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The Moloch: a setting sourcebook for KULT

Chapter 1: A Murder at Your Door

As PCs we have two normal citizens: a 24-year-old student of commerce called Kurt Berger and a 35-year-old state attorney called Peter Steinmüller. The setting is the Moloch which is my KULT version of the German Ruhr area. The story is set in the present.

Kurt Berger is the son of a haulage contractor who is running a quite successful enterprise in the Moloch. But on the past weekend he found that his cash cards were no longer working and his cash flow had all but stopped. The bank wasn't willing to give him any information except that his access permit had expired. He called his father but no-one answered. With his last savings he has bought himself something to eat and is returning to his home at the moment the first scene begins.

Across the street from the house where he lives there is a parked black Mercedes limousine. It has a strange license plate which looks a bit like a plate on the car used by a local politician, only it's not local. It says MGT - 06 and MGT (which on German plates would usually indicate the city of origin) is not known to Kurt. A small, ratty man in a black suit and hat and with a battered suitcase under his arm exits on the passenger side and begins crossing the street. But then suddenly an ancient and garishly painted Volkswagen bus comes hurtling down the street, even picking up speed, and runs the man over. The suitcase and bits and pieces of ratty man fly everywhere, while Kurt watches. The bus shifts into reverse and passes over the twitching body again, smashing the head, then again forward, then it drives away.

The Mercedes is started and eases into the street. Two of its tyres also pass through the remains of the man, then the car stops a few meters away, the driver's door opens, a fat man in a uniform reaches out and grabs the suitcase, then the car drives off.

The police come and interrogate witnesses, among them Kurt. A civilian officer later that evening rings Kurt up and asks him whether he had expected any visitor this evening, which he denies. The officer tells Kurt that his name and address was on a hand-written list which was found on the body. It was the fifth name, the next being Stefan Steinmüller, the other four above Kurt's are neatly crossed out with an ink pen. The officer asks Kurt whether he knows any of the names, but he doesn't. Then the officer gives Kurt a card of his and asks him to come to the precinct at 9.00h the next morning.

Later that evening the doorbell rings at Peter Steinmüller's house. He's having a grand case of business crime on his hands which is quickly outgrowing his capacities. His superiors have already voiced their concern about his not being able to pursue the case any further and they make no secret of their wish to see it buried somewhere deep, but Peter is persistent. This evening he wants to spend with his family because this has become very rare.

The caller is the same policeman who interrogated Kurt. He asks Peter the same questions; he neither expected a visitor nor does he know any of the other names. He is also asked to meet the officer in his office the next morning. Then the officer is called on his mobile phone, and Peter hears half of the conversation: 'None of them?' - 'Any witnesses in the nighbourhood?' - You mean, an ambulance was there in both cases?' - 'That is very strange. I'll be there in a quarter of an hour, don't go away.'

Then he departs.

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