Frights & Fables: Protocol Black Bell – Adv.
Protocol Black Bell
A Two-Night AJAX × Häxanburg Adventure
For 2-4 Players
Designed for Two Sessions of 3-5 Hours Each
This adventure is built around the investigative traditions of AJAX: Protocol Zero and the occult mysteries of Häxanburg . The heroes gradually uncover a conspiracy involving the Hellmouth, dimensional science, and a forgotten part of Häxanburg’s history before confronting a reality-threatening ritual beneath the city.
Unlike many adventures, this one is not a race against an immediately visible threat. The danger remains hidden until the second night. Success depends on asking questions, following clues, and connecting seemingly unrelated events.
Adventure Premise
For nearly three centuries, the bells of Häxanburg have formed part of an invisible network of wards helping contain the Hellmouth beneath the city. Few people know the truth.
Recently, A.J.A.X. monitoring stations detected dimensional resonance signatures matching both Beyonder incursions and infernal manifestations. At the same time, citizens throughout Häxanburg began reporting impossible bell chimes, whispered voices, missing time, and brief sightings of things that should not exist.
Someone has discovered a forgotten bell buried deep beneath the city.
Someone has altered it.
Someone is attempting to transform it into a bridge between the Hellmouth and unstable dimensional space.
If successful, Häxanburg will become the epicenter of a catastrophic breach.
Recommended Characters
The group should include a mixture of A.J.A.X. operatives and local defenders.
Possible A.J.A.X. roles:
- Science Officer
- Containment Warden
- Field Commander
- Tech Operative
- Striker Operative
Possible Häxanburg roles:
- Arcane Mystic Gatekeeper
- Benandanti
- Shadow Warden
- Quantum Occult Investigator
- Ward-Hand
NIGHT ONE
The Bells Beneath the City
Opening Situation
Shortly after sunset, every church bell in Häxanburg rings exactly thirteen times.
No one touched the bells.
Power outages follow.
Animals become agitated.
Cell phones record faint whispers hidden beneath the bell tones.
A.J.A.X. dispatches the heroes to investigate. Local authorities and wardens are already overwhelmed.
Investigation Hub
The players may pursue clues in any order.
Each location reveals part of a larger picture.
St. Joseph Abbey
The abbey’s ancient records reveal that the city’s original ward network relied upon multiple “anchor bells.”
One anchor bell was supposedly destroyed in a fire during the colonial era.
Records suggest this may have been a lie.
Rustwater Docks
Dockworkers report hearing bell chimes beneath the harbor.
Several workers disappeared briefly before reappearing with no memory of where they went.
An A.J.A.X. scanner identifies weak dimensional fluctuations.
Witch Gate Market
Occult merchants report stolen ritual materials.
Several witnesses identify members of the Veil of Envy purchasing forbidden artifacts over the past month.
Old Foundry District
A deserted industrial block conceals a secret Covenant safehouse.
The heroes can locate:
- ritual diagrams
- dimensional calculations
- ward maps
- evidence of a large underground excavation
The safehouse also identifies the next target:
The Black Bell.
Major Encounter
Covenant Retrieval Team
Before the heroes leave the district, they are ambushed by Covenant operatives attempting to recover stolen documents.
Suggested opposition:
- 2-4 Veil Envy Cultists
- 1 Covenant Enforcer
Scale numbers to group size.
End of Night One
Following the excavation maps leads to forgotten colonial tunnels beneath the city.
The session ends when the heroes discover:
An enormous underground chamber containing a gigantic iron bell partially fused with impossible technology.
The Black Bell exists.
Someone has already activated it.
As Night One closes, the bell rings once.
Every light in the chamber goes out.
NIGHT TWO
The Bell of Envy
Opening
The heroes return or continue into the deeper tunnel network.
The dimensional instability has grown dramatically overnight.
Across the city:
- clocks stop briefly
- mirrors reflect impossible images
- wards begin weakening
- minor infernal manifestations appear
The final ritual is approaching.
Catacomb Exploration
Beneath the Black Bell lies a maze of tunnels connected to the original Locking Chamber.
Players can discover several important truths.
Truth One
The colonial founders never merely buried the bell.
They intentionally isolated it because it resonated with the Hellmouth itself.
Truth Two
The Veil of Envy combined infernal rituals with stolen A.J.A.X. dimensional containment technology.
Truth Three
The Black Bell is amplifying both forces simultaneously.
The bell itself is now the focal point of the breach.
Major Encounter
Bell-Harrow
The disturbance draws a powerful infernal entity.
Suggested Statistics:
- SLIC 8
- Hits 14
Abilities:
- Resonant Howl
- Infernal Shockwave
- Shadow Leap
- Ward Corruption
The Bell-Harrow attacks immediately.
Demons are always enemies.
The creature seeks only destruction and the further weakening of the seal.
Into the Locking Chamber
Beyond the Bell-Harrow lies the original sealing site.
Massive iron pylons surround an abyssal crack extending deep below the city.
Above the crack hangs the Black Bell.
Waiting there are the leaders of the Veil of Envy.
Finale
The Ritual of Envy
Primary Villain
Shade of Envy
Use the published Shade statistics.
The Shade has become obsessed with forbidden knowledge and believes humanity should wield powers beyond its understanding.
The Shade intends to shatter the barrier completely.
Final Battle Structure
The heroes must accomplish three objectives simultaneously.
Objective 1
Defeat the Cult
Required Successes: 10
Combat-oriented solution.
Objective 2
Rebuild the Ward Network
Required Successes: 10
Possible Skills:
- Arcane Mysticism
- Ritual Execution
- Warding
- Theology
- Occult Research
Objective 3
Shut Down the Dimensional Machinery
Required Successes: 10
Possible Skills:
- Engineering
- Systems Analysis
- Electronics
- Research
- Dimensional Theory
Climactic Choice
Once the objectives are completed, the heroes must choose:
Destroy the Black Bell
Safest option.
The dimensional machinery is destroyed permanently.
The bell shatters.
Most associated historical knowledge is lost.
Preserve the Black Bell
Harder option.
The heroes attempt to purify and reseal the artifact.
Failure risks renewed catastrophe.
Success offers valuable future knowledge.
Conclusion
As dawn rises over Häxanburg, the city’s bells ring naturally once more.
The dimensional breach collapses.
The Hellmouth remains contained.
The Veil of Envy has been broken.
Officially, nothing unusual happened.
A.J.A.X. classifies the incident and seals the records.
The citizens of Häxanburg return to their lives unaware that, for one terrible night, the city stood on the edge of becoming a gateway between worlds.
Suggested Rewards
- 5-7 Building Points
- 1-3 Boxcar Awards for exceptional investigation
- Additional Boxcar Awards for preserving civilians, solving mysteries, and creative cooperation between science and occult approaches.
Breathe child. That’s right. There are more macabre revelations to come, but in the meantime, lean into our blog index and enjoy past perilous presentations. GeekOpera Index.