The Swing Spider Asylum

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The Swing: Spider Asylum

Copyright & Credits


Copyright 2005 by 93 Games Studio

Author: Monte Lin

Illustrations:Gavin Hargest

93 Games Studio

I will be honest with you; 93 Games Studiostarted out as one man and the guinea pigsthat would playtest for him. In 2001 I started

with an idea to toy with making a game. Iwanted a side project to keep my mind off ofwork and to help with a friend who wassupposed to move in with me and my family.He never moved in, but I kept working on thegame, a little here and a little there.

After a year of working on it, I realizedthat I might have something. I startedworking overtime to get something intoplaytest and found a group (RegimentalQuarters) willing to try it out. They helped to

flesh out the system and boost myconfidence. At GenCon and Origins in 2003 Imet James (RPGNow.com), and made plansto enter the PDF RPG market. I alsodiscovered print on demand technologywhich allowed me to enter the print RPGbusiness without mortgaging my home.

2005 by 93 Games Studio.Allrights reserved. No part of this manualmay be reproduced without the writtenpermission of 93 Games Studio, exceptfor brief excerpts for the purpose of

reviews.Game aids provided within thismanual and online may be photocopiedfor personal use only.

Any mention of companies,organizations and products in thesepages is not a challenge to thetrademark or copyrights concerned.

www.93gamesstudio.com

smokewolf@93gamesstudio715 Williams Ave

Raceland, Kentucky 41169

In December of 2003 I released TheSwing in both print and PDF formats. Sincethen I have released over 25 more products(mostly small PDF supplements) and have

reached agreements with RPGNOW,DriveThruRPG, Arima.it, Digital Book Booth,and Lulu to sell my products. I have alsohired 4 freelance writers, worked with UKGPublishing to help produce maps for some ofour games and have freelanced with WhiteWolf, Ronin Arts and Expeditious RetreatPress.

93 Games Studio is committed tobringing the real world into the gaming world.We have all played fantasy, been there, done

that; now its time to play reality.If you are interested in joining thisendeavor please email me or check ourwebsite for our submission guidelines and wecan go from there or check out oursubmissions page for more information.

The Swing: Spider Asylum requires the use of TheSwing: Reality Guide published by

93 Games Studio.

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Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1.............................................................................................................................................. 1

INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................................... 1

BACKGROUND .......................................................................................................................................... 1

PROLOGUE................................................................................................................................................ 2

CHAPTER 2.............................................................................................................................................. 3

SPIDER PENITENTIARY.............................................................................................................................. 3

Central Hall.......................................................................................................................................... 3The Legs of the Spider.......................................................................................................................... 5Library/Recreation Wing...................................................................................................................... 5

Employee Quarters............................................................................................................................... 6Administration Wing ............................................................................................................................ 6

Hospital Wing....................................................................................................................................... 7Cell Block A.......................................................................................................................................... 8Psychology Wing.................................................................................................................................. 9

Cell Block B........................................................................................................................................ 10Solitary Confinement.......................................................................................................................... 11Outside ............................................................................................................................................... 12Generator ........................................................................................................................................... 12

CHAPTER 3............................................................................................................................................ 13

DOCTOR FREDERICKCOMUS .................................................................................................................. 13SPIDER SPIRIT......................................................................................................................................... 15

PIPECEREMONY ..................................................................................................................................... 15

NPCS .................................................................................................................................................... 16

Typical Guards................................................................................................................................... 16Warden Anton Gaoler ........................................................................................................................ 17Typical Inmate.................................................................................................................................... 17The Staff (Carrie Veritas, James Warner, Alfonso Ramirez)............................................................. 18

CHAPTER 4............................................................................................................................................ 20

EPILOGUE ............................................................................................................................................... 20

DANIELS PIPECEREMONY..................................................................................................................... 21

About Monte LinMonte Lin is a freelance writer with a several publication credits; an adventure in Dungeonmagazine issue #105, an article in Dragon magazine issue #323, and another article forDragon awaiting approval. Monte also has written a d20 Future time travel supplement underconsideration for Morrigan Press.

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Chapter 1Setup

Tradition is a guide and not a jailer.W. Somerset Maugham

Introduction

Spider Asylum is a short adventure forexperienced characters for the Swing role-playing game. The characters come to theSpider Penitentiary to explore a possiblespiritual site and discover the Federal prisonoverrun not by the inmates, but by crazedguards and possessed staff.

The characters quickly learn not only of anunorthodox experiment, but of a history ofspiritual influence on Spider Penitentiaryitself.

The adventure takes place in the desert ofNew Mexico, which has a WILL Rating of 2.The Penitentiary itself, which discourages aconnection with the spirit, raises the WILL

Rating to 6 or so. However, for the sake ofthis adventure, the default WILL Rating is 2.

Background

The Pueblo Revolt begins in 1680 when ashaman named Pop organizes the PuebloIndians in New Mexico against Spanish rule.

After driving them back to Santa Fe, then ElPaso, Pop establishes himself in theGovernors Palace and maintains rule untilhis death in 1688. The Revolt officially endsin 1692 when Diego de Vargas leads a bandof men to retake New Mexico. After over adecade of starvation and constant raids fromthe Apache, the Pueblo agree to adopt theChristian religion and surrender.

A Pueblo woman named Ysabel establishesa Christian hospital in New Mexico. Shenames it the House of the Spider in honor ofthe Pueblo creation myth.

Sometime, in the 1840s, Joseph Smith, afreed black slave, travels west to seek his

fortune. Upon discovering the thenabandoned House of the Spider, he reopensit as a roadside inn and hotel, keeping thename in honor of Anansi, a West Africanspider trickster figure. He eventually marriesa local Indian woman.

