The Western Terror

A campaign for ‘Silver Bayonet Canada’ by Christian Cameron and Ash Barker

(Original painting of Metis hunting buffalo on the Great Plains, about 1830 by Paul Kane, in the AGO )

Briefing – It is the late winter of 1814. Washington DC has been burned by the British, and in the west,
First Nations warriors and their British and Canadian allies have re-taken and held Michlimacinac and
other vital western posts; Commondore Yeo of the Royal Navy had re-opened the Lakes to the movement
of provisions, and the rival (British) fur companies are looking to the west.
But all is not well. In the autumn of 1811, Lord Belkirk*1, one of the shareholders in the Hudson’s Bay
Company, sent a party of immigrants west to settle the fertile lands west of the Red River. Due to the
war, the Hudson’s Bay Company has lost contact with this distant colony and alarming reports have
surfaced suggesting disease, cannibalism and worse, with the trouble spreading outward to Metis and
other First Nations living on the plains.

1
It’s alternate history, so I’ve taken some liber es and changed the names of a few people and even some dates.
 Further complications come from the deep rivalry between the fur companies. It appears that the local
governor, Michael Butler, in an attempt to keep his people fed, had enforced a law prohibiting the export
of pemmican to any of the fur companies. In the Special Units, you have enough experience to wonder if
it’s possible that no one out there is even making pemmican, but regardless, the HBC and the Nort West
Company are shooting at each other over trade rights and pemmican availability, and the First Nations are
moving away from the area.
Your unit has been dispatched to investigate the causes of the ‘Mountain Crisis’ and, if possible, solve
the problem. If you can’t solve it, at least return to the capital (Quebec City) with solid information about
what’s happening in the far west.

Special Rule – Throughout the campaign, players will gather clue points. Ten clue points are enough to
establish that the ‘disease’ is an outbreak of European vampirism. It is possible for every participating
party to ‘win.’ However, major victory is in winning the last scenario and killing the Ancient Vampire.
Minor Victory is scored by gaining 10 clue points and getting at least two figures off the board in the last
scenario. We assume that these hardy souls can make it back to Montreal.
Special Rule - For the purposes of Gothic Horror, in all of these scenarios, the creatures labeled
‘Revenants’ appear to be ‘Revenants’ but are in fact very young, newly made vampires, still able to
function in sunlight, confused and weak.
Special Monster --
Ancient Vampire (the center of the epidemic!)
Speed Melee Acc Def Courage Health Ex. P.
7 +4 +1 15 +9 21 3
Allergy to silver and blessed (not fire), Ethereal, Hypnotic, Indefatigable, Indestructible, Soul Sheer,
Strong, Weakened by Faith
If the Ancient Vampire takes a figure to 0 health, the figure becomes a Revenant (and cannot be
recovered)
The Ancient Vampire has a pistol which is will fire once, and not reload. After this shot, it will skip
Monster Question 1 and 2.
Kreighoff image of a wilderness post, 1830s Art Gallery of Ontario

Scenario One ‘Outpost’

Play Canada Scenario 2, ‘Outpost’ with the following alterations:
Replace all Ghouls with Revenants.
Replace the Baxbaxwalunuksiwe with a Vampire.
On the ‘Outpost’ clue marker table, keep all the descriptions, but Jack, King and Ace of Spades all
provide one (1) Clue point, while the Queen of Spades (Journal of Insane Ramblings) provides Two (2)
clue points towards solving the secret of the disease.
The party that spends one action in contact with the corpse of the Vampire receives Two (2) clue points.
Of course, someone has to kill it, and still be alive to spend an action with it. Both parties can achieve this
victory condition.

Rewards as per the scenario.

Paul Kane picture of Cree First Nations at a portage, 1845, Art Gallery of Ontario
Scenario Two ‘Portage’
Traveling up the Matawin River and headed for the portage around the falls, you have heard rumours of
something truly dreadful blocking traffic on the portage. Carrying your boats and canoes up the protage
past the rapids, the Pool of the Matawin and the cliffs, you move forward cautiously, only to find that
your rivals are coming up the other side of the river!

