake by raft or boat. They can carry their rubber rafts to the area, or
build their own. Dont forget that loud noises, such as chopping down a tree, may draw dinosaurs to
investigate.
Central Island
This small island was built by the Central Computer to give the Plesiosaurs a more protected place to lay
their eggs. It is a perfect circle and roughly mile in diameter. The island is ringed by 50 foot wide
beaches where the Plesiosaurs lay their eggs, much in the same way as sea turtles. The island is relatively
flat except fo a pile of large boulders that are roughly 100 feet above the lake level. The island is marshy
and boggy, full of small pools of water from the abundant rainfall Hono Moku receives. The entire Central
Island is covered in jungle vegitation except for the beach and the boulder pile. No large or medium
dinosaurs are found on the Central Island except for Plesiosaurs, which are only found on the beach. Small
dinosaurs have made their way to the island and inhabit the jungle.
[insert Savage Tale Symbol]Egg Thief : Play this adventure the first time the party lands on the
Central Island.
zThe Watchers (page xxx): The party is on a raft, returning from the Central Island, where
they notice a pair of hungry tyrannosaurs watching them from the beach.
z Egg Thieves (page xxx): The party witnesses a pterodactyl robbing a plesiosaur nest. The
destroyed nest is discovered, and the mother blames them!
d20 Encounter
1-2 1d6 Pteranadons
3-4 Hazard: Quicksand if on the Central Island, otherwise treat as 2d4 sharks.
5-8 Plesiosaur
8 Single Large or Medium Herbivore
6) The Nesting Grounds [this probably needs to go with Nesting Grounds description.
The Savage Tales should be the go get some fresh blood
There are two Maiasaurus nesting grounds on the island. The first is located near the western edge of the
Central Lake. The second is in the Maiasaurus Pen on the sub-island. There are approximately100 nests in
each of the Nesting Grounds. The nests are three feet deep and six feet across, and are about 23 feet apart.
At any given time 1d10 + 10 of these nests are occupied. Half the occupied nests contain 1d20 immature
Maiasaurus (round up), and the rest contain 1d20 eggs. The immature are roughly 1 foot tall and weigh 10
pounds. The eggs are oval in shape, 8 inches long, with a pointed bottom. Each weighs 2 pounds.
There is one adult guarding each nest, plus three more Maiasaurus are in the nesting ground that are not
guarding a specific nest.
This encounter is only for the first nesting ground only. It occurs each time the characters enter this nesting
ground. Begin making notice rolls for the adult Maiasaurus when the characters are 200 feet away. The
Maiasaurus will give warning hoots to the characters if they are more than 50 feet away when the dinosaurs
notice them. The Maiasaurus will not attack unless they notice the characters within 50 feet of the nesting
grounds or start attacking the dinosaurs, at which time all the Maiasaurus that are guarding the nests charge
the characters. The three others remain behind and continue guarding the nesting area. The Maiasaurus
will not give up the attack and will fight until they are all killed. If the first group of Maiasaurus is killed,
the remaining three will attack. If the characters break off the attack and flee, then Maiasaurus will not
follow them. They will go back to guarding the nest.
The ocean currently flows between the narrow canal dug by Loomis between the main island
and the sub-island. The canal is thirty feet wide and twenty feet deep.
A smaller sub-island lies on the western edge of Hono Moku. It is roughly oval in shape, 5 miles wide and
5 miles long. The dominant feature of the sub-island is a large volcano, rising 5000 feet above sea level on
the western edge. The mountain takes up roughly one-third of the sub-island, and is steep and rocky.
The West River emerges from a spring on the southeastern side of the volcano. It cascades down the
mountainside and runs south towards the ocean. Before reaching the ocean it turns abruptly north, passing
by the islanders village and entering the ocean north of the causeway.
The Village
The descendants of the original Polynesian settlers live in a village on the sub-island. Approximately 500
natives live in the village. There are 150 men capable of fighting if the village is attacked, 50 elderly men
who cannot fight, 200 women, and 100 children below the age of 15. The islanders call themselves
Kanaka, simply meaning the people. The Halani, or chief rules the village.
