Forget Me Not
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Author: Alison Whetton
Homepage: http://www.malefex.co.uk
System: Principia Malefex
Type: Scenario
Category: Horror
Requirements: Recommended for a group of 2 -6 players with some prior supernatural experience, but easily adaptabl

Background:

Linda grew up a brilliant and self-centred woman looking for the best in life. A natural risk taker with a flair for the extreme she married early, when one of her risks failed to pay off, but resented being married to Bill Laramy a low paid factory worker, who was beneath her as far as she and her family were concerned. She resented almost as much the two children, Christine and Alan, that prevented her leaving the marriage without sacrificing her standard of living. Still hanging around with her fiends from school, all of whom had done better things with their lives, she would laugh off their enquiries. "Next time I'll do better." She would say. "Next time..."

She died five years ago, when she came off the motorbike she was riding without a helmet on a dirt track to feel the wind in her hair. What was left was formally identified by the driver's licence in her pocket because her face and dental records were useless.

Two years and a long-awaited promotion later Bill remarried, to Diane who is a local policewoman. She got on well with the kids, now teenagers, and had a daughter called Vicky who was a few years younger from a failed first marriage. Bill first noticed the changes six months later. The coldly rational Diane was reacting more emotionally, more like Linda. At first he put it down to his imagination, but as the months passed Diane began to act more like Linda, and her relationship with the kids began to chage, veering between her normal friendliness and Linda's cold disdain. When she began to change her hairstyle and make-up towards Linda's and used Linda's phrases in conversation, Bill became worried. Whenever he tried to talk to her about it, she brushed him off.

Involving the PCs

The obvious way to involve is for one or more of the PCs to be friends, neighbours, or relatives of the family. Alternatively Bill, who is being pushed to breaking point by the strange occurrences in his house, may contact them. The children, who haven't suffered the worst of it, may also start to talk to friends, or approach the PCs for help without their father's knowledge.

They may be friends of Diane who notice that she is acting unusually. However for her behaviour to be noticeable to those outside the immediate family, the possession must have gone on for some time. Taking this option also means the GM cannot use the "paranoia" explanation detailed in "Alternative Options" below, as her behaviour has definitely changed.

A more interesting option is if one of the PCs was having an affair with Linda that was ended by her death. One night he wakes up to find the faint smell of forget-me-nots in his room, and then Bill turns up on his doorstep. Bill believes the PC is responsible for the events and will ask, politely if rather bitterly, for the PC to stop trying to spoil his new marriage, since he helped to wreck the first.

The Cause

Linda has returned to 'her' family, trying to use Diane as her second chance. Sooner or later Diane will have a fatal accident trying one of the extreme sports Linda loves, and then Linda will move onto Christine to continue living her life by proxy. However she will be easier to deal with than most ghosts are, as she had no awareness of magic during life and doesn't know enough to go to ground the moment a mage becomes involved.

The first time the PCs enter the house they will notice the two wedding photos on a table at the side, one of Bill and Diane, and one of Bill with another woman blonde and beautiful, holding a boutique. If the PCs look closely at this photograph the boutique is mainly forget-me-nots, rather than roses. It should not be too hard for PCs with some supernatural experience to realise what is happening. Others may wonder if it really was Linda who died, as the head was unrecognisable, but once researched the ecords of the death show that her identity was established beyond doubt.

Any of Linda's friends in the community, and she had several among the richer people in town, will mention her constant mantra of "Next time..." which she said so often that even after two years they remember it.

The Haunting:

Linda is not traditionally haunting the family, concentrating more on possessing its members. However, she is not strong enough to impose her will on them, merely to create impulses. If the family can be persuaded the ghost exists, they will be able to resist most of these "suggestions". Linda hates to be thwarted, and when she discovers she can no longer affect them she will throw a tantrum. The result is a far more spiteful and traditional haunting.

The exact details of the haunting are left up to the GM. Linda is not capable of throwing things, but she can push someone when they are standing on stairs, or create momentary illusions and distractions. The worst case is when Diane realises that Vicky can be head talking in her room late at night. There is no one up there, and if no one goes to investigate Vicky will wake the house screaming. She has an old china doll with a speech buzzer in it, and Linda has taken advantage of this to start talking toand then threatening her. Once other people are in the room Linda abandons the doll, but she will take control of it again quickly if Vicky is left with it. One thing that can be noticed (roll P-3) is that after each of these events there is a faint, quickly fading, smell of forget-me-nots in the air.

Laying the Ghost

If the family breaks up and moves away, Linda will only continue to haunt one member, probably Bill or Christine. If there is a mage in the party then just about any supernatural creature would be able to lay the ghost, which is not a particularly powerful one. A Word of Power would dissipate the spirit with less risk. For PCs who do not have, or do not want to use, supernatural methods there are others. A traditional exorcism of the house and family would get rid of her. If the PCs can find a way tocommunicate (remember Linda isn't interested in talking to them) then they may be able to persuade Linda to rest. Alternatively they could trick her into leaving the family.

