Chronicles of Darkness - Dark Eras 2

For millennia,
monsters have hunted

us…
and fought alongside us…
Rebellions swell and vampires feed. Casualties of
war draw Reapers to blood-soaked battlefields.
Gilded ages benefit mortals and monsters alike.
How? Why? What role do the monsters play with us

— and each other?
Dark Eras 2 explores 13 new eras scattered

throughout the history of the Chronicles of
Darkness. Each chapter features two to three
game lines and is compatible with Chronicles of
Darkness Second Edition rules.
Unlock the past.

Find out what hides
in the shadows.
Dark Eras 2
Inside, you’ll find:
• Historically inspired settings and story hooks
• Character-creation tips and gameplay advice
• New Tilts, Conditions, and era-appropriate rules
A Sourcebook for
the Chronicles of Darkness
Chris Allen, Jacqueline Bryk, John Burke, David Cartwright, Hiromi Cota,
Matthew Dawkins, Steffie de Vaan, Meghan Fitzgerald, Alan Gowing,
Emily Griggs, Chris Handforth, Klara Horskjær Herbøl, Jason Inczauskis,
Marianne Pease, Neall Raemonn Price, Lauren Roy, Ethan Skemp, John Snead,
Monica Speca, Monica Valentinelli, Vera Vartanian, Audrey Whitman,
and Eric Zawadzki
1
Section 1
Credits
Writers: Chris Allen, Jacqueline Bryk, John Burke,
David Cartwright, Hiromi Cota, Matthew Dawkins, Steffie
de Vaan, Meghan Fitzgerald, Alan Gowing, Emily Griggs,
Chris Handforth, Klara Horskjær Herbøl, Jason Inczauskis,
Marianne Pease, Neall Raemonn Price, Lauren Roy, Ethan
Skemp, John Snead, Monica Speca, Monica Valentinelli,
Vera Vartanian, Audrey Whitman, and Eric Zawadzki
Developers: Matthew Dawkins, Meghan Fitzgerald,
Monica Valentinelli
Production Developer: Rose Bailey
Editor: Dixie Cochran
Artists: Leo Albiero, Brian LeBlanc, Luis Sanz,
Alex Sheikman
Art Direction: Michael Chaney
Creative Director: Richard Thomas
Special Thanks: K. Tempest Bradford, Tony Lee,
Catherine Lundoff, Nisi Shawl, and Lynn Yin. Onyx Path
developers Dave Brookshaw, Dixie Cochran, Steffie de
Vaan, Danielle Lauzon, Vera Vartanian, and Eric Zawadzki.
And, special thanks to our Dark Eras 2 Kickstarter backers
Karl Erik L. Hoftaniska, Trevor Hoxworth, Adren Rice,
and Vanessa Uphoff.
© 2020 White Wolf Publishing AB. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of White Wolf Publishing AB. Reproduction
prohibitions do not apply to the character sheets contained in this book when reproduced for personal use.
White Wolf, Vampire and Chronicles of Darkness are registered trademarks of White Wolf Publishing AB. All
rights reserved. Night Horrors: Unbidden, Vampire the Requiem, Werewolf the Forsaken, Mage the Awakening,
Storytelling System, and Ancient Bloodlines are trademarks of White Wolf Publishing AB.. All rights reserved.
All characters, names, places and text herein are copyrighted by White Wolf Publishing AB.
The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark
or copyright concerned.
This book uses the supernatural for settings, characters and themes. All mystical and supernatural ele-
ments are fiction and intended for entertainment purposes only. Reader discretion is advised.
Check out White Wolf online at http://www.white-wolf.com
Check out the Onyx Path at http://www.theonyxpath.com
2
Dark Eras
Foreign Creations 36
Introduction 10
Matet Systems 36
What’s in This Book? 10 Akhekhau 37
Skills 12 Alchemists 37
Werewolf: Echoes of the Past 39
Hunger in the Black Land 16 The Shadow of Wepwawet 39
Bone Shadows: Priests of the Wolf 39
Theme: Twisted Reflections 16
Forsaken Tribes 40
Mood: Foreboding and Arrogance 17
Pure Tribes 41
What Has Come Before 17
Slaves of the Crocodile 42
Dead Gods 17
Other Systems 44
The Old Kingdom 18
Other Prey 44
The Middle Kingdom 18
Playing the Game 45
Where We Are 19
The Labyrinth of Hawara 45
Sobekneferu 20
Apep’s Brood 47
Iteru 20
Storytelling Hunger in the Black Land 48
Righteous Order 20
Running the Game 48
Locations 23
Story Hooks 49
Children of Iteru 25
Sources and Inspiration 51
What Is to Come 26
Beast: Portents of Hunger 27
The Clarity of Dreams 27 The Seven Wonders 54
Hunger’s Lonely Children 29 286-226 BCE 54
Heroes of the Black Land 30 In the Ashes of Alexander 54
Kinship in the Black Land 32 Ancient Even to Antiquity —
Promethean: Refining the Fivefold Soul 33 The Great Pyramid at Giza 55
Divine Emissaries 34 Shining from the Isle of Pharos —
Children of Black Silt 35 The Lighthouse of Alexandria 55
Monuments and Idols 36
3
Table of Contents
In Honor of the Lady of Ephesus — Courtiers 82
The Temple of Artemis 55 Legends 82
One Man’s Memory —
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus 56
A Forest Within a City — Arthur’s Britannia 86
The Hanging Gardens of Nineveh 56 Themes and Moods 87
The Shining Glory of the Gods —
The Empire’s Crown 87
The Statue of Zeus 57
Four Kings 88
The Sun Astride the Waters —
The Colossus of Rhodes 57 The Dragon Rises 88
Locations 57 Uther’s Rage 89
Egypt 57 The Kingdom from Below 90
Greece 60 Camelot 91
Asia Minor 60 Locations 91
Mesopotamia 63 Camulodunum 91
The Fate of All Things 64 Cadbury 91
Promethean: Wonders in Shadow 64 Caerleon 91
Setting the Hedge Ablaze 65 Dun Tagell (Tintagel) 91
Lineages in the Age of Wonders 65 Venta Belgarum (Winchester) 92
Dur-Sharrukin 66 Arthur’s Courts 92

Changeling: Keepers of the Seven 68 Luguwalion (Carlisle) 92
The Great Bargain 68 Londinium (London) 93
The Lost and True 69 Novus Burgus (Newport) 93
Kiths 69 The Dead that Walk 94

Into the Hedge 70 The Bloodied Fields 94
Khufu’s Pyramid 70 Dubglas — The Battles of the Black River Host 94
The Hanging Gardens of Nineveh 70 The City of the Legions 95
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus 71 Camlann — Arthur’s Final Battle 95
Statue of Zeus at Olympia 72 Night Approaches 96
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus 72 Hunters: Fealty, Fear, and Fire 97
Colossus of Rhodes 72 The Order of the Black Knight —
Lighthouse of Alexandria 73 A Fraternity of Chivalric Hunters 98
Playing the Game 73 The Armor of the Black Knight 98
Playing a Fetch 74 Assal — Spear of Lugh, Shaft of the Moon 99

Excalibur — The Blade of Kings 99
Goblin Fruits 74
Saxon Hunters: Blood and Iron 100
Tokens 75
Close Relationships With Death 100
Tools of Artemisia 75
The Hands of Tyr —
New Merits 75 Brotherhood Among Saxons 101
Storytelling the Seven Wonders 76 Changeling: Tree, Lake and Stone 102
Tier One: A Wonder 76 Beasts in the Briars 103
Tier Two: Many Wonders 77 The Courts 104
Tier Three: The Seven Wonders 78 Freeholds 105
Sources and Inspiration 79 Crows’ Hold 106
The Dream Builders 81 The Threefold Hunter 106
Fortitude 81 Vampire: Shield, Spear, and Sickle 107
Recklessness 81
Playing the Game 111
Keeping the Dream Alive 81
The Old Ways Resurgent 112
The Bargain 82
Threats Without and Evils Within 112
Mantle of Dreams and Righteousness 82
4
Dark Eras
Running the Game 113 Empire of Gold and Dust 156
Setting the Scene 113
Theme: Greed 156
Mutable History 113
Mood: Uncertainty 157
Legends of the Era 114
Threats to the People 114
Pilgrimage of a Lifetime 158
Threats to the Region 115
Death of an Emperor 158
Threats to the Kingdom 115
Where We Are 158
The Bron 117
Locations 159
Crochan 119
Niani 159
Timbuktu 162
1001 Nightmares 124 What’s Yet to Come 164
Theme: Discovery 124 Hunter: Hope and Darkness 165
Mood: Dreadful Innovation 125 The Enemy 165
Tone: Wake-Up Call 125 For the Player: Building a Hunter 165
What Has Come Before 125 For the Storyteller: Hunting by Tier 166
Religion to Empire 125 Demon: Defend and Siege 170
The Islamic Golden Age 126 Incarnations Manifesting in Mali 171
Timeline 127 Agendas of the Unchained 172
Blood in the Sand 127 Recommended Covers 173
Where We Are 128 Common Pacts 173
Islamic Society 128 Cults and Stigmatics 176
Practicing Faith 129 Angels 176
Uncovering Knowledge 129 For the Storyteller:
Locations 130 Managing Mortals and the Divine 178
Baghdad 130 Using Conditions 178
Córdoba 130 Unraveling the Unchained’s Presence 179
Fez 131 Story Hooks 180
Merv 132 The Gilded Statue 180
What Is to Come 132 Sources and Inspiration 181
The Caliph and the Pyramids 133 Followers of the Mansa 182
Beast: A Nightmare for Monsters 133 Protectors of Life 182
A Conspiracy of Cousins 134 The Enemy 182
God and the Dark Mother 135 The Response 182
Devoted of Suleiman 135 Hunters 183
The Refrain 137 Factions 183
Vampire: Night Terrors 138 Status 183
Playing the Game 146

Astral Nightmares 146 Light of the Sun 186
Stories Within Stories 148
Theme: The Price of Truth 186
Storytelling 1001 Nightmares 150 Mood: Hubris and Rot 187
Frames within Frames 150
Story Hooks 152
Where We Are 190
Locations 193
Rome 193
Florence 194
5
Table of Contents
Milan 195 Hunter Society 234
Sappada 195 He Family 234
What Is Yet to Come 196 Tier 1: Cells 235
The Supernatural 196 Tier 2: Compacts 235
Demon: A Convulsing God 197 Tier 3: Conspiracies 236
Falling from Grace 197 Mummies: Shifting Sands and Dynasties 237
Grit in the Gears 198 Talismans 239
Cults and Stigmatics 198 Creation Rite: Soulcraft 239
Gods and Monsters 199 For the Storyteller: Hunters and Mummies 243
Seeking Hell 200 Suggested Dread Powers 244
Deviant: Vendetta or Service 202 Story Hooks 244
Makers 205 Mummy: Halls of the Hollow 245
New Conspiracy: The White Lily 206 Hunter: Guangzhou, Port of Death 245
Mage: Awakening to Truth 208 Sources and Inspiration 246
Iron and Diamond 209 Soldiers of the Forbidden Sun 247
Church and State 209 The Enemy 247
The Struggle for Power 209 The Response 247
God and the Machine 210 Hunters 248
Playing the Game 212 Factions 248
Creating Characters 213 Status 249
Storytelling the Radiant Sun 214
Styles of Play 214
The Scandinavian Witch Trials 252
Pacing 215
Truth and Power 216
Themes and Moods 252
Honor & Pride 216 Blood In the Ice 253
Unchained Compromise Conditions 216 The Magic and Witchcraft of the Viking Age 253
The Plague 216 The Division of Magic and Religion 254
Hunt the Witch, Burn the Witch 254
Story Hooks 218
The Pocket Plague 218 How Quick the Flesh Burns 254
Gaze of the Heavens 218 Religion 254
The Cage of Milan 219 Wars 255
Witches 256
Locations 257
Ribe 257
Rise of the Last Imperials 222 Vardø 258
The Beginning of the End 224 Vardøya Island 260
Banner Armies 224 Torsåker 260
Shanhai Pass 225 Storvik 260
Where We Are 225 Enlightenment Dawns 261
Locations 226 Undead Among the Living 262
Beijing 226 Geist: Whispers from the Underworld 262
Jiangning 227 Societal Roles 262
Guangzhou 228 The Burdens 262
Local Contacts 229 Heresies (Krewes) 263
What’s Yet to Come 231 The Underworld 264
Hunters: Determined and Restless 232 Mummy: The Dust of Heka 265
Creating a Qing-Era Hunter 232 Societal Roles 266
The Enemy 233 Remet of Irem 266
6
Dark Eras
Pursuit of the Restless 266 Life and Death Under Sail 292
She’kalia Darnu and the Sisters of Eternity 266 The Dutchman 294
Deathless Perspectives 268 New Ceremony: Lowlands Away (•) 295
The Living 269 New Mementos 295
Places and Items of Interest 270 Mage: Salt and Silver 296
The Menat of Heka 270 Raising the Flag 296
The Forbidden Swamps 270 Company of Thieves 297
Disciples of Jannes and Jambres 271 Grim Tides 301
Playing the Game 272 Rusted Pyramids 301
Friends or Foes 273 Splintered Ranks 303
Winter Conditions 273 The Tide Ebbs 304
The Bastion of Bergen 273 Playing the Game 304
Merits 274 Mages and Sin-Eaters 305
Storytelling the Scandinavian Witch Trials 275 Dark Waters: Special Systems 305
Persecution 275 Storytelling The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea 308
Manipulation 275 Story Hooks 308
Panic 275 Sources and Inspiration 310
Paranoia 275 The Company of the Codex 311
Fanaticism 275 Core Beliefs: The Codex 311
Betrayal 276 Origins 312
Gameplay Tiers 276 Mysteries 312
Story Hooks 277 Stereotypes 313
The Dark Host 277
Freya’s Descendants 277
Black Disturbances 277
The Reign of Terror 316
The Revenge of Maren Spliid 278 Themes, Mood, and Tone 317
Sources and Inspiration 279 What Has Come Before 317
Non-Fiction 279 The Enlightenment 318
Fiction 279 Double the Third and Vote by Head 318
Where We Are 320
Playing to the Cheap Seats 320
The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea 282 In Pursuit of Virtue 321
Theme: Buying Deliverance 282 Keeping Your Head Down:
Mood: Greed and Defiance 283 The View from the Streets 322
Tone: Adventure and Transgression 283 Locations 323
What Has Come Before 283 Paris 323
Buccaneers 284 Lyons 325
Old World Complications 284 Nantes and the Vendée 325
Nassau 284 What Is to Come 326
Where We Are 285 Coming Down from the Mountain 326
Major Events 285 Courrier de l’Égypte 326
Life at Sea 286 Emperor of the French 327
Iconic Figures 287 The Carthian Movement 327
Locations 287 Demon: Saturn’s Children 327
What Is to Come 290 Men Are Born, and Remain, Free 327
Geist: Jewels of the Antilles 290 Agendas 328
The Maroons 291 The God-Machine 332
7
Table of Contents
Mummy: Treacherous Delights 332 Locations 362
Arisen, Awake 332 What Is to Come 364
Deathless Influence 333 Changeling: Gumption, Glamour, and Grit 365
The Judges 333 The Wild Hunt 365
Maa-Kep: The Spies 334 Hedge Travel 367
Mesen-Nebu: The Revolutionaries 335 A Change of Scenery 367
Sesha-Hebsu: The Arbiters 335 New Kith: Cleverquick 368
Su-Menent: The Necromancers 336 Known Hedgeways 369
Tef-Aabhi: The New Pharaohs 337 Tokens 369
Vampire: The Bloody Reign 337 Mage: Diamond in the Rough 370
The Court of Île-de-France 337 Adamantine Arrow 370
Gallows Post 340 Guardians of the Veil 370
Ordo Dracul 340 Mysterium 373
Tenth Choir 340 Silver Ladder 373
Fractures and Factions: The Third Estate 341 Seers of the Throne 373
The Carthian Affair 341 Nameless and Apostates 374
The Sunlit Revolution 342 Prospecting 374
The House of Bourbon 342 Playing the Game 376
The Bloodless 342 Unique Contracts 376
Glitch in the Blood 343 Awakened Magic and the Wyrd 376
New Discipline: Therion 344 New Weapon: Lasso 377
Playing the Game 346 New Merit: Gunslinger 377
Relationships with Mortals 346 High Noon 377
Common Cause 347 Storytelling Mysterious Frontiers 379
The Catacombs 347 Western Antagonists 380
Heavy is the Head 348 Story Hooks 380
Let them Roll 348
Storytelling The Reign of Terror 349
Bay City Marshals 384
Changing the Timeline 349
Core Beliefs: Lex Talionis 384
Spanning Time 350
Origins 385
Sources and Inspiration 350 Give and Take 385
The Tenth Choir 352 Bay City Marshal Systems 386
Contracts of Retaliation 386
Mysterious Frontiers 356 Judgment of the Leafless Tree 387
Theme 357
Mood 357 The Great War 390
Tone 357 Themes and Moods 391
What Has Come Before 357 The Illusion of Peace 391
Westward Expansion 358 A Century of Progress 391
Gold! 358 A Penchant for the Supernatural 392
The Pinkertons 359 Death in Sarajevo 392
The Civil War Era 359 The Great Powers 392
Communication and Transportation 359 It is Noble and Befitting 393
Where We Are 359 Welcome to the Meatgrinder 393
Law in a Lawless Time 360 Wounded Lives 394
A Wide-Ranging Culture 360 Ypres 395
Iconic Figures 361 The Somme 397
8
Dark Eras
London 398
Fear and the Golden
The World is Scarred 400
Werewolf: Death Howl 401 Promise of Tomorrow 428
Carrion Call 401 The Forsaken 429
Waking Horrors 401 The Remade 429
Leashed Hounds and Wild Beasts 402 Themes and Mood 430
Killing Grounds 403 What Has Come Before 431
Predators 404 View of the Forsaken 431
Geist: A Crisis of Death 406 Reflecting the Remade 432
Burdens in War 406 Where We Are 432
A Haunting of Sin-Eaters 407 Cultural Milestones 433
Power from Death 408 Locations 433
The Trenches Beneath the World 409 Los Angeles, California 433
Promethean: Conscripts of Clay 411 Flushing Meadows, New York 435
Fate of the Faceless 411 New York City, New York 436
Rampaging Faceless 411 What’s Yet to Come 437
Spoils of War 413 Werewolf: New Enemies, Old Hunting Grounds 438
Created Conscripts 415 Technology and the Forsaken 438
Playing the Game 416 Choosing a Tribe 439
Strange Bedfellows 416 Finishing Touches 440
Pack, Krewe, Throng 416 For the Storyteller: Escalating Themes 441
Stranger Enemies 417 Antagonists 442
Playing with Mixed Company 417
Deviant: Shattered Utopias 444
Running the Game 418 Origins 445
Tier One: Trench Level 419 New Transmissible Divergence:
Tier Two: No-Man’s Land 419 Psychic Indoctrination 446
Tier Three: The War Room 419 Conspiracy: Project Gladiator 446
Considering Crossover 420 For the Storyteller: Curiosity and the Remade 450
Geist: Henrietta’s Letter (Tier One) 420 Conditions 450
Promethean: Flying Circus (Tier Two) 420 For the Storyteller: Narrating a Crossover 450
Werewolf: Follow the Leader (Tier Three) 421 Futurix Press, Inc. 450
Sources and Inspiration 421 Story Hooks 451
Lost Lineage – The Faceless 422 Sources and Inspiration 452
9
Table of Contents
Introduction
Welcome to Dark Eras 2. Much like Dark Eras and the Dark Eras
Companion, this book explores chapters of history through the Chronicles of
Darkness. Each chapter presents two or more game lines set against a backdrop
of historical intrigue and events. The materials presented in the chapters are
compatible with Chronicles of Darkness Second Edition rules.
Following a description of the eras, a list of historically appropriate Skills
has been included for use in your chronicles.
What’s in This Book?