The village is laid out in a rough circular plan. The largest hut is the chiefs, located in the middle of the
village. Beside this hut is a large cleared area used for village meetings. The village healer lives off to the
side of the meeting area. The villagers live as family units in large huts. Steep, high thatched roofs allow
heat to rise, and the walls are screens made of Maiasaurus hide that may be raised or lowered as weather
permits. Cooking is done outside to keep from heating up the home except for during storms. Men move
into their wives huts when they marry. Each hut will sleep 50 people comfortably. If a family gets too big
then a new hut is built nearby. If a family shrinks and no longer needs a hut then it is torn down.
Everyone in the village works from the time they reach the age of five. Children generally work in the
fields or sew fishing nets. Common jobs for adults include working in the fields, fishing, herding
Maiasaurus, tanning hides, sewing, cooking, napping obsidean for points, making clay pots, and weaving
baskets.
The northern part of the sub-island has been cultivated with sugar cane, taro, kumara, and gourds.
Breadfruit and coconuts are harvested from the forests near the mountain. The islanders also keep a small
fleet of canoes on the southern shore to use for fishing. The islanders generally fish only in the waters to
the south of the island because of the Pteranodons that fish the northern area. The Kanaka use nets to catch
small fish, and spears to catch larger.
The islanders call the dinosaurs that roam the main island polo holoholona, or great beasts. They call the
largest of the dinosaurs nui holoholona, or greatest beasts. Fear of the dinosaurs keep the islanders on
their sub-island; they rarely venture to the main island. Sebastion Loomis had the Service Robots dig a
canal to separate the sub-island from the main island. The canal is 50 feet wide and 50 feet deep. A
drawbridge was built to connect the sub-island with the main island. A small hut was built to shelter the
pulleys and ropes that control the drawbridge. On Loomiss command the drawbridge and hut are always
kept in good repair. Both day and night there are always two guards on duty along the canal. The guards
watch for dinosaurs, flying reptiles, huts that catch on fire (always a danger in a close-packed village), and
other troubles. Loomis built a small gong for the villagers to keep in the drawbridge hut. This is rung in
times of trouble or to call the islanders back to the village.
The southern half of the island has been ringed with a steep earthen dike, 25 feet tall and twenty feet thick.
Sebastion Loomis had the Service Robots build this dike. There is a path running from the village to a dirt
ramp that leads to the top of the dike. This is the only way up the dike without climbing. At the top of the
dike in this location is a thatched roof. Several ladders are kept here, and there is a rope on a pulley
attached to a platform that the islanders use to raise and lower items into the area. The area inside the dike
is the Maiasaurus pen. The Kanaka keep the Maiasaurus for meat, which they can get from this area
without having to brave the dangers of the main island. Like the drawbridge, the dikes are always kept in
good repair. The Maiasaurus in this area are quite tame. They show no fear of people, and are herded by the
islanders. The Kanaka have translanted the mutated savanah grass from the main island into the Maiasarus
pens for their dinosaurs to eat. Paths run through these fields allowing the islanders to move through it
easily.
The main weapons of the Kanaka are the spear and the knife. The islanders are a Stone Age people, and all
their points and blades are made of obsidian. The obsidian they use is found on a cliff at the base of the
mountain. All the adult males on the island know how to nap the obsidian into blades and points. Since the
Kanaka are cut off from the main world they have no enemy except for the dinosaurs and sharks, and since
Loomis built the canal they no longer fear attack by land-dwelling dinosaurs. Pteranodons will sometimes
attack the village, but this is a rare occurance. Usually these flying reptiles try to steal fish or meat that is
drying in the sun, but occasionly they attempt to snatch small children. A guard is kept at all times in the
drawbridge hut to watch for attacks.
The Kanaka use both pottery and baskets to hold items. Everyone on the island knows how to make both.
