Adventure Seeds: Eaten By Rats!

The Illustrated Police News#3, 1870

"HORRIBLE DISCOVERY OF A GIRL EATEN BY RATS

A most appalling discovery was made last week in the town of Haverball. The circumstances of the case are both remarkable and horrible to the last degree. The facts are as follows:

For some months past a man named William Laslett, his wife, and a daughter (a girl about thirteen years of age) have occupied two rooms on the basement story of a house in Princess Street. Laslett, it appears, is a traveling hawker in the hardware line; he keeps a horse and cart, with which he travels from town to town, and has been accustomed to be absent from home six or eight weeks at a time. Occasionally, he would take with him his daughter on his traveling expeditions, but more frequently his wife accompanied him.

He left Princess Street with the latter seven weeks ago, Jane Laslett the daughter remaining behind. The young girl was seen by her neighbors for a few days after her parents had departed, when all of a sudden she was missed. The doors of both rooms in the occupation of the Laslett's were locked, and the natural inference was that Jane had left to join her parents, and she had been known to do so before on more than one occasion. Weeks passed over; the suspicions of the other occupants of the house that something was amiss became stronger every day.

An unpleasant and sickening odour crept up the staircase and found its way into the several apartments. On Monday last, a carpenter who occupied one of the upper rooms was prevailed upon to break open the door, which led to those on the basement, whereupon he was horror struck at the sight presented to him.

Upon the door being burst open, a legion of rats scampered in all directions. The greater portion of the body of the poor girl had been devoured by the rats. The medical gentlemen who have since made a post mortem examination, concur in the opinion that Jane Laslett died suddenly from disease of the heart of long standing - that her death had in all probability taken place some weeks back, since which time the rats had been feeding on the body.

The father and mother have not yet returned, nor do the neighbours know where to communicate with them."

Building An Adventure

A simple story such as this can become an adventure in and of itself with but a few minutes of work. Just ask a few questions and fill in the answers as you need.

Q: Did the Lasletts know their daughter was ill and left her behind, thinking she would later rejoin them? Or were they somehow involved in her death and made a hasty exit?

Q: Did the daughter beg off ill in the hopes her parents would leave her behind so that she could have an illicit rendezvous? Did this rendezvous go terrible wrong and lead to her death? If so, Who did she meet with, and why did they kill her?

Q: If there was foul play, do any of the neighbors living in the building know anything? Or, perhaps, maybe one of them was involved themselves?

Q: Are the rats simply rodents that happened upon the body, or is there a more sinister significance to their presence? Are they, in fact, more than simple bit players in this macabre tale?

Q: What is the ultimate fate of Mr and Mrs Laslett? And what really took them from home for 6 to 8 weeks at a time? Hardware salesman, really? Why would his wife accompany him, and often leave their thirteen year old daughter behind?

Once you have answered these questions to your satisfaction, a quick write-up of your major and minor NPCs should be simple enough. Of course everything should be period appropriate for the type and style of campaign you're running, so as not to introduce any anachronisms.