In the late 1880s, a Paiute Indian namedWavoka blends traditional mythology withChristian symbolism and develops anapocalyptic religious worship known as the

Ghost Dance. The Dance, believed toprovide its practitioners a new connection tothe spiritual world as well as protection frombullets, ultimately comes to failure at theMassacre of Wounded Knee in December29, 1890.

A Sioux survivor of the massacre andpractitioner of the Ghost Dance escapes andtakes refuge in the House of the Spider. Headopts the English name Daniel to disguise

himself. He marries the owner and inheritsthe property.

During the Prohibition Era, the new ownersof Spider House, Shylock Smith and his wifeMaria, turn the hotel into a speakeasy,serving wines from local New Mexicanvineyards as well as hard liquors. Spider

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House prospers and expands into its currenteight-wing structure.

After the economic collapse of theDepression and rationing of World War II, the

federal government purchases the SpiderHouse and converts it into a penitentiary inthe 1950s. As the decades pass, SpiderPenitentiary remains a tenth the size of otherNew Mexican prisons. It quickly develops areputation as a dumping ground for troubleinmates and reject staff.

A week before the PCs arrive, DoctorFrederick Comus cures an inmate, WilliamHamlet Sheer of his violent tendencies as

well as mental retardation. He petitions toWarden Gaoler to apply the treatment to therest of the inmates but Gaoler shouts downhis request.

The day before the PCs arrive, DoctorComus unleashes the machine and removesall the violence and the madness from theinmates, but summons the Trickster spiderguarding Spider Penitentiary. It takes itspower from the generator and the spiritualpattern created through the electrical system.

Prologue

A magickally-aware contact of the PCs asksthem to check out a federal penitentiary inthe New Mexico as a favor to him. He offerseither a solution to a current quest, owesthem a big favor in the future, or pays them asum of $4000. He suspects that the federalprison is a mystic site and wants the PCs toascertain its nature and manifestation.

Luckily, he knows the administrator of thisFederal prison and can get the characters inunder the guise of making the prison ahistorical landmark.

He provides airplane and rental cartransportation for the characters, but leavesthem to figure out what they need to bring.

He also gives them the work phone ofWarden Anton Gaoler, the administrator ofthe prison.

If the PCs use the work phone number to call

the Warden, Gaoler says the following:

Youre the inspectors? Thanks for calling.Weve been having some staffing problemslately and Im wondering if we can postponeyour inspection for about a week. I know itsshort notice and all, but were reallyunderstaffed right now and we dont have theresources and time to help you with yourwork. It would make things much moreconvenient if you rescheduled.

Warden Gaoler pushes the PCs to changetheir plans. He never threatens the PCs, andeventually gives in if need be. However, thecharacter who calls Gaoler will need tosucceed on a Sensory Attribute checkagainst a Difficulty of 20 (Extended) to hearthe strain in Gaolers voice, as if he wasunder immense stress.

The characters contact, if asked, suggeststhat the characters venture to the

Penitentiary anyway, just to be sure.

The characters arrive at the AlbuquerqueInternational Sunport Airport on a bright, dryday. They find a rental car of their choosingawaiting them at the airport with a map,directions, and identification as members of aNew Mexico Historical Society. The SpiderPenitentiary is an hour southwest of

Albuquerque by car across New Mexicandesert near Highway 60.

When they arrive, an empty guard station bythe electrified fence greets them. Luckily, thefence is wide open.

The PCs notice a few cars and two largeprison buses in the small parking lot in frontof the building.

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Chapter 2The Big House

What other dungeon is so dark as one's own heart! What jailer so inexorable as one's self!Nathaniel Hawthorne

Spider Penitentiary

For various administrative reasons, SpiderPenitentiary never receives the funding itneeds to expand. Whereas other NewMexican prisons hold nearly four hundredinmates and requisite staff, SpiderPenitentiary currently houses 48 inmates, tenguards, and five staff including WardenGaoler, James Warner, Doctor Comus,Cassie Veritas, and Alfonso Ramirez.

Spider Penitentiary has no actual specialty.Instead, it receives troublesome inmates, butnot violent gang bosses or even high-profilekillers, merely those inmates who dontcause enough trouble for harsh treatment,yet inflict administrative headaches. Mostly,Spider Penitentiary takes in those who have

not yet been placed in a permanent prison.

The Spider Penitentiary does not run arehabilitation program, though it manages acounseling and psychological evaluationprogram represented by one man, DoctorFrederick Comus. As per regulation, heprovides psychological intakes for eachinmate. Again, many of the temporaryinmates languish here for years beforemoving on, conveniently forgotten by the

federal bureaucracy.

In effect, Spider Penitentiary is a kind ofprison limbo, where inmates and staff gowhen no one else wants them. Guards andstaff alike know this is a dead-end careerpath.

Central Hall

Broken double doors lead to the Central Hall,the 24-meter wide round structure thatserves as the main access for the eight otherwings. A curved administration desk lies infront of a giant steam-pipe monstrosity,which looks like a cross between a massivestove and an electroshock therapy machine.

Anyone with a WILL of 1 or higher sensesintense anger and violence emanating fromthe machine. Those with a WILL of 0 still feelunsettled by the mess, like some abstract artpiece depicting a Freudian nightmare.

Any attempt to take apart the machineunleashes a condensed packet of rage uponthe responsible character(s). Those targetedmust succeed on an opposed Wits + Intuition

+ WILL versus Doctor Comus Wits +Intuition + WILL against a Difficulty of 16(Normal) or immediately engage in CloseQuarters Combat with the nearest character.Each round, the character receives anotherroll against the same Difficulty. Those withthe Angry or Berserker Obstacles receive acumulative One Step Penalty.