Set Up
The game should be played on a 3 x 3 table with an escarpment down the middle and a waterfall as close
to table center as possible, with trees interspersed with open ground and scrub. A river should bisect the
table. It is shallow and fordable (and full of rocks) except within six inches of the bottom of the falls.
(Double distance) and should never be more than 3 inches wide. If available, a pool, crossable only by
swimming, should be roughly six inches across at the base of the falls. The falls should be at least 2
inches wide.
Two trails should climb the ground next to the falls, one on either bank, starting at the table corners on the
side of the table the river bisects at its outflow, running to the base of the falls, climbing the escarpment
on ether side of the falls, and then running back to the far corners, so that each side’s trail is roughly >
shaped and each party has roughly the same distance to travel The two >s should ALMOST meet at the
falls, so that the Wendigo, if ‘discovered’ can emerge on either trail from under the falls. The rest of the
table should be covered with trees, rocks, and brush with fairly limited lines of site. Place 4 clue markers,
2 each on the trail, about 8 inches from the falls. Place one clue marker under the falls.

Special Rules
Any figure can cross the river except at the pool. At the top of the falls, for four inches, the river should
be narrow and can only be crossed by Jumping. The pool can be crossed with the boats the party is
carrying or by swimming. A ‘swim test’ can be made as a melee check against TN 12. Failure means the
figure does not eter the water; success mean it may move at ½ speed.
Each unit should carry a boat. The boat takes a minimum of two figures to carry at all times; one figure if
the character has the ‘strong’ characteristic. These two figures cannot shoot or fight hand to hand. If
melee’d they drop the boat. If they ‘dive for cover’ they drop the boat. The boat MAY be used to cross
the Pool of the Matawin or paddle upstream above the falls at ½ walking speed but otherwise is simply
part of the portage.
However, all figures are carrying camp and water gear, so movement is restricted by 2”. A figure may
choose to ‘drop the load’ but then does not count ‘exiting the table’ for victory conditions.
The Wendigo lives under the falls. At the beginning of every monster phase, add the number of clue
markers investigated (total) to the turn number, and add a d10. The Wendigo appears when the total adds
up to 10 or more. It emerges from under the falls and moves towards the nearest character regardless of
LOS.

Wendigo Clue Marker Table

 Card Clue
Ace of This corpse was tied to a tree and eviscerated. Take a
Spades Terror Check (-2) for each figure within 2 inches.
King of This corpse is spread along the rocks for quite some
Spades distance. Take a Terror Check (-2). Among the
mangled remains is a bullet pouch with silver bullets.
Queen of Moose! But this moose has been attacked by the
Spades Wendigo and it’s mate slain; it’s spoiling for a fight.
It’s also edible… But aggressive! It emerges from the
underbrush and attacks the figure who triggered this
event. Add one monster die.
Jack of This corpse is of a First Nations woman and her child.
Spades Take a -4 Terror check. In addition, place 2 Dark
Wolves on the exit trails (one on each) Add one at the
start of each turn until the end of the game. Finally, she
bears a Nehinaw Holy Symbol in her side bag that she
was just too slow to get out in time… Aso add one skill
die to your pool.
10 of This corpse is of an HBC courier. If the figure makes a
Spades successful Terror check (-2) they may attempt to open
the courier’s locked box (melee TN 14). Any figure
may attempt the locked box after passing the terror
check. When opened, it contains letters from the
Governor about a Romanian count who has come out
to Red River with the emigrants. +1 Clue point.

Rewards:
+1 Experience Point if the part investigated 2 or more clue markers
+1 EP if the unit carries its boat all the way to the exit point.
+1 EP if the unit exits more than ½ its figures from the trail at the exit corner with their loads
+1 EP if the unit ends the game in possession of the courier’s lock box (which must be carried)
+3 EP if the units kill the Wendigo, or +1 EP if the unit inflicted damage on the Wendigo and it was
killed.
+1 EP if your unit downs three or more enemy figures
Kreighoff picture of a First Nations man in the 1830s in winter. Art Gallery of Ontario
Scenario Three ‘Blizzard’
Nearing your objective, the ‘Mountain House’ seat of the ‘government’ of the ‘Mountain Colony,’ your
scout reports what appears to be the remnants of a supply convoy, several wagons with the wolf-eaten
remains of their horses. Your people are tired from trudging through snow across the prairie, but
something about this wagon train sounds suspicious. As you hurry forward, you see another party coming
across the plains, and then…
…you are caught in a blizzard on the great prairies of the west.