Baskets are made by weaving branches together or from the hides of Maiasaurus. Clothing is also made
from Maiasaurus hide. Clay is found near the West River bank, and a single family makes all the pots for
the village.
[yarg - put note about kanaka dont have gender based jobs; instead they put the person where he or
she best fits or wants to work. Male and Females both farm, raise the herd, fish, watch children, etc.]
[yarg - put note about rite of passage to adulthood. To gain something extra special cool they must go
to the main island and do something dangerous. Return and they get huzzahs and whatever else.
Most dont do this. Maybe to be guard??]
People of Note:
[zzz]
[yarg]
z Rescue (page xxx): A young woman on a rite of adulthood on the main island is long
overdue.
z Champions (page xxx): The chief is challenged, and he chooses the characters as his
champions.
Restocking the Herd (page xxx): The chief informs the characters that it is time to restock
z
z The Festival (page xxx): Not every encounter is dangerous; sometimes they are fun!
zCircling (page xxx): A scream draws the characters attention to the beach, where a woman
has found her children in a perilous position.
z War of the Volsar (page xxx): The Volsar attack the village in an effort to destroy all
The village is located on the sub-island. Sebastion Hurtado had the service robots dig a canal to separate
the sub-island from the main island. The canal is 50 feet wide, and the water is 50 feet deep. The water at
the bottom of the canal is 10 feet deep at low tide. A drawbridge was built to connect the sub-island with
the main island. A small hut was built to shelter the pulleys that control the drawbridge. On Hurtados
command the drawbridge and hut are always kept in good repair. Both day and night there are always two
guards on duty along the canal. The guards watch for dinosaurs, flying reptiles, huts that catch on fire
(always a danger in a close-packed village), and other troubles. Hurtado built a small gong for the villagers
to keep in the drawbridge hut. This is rung in times of trouble or to call the islanders back to the village.
The northern part of the sub-island has been cultivated with sugar cane, taro, kumara, and gourds.
Breadfruit and coconuts are also harvested from the forests near the mountain. The islanders also keep a
small fleet of canoes on the southern shore to fish the waters. The islanders generally fish only in the
waters to the south of the island because of the Pteranodons that fish the northern area. The Kanaka use
nets to catch small fish, and spears to catch larger. Both the men and the women make nets when they are
needed.
The southern half of the island has been ringed with a steep earthen dike, 25 feet tall and twenty feet thick.
Sebastion Hurtado had the service robots build this dike. There is a path running from the village to a dirt
ramp that leads to the top of the dike. This is the only way up the dike without climbing. At the top of the
dike in this location is a thatched roof. Several ladders are kept here, and there is a rope on a pulley
attached to a platform that the islanders use to raise and lower items into the area. The area inside the dike
is the Maiasaurus pen. The Kanaka keep the Maiasaurus for meat, which they can get from this area
without having to brave the dangers of the main island. Like the drawbridge, the dikes are always kept in
good repair. The Maiasaurus in this area are quite tame. They show no fear of people, and are herded by
the islanders.
The main weapons of the Kanaka are the spear, the bow and arrow, and the knife. The islanders are a Stone
Age people, and all their points and blades are made of obsidian. The obsidian they use is found on a cliff
at the base of the mountain. All the adult males on the island know how to nap the obsidian into blades and
points. Sharks teeth are also used to make arrowheads.
The Kanaka use both pottery and baskets to hold items. Everyone on the island knows how to make both
pots and baskets. Baskets are made by weaving branches together or from the hide of a Maiasaurus.
Clothing is also made from Maiasaurus hide.
The Kanaka have no contact with the outside world and are not a warlike people. They will enter the initial
contact with the characters peacefully but warily. Most likely the characters will be on the main island,
looking over the canal to the sub-island. As long as they are not attacked, the Kanaka will lower the
drawbridge and the Kalani along with all the warriors will cross the bridge. The Kalani will attempt to
talk with the characters. He will soon give up, and start using signs. None of the Kanaka speak any
other language besides their own, so the characters will have to talk in sign language. He is attempting to
tell the characters Come to our village. We will feed you. Tomorrow you will journey to Limu.