Deep inside this infernal machine, DoctorFrederick Comus serves as the emotional

power plant for his own invention. Havinginternalized the very fear and anger hesought to dispel from his patients, Dr. Comusnow finds himself a literal prisoner of his owninner demons.

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If the PCs ever manage to breech the innercore of the machine, they find Doctor Comusstretched out on a makeshift crucifix made oftwo long pipes. However, Doctor Comus andhis machine represent only the surface of the

problems facing the Spider Penitentiary.

The Legs of the Spider

If the Central Hall forms the body of thespider then the legs form the different Wings.If looking down on the Penitentiary fromabove, then on the left side from bottom up,are the Library/Recreation Wing, theEmployee Quarters, the Administration Wing,and the Hospital/Pharmacy.

On the right side from bottom up, are CellBlock A, the Psychology Wing, Cell Block B,and Solitary Confinement.

Two large metal-reinforced double woodendoors connect each Wing to the Central Hall.The Wings roughly measure 9-meters wideand 27-meters long.

Library/Recreation Wing

One half of this wing contains various

nonfiction books and magazines on oldwooden shelves. The literature tends towardpractical knowledge, such as automechanics, carpentry, and other trades. Nopopular culture or fiction is allowed in thelibrary.

The other half has a ping pong table andvarious workout equipment such as a benchpress and free weights.

Two guards, still in uniform, draw crudeimages of spiders on the floor, walls, andbooks. Broken pens and pencils litter thewing. An inmate, still in his orange prisonuniform, lies bound, gagged, bloody andbruised yet awake. With a successfulSensory Attribute check against a Difficulty of

16 (Normal), the PC notices the inmatesignaling to them with his eyes.

The two guards leisurely wander from behinda bookshelf, each holding a Colt 1911A1 in

their hands. The guards attempt some smalltalk, sizing the PCs up. If they perceive themas dangerous, they open fire. If not, theyraise their weapons and tell them to get onthe floor with their hands on their heads. Ifthe PCs surrender to them, the guardshandcuff them and toss them next to theinmate.

The guards have no actual plan other than totake over the other wings. They spend most

of their time drawing the crude spiderimages, occasionally reveling in their powerover their captives. After a few hours of this,they become more and more violent, strikingtheir captives, and then eventually shootingthem.

Characters can escape from the handcuffswith a successful Strength + Dexterity +Escape: Restraints against a Difficulty of 20(Extended).

The captive is William Hamlet Sheer, thementally-challenged young man DoctorComus cured a week ago. The thin tallinmate speaks in an uncertain soft voice. Iffreed from the guards, he tells the PCs thathe remembers only fragments of his previouslife. He knows he killed his parents andsiblings in a hazy red rage, but he feels noneof those feelings now. Instead, he exhibits aparalyzing remorse and guilt. He remembersthat the guards never treated him particularly

well, but they never became homicidal likethis.

Lastly, he mentions that Doctor Comus didsomething that freed his head, then a fewdays later, all hell broke loose. He hasntseen Doctor Comus since. He believes thatthe majority of the guards have the other

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inmates captured in both Cell Blocks A andB.

Employee Quarters

This wing contains three stories with three

small rooms on the second and third floors,measuring eight by eight meters, with acommunal bathroom at the end with a toilet,sink and stand-up shower. A narrow flight ofstairs to the other floors flank the bathroom.

Only a few employees, specifically theWarden and a couple of guards permanentlylive on-site. The other employees drive infrom the surrounding small towns. Onoccasion, such as during shift changes,

some guards and the other miscellaneousemployees take a spare room and stay thenight.

The first floor contains the kitchen and diningarea. The farthest ten meters on the firstmake up a basic kitchen with a largerefrigerator, counter, and six-burner stove.Due to the power outage, the melted waterfrom the refrigerator floods the kitchen and abit of the dining area. The rest of the floor is

devoted to metal benches and tables

In one of the rooms, inmates George Pazand Dan Pacific locked themselves in duringyesterdays chaos. Both have similar storiesto tell, remarking that yesterday everythingwent haywire and the guards began beatingall the inmates during the recreation period.They reflexively ran toward this wing and justhid here. The room they choose happened tohave a small fridge, so theyve been hiding inhere, sneaking out to use the toilet, andeating snack food. The previous occupantalso kept a package of loose tobacco and apipe, which both George and Dan smokequite often.

Administration Wing

The Administration Wing contains the officesof the staff, files on all the inmates, and theaccounting department. The wing consists ofa dozen cubicles separated with standing

partitions.

The PCs find Warden Anton Gaoler in one ofthe accounting cubicles (a sign on a partitiondesignates the area the accountingdepartment) digging around the file cabinets.Stacks of papers and folders surround him.

The large mustached man ever-teetering onan ulcer tries to manage the SpiderPenitentiary with faux cheerful

professionalism. Dressed in a suit and tie asize too short for his round frame, AntonGaoler always looks uncomfortable.

Those with a WILL Rating of 1 sense arelaxed atmosphere at odds with the disorderin the Penitentiary. With a successfulSensory Attribute check against a Difficulty of16 (Normal), the characters swear they feel alittle drunk. In fact, if any of the guardswander into this wing, they holster their

weapons, and shout out for Shylock to getthem a drink. Warden Gaoler then digsaround one of the desks, and pulls out abottle of rum and a couple of mugs. He poursthem a little while small talking. By allaccounts, both Gaoler and the guards thinkthey are in the Spider House bar. Theycontinue this performance for hours.

If he notices the characters, he says thefollowing in a rushed nervous tone:

The Feds arent here, are they? No? Good.Give me a hand here. My wifes off visitingthe in-laws and I dont know where she putthe books. Joe thinks he can get her with hisold jalopy but I dont think that piece of junkwill last an hour into the sun.