Dark Eras 2 consists of 13 eras, at least one for each Chronicles of Darkness
game line. The eras are presented here in chronological order, beginning with
the oldest:
We are not
• Promethean: The Created/Beast: The Primordial/Werewolf: The
We are not Forsaken — Hunger in the Black Land (1806 BCE): Sobekneferu was
makers ofby history.

makers of history. the last pharaoh of the Middle Kingdom, ascending to power during a
We are made history.
— We
Martinare made byJr.
time of transition. Her father built a pyramid and a mysterious labyrinth
Luther King, at Hawara, near Shedet (modern-day Faiyum), but she completed the
history.
labyrinth and may be the only one left alive who knows its secrets. The
Greeks will later call Shedet “Crocodilopolis,” for the crocodile god
M artin L uther
Sobek and his children reign supreme there. The Forsaken fight a war
K ing, Jr.
over territory and pride with their reptilian cousins, while Prometheans
deal with the disparity between the Nepri — worshipped as kings and
gods — and the others, evading mortuary alchemists and mummified
animal Pandorans. Meanwhile, the Begotten seek allies to deal with the
rise of senseless violence among Heroes and the waking Insatiable of the
Nile.
• Changeling: The Lost/Promethean: The Created — The Seven Wonders

(286–226 BCE): As the locations of the most significant manmade struc-
tures in the world are revealed, adventurers from Greece and beyond seek
them out to bask in their glory. It is tragic, however, that some wonders
must be kept secret. The Gentry do not respond well to their Hedge
being disturbed, and the seven wonders are coated in thorns for the
unwary. There is no telling what they will do when they encounter the
Created, who have heard of these wondrous places immune to war, the
ravages of time, and Disquiet. Though the Created seek to protect the
wonders like a mother would a child, the Gentry have their own reasons
for safeguarding them.
• Hunter: The Vigil/Changeling: The Lost/Vampire: The Requiem —

Arthur’s Britannia (400–500 CE): You’ve heard the stories of King Arthur
and Mordred, Merlin and Morgana. Inspired by medieval romance, the
Arthurian myth lives on. Get behind the myth, find the source of these
tales, and adventure in Great Britain during the legendary King Arthur’s
10
introduction
rule. For, in the Chronicles of Darkness, nothing is • Mummy: The Curse/Hunter: The Vigil — Rise of
what it seems. The shadows we explore will expose the Last Imperials (1644–1661 CE): The last Imperial
darker secrets that follow King Arthur and his Dynasty, the Qing, was established by Nurhaci fol-
Knights of the Round Table wherever they roam. lowing the takeover of Beijing. Masters of northern
China, the powerful Great Qing successfully usurped
• Beast: The Primordial/Vampire: The Requiem weakened Ming rulers, but their rule was marked by
— One Thousand and One Nightmares (832 CE): their treatment of the Han Chinese. Despite this, the
The Islamic Golden Age during the reign of Caliph Shunzhi Emperor, assisted by his co-regents Dorgon
al-Ma’mun is a time of great advances in science and Jirgalang, began to preserve centuries of Chinese
and culture, but it’s also a time for getting into the arts and literature while searching for mummies ru-
mystic as the House of Wisdom brings the One mored to be active in the area. Caught between the
Thousand and One Nights tales into the light, expos- present and the distant past, mummies clash with
ing records of true supernatural events and sparking rival Arisen, sweeping Han Chinese hunters into
unprecedented human curiosity about the unknown. their wake who must face many threats to uphold
The Begotten reach out to help their vampire kin the Vigil.
(and others) cope with the mortal situation that’s
swiftly turning the tide against the night’s horrors; • Mummy: The Curse/Geist: The Sin-Eaters —
the Islamic covenants must decide how to redefine The Scandinavian Witch Trials (1608–1698 CE):
the Masquerade in a changing world. During this Scandinavian countries quickly adopted the witch
time, the powerful Al-Khayzuran, mother to the trials from Germany after the Reformation, and were
Caliph, ensures the tales’ power over human imagi- even more cautious about magic and witches, as they
nation through her mysterious connection with the knew they lived closer to hell than most other coun-
Primordial Dream and the ancient queen Chehrazad. tries. Magic was no longer seen as a tool to alter fates
or change the course of lives, and it was no longer
• Hunter: The Vigil/Demon: The Descent — Empire directly linked to communication with gods. Those
of Gold and Dust (1337–1347 CE): Founded by King wielding magic were no longer respected and sacred,
Sundiata, the vast Mali Empire was formed after but were hunted and condemned by society, friends,
several smaller kingdoms were consolidated and and family, as witchcraft became directly linked with
lasted from 1230 to 1600 CE. At its height, the the workings of hell. A constant paranoia dominates
empire stretched from the Atlantic coastline, past the Nordic countries. No one knows when it might
Timbuktu, to the edges of the Sahara Desert. Ruled be their turn to burn for heresy. Sin-Eaters struggle
as a monarchy, the Empire of Mali was multilingual to balance their will to live against their need for
and multiethnic, with Islam being the dominant revenge, while the Arisen awake to a dangerous world
religion. This period is a time of turmoil. Following and must decide what role they play.
the death of the legendary Musa Keita I in 1337, the
empire suffered from a series of short-term, faulty • Mage: The Awakening/Geist: The Sin-Eaters —
reigns beginning with his son’s four-year rule. With The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (1716–1717 CE): Like
the empire’s security and prosperity at stake, the the Great Below and the many mysterious places
creatures of the Chronicles of Darkness are on the mages roam, the ocean’s depths are seen only in
move. glimpses, filled with wondrous and terrifying things
that never see the light of day — but willworkers
• Deviant: The Renegades/Mage: The Awakening/ and the Bound have the means and the will to stare
Demon: The Descent — Light of the Sun (1630–1640 into these abysses. Although there’s nothing kind
CE): Galileo. Kepler. Newton. On the heels of the about cutthroat pirates, the promise of equality and
Italian Renaissance, reason and belief clash at every honor among thieves appeals to those downtrodden
turn. Scientific discoveries proving heliocentrism are by the system, whether that’s the British Empire,
subverted and deemed heretical. Scientists, mages, the Diamond, or the Kerberoi. Mage society teeters
and astronomers are arrested by the Inquisition, and on the brink of civil war as the Silver Ladder allies
their books are banned. In response, intellectuals with the Seers of the Throne to stamp out Nassau’s
on the brink of discovery turn to alchemy and the Nameless Order, while the Bound sail with their
magical arts, and create deviants to defend their brotherhoods to stop marauding Reapers and plumb
laboratories and universities. Not all in this age the haunted seas.
agree violence is the option, however, and worry the
Church’s power is too strong to fight. What’s more, • Vampire: The Requiem/Demon: The Descent/
no one expected the deviants to have a mind and Mummy: The Curse — The Reign of Terror
will of their own. (1793–1794 CE): Enlightenment philosophies and
revolution shake the long-standing institutions of
11
Whats In This Book
monarchy and hierarchy in France to their core. Brackett, Ray Bradbury, and Jack Vance. Though
Immortal Kindred hidden within the House of these stories are works of fiction, it is often said that
Bourbon scheme to hold onto the power and privilege all tales have kernels of truth. In the Chronicles of
they crave, while the beginnings of the Carthian Darkness, experience the Golden Age of Science
Movement scheme to kick in some fangs and make Fiction as you never have before, through the eyes
the elders bleed alongside disenfranchised mortals of its creatures.
yearning for liberty. The Arisen question whether
they, too, should rise up against their Judges, drawn
to Paris by the mysterious Empire of the Dead in
the catacombs below the city. The God-Machine Skills
has its own plans for the catacomb’s Lifeweb, and The following summarizes pre-modern Skills presented
while mummies work with vampires and demons to in Dark Eras.
unearth its secrets, the Unchained Agendas splin-
ter into factions over whether the revolution is the Archery
Machine’s way of cleansing France, or an opportunity
to openly defy it and finally find Hell on Earth. The Firearms Skill didn’t exist before 1500 and didn’t
completely eclipse the Archery Skill in ranged combat
• Changeling: The Lost/Mage: The Awakening — until the mid-1800s, when cheap and reliable hand-carried
Mysterious Frontiers (1874 CE): Five years ago, the guns became available. Characters born in the transition
First Transcontinental Railroad was completed, period may have training in both Skills, or just one. Crude,
revolutionizing travel and trade across the United early firearms use the Athletics Skill to fire rather than
States. But the law still has a hell of a time reach- Archery. Common Archery specialties include: European
ing its long arm out here, and many are left to fend Bow, Japanese Bow, Longbow, Pellet Bow, Poor Visibility,
for themselves. The American West sees the rise of Short Bow, Trick Shot, and Wind and Weather.
changeling folk heroes: defiant marshals and their Archery works identically to Firearms except for dra-
deputies who win victories against Fae forces, badass matic failures: restringing a bow takes one turn just like
Lost strangers wandering from town to town evading clearing a gun jam, but damage to the bow itself renders
recapture wherever they go, and wily Hedge pioneers. the weapon useless until it’s repaired. Storytellers might
Many mages succumb to wanderlust and ride west rule that an Archery dramatic failure results in hitting the
for new opportunities in the wild blue yonder. The wrong target instead, or running out of arrows if the game
Lex Magica and Diamond traditions don’t hold tracks ammunition narratively.
much sway out here, and ain’t nobody gonna tell an
Awakened what to do out under the open sky with
Mysteries hidden under every rock, like gold for the
prospecting. Sailing and Navigation Skills
• Geist: The Sin-Eaters/Werewolf: The Forsaken/
The Skills a character needs to operate a sailing ves-
sel will depend on the size of the ship. Smaller ships
Promethean: The Created — The Great War that can be operated by one or two characters will
(1914–1918 CE): The Great War displayed humanity’s require less Skills than a full-sized naval vessel. Some
potential to commit to wholesale, ceaseless slaughter suggestions follow for appropriate Skills based on the
of their own species. In such an era, the Scar tears character’s role on a mid- to large-sized ship but may
asunder, and the Beshilu rejoice in the mire of the be adjusted for smaller boats and canoes.
Western Front. Meanwhile, soldiers who, by every
right known to mortals should be dead, stand back Professional Training Asset Skill
up to rejoin the battle — or fight back against the Boatswain Crafts, Intimidation
Reapers stalking battlefields throughout Europe.
Now, both werewolves and Sin-Eaters will struggle Cannoneer Crafts, Firearms
to coexist, do their duty, and avoid getting caught Carpenter Academics, Crafts
up in one of history’s deadliest wars. Cook Crafts, Persuasion
• Deviant: The Renegades/Werewolf: The Forsaken Deckhand Athletics, Streetwise
— Fear and the Golden Promise of Tomorrow (1938– Navigator/Pilot Science, Survival
1946 CE): On the heels of pulp fiction, the first
Golden Age of Science Fiction allowed the science- Surgeon Empathy, Medicine
fiction genre to blossom in the public eye. Science Striker Survival, Weaponry
fiction represents possibilities and in a wartime era,
readers can’t get enough of Isaac Asimov, Leigh
12
introduction
Ride characters use Crafts or Science to interact with cruder
computer-like technology. They use the Enigmas Skill to
The Drive Skill didn’t exist before the late 1700s and manipulate information, navigate complex systems, solve
didn’t become commonplace until the mid-1900s when cars puzzles, and create or decipher codes. It shouldn’t replace
became more than luxuries for the wealthy. Transportation interactive problem solving and roleplaying but should help
by animals uses Ride, whether the character rides them di- offer specific answers and new options. Common Enigmas
rectly or drives them via coach or chariot. During the transi- specialties include: Bureaucracies, Codes, Conspiracies,
tion period, aristocratic characters might learn both Skills. Research, and Social Networks.
Characters can also use Ride to perform basic veterinary On a dramatic failure, the Storyteller gives a dramati-
first aid on common mount animals and build relationships cally appropriate misinterpretation of the information or
with them. Common Ride specialties include: Jumping, solution. With failure, the character knows she failed and
Particular Breeds, Riding in Combat, Tricks, Tailing, and can try again with a −1 penalty. On a success, the character
Unfamiliar Horses. A mount animal has a Handling score successfully decodes or obscures the information. With
like a vehicle, which starts at the animal’s Wits rating and exceptional success, the character gains more answers than
increases or decreases based on treatment and training. she was looking for or hides information exceptionally well.
Ride works with Social Attributes except in cases where Decoding Ciphers is an Intelligence + Enigmas extended
Wits is more appropriate, such as a roll to tail someone while action requiring between five and 20 successes, with each
mounted. Dramatically failing on a mount usually involves roll representing one hour of work. Encoding Information
injury to the mount or uncooperative behavior, like throw- is a Wits + Enigmas + equipment instant action that takes
ing its rider or refusing to move. between a few minutes and a few hours depending on
the complexity. Mastering Complex Systems is a Wits +
Enigmas Enigmas extended action requiring 10+ successes, with each
The Computer Skill didn’t exist until the 1980s, with roll representing three hours of interaction or observation.
the invention of the home computer. Before that point,
13
Skills
Nebt settles on her haunches, surveying the glistening
slime with a squint. The nauseating muck coats the dark silt
of the field in a fetid smear; rotting stalks of dead barley bend
and crumple into the morass. It fills the irrigation ditches with
night-black ichor.
The priestess tilts her head as a darker shadow emerges from
the mud brick of the farmer’s home, footsteps squelching.
“It smells like blood,” Nebt calls out. “But sour. Rotten.”
The figure draws closer till she can spy the holy envoy’s withered skin,
see the stitched incisions in Khenemsu’s flesh. The rotting ichor almost
drowns out his scent of salt and resin.
“I think,” he replies drily, “it does not take the blessed wits
of Wepwawet to know that.” The Weret-Wesir wrinkles his
nose in evident disgust.
Nebt snorts, and gestures at the prints in the sucking mo-
rass. “Nor to see that the scribes came this way,” she says, straightening
up again.
Khenemsu frowns. “Could they not be the farmer’s?”
The priestess shakes her head. “So, he is not in his home? And no. These are
not barefoot. See, they are the shape of papyrus sandals, and they are too many.”
The two pick their way through the filth in companionable silence for a while,
drawing closer to the river’s edge. “Nightmares,” Nebt says eventually. “The farm-
ers here speak of nightmares of the ichor. The farmer must have fled to
safety already.”
“Nightmares?” Khenemsu’s face remains fixed in a frown. “One of
the weda rewet, then?”
Nebt shrugs. “Perhaps.”
She catches another scent mingling with the sickening stench.
Blood, but fresh.
Ahead, the scribes. They have come apart, the permanency
of their flesh unwoven and disentangled. Each of the five
men must have crawled through the muck; there, their skin,
as if flayed from their bodies, then the tatters of muscle,
the uncoiling ropes of their innards. At last, each has come
to rest as a blood-slick tumble of bones, settled by a larger
heap in the glistening silt.
Nebt’s gut lurches in an uncomfortable sensation at the
scent of blood — not disgust, but hunger. “What does your
god make of this?” she mutters.
Khenemsu opens his mouth to restart the tired, old
argument that hangs between them, but falters.
Something in the dark silt shivers and squirms.
They both stare at the heaped mud where the flensed
scribes’ remains cluster. It shakes, rises, sloughs muck to
become a distinct shape that violates the eye with its
atrocity.
The thing that lurches forth snaps with a crocodile’s
maw, claws its way free with the powerful limbs of a lion,
but all are rotten and decayed, a patchwork of cadaverous
flesh soaked in the black blood of Iteru. The eyes, though,
burn with harsh blue light.
Its jaws swing open, threads of glistening ooze hanging be-
tween its jagged teeth, and it hacks and spits forth a gurgling
cackle underlain with the screams of tormented souls.
“Desecration,” gasps Khenemsu. “Chaos.”
Nebt snarls, her jaws lengthening, flesh remaking itself as rage
floods through her spirit.
“Then let us bring order!” she roars, and the killing form’s fury takes her.
Hunger in the
Black Land
Hunger in the
Black Land
1806 BCE
1806 BCE
Iteru is Kemet’s eternal heart, granter of the Black Land’s fertile soil. It is an artery
of life-giving water nourishing successive civilizations that rise upon its banks. The
river’s rushing cycles underpin the very ma’at of the realm — the harmony between
gods, humans, and land. Beyond Iteru, the Red Land is only dust and dry wind, a
bleak desolation haunted by the howl of lost gods. The river is everything.
And now, it dies.
Bled by a pharaoh’s hubris, the once-turgid waters ebb away. Iteru’s recession
I am he who
reveals the river’s sickness through drought and, in places, a festering, oozing
ichor that smears its black silt — the tainted blood of a dead god. Ghastly chi-
protecteth you
meras of bone and withered flesh lurch from the mire, driven by terrible hunger.
for millions of
Discord festers in human hearts. The sacred becomes the profane.
years. Whether
Proud Sobekneferu sits upon the afflicted kingdom’s throne, last of the 12th
ye be denizens of
Dynasty of Kemet. Her reign is troubled, founded not on stone but on clay, for
Iheaven, orprotecteth
of the
she surged to power on a tide of unrest and division. Ripples of chaos linger
in a court rife with suspicion and conspiracy. The pharaoh seeks solace and
earth, or of the
am he who tranquility in reverence of Sobek, and gifts that god’s cult with great wealth;
you for millions of
S outh, or ofor
and in completing her father’s legacy, the Labyrinth of Hawara, she hungers
years. Whether ye be
the
of the earth, oror
North, of of
for recognition of her own authority and greatness. She struggles to restore the
denizens of heaven,
the East, orNorth,
of
balance of ma’at to Kemet before discord and disaster consume the land.
the
Myth and magic interweave with the lives of the common folk who labor
theof West, the

South, or of the
or the East, or of through the burning days and cool nights of this beleaguered land. Ravenous
fearis inofyourme is in
the West, the fear of Beasts seek a new purpose before the dead god’s hunger devours them in turn;
your bodies. I am
me bodies. Matet rise upon the mortuary slab, some as souls returned from A’aru to serve as
he whose being has

I am he whose being divine envoys; and wolf-priests howl to Wepwawet with the rising of the moon.
All turn their attention now to the basin of Atef-Pehu, where lies Crocodile’s
been wrought in his

