Songs from the Tall Grass: Ultraviolet Grasslands Edition

Overview

Songs From The Tall Grass is a UVG module for 3–6 players, where a caravan chases a mythic melody—the Tall Grass Shanty—across the Ultraviolet Grasslands. The song, a fragmented archive of lost stars and bone dust, promises revelation but risks biomagical corruption. The journey spans three destinations: Steppe of the Lime Nomads, Three Sticks Lake, and Ribs of the Father, each with discoveries, encounters, and sonic anomalies tied to the song’s verses. Players manage a caravan, navigate vome-haunted steppes, and collect song fragments, shaping a unique myth in UVG’s anticanon tradition.

Setup

• Caravan Composition: Standard caravan: 1–2 vehicles (e.g., wagon, biomech beast), 4–6 heroes (level 1–3), 10 sacks of supplies, and a new vehicle option: the Song Cart (below). Choose a financier (e.g., Violet City cat lord, €5,000 loan) and a quest: “Uncover the source of the Tall Grass Shanty.”
• Starting Point: Violet City, Last Chair Salon, where rumors of the shanty—a melody “woven from starfall and sorrow”—circulate among nomads and exiles.
• Objective: Reach Ribs of the Father to perform the complete shanty, risking transcendence or awakening a vome autofac.
• Tone: Psychedelic, melancholic, with absurd humor. Picture Blue Öyster Cult’s Burnin’ For You echoing in a neon-lit Waffle House at the edge of reality.

New Caravan Feature: The Song Cart

A wheezing, accordion-like wagon bristling with rusted microphones, resonant bells, and bone antennae. It hums with low-frequency static, amplifying the caravan’s ability to detect sonic anomalies but drawing unwanted attention.

• Stats:
  • Level: 4
  • Capacity: 4 sacks
  • Speed: Slow
  • Requires: 1 supply/week
  • Cost: €2,500
• Features:
  • Sonic Detection: Grants +1 to Look for Discoveries rolls for sonic phenomena (e.g., song fragments, vome hums).
  • Resonant Hum: Emits a low-frequency drone, increasing encounter chance (+1 to Encounter rolls, p202).
  • Fragile Archive: Stores up to 3 song fragments (see below) but risks breaking (1d6 damage per week, repair costs €100).
• Description: The Song Cart sways like a drunken bard, its bells chiming discordantly. PCs can climb inside to record or playback fragments, but the cart’s static sometimes whispers their own forgotten memories.

New Class: Echo Cartographer

A reimagined Professor Clefwater, obsessed with mapping the steppe’s sonic landscape. Echo Cartographers treat sound as a living artifact, wielding it to lure creatures or preserve memories.

• Abilities:
  • Playback Lure (1/day): Play a song fragment to attract or repel local fauna (Charisma roll, target 11). Success draws 1d4 creatures (e.g., swinedeer, vome lapin) or repels 1 encounter. Failure attracts a hostile vome (L2–4).
  • Transcribe Memory (1/day): Extract a PC’s memory into a reel (Thought roll, target 15), creating a song fragment that occupies 1 inventory slot. The PC loses 1d4 XP but gains +1 to a future roll tied to the memory.
  • Sonic Expertise: +3 to rolls involving sound-based discoveries or interactions (e.g., deciphering shanty verses).
• Starting Gear: Bone microphone (€50), 1 blank reel (€20), tattered map of sonic nodes (grants +1 to Look for Discoveries in the steppe).
• Description: Clad in patched robes, the Echo Cartographer clutches a humming reel, eyes glinting with the promise of forgotten songs. They speak in riddles, claiming the grass itself sings their fate.

The Song Ritual

The Tall Grass Shanty is a central mechanic, a three-verse poem collected as song fragments—physical or ephemeral items that occupy inventory slots and risk corruption.

Tall Grass Shanty

(To the tune of a droning sitar and bone flute, with static crackles)

Verse 1 (Lime Nomads):
In tall grass where stars did fall,
A whisper hums, a voiceless call.
Through lime and dust, the lost abide,
Their echoes sing where shadows hide.

Verse 2 (Three Sticks Lake):
By water’s edge, the sticks align,
Their roots entwine with thoughts divine.
A chorus wails in moonlit mire,
Of drowned dreams and hearts afire.

Verse 3 (Ribs of the Father):
Beneath the ribs, the earth does moan,
A song of flesh, of blood, of bone.
Sing true, sing false, the end’s the same,
The grass reclaims what stars did name.