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I never thought the Fed would come here inthe middle of nothing to give us trouble.

Gaoler says little, letting the PCs wander theoffices, unless one of them asks him about

Spider House:

I never told you how we got this place? Weset up a home in town years ago. I thought Iwas getting a job at a borax mine. Maria wasgoing to sew. I found out I was had.

We were stuck, until Maria was watching aspider spin its web. She was looking out thewindow through the web and saw somethingglittering. She asked around, and they toldher it was an old hospital from back in theWild West days.

By then, word had gotten out that thegovernment was outlawing liquor. Mariawanted to clean up the old hospital, and Ineeded work, so we opened a place forpeople to come out, stay a while, and have adrink.

Now, if we dont hurry up, the Fedsll comeand shut us down if I dont got my books

straight.

Gaoler thinks hes Shylock Smith, one of theprevious owners of Spider House. Herefuses to leave until he finds the accountingbooks. He ignores anything anachronistic orout of place for Shylocks time, such ascomputers, photo IDs, and telephones. Ofcourse, the majority of the Penitentiarysaccounting information exists only in thecomputer network.

Those with the Clairsentience Giftimmediately know that a spirit possesses

Anton Gaoler. Those who Scry the wardensee the image of a tall, think, grizzled oldman superimposed over Gaoler. Those whouse Divination learn the man speaks as thelast rightful voice of the House.

If the PCs prevent Gaoler from hunting downthe accounting books or insist he isntShylock Smith, he pulls out his Desert Eaglefrom his shoulder harness. This, he pointsto the gun, means that Im not letting the

Feds take my land. But Id rather show themthe books so it wont come to that. If Im deadwholl take care of Maria? He waves it in thePCs direction in an aimless yet threateningmanner, then returns to his search.

Hospital Wing

The Hospital Wing consists of three sections.The first part contains a dozen metal-framedhospital beds (with rollers) and starts fromthe double doors and continues down fifteen

meters. Another set of double doors leads toa rudimentary Operating Room whichmeasures six meters to a thick single doorthat leads to the Pharmacy, also six meterslong. The Pharmacy has a backdoor thatleads directly outside. It also functions as aservice window with a small metal tray (muchlike a late night gas station window) that thepharmacist can withdraw and extend to handout pills without risk of attack.

Characters with a WILL Rating of 1 or highersense a quiet, calming atmosphere. Guardswho enter the hospital stumble toward anempty bed to lie down. They clutch theirfirearms with deadly intensity, refusing to bedisarmed. Each complains of gunshot orbattle wounds, occasionally crying out inpain.

Two guards lie in separate hospital beds.They both occasionally moan in discomfort

and cover their eyes with a damp washcloth.Three inmates, still wearing their brightprison uniforms lie sprawled on the floor,surrounded by various vials and injectionneedles from the Pharmacy. They remainblissed out and completely harmless.

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One nurse wanders between the two guardsand the three inmates, placing a palm ontheir faces, feeling for their temperature, andplacing a wet washcloth on their foreheads.When she notices the characters, she tells

them to each take a cot and to be patient. Ifone of the characters claims to be in someserious distress with a successful Social

Attribute check against a Difficulty of 16(Normal), the nurse immediately tends to thecharacter. If the character possesses eitherFirst Aid or Medical, he or she adds the skillto the roll.

Those with the Clairsentience Giftimmediately know that a spirit possesses the

body of the nurse. Those who Scry the nursesee an image of a small, motherly AmericanIndian woman dressed in a simple whitedress superimposed over the nurse. Thosewho use Divination learn she speaks as themother of the House.

The nurse, whose nametag spells outCassie, remembers everything up to a fewdays before. However, she is convinced thatthe people in the Hospital Wing are PuebloIndians who survived an Apache raid. Shesometimes calls herself Cassie, and othertimes Ysabel. She finds no contradictionswith her memories or perception, blendingboth Cassie and Ysabels memoriesseamlessly.

Characters who ask Ysabel about her lifereceive the following explanation:

My father learned the traditions, but Ilearned the white mans religion instead. He

wanted me to know how to read and write.He also knew that his traditions would failhim one day, and he wanted his children tosurvive in this new life.

Spanish Christians gave me money to buildthis hospital. They did not know that myfather fought with Pop. If they knew, they

would have never helped me. But the otherPueblos must not know that I am a Tigua, orthey would consider me a traitor. The otherTiguas come here as a safe haven from thelabor of the Spanish and the anger of the

other Pueblos. I tell everyone that we are allPueblos and none of us have our landanymore. We only have each other left.

Grandmother Spider told me to name thisplace the House of the Spider. And sinceGrandmother Spider created the world, Icreated this place to house the sick and givethe hurt a refuge. She said that she wouldwatch over us as long as we kept the name.

And she did. When de Vargas came to takeback the Pueblo nation, we feared revenge,and many warriors came here to hide. But deVargas kept his word, left us in peace.

Cell Block A

The door to Cell Block A is barricaded withdesks, chairs, and miscellaneous furniture. Asingle person can squeeze through a spaceunderneath all the debris. Doing this withoutan invitation annoys the sentries posted on

the other side of the mess. They prefer thePCs yell through the barricade instead.

The two-story-high structure houses six jailcells on top of another six cells flush againstone wall, allowing guards to walk the lengthof the wing and see clearly into all cells. Asmall steep metal staircase leads up to anarrow metal walkway on the second level.The cells are four meters by four meters andhouse a bunk bed and a toilet. On a normalday, the inmates spend most of their time outof their cells.