has been wrought in
his eye. I shall not die divine carcass.
eye.
yourI shall notbutdie
again. My moment is
again.
in
My moment
bodies, my Theme: Twisted Reflections
ofishabitation.
in your bodies,
forms are in my place The cosmic harmony of ma’at comes undone. Chaos floods the Middle
I am “He
but my forms are
Kingdom. The land becomes a twisted mirror of itself. Gibbering, dead aber-
who cannot be known.”
in my place of
rations crawl from Iteru, their patchwork carcasses a blasphemous mockery of
habitation. I am
— The Book of the Dead the gods’ divine aspects. Cultists of Sobek profane themselves through can-
nibalistic communion, warped monsters pretending at holy mandate. Walking
“ H e who cannot
nightmares grow more desperate as humanity’s connection to the Primordial
be known. ”
Dream weakens, threatening backlash against Begotten excesses. Iteru itself
hosts a horrifying Insatiable, its waters transforming from giver of life to vessel
The B ook of
for a terrible hunger.
the Dead
The Black Land’s sickness manifests in strife both human and divine. Officials
simmer with resentment; rivalries fracture the state’s bureaucracy. Alchemists
and demiurges blaspheme against ma’at, reaching beyond their station through
power they should not possess. The withered, rotting god Crocodile turns in its
slumber, a divinity older than the laws of death. Death Wolf battles with her
malevolent sheut, a ghostly echo driven by hatred of the creator who abandoned
it. Mortals and divinities alike share the blame for transgressions that leave
Kemet teetering on the brink of oblivion.
16
Hunger in the Black Land
A Note on Language
What Has Come Before
It is now. Sobekneferu sits upon the throne, named for
Although the ancient Egyptian gods and other the beauty of Sobek and bearing divinity’s mantle. She
aspects of that civilization are well-known in the serves as sacred intermediary between humanity and gods,
modern day, we often call them by names the she is benign mistress of all who dwell upon sacred Iteru,
Greeks or others later gave them. In this era, we and she is head of a vast, bureaucratic hierarchy of state.
use their original names: She is all these, yet Kemet slides into the mire of chaos.
• Anubis: Anpu Gods stalk the land. The dead rest uneasily. Things that
were never alive rise from the muck.
• Egypt: Kemet
How has it come to this?
• Horus: Heru The answers are scattered throughout time’s ripples,
• Isis: Aset hidden in history’s shadows, and buried in deep eons.
• Nile: Iteru (literally “river”)
• Osiris: Wesir Dead Gods
(thus, Osirans are Weret-Wesir) Here — a moment too ancient for human eyes to wit-
• Ra: Re ness. Iteru is eternal and, even in this dismal recess of time,
has already torn a deep gouge through living stone. It may
• Thoth: Djehuty thread a different tracery of veins over the land as ages pass,
The word “Promethean” is also Greek; in the marking new courses with its constant scouring, but it is
Middle Kingdom, most people referring to the always the same river. Something insatiable stirs in the silt,
Created don’t use one umbrella term, simply call- born of the cycles of ebb and flow that define Iteru.
ing them by their individual Lineage names, such Here — a death, of sorts. Something massive slouches
as Weret-Wesir or Temi-Nebu. When the Created and oozes into a great basin that will one day be called
themselves use such a term — aware the Weret- Atef-Pehu, its innumerable thrashing limbs rending the
Wesir and other Lineages are all empowered crater deeper. This is a god of hunger, colossal in size and
by the Divine Fire, despite what the former claim
— they call themselves the Matet, a word that meaning, a pillar of the world now broken and cast down.
can mean “likeness” or “copy.” It also refers to The jaws of an even greater predator have torn open the
the boat in which the sun god Re ascends during story of its flesh — the work of ancient Pangaea’s boundary
the first part of the day, in which context the word god. Crocodile writhes in earth its blood and immanence
means “getting stronger.” The Created liken it to
their Great Work.
Other Kemetic terms are called out in the text as
they’re introduced. Truth and Fiction
Given the passage of time and the scarcity of
historical sources, the actual events of this era are
unclear. Amenemhat IV was probably an adopted
successor, and significant unrest does seem to
Mood: have plagued his reign before Sobekneferu’s
accession. The events surrounding the death of
Foreboding and Arrogance Sobekneferu’s sister, Ptahneferu, are even more
opaque. Iteru’s surging and receding waters seem
The 12th Dynasty of the Middle Kingdom has seen to have played a significant part in the Middle
incredible progress. Rivalries mend before the pharaohs’ Kingdom’s end, much as they did in the end of its
authority, great monuments to the gods rise up, and soldiers predecessor. The Labyrinth of Hawara remains
sweep away enemies. The people prosper. Now, though, a one of the enduring mysteries of the era, both in
sense of endings hangs over the realm. The folk of Kemet purpose and appearance.
fear losing all they have. Everyone, from pharaoh to farmer, This era hews to true history where it can — mon-
obsesses over the question of life after death, of holding onto sters notwithstanding — and makes some best
their accomplishments for the eternity of the hereafter, and guesses to fill the gaps based on available sources
hunt for any edge they can find — placating gods, employ- and the spirit of the time and place.
ing sorcery, and cheating mortality’s shackles, regardless of
consequences.
17
churn to mud, seeking respite from Wolf’s endless pursuit, deception, coil through human society and are reflected
and slowly meets its end. But its hunger never dies. in Iteru. The river recedes; drought dries the land with its
Here — a death, of sorts. A wolf, young but coming into thirst, and crops crumple in the withering heat. Something
her power, given freedom to pursue her strange hunt. Driven stirs in the silt; the eternal Insatiable rises from mud and
to question, never satisfied, she is called Kig-Ur — Seeking slime to replenish its vitality. It stalks and consumes Beasts
Wolf. She comes to a boundary unlike any other she has fattened on the misery and fears of Kemet’s people.
crossed. She crawls inside — a passage, a cave, a doorway Kemet cracks apart like dried mud as the Old Kingdom
into somewhere else — and perishes. Alarmed, she snatches topples. The century that follows is a fallen age, where
back her Ka as it tries to escape and withdraws to the living weak pharaohs vie for the right to rule. The Old Kingdom’s
world, but she leaves something behind. Her shadow wails, glories, its treasures and monuments, are defaced, tarnished,
unheard and lost to the cold, empty tunnels. Lost souls have and broken not in barbaric ignorance but through brutal
a way of coming back to haunt the living. clashes of new politics and ideals, a struggle of beliefs about
the place of the pharaoh and their claim to rule. Iteru, sated,
The Old Kingdom returns to its turgid splendor, but chaos remains abroad. The
Ninth Dynasty’s founder, Meryibre Khety, throws himself
Here — 900 years before now, from the crumbling ruins into the jaws of a crocodile.
of an ancient scorpion empire of blood and death rises a
truly human endeavor, suckled on Iteru’s teat. The works of
the Shan’iatu are lost to dust and desert. The survivors cling The Middle Kingdom
to the eternal river and to half-remembered truths from The wheel turns; the people crawl back toward order
lost Irem. Broken images and gleaming relics give rise to a and ma’at. The haty-a of the city of Waset found the 11th
pantheon of animal-headed deities. Girded with violence, Dynasty and make war on their rivals. Menuhotep II is pha-
human ambitions unify upper and lower Iteru into a single raoh when Kemet is finally unified once more. He inherits a
whole. Kemet, the Black Land, is truly born. realm scarred from memories of discord and violence. Even
This kingdom, later the Old Kingdom, witnesses monu- commoners bear weapons, and dissident voices threaten the
mental acts. Pharaoh Djeser raises up the first great pyramid, authority of this new power that will one day be called the
kicking off the funerary obsessions that thread throughout Middle Kingdom.
Kemetic society as a dominating drive. The grinding wheel The new pharaohs learn from the mistakes of the Old
of time sees pyramids, temples, and palaces burst from the Kingdom’s hungry, grasping government. The luxuries of
black soil, the handiwork of a people united in vision. death are no longer withheld for the elite, but thrown open
All is not well in this great flourishing. Pharaohs and to all. Menuhotep’s faithful soldiers, whose deaths in battle
elites jealously guard the mysteries of death and afterlife, won him his kingdom, are entombed with honor and ritual.
denying them to the common people. Tomb monuments Some are interred with too much care and intent on the
and mortuary palaces are for the rulers, not the ruled. part of their mortuary priests. Several Nepri — called Weret-
The pharaohs are not an intermediary between gods and Wesir in this era — rise from the tombs, a cadre of warrior-
humans, but gods themselves, growing distant from their Created made with the Middle Kingdom’s emergence and
subjects. Into that void step the haty-a, chief bureaucrats whose Pilgrimages are intimately tied to its progression.
of the administrative sepats that divide Kemet. The haty-a Here — the Middle Kingdom blossoms into a golden age.
hungrily gather titles and privileges, and the distant pha- Now all may entreat the gods, and temples flourish. The
raohs’ central authority crumbles. people raise up new monuments. The pharaohs’ pyramids
Here — the first Sothic Turn since Irem’s grim demise. are not as grand, and many lessons of architecture must
Ancient dead rise in a brief return of the lost city’s legacy, be relearned. Still, the civil works of the new order build
throwing Kemet into civil war. In the aftermath, the dead a sturdy, efficient foundation of infrastructure to harvest
god in Atef-Pehu shivers in sympathy. Oracles dream of Iteru’s bounty. Prosperity returns. Where old borders
hungry mouths and crocodile fangs, and flay their own limbs crumble under invasion or rebellion, the pharaohs’ soldiers
with their teeth. The profane revelation slithers through the march forth to restore Kemet’s glory. This is a time of vigor
morbid faith of Kemet, becoming a prayer carved into the and culture.
pyramid of Unas, a cannibal hymn exalting the pharaoh Here — the 12th Dynasty wrests power from the 11th
as the devourer of gods. through civil war, the last gasp of overly mighty haty-a.
The dead god returns to silence. Over decades, the He who will be Amenemhat I is first vizier to the 11th
prayer’s ravenous grip on mortal minds fades. Dynasty’s last pharaoh, rallying other haty-a to his cause
Here — the Old Kingdom ends, in discord and hunger, when he challenges the throne. He in turn dies to assassins’
four centuries before now. The haty-a have grown over- blades, the final spite of a dynasty undone. The tumult is
mighty, with too many rights and too much authority to constrained. Amenemhat spent years in co-regency with
pay heed to the wider state. Apep, the serpent of chaos, his son Senusret before his murder, tying the bonds of
and Isfet, Ma’at’s counterpart who embodies injustice and succession tighter — a clever scheme future generations
18
repeat. Senusret restores order and tightens his control. His
father’s ghost whispers to aid him, and his scribes record
Amenemhat’s deathly wisdom.
Those scribes also set some of Amenemhat’s final words
Crocodile
— those Senusret is willing to share —upon papyrus and Crocodile is a dead Pangaean, a primordial entity
tablet. Literacy flourishes. The written word is no longer the from a time when such gods roamed the Border
province of aggrandizing pharaohs and worshipping gods. It Marches that split the spirit realm from the world
underpins the empire Senusret rules through administrative of humans. After Wolf’s death howl brought an
documentation — a form of lifeblood as vital as Iteru’s wa- end to Pangaea, Crocodile’s divine carcass slowly
ters. Officials write one another to ask for resources, seek aid
transformed into something entirely of the Flesh,
but the god’s cold, reptilian hunger still echoes
and advice, and complain about rivals or ill fortune. Some within its corpse and taints the land around it. For
even create stories without sacred or official import — just more information on Pangaeans, see Dark Eras,
tales to amuse, entertain, or inform. p. 58.
Here — Kemet’s new heart is the capital Itjtawy, on
the edge of Atef-Pehu’s great basin. Somewhere out there,
beneath the arid land, Crocodile lies dead and dreaming.
Its presence scratches at sensitive minds, sowing seeds of
hunger and violence. This new encroachment of human barren lifelessness and, in places, Iteru’s black blood stains
souls upon its tainted ground stirs the ancient cannibal the earth with sickening rot. Rebels gather in the margins;
hymn, scratched into stone with bloody fingers and chewed Canaanite settlers agitate. Isfet returns, and Apep’s chaos
into bone with ravenous teeth. writhes through Kemet once more.
Here — the Dynasty’s warrior kings are a revered mem- Here — revolution throws Amenemhat IV from his
ory. Peace holds sway for generations, barring ventures to throne. Supporters of the old dynasty raise Sobekneferu
seize mineral riches glimmering amid the Red Land’s deso- up in his place, and she becomes the first woman to truly
lation. The pharaohs now are administrators and builders, bear the pharaoh’s mantle.
the helmsmen of Kemet’s prosperous barge. Iteru lies at the It is now. Sobekneferu is pharaoh. Iteru flows at the
heart of their incredible wealth, but not without reminders kingdom’s heart, eternal yet dying, and Kemet dies with it.
of its primal nature. In the reign of Amenemhat III, father
Where We Are
of Sobekneferu, it surges and floods in destructive excess,
far beyond the ability of humanity to contain.
Surveying the devastation, the pharaoh embarks upon
an audacious plan. Sweating droves of laborers carve a Sobekneferu’s kingdom stretches from where the great
massive canal that bleeds water from Iteru into the basin. Iteru delta empties into the sea along the length of the river,
The basin’s heart, once feared as a wild and cursed place, until her authority peters out before the lands of Kush far
transforms from moldering swamp to the burgeoning lake upstream. Iteru vomits a yearly deluge of silt and water into
called Moeris; the lands around it become a fertile engine of the valley, a seasonal rejuvenation that renders the land
agriculture. When Iteru’s waters rise high again, the excess incredibly fertile — but beyond the floods’ embrace, the land
pours into Atef-Pehu. The settlements bloat and sprawl, fed is arid and desolate. The kingdom’s heart is the Black Land,
by this fresh prosperity. Iteru’s life-giving, life-taking waters representing harmonious order, while the deserts rasping
soak into the earth where Crocodile’s dead hunger seethes. its flanks are the Red Land, where discord dwells. Despite
Amenemhat III’s long reign accomplishes even greater the Red Land’s inhospitable bleakness, it is not nearly so
deeds. He bestows the priesthood of Sobek with great empty as it first appears.
temples in Shedet, the city that now stands proudly at the For the people of the valley, the natural and supernatural
edge of gleaming Lake Moeris. He raises up pyramids for intertwine with no meaningful distinction between them.
himself and his family. At Hawara, he begins the arduous The cosmic laws of the world and the gods weave through
process of building a labyrinthine necropolis. reality. Monsters lurking amid dry dunes and oozing silt are
Here — Amenemhat III has no son to serve as successor. as real in the people’s minds as the crocodiles and hippos
He grows woefully old and his judgment stumbles. He raises of Iteru; divine authority is as manifest as that of human
up a man of the haty-a to be his successor, Amenemhat government. Living in accord with ma’at’s sacred tenets is
IV. Seeds of unrest sprout into dissidence, then open defi- the best way to maintain order, and to prepare for death
ance. Many nobles and officials want a true pharaoh of and existence thereafter.
the dynasty’s blood upon the throne, not a rival nomarch Now, though, the divine cycle is off-kilter. Fear squirms
raised up to usurp the divine mantle. Their fears seem in the hearts of those who look to an uncertain future
justified; the land convulses. Under Amenemhat IV, Iteru and wonder how the inhabitants of the Duat will judge
recedes. The sun’s harsh gaze scours fields into parched, them when the time comes to attest to their actions in
this chaotic era.
19
Where We Are
Sobekneferu accordance with the river’s tides. In akhet, its waters rise to
cover the land, and the bustle of agriculture comes to rest.
Proud Sobekneferu, pharaoh of the upper and lower This is not a time of repose, though, for the pharaoh calls
kingdoms of Kemet, has only a precarious grip on her her subjects to form veritable armies of laborers who raise up
throne. Her adroitness in court and politics is a necessity, monuments and build infrastructure. In peret, Iteru recedes,
honed by threats that loom all around. She faces powerful but leaves much of itself behind, bled out into the irrigation
bureaucrats and officials; those who raised her up expect channels and reservoirs carved into the ground, feeding the
to reap the rewards, while Amenemhat IV’s surviving sup- thirsty farmlands for another year. The earth, rejuvenated
porters plot her downfall. with fertile silt, is primed for the farmers to gouge, plow, and
She inherits a land tormented each year by Iteru’s reced- seed for the coming season. Shemu follows, crops rearing
ing waters; prosperity threatens to slip between her fingers. from the fields for harvest. Once they reap this bounty, the
Some see this disaster as the legacy of Amenemhat IV’s people turn their hands to preparing the channels, canals,
false pretensions to the throne’s divinity, but others wonder and ponds once more before akhet’s deluge returns.
whether the holy power of the pharaohs is no longer as Iteru is a gleaming ribbon of commerce, communication,
sacrosanct as it once was. and transport — the backbone of the kingdom. Kemet is
It does not help that she is a woman, the first to hold scarred by dusty roads but, under the hot sun, a boat of
the pharaoh’s title. Amenemhat III raised up a non-royal reeds or timber turns Iteru into a finer highway than any
as his successor despite two daughters, each capable in her dirty track. With oar and sail, the river is the vital artery
own right, owing to the tradition that men sit the throne. through which trade and administration flow. The pharaoh’s
Traditions work in her favor, too, though: the sacred blood authority follows its course, soldiers ferried up and down the
of dynasty matters, and cannot be set aside because of an river to protect the realm.
inconvenient lack of male heirs. The tumult of Amenemhat Iteru gives, but it also takes. The floods sometimes reach
IV’s reign is ample demonstration of the consequences. too far, causing ruin or death, or do not stretch far enough
Sobekneferu regularly travels the Black Land during the and leave fields abandoned to the sun’s cruel gaze. Under
season of akhet to take stock of her kingdom, and to oversee Amenemhat IV’s reign, the latter became disturbingly
the levies of common folk who labor over her monuments and common. Ravenous crocodiles and surly hippos wallow in
great works. She sees and is seen, reaffirming her ties to the its waters and claim many lives each year.
populace over which she reigns and their confidence in her. Now Iteru is a slit vein for the sickness bleeding out of
The pharaoh has no husband or consort, and no chil- Atef-Pehu. The black blood staining the shores with ichor is
dren to succeed her. As each year passes, worry gnaws more thankfully rare, but each akhet brings more of the reeking
deeply at the hearts of those who fear for Kemet’s future, corruption. The river suppurates in places, a vile womb of
and the ambitious gather like hungry vultures. ghastly horrors that crawl from its oozing banks.
This chaos cannot be left unchecked.
The Queen and the Crocodile
Sobekneferu is named for the beauty of Sobek, a state- Righteous Order
ment of divine allegiance, and she offers great favor to the Where once rigid hierarchies kept the pharaoh far from
crocodile god’s cult. She gives glory to Sobek’s name through the people, Kemet’s social order now offers greater free-
monuments and grand temples in the city of Shedet and dom. The pious see all of society as interconnected, bound
pours resources into the great necropolis at Hawara. In the together by Iteru and the gods. Everyone has their place.
great marble courts of the labyrinth, the crocodile-priests At the apex of the pyramid is the pharaoh, Sobekneferu
appeal to her pride and the memories of her father and sister; herself. At the bottom labor the peasants who till the fields
they claim the labyrinth’s mysteries will ensure eternal life and the artisans who turn the wheels of Kemet’s industry.
in A’aru for her and all her family. Sobekneferu, wracked Between the extremes is a cascade of scribes, bureaucrats,
by grief over her sister Ptahneferu’s death, is easily swayed. and priests of varied import and influence. Certain strata
Yet the queen is no fool. She knows the priests manipu- are discernible; the haty-a administrate the sepat districts
late her and pits their influence against that of the other in the uppermost echelons.
powers in her court: the greedy haty-a, the sacred Weret- The grand bureaucracy is efficient and organized, but
Wesir, and the ferocious wolf-priests of Wepwawet. Nor is many lines between castes and classes are blurred through
she without her own resources: Loyal warriors, mortuary ambition, opportunity, and a level of social mobility. A
priests, and alchemists gather in her shadow. priest may also possess a farm, the administration of which
is more of a daily priority than temple ceremonies. A scribe
Iteru may, through good service or ambition, climb the ranks
and achieve greater power. Some positions are hereditary,
Whether peasant or pharaoh, all owe their lives to Iteru’s granting successors titles, lands, and even priestly privileges.
bounteous waters. The year breaks into three seasons in
20
The supernatural is an accepted part of the social order. pharaoh herself should matters of corruption or injustice be
Above the pharaoh are the gods, and Sobekneferu is herself grave enough. The worst punishments are reserved for those
believed to possess divine power. Seers are afforded respect who desecrate the dead, threatening souls in the afterlife
for their portentous dreams, even those Oracles whose vi- through the theft or destruction of funerary treasures.
sions lead them to take up copper blades and guide soldiers Women have less of the influence and independence the
to root out the terror ravenous Begotten spread. Weret- Old Kingdom afforded them. In this era, they work, serve as
wesir are revered as divinely empowered intermediaries of priestesses, own property, and enjoy full legal rights, but a
the gods. Alchemist-priests toil in mortuary complexes, clear division of power exists. Few women hold positions of
hunting the secrets of deathly apotheosis and eternal life. true authority or governance. Even matters of the afterlife
Twisted Claimed live in temple sanctums, worshipped as are segregated: People believe Wesir favors masculine prow-
the physical manifestations of whatever gods’ hybrid glory ess and virility, so the funerary rites and spells for women
they most resemble. serve to emphasize these qualities or recast them as men
The pharaoh’s copper-clad fist is her army, its ranks for particular stages of the journey through the underworld.
mustered from peasants and artisans under the command
of ministers of war. They gird themselves with hide shields, Bounty of the Black Land
copper axes and spearheads, and curved bows. The Black
Land faces few military threats from without; the great Kemet’s incredible prosperity stems from the fecund
warrior-pharaohs of the 12th Dynasty’s earlier years pacified silt Iteru’s channel births. Sheer fertility and sophisticated
the valley and raised up fortifications to protect it from the irrigation ensure even the least people of the Black Land
Red Land’s dangers. Still, Sobekneferu maintains a loyal, can live in plenty.
professional core of career soldiers in the permanent gar- Grains are the primary crop, valued for making bread
risons of border forts. Foreign mercenaries from the south and beer. The gritty bread grinds teeth but is crucial to
and the east bolster her loyalists’ ranks, though this makes filling hungry stomachs. The beer is thick and yeasty, its
some subjects uneasy. brewing often the province of women. The fields produce
The pharaoh’s administration enforces her law. A com- more than just grains, though — fruit and vegetables of all
plex system of courts oversees judgments and arbitrations; a kinds sprout from the fertile earth. People add sweetness to
peasant’s complaint might be elevated all the way up to the their meals with dates and honey.
21
Where We Are
Cattle are the mainstay livestock, grazing on land un-
suitable for crops, along with sheep and goats. The people
hunt and eat river birds and fish. Even farmers and artisans The Eloquent Peasant
enjoy occasional meat, especially at times of celebration and
festivity, honoring the gods through expressing their plenty. The Tale of the Eloquent Peasant is a story of one
man’s battle against iniquity and the faceless
A harvest tithe takes a portion of the fields’ bounty to
machinery of state — but the man is a peasant, his
the kingdom’s coffers, and the pharaoh levies the people’s foe merely an official who confiscated some of his
labor during akhet to perform great civic works. Each year, property, and the tale depicts his arduous efforts
workers set to digging and repairing irrigation channels to achieve restitution.
and canals, hauling stone, and raising up monuments under
the oversight of architects. The state’s hunger for muscle One section of the story helps showcase the
land’s incredible bounty in this time, and the
and minds descends through the hierarchy, officials and
sheer breadth of goods in which even farmers
haty-a mustering a workforce to meet the demands for each and peasants deal. When he prepares to travel to
specific project. market, his wife measures out barley for his rations
While commerce thrives, no money changes hands. of bread and beer, and then he loads his donkeys
Trade occurs through barter, with standardized bags of with the following:
grain called heqat as an underlying unit and the deben as a “…vine, purple nutsedge, natron, salt, pieces of
measurement of weight. Beyond the Black Land, the king- wood from Farafra, hides of panthers, skins of
dom barters its produce in the markets of Kush, Pwenet, golden jackals, pondweed, stone, [unidentified
Retenu, and Crete. plant], wild carrot, serpentine, [unknown], [un-
Though life in the fields is hard work, people enjoy identified plant], ochre, wild mint, hedge plants,
enough free time to relax and entertain themselves. They pigeons, birds, gutted fish and plucked fowl,
play board games such as Hounds and Jackals, Aseb, and [unidentified plant], shrubs, beans, fenugreek, and
Senet — although the latter takes on an increasingly ritual anise.”
significance, representing communication between the
living and the dead. They hunt, fish, and engage in sports,
including tug-of-war, gymnastics, dance, wrestling, and people. Each temple is the sacred backdrop for performances
handball. Children play with rattles, papyrus balls, spinning that offer the gods their due, and often plays host to a
tops, and wooden toys; lions and hounds are both popular. manifestation of that god — an icon or animal believed to
The year is littered with festivals in honor of various gods, represent the divinity immanent in this world. Sometimes,
each an excuse to celebrate in relaxation of social norms. those manifestations are Claimed or spirits.
The people revere the power of the word, spoken and During festivals, the priests bring these manifestations
written. The state is borne on the backs of scribes, not from their sanctums to be seen and revered, where the
warriors; it pays for its achievements not in blood but in a masses can petition them and seek their wisdom. Music and
churning stream of papyrus-inscribed messages and reports. song, dance and spectacle play their part in honoring the
Oral storytelling is a powerful medium among the masses, sacred, both within and without their sanctums.
who listen, rapt, to the divine messages of the Nepri and Magic is hekau, both concept and god, intertwined
shiver at the fearful stories the Begotten spread. These latter with the fundamental vitality of the world. It is the force
days of the 12th Dynasty also see a flourishing of written through which gods act, but also through which humans
literature — not just stories about gods or pharaohs, but can affect change — particularly through language, for
tales of life, of the regular concerns of people of the fields words have terrible power. A cannibal-priest of Sobek who
and streets, with all the compliments, complaints, loves, can take the form of a crocodile is hekau, as are the daily
and hates that mark the passage of their lives. ceremonies in the temple of Ptah. So are the personal rites
by which a farmer invokes a good harvest, a wronged party
Faith and Death utters a curse, or a funerary priest carves an amulet with a
spell to deceive the heart, so it does not reveal any of the
The pyramid of power grants its authority from the
dead soul’s sins to Anpu. Magic is neither deviant nor inher-
divine, with the pharaoh as benevolent intermediary. The
ently wrong; it is judged by the way it is used, and whether
masses invoke gods with prayers and offerings on a contin-
it brings chaos and disorder into the world. Talismans and
ual, personal basis, not as the cogs of an organized religion
spells inscribed in stone are popular to ward off ill fortune
but as individuals seeking aid with the problems they face.
and protect the soul from evil.
An abundance of temples thrives in the kingdom’s
Death is Kemet’s principal obsession. The judgment of
towns and cities, each ministered by priests and supported
the Duat awaits the dead and determines the fate of the
on grants of land and grain from the state. A priest’s duty
soul, an anxiety that worries at minds great and small. No
is to perform ceremonies that honor the temple’s patron
longer are funerary ceremonies and preparations reserved
god, not offer the shrine as a place of worship for common
22
for the most powerful — although theirs are the grandest The state of physical remains has a huge impact on the
and most intricate. Anyone with enough wealth seeks as soul’s existence in the afterlife. Mummification preserves the
ornate a tomb as possible and mortuary goods for their own corpse well, with all organs but the heart — seat of the Ab
passage to the afterlife — after all, the luxuries of this world — removed and preserved separately. Often, embalmers place
are a brief and passing experience compared to eternity. several scarab amulets within the mummified corpse as well:
Some undertake elaborate schemes, spells, and offerings backup hearts if the fleshly one should decay or suffer damage.
to cheat their way past particular otherworldly judgments, Temples offer mummification to all, but only the wealthiest
offload posthumous labor onto ushabti figurines, or protect can afford the best ceremonies and grave goods. Spells in-
their remains from desecration and decay. The Ab of the scribed in stone aid the dead further, protecting their souls
fleshy heart is the seat of the soul, even in death, so the from harm, emphasizing those aspects most appealing to the
heart must be protected at all costs. gods, and concealing their flaws and sins from the Assessors.
Ghosts are usually seen as the ravenous Ka broken loose
The Fivefold Soul from the body, denied the nourishment they need. Death
Wolf’s ghost, though, is her Sheut: her shadow that has torn
The soul is rendered from five main aspects. The Ab
itself free and gained malevolent sentience.
lies in the body’s heart, the driving force of emotion and
mind. The Ba is personality, that which makes an individual
unique. Ka is the essence of life itself, the breath that makes
a person vital and animate, and departs through death
— but can be sustained through offerings of food to the
Locations
Crocodile’s hunger slinks out from beneath the bones of
departed. The Ren is the name, the sum of experiences and Shedet to pervade all of Atef-Pehu and even beyond, carried
memories, maintained after death through inscriptions that by Iteru’s waters and permeating the Black Land’s rich loam.
can be read, spoken, and remembered. Sheut is the shadow,
always present, manifested through statues and replicas of
the person’s likeness — or even trapped and stored in the
Shedet
darkness of a ritual casket. Shedet is the greatest city of Atef-Pehu, perched on
Moeris’ shore in the large basin roughly 160 miles from where
the river empties into Uat-Ur — what will later be called
the Mediterranean Sea. A terrible blasphemy lies concealed
A’aru, Ma’at, and the Duat beneath its temple stones and mud-brick streets. Lake Moeris
is fed by the waters of Iteru coursing through Amenemhat
The people of Kemet believe that, after death,
III’s magnum opus: a vast canal that transforms Shedet into
parts of the soul travel west to the Duat, an under-
world region where everyone must submit to the a paradise — and a spiritual channel through which the
verdict of 42 Assessors and Anpu’s test of ma’at. dead god Crocodile now reaches forth in mindless hunger.
The worthy pass before Wesir, reborn for eternity The cult of Sobek provided Amenemhat III with support
into the fertile, starry paradise of A’aru where they and the fortune of the gods during his mighty endeavor,
farm and live in divine prosperity. Wesir throws the and he named his daughter in honor of the crocodile deity.
unworthy to the jaws of Ammut the devourer, who Shedet is the cult’s reward; Sobek’s temples dominate the
utterly destroys them. city, drawing in a hefty tithe from the surrounding farm-
Ma’at is both goddess and concept, a notion of lands and towns to feed its priesthood. Pampered crocodiles
divine harmony brought about by positive quali- live in sacred ponds, and two monstrous specimens sit
ties such as truth, justice, and moral behavior. This ensconced within the largest temple, bedecked with silver
ethical code reflects a sacred connection between finery and worshipped as aspects of Sobek called Petsuchos
humanity, gods, and the land. After death, Anpu and Pnepheros.
judges the soul’s adherence to this code, weighing The splendor of Sobek is plain to see here. During
the Ab of the heart against Ma’at’s feather. When
festivals, Petsuchos emerges from the temple to walk the
ma’at is violated, the consequences are grave not
just for the individual but for the world in which streets as a beautiful man, bestowing advice and aid upon
they dwell, plunging lives into chaos and threaten- petitioners. Those priests most deeply initiated into the
ing the cycles of nature upon which the Black Land cult’s mysteries can shed their skins and crawl from the
depends. bloody ruins of their bodies as crocodiles, or echo Sobek’s
divine fusion of human and beast as towering champions