Set up
On a 3 x 3 board, nominate one board edge ‘east’ and another ‘west.’ Place a selection of 5 carts and
wagons down the centerline from east to west spaced evenly. Place a clue marker with every cart. Place
up to six patches of bare brush or winter trees; Place 1-2 low hills. Otherwise, it’s a big empty land.
Now place one Dark Wolf at every wagon or cart. Remove one randomly so there are 4 Dark Wolves
spread among 5 carts.
Each party starts in an eastern corner, the party that wins initiative gets first choice of corner.

Special Rules
Blizzard!
Visibility starts as normal, but on turn two, reduce visibility to 16 inches, on Turn 3 to 12 inches, and
starting turn 4, 8 inches. On turns 5 and 6 and to the end of the game, visibility is 6 inches.
Starting Turn 5, all figures not having the skills ‘Nimble’ or ‘Tactician’ must dice randomly for direction
of movement. The player indicated the desired direction, and then dices scatter plus a d3 die to scatter
from the chosen FINAL location. Hit means the figure moves as desired. Basically, people are wandering
in the snow. If figures move in a group with a ‘Nimble’ or ‘Tactician’ character, they can move freely.
The Vampire (see below) sees heat/life and is unaffected by snow. In fact, she thrives on it.
If the Vampire is killed, the game ends at the end of turn 6, when the snow is so fierce that no one can see
to fight. If the Vampire survives to the end of turn 6, she will attempt to leave the board instead of
attacking. Choose the closest board edge and move her the maximum in that direction until she exits the
board. The game ends on that turn.
Any figure that spends an action with the corpse of the Vampire (if she is killed!) gains two clue points.

Clue Marker Table for ‘Bizzard’

Card Clue
Ace of In this wagon is a chest of swords. All are quite lovely,
Spades but this one is a saber with a heavy inlay of silver all
the way along the blade. The character who picks it up
has a silver sword.
 King of Vampire!Acturally, TWO vampires (one male, one
Spades female). There are two long coffins in this wagon. One
is open, the lid thrown back. As your figure
investigates it, the other opens and both vampires
attack you! If the vampires are killed or leaves, there is
a bill of lading for Count Rakozy listing all of his
effects being shipped through Canada along with his
‘servants’ and some personal notes worth 2 clue points.
Queen of In this wagon is a lot of valuable equipment, the sort of
Spades things a very rich man might travel with; linen sheets,
furs, goose feather mattresses… and a fine silver knife.
Silver Blade! However, there’s also a revenant!
Jack of Revenant! In this wagon is a revenant, and he snaps
Spades into contact. There are also oil paintings and candle
sticks and even some ancient Roman statuary. There is
also a bag of silver bullets.
10 of Revenant! In this wagon is a revenant, and he snaps
Spades into contact. There are tapestries and finely carved
chairs and a Sheridan High Boy and some museum
cases. There is also a bag of silver bullets.

Rewards
+1 Experience Point if the party investigated 2 or more clue markers
+1 EP if the unit has more than ½ of its figures alive at the end of the game (Figures that exit the West
board edge also count).
+1 EP if the party exits at least 3 figures from the Western board edge
+2 EP if the unit(s) kill the Vampires. To claim the 2 EP, your unit must have inflicted at least one point of
damage and the Vampire must be slain. (In other words both units can share the EP)
+1 EP if your unit downs three or more enemy figures
Plains village with Red River Carts 1845 Art Gallery of Ontario
Scenario 4 ‘Rocky Mountain House’
Rocky Mountain House is actually a small settlement at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Approaching
Rocky Mountain House, you encounter a band of friendly Hohe Nakota (Assinibone) whose Medicine
Man says that Mountain House is ‘a bad place full of bad spirits;’ young men have died, a hunter was
taken, and a child, he believes. He thinks the child might still be alive and hopes you might save it; all of
his young men are dead or away south fighting the Black Feet. But he says the fort is inhabited by
‘something there eats men and makes them into monsters.’ He is leading his band away from the old fort.
By this time, your unit is convinced that there’s an outbreak of vampirism in the west, and the clues all
seem to lead here. You’ve come thousands of miles and faced a great deal of danger; you started in
autumn and now it is past mid-summer; what you need is proof. Or to kill off the vampires!
Your best guess is that a single old vampire is making the new ones; the ‘revenants’ you’ve
encountered seem like something darker; and you suspect they’re ‘new vampires.’ All the clues point to
Mountain House. Carefully, cautiously, you approach the fort. It’s July 6 th, 1815. How were you to know
it was the day of a total eclipse?