Song Fragment Mechanics

• Form: Fragments manifest as physical items (e.g., etched stone, rusted reel) or ephemeral phenomena (e.g., vome hum, wind chorus). Each occupies 1 inventory slot and is fragile (breaks on a 1d6 roll of 1 during travel).
• Learning a Verse: Found via Look for Discoveries (roll 12+). Fragments may be sung by nomads, etched in ruins, or hummed by vomes.
• Singing the Shanty: A Camp Action (p168). A PC spends 1 week singing (Charisma roll, target 11). Success grants +1 to all rolls next week; failure triggers Misfortune or corruption (1d4 Life loss).
• Corruption Risk: After learning a fragment, roll 1d20: 1–5 inflicts a mutation (e.g., glowing ears, -1 Charisma; singing voice echoes unnaturally, +1 Aura).
• Final Performance: At Ribs of the Father, singing all verses (Charisma roll, target 15) either banishes the shanty’s curse (1d6x100 XP, +1 Aura permanently) or awakens a vome autofac (L13). Intent shapes the outcome (e.g., reverence vs. greed).

Playback Effect Table (d6)

Playing a song fragment more than once per week risks strange effects. Roll after each additional playback:

1. Reverse Chant: The fragment plays backward, revealing a hidden name (e.g., a vome lord or lost hero). Roll Thought (target 11) to decipher; failure causes 1d4 Life loss.
2. Sentient Static: The fragment responds, asking a PC’s name. If answered, it grants +1 to a roll but occupies an extra inventory slot as it “grows.”
3. Contagious Refrain: Nearby NPCs hum the fragment uncontrollably. Roll Charisma (target 15) to calm them; failure reduces caravan morale by 1.
4. Vome Beacon: The fragment’s frequency attracts a vome drone (L2) within 1d4 hours.
5. Memory Bleed: The fragment replays a PC’s forgotten memory, restoring 1d4 XP but causing -1 to Aura for a week.
6. Echo Loop: The fragment loops endlessly until destroyed (Strength roll, target 11). While looping, all PCs gain +1 to sonic rolls but suffer -1 to Endurance.

Echo Bounties

Patrons across the steppe offer rewards for specific song fragments or frequencies, adding side quests to the caravan’s journey. Each bounty requires a Look for Discoveries roll and may involve combat or negotiation.

• Violet City Cat Lord (Last Chair Salon): Seeks a “purring frequency” from Three Sticks Lake. Reward: €1,000, a horned cat pet (L1). Risk: The frequency is a vome lure.
• Lime Nomad Matriarch: Wants a “starfall hum” from the Steppe. Reward: €500, lime wool (3 sacks, €50/sack). Risk: The hum is guarded by a vome lapin swarm (L0).
• Porcelain Prince (Porcelain Citadel): Demands a “bone chorus” from Ribs of the Father. Reward: €2,000, porcelain blade (€250). Risk: The chorus awakens a vome generator (L7).

Random Sound Phenomena Table (d6)

Roll during Encounters (p202) or Look for Discoveries (p170) to add sonic weirdness:

1. Reverse Tape: A rusted reel plays a fragment in reverse, hinting at a vome lord’s name. Roll Thought (target 11) to decode; success reveals a discovery location.
2. Prophetic Static: Crackling static forms a prophecy (e.g., “The ribs will sing your end”). Roll Aura (target 11) to interpret; failure causes -1 Charisma for a week.
3. Singing Fungus: Bioluminescent fungi mimic the party’s laughter, forming a shanty verse. Harvesting (Agility roll, target 15) yields a fragment but risks spores (-1d4 Life).
4. Wind Refrain: The wind carries a shanty verse not yet recorded. Roll Charisma (target 11) to memorize; failure attracts a vome drone (L2, p202).
5. Unprompted Playback: A fragment plays without input, echoing across the steppe. Roll Endurance (target 11) to resist its pull; failure causes Delay (-1d4 days, p169).
6. Humming NPC: An NPC (e.g., caravan guard, nomad) hums a verse only the Echo Cartographer knows. Roll Thought (target 15) to trace its source; success reveals a bounty patron.

Journey Structure

The caravan travels from Violet City to Ribs of the Father, stopping at Steppe of the Lime Nomads and Three Sticks Lake. Use UVG travel procedures.

Destination 1: Steppe of the Lime Nomads (2 weeks from Violet City)

• Description: Lime-green hills sway with cat-eared sheep and nomad yurts. The shanty’s first verse hums in the dust, carried by starfall echoes.
• Encounters (d6):
  1. Lime Nomad bard (L2, poetic), offers Verse 1 for €100 or a story (Charisma roll, target 11).
  2. Vome lapin swarm (L0), drawn to the shanty’s frequency, scatters supplies (-1 sack).
  3. Cat-eared sheep stampede, risks Delay (-1d6 days).
  4. Nomad shaman (L3, mystic), warns of the shanty’s curse, offers biomantic ointment (€50).
  5. Singing aerolith (L0, illusory), leads to Spring of the Yellow Waters but hums a vome lure.
  6. Bluelander exile (L1, desperate), joins caravan, knows a bounty for a “starfall hum” (€500).
• Discoveries:
  • Spring of the Yellow Waters: Drinking restores 1d6 Life, risks addiction (easy test).
  • Singing Stone: Basalt slab with Verse 1. Roll Thought (target 11) to decipher; yields a fragment (1 slot).
• Market: Cat coffee (€20/dose), lime wool (€50/sack). Haggle for +1 to Buy and Sell.
• Bounty: Lime Matriarch’s “starfall hum” (see Echo Bounties).