The goddess Ma’at has no temples. She is too
of scale and fury. Bolstered by these sacred displays, the
important to be so confined; everyone in Kemet
can worship her through the act of living a righ- cult effectively rules the city. The haty-a who nominally
teous life. oversees Shedet, a man called Thethi, is little more than an
advisor to Petsuchos. Sobek’s chosen are so ubiquitous that
when the Greeks arrive, they call Shedet “Crocodilopolis.”
23
Locations
As a religious center, Shedet is filled with monu- Land. Senbi has the slightly distant stare of a man who has
ments. Obelisks and statues line the lake’s shore, intricate seen strange things out there in the desolation, and he claims
crocodile-pens spill from the waterline, and mighty spells to have learned mysteries of foreign hekau from the people
invoking Sobek’s protection are chiseled into markers at of Retenu. His most prized possession is a statuette from that
the city’s edge. Sacred chambers and corridors delve into land, a twisted, horned figurine depicting the god Ba’al Hadad.
the earth, reaching down to warped caverns where lies Persuasion (Bartering) 2, Occult 3, Survival (Red Land) 3
the rotting god Crocodile, concealed from the eyes of the
uninitiated. The priests have only excavated a small part of Itjtawy
the leviathan, carving away its withered flesh with sacred
knives for their bloody rites of apotheosis. Itjtawy is the capital of all Kemet, heart of the kingdom,
and symbolic representation of the Black Land’s soul. Here
The Official dwells Pharaoh Sobekneferu in her divine glory, ensconced
Khu is one of Shedet’s leading administrators, ranked in a grand palace of stone and beautiful artwork. It is a
just below Thethi. Despite the city’s sacred significance, the confluence of mortuary expression, sitting among several
bulk of its inhabitants are artisans and scribes, and Khu’s necropolises where pyramids and tombs stand as eternal
task is keeping order among them. He’s terrified of Sobek’s monuments to the dead.
priesthood, which he serves, and he tries to pass that fear on, The city is only a little older than Shedet. It overlooks the
acting severe and callous in his dealings with others. Those mighty canal that feeds the basin at the edge of Atef-Pehu,
who break the laws of Pharaoh and gods here do not receive and here Iteru throngs with vessels of all sizes as they bring
traditional punishments for their crimes. Instead, the authori- a constant stream of tithes, messengers, and offerings to the
ties hand them over to the crocodile cult. At night, their pharaoh’s stronghold. A district of temples surrounds the
screams echo beneath the ground, and chase Khu through palace, and though Sobekneferu maintains as fine a balance
his dreams. Academics 2, Intimidation 3, Politics (Shedet) 3 as she can between the influences of the cults, the temple
of Sobek is largest and most impressive. The crocodile god’s
Asyut priests attend her court and whisper advice into her ear.
Although an entire district is given over purely to storage
Asyut, city of wolves — which the Greeks will later
and administration for the mountain of resources pouring
call Lycopolis — rises on Iteru’s banks not quite 200 miles
into the capital, Itjtawy is a place of beauty and expression.
upriver from Shedet. It is home to branches of several cults
A community of talented and experienced stoneworkers,
allied under the Uratha’s influence — principally that of
masons, and sculptors work tirelessly on new monuments
Wepwawet, but also Anpu, and Wesir in a wolf-aspect.
to the pharaoh and the gods. Workshops and drying fields
Werewolves gather in the hallowed halls of these gods’
are devoted to the production of enough papyrus to feed the
temples, Wolf-Blooded priests tend to their lupine idols
city’s hunger for the written word, and innumerable scribes
and pampered wolves, and spirit totems squirm beneath the
labor over messages, reports, and poetry.
world’s skin, invisible but vigilant for threats. Death Wolf
herself looms over it all, for an aspect of the death god lurks The Priestess
in the warped deep Shadow of Asyut. Shepset is a priestess of Hep, god of Iteru’s flood and fer-
Asyut is capital of its sepat, and the region’s haty-a are all tility, and a linchpin among those who raised Sobekneferu
either Uratha or Wolf-Blooded under their sway. This powerful to the throne. Her intent to be a power behind that throne
bond between the cults and the local authorities makes them falls into disarray. The influence and respect the priestess
dangerously independent of Pharaoh Sobekneferu’s will. The spent years carefully cultivating collapses due to reports that
city is prosperous not just from Iteru’s bounty, but as a central Hep himself has manifested in the river’s waters — but far
hub of trade and commerce. The vast state storehouses are filled from bringing benevolence, he spreads destruction. Shepset
to the brim with foreign produce and the fruits of industry. scrambles to consult Oracles for an explanation for this dire
The city’s priests render strange sacraments to their wolf omen, while rival courtiers close in. Academics (Religion)
gods. Golden wolves gather around the city, offered meat and 3, Persuasion 4, Socialize 3
jewels. They protect Asyut from would-be attackers alongside
their two-legged counterparts and walk obediently at the Hawara
heels of officials hunting for criminals. The finest wolves are
revered as manifestations of Wepwawet and, when they die, Not far from Shedet, where the lush Iteru-fed fields fade
the priesthood mummifies and entombs them. into desert, Hawara stands as a gateway between the living
and the dead. Pyramids erupt proudly from the dusty ground,
The Traveler their mud-brick guts faced with limestone and capped with
Asyut lies along a trade route where east meets west, and gleaming golden benbenet. A great mortuary district of
where caravans braving the desert’s dangers meet the wolf-cults temples, funerary chambers, and workshops dedicated to the
to do business from far-off lands. For merchants like Senbi, the mummification process serves as a thriving center of activ-
city is a place of respite after arduous journeys into the Red ity, but the silent monuments of Kemet’s devotion to death
24
surround it. This is a true necropolis, a city where corpses which the people of Kemet can conceive. Permanent garrisons
outnumber the living, its industry claimed by the afterlife. stand vigil here, and the heart of a standing army is born within
The labyrinth stands apart from it all. the Walls-of-the-Ruler — veterans who have seen battle under
Amenemhat III began construction on this massive the Mafkat’s glaring sun and learned discipline and coordina-
monument, his levies laboring to not only raise up an tion starkly superior to that of levied troops.
incredible complex of palatial temples, courtyards, and The Commander
galleries, but to excavate out an echoing maze of chambers
Djaw is restless beneath both the mantle of his authority
beneath it. Sobekneferu finished his work, still hearing his
and the desert’s harsh sun. He waits for the day to come
whispers in her ear. Waters run through a dizzying array of
when the plan is finally set into motion: when his fellow
channels and pools among the marble structures, pouring
conspirators rise up to overthrow Sobekneferu. Djaw’s role is
down into the spaces beneath in patterns rich with occult
to bring the veteran troops of the fortification he commands
meaning. Incantations to the Duat’s denizens score the
into the fray. The problem is, he’s not completely certain
walls. In the darkness of the labyrinth itself, sacred croco-
their loyalty to their captain is greater than to their pharaoh.
diles wallow and splash. Processions of funerary priests stride
He often dispatches those he trusts least to investigate the
ritual paths through the maze. Not every priest emerges.
Red Land’s most dangerous phenomena in hopes they will
Beside the pyramid of Amenemhat III, a more modest conveniently remove themselves as problems. Academics
tomb was recently built — that of the pharaoh’s sister, (Warfare) 2, Socialize (Soldiers) 3, Weaponry 3
Ptahneferu. Its doors are firmly sealed, so none may see the
void within; for among the funerary goods and treasures,
Ptahneferu’s sarcophagus lies empty. Children of Iteru
The Mortician The fertile river valley hosts an abundance of life —
and of danger. Golden wolves, lions, and leopards stalk the
As she works with embalming fluids and cutting tools,
land, but the most terrible beasts dwell within the embrace
Henenet likes to wonder what secrets the corpses in her
of Iteru’s waters.
care carry with them to the afterlife. Everyone who passes
through her funerary workshop has their own story, after
all, even if her only part in it is the practical task of excis- CROCODILES
ing innards and inserting amulets. Henenet has seen all
manner of eerie hekau at work over the years, even a body
The people fear and venerate the crocodiles of Iteru. Even at
rising from her embalming table as their soul returned
the best of times, they are a grave threat; a crocodile can trivi-
from A’aru, and she has gleaned some understanding of the
ally snap the bones of a fisherman or farmer caught in its jaws.
morbid power that seethes beneath the labyrinth. Crafts
Ridges of thick scales and tightly packed muscle protect the
(Mummification) 4, Empathy 2, Occult (Restless Dead) 3
beasts from the copper spears and arrows of human retaliation.
These are not the best of times. The crocodiles’ cold
Walls-of-the-Ruler patience gives way before a dead god’s hunger, and they
At the eastern edge of Iteru’s delta, where the silt’s fe- eagerly drag screaming victims into the river’s depths.
cundity gives way to the relentless expanse of the Mafkat Attributes: Intelligence 1, Wits 3, Resolve 3;
desert, a line of defiant bastions rises up against the Red Strength 6, Dexterity 3, Stamina 5; Presence 4,
Land’s discord. These are the Walls-of-the-Ruler, created Manipulation 1, Composure 3
by Amenemhat I to guard Kemet’s east flank. They stand Skills: Athletics 3, Brawl 3, Stealth 2, Survival 3;
vigil over the caravans and expeditions that wend into the Intimidation 2
sands — and against the monsters and raiders that dwell
Merits: Hardy 2, Iron Stamina 2
beyond the Black Land’s harmonious order.
The bands that venture into the desert under the shadow Willpower: 6
of the Walls-of-the-Ruler are primarily miners. The Mafkat Initiative: 6
may seem like an empty waste, but in truth it is a land of Speed: 12 (17 in water)
hidden riches. The people of Kemet tear at its skin to find the
Defense: 6
bright treasures beneath — veins of turquoise, copper, and
other stones and minerals of value to the state’s eternal exalta- Armor: 2 (thick scales)
tion of the gods. So too do military expeditions march from Size: 7
the fortifications to suppress invaders and raiders, although Health: 12
the bloody work of Sobekneferu’s predecessors left little need
for the current pharaoh to take such punitive actions. Weapons/Attacks:
The fortifications themselves are grand designs with rearing Attack Damage Dice Pool
stone walls, each a bastion against almost any form of attack of Bite 2L 9
25
Locations
River Predator: The Storyteller gains 8-again
on a crocodile’s Stealth rolls while it’s in the water.
Terrible Jaws: Crocodiles can make a bite
What Is to Come
Praise be to Sobekneferu, her reign wise and just. Isfet
attack without having to grapple the prey first. retreats from the Black Land. Even as the feuding between
When a bite attack hits, the crocodile may reflex-
the priests of Sobek and Wepwawet threatens open war, the
ively establish a grapple in addition to dealing
damage normally. waters of Iteru return in full flow. Their currents purify the
oozing filth, and the ravening monstrosities collapse back
into the mud. By the end of Sobekneferu’s reign in 1802
HIPPOPOTAMUSES BCE, the floods return in such strength they threaten once
again to spill too far and drown settlements. Even in Kush,
The hippos of the river have long been a scourge. The far upriver, the surging tides reach new heights. Praise be
bloated creatures are huge and aggressive. They smash boats to Amenemhat III, who in his wisdom gouged the great
apart and kill human sailors with their huge tusks; they canal that consumes the worst of Iteru’s overflow, just as it
sometimes emerge from Iteru’s sucking silt to raid fields, was designed to do.
trampling or goring hapless farmers and devouring crops. Yet if it is Sobekneferu’s divine benevolence that saves
The beasts are so vicious that even crocodiles keep clear Kemet from the drought and the sickness, why is her glorious
of them, preying only on those too wounded, too ill, or too rule so curtailed? She perishes after only four years upon
young to defend themselves properly. the throne. She bears no children, leaves no successors to
The sickening ooze that now seeps into the waters and pick up the mantle of rule. Once she’s gone, chaos stalks
clings to the shore maddens the hippos further. Some sicken the land once more.
and die, or are devoured by Crocodile’s children, but the After two years of discord, a new dynasty seizes the
remainder are more dangerous than ever. throne in 1800 BCE, but it cannot ease the strife. The first
of these new pharaohs calls himself Sobekhotep after his
Attributes: Intelligence 1, Wits 2, Resolve 2; ascension, but he chases a futile dream. Flattering Sobek no
Strength 7, Dexterity 2, Stamina 9; Presence 5, longer brings the divine aid it once offered, for the cult of
Manipulation 1, Composure 1 the crocodile god is now a pale shadow of its former glory;
Skills: Athletics 3, Brawl 2, Survival 3; the victorious werewolves of Asyut have brought it to ruin.
Intimidation 4 His successors stumble; the power of Kemet crumbles. In
Merits: Demolisher 3, Hardy 3, Iron Stamina 3 its wake come outsiders who snatch the opportunity to reap
Iteru’s bounty and raise up their own dominion. Some come
Willpower: 3
as settlers, peaceably stepping into the void the pharaohs
Initiative: 3 leave behind; others are invaders, conquerors, and soon
Speed: 14 kings. The greatest of these are the heka kasut, the Hyksos,
Defense: 5 who come from the east to rule. In 1650 BCE, they raise up
a dynasty of their own.
Size: 8
Rival kingdoms carve up the Black Land’s fertile earth,
Health: 17 a patchwork of dynasties rising and falling along Iteru’s
Weapons/Attacks: gleaming ribbon. The Hyksos consolidate their power,
but eventually they too fall. Order and harmony return to
Attack Damage Dice Pool Special
Kemet in 1550 BCE under what will become known as the
Armor New Kingdom.
Tusks 3L 9 Piercing 2 The years are not kind to Shedet or Hawara. While
Sobekneferu still lives, the conflict between the cults of
Crush: On its turn, the hippo makes a reflexive
attack against any structure with which it comes Sobek and Wepwawet comes to a head — and the children
into contact while participating in violence; this of Crocodile falter. For all their blasphemous might, the spirit
represents the beast’s great bulk, and its devastat- magic of the Forsaken and the treachery of the Pure are their
ing effect on anything so crude as a papyrus-reed undoing. Death Wolf descends upon Hawara, hungry for re-
boat or mud-brick hovel. union with her wayward Sheut. In desperation, the crocodile
Fury: When damage fills any of a hippo’s right- priests attempt one grotesque last gasp of fusion between their
most three Health boxes, its attack rolls gain +2. rotting god and the divine symbolism of the pharaonic mantle.
Sobekneferu does not survive, and with her dies their hope.
The werewolves bury Crocodile once more, and the
Sobeki scatter. In the hour of her triumph, Death Wolf is
26
also denied her prize; the god’s mad Sheut slips the grasp of
her jaws, glutted on Crocodile’s Essence and stronger than
the Firstborn expects it to be. She howls her frustration,
Beast: Portents
and the Shadow shakes.
Sobek’s mortal cult survives, stripped of its carrion
of Hunger
power. The temples are still home to pampered, slothful Man must learn that what he does may have consequences.
crocodiles laden with jewels. Alexander the Great brings — Inscription in the Karnak temple complex
conquest to a weakened “Aigyptos” in 332 BCE, and in his In Kemet, myth and monster loom large in the fragile
wake rise the Ptolemies. Ptolemy II renames Crocodilopolis minds of humanity. The Black Land is defined by its op-
to Arsinoë in honor of his sister-wife, the Queen of Thrace, position to the Red Land — the dangers lurking in the
and a new cult dethrones Sobek’s — for Arsinoë is herself shadows, the wilting heat of the wastes that lie beyond the
venerated as divine. pharaoh’s authority, and the unrighteous whose iniquity
What is left of the ancient husk of Crocodile is almost threatens ma’at. Kemet’s people place great faith in the
forgotten — but not entirely. Dark things slither through stories they tell one another of gods forging harmony from
the cool shade of Kemet’s night; some suckle or gnaw on discord, and of monsters that creep in the margins but are
the dead god’s flesh. Others study it, or push themselves held back by the power of righteous living. As the black
into desiccated union and become withered cankers in the soil is fertile ground for bounteous crops, so are the people’s
divinity’s body. A strange cult to Apollo Lykeios emerges minds a rich bed for the many threats they fear to bloom in.
beside that of Arsinoë in the city, its wolf-priests hungry to Nature is vast and uncaring, humanity easily broken before
delve into Shedet’s old secrets. its thoughtless cruelty.
Soon, the world changes again. The Romans, beneath Beasts of future ages think the Middle Kingdom must
their gleaming golden standards, subjugate “Aegyptus” and have been a time when the Begotten strode the lands, fear
make it a province of their own in 30 BCE. Arsinoë is just in one hand and wisdom in the other. The Children must
another settlement in the region now known as Arcadia, have thrived, taught, and played their part in Kemet’s grand
part of the great breadbasket that feeds Rome’s relentless mythos, shaping how its people understand the world.
appetite. In time, the rise of Christianity sweeps away the The Beasts of Sobekneferu’s reign possess no such splen-
last traces of old gods. Arsinoë becomes the seat of a bish- dor. This is not an apogee for the Begotten, but a nadir,
opric. Lingering echoes remain; a proclivity for heresy and mired in hunger. Crocodile’s influence makes it harder for
schism is common among the bishops of Arsinoë. Many of the Children to hold on to their ideals and reject becoming
the crocodile city’s priests have a certain hunger that sets nothing but appetite — but they struggle onward nonethe-
them at odds with the greater church. less. Some end up little more than ravenous solipsists, the
Almost nothing remains of the sacred passages beneath unwanted psychic effluvia of the collective unconscious
the city now. Yet, even as crawling blood drinkers learn ejected into human form. These wretches have no concept
secrets of divine sorcery at the feet of an angel beneath the of lessons, no instinctive notion of a Dark Mother, and stand
city of Thebes, a handful of their kin cavorts in the dark- as a stark warning to the rest. The Begotten of this era must
ness beneath Arsinoë, slaking their thirst upon ancient, shape their understanding of the world through the lens
black blood. of Kemet, and it is a harsh, cruel light in which to stand.
The Begotten of the Black Land face a paradigm shift Thus, Beasts grasp at a higher purpose. They gather in
after Sobekneferu’s fall. Beasts and Oracles — now Heroes sects, dreaming of a future in which they are not the foes of
— settle into their future roles as the clamor of innumerable ma’at, but its grim guardians. Time will tell if their dream is
human hopes and fears drowns out the Primordial Dream’s realized, or if it becomes just another nightmare.
song. Heroes no longer receive clear omens, seeing only
Beasts and their nightmares with any clarity. The Clarity of Dreams
Begotten excesses lay the foundations of their own
For millennia, humanity drew wisdom from the
doom. No longer able to pierce the static and reach the
Primordial Dream. Sleeping humans sensed growing threats
Dream, humanity’s stories coalesce into a new framework
propagating through its psychic medium, an uneasiness
of understanding that replaces the old, instinctive connec-
taking shape in the figments of their minds. A Beast’s
tion to that realm — and these stories solidify into tales of
depredations or the advent of some calamity would ring
monsters that must be slain, because of how so many of the
clear; the Primordial Dream would spread the warning into
Begotten acted during Sobekneferu’s reign. The efforts of
the slumbering thoughts of peoples who had never met. It
the Sages are for nothing, but the Assessors, at least, salvage
served as a shared, subconscious archive of potential perils.
a future from the wreckage; their tenets of teaching lessons,
While the Dream still lingers close to the slumbering
and the guidance that fear can bring to a life, remain even
thoughts of humanity, the sea of sleep is ever more disturbed.
once the Middle Kingdom’s glories are no more than dust.
27
What Is to Come
Humans are victims of their own success. Once, a few hundred builds a growing body of stories that guide understanding.
might gather together, but now each encounters thousands of The narrative of Beast and Hero is not yet set in stone.
other human beings over the years. Great cities produce a bub-
bling psychic broth of innumerable sleeping minds. The tide Dark Mothers and
of humanity surges more strongly with each passing century. the Divine Apex
The sheer weight of dreamers now adrift in the astral seas
Three Beast sects have taken root by Sobekneferu’s
obscures the Primordial Dream’s portents and omens behind
reign, each seeking purpose for the Begotten rather than liv-
the insistent buzz of their anxieties and irrationalities.
ing only for their own satiation. Though small, the sects see
Most are no longer closely in touch with the Dream how the changing Primordial Dream may define the future
except when a Horror is near. The narrative of the dreaming relationship between Horrors and humanity. These Beasts
species has not yet cemented those whom Beasts will know are visionaries, hungering for more than just the next meal.
as Heroes in future ages into that role; they are born with a
The Assessors, or weda rewet, are the largest sect. They
stronger link to the Dream than their peers, and its portents
believe their Dark Mother is Ammut the Devourer, she who
burn brightly in their minds still, though the messages are
waits to consume the souls of the unworthy; thus, they name
now often vague or terrifying rather than elucidating.
themselves divine judges, like the 42 Assessors in the Duat.
Like Iteru’s waters, the Primordial Dream overflows with The demonic Devourer is the lingering hunger behind all
fears, flooding from the sheer weight of humanity. Beasts are things, the waiting doom that catches the unwary in her
that flood — the psychic pressure of the Dream given outlet jaws — yet she is not a mindless destroyer, and does not
into the fertile soil of the populace. In turn, those Devoured seek to spread chaos. The Assessors declare Ammut not the
today fear they may have no greater purpose — that they enemy of ma’at but a necessary threat against which righ-
may not be the Begotten but the misbegotten, a violation teousness can be defined. Without Ammut, those who stray
of the mind vomited forth into the world only to ease the from the path of order would not suffer for their failings.
roiling currents of the Primordial Dream. Searching for
This sect believes their duty as envoys of Ammut is to
true meaning and a bulwark against the relentless hunger,
judge humanity, winnow out the unworthy, and teach the
they gather in sects and seek to forge a new way forward.
folly of iniquity and sin. Their task is to prowl the Black
More change is coming. The Dream’s tides surge more Land, root out isfet, and make a terrifying example of those
fiercely yet as the weight of humanity grows. Civilization who spread chaos so the rest may learn.
28
The Sages, or rekh khet, fight their Hunger, desperate offer guidance before they fall victim to gluttony.
to find a deeper meaning in the Primordial Dream and to Every Beast in the Black Land, even a ravening and
understand their origins. Hunters of truth and keepers of solipsistic one, comes into her inheritance with the bag-
lore, the Sages set themselves apart from other Beasts and gage of Kemetic culture, and this shapes how Begotten
consider the Hunger an enemy or obstacle to be overcome see themselves. Their Horrors’ shapes are often formed in
rather than embraced. They see the Begotten as the poison- reflection of Kemet’s particular anxieties. Twisted, leering
ous children of the Dream, cast out into the world without giants represent the fear of foreigners and outsiders who
apparent purpose after having somehow angered their Dark bring chaos; things with reptilian mouths or feral aspect
Mother, whom they believe to be the night-sky goddess Nut. reflect the dangers of the Black Land’s predators; amalga-
Yet the Dream grows ever more distant. One day, even mations of man and beast represent fear of offending the
the Oracles of the gods will no longer hear its warnings. gods, of ma’at trampled underfoot and the natural order
The rekh khet see an opportunity to step into that void, to overturned; cadavers of withered flesh, rasping sands, and
become shepherds to humanity and teachers of the Dream’s gibbering wind speak of the Red Land’s cruel desolation;
wisdom — if only they can somehow find a way to shuck and monstrous hybrids that hunger for hearts are borne
the Hunger’s terrible grip upon their souls. upon Kemet’s obsession with death and the afterlife. The
The Exalters of the Apex are the third and most deviant Begotten have no notion of such Family names as Eshmaki
sect. These Beasts gather to recite the cannibal hymn first or Makara.
wrought under Pharaoh Unas and seek divine Inheritance At first, many newly Devoured Beasts wonder whether
through a “Dark Father” of sorts. The ravening appetite the gods have chosen them as Oracles. Their Horrors may
Begotten bear within them is clearly powerful hekau, and mimic the appearance of the divine, and they obviously
the cannibal hymn speaks of the consumption of the gods possess powerful hekau. A few cling to such pretensions,
themselves, seizing their power through the alchemy of flesh lounging in the sacred halls of temples as manifestations
and guts. While humanity drifts away from the Primordial of whatever god onto whom they latch and supping upon
Dream, the Exalters seek to anchor their connection and the anxieties of cowed petitioners. These cuckoos are most
draw power from it. likely to be Collectors or Tyrants, and rarely last long; the
The Exalters kill priests and despoil temple sanctums, Dream sings of their presence too clearly, and remaining
because they see divinity as a zero-sum game; if they are to in place makes them easy targets for tergiversatory Oracles,
raise up a god of Beasts, they must first tear down another the Exalters of the Apex, other supernatural beings, or the
god. Following the stirring pangs of Crocodile’s hunger, pharaoh’s judgment against a seeming manifestation of isfet.
the Exalters of the Apex settle their gaze upon Shedet and If not intermediaries to the gods, some Beasts come
seek a way to pry a gobbet of the dead god’s flesh from the to believe they are, instead, demons or spirits of chaos.
Sobeki’s jealous grasp. Once they do, they plan to build a It’s all the excuse they need to indulge their appetites as
grand Hive deep in the Primordial Dream, founded upon much as they desire, disregarding the human cost of their
the terror of humans who have witnessed the gods’ power excesses; they give in to Crocodile’s hunger and become
shattered, there to thrust Crocodile’s heart into the Dream’s utter monsters. They do not teach lessons or strive for a
farthest reaches — where it can be truly reborn as a dark higher purpose; they don’t even consider the possibility.
father and divine patron. Such Begotten see themselves as honest nightmares: They
take what they want to fulfill their Hungers and to survive,
Hunger’s Lonely reveling in the power they wield over mortals. All three
sects reject these indiscriminate savages, barely regarding
Children them as kin anymore. The sects often clash directly with
In Kemet, a monstrous hunger seethes under the land these monstrous figures, hoping they might be redeemed if
— the tainted presence of Crocodile, the dead god beneath they’re not yet too far gone, or prevented from spreading
Atef-Pehu. This insatiable force resonates in the Devoured further discord if not.
souls of the Begotten, driving them toward greater excesses
of gluttony in a desperate attempt to sate the abomination Systems
that gnaws at their Horrors. Although the Beasts of this era have no universal names
Perhaps due to the open jaws of Crocodile, more are to put to their Families, the Families function the same
Begotten in the Iteru valley than anywhere else in the way they do in the modern day, and some Children of the
world. Still, they are too few to often encounter one another time — particularly Sages — give other names in their own
soon after the Devouring, and it is rare for another Beast to language to the Family groups they observe through their
perform it. Most suffer alone, seemingly cursed by the gods Horrors’ similarities.
with terrible nightmares, until one day the psychic pressure The Chains of Appetite: Beasts in this era lose Satiety
is too great and the dam within their mind breaks, letting a faster than normal due to Crocodile’s hunger; treat the Lair
Horror in. From then on, they risk becoming slaves to their rating of a Beast character as three higher than it is for purposes
Hungers. The sects scramble to find the newly Devoured and
29
What Is to Come
mythological cycles, though. They are interpreters of the
Dream’s warnings, even as the portents grow ever more
New Kinship
garbled, but they can still choose how to act on these omens.
Nightmare::
Nightmare Nor do Kemet’s Oracles see themselves as the center of
Dead Hunger the land’s stories. The Middle Kingdom’s great mythologies
(Sobeki) raise up the pharaohs and the gods; it is the place of Oracles
You are hungry, relentlessly hungry. Nothing to be official seers, priests, and viziers, advising and aiding
sates your hunger but raw, dripping flesh. You such true heroes in maintaining ma’at. The people see them
look down at your own arm and salivate. as vessels for the gods’ guidance.
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Satiety vs. Oracles can perceive the depredations of the Begotten
Composure + Supernatural Tolerance with more clarity than Heroes of later ages. An Oracle
can clearly see how a Beast’s terrors might stir a wayward
Normal: The victim suffers the moderate Sick community back toward the path of harmony, and how a
Tilt during action scenes, and also suffers from marauding monster might have a meaningful place in the
a general −2 to all actions in other scenes, stories’ insight. However, the omens grow less clear with
from the monstrous hunger in her guts.
each passing decade. Some Oracles cleave to the older
High Satiety: The victim feels so ravenously ways, but others can’t see Beasts as part of the greater story
hungry she cannot spend Willpower except anymore. As the Primordial Dream fills with more noise,
in pursuit of feeding herself. When faced with the Begotten begin to seem like mere monsters, rather
an opportunity to eat something edible, she than envoys of A’aru’s wisdom. Beasts who fall victim to
must comply or suffer the Deprived Condition, Crocodile’s influence aggravate the situation further.
which can only be resolved by gorging on
human flesh (someone else’s or her own). A crocodile-headed Makara who slaughters farmers does
nothing to teach the people any fear of Iteru’s reptiles they don’t
Satiety Expenditure: The victim is driven already possess — he just indulges his Hunger with no concern
to deal one point of lethal damage per for those he harms. No lesson exists here to be passed on to the
Satiety point spent — to another or herself
community. Commonly, then, Oracles guide Kemet’s masters to
— via consuming flesh, overriding all other
concerns until sated. root out such nightmares. They urge warriors to take up copper
blade, spear, and bow, and drag these shadows of isfet into the
Exceptional Success: The character immedi- light where their end will truly offer a lesson — reinforcing faith
ately deals lethal damage to herself equal to her in authority and the harmonious order of Sobekneferu’s rule.
Strength, causing the Arm Wrack or Leg Wrack
Tilt in the process as she gnaws at her own flesh. Systems
Oracles are not yet slaves to stories, and therefore
cannot draw upon all Heroic aspects of future ages. They
of calculating the loss of Satiety over time. Furthermore, all do not possess the improved healing of later Heroes, nor
feeding rolls suffer a two-die penalty as the mummified divin- do they possess the capability to recruit followers in their
ity’s maw leeches away some of the sustenance a Beast might dreams, relying instead purely on natural persuasion or
otherwise glean. Such hunger lends the Begotten an edge, charisma. All Oracles possess the Loremaster Gift (Beast:
though: Beasts of this era may access the low-Satiety effects The Primordial, p. 213) and the Omen Sensitivity Merit
of Atavisms they possess even at medium Satiety. (Chronicles of Darkness, p. 58), both of which manifest
Ripples of Horror: In this era, all humans in an area in the form of dream portents and divine visions. Rather
sense the effects of dramatic failures on rolls to enter the than Legend and Life, they still possess Vice and Virtue.
Primordial Pathways through a mortal’s nightmares and rolls An Oracle receives clear omens that point to the
to determine the effects of a starving Horror’s depredations, presence of Beasts at large. She does not need to spend
not just Oracles, although the disturbance visits other hu- Willpower to engage in Heroic Stalking, and gains a bo-
mans’ minds only as vague nightmares and confusing fears. nus equal to half the Beast’s Lair (rounded up) to do so.
Normal humans do not gain a sense of the Beast’s direction, In addition to the usual ways, she can place Anathema by
but if they enter her direct presence after sensing such a uttering an omen or story to a group of at least five humans
failure, they gain the Fugue Condition. that reveals the Beast’s weakness, in his presence; she must
be aware of the Horror’s nature to do so, and must succeed
Heroes of the at a (Presence + Expression) roll, opposed by the Beast’s
Black Land own, to convince the audience of her story’s truth. Placing
Anathema this way costs two Willpower points and takes
Stories are the spine of Kemet’s culture, granting guid- at least one minute of continuous speaking; as normal, the
ance through tales of heroism, divinity, and malevolence. Oracle cannot regain these points until the Anathema ends,
The Oracles of the Black Land are not enslaved to these
30
or she or the Beast is dead. A Beast or his friends can try to
interrupt her tale through violence or other means rather
than opposing her Expression roll, but she can continue to
speak while fighting unless forcibly stopped — and stop-
ping her this way usually convinces the audience of the
Anathema’s truth just as well, unless the Beast can use
social actions to justify his behavior.
HEP, INSATIABLE OF ITERU