Set up
On a 3 x 3 table in rocky, forested terrain, place a small (8 inch by 8 inch) stone blockhouse in the center
of the table. Scatter five other buildings around within three inches of the block house or another building.
Make clear terrain or ploughed fields to within 12 inches of each board edge, with a scattering of rocks or
trees, and then have the edges thickly forested or very rocky or both. Place a Clue Marker inside each
building. Place an additional clue marker inside the block house of a different colour or size. Roll
initiative; winner chooses a corner to begin and they can start within 6 inches of the corner. The block
house or central building is the Target Point for all the vampires one the eclipse begins. They will leave
their buildings and move there, engaging characters along the way.

Special Rules
Starting Turn 3, the eclipse begins, and the vampires can move freely outside of their buildings. If anyone
exposes a vampire before Turn 3, ignore results that say the vampire moves to the target point (the central
building)
The Special Clue Marker only appears in the block house when there are no vampires in the block house
and the players have one or more figures in the block house. It takes a successful melee score of 14 or
greater to open the safe and find Count Rakozy’s diary, which includes a detailed plan for creating a
Vampire Nation in the west. +5 Clue points.
Every turn, draw a card from a red stack and then discard
Card Clue
Ace of You find a corpse buried in the leaf mold and snow.
Hearts He was ripped in half. Take a Terror check -2. He also
had a Silver knife.
 King of Add two dark wolves at the center of random board
Hearts edges (roll separately)
Queen of Add two dark wolves at the center of random board
Hearts edges (roll separately)

Jack of You find a loaded pistol with a silver bullet. Any

Hearts figure may use the pistol, but must spend one WHOLE
TURN inactive to draw the wet powder, dry the gun
and reload it. You have to clean away the hand that’s
gripping it. Terror check at -1.
10 of Add one revenant at the center of any board edge.
Hearts
9 of Add one dark wolf at the center of a randomly chosen
hearts board edge
8 of Add one Dark Wolf at the center on a randomly chosen
Hearts board edge
7 of Snow Squall! Visibility is reduced to 12 inches for the
Hearts rest of the turn.
6 of Wandering Nakota child. Your figure may spend one
Hearts action and take a Terror Test -2. If passed, you know
the child is harmless and lost.
5 of One Dark Wolf by a randomly chosen building
Hearts
4 of One Revenant by a randomly chosen building
Hearts

Each time a figure activates to look at a clue marker, draw a card from the black stack

Card Clue
Ace of The Ancient Vampire is sitting in the far corner of this
Spades building, at least 2 inches from the discovering figure.
He will fire his +2 flintlock pistol at the nearest enemy
and flee to the block house if possible, otherwise stand
and fight. If in the block house, he’ll attack.
King of Vampire! The Vampire will attack any enemy in the
Spades building with it. If there are none, it will move to the
block house, attacking only if his path is blocked.
Queen of Vampire? If the female vampire survived scenario 3,
Spades she is here. She will attack anyone in this building on
the Monster phase. If there is no one, she will flee to
the block house, attacking only if her path is blocked.
If she was killed, then find a Holy Symbol on the wall.
Jack of Vampire! The Vampire will attack any enemy in the
Spades building with it. If there are none, it will move to the
block house, attacking only if his path is blocked.
10 of A trading post warehouse full of useful items. Isn’t
Spades that a silver inlaid axe?
9 of Two figures move in this shadowy building. Terror
Spades Check at -2. If you fail (7 or less), attack them. If you
 succeed, find two survivors of the colony being kept
for food.

Rewards:

+1 EP for rescuing the Nakota child

+1 EP for rescuing the two people being kept as food.
+2 EP for each vampire killed. +2 clue points for spending one full activation with the corpse of a slain
vampire.
+3 EP for killing the Ancient Vampire. +2 clue points for spending one full activation with the corpse of a
slain vampire.
+1 EP for killing 2 or more enemy soldiers
+2 EP for ending the campaign with 50% or more of your original party
+2 EP for getting off the board alive with 10 clue points and at least 2 survivors.

Final historical note: As far as we know, there were very few vampires in Canada, but there were First
Nations warriors with regular King’s commissions, including Joseph Brant and his cousin, Peter Johnson,
(Molly Brant’s son and a Mohawk) who was an officer in the 26th Regiment and captured Ethan Allen, the
notorious American partisan. Peter was, at the time, 16 years old…
Joseph Brant