Alternative Options

It is possible Bill is paranoid and his imagination is playing tricks on him. Bill's love/hate relationship with Linda could have easily developed into an obsession, and a constant dread that he will never be free of her. As a result he is projecting his fears onto Diane. In this case, there is the potential for Bill to turn violent, and Diane would have to defend herself and the children. She may end up calling in friends (one of the police councillors) to help him deal with his problems. This is a seful option if the PCs have no supernatural aid.

It is also possible that Bill arranged Linda's death, and the ghost is trying to get him to say something that will incriminate him in front of Diane. It is possible that the accident wasn't. Although it was clear Linda lost control of the bike while speeding and there were no signs of mechanical tampering with it, the reason why she lost control was never discovered. It was assumed that she simply pushed it too far, and as her love of extremes was known, this is not an unreasonable explanation. However,it is possible Bill arranged matters to make sure she came off. In this case the ghost will be laid to rest once Bill has confessed.

Bill is a fairly decent chap, though he hated his first wife, and was horrified at the mangled stated of the body. Nonetheless, he probably didn't realise that bike crashes at speed aren't often like TV where the body stays in one piece and he may have had enough. If he had been thinking rationally he would have divorced her. He may not have been.

Advance Points

For solving this scenario the PCs should get 2 to 4 advance points depending on how well they do, and which option was used. If they manage to lay the ghost to rest, add an additional 1 AP.

NPCS

Only the NPCs major skills are mentioned. GM's should assume each has low levels of proficiency in a number of others.

Bill Laramy - Bill is a factory manager. Entering his forties he is a burly man with thick ginger hair. He has numerous scars and calluses on his hands, and the kindest thing that can be said about his face is weathered. Nonetheless, he is lively and a popular figure at the local pub. People who know him say that he really came out of his shell once Linda died. A straightforward individual, he really isn't sure how to deal with what is happening to his family.
Profession: Factory Manager
Education: 6 O-levels
Savings: £10,000
Income: £26,000
Stats
R P S C I W T F St Sk Sp D
8 1 0 6 3 2 5 15 7 4 6 14
Skills: Mechanics 150, Construct 120, Heavy Machinery 70, Bluff 50, Drive 50, Numerate 40

Diane Laramy - Diane is a policewoman with several years experience, and likes her job. She has short brown hair, brown eyes and a faintly stocky build. Easygoing, with a ready smile, she is in her early thirties. Her first marriage broke up when her husband had an affair and moved in with his mistress, but although some eyebrows were raised at the age gap, her marriage to Bill is solid.
Profession: Policewoman
Education: 3 A-Levels
Stats

R	P	S	C	I	W	T	F	St	Sk	Sp	D
8	4	1	5	9	8	8	9	4	6	5	12

Christine Laramy - Seventeen year old Christine is the spitting image of her mother at her age, which drives Linda mad with jealousy. She is a bright girl, taking 4 A-levels with good grades predicted, but her work is suffering due to the stress at home. She gets on well with Diane, glad to have a friend after years of being ignored or screamed at by Linda, and enjoys being idolised by Vicky. She makes friends easily, and is mature for her age. Heavily into books rather than sports, she also does a lot o jogging and is very energetic.
Profession: Student
Education: 10 O-levels
Stats

R	P	S	C	I	W	T	F	St	Sk	Sp	D
8	3	1	11	13	8	9	10	4	4	2	12

Alan Laramy - A blond fifteen-year-old, Alan has his father's broad build, and plays rugby regularly. Academically he takes after his mother and sister, but is tired of trying to compete with his sister's grades. He is currently discovering girls, though his father fortunately doesn't know yet. His new hobby is self-defence, which Diane occassionally teaches him.
Profession: School Kid
Education: Still at School
Stats

R	P	S	C	I	W	T	F	St	Sk	Sp	D
12	1	0	7	6	10	9	14	5	2	6	15

Vicky Conway - Diane's daughter from her failed first marriage, Vicky is eleven. She has black hair, and green eyes, but doesn't really resemble anyone else in the family. Not as good as the other two at schoolwork, she is very practical, and good at art. She idolises Christine, seeing her as an older sister, and several of her sketches of Christine hang in the hall, though some visitors assume they are of Linda. She sees her father some weekends, but he has another child with his new wife, and is less tan devoted to her.
Profession: School Kid
Education: Still at School
Stats

R	P	S	C	I	W	T	F	St	Sk	Sp	D
7	2	3	5	7	6	6	9	5	2	5	15

Linda Laramy - Linda, Bill's first wife, a mix of drama queen and prima donna, the centre of every crowd with a face and body to die for. At least, that is the face she portrayed to everyone else. Despite her sparkling wit, and incredible looks, Linda was purely self-centred and had a streak of cruelty in her. She could be spiteful and malicious, and had an explosive temper. She has never really forgiven Bill for taking away her chance at life when she wanted to seize it by both hands, and has a problemtaking responsibility for her actions.

R	P	S	C	I	W	T	F	St	Sk	Sp	D
	3	0	17	10	7