“Oh, you’ve piqued my appetite. I’ll stay my jaws,
though, little human, if you know where I can find a more
fulfilling meal…”
Background: Something monstrous stirs in Iteru, some-
thing older than humanity. Iteru’s Insatiable manifests in
Hep, the darker side of the river’s duality that balances the
gift of its fertility.
The Insatiable is tied to Iteru’s cycles at a deep, primal
level. She is sated and quiet when life-giving waters surge,
slumbering in the muck and silt for decades at a time. Hep
only stirs when the mud cracks with the scars of drought,
when crops bow and crumple beneath the sun’s cruel gaze.
She emerges then to feed.
The Sages believe that Hep — or another Insatiable like
her — has lurked in Iteru’s waters for centuries, emerging to
consume Beasts and cause havoc when the river is at low ebb.
This time, though, the tainted waters Amenemhat’s colossal
canal carries do more than drain Iteru’s excesses; they spiritu-
ally connect Hep to the empty hunger that lies beneath Shedet. though, Hep’s healthy vigor gives way to a sickly cast to her
The Insatiable falls to the dead god’s influence. Her skin and eyes, the mark of Crocodile’s grim weight in her
appetite can no longer be sated. soul. Hep’s Horrible Form is a ghastly amalgam of scaled
Hep’s Schism spreads with her depredations. Men drown limbs, teeth, tusks, and pulsating muck.
and murder one another in the river’s embrace. Villages Her Den is the river itself; Beasts and humans alike often
desert their fields to wallow in the oozing muck, or bury find bones and rotted flesh washing up on slick, black soil.
victims alive in Iterus’ sickening black blood as misguided Storytelling Hints: Hep’s hunger drives her to look
sacrifices seeking Sobek’s protection. The Gauntlet withers beyond immediate feasting upon the Begotten. She sets her
away as if desiccated; spirits of hunger, drought, and fear sights upon Shedet, intending to devour the divinity that
writhe through into the Flesh. The tainted sludge vomits lies beneath it — and everything else along the way there.
out raveners (p. 47) at an alarming rate. Moment: Primordial Seas
Hep is not alone. Two Tammuz Mesu Betshet (“children Hunger: Prey
of rebellion,” whom the Greeks will call Centimani) follow
Legend: Ravenous
in her bloody footsteps, worshipping her as a perfected form
born in Flux from the monstrous mud — and as so-called Life: Lustful
proof the Created should aspire to be like the gods, not mere Attributes: Intelligence 3, Wits 6, Resolve 7;
flawed humanity. Raveners gather in her wake like vultures, Strength 6, Dexterity 3, Stamina 7; Presence 6,
sensing the dead god’s corruption that lies within her heart, Manipulation 2, Composure 3
and obey her commands like obedient hounds. Skills: Investigation 3, Medicine 2, Occult 4;
Description: Hep appears as a woman of Kemet, hale Athletics (Pursuit) 4, Brawl (Underwater) 5, Stealth 3,
and healthy, a personification of Iteru’s fertility. When she Survival (Iteru) 5; Empathy 1, Intimidation 4,
awakens, she crawls from the water caked in mud — and the Persuasion 2, Subterfuge 2
kingdom’s Tammuz, so tied to the rich soil, are awestruck Merits: Danger Sense (Advanced), Demolisher 3,
— but after she has been active for a while, the Insatiable Direction Sense (Advanced), Double Jointed
relents to the notion of human clothing so she can better (Advanced), Fist of Nightmares, Iron Stamina 3,
stalk her prey upon the banks of her home. This time, Killer Instinct (Advanced) 3
31
What Is to Come
Satiety: 3 victims, cracking them apart and destroying their parts to
Willpower: 10 draw divine immanence into the void left behind. They
Remake these Deviant servants to break Sobek’s cult and
Initiative: 6 take over Shedet, but many go Renegade to punish those
Defense: 7 who destroyed their eternal afterlives and inflicted them
Armor: 2/0 (scales) with corrupt hekau. They team up with wandering Matet
Pilgrims and Begotten struggling to contain their Hungers,
Size: 5
seeking something to offer Anpu in place of their wrecked
Speed: 14 souls. Some believe they can fill in their souls’ gaps with
Health: 12 other things, like ghosts, spirits, or beings that lurk in the
Lair: 0 Dream beyond Begotten Lairs.
The Sin-Eaters of Kemet see Death Wolf’s mad Sheut
Esurients: Body of Mouths, Channel the
Lifeblood, Foul Mess, Laws of Man No Longer and other ghosts driven by Crocodile’s hunger to devour
Apply, Terrible Form, Your Power Is Mine each other as signs that the Underworld, of which they
believe the Duat is the most important Dominion, suffers
Nightmares: Behold, My True Form!, the same tumult. They follow Iteru’s corrupted waters to the
Everything You Do Is Worthless, Run Away, You
Are Alone, You Cannot Kill It Great Below and find the twisted hekau infecting the Rivers
there, too; many believe it’s the other way around, though —
that the infinite hunger of the Ocean of Fragments has risen
Kinship in the to the surface and spills over into the material realm. Aakebi
Black Land (krewes) of mortuary priests, embalmers, tomb architects,
and other such workers position themselves to watch for lost
Beasts in this era actively seek family to help fight off
souls and recruit them to their causes before hunger can
their unnatural cravings and give them purpose.
overtake them; Reapers become bolder and their numbers
Kemet’s changelings are fierce and righteous, known for increase daily. Some seek alliance against Crocodile, a force
honor and orderly conduct, for only ma’at — the fairer side they believe is the manifestation of a malevolent Chthonic
of what later Lost will call the Wyrd — protects them from God; they fear that, left unchecked, the cannibal hymn will
the Saaiu, or evil fiends; Iron’s bulwark still lies in the future. sink all of Kemet into the Underworld.
Changelings of Kemet worship Anpu, Heru, and Wesir as
Magic and nature are one and the same, and the gods’
guardians of the order that keeps the Saaiu on the far side
servants walk the world. The Code the hunters of Kemet
of the true Red Land — not the desert the eye can see, but
follow makes allowances for divine messengers, up until the
the devilish land they step through mirrors and doorways
point when these messengers fall to isfet; once they do, all
to reach. Thus, they also worship Wepwawet alongside the
bets are off, as many hunters of this era view themselves
Forsaken, as he who governs passage into the Desert of
as Ma’at’s agents. Others are heretics who believe the gods
Fiends, and aid them in their war against Sobek’s brood.
ought to stay in the Duat where they belong and leave the
The Lost make common cause with Assessor Beasts too, to
Black Land to humanity. These Mesha-Shentu, or Soldiers
protect themselves and humans from Saaiu predation; fiends
of Blasphemy, form a compact dedicated to cursing anything
enter the Black Land to take the innocent, not offenders
openly supernatural to damnation, accepting their own
against ma’at, for leaving the offenders free spreads isfet
exile from starry A’aru in exchange for a Black Land where
further. Changelings here have no rulers but the pharaoh.
humanity is no longer ruled by pharaohs and greedy cult-
Demons Fall among cracked stone pillars and massive ists. Many hunters serve as professional soldiers or priests
copper gears emerging from desert sands in the Red Land’s who craft warding talismans. They often work closely with
farthest reaches, or in foreign lands where Kemet’s gods hold Oracles, and lately they’ve begun to take advantage of the
no sway. They see Kemet as a terrifying surveillance state, way some Oracles seem to lash out indiscriminately. The
the God-Machine’s animal-headed angels standing sentinel Ascending Ones have a strong presence here as well, and
among graven idols of deities and pharaohs, and every great the Aegis Kai Doru in Greece makes frequent overtures to
monument designed in accordance with Its occult schemes. get its hands on the Black Land’s ancient relics.
Many Unchained infiltrate Begotten sects or temples hous-
The mages of the Weret-Hekau play a dangerous game
ing Oracles, seeking to subvert these perceived tools of the
here; Crocodile’s waking hunger makes it harder for them
enemy to their own cause; in the wild Beasts consumed
to avoid Apep’s curse and act according to ma’at, but the
by their Hungers, though, some Saboteurs see potential
Mysteries of Atef-Pehu are numerous and enticing. The sor-
collaborators. Those demons who discover the rotting god
cerers’ best-known stronghold is the city of Adbju, roughly
under Shedet wonder whether it holds the key to Hell —
270 miles upriver from Shedet, but individuals act as high-
after all, if one aspect of God can die, why not others?
ranking priests, scribes, and haty-a across the Black Land.
In hidden temple sanctums, priests jealous of Sobek’s Sages among the Begotten treat these powerful figures with
supremacy pry at the fivefold souls of volunteers and caution and respect, seeking them out to compare notes and
32
benefit from their knowledge, but many Awakened employ afterlife. These practitioners hungrily pursue the mysteries
Oracles and would not hesitate to use the Children for their of body and soul, and their rites give rise to the noble Weret-
own enigmatic purposes. The Exalters of the Apex often Wesir Lineage — and many other marvels besides — while
run afoul of these mages in their desecration of temples, Flux floods the Black Land in place of Iteru’s waters.
finding nasty surprises when they think the priests they’re Those Matet born from sacred rites are the fortunate
trying to murder are ordinary mortals. The Weret-Hekau ones. The people believe the soul is firmly rooted in the
usually view Assessors, as self-proclaimed envoys of Ammut, flesh of the body, and interpret the Nepri as souls returned
with suspicion and fascination both, wary but willing to from the Duat to once again inhabit their own mortal shells.
cooperate in exchange for studying their origins and Lairs. Their Ba and Ren wash away in the River, leaving them
Few mummies walk abroad in this era; Amenemhat’s without memory of identity or deeds; but as far as the priests
great works of excavation disturbed several of their tombs, are concerned, these Matet are dead people returned to life,
but Crocodile’s hunger gnaws at their Sekhem and drives not entirely new people. They see other Created as dark
them to swift Descents. Still, their cults rouse them to help spirits hijacking corpses or vessels, who doomed those poor
deal with rampaging cannibal monsters and to safeguard souls now bereft of their fleshly anchors to wander the Earth.
precious relics against the many blasphemies plaguing Atef- The Created here view the Pilgrimage as a manifesta-
Pehu. Arisen here find strong echoes of lost Irem and push tion of Iteru’s seasons, seeing its great cycle as the model for
the Black Land toward a more perfect imitation, consciously how they should shift from Role to Role and Refinement to
or not. They often clash with the Assessors and the Exalters Refinement, exploring all that life can offer. Since the great
of the Apex, seeing them as heretic pretenders and agents river leads to the Duat, and indeed most Matet visit those
of Ammut, but find common cause with the Sages’ quest to banks at least once before they complete their journeys, they
quiet their Hungers and teach lessons based on the Judges’ believe that by following its example, they too will one day
values. Shuankhsen find the dead god’s influence invigo- stand before Anpu, who will weigh their Divine Fire on his
rating, and actively seek out the Begotten and the Sobeki, scales and judge whether they’re worthy of true resurrection
either to form alliances with those in whom they sense a with a brand-new soul and khat, or body, shaped on Khnum’s
kindred power, or to devour them. pottery wheel. Even the Nepri’s Azothic memory tells them
The vampires of the Black Land are the mekhet, their this should happen, causing some to question whether the
Ka split from them to become hateful ghosts while their priests really did bring them back from the Duat, or whether
souls’ remnants stir the corpses into a ravenous hunger that they’re no more human than the ushabti from which the
mirrors and is empowered by Crocodile’s own. The mekhet Tammuz and Unfleshed are made. When Created of this era
scheme in temples and necropolises far from the unforgiving perform the Measure, they are Anpu’s emissaries, weighing
Red Land and its endless sunshine, shadows behind thrones the Azoth of other Matet against their own to see who is
supping on the blood of heretics and sacrifices to the gods, closer to ma’at’s ideal.
quietly disturbing mortuary rites to spawn more of their
own and taking advantage of the chaos for their benefit. But
their own inner Beasts wake violently and often, making
them eager allies for the Begotten who struggle against their Milestones in Kemet
worst instincts and the Created who seek New Dawn — for
if they could reunite with their own Ka, they believe they Modern Prometheans consider their Great Work
might once again walk under Re’s holy light.
to be made up of six universal milestones based on
alchemical processes, but the Created of Kemet view
them as earning one piece of their human soul at
Promethean:
a time, with Vitriol as the physical proof. Thus, they
name the universal milestones after those pieces: sub-
limato results in crafting the Ren, defining themselves
Refining the by Roles and Refinements; separatio crafts the Sheut,
showing the darker side of themselves that accom-
Fivefold Soul panies them on the Pilgrimage; ceratio crafts the Ba,
defining their personality by comparison to others
like themselves; fermentatio crafts the Ab, catalyzing
May Isis kneel over you and wash your newborn form, may a dead heart into beating; and multiplicatio crafts the
she set you on the good path of those who are judged innocent Ka, teaching them to breathe life or knowledge into
in the face of any enemies who’d accuse you before the judges another through an act of will.
of Tomb-world, on the blessed day you pass beyond.
Finally, Matet believe the projectio milestone
— Jacob Rabinowitz, Isle of Fire crafts the sahu, the spirit-body beneath the skin
Kemet is a powerful crucible for the Divine Fire. Its that will someday form the khat they inhabit when
mortuary priests and alchemists obsess over the secrets of they achieve New Dawn.
life after death, reflecting their culture’s addiction to the
33
What Is to Come
Divine Emissaries they keep even from the Weret-Wesir themselves, fearing
obsolescence and losing the power they hold over commoner
The Osirans of this age are called the Weret-Wesir, the and pharaoh alike.
“great ones of Wesir,” and are welcome in the Black Land. They Unlike the Osirans of later ages, members of the Lineage
claim divine heritage with Wesir himself as their progenitor, now believe Wesir to be nothing less than a true god, and
and the humans among whom they walk openly accept this. themselves to be his servants. They believe the harvest god
They are emissaries returned from the Duat to serve as inter- Nepri was the first of their kind, whom Wesir sent back from
mediaries between humanity and the afterlife. Just as Wesir the Duat, and honor that deity with special reverence, even
mounted a new throne in the Duat after his rebirth, so are his adopting his name as a second Lineage name. Indeed, some
chosen few reborn not into A’aru, but to the world whence they see Nepri’s divinity as the ultimate goal of the Pilgrimage;
came. To the people, the Weret-Wesir work the gods’ will in the after a second life spent in service to the gods, they will
world as honored messengers, closer to the pharaoh in divinity earn a similar lofty position for themselves.
than anyone else. They expect, and are given, the respect and Able to move openly, the Weret-Wesir can share knowl-
reverence due those who speak for the divine. edge with each other without relying solely on the Azothic
Arising from Kemet’s elaborate burial rites, Weret-Wesir memory, including the means to avoid the worst of Disquiet’s
are a holy caste unto themselves. They enjoy sanctuary in ravages and Wastelands; the power of Iteru helps, but the
temples to Wesir and Nepri, granted tithes from the state’s Nepri also move regularly from city to city, up and down the
granaries and draped in jewels. Haty-a, high priests, and river. They are traveling mystics, following the surging and
even the pharaoh herself seeks their counsel. Most Weret- receding waters to bestow wisdom, bring news and blessings,
Wesir embrace the luxuries of this cossetted life, wearing address problems and mediate conflicts, then move on. Yet,
elaborate headdresses or painting their skin to better re- while these Created travel the Black Land and draw upon
semble a particular god they feel an affinity for. They view its human experience, they wallow in their role’s luxuries
the Principle as the gods’ will and its qashmallim as their and responsibilities. It is not their place to meddle with the
messengers. Athanors and other sites of Azothic import are remains of the dead, making it nearly impossible for them to
sacred places that Kemet’s priests seek out and take posses- create others of their kind. Bound strictly by law and belief
sion of, keeping them for the eyes of the Weret-Wesir only to their few specific duties, they stagnate easily, running out
and denying access to other Matet. They do the same with of new Roles to explore.
the rites that can create their divine emissaries, but these
34
The last of Menuhotep’s warriors, created at the be- amulets or inscribed spells in place of the original meat.
ginning of the Middle Kingdom’s rise, serve as the most These Temi-Nebu are embraced as Weret-Wesir, the human
powerful and revered Nepri envoys. These elder Matet have priesthood seeing no difference between the two. A few
utterly calcified within the ceremonial cycles that dictate Named rise from the remains of the poor or the unknown,
their lives. Younger ones sense that these ancient, grim afforded only the least funerary rites to see them on, and
Created have subsumed a vital spark, and that progress are seen as mistakes or escapees from Ammut’s jaws des-
is needed if they are to avoid the same fate. On the rare perate to avoid judgment for a life of sin — a shame upon
occasion that one of Menuhotep’s champions does change the priests who performed their ceremonies. Even these
Roles, a monstrous Firestorm erupts across the region. After are lucky, though, for they are not created to be slaves, like
the first during her reign, Sobekneferu and her death-priests the ushabti are.
journeyed north to Khufu’s Horizon, the great pyramid at Mundane ushabti are idols, grave goods made in mim-
Tiperses (modern-day Giza), chasing rumors of its power to icry of human or beast to serve a dead soul in the afterlife.
soothe the Divine Fire when Wesir grows wroth. Whatever Inscribed spells bring them to life there as tireless workers,
they found there allowed her to become a living Sanctuary shouldering the burden of the soul’s duties of labor — for
Athanor, who could — as they saw it — intervene as pha- while A’aru is a lush paradise, its inhabitants must still farm
raoh on the Nepri’s behalf. to produce the land’s bounteous harvest. Some demiurges
Some Nepri escape their regulated lives, seeking new produce a far more potent form of ushabti, though — ones
answers in the wider world or simply growing bored of that take on a darker burden for their masters, not of post-
the soft, undemanding opulence, knowing in their hearts humous labor but of the creator’s own sins.
they need more. Others become angry at being denied When a soul passes through the Duat, it faces 42
their eternal reward in A’aru; after all, judged as worthy Assessors who look upon its sins and pass verdict. Dead
souls, surely they should be enjoying that paradise, not bodies used as ushabti are pariahs, scapegoats, the remains
getting thrown back like a fisherman’s unwanted catch? of the dead blasphemously defiled to bind them into slav-
Of these, a few entomb themselves, seeking the reward ery and take on the punishment meant for another. Their
of the afterlife via correctly performed funerary rites and creators intentionally shear Ba and Ren away to throw into
grave goods; they fear that simply throwing themselves Ammut’s jaws, leaving the ushabti crippled and the master’s
into the embrace of death without such preparations will soul able to pass unharmed. To enable the disguise, the de-
make them unworthy in Anpu’s eyes. Others get bogged miurge covers the corpse in a crude façade of mud sculpted
down by Disquiet and Wastelands, which their attendant into a vague likeness of herself.
priests interpret as signs of Wesir’s displeasure with an Whether or not these illegal sacrifices have true
emissary; not willing to interfere with divine business, power in the Duat, the abused bodies do sometimes rise
they entreat the Nepri to disappear into the desert for a as newborn Temi-Nebu. They are traumatized from their
while and come back when the gods are smiling on her first moments, waking to find words and names that
again. If they’re lucky, she complies. A few Weret-Wesir, mark them as sinful creatures carved right into their
especially those who spend too much time in Shedet flesh. Once risen, these hemew receive no more kindly
absorbing its Flux, turn Mesu Betshet, determined to treatment, forced to do the bidding of the sorcerers who
spurn servitude no matter the cost. created them. Some demiurges bind their ushabti in con-
cealing garments, copper masks, and other paraphernalia
Children of Black Silt to make them seem like animated constructs powered by
In Sumer, the Tammuz are much like their future de- their hekau: they cannot afford their crimes of desecrat-
scendants. It’s unclear whether the ritual that creates them ing the dead becoming public, so they conceal their vile
was brought to Kemet or simply developed in tandem by deeds behind the lie of an occult miracle.
another civilization with careful burial rites. Here, though, The Temi-Nebu often resent the adoration the Weret-
the humans call them hemew — servants. They themselves Wesir receive. Where the Nepri are noble, the hemew are
go by the name Temi-Nebu, or “born on the bank,” consid- lowly; where Nepri can walk the streets and be welcomed,
ering themselves children of Iteru’s black, fertile silt. Some hemew are usually hunted, objectified, and kept captive.
are born directly from it, their dead flesh buried beneath Eventually, most of these Named kill or escape their cre-
the sucking soil in old, crude rites performed by cold-eyed ators, drawing away from human society to live close to
peasants. Others rise from the withered remnants of those their beloved river instead. Even those who escape aren’t
buried and naturally mummified in the desert’s hot sands, always left alone, though; their demiurges and anyone else
and they thirst for the river’s quenching mud. who assisted the blasphemous rites try to silence them to
The most fortunate are those whose bodies are wrought keep the truth hidden, by any means necessary. Thus, the
from high-status corpses, but whose flesh was so terribly Temi-Nebu of Kemet are the most avid seekers of their own
damaged that the remains had to be repaired with clay and kind, the catalysts that form many throngs.
earthen simulacra of the missing parts, with heart-scarab
35
What Is to Come
Monuments and Idols process, attempting to forge their own intermediaries to
the gods beyond the world’s flesh out of envy for the Weret-
A craftsman looks upon his finest work — an ushabti figurine Wesir’s privileged handlers. They stitch their intended
sculpted in perfectly lifelike form. His pride and obsession spark vessels together from organs purloined from canopic jars;
its hekau before it ever reaches the tomb. The figure comes to a Kemetic Riven may sport the liver of a pharaoh nestled
life, stretching pottery limbs as she stares in wonder. When she alongside the kidneys of a recently dead scribe.
hears Rambles of a throng of others like her in the distant desert,
survivors of some older civilization still following their creator’s Xibalbans; or, the Denied
last commands to dig out an incomprehensibly gigantic tomb Finally, few and far between here, the pre-Galateid
beneath the dunes, she doesn’t even pack a bag before she sets out. Lineage of the sanguine humour known as the Xibalbans
••• hails from an unknown land far to the west, fashioned in the
“Quick,” the tomb robber hisses, “hide your face! Do you throes of human sacrifice on altars that run with blood. The
want the mask to curse you?” mortals there fear them as fierce, vengeful death-spirits, signs
that their gods rejected a sacrifice or that rival gods hijacked
“…I think it’s too late,” her partner whispers. Stone and the offering. Thus, they’re also known as the Denied: those
fired clay move in the darkness; the torch flame flickers for a robbed of the right to face their trials in the Underworld like
moment on a pair of painted eyes. “Run!” she cries, and they other dead souls. These bold, passionate warrior Created find
do, lurching footsteps following just beyond the firelight. joy in simple pleasures and yearn always to find something
••• or someone to fight — and heroically, gloriously die — for,
For decades, the golden idol graced the altar, soaking up but joining armies or mercenary companies never works for
hymns and silently accepting offerings in the bull-god’s name. long: Xibalban Disquiet drives others to murder them in as
When he steps out of the temple for the first time, his gilded ignominious a fashion as possible, to send them back to the
flesh gleaming in the hot summer sun, he doesn’t yet know the Underworld “where they belong” in shame.
lengths to which the people will go to make sure he continues The Xibalban Lineage suffers Torment as an all-con-
to grant them blessings. suming, bloodthirsty frenzy. Its members perpetually seek
causes or leaders to satisfy their bloodlust with excuses to
Even now, the origins of the Unfleshed are shrouded in charge into battle; they appear vigorous and attractive to
mystery. Most believe the gods animate them with their own humans, full of vital energy that draws people in and gets
wills as a reward for perfection of form or devoted service, their hearts pumping. Their Bestowments are Unearthly
but since prayers and rituals are the norm whenever skilled Mien (Promethean: The Created Second Edition, p. 108)
hands perform works in the gods’ names, no one knows and Blood Offering.
which ones have the potential to ignite the Divine Fire —
or whether, perhaps, they all do. New Bestowment: Blood Offering
With this Bestowment, your character can shed her own
Foreign Creations blood to make up for her failure to die properly, sustain-
ing miracles by its power. For every point of lethal dam-
Other Lineages of the time were not native to Kemet,
age she inflicts upon herself with the intent of using this
but the Matet are inveterate wanderers, and they always
Bestowment, she regains three points of Pyros; however, if
make their way to the Black Land, even if only for a while.
she heals this damage by any method other than naturally,
she loses the Pyros for her attempt to cheat the gods out
Amirani of their due.
The Amirani (Dark Eras Companion, p. 98) are few, but
when they come to Kemet from the northern land of Egrisi
(which the Greeks will later call Colchis) with their copper
Matet Systems
bones and blazing eyes, they inevitably pass judgment upon the The Jaws of Ammut: Crocodile’s hunger and isfet’s
indolent Nepri and urge the Temi-Nebu to rise up en masse corruption stir Flux. Dice pools for Pilgrimage breaking
and take for themselves a place in their beloved Black Land. points and generative acts suffer a one-die penalty, and all
Lilithian Firestorms have +2 Strength. Dramatic failures
on rolls to use Distillations produce rank 1 Pandorans
Riven in addition to their usual effects. Finally, rolls to use the
From further-flung lands, Riven shamans come to pursue Distillations of Flux achieve exceptional success on three
Rambles that speak of a dark scar marring Shedet’s secret successes instead of five.
heart, or to appease the wailing of spirits touched by the Phlegmatic Waters: The link between Iteru and the
cannibal hymn or Hep’s terrible Schism who fled the Black Weret-Wesir is more than just a story. The river soothes
Land seeking solace and aid. Here, greedy cultists of low the Divine Fire and eases its raging. As long as a Nepri
rank find the Riven and strive to repeat their Creation bathes in the waters of Iteru at least once per chapter, treat
36
her Azoth as one lower than it actually is for purposes of the state when they hunt for lesser Matet, eager to find
resisting her Disquiet and the creation, area, and festering new sources of Vitriol.
of her Wastelands. The Maw of Unas is a rabid cult. These alchemists fell
under Crocodile’s influence and work in cahoots with the
Akhekhau Sobeki. In their secret rendezvous they sing the cannibal
hymn’s verses — particularly the one in which the pharaoh
Innumerable akhekhau, which the Greeks will call
consumes even those who “come with their bodies full of
Pandorans, lie dormant across Kemet as the detritus of
magic from the island of fire.” Members of the Maw believe
centuries of human and Matet arrogance. Some lie within
they can achieve divinity by eating the flesh of the Matet
tombs among ushabti and guardian statues; others are part
like the akhekhau do, either fresh and raw, or combined
of palace and temple architecture. These creatures are
with magical elixirs. They induct, study, and try to create
a common threat for unwary Created, and their genesis
sublimati as both experimental subjects and mentors to their
grows ever more frequent as Crocodile’s rising hunger stirs
gluttonous excesses.
Flux to excess.
The goddess Ma’at has no temples, but the Flowing
Matet and priests see akhekhau as manifestations of isfet
Water believes it comprises her priests, nonetheless. These
and Apep’s influence, brought about whenever a soul tries to
alchemists see Iteru’s waning waters and black blood as a
escape Ammut’s jaws by fleeing back to life. The Flux that
warning that humans and gods alike take too much from
seizes the body is the chaos caused by this defiance of ma’at’s
the river’s vitality, and to restore it they must give some-
natural order, so every botched generative act that creates
thing back. They hunt Matet as sacrifices to Iteru, brew
akhekhau is a sign of the dead body that gave rise to the
concoctions from Vitriol that they believe heal the river’s
monsters being that of an evil individual. Some akhekhau
sickness, and worship in the wake of the Insatiable Hep —
arise from stranger sources, created from the mummified
the personification of their beliefs, the river’s hunger given
remains of animals subjected to the same rites that might
physical form.
otherwise have created a Matet, if the corpse were human.
Akhekhau from any source tend to take on hybrid ani-
mal forms, in mockery of the gods. PTAHNEFERU
Systems “You probably shouldn’t be here. The priests don’t like it
An akhekhau’s Consume Pyros power (Promethean, p. when someone sees me. …so please, stay a while.”
240) grants it one Pyros for each point of bashing damage
Background: The priesthood of Ptah hides two terrible
it inflicts, and two Pyros per point of lethal damage.
secrets. The first is that the body of Ptahneferu, sister of
Sobekneferu, was never interred in her tomb beside her
Alchemists father’s great pyramid. As they prepared her body for the
Alchemists gather in temples and courts, seeking the afterlife, the Nepri overseeing the rites looked upon her
gods’ power for themselves. The fivefold soul is as central to face and was moved to tears by her beauty and the tragedy
Kemetic alchemy as notions of mere physical transmutation; of her death — which is the second secret, for she was
the prize these alchemists reach for is life eternal, whether ruthlessly murdered. The sudden catalysis of his ancient,
on Earth, in A’aru, or even in the Duat itself. Most mortuary sluggish humours and emotions rocked the temple, calling
priests who legitimately claim access to true supernatural a Firestorm down upon them all. In its wake, the new Matet
power are alchemists of one sort or another. lurched upright, confused and frightened. Now, the priests
The alchemists of the House of Re work for the pha- keep her confined to the temple of Ptah in Shedet, alone
raoh, at least nominally, and appoint themselves as the with her Weret-Wesir mentor, her precocious new mind,
self-proclaimed handlers for the Weret-Wesir. Ostensibly, and all her many questions.
their job is to provide the Matet with anything they re- The humans believe her to be Nepri too, but they’re
quire, weed out petitioners who aren’t worth their time, wrong. She’s one of the Matchless, and although that
and help out with alchemical remedies whenever their wouldn’t otherwise matter to the priesthood that should
Created nature gets in the way of their duties. They do embrace her as the gods’ messenger, they can’t; she repre-
these things with varying degrees of proper respect, but sents a huge threat to society’s stability, one to which she