Twelve inmates remained here when thecommotion started yesterday. A coupleguards came, singled out Hamlet, and beathim to a pulp before dragging him away. Thecook arrived wielding a meat cleaver and

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helped Cell Block A strip the Central Hall offurniture to create a barricade and to plantheir next move.

The group acknowledges the cook, Alfonso

Ramirez, as their leader, but he spends mostof his time meditating. Instead, an inmate bythe name of George Tempe acts as the voiceof the group. Any negotiations with Cell Block

A go through Tempe.

Tempe and the others realize a change inattitude took place in Spider Penitentiary.None of the inmates hold to their gangallegiances anymore, whereas all the guardshave gone off their rocker. Even stranger, the

cook no longer calls himself Alfonso, butDaniel, and wants to teach them somethingcalled the Ghost Dance so they can makebulletproof shirts.

Tempe and other inmates agree that theywant things to return to normal, despite theirprison terms. They have no experience orpractical knowledge on how to do this, butthey sense that the disruption of the naturalorder of things cannot end well. They hopeto retain their new sense of peace andclarity.

Characters with a WILL Rating of 1 or highersense a quiet reverence in the air, as if froma church or other holy place. Guards refuseto enter the area, despite their bravado anddesire to retake Cell Block A. If they get tooclose to the barricade, they get the willies,and quickly retreat.

Those with the Clairsentience Gift

immediately know that a spirit possesses thecook. Those who Scry Alfonso see an imageof a tall, stern American Indian dressed inproud warrior garb superimposed over hisbody. Those who use Divination learn he isa spirit who speaks with spirits.

The PCs find Alfonso sitting alone in a cell,taking apart cigarettes and placing thetobacco in small bundles of torn pieces ofcloth. Several bundles sit in four groupsaround him, corresponding to the cardinal

directions north, south, east, and west. Hemutters to himself while performing hisblessing ritual.

If talked to, he ignores specific questions andresponds with the following (while continuingwith his ritual):

I thought I was a coward for running awayfrom Wounded Knee when so many othersdied. I ran, hid, changed my name to my

Christian name, and wandered the countryuntil I collapsed somewhere.

A woman and her family took me in andhealed my body and spirit. They told me Iwas meant to be here, said that GrandmaSpider choose me to be here at this time.They said whatever had happened to me inthe past no longer concerns what I needed todo here in the present. With those simplewords, a weight was lifted and I wascleansed. But sometimes I hear the voices ofthe dead of Wounded Knee and I wonderwhat my voice would say.

Psychology Wing

This wing possesses a counseling office, anobservation room with a two-way mirror intoa patients room, a small group meetingroom, and a padded isolation room. Forwhatever reasons, the guards and inmatesleft this wing alone and it remains relativelyuntouched.

The PCs find the accountant, James Warnerin casual clothing cleaning the patientsroom. When he encounters the PCs,however, he introduces himself as JosephSmith, broadly smiling, shaking their handsand welcoming them to Spider House. He

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pardons the lack of a staff; he has to cleanthe rooms himself, since his wife isexpecting. He asks casual questions aboutthe PCs, where they come from, where theyare heading, what train they took to arrive

here, etc.

Characters with a WILL Rating of 1 or highersense an open and friendly atmosphere, likevisiting a friend. If the guards enter this wind,they change personas and think themselvesto be travelers in the Old West. ask Jamesabout room rates, about train schedules toCalifornia, and of any interesting localstories.

Those with the Clairsentience Giftimmediately know that a spirit possessesJames Warner. Those who Scry him see animage of a strong and solid black mandressed in a suit and tie superimposed overthe body of the accountant. Those who useDivination learn he speaks with a voice ofold new-found freedom.

If asked about his own past, he respondswith the following:

I got lucky. I managed to save enoughmoney to buy my freedom. So I bought atrain ticket to take me North, but I ended upon a train West toward California. Someonestole my money, and I ended up in NewMexico. I was looking for work, but I guessno one wanted to hire a free slave. By thattime, I had heard of the Spider House, and Iknew it was Anansis trickery that led mehere. I found a woman, a job, a place to be.Now, I own this place. A land like this, where

a slave like me can own something

Cell Block B

Other than the barricade, Cell Block Bappears identical to Cell Block A. However,the inmates remain locked in their cells, heldhostage by the guards. The locking

mechanism reverted to manual control whenthe power went out, so the guards keep CellBlock B shut down.

Despite the danger, the twenty-four inmates

remain very tranquil and hold no malicetoward the guards, though they wish toescape their control. They instinctively knowsomething supernatural altered theirbehavior and infected the guards.

The remaining six guards of the compoundchoose Cell Block B as their staging area.They intend to regain Cell Block A andattempt to recruit the PCs into helping them,though they have no solid plan to get through

the barricade and have no intention ofleaving the building. They do not consciouslyacknowledge the strange effects they sufferwhen they approach Cell Block A. If the PCsrefuse to help them, they attack the PCs andhandcuff them to the bars of a cell. Theguards do not tolerate conversation betweenthe inmates nor with the PCs. They resort toviolence to enforce this, if need be.

When possible, a prisoner whispers to thePCs that two inmates suffered lifethreatening injuries from the guards duringthe previous day and languish in one of thecells. Their resident doctor, Doctor FrederickComus cannot be found.

The characters need a successfulIntelligence + Perception + First Aid againsta Difficulty of 24 (Hard) to stop the bleedingon each inmate. But first, they need toconvince the guards to let them tend to thewounded. Despite their aberrant behavior,

the guards still retain most of their training, atleast in a unconscious level, and require asuccessful Charisma + Attitude + Career:Law Enforcement against a Difficulty of 24(Hard) to convince the guards to let themhelp the hurt inmates.