If the characters are peaceful they will be brought to the village. They will be welcomed, and treated as
guests. Anything within reason they ask for will be granted.
If attacked, the strategy of the Kanaka will depend on where the characters are. If the warriors are
separated from the characters by the canal, then they will fire arrows at the characters. If the characters are
still attacking once all the warriors arrows are gone, they will lower the drawbridge and rush the characters
with their spears. If the characters leave the battle the warriors will not follow; they will return to the sub-
island and stay there. The Kanakas fear of the dinosaurs keeps them from staying on the main island too
long.
If the first contact between the Kanaka and the characters does not go well, the GM can give them several
chances to make peace. If the characters return to the village the Kanaka will not initially attack. They will
be extremely wary of the characters, though, and it will take much to gain their trust. The Encounters
The Wounded Fisherman Stealing A Child could be used to accomplish this. If either the fisherman or
the child is brought back to the village it would do much to gain the islanders trust. If the islanders do not
trust the characters then they will be brought immediately to the trail leading to the Fortress at spear point
and motioned to climb it.
Sebastion Hurtado has given the Kanaka instructions to bring any strangers they find to the Fortress. The
villagers themselves will not climb the mountain, but will show the characters the trail and motion them to
climb up. If they do not then the Kanaka will be insistent.
Once the characters return from the Fortress, the Kanaka will show them the same level of hospitality as
when they left. If the characters are at peace with the Kanaka then they can stay in the village. The
villagers will feed them, and give them a hut to sleep in. After several days, though, the characters will be
expected to help in the work. The islanders will ask the characters to help with the fishing, and will give
them nets. Other work that the characters can help in is cutting trees, building huts, building canoes, etc.
If the Kanaka do not trust the characters then they will be lead to the bridge and forced across. Until the
characters gain the Kanakas trust, the bridge will be lowered when the characters approach the village, and
they will be marched at spear point to the trail.
The Quarry
The Laboratory
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Yarg - loomis was always an explorer. In his description make sure that it says that this is what drove him
to the sea.
Yarg - in the description of the laboratory, make sure that it is known that anytime the computer is spoken
to anywhere in the laboratory it will hear and answer.
Return To The Fortress
The characters can return to the Fortress any time. They can go to the door to the Fortress and talk to
Hurtado through the speaker, requesting entrance. Once a day Hurtado will open the door. If the characters
come back a second time, or more, to get Hurtado to open the door they must make a successful Persuasion
roll. If they fail, he will tell them to go away because he is busy. He will not answer the characters again
that day.
There are many things the GM can do to role-play Hurtados interactions with the characters.
1.He will chat with them, telling them of his latest discovery - usually access to another video or sound
file in the computer, but occasionally he figures out the meaning of a word in the Ancients spoken
language.
2.He will tell them how he is working on deciphering the Ancients written language. If the characters
ask he will show them computer files, all written in the Ancients language.
3.He will allow them to listen to the radio in the Communication Room, but will not allow them to
send any messages. You can describe news items, old radio shows, etc. They can listen to radio
broadcasts from anywhere in the world.
4.Hurtado will show the characters how to use the computer to watch the videos left by the Ancients.
Use modern movies, TV shows, and news broadcasts, except set in the world of the Ancients, to
describe what the characters are seeing. It doesnt have to make sense, or even be consistent.
Remember that Hurtado does not know if what he is seeing is fact or fiction. Play heavy on broadcasts
that show the war between the Ancients and the Enemy.
5. Hurtado will show the characters how to use the satellite video cameras. The characters can use
them to spy on any outdoor location in the world. There is a chance that the location will be cloud
covered on any given day. Randomly decide if they can see an area or not.
6.Hurtado has watched many historic events that have happened in the last 300 years on the video
monitors. If the characters ask about any famous event, there is a 50% chance that he watched it from
the island. He will tell them about it when asked.