behind the scenes they constantly scheme to control the herself is blissfully oblivious. It was Amenemhat III’s wish
Nepri through manipulative obsequiousness and lies by that, should Amenemhat IV perish without an heir, the
omission. They ply the pharaoh with potions and gifts to throne would go to Ptahneferu as the older sister. Should
gain her favor; she grants it because their marvels provide Ptahneferu suddenly reappear — as a divine emissary, no
a useful counterbalance to the powerful and influential less! — she would have a much stronger claim to the throne
Weret-Wesir, reminding them that their divine status is than the current pharaoh. It doesn’t matter that she doesn’t
inferior to hers. The House of Re wields the authority of want the throne and doesn’t remember her life as a royal;
37
What Is to Come
makes those around her grieve over losses great and small,
no matter how long-buried, and they desperately try to force
her to fill in for whatever they’ve lost. Eventually, they come
to believe she is the lost one, and no amount of convincing
can dissuade them. Her Wastelands culminate in a deluge
of rain and despair, the sky opening to pour saltwater onto
the Black Land while people lament everything they can
never have.
Storytelling Hints: The longer she stays cooped up in
the temple with limited exposure to human society or other
Matet, the faster she runs out of experiences that would al-
low her to progress on her Pilgrimage. She’s grown restless
and reckless, and she seeks escape. She longs to walk among
the people and be one of them, learn what they know and
see all their wonders. Soon, she plans to find help and make
a move, though whether she’ll quietly slip out in the dead
of night or loudly expose the priests’ secrets to the world
remains to be seen.
Lineage: Extempore
Refinement: Mercurius
Elpis: Sorrow
Torment: Merciless
Aspirations: Make friends; Meet Sobekneferu;
Discover who killed the princess
Attributes: Intelligence 4, Wits 4, Resolve 2;
Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3; Presence 3,
Manipulation 2, Composure 2
Sobekneferu’s enemies would leap at the chance to weaken Skills: Academics (Religion) 2, Crafts 4, Enigmas 2,
her rule, wielding the Extempore as a weapon against her Medicine (Herself) 2, Occult 1, Politics (Cults) 1;
authority. The priests of Ptah, closely allied to the elder Athletics 1, Brawl 1, Stealth 1, Survival 1; Empathy 2,
princess in life, still see it as their duty to aid and guide Expression 1, Persuasion 2, Socialize (Nobility) 3,
Ptahneferu — but also to protect the kingdom from her. Subterfuge 2
Description: Ptahneferu looks much like her predeces- Merits: Allies (Priests of Ptah) 3, Famous Face 3,
sor did in life, a statuesque woman with bronze skin and Good Brain (Crafts, Empathy, Politics) 3, Safe
bright eyes outlined in kohl. When her Disfigurements Place 5, Striking Looks 1
flare, though, her skin is pale blue and transparent, and Pilgrimage: 2
the saltwater that runs through her veins can be clearly
Willpower: 4
seen pulsing through her and oozing out through raw scars
that never fully heal, from where her organs were removed. Initiative: 5
Unfortunately, she wasn’t dead before her killers — cannibal Defense: 4
priests who believed Sobekneferu would make a more pli- Armor: 0
able puppet on the throne — started removing them, and
when they were done, they ate them instead of preserving
Size: 5
them in canopic jars. Inside, the Matet is a treasury of oc- Speed: 10
cult replacements. Many of her innards are now facsimiles Health: 8
of clay and precious stones inscribed with spells, and her Azoth: 2
heart is a beautifully carved scarab of lapis lazuli.
As an Extempore, she doesn’t behave the way the hu-
Pyros/per Turn: 11/2
mans have come to expect the Weret-Wesir to behave. She Bestowment: Revivification
shares their curiosity and natural inclination to collect fol- Transmutations: Alchemicus — Elixir; Vulcanus
lowers, but in Torment she succumbs to intense loneliness, — Sanctus Aspiratus
bitterness, and cruel spite. Her humour is tears; her Disquiet
38
Werewolf:
Echoes of the Past
A crocodile does not die from worrying, it dies from hunger. The Opener of the Way
— Insinger Papyrus Death Wolf’s Sheut is an immensely powerful
A true god walks the fecund earth, driven by the divine ghost, all white fur, ice-blue eyes, and snapping
jaws. Like Death Wolf in this era, the ghost is a
urges of the sacred hunt. Death Wolf’s shadow falls upon
Rank 7 entity, though it has not yet come into its
Kemet, and at her flanks come her howling children — the full power, only recently having attained its current
Uratha of the Bone Shadow Tribe. The Bone Shadows are Rank. It cannot yet enter the world of the living —
masters of the holy city of Asyut, openly ruling as envoys of no mere Avernian Gate can withstand its metaphys-
the wolf-gods. They come, now, with souls aflame and blood ical weight — but when it does, it is too powerful for
humming with joyous, primal song, the presence of their Uratha to face directly unless they can find its Bane
Firstborn queen bright and cold in their hearts. Werewolves or weaken it with rites and potent hekau.
were forged from spirit and flesh to be god-killers above all
else, and they have gods to kill.
The river valley is an occult battleground. The Uratha
face a ghastly foe: the rising power of the saharusum, the
children of Crocodile. Sobek’s priests dug too deeply under too late, for the Sheut was awake and raged through death’s
Shedet, and fell under the sway of the rotting god there. endless tunnels. It is a mirror of Death Wolf that possesses
Though they pretend at a pious faith in Sobek, their blood- only her hunger for power and knowledge, bestowed with
caulked smiles show the truth of their cannibal theft. They her cunning but not her wisdom. It craves freedom and
steal the Pangaean’s lingering power for themselves through wants to seize its progenitor’s vitality for its own; to eat her
charnel rites of transgression and gore, gorging themselves heart, that it might finally fill its own gaping void within.
on eldritch energies that human flesh should not — cannot For centuries, the two have feuded: a god of death and
— hold. Alone, this transgression would demand furious a dead god, warring through werewolf and ghostly interme-
response from Wolf’s children, but the Sobeki’s profane diaries or, for brief and catastrophic moments, pursuing one
butchery is buttressed by something far worse. another directly. The Sheut tore through the Underworld,
Death Wolf’s lost soul lies waiting in Hawara, a doom snatching secrets from phantasms and bartering with deep,
for the living and the dead. ancient things. Now glutted on that realm’s dark mysteries,
Beyond the incense wafting through shaded temple it turns its attention to the world of the living, seeking a
sanctums, beyond the gleaming marble and painted faces of path into the hunting ground of its sister-mother that could
the courts, beyond blood-slick sands where wolf and croco- possibly sustain its passage.
dile clash and dusty tombs where shadows caper in dark rites, It found Crocodile’s carcass, the rotting divine pres-
those werewolves not caught up in the larger battle do their ence lodged between the gates of death — unable to live
best to keep hunting. The Pure are resurgent, spirits crawl and unable to die, spiritually mutilated by Pangaea’s fall.
through the withering Gauntlet in an ever-greater tide, and The ghost reaches its influence through the breach in the
a deep, gnawing hunger chews at their guts — one that Autochthonous Depths that enfolds the god’s carcass, and
tempts the Uratha to embrace the cannibal feast, and glut twists the minds of priests and pharaohs to open the way.
themselves on the crimson bounty the Black Land offers. A showdown between god and ghost approaches. Death
Wolf comes to reap the harvest of knowledge that her ghost
The Shadow of Wepwawet has gathered for itself, to make herself whole once more, and
to shatter the dead Pangaean’s waking power.
As Iteru recedes but renews, full of life, so Death Wolf
perished, then chose to return. She came back bearing a
cornucopia of revelation — yet in her wake, she left some- Bone Shadows:
thing behind. Even now, the god’s soul bears a great, weeping Priests of the Wolf
wound, a yawning chasm of loss she yearns to fill. Now, the In Asyut, city of wolves, the Bone Shadows stand openly
hour looms close for Death Wolf’s triumphant apotheosis. as priests and acolytes of Kemet’s wolf-gods: Wepwawet,
Her twisted reflection, the missing piece of her heart, is Anpu, and an aspect of Wesir. The werewolves claim these
her ghost. When she died, her Ab tore free, but the Firstborn deities’ divine sanction through demonstrations of their
seized it in her jaws as she departed the Underworld — all spirit magic, taking lupine form, and battling monstrous
but a fleck, seething with spiritual immanence. That gob- threats that slink in from the Red Land and, recently,
bet nailed her Sheut in place and gave it a dread animus as Iteru’s depths. The people have no doubt that Asyut is a
the divine ghost Death Wolf should have become. When place of powerful hekau, where the gods are manifest and
at last the Firstborn saw that her shadow was gone, it was active in the world.
39
What Is to Come
Forsaken Tribes
Outside the dominion of Asyut and the power of the
Bone Shadows, an Uratha’s life can be hard. The slaughter
Kamduis-Ur and and confusion a First Change brings can seem like curses
Kemetic Belief or the work of evil spirits, and people often persecute or
The Uratha of Kemet know it is Death Wolf herself drive out nascent Uratha. Near Asyut, Bone Shadow priests
they venerate, but they still see the world through intercede to whisk the new werewolves away; elsewhere, it’s
the lens of the culture they inhabit. They revere up to whatever local packs exist to gather these outcasts
Wepwawet, Anpu, and Wesir as aspects of Death up before anything worse happens. With the war against
Wolf; these are not false masks, but merely an- the Sobeki, the Pure grow ever bolder too, snatching away
other way of understanding the Firstborn’s nature. nusuzul in greater numbers.
Wepwawet is the central figure here, the Opener Even so, followers of Death Wolf’s siblings are scattered
of the Way resonating deeply with Death Wolf’s throughout the Black Land, hunting as they always have.
wisdom-seeking and passage between realms.
Iteru’s fecundity provides a thriving crop of prey. Packs used
Wepwawet is also revered as an aspect of to migrate out of the valley during the season of akhet to
another of the gods of Shadow — that of the hunt in the Red Land for a time, but the resurgence of the
Secondborn child of Fenris known in some farther Pure puts an end to such traditions. Bottled up in Kemet,
lands as Garm, and liege of a Lodge known here Forsaken packs experience growing tensions.
as the Fangs of Wepwawet (see The Pack, p.
82, for more details). This sharing of divine aspect Now the rising hunger of Crocodile gnaws at their stom-
between two spirit gods causes no conflict in the achs, stirs their blood, and sometimes sets werewolf against
eyes of adherents; instead, it binds them closer werewolf. The patchwork of territories threaded along Iteru
together, and the Lodge is a major pillar of martial is a kettle boiling over.
strength supporting the Bone Shadows’ efforts in The Blood Talons vent their anger in the war against
Kemet at this time. the Sobeki. The saharusum may not be werewolves, but
many of the tribe feel these shapeshifting children of a
Pangaean god are still worthy prey — even if they stole
their power through abattoir rites rather than inheriting it.
Worse, the Pure now rise again, allied with the Sobeki. It’s
Asyut is the hub of the struggle against the saharusum, a call to arms for the Suthar Anzuth, and one they embrace
a mustering ground for packs and resources. The haty-a with bloody glee. The tribe is on the edge, wild-eyed and
here are either werewolves, Wolf-Blooded, or ordinary kill-hungry, prone to chaotic excess that worries their allies.
humans under the temple of Wepwawet’s thumb. Spirit- The Hunters in Darkness have long prowled the bor-
totems cavort through Twilight, sometimes manifesting to ders of the Black Land, slinking in the shadows of its great
reap rich tithes of Essence from a populace awed by their fortifications as servants of Wesir and Aset who hold back
power. Foreign Bone Shadows come, hearing Death Wolf’s the Red Land’s chaos. The tribe sees all of Kemet as sacred
howl and hiding among the ranks of foreign mercenaries ground; the Black Land and Black Wolf are one and the
or presenting themselves as visiting dignitaries to local same, for this is the place where the Firstborn gave birth
Lodges. Other supernatural allies of the god of death come to her litter of Secondborn, sustained in her labor by Iteru’s
too, bearing knowledge they wish to barter or seeking Essence, and her lifegiving act gave the soil its fertility. Iteru
opportunities to exploit. The city thrives, a cosmopolitan itself is the holiest of holies. The black blood that now stains
meeting of monsters. it, the raveners (p. 47) slithering from its tainted waters,
Bone Shadow priests stalk the courts of Pharaoh and the vile hunger seething beneath Atef-Pehu are all
Sobekneferu, resentful of the favor she grants the saha- utter blasphemies against Black Wolf. The tribe feels cold
rusum and fighting for every scrap of influence they can fury, willing to set aside their vigil against the Red Land’s
glean within her palace’s marble halls. Farther afield, crawling Hosts for a time to destroy this insult.
members of the tribe hunt among the death gods’ priest- Known in later centuries as the Iron Masters, the
hoods or rob tombs for any scrap of wisdom in Kemet’s fu- Watchers Beyond the Flame are a moderating force in the
nerary practices they might turn against the rogue Sheut alliance against the Sobeki, questioning whether the other
and its ghostly thralls. They watch vigilantly within the tribes’ ferocity and zeal blind them. The tribe is eager to
human ranks of the cults of Anpu and Wepwawet, for the bring down the saharusum — they are a new and danger-
ghost’s seductive whispers already stir new sects — ones ous threat, yes, and indeed the Watchers see the reptilian
who see it, not Death Wolf, as the true representation shifters as their own favored prey, since they are not true
of those gods, and strive to aid its escape through the children of Pangaea but jumped-up priests seeking a bloody
Labyrinth of Hawara. shortcut to power. The Watchers’ concern comes not from
40
a lack of stomach for the fight, but concern about other Kings have come, mustered by the eternal hunger of their
dangers that may spring from the chaos. Sobekneferu has Firstborn totem, Dire Wolf.
no children and is tied closely to the cult; if the Sobeki fall, If Death Wolf wants to make this a battle of the gods,
she may go with them, and isfet will take the Black Land. then so be it.
The Storm Lords revel in the current chaos, for it The servants of Dire Wolf gather in the west, sym-
renders Kemet a grand crucible in which Wolf’s heirs can bolically emerging from the direction of the Duat to spread
be tested. A surfeit of Claimed stalk temples and fields, a havoc and terror. The rotting god beneath Shedet draws the
bountiful herd of prey to pursue, and the tribe considers Firstborn’s attention, though whether he intends to devour
the raveners its prey as well. Iteru’s floods and droughts give the dead divinity himself or raise it up to take a seat among
the Iminir something meaningful to endure. For too long, the great totems of the Pure, the Forsaken don’t know.
the Black Land’s fertility has cosseted human civilization; Though Predator King clans form the heart of the new
the herd has grown fat and indolent on prosperity, and so Pure army, the other tribes also worry at Kemet’s flanks. Once
too have the hunters. This new, bleak hunger is a grand more, the Fire-Touched worm their way in among the populace,
challenge indeed. spreading blights both physical and mental, and creating a
new generation of enslaved Claimed in hybrid mimicry of the
Pure Tribes gods with which they influence the temples. The Ivory Claws
Slavering Pure prowl at the Black Land’s margins, ready gouge out positions for themselves in the state’s bureaucracy,
to sink their fangs into the soft, weak Forsaken and raise and work their way ever closer to the court of Itjtawy and the
up the dominion of the anshega once more. It was under glimmering prize there — the ear of Sobekneferu herself.
Amenemhat I that the Pure lost their grip upon Kemet; the The Pure have forged a pact with the Sobeki, an alliance
Forsaken outmaneuvered the Ivory Claws in the new courts of mutual benefit, for neither force is strong enough alone
of the 12th Dynasty and drove the Fire-Touched out from to assure victory against the Forsaken. Predator King elders
among the temples. Over the generations that followed, the emerge from the sand, their hunger matching that of the
Forsaken took the best hunting grounds until, at last, only saharusum and forging a bond of understanding between
a handful of Pure still clung to the fringes; the Ivory Claws them. The tribes promise to hand the cities and towns they
largely retreated south to Kush, and the Fire-Touched east conquer to the Sobeki, claiming no interest in filthy hives
towards the Levant. Now, though, the ravening Predator of human iniquity.
41
What Is to Come
This is a lie. The Pure see the Sobeki as upstarts — just but the secrets of flesh and guts didn’t only come to them
arrogant humans, playing with fire that is not theirs to wield. from Crocodile’s broken soul. These mysteries, these hungry
No place for these aberrant shifters exists in the future the whispers, are the work of Death Wolf’s Sheut.
Predator Kings plan. The disgrace that is Kemet’s civilization The deluded Sobeki believe themselves true children of
will crumble, all but the bastions over which the Ivory Claws their god; devouring the Pangaean’s flesh warps their minds
and Fire-Touched will rule, and the land will be scoured with so they can no longer see the depravity and madness of eat-
fire and pox and blood until the wilderness of the Red Land ing a deity. Their hunger and the symbolic act of their feasts
reclaims it from the last traces of humanity’s hubris. stir Crocodile from its deathly sleep. That alone would be
As soon as the Pure no longer need the Sobeki, the grave enough — the basin of Atef-Pehu resonates with the
alliance will end in carnage, and the Predator Kings will Pangaean’s power — but in connecting the basin with Iteru,
tear Shedet apart to reach the slumbering god beneath for Amenemhat symbolically linked the dead god’s domain with
their Firstborn’s dark desires. the river, and its hunger with its ebb and flow. Lake Moeris
stands where once festering swamps oozed, bubbling with the
Slaves of the Crocodile dead god’s blood. Now that same ichor, rising from where the
Crocodile has long slumbered beneath Atef-Pehu, its resurgent waters filter down through dust and stone to touch
corpse caught in a liminal state. Severed from Pangaea by the the reeking carcass, flows out into Iteru itself. It consumes
fall of that realm, its heart shattered to wreckage by Wolf’s the land’s lifegiving energies, smears riverbanks with reeking
jaws — though not utterly destroyed — the hoary being fell muck, and wallows in the minds of the Black Land’s inhabit-
into languor, a dormant divinity suspended on the threshold ants — a vast bow wave pushes through the Bright Dream,
between life and death. The turning of the ages saw the Earth’s the psychic ripples preceding a colossal presence ascending
flesh around it shiver and shake, sometimes spilling down light, in humanity’s collective nightmares.
sometimes sealing it away once more. In those ancient days, Unimpeded, Crocodile will rise again — but not as the
strange eyes fell upon the dead god and performed alien sacra- pure, foundational god it once was. Glutted on the Black
ments upon its withered corpse, but never did Crocodile rouse. Land’s vitality, cut off from the balancing realm of Pangaea,
When Amenemhat III commanded the foundations of Crocodile will be a ravening terror, an insatiable god of
Shedet laid, terrified workers stumbled upon the twisting Flesh, an undead blasphemy Death Wolf’s ghost will ride
caves carved by no human hand, and fetched the priests of to usher in the apocalypse.
Sobek. Whispering incantations to invoke their crocodile
god’s protection, those fearful pioneers followed the heady Creating a Saharusum
scents that wafted up from the chasm below — natrum, The saharusum are shapeshifters, also known as the
dried blood, rot — and found there a revelation: the mer- Sobeki. These werecrocodiles are not Crocodile’s inten-
est glimpse of the leviathan’s carcass revealed from the dry tional legacy, but carrion-eaters stealing the Pangaean’s
earth around it, mummified by forces unknown. power through blasphemous rites. They are humans crudely
Only the cult of Sobek may enter the sacred tunnels fused with primal hunger, an ill-suited metamorphosis next
and witness the carrion rites held therein. Acolytes hew to the Uratha’s natural harmony.
moldering meat from the seemingly endless corpse. Priests
The Cannibal Hymn
abase themselves amid dried viscera in a shrine surrounded
by Crocodile’s curving bones, all carved in hieroglyphs A human can become saharusum by eating the flesh of
declaring Sobek’s glory. Devotees harvest delicate, twisted another human being who is still alive. The would-be Sobeki
tangles of thread-like organs, glimmering with hekau, and must eat a full meal’s worth of his victim’s meat, blood, and
store them in canopic jars. An eager whisper always hangs marrow. Then, he must gorge himself on Crocodile’s flesh,
just at the edge of hearing — eat, consume, partake. eating until he cannot force down anything more, and then
It’s not enough for a human to gorge themselves on the subject himself to a ceremonial initiation rite of further pro-
god’s flesh. Doing so doesn’t grant power, just nightmares fanity, blood, and dirt. What follows is a ghastly transforma-
and, eventually, a loss of control — meat warps and bones tion as he vomits out a cocoon of flesh and gristle, pupating
twist in agony, sculpting the victim into the semblance of within for six days before emerging as a werecrocodile.
a crocodile but clearly wrought from the crude matter of Primal Hunger
a human. These victims die slowly and miserably. To truly A saharusum character possesses a Primal Urge rating and
feast, to eat the god and absorb its power, is a complex can- Essence pool equivalent to a werewolf’s, and regenerates in
nibal hymn. The would-be saharusum must prove herself a the same way, but does not cause Lunacy or suffer the other
worthy vessel through the consumption of a living human’s effects of Primal Urge. However, a Sobeki must eat the flesh
flesh. Thus do the cult’s prisoners perish in bloody mouthfuls of a living human at the same frequency as a werewolf must
upon ceremonial slabs beneath the earth. hunt. Saharusum keep their Integrity Trait. At Integrity 3 and
By themselves, the priests of Sobek might have assem- lower, and at Primal Urge 5+, they suffer the Persistent Addicted
bled the truth of this cannibal rite given enough decades, Condition (Promethean, p. 305) for consuming the flesh of
42
Crocodile. As a result, high-ranking cultists hold powerful sway and the Primal Fear trait of a werewolf’s Gauru form; further-
over their subordinates, and restrict access to the cavernous more, his rate of regeneration in this form triples, he can wield
chambers beneath Shedet with violence if necessary. appropriately sized weapons, and he can speak.
Sobeki cannot perform rites or form packs, but can con- Flesh Panoply
sume the Essence of spirits they bring down in the same way
In any form, a saharusum may reflexively spend 1 Essence
as an Uratha under the Sacred Hunt. They can also regain
each turn to reshape portions of his body in vile metamor-
Essence by eating human or crocodile flesh, and by draining
phosis, twisting flesh and bone into shields of cartilage,
loci. They can sense loci the same way werewolves do and can
cancerously overgrown musculature, or bursts of crocodilian
cross between the Shadow and the Flesh at such locations.
teeth. Flesh Panoply grants one of the following: +2 Armor
Crocodile’s Might and +1 Defense; +2 damage with natural weapons; healing
Upon becoming saharusum, the character increases his a single point of aggravated damage; or the ability to attack
Strength, Dexterity, and Stamina by 2 each, which can raise with natural weapons at a range of up to (Primal Urge x
them above 5. However, he still may not purchase more than 5) yards. Only a single benefit applies at a time, but as long
five dots of any Attribute. as the Sobeki has Essence to spare, he may change which
benefit he receives at the beginning of each of his turns.
Devourer’s Maw
Lord of Crocodiles
A Sobeki can open his mouth wide to drain power from
others, sucking light and life into the void in his soul. By spending 1 Essence as an instant action, a saharusum
Cost: 3 Essence can communicate with crocodiles and gains an Animal Ken
Dice Pool: Presence + Intimidation + Primal Urge vs. Specialty for them, until the scene ends.
Composure + Supernatural Tolerance Furthermore, by gathering five human corpses and anoint-
Action: Contested ing them with the Sobeki’s own blood, the character may
spend 5 Essence as an instant action that takes one minute
Duration: Instant
to inflict a grotesque transmogrification upon the carcasses.
Roll Results Convulsing and thrashing, the meat and bone rework them-
Success: If the prey has a pool of supernatural energy selves into a living crocodile, completely obedient to the
that fuels powers, she loses two points from it; if not, she saharusum for the story. He can sense the general condition
loses one Willpower point instead. Additionally, if the prey and location of the crocodile as an instant action, including
has used a lingering supernatural power that currently af- whether it is engaged in violence or injured. At the end of
fects the environment or scene itself, the saharusum may the story, or if the saharusum dies, the crocodile collapses into
immediately trigger a Clash of Wills; if successful, the rotting human body parts. A Sobeki can maintain up to his
power ends. Primal Urge in charnel-crocodiles at a time.
Exceptional Success: The Sobeki regains two Essence, if Vile Craving
the prey lost supernatural energy, or one Willpower point if not. By touching an item of food and spending 1 Essence, a
Failure: The power fails. saharusum may infuse it with Crocodile’s corruption for the
Dramatic Failure: The power fails, and the Sobeki scene. Anyone who eats it must succeed at a Composure
suffers the Deprived Condition (Chronicles of Darkness, roll, with a penalty equal to half the Sobeki’s Primal Urge
p. 288), which resolves when he consumes enough human (rounded up), or gain the Deprived Condition, which can
flesh to deal at least one point of lethal damage to either only resolve by eating Crocodile’s flesh.
himself or someone else.
Divine Form PETSUCHOS
For 1 Essence, a Sobeki can change form as a reflexive
action. As well as their human shape, saharusum possess
“No need to scream. Your entrails are a sacred offering. You
two others:
will live on in us, and thus in Sobek.”
Crocodile: +3 Strength, +2 Stamina, +2 Size, 2L bite at-
tack. The saharusum gains the natural armor and the River Background: First of the saharusum, Chosen of Sobek,
Predator and Terrible Jaws traits of an Iteru crocodile (p. Petsuchos is the sacred crocodile of Shedet and the priest
26), and can swim at his full Speed. Upon dealing damage who first lifted the bloody meat from a screaming victim to
in a grapple with his bite attack, he may spend 1 Essence his mouth as the cannibal hymn echoed around him. Beasts
to also inflict the Arm Wrack or Leg Wrack Tilt. know him as the Apex of Atef-Pehu, the elder Sobeki whose
Divine: +5 Strength, +4 Stamina, +3 Presence, +3 Size, ravenous hunger gnaws at their dreaming Lairs.
2L bite attack. This colossal hybrid form fuses the features of The mad high priest has a vision for the future wrought
human and crocodile into a monstrous whole. The saharusum in gristle and blood. Sobek is a god of protection, and it is
gains the Terrible Jaws trait of an Iteru crocodile, Armor 4, Petsuchos’ duty to protect Kemet from the chaos without.
43
What Is to Come
Skills: Academics (Religion) 3, Enigmas 3,
Investigation 2,
Occult 3, Politics 3; Archery 1, Athletics 4, Brawl
(Grappling) 4, Stealth 2, Survival 3, Weaponry 3;
Animal Ken 3, Empathy 2, Expression 2,
Intimidation 3, Persuasion (Inspiring) 3, Socialize 2,
Subterfuge 2
Merits: Fame 2, Fortified Form (Divine) 5,
Iron Stamina 3 (CofD, p. 48), Language (First
Tongue), Living Weapon (Divine) 4, Resources 4,
Status (Cult of Sobek) 5, Striking Looks 2
Integrity: 2
Willpower: 7
Initiative: 7
Defense: 7
Armor: 0
Size: 5
Speed: 16
Health: 12
Primal Urge: 5
Essence/per Turn: 15/5
Notes: Petsuchos suffers from the Persistent
Addicted Condition for Crocodile’s flesh.
He believes the best way to achieve this is to induct
Sobekneferu herself into Crocodile’s mysteries. She would Other Systems
truly become the beauty of Sobek, a queen gorged on the All loci in Kemet produce Essence as if their dot rating were
power of the gods just as the cannibal hymn portends. Her one lower; this means the least loci produce no Essence at all,
connection to ma’at would forge a holy communion between although they retain their other qualities. This diminished
humans and divinities, and all would revel and devour and bounty drives far more spirits than usual into the Flesh in search
raise up temples of bone and gore and joy. of fresh resonance to sustain themselves, which is worsened by
Description: Petsuchos usually takes the form of a great, the withering of the Gauntlet inflicted by the Insatiable Hep
bloated crocodile in Sobek’s inner sanctum, bedecked in silver (p. 45). Ridden and Claimed are extremely common.
and jewels as priests gather to incant the god’s ceremonies Werewolves gain an additional point of Essence whenever
around him. He emerges briefly during festivals to publicly they consume human or wolf flesh. Furthermore, characters
change shape and serve as the god’s intermediary for the com- using the Facets of the Gift of Hunger (Shunned by the
mon people. He is a strikingly beautiful man, skin clear and Moon, p. 19) gain a three-die bonus to their activation rolls.
healthy against the alabaster white of his robes, but his eyes are
shot with veins of black and, sometimes, his flesh undulates or Other Prey
bulges as if something squirms just under the surface.
A scant few Ghost Wolves cling to the Black Land’s
Storytelling Hints: His placid demeanor shatters when margins, unwilling to give up the fertile hunting grounds for
the Uratha threaten Shedet or when officiating over hu- the Red Land’s freedom. Some gather strange mystery cults,
man sacrifice in the gore-spattered caves of Crocodile’s calling themselves “shepherds” and touting a philosophy by
tomb — both of which are occasions when he takes on the which werewolves, as beings closer to the gods than humans,
monstrous, divine fusion of Sobek’s form. Free to indulge should rule all of Kemet. They envisage a far firmer tyranny
himself, Petsuchos is a grinning, laughing monstrosity. than the Bone Shadows’ authority in Asyut — the very
Virtue: Patience pharaohs should be wolves, as humanity needs the Uratha’s
Vice: Pride firm hand to guide them away from isfet.
Aspirations: Induct Sobekneferu into the cult; The spirit courts of Iteru are a complex, mystifying web
Protect Shedet from the Uratha; Live a life of glut- of alliances, enmities, and rivalries. The greatest are the
tony and luxury
44
elemental broods of earth and water; in akhet, the water Kemetic Riven. Once or twice, when they’ve tried it with
spirits seize dominance, but in peret, the elementals of earth Uratha instead of humans, bizarre Extempore arose instead.
and mud return to supremacy. Always, the broods of sand
and dust stalk close by in the Red Land, and now the courts New Environmental Tilt:
of hunger rise to great power as well.
Powerful Helions meddle with the human cults of Re. Iteru’s Black Blood
These furious angels of the sun stir up a new faction in the Filthy ichor covers the ground, killing crops and befoul-
cult war, claiming the shapeshifting servants of Wepwawet ing the earth. It reeks, and stains whatever it touches with
and Sobek both are nothing but monstrosities that should be its greasy, nauseating corruption.
purged. These new cults are obsessed with purification by fire; Effect: Characters with open wounds suffer the moderate
where the black blood of Iteru stains its banks, they torture Poisoned Tilt for the scene. Consuming the ichor inflicts the
and burn hapless peasants whom they declare guilty of sins grave Poisoned Tilt. Humans who come into contact with the
and evil hekau that must have invoked this dark phenomenon. black blood gain Gluttonous as an additional Vice for the rest
of the story, and failing a breaking point roll in the ichor’s
Playing the Game

