MotW Mystery: Tears of Thunder

Well, here we are at the first of my weekly mystery series. I'll do my best to post a new mystery for Monster of the Week every week on Friday from now until I don't. For those unfamiliar with the system, it's a stand-alone RPG from Evil Hat Games that's meant to reproduce the feeling of watching monster-of-the-week shows like Supernatural, Fringe, Buffy, or X-Files. Mysteries, for this system, are the same thing as modules for others. 

Today's mystery: Tears of Thunder

Strange power surges in the local grid have not yet led to formal investigation, but it won’t be long; sometimes the grid seems to be on the verge of a brownout, while other times there’s actually more electricity available than there should be. Officials in the local electricity co-op are baffled.

At the same time, pieces of various cars, construction equipment, grills, and other items made of either metal or electronics have gone missing. At first it was just a few small things and confined to a couple of blocks, easily dismissed as vandals or bored kids. Now, though, the vandalism is spreading and the pieces are getting larger. Last night the engine out of Rodney Shaker’s brand new Ford pickup went missing. No one saw or heard anything, and he’s raising hell with the local cops. Reports of “tiny men made out of sparks” aren’t helping.

PDF Download Link: Tears of Thunder

Overview Spoiler Below:

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The gremlins here are real, but they’re not the source of the problems. Seth Griffin has spent his life struggling with the search for new sources of clean energy, a quest that’s led him down some paths that others might question. Two months ago, he managed to find the lair of the once-mythical thunderbird and steal one of the creature’s eggs.

Using the egg as leverage, Seth has imprisoned the egg’s parent in a giant sphere of electronics and glass. He’s been experimenting with ways to use the enormous creature to create power, but his results have been mixed (leading to the surges and brownouts).

The thunderbird is at least partially magical, something that Seth has not fully accounted for. Its power has been leaking into the surrounding area, power that is suffused with its boundless desire for escape and revenge against its tormentor. The power has manifested as tiny golems made entirely of electricity and spare parts. They are working to make a much, much larger version of themselves so that the massive golem can break the thunderbird out of its prison.