Locations: The 'Burbs

 The Burbs

The following are cities and towns are designed as backgrounds to your ongoing campaign. 

Location: Rivertown

Theme: Facing Evil

Population: 55,000

People

1. Sheriff Lucas Coal: power hungry, Infernal of some sort, sees himself as an Old West sheriff who is the town and the town is him; signed a contract with Evil that gives him control of the town as long as he fullfils his part of the bargain and Evil tests him at every turn. He sees himself as saving the town from certain doom

2. Samira Amani: young, Persian, develops an accent when angered or overly excited, opposes Sheriff Coal every chance she gets, active in the community

3. Dr. Burgandy

Places

1. Grand River shoreline, forestry, and park

2. Downtown shopping area: antique stores, local artists, restaurants

3. New development community in an old part of town

Things

1. Something in the antique shop

2. Something buried in the old Indian burial mound in the Grand River County Park

3. Contents of Dr. Burgundy’s safe: Sheriff Coal’s contract, millions of dollars, or something more nefarious???

Conflicts

1. Critters that live along the river and in the forestry of the area hunting visitors and occassionally locals, if they have no choice

2. Sheriff Coal versus Samira

3. Sheriff Coal versus the Evil with whom he signed the contract

Location: Lanark

Theme: Death and Rebirth 

Population: 35,000

People

1. The Council: members include a relative of Miss Campbell, a Warlock who desires control of the Campbell farm, and others 

2. Morganne Campbell: leader of the current witch coven in the town

3. Malcolm Booth: Director of the Easter Village, cousin to the director of the local hospital (a sorry, one story affair)

Places

1. Campbell family farm: said to be home to witches in years past, includes where the two rivers come together which is a place of power

2. Highland Marsh Trail: raised boardwalk through an inland marsh, named for the nearby (uphill) Highland Cemetary, along the eastern river and somewhat north of the city

3. Easter Village: retirement community of good quality, along the western river

Things

1. Shambling Mound (Night Companion) in the Highland Marsh

2. The number of deaths in town is equal to the number of births in the hospital, many employees at Easter Village are related to those in the Lanark Hospital

3. New Moon Whirlpool: whirlpool forms where the rivers meet on the new moon

Conflicts

1. Evil warlocks versus good witches

2. Shambling Mound eating visitors to the march

3. Booth is sending old people to die as sacrifices on the Campbell farm

Location: Fogwarren

Theme: Mystery

Population: 62,000

People

1. Mystical Martial Artist

2. Werecreature

3. Monster hunter

Places

1. Dojo

2. Fogwarren Pizza Palace: featured on several food travel shows

3. State Park

Things

1. Blade of Jowangshin is on display at the dogo: it is a blade that will “flame on” if placed in a lit hearth

2. Daedalan Cube (Night Companion)

3. Satanic circle of stones in the state park

Conflicts

1. Werecreature is guarding the Daedalan Cube (in the pizza palace?)

2. Monster hunter is hunting creatures from the state park

3. People randomly die if caught out in the fog

Location: Haven

Themes: Power & Corruption, Man vs. Society, Justice

Population: 120,000

People

1. Head of a gang

2. Street doc

3. Corrupt police officer (psychic gunslinger?)

Places

1. Warehouse

2. Nightclub

3. Casino

Things

1. Film / Video proving something for the players

2. Lucky casino chip

3. Cursed weapon

Conflicts

1. Gang on gang violence (or mobsters on mobsters)

2. Corrupt police doing / allowing bad things to happen

3. Politicians trying to push around innocent people

Location: Beaver City, a quaint upper midwest town

Themes: Survival, Power & Corruption, Hubris

Population: 46,000

People

1. Scientist trying to get away from an evil corporation

2. Spirit Rider 

3. Retired actress

Places

1. Native American reservation

2. Large agricultural university

3. Closed military base

Things

1. Native American statue in the middle of town

2. Locked gate under an old building, but near train tracks; no one knows where it goes and there is no way to find it from inside the old building

3. Toxic waste in the local water

Conflicts

1. Spririt Rider protecting the land from the evil corporation

2. Evil corporation’s control of the town

3. Animals encroaching into human living areas: bears, coyotes, buffalo, etc.

Copyright 2021 Derek Stoelting

Night Shift: Veterans of the Supernatural Wars copyright 2021 Elf Lair Games, LLC and Jason Vey