presence inflicts the Madness Condition. Beasts lose a single
point of Satiety every turn while in contact with black blood.
“A Beast who adds a location affected by this Tilt to
This era of dead gods offers a plentiful spread of reasons for
their Lair as a Chamber always suffers its effects, whether
Beasts, Matet, and werewolves to meet and interact — some-
they’re in contact with the physical substance or not, until
times as rivals, sometimes as allies. Besieged by Crocodile’s
the Chamber collapses or they find another way to rid their
appetites, the ominous schemes of Death Wolf’s Sheut, Iteru’s
Lair of the offending substance.”
drought, and unstable human politics, the monsters of Kemet
may find they need to rally together lest they fall alone. Causing the Tilt: The rotting flesh of Crocodile beneath
Shedet oozes this black filth out into Moeris’ waters; when
Hep the Insatiable can bring Uratha and Beasts to-
the waters recede after akhet, the vile mucus stains Iteru’s
gether. Faced with her depredations, the Begotten sects seek
banks in many places.
out werewolves, seeing connections between the hunger
that gnaws at their souls and the madness that grips the Ending the Tilt: When Iteru’s waters next rise, they
Insatiable. Werewolves, for their part, are drawn to Hep purify the god’s foul blood and carry it away.
through investigations of the collapsing Gauntlet wrought
by her Schism — and, in her, they see another symptom of
Crocodile’s terrible influence.
The Labyrinth of Hawara
The sprawling Labyrinth of Hawara is the greatest
Weret-Wesir are burdened with the mortal courts’ anxiet- monument of Amenemhat III’s reign, finished by his loyal
ies and concerns: nobles and officials who fear the drought’s daughter Sobekneferu. It is a grand symbol of death, a dem-
effects, Iteru’s black blood, and the strife spreading in onstration of the incredible architectural knowledge and
Kemet’s shadows. Sobekneferu herself might ask a Nepri to wealth of the Middle Kingdom — and the largest gateway
investigate, as the gods’ emissary, and advise her. They cross to the realm of the dead on the continent.
paths with Sobeki and Uratha in doing so. Once it becomes
Aboveground, the labyrinth is a complex of galleries,
apparent that the cult of Sobek is responsible for the chaos,
pools, courts, and strange chambers. Everything is wrought
even if unintentionally, the Nepri may side with Wepwawet’s
in marble and inscribed with a dizzyingly complex scripture
priests — which in turn may challenge Sobekneferu’s favor
of life and death. Through its twisting maze, retinues of
for the Sobeki and draw the Weret-Wesir into further court
priests march dutifully to perform their daily ceremonies,
intrigues as those who oppose her seek the support of the
following particular paths to work occult meaning into the
Matet. Nepri forming or joining throngs is less common than
patterns they stride. Beneath, though, is where the real
elsewhere, particularly across Lineages, but between visiting
power lies — a labyrinth far more twisted than that above.
foreign Matet with their exotic Rambles and the potential
Under the earth, chambers seem to stretch off forever,
for the Temi-Nebu to become powerful enemies if they side
colonnades and galleries open onto echoing spaces in the
with other supernatural factions to escape poor treatment,
empty dark, and channels of water splash into the plunging
many opportunities arise for Nepri trapped in soft lives of
pools where sacred crocodiles wallow and wait.
veiled manipulation and stagnation to reach out to others.
This underside is the labyrinth’s true purpose. Its knot-
In Asyut, Wolf-Blooded priests of Wepwawet try to hold
ted halls are built in sympathy with the writhing tunnels
open the threshold between life and death and create their
of the Autochthonous Depths, a tangled maze that blurs
own divine emissaries to aid them in the battle against
the lines between this world and the Great Below. Ghosts
Sobek. They have captured, recruited, or studied at least
find it easy to enter the world here, but the labyrinth is, in
one visiting Riven and are trying to replicate their creation.
turn, a defense against them — while they might breach
Aided by werewolf ritemasters and conjured spirits, some of
the realm of the living, they cannot find their way out of
these funerary rites take hold, creating a fresh generation of
the maze. This confusion is metaphysical, not mundane;
45
Playing the Game
a phantasm who thinks they can simply pass through the
walls or roof finds themselves back where they began, and
Entering the Labyrinth
careful mapping is to no avail. The only means of escape Accessing the labyrinth to plumb its secrets, stem the
is the guidance of a willing human priest. flow of slave-ghosts, or confront the Sheut itself is a difficult
Amenemhat III built this place to assure the passage of souls proposition. It sits at the hub of a vast necropolitan network,
to the Duat. The pyramids rearing up around the labyrinth droves of priests working at its periphery. Proud guards stand
are filled with spells and grave goods, but the labyrinth is the at every entrance, armed with blades of copper and silver,
greatest work of them all — a thoroughfare into which the vigilantly examining every acolyte who would step across its
dead might march directly to the Assessors, untroubled by evil threshold. Warden ghosts are chained to the galleries and
spirits. Death Wolf’s Sheut whispered the inspiration into his gibber in the spaces beneath the earth, a morbid garrison
ear, seeking a gateway into the world that could support its of the dead; some puppet corpses, actual mummified bodies
vast power. As Sobekneferu’s architects and priests finish the lurching through the depths’ nightmarish halls. A handful
labyrinth’s vast occult patterns and the incessant funerary rites of Sobeki also watch over the labyrinth, performing blood
strengthen and widen its gate, the Sheut’s time approaches. sacraments and feeding the crocodiles in obeisance to the
Already, it sends through a stream of enslaved ghosts to whisper Sheut’s commands, delivered to them as omens and portents
dark exhortations to sleeping dignitaries, to carve messages in in the minds of Sobek’s diviners and Oracles. Stranger de-
the flesh of its Sobeki dupes, and to vex and curse the Uratha. fenses yet await the daring — the clattering mechanisms
An extrusion of itself now walks the labyrinth’s lowest levels, of simple traps can catch the unwary with deadfalls and
a great, baleful white wolf with cold eyes. blades, while some of the funerary inscriptions seethe with
sinister curses.
Yet, Amenemhat and his priests were no fools. The
labyrinth is a ghost trap that not even this divine shade On the other hand, Beasts sometimes find that opening
can easily thwart. The Sheut cannot escape the tangled Primordial Pathways from Chambers with Traits like Maze,
halls, and cannot shatter this occult prison with its mystical Darkness, or Currents while trying to get to the material
might, for doing so would break the gate before it widened world deposits them in the labyrinth’s depths unbidden;
fully. It cannot retreat, either, caught in the spiritual maze then the problem isn’t getting in, but getting out.
like a fly in a web. Still, in time, the way will be open. It
simply bides its time until it can lure the right guide or find
the right spell to speak, and then it can shed its cage.
46
Pilgrims in the Underworld
A Matet who ventures into the labyrinth’s deepest
RAVENER
passages, where reality blends with the Great Below, and
drinks from the River tributaries that flow there can achieve Virtue: Implacable
anastasis without actually dying. This attunement to death Vice: Gluttonous
is deeply meaningful for the Created of Kemet, particularly
the Nepri, because stepping across that threshold this way Aspirations: Eat everything; Spread the black
grants the Matet a sense of understanding that what lies
blood
beyond, in the Duat, is not calling to them as souls sent Attributes: Intelligence 2, Wits 4, Resolve 3;
back by Wesir. While some may despair upon learning no Strength 6, Dexterity 4, Stamina 5; Presence 4,
divine hand touched them, others realize they are not bound Manipulation 1, Composure 1
through death to duty to the gods, but are instead free be- Skills: Occult 1; Athletics 4, Brawl 4, Stealth 3,
ings allowed to make their own Pilgrimages as they see fit. Survival 3; Intimidation 3
Merits: Iron Stamina 3
Apep’s Brood Willpower: 4
Raveners, also known as the spawn of Apep, are gib- Initiative: 5
bering, warped horrors actually born from Crocodile’s fell Defense: 8
presence. They crawl from Iteru’s tainted silt to drag away Armor: 1/1 (natural)
screaming victims and feast upon their entrails. Each is a
patchwork monstrosity of rotting flesh and bones, an amal- Size: 5
gam of beasts that have fallen to the mud. One grins with Speed: 19
a festering crocodile head atop the body of a lion; another Health: 10
prowls on the legs of a goat, staring at its prey through a
Potency: 4
leopard’s fanged skull and reaching with twisted, suppurat-
ing human arms. Bane: Pure freshwater from a clean spring
At each ravener’s core burns its profane source of power Dread Powers: Beast of Black Silt, Home
— a captive human soul. This ill flame sputters from the eyes Ground (Iteru silt), Natural Weapons (Bite,
and maw of the beast as a cold, blue light. Trapped, unable Claws) 2, Numen: Blast (Ichor Vomit), Spawn of
to pass on, these tormented souls are torn from those who Apep, Toxic 1 (automatic)
die in the river or succumb to the tainted ichor. Weapons/Attacks:
A ravener is a force of chaos manifested in earthly form, Attack Damage Dice Pool Special
driven by rabid hunger and a base, animal cunning. The
Bite/ Armor
monstrosities cannot speak beyond mad cackles or turgid 2L 10
Claw Piercing 2
burbles, but gather in impromptu packs to stalk prey under
cover of darkness. They can only hold back for so long from Beast of Black Silt
the urge to rip, tear, and gorge, but raveners have enough
sense to retreat from overwhelming force and seek more Once per turn, by reflexively spending 1
Willpower, a ravener may regenerate two points
vulnerable victims instead.
of bashing or lethal damage. While on their
Raveners eat anything living, including crops, livestock, Home Ground, this does not cost Willpower.
and humans. When their hunger is briefly sated, the horrors
Numen: Blast (Ichor Vomit)
drag victims away to entomb them in the mud or drown
them, in a hellish mockery of a breeding instinct to create This functions identically to the usual Blast Numen,
more of their kind. Beings of supernatural power drive them except that opponents hit with the ichor vomit also
into an unstoppable frenzy of craving. suffer the grave Poisoned Tilt.
Raveners are a twisted fusion of Flux, undeath, and Spawn of Apep
Pangaean power, and seem to possess a certain kinship All breaking point rolls triggered in a ravener’s
with both akhekhau — particularly the praecipitati — and presence suffer a three-die penalty, including
shartha; the Uratha call them the “Soul-Claimed,” while rolls triggered by steps backward on a Matet’s
Matet scholars view their cold flames as a sort of anti-Azoth. Pilgrimage. Uratha suffer the penalty for rolls
Some raveners display additional capabilities usually associ- toward both Flesh and Spirit.
ated with such creatures, like the ability to track Pyros or
discorporate into their component parts. Others display
more alien powers. Storytellers creating unique raveners
should add Dread Powers to represent their custom abilities.
47
Playing the Game
Storytelling Hunger
accompany a subtle twist or new discovery; and as the crops
grow tall in the fields, ready for harvest, the arc comes to
in the Black Land