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Solitary Confinement

This wing contains ten small cells only onemeter wide and three meters long. Each cellhas no light fixture and has a small cot barelywide enough for someone to lie on his side.

At the far end, a tiny toilet sticks out of thewall. The space between the round metalbars does not even allow a horizontaloutstretched hand to pass through. A switchon the side of the row of cells releases all ofthe crossbars that lock the doors shut. Theswitch is at the closed position and is lockedby some complicated key mechanism.

One of the six guards in Cell Block Bpossesses the key to unlock Solitary

Confinement. Otherwise, the PCs need asuccessful Dexterity + Perception + LockPick: Mechanical against a Difficulty of 28(Very hard) to free the single prisoner.

In his 40s, Griffin Zhand is a tall muscularman with a shaved head and a stubblebeard, sprinkled with a little bit of gray. Hewears the orange prison uniform. He sitsupright on his cot, eyes closed, relaxed butperfectly poised. He waits until the PCs talk

to him.

For a person in solitary confinement, heappears quite calm and friendly. He explainsthat just a few days ago, they locked him inhere for biting another inmate. Having ahistory of violent outbursts, the Wardenassigns Cell Number 6 for him specifically.However, he explains yesterdays change ofperspective as follows:

I feel like my head has been opened, and airlet in a tight space. You know, when youopen a door to stuffy room and take in abreath of fresh air. Normally, Im just trying tomake it to the end of the day when I get putback into my cell, but suddenly, yesterday Ican see my future.

I dont mean to say that I can predict whathappens to me, but I can see me getting a

job, getting place to live under the open sky,making friends, the things that hound me no

longer matter. I can see whats been keepingpeople in here. Not just the law, but theirattitudes, their perceptions of themselves.Even the good Doctor Comus, I can see therage building inside. I dont know from what,but I know hes as lost as any of us.

Things feel sharper, vibrant, fullofpotential. Like I know you folks haveseen and done things beyond what normalpeople do. I know you have doubts and

hopes about what you do with your life. Iwant to have those same feelings.

I dont know. I feel freer in here today that Ihave ever felt out there in the world.

Zhand instinctively knows somethingsupernatural happened to him and to Spider

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Penitentiary. He recalls that Doctor Comusclaimed to have cured Hamlet, a mentally-disabled inmate who, as a young boy, killedhis family in a fit of rage. (Someonenicknamed him Hamlet since the boy killed

his stepfather, his mother, and his cousins.)He also overheard an argument between theDoctor and the Warden over the use of thisnew technique on the rest of the inmates.Warden Gaoler thought the whole thingpreposterous and told the Doctor that he wasthere only because of regulations, not that hethought rehabilitation was possible. Zhandsuggests that the good Doctor caused allthis.

Zhand also knows that if the PCs succeed,he reverts to his violent self. He is fine withthis, and hopes he at least remembersenough of this day to change his life.

Outside

Once the PCs enter the building, they cannotleave the compound. If they walk backoutside, they see a wide gray expanse clearof even low-lining brush. A dark cloudy skyalmost the same hue of the desert blends

seamlessly in the horizon.

The PCs vehicle remains parked in the frontlot, along with the other cars and buses. Ifthey drive off into the desert to find help, thecompound shrinks into the horizon, butremains just barely visible regardless of howfar they travel. Even though the ground rollsbeneath them, they never arrive anywhere.Driving back, they return to the compound inonly a few minutes regardless of the length

of time on the road. The desert remainsperfectly flat and featureless.

Five inmates made a break for it yesterdayand currently wander this otherworldly deserthoping to find Highway 60 and hitch a ride.Regardless of the outcome in Spider

Penitentiary, they disappear into the spiritworld never to be seen again.

Generator

A hundred meters from the Central Hall, on

the other side of the building from the parkinglot, a gasoline-powered generator continuesrunning. However, no power channelsthrough into the lights, refrigerator, or any ofthe Penitentiarys electrical components.

Anyone checking the electrical system, testspositive for power but cannot be electrocutedeither.

Those who Scry the whole area see theghostly outline of a spider that encompasses

the generator, the Central Hall, all eightwings, and the round fence surrounding thecompound. Those who use Divinationdetermine that Spider weaves a web ofman-made lightning.

The owners and construction workers of theSpider House inadvertently created a spirit-circle with the electrical system. Eachsuccessive improvement on the buildingincreased the spiritual power of the area until

yesterdays massive outpouring of emotionalenergy brought the spirit of Spider Housefully into this realm.

The characters may decide to shut down thegenerator. If the characters possessexplosives, they may destroy the machine.Otherwise a successful Intelligence +Perception + Engineering: Electrical againsta Difficulty of 20 (Extended) shuts down thegenerator without damaging it. Some with aTechnician skill may attempt to shut downthe generator, but he receives a One Steppenalty to do so.

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Chapter 3The Little People

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.Martin Luther King Jr.

Doctor Frederick Comus

Doctor Comus has both a medical andpsychology degree and strongly believes in aphysiological cure for violence, anger, anddepression. Perhaps this belief comes fromhis own issues with his temper. A veryimpatient man, his short fuse effectively cuthim off from many opportunities. Now helanguishes in a federally mandated positionat the Spider Penitentiary as opposed to abetter paid and more a glamorous career in

Albuquerques prominent hospitals. On asocial level, Doctor Comus never managed alasting relationship, and became a bitter,lonely man obsessed with finding a cure forcriminal behavior.

He is not popular amongst the inmates, the

staff, or Warden Gaoler. With Hamlet,Comus found a subject to test his weirdertheories involving a combination of drugs,behavior modification, and mild electroshocktherapy. Though the doctor believes hecured Hamlet, Warden Gaoler recently put astop to this voodoo medicine, which upsetComus to no end. He attempted one lastexperiment, launching the psychic madnessinfecting the Spider Penitentiary.