Destination 2: Three Sticks Lake (3 weeks from Lime Nomads)

• Description: A lake glimmers with three petrified trees, their roots pulsing with Verse 2. Static hums with drowned voices, and the air crackles.
• Encounters (d6):
  1. Lake Folk singer (L2, entrancing), teaches Verse 2 for €250 or a duel (Strength roll, target 15).
  2. Vome drone (L2), mimics Verse 2 to lure prey, attacks if approached.
  3. Ghostly choir (L0, harmless), sings Verse 2. Recording (Thought roll, target 11) yields a fragment.
  4. Fisherman (L1, paranoid), offers a map to Ribs of the Father (€50), claims the lake “sings to drown.”
  5. Flooded ruin, holds a Verse 2 crystal, guarded by a necro vome (L2).
  6. Merchant (L1, greedy), sells fake “song reels” (€100, useless, roll Thought to detect, target 11).
• Discoveries:
  • Flooded Ruin: Yields Verse 2 crystal (1 slot) and €250 in ivory relics.
  • Moonlit Mire: Bog echoes Verse 2. Meditating (Aura roll, target 11) yields a fragment.
• Market: Fish (€10/sack), lake pearls (€100/stone). High demand for cat coffee (x2 price, p172).
• Bounty: Cat Lord’s “purring frequency” (see Echo Bounties).

Destination 3: Ribs of the Father (4 weeks from Three Sticks Lake)

• Description: Titanic ribs loom over a crimson plain, vibrating with Verse 3. The ground thrums with vome pulses, and the air feels like a held breath.
• Encounters (d6):
  1. Marmotfolk elder (L3, wise), sings Verse 3 for a sacrifice (1 sack or 1d6 Life).
  2. Vome generator (L7), awakened by the shanty, spews drones unless silenced (Thought roll, target 19).
  3. Ultra ghost (L11), offers Verse 3 for a PC’s memory (lose 1 skill or 1d6 XP).
  4. Bone scavenger (L2, crafty), sells Verse 3 on a rib fragment (€500, 1 slot).
  5. Singing rib cage, hums Verse 3 if touched (Aura roll, target 15, failure causes 1d6 Life loss).
  6. Lost caravan (L1, broken), shares Verse 3 but begs rescue (adds 1d6 days).
• Discoveries:
  • Ossifying Tars: Tar pit with Verse 3 in a fossilized skull (1 slot). Extracting risks vome attack (L4).
  • Marmotfolk Halls: Elders teach Verse 3 for a quest (e.g., slay a vome irrupter, L4,).
• Market: Bone tools (€50/stone), vome ichor (€200/sack). Crisis demand for supplies (x4 price).
• Bounty: Porcelain Prince’s “bone chorus” (see Echo Bounties).

Caravan Mechanics

• Travel: Follow UVG procedures. Weekly rolls for Supplies (1 sack/creature), Misfortune, and Encounters. Tally extra days for delays/shortcuts.
• Song Fragments as Items: Each fragment occupies 1 inventory slot. Overloading risks -1 to all rolls. Fragments break on a 1d6 roll of 1 during travel.
• Carousing: At destinations, carouse for XP (€1d6x100). Add shanty-themed misfortunes: 1–3: “Heard the shanty too clearly, lose 1d4 Aura”; 4–6: “Hummed Verse 1, gain +1 Charisma but attract vome lapin.”
• Finale: At Ribs of the Father, perform the full shanty (Charisma roll, target 15). Success grants 1d6x100 XP, +1 Aura, and a boon (e.g., a sentient reel ally, L1). Failure awakens a vome autofac (L13), forcing combat or escape.

Referee Notes

• Anticanon: Encourage players to rewrite shanty verses or add discoveries. The module is a canvas for their myth.
• Pacing: 3–5 sessions, 1–2 per destination. Shorten travel for faster games.
• Tone: Surreal and mythic. The grass sways to the shanty, stars flicker like dying LEDs, and vomes hum distorted verses. Evoke a Waffle House at Exit 0, where travelers hum forgotten tunes.
• Echo Division: A loose faction of sonic archivists (L3–5). Some seek to preserve the shanty, others to weaponize it. They offer bounties but may betray PCs for rare frequencies.

Example Camp Moment

The caravan camps in a biomech copse, the Song Cart’s bells chiming Verse 1. The Echo Cartographer plays a reel, rolling Charisma (16, success). Stars pulse, granting +1 to rolls next week. But the Playback Effect Table rolls a 4—vome beacon. A vome drone (L2) emerges, humming the shanty’s refrain…