an end with the characters facing the repercussions of their
actions. The river serves as a backdrop to each tale, and its
ailing health can provide a sense of pace and consequence.
This era is set at the end of an epoch, the fall of the As the droughts worsen, the stakes grow higher, and foes
Middle Kingdom to the chaos that follows. The pharaoh grow fiercer. A victory over sinister forces in a sepat might
sitting upon Kemet’s throne is doomed, the prosperity and cause Iteru’s fresh waters to wash away the black ichor
accomplishments of her dynasty will crumble, and the staining its banks; but failure, when isfet takes hold of a
world will change. For a Storyteller, the challenge comes community and plunges it into depravity, may cause the
in playing out a tale that embraces these momentous events river’s sickness to gush forth more strongly, causing powerful
without drowning out the actions of the characters. raveners to lollop from the slime.
Storytellers can bring Kemet’s obsession with the other
Running the Game great cycle, that of life and death, into a chronicle through
the words and actions of humans with whom the charac-
Although the ravenous hunger of dead gods simmers
ters interact. Death is a preeminent worry at every level
beneath this era’s stories, the themes and mood of the
of society; people pour their wealth into securing the best
period are what give those stories substance and structure.
tombs and funerary preparations they can. These efforts are
When emphasized, these elements drive drama and push
a major status marker; characters who seem unconcerned
events forward amid the wet silt and dry sand of the Black
with arrangements for the afterlife face confusion or even
and Red Lands.
censure for their nontraditional way of thinking. The an-
The foremost theme is that of twisted reflections. The
tagonists of the era are just as embroiled in this focus on
gods and ma’at face the warped mirror of Crocodile, Death
death; Crocodile is a vast, mummified god, and Death Wolf’s
Wolf’s Sheut, and the chaos that spreads through the land.
Sheut is a ghost trapped halfway between the Underworld
The players’ characters should encounter such stark com-
and the living world.
parisons, too. The easiest way to show this is to pit them
against their more depraved counterparts. Begotten involve
themselves in the consequences of their own siblings’ preda-
tions, especially Hep and purposeless Beasts who live for
nothing more than their Hungers. Uratha clash with Sobeki
and Pure, particularly the Predator Kings whose almost
nihilistic vision of Kemet’s future is so contrary to Asyut’s
Introducing a Paradox
carefully cultivated tenets of society and order. Matet In a world where supernatural characters can
sometimes face those at the opposite extreme of their own act relatively openly, it’s easy for players to drive
social status, but Mesu Betshet unknowingly empowered the era off its historical track. What if they avert
by Crocodile offer the clearest and darkest reflections — Sobekneferu’s death, and she consolidates her
particularly those who see the Insatiable Hep as a goddess power and establishes her lineage? What if some-
thing happens to Iteru to restore its waters rapidly,
more fit to emulate than humanity.
or aggravate the problem further and bring down
These reflections ripple out further than such classic Kemetic culture entirely with a lengthy period of
antagonist face-offs, though. Show players the struggle be- terrible drought? What if an actual Pangaean god
tween scribes who hew to Kemet’s conservative, static tradi- rises up and crushes cities underfoot like a Bronze
tions and those willing to buck the system and fulfill their Age kaiju?
own ambitions. In sacred sanctums, show how grotesque, Don’t panic — it is absolutely fine for a histori-
monstrous Claimed twist human faith into disgusting acts cal game to diverge wildly from actual history.
of self-desecration and sacrifice. Even Sobekneferu herself When considering the ramifications and ripples of
has a dark mirror waiting in the wings — her own sister’s such events, choose some major and interesting
corpse, Ptahneferu, risen to walk again. And what guilty consequences and run with them. For example,
secrets does the pharaoh keep about the night her sister was if Sobekneferu lives, perhaps the Hyksos invad-
murdered to clear her own path to the throne? Show the ers arise earlier and clash directly against the
clash between ma’at and isfet at every level of society, in still-sturdy structure of the Middle Kingdom rather
conflicts between order and chaos, tradition and innovation, than the crumbling edifices of the following chaos,
obedience and selfishness. letting players experience the struggle to keep
the kingdom intact in the face of such an outside
So too do cycles dominate Kemet. Storytellers can lay threat.
out chapters and stories to match the seasons. The floods
bring a great change or new antagonist; the receding waters
48
The moods that pervade Kemet in this time are arro- Drilling down to street-level games, a personal focus
gance and foreboding; the civilization teeters on the cusp serves well for supernatural beings in a world where travel
of its fall, and fear ripples among the people. Common is slow and arduous — even for those blessed with hekau
folk flock in droves to priests and Oracles, seeking advice — and where Crocodile’s hunger warps lives regardless of
and guidance; they see many characters who display super- their distance from the clash of gods. A Beast focuses on
natural powers in much the same light. A character may day-to-day survival, trying to balance her Satiety as the
find themselves pursued by desperate or hopeful petitioners dead god stirs her Hunger — she can’t sit idle, but must
seeking their favor and use of their hekau. The less credulous feed regularly or risk her Horror running loose. Without an
already take steps to ward themselves against the future; established Begotten culture, she must make a framework of
powerful haty-a gather resources and allies in preparation understanding to dwell within, exploring Kemetic religion
for the coming turmoil, and supernatural characters may or looking to ties of Kinship to make sense of her condition.
represent powerful allies they want to keep on their side Matet are always well-suited to street-level games, moving
— or frustrating rivals they need to clear out of the way. from one place to the next to deal with personal dramas and
Despite the fear, many march on as if nothing were reach milestones: a Weret-Wesir expected to give the com-
wrong. The 12th Dynasty has brought such prosperity and mon people advice to help them overcome their struggles
order to the land — why would that change now? Many are when he barely understands the human condition himself,
the officials who wallow in their riches and power, assuming or a Kemet-born Riven just trying to build a throng in
they can weather the storm on the basis of unearned titles peace while the haughty Asyut wolf-priests train her to fight
and inherited privileges. Even as the end of Sobekneferu’s cannibal monsters. A werewolf pack anchored firmly to its
reign approaches, still the great, grinding edifice of state territory’s immediate problems is naturally focused on this
works to raise up new glories in her name. The helmsmen of tier of play, and the Storyteller can easily bring in Beasts
disaster’s barge, the Sobeki, think themselves proud priests and Matet as problems or potential solutions.
of a noble god who harnessed a divine phenomenon and
have it entirely under their control, while all along they are
unwitting pawns of a mad ghost and an unnatural force. As
Story Hooks
often as the characters encounter the fearful and desper- The following tales are but a handful of possibilities
ate, they should face the arrogant and proud — those who for story hooks appropriate to Hunger in the Black Land.
consider themselves the inheritors of a godly civilization,
and who see no need for change or even the admission that Book of the Dead
any problems could threaten mighty Kemet. Someone is systematically murdering priests of the
gods of death and afterlife, particularly Wesir and Anpu.
Gameplay Tiers Each dead cultist is subjected to horrific torments as they
Although this era sees characters caught in the mon- perish, botched rites of mummification visited upon their
strous machinations of mighty spirits and rotting divinities, still-writhing bodies.
not every story needs to contend with this highest tier of The perpetrator is a Nepri called Adjemhet. The Weret-
play. The troupe may plunge into the clash between cults, Wesir tires of his life in service to the gods; he has a sense in
seek secrets in the labyrinth’s bowels, and write the Ramble his bones that he needs to move on, and a desire has stirred
of how the class disparity between Nepri and other Lineages in what is left of his loins to leave a legacy: to create new life.
is upended for better or worse, but Middle Kingdom Kemet Adjemhet seeks to perform a generative act, but he doesn’t
offers plenty for smaller scopes as well. know how, and the priests who created him refuse to share
Mid-tier games might focus on a particular city or sepat. the secrets of his Lineage with him. Now he tries to force it
With the drought, the pestilent ichor, and the restless clash out of them, torturing them for the knowledge of funerary
of cults, a smaller region still holds plenty of opportunities hekau, then practicing those rites on their struggling flesh.
for action, horror, and accomplishment. A Beast may fight The priests don’t truly know the trick of creating a Matet,
to establish a Begotten sect’s philosophy as the primary one torture usually doesn’t produce real information anyway,
among a sepat’s Children and bring the local Hive under and each sect and tradition possesses mere fragments of
its influence, or try to take down Petsuchos to raise up a knowledge that he must sift through after they’re dead and
less-depraved Apex. A Matet might spend a whole chronicle then piece together; it’s slow going.
as the advisor to a haty-a, fending off threats of unrest and On the one hand, Adjemhet becomes a cruel monster,
starvation, or could work to liberate Temi-Nebu or break obsessed with creating life and leaving a trail of bodies
the power of a local alchemists’ guild. A werewolf pack behind him. On the other, he is genuinely clawing together
might be part of a Protectorate that guards against the Pure the secrets from which the Weret-Wesir may become a real,
advance, or deal with the flood of spirits into the Flesh and self-sustaining Lineage. On top of that, the assembled text
the accompanying problems in one city. of funerary lore he gathers is a trove of other deathly secrets
that have nothing to do with the Matet. Getting hold of that
49
Storytelling Hunger in the Black Land
knowledge either requires taking it from Adjemhet — and the focus of the stories. Her tale calcifies into a foundation
he is fiercely possessive of his hard-won wisdom — or helping upon which future narratives will grow. If she dies of natural
him finish his Great Work. But by that point, a great many causes, it will cement her as The One the Demons Could
more priests will have died in the process. Not Kill — giving rise to future Heroes who recover swiftly
The story of Adjemhet is limited in scope but has from damage. If she dies to a Beast’s claws, this nascent
significant ramifications for the Matet journey; the tale story will unravel.
can be expanded by increasing the extremes to which the The Begotten sense this growing threat. Beasts find
Weret-Wesir will go in pursuit of his aims, or the number themselves beset again by nightmares despite their own
of Nepri involved in the coup. Horrors, caught in dream-tales in which they cannot end
their foes. Even the most depraved of the Children are
Eater of Names terrified — and then furious at the notion that anything
could so affect them.
The Predator Kings’ determination to tear down Kemet’s
Might a Beast penetrate the sanctum of Re and slay the
civilization takes a strange new turn. Wild-eyed packs of
Oracle of Khepri, or are more powerful forces at work pro-
Pure rove into the Black Land to desecrate tombs and
tecting her? Killing her may prevent this particular danger,
monuments, scoring stone to obliterate cartouches and
but the inertia of the Primordial Dream cannot be so easily
the names of the honored dead. This is a terrible affront to
stopped; will the narrative simply latch on to another Heroic
ma’at and the legacy of Kemet; those whose names are lost
story, perhaps one that presents an even greater threat to the
suffer as their Ren are forgotten, casting their ghosts adrift
Begotten? The death of such a revered priestess will not go
in the Red Land or depriving them of their own memories
without response — might such an assassination stir a brutal
in the Great Below.
purge of Beasts by the remaining Oracles? The answers to
The Predator Kings perpetrating this enforced amne- these questions determine the scope and tier of this tale.
sia are not in control of their actions. Their names have
Redjemsaf herself has earned her reputation of resilience.
been eaten, too, and something else drives them through
Could she be persuaded to change the course of her own
the yawning wound of their own missing Ren. Splintered
story, if convinced it’s the will of Re?
apart from their fellow Pure, these maddened beasts hunt
ever-greater names to feed their frenzy. What happens when
they reach the monuments of Hawara? The Opener of the Way
At their least threatening, these may simply be Dire Death Wolf needs a vessel, a host for her spirit to carry
Wolf cultists who undertook an unwise rite, eating their her puissant Essence for a brief-but-vital time on her journey
own names to become vessels of obliteration that can to the labyrinth. The Firstborn cannot easily act in Kemet,
ensure they stamp out even the memory of civilization as even as her children fight and die on her behalf; other great
they drive the herd of humanity back to its rightful state as terrors wait for any misstep she makes, ready to pounce, not
prey. Something more powerful might lie behind it, though; least of whom is her sibling Dire Wolf. If she draws too close
another force may draw close to Kemet’s confluence of dead to Shedet, the divine energies of her presence might stir
gods, another great power exploiting the chaos for its own fresh vitality in Crocodile and risk rousing it to shambling,
benefit. Are the Predator Kings thralls to a potent spirit of undead animation. Anything she does must be balanced
loss, or a malevolent Arisen who knows the ancient secrets against the colossal damage she will cause to the Shadow,
of Ren magic? Are they a ghastly form of Claimed, a night- draining it of Essence to sustain her presence.
mare spawned in the Red Land’s chaos? Or are they servants The finest vessel would be the body of a royal, reso-
to something that overshadows all else, a personification of nant with the symbolism of Amenemhat’s monument.
the end of identity itself — the jaws of a newly awakened Sobekneferu is out of bounds unless the situation becomes
Earth-Bound that calls itself Ammut, clamping shut around utterly desperate — but Ptahneferu would be an ideal host
Kemet in the kingdom’s final days? for the Firstborn. That she is dead is not a major obstacle;
Death Wolf could easily puppet her as a corