Las Vegas after dark: a thousand colours, a million lights. Fountains and fireworks paint the desert, while the casinos flash and echo. Traffic is bumper-to-bumper, laughing crowds with painted smiles pack the street. On the horizon, the mountains stand silent sentinel.

South of the airport, a small, single bedroom house sits surrounded by laurel bushes. In the driveway a run-down Honda leaks oil. The yard is lit by headlights and strobing emergency flashers, red and blue. Yellow tape stretches around the perimeter.

Inside the house is dim. Red stains and puddles cover the walls, the floor, the furniture, spatters have even reached the ceiling. The air is thick with an acrid, metallic tang. A woman lies on the bed, dead, drained white as a sheet. A single drop of dried blood stains the corner of her mouth, otherwise there is no sign of injury.

The dining table, kitchen counter, sideboard and end table are covered in snackfood wrappers, ashtrays and empty bottles. Chips are spilled on the floor. On every surface there are glasses. They are filled with blood.

Grissom surveys the scene, then turns to face Brass: "Now could I drink hot blood, and do such bitter business as the day would quake to look on".

Well, who are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
I really wanna know (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
Tell me, who are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
'Cause I really wanna know (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)

Hot Blood, Cold Blood is a two session scenario for four players using Call of Cthulhu 5th Edition. The setting is present day Las Vegas, and the characters are taken from CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

It is not necessary to know much about the CSI TV show, but the scenario is designed to appeal to people who like crime and detective stories, so an interest in detective work and forensic investigations will be helpful. For those who are ardent fans of the show, this story is set around about the end of Season 2.

There are NO Cthulhu Mythos elements to the story: so no "Cthulhu knowledge" is required either. Although the rules will be used, no prior experience with Call of Cthulhu is required, and I hope Hot Blood, Cold Blood will be a good introduction for people who have not played CoC before :-)

Hot Blood, Cold Blood was intended to run at Arcanacon 23 under the name "My Heart is Like a Broken Cup". It was cancelled at the last minute due to illness: this time it's really happening.

With thanks to: Erin, Eccles, Tim and Liz.