They had been corrupted by money, and he had been corrupted by sentiment. Sentiment was the more dangerous, because you couldn't name its price. A man open to bribes was to be relied upon below a certain figure, but sentiment might uncoil in the heart at a name, a photograph, even a smell remembered.

-- The Heart of the Matter, Graham Greene

It started as these things always do - quietly. One week ago, a young child disappeared from the upscale neighborhood of La Jolla in San Diego County, California, and little more than the police report made the newspapers. The next night, another child fitting a very similar description disappeared from the same neighborhood, prompting a shock piece in the paper and several television news stories.

By the third night, the press declared "epidemic!" and "crime wave" as yet another young, white-male vanished without a trace. So it went for almost a week, one child succumbing to the tenebrous clutches of the snatcher each night. The police doubled their forces and brought in the FBI, but the kidnapping continued.

October 29, 1998

Kevin Chin, a third generation Asian-American boy is abducted; the first non-white boy to disappear. The FBI compiled a profile based on the times of the abductions and the characteristics of the victims. This new evidence put the compiled profile in serious jeopardy, until it is later learned that Kevin's features are very slight for an Asian-American. The FBI determined that his ethnicity could have been oversight by the criminal. Because of this the child could be in harm's way if the kidnapper became aware of his mistake.

GMs Note: The identity of Chin was not made public.

October 30, 1998

The FBI's assumptions were correct. The discover of Kevin's body however would be their first clue. Kevin Chin was found in a dumpster behind a the University Town Center (UTC) shopping mall in La Jolla, by an attorney named Beth Grant. Kevin's body was missing all its limbs and was completely drained of blood. It became very obvious to all concerned that a very dangerous individual was stalking the streets of La Jolla, California and that their troubles were not over. Again, Kevin's identity was not made public.

Of course, that is only the beginning of the story.

Timeline

The following timeline organizes the events of "Halloween". Storytellers may wish to adjust this based on their players' actions - times are estimated and may be fudged for the sake of the story. GMs should review the sidebars on the following pages when considering how the PCs become involved; this may help determine how the events follow in your story. Bear in mind that this is part one, and any changes you make here, will ripple and change the rest of the adventures.

October 25-30Seven children are abducted throughout La Jolla and Escondido, California

October 30, 11:17pm Kevin Chin's body found

October 31, 9:45pm Athox car-jacks a van from Escondido to transport children

October 31, 10:00pm Tara, Gutierres, and Shay receive police reports of a "monster" performing a car-jacking

October 31, 10:45pm Athox gathers his cargo

October 31, 11:30pm Tara, Gutierres and Shay receive police reports of van sighting at the Headstone

October 31, 11:45pm Wifebeaters go on a bender

October 31, 12:30pm Big Mike killed at pool hall; Kim and Calvin arrested for battery, malicious hooliganism and disorderly conduct

October 31, 1:00pm Police find van empty; band van heads to Mexico

Halloween Scenario 1: Vampire The End of Time Begins Here

Introduction
The Story Unfolds
The Cast of Characters