"The Great Seal"
A Morrow Project Scenario
by Bill Pixley
HTML'ized by David Little

This scenario was originally published in Pegasus Magazine, No 9, August/September 1982. It was an adventure designed for AFTERMATH, and The Morrow Project. I renumbered all Cannibals so that they were in sequential order, and removed all AFTERMATH components. I also added a note to the end of the introduction in red. Otherwise, it has been kept as it was originally published.

Introduction

Operating out of a series of seemingly-natural caves, the Cannibals of the Great Seal have raided dozens of farmsteads and communities, taking the bodies or parts of the bodies of those they kill back to their hideout. Although no one knows for sure what the Great Seal might be, some claim that it is the local state constitution. Once much feared for their skills as warriors and for the numerous automatic weapons they carried, the Cannibals slowly used up their ammunition and now only use one of their submachine guns when in retreat to discourage any pursuers. They are the slaughterers of children and delight in the torture of their enemies. Why they gained the name of Followers of the Great Seal is unknown; the locals, however, do not care to speculate. They have placed a 100 round reward for anyone who destroys the Cannibals. (50 .22 long rifle, 20 12-gauge buckshot, and 30 x 19mm pistol ammo) (Really not that good of a reward since the players will probably burn-up that much ammo anyway. But let the players figure that out. There are 15 Cannibals total.)

The True Story of the Cannibals of the Great Seal

Immediately before the war, the President of the US was out and about, making speeches and generally trying to drum up support for his foreign policy. Caught away from his escape craft, the Secret Service took the President to a secret cave that contained a hidden bomb shelter. However, on the way to the shelter, the party passed through a cloud of released chemicals which affected their minds. By the time they reached the cave, the President and the entire group had become quite insane. Once in the cave, the President executed his family, who had been traveling with him, and then committed suicide. His faithful but insane followers, the Secret Service, placed him in his "tomb," the armored limo in which he had been traveling, and a type of cult-worship grew up around him. The Secret Service personnel and the secretaries and media crew who were left lived on the stored rations in the bunker and, eventually, mated and produced offspring. For five years, they lived in the hidden bunker, subsisting on the provisions, breathing the tainted air, and creating a sub-society for themselves. Then, as the the food ran out, the insane Secret Service men resorted to cannibalism and, with their equally crazed descendants, emerged from the hidden cave and began to raid the surrounding area for the Lord of the Great Seal (as they called the President).

Armor Kit

In the Morrow Project, the Cannibals have a B armor class on their chests and arms.

The Walls and Doors of the Bunker

The walls of the complex are made of 6" thick concrete, and the doors are made of 2" thick steel. Unless it is otherwise stated, the doors are presumed to be not locked, and the lock mechanisms are no longer operable.

The Underground Complex
(MAP)
Tunnel A:

Tunnel A is a three meter wide tunnel that leads to the rest of the large tunnel system of which the hideout of the Cannibals of the Great Seal is only a small part.

Tunnel B:

Tunnel B is a meter wide tunnel that leads into the remains of the sewer system of the nearby town.

Tunnel C:

Tunnel C leads out to a hidden entrance on the surface. The tunnel is a meter wide and is natural in origin.

Room 1 is a natural cave room that the Cannibals are using as a guard post. The room is guarded by a pair of Cannibals and is lit by a crude torch set in a hole in the wall. Room 2 is a concrete room that is a second guardpost to the only tunnel that leads directly from the complex to the surface. The doors aren't locked, and the room is lit by five candles on holders set about the room. The room is guarded by a single Cannibal who is busily eating a chunk of roasted human arm. If attacked, the Cannibal will try to flee into Room 5 in order to get help from the Cannibals in that room. Room 3 was the old main garage of the complex. The vehicle that had been stored in this room was wrecked during a raid by the Cannibals many years ago. The room currently contains four Cannibal guards who are protecting the Tomb of the Great Seal that lies in Room 10. The room is lit by five crude torches that are stuck in old shelf brackets around the room. The main sleeping quarters of the Cannibals, this room contains various piles of rags and hides that serve as beds for the Cannibals. The room contains three Cannibals and is lit by three wall-mounted torches. Hidden among the filthy bedding are five .22 Long Rifle rounds, a pair of belt knives, ten candles, and the partially-eaten arm of a child. Room 5 is the corridor to the room of the boss of the enclave. Therefore, a pair of armed Cannibals watch the corridor for trouble. The room is lit by three candles. Room 6 is another of the sleeping quarters for the Cannibals. This room is lit by three wall-mounted torches and contains two Cannibals. Hidden among the dirty bedding in the room are ten extra torches, a box containing five strike-anywhere matches, three sets of flint and steel fire starters, five candles, a bag that holds five day's worth of rations of parched corn, and a bottle of bad, home-made whiskey that one of the Cannibals removed from the body of a drunk that they killed. Room 7 is the room of the boss of the Cannibals. The boss, who is called "The Pres" by the Cannibals, is relaxing in the room and carries the keys to Rooms 8 and 9, where the Cannibals store their equipment and food. Room 8 is the equipment room for the Cannibals. It contains a wooden box that holds five rounds of .38 special ammo, three rounds of .357 magnum ammo, twenty rounds of 9 x 19mm (parabellum) ammo, ten crowbars, a couple of Phillips screwdrivers, a claw-hammer, fifty crude torches, 100 emergency candles, and a plastic box containing 104 strike-anywhere matches. Room 9 is the food storage room for the Cannibals. The room contains 100 day's worth of rations of dried human flesh, 50 day's worth of parched corn, ten day's worth of dried beans, and five day's worth of LRRP (Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol) rations. Room 10 is the burial chamber for the last President of the USA. The room contains the President's armored limo, which has been stripped for trade goods. Inside the car, in the back seat, is the body of the President and the skulls of his wife and daughter. Also in the back seat is a small, black, locked, leather briefcase that contains the activation codes for the missile systems of the US. The briefcase is trapped to keep unauthorized personnel out of it, and any attempt to force it open will cause it to self-destruct and destroy the contents. Around the President's neck is a chain sporting a metal tag with the combination for the case inscribed upon it.