Hurtado will insist that the characters will stay together when they visit. He will stay with them the entire
time. At first he will watch the characters closely, but on their third visit to him he will start relaxing if they
havent tried to trick him in any way. If a character needs to use the restroom, or wants to get a drink or
something to eat, he will allow that character to leave the group. On the fifth visit he will tell the characters
that he is satisfied with their behavior, and will allow them to roam freely in the facility. He cautions them
to please leave his files in the Small Offices alone and not to try to broadcast any radio messages. He
warns them that he will be very angry if the characters break his trust.
He is hoping that the characters will have the same goal as he - discovering the secrets to the Ancients
knowledge. He will be overjoyed if any of the characters help him with his research or begin searching for
files on the computer. If the characters begin doing so have them make a Knowledge: Computers roll or a
Knowledge: Ancients roll. They do not have these skills, but can get them when they level up. A success
means they have accessed a file on the computer, or discovered some bit of knowledge about the Ancients.
No matter how long the characters stay on the island, Hurtado will never give them access to the Service
Robots. He reserves this knowledge for himself. He will also never get over his need to live by himself.
He will always ask the characters to leave by 5 p.m.
Until the characters have gained his trust, he will call on the Service Robots to enforce his will if the
characters disobey him. Once they have gained his trust, he will kindly ask a second time. If they do not
obey him, he will order the Service Robots to force the characters to do what he wishes. This will not
anger him in any way, and after the incident he will treat the characters in the same way as before.
Anytime a character is caught breaking Hurtados two rules (being caught examining his files or trying to
broadcast a radio message) he becomes quite angry with the entire group. He immediately calls the Service
Robots to carry the characters from the Fortress. He will not allow them back into the Fortress for two
weeks, and will ignore their calls into the door speaker. After two weeks have passed he will allow them
back inside. He will explain that he has forgiven the characters. If a character was caught in Hurtados
files he asks them not to enter the Offices again, and if the character agrees then everything goes back to
the way it was before. If a character is caught trying to get into Hurtados Offices a second time, then
Hurtado punishes the characters as if they had tried to send out a radio message.
If a character attempted to send a radio message then for the rest of the adventure a Service Robot follows
each character around. This robot will immediately seize a character that attempts to enter one of the Small
Offices or send a radio message, and force that character outside the Fortress. The character will not be
allowed back into Fortress for the remainder of the day. The character will be allowed into the Fortress on
the following day, and Hurtado will say nothing of the characters disobedience.
Equipment Carried on Each Flying Boat
Ropes and lines: anchor with 120 feet of three-inch rope, 32 feet of two-inch rope, 65 feet of
one-inch rope, 30 feet of 7/8-inch diameter steel towing and mooring cable, boat hook on haft
with 30 feet of 1-inch rope attached, 16 feet of three-inch slip lines, 50 feet of one-inch heaving
line, and 32 feet of five-inch mooring lines.
Bedding: 16 bunk mattresses, 48 pillows, 48 blankets, 8 four-rung bunk ladders, and 16 bunk
curtains.
Kitchen items: 30 place settings (large plate, small plate, deepwell plate, tea cup, saucer,
sherry glass, tumbler, large knife, small knife, large fork, small fork, dessert spoon, and tea
spoon), 1 bread knife, 1 carving knife, 2 serving trays, 4 milk jugs, 1 tea pot, 1 coffee pot, 1
stainless steel sink, and 1 folding seat for the Steward. The first aid kit was also stored in the
Kitchen. Ten gallons of fresh water was carried in the plane in two tanks above the Lavatories for
use with the sinks. Another ten gallon tank was above the kitchen to be used by the Steward for
drinks cleaning.
Freight Room Equipment: Toolkit for engine repair, 1 three-inch portable bilge pump and
hose, 1 portable floating bilge pump, set of engine and propeller covers, set of engine cradles,
set of engine lifting beam and struts, chain block for lifting engines, engine trolley and sling,
cargo nets and tie-down webbing straps.
[yarg - in gazateer make sure that there is a map of the mountain top]