The characters need to stop FrederickComus and his machine to undo the recentchanges over the guards and inmates. To dothis, however, the PCs must convince thespider spirit to help them.

Doctor Comus

Statistics

Strength D12Dexterity 2D6Wits 2D6

Intelligence D20Attitude D12Charisma D10Perception 2D8Intuition 2D8

Skills

Academics: Mythology 1Academics: Theology 1

Brawl 1Career 4Computer Use: Windows 3Computer Use: DOS 1Endurance 1First Aid 4Medical 5Medicine 5Melee: Knife 1Occult Lore 2Science: Biology 4

Science: Math 2Science: Physics 2Science: Psychology 6Surgery 5

Combat Stats

Combat Points: 16

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Wound Ratings:9Wounds:9Severe Wounds:4Deadly Wounds: 2

Fatigue Rating: 6

Fatigue Points: 6Jump:2Hand-to-hand Damage:6FLifting: 120 lbs.Fear: 2WILL:5

Background Effects

Angry (Primary), Arrogant (Primary), Gifted:Medical (Primary), Obsession (Primary),

Scientist (Primary), Willpower (Secondary).Archetype: Attention SeekerMagickal Theory: ScientistGender: MaleHair Color: light brownEye Color: hazel/greenHeight: 63Weight: 140 lbs.Nationality: USAEthnicity: CaucasianReligion: lapsed Christian

Spider Spirit

The Spider remains a strong folkloric figurein many cultures. Hawaiian folklore tells of agiant spider creating the islands with eachfootstep, then falling into the ocean to formthe main island. West African culture has

Anansi, a trickster spider with her owncollection of stories, while GrandmotherSpider appears as the Creator of the world in

Pueblo stories. The spirit of the spiderinhabits Spider House, guiding eachsuccessive owner, bringing these people anew chance in life. In essence, thePenitentiary represents the antithesis to whatthe spider holds dear, second chances andfreedom.

The Spider at the Penitentiary onceencouraged freedom in all its other myriadforms, ranging from freedom againstoppression to the freedom after conqueringones psychological demons. Instead, it

attempted throughout the past half-decade tolimit the growth of the prison, while pushingits inmates and staff to look withinthemselves and change their lives. Oddlyenough, Doctor Comus provided a vehicle forthe greatest change, but his inability tomaster his emotions led the spider spirit tointervene directly.

It built the strange machine housing DoctorComus and it keeps its effects active. It

intends to hold a mirror to each inhabitantspsyche. In this transitional shadow world, theinmates face their better selves, the guardstheir worst halves, and the staff their purposein life.

Pipe Ceremony

To talk to the Spider Spirit, the PCs needDaniel to teach them a very basic pipeceremony, which connects the participants tothe spirit world. Cut off from the real world,

they must use whatever tobacco they find aswell as a pipe. If no one finds the pipe in theEmployee Quarters, they must fashion one oftheir own. In addition, they can collectcigarettes from the inmates and separate thetobacco from the paper and filter.

With limited materials, Daniel teaches thePCs a shortened pipe ceremony (a shamanicmedicinal journey ritual, see page 21). Whilesitting in a circle, they first address the

powers of the West which represent the rainand spirit world, then the North whichrepresents integrity and strength, the Eastknowledge, and lastly the South for growthand medicine. They end the ceremony bytouching the pipe to the ground to representMother Earth, raising the pipe to the sky torepresent the source of life in the Great

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Spirit, and then passing the pipe around thecircle for each participant to smoke.

The ritual works even if only one of theparticipants succeeds on a Wits + Intuition +

Visualization Magick: Shamanism (or otherappropriate Visualization Magick or for TrueMagicians - WILL) check. Whoever makesthe highest roll (while beating the WILLRating) becomes the designated shaman ofthe ritual. Whoever fails, or does notparticipate, never sees the Spirit and cannotcommunicate with it.

For more rules on shamanic medicinaljourneys see The Swing: Shamanism.

Upon successful completion of the ritual, thePCs notice a distinct, heavy breathing, and arhythmic movement in the air. If they followthe sound and breeze, they end up in theCentral Hall with a blurred image of a giantspider hanging over Doctor Comus machine.

NPCs

Typical Guards

Statistics

Strength 2D8Dexterity 2D6Wits D10Intelligence D12Attitude D12Charisma D10Perception 2D6Intuition 2D8

Skills

Athletics: Football 1Brawl 3Computer Use: UNIX 1Career: Security Guard 3Drive: Car 2

Endurance 3Firearms: Pistol 3Firearms: Shotgun 2Gunsmith: Pistol 1Gunsmith: Shotgun 1

Intimidate: Verbal 3Martial Arts: Tae Kwon Do 2Melee: Mace 3Negotiation 1Security: Electrical System 1Security: Personal Protection 1Survival: Desert 1Video Systems: CCTV 1

Background Effects

Arrogant (Secondary), Equipment, Housing,No Sense of Humor (Secondary),Overconfident (Primary), Willpower(Secondary).

Combat Stats

Combat Points: 13Wound Ratings:11

Wounds:11Severe Wounds:5Deadly Wounds: 2

Fatigue Rating: 8Fatigue Points: 24

Jump:2Hand-to-hand Damage:1W & 10FLifting: 160 lbs.Fear: 6WILL:0

PCs note with a successful Sensory Attributecheck against a Difficulty of 16 (Normal) thatthe guards faces look just a little bit off as if

distorted by some reflection or light effect.Those with the Clairvoyant Gift see theirfaces constantly change like putty, strainingagainst their skin.

A Divination reveals their spirits unalignedwith their bodies, while a Scry reveals thesame image as the Clairvoyant Gift above.

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All of the guards are Level 2 Security Guardsand carry a Colt 1911A1, and the equivalentto a Fabarm FP6, as well as a metal baton(treat as a mace), and wears Type II bodyarmor vest.

Warden Anton Gaoler

Use the Typical Guard statistics above andadd with the following modifications:

Bureaucracy 1Career: Law Enforcement 3Communication Systems: CB 1Locale Knowledge (Bernalillo County) 2Occult: Folklore 1Occult: Mysticism 1

Survival: Desert 1

Replace the following skills and statisticswith the following:

Firearms: Pistol 4Firearms: Shotgun 3Intimidate: Verbal 5


Wounds: 13Severe Wounds: 6Deadly Wounds:3

Background Effects

Combat Sense (Primary), Tough: Physical(Primary).

Archetype: ApatheticMagickal Theory: NoneGender: Male

Hair Color: black/baldingEye Color: brownHeight: 60Weight: 185 lbs.Nationality: USAEthnicity: CaucasianReligion: None

Anton Gaoler also is a Level 2 Local DeputySheriff and a Level 2 Security Guard. Hecarries a Desert Eagle pistol.

Typical Inmate

Statistics

Strength 2D8Dexterity D10Wits D12Intelligence D12Attitude 2D6Charisma 2D6Perception 2D6Intuition 2D8

Skills

Brawl 3Climb 4Combat Skill: Dodge 1Combat Skill: Initiative 2Debate: Fast Talk 1Endurance 4Etiquette: Street 1Firearms: Pistol 3

Gambling 1Intimidate: Verbal 4Melee: Dagger/Knife 4Scrounge 1Streetwise: Urban 4Survival: Urban 1

Background Effects

Combat Sense (Primary), Enemy, NightVision (Secondary), Paranoid: Government

(Secondary), Poverty, Tough: Physical(Primary).

Combat Stats


Wounds:13

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Carrie is a Level 1 EMT, while James Warneris a Level 1 Clerk. Alfonso carries a cleaver(treat as a dagger).

Alternate Identify (Secondary), Haunted, SelfSacrificing (Secondary), Visualization Magick(Secondary).

Carrie Veritas and James Warner possess

the following Backgrounds: Academic(Secondary), Increased Will (Secondary).

Carrie VeritasArchetype: NurturerMagickal Theory: God/GoddessGender: FemaleHair Color: dirty blondeEye Color: greenHeight: 57Weight: 115 lbs.

Nationality: USAEthnicity: SpanishReligion: None

James WarnerArchetype: ProtectorMagickal Theory: God/GoddessGender: MaleHair Color: baldEye Color: brownHeight: 55Weight: 125 lbs.Nationality: USAEthnicity: CaucasianReligion: None

Alfonso possesses the followingBackgrounds: Mentally Challenged(Secondary), Spell (Ghost Dance)

Alfonso RamirezArchetype: CavalierMagickal Theory: God/Goddess

Gender: MaleHair Color: blackEye Color: brownHeight: 65Weight: 170 lbs.Nationality: USAEthnicity: SpanishReligion: None

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Daniels Pipe Ceremonyand acts Spiders will upon that world. Spiderthen provides spiritual power and guidanceto the shaman. The character effectivelygains the Ally, Mentor, and HauntedTangibles manifested in the Spider Spirit.

If the shaman succeeds at a VisualizationMagick: Shamanism, the shaman can see,hear and communicate with the spirit world.The shaman may speak and hear any of the

nearby spirits. This does not guarantee thatthe spirit(s) will help only that the shamangets a chance to talk to them. All normalrules would apply to ask for assistance.

Once the PCs banish or befriend the Spirit,or they win over Doctor Comus, the staff,guards, and inmates carefully return thePenitentiary to its original state in a quiettrance, even taking apart Doctor Comusmachine. This takes only an hour or so,during which they do not speak with eachother. Once the inmates return to their cells,everyone snaps back into their originalpersonalities and roles as if nothing

happened. Even Warden Gaoler strolls up tothe PCs unaware of the previous daysmadness. He thanks the PCs for not beingdisruptive to the prison and asks them if theyfinished their survey.

If the shaman fails on their VisualizationMagick: Shamanism check, they either failedto perceive the spirit world.

Medicinal Journey, Sacred Pipe & Tobacco

Game Effects:

The shaman is able to see, hear andcommunicate the spirit world. This worksmuch like how the skill Clairvoyance works.

Base Difficulty:-3 Step PenaltySpider Penitentiary eventually closes and thestaff and inmates sent to other prisons,leaving the compound abandoned. Some ofthe inmates, including Hamlet, wait out theirprison terms and return to society changedmen. Doctor Comus suffers a nervousbreakdown while Warden Gaoler takes anearly retirement and travels the country. It isup to the Seer to determine theconsequences of the PCs actions.

Casting Time:5 Minutes

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Also Check Out.

OtherTales of the Weirdfrom author Monte Lin:

"The Senseless" is a short introductory adventurefor the Swing role-playing game. The charactersrun across an abandoned lab wherepsychological experiments went awry half acentury ago. While the adventure does havephysical dangers, the crux of the story involvesgathering information and sleuthing.

"Blood of Dionysus is a short adventure for theSwing role-playing game. An ancient jar filled with thedivine wine of the Greek god of wine appearsthroughout the city, causing people to give into theirbasest impulses. The characters must track down the

jar and somehow neutralize it before the city goescompletely insane. However, a powerful wine patronbelieves the wine can cure his physical disabilities

and stops at nothing to get that jar for himself.

Documents

The Swing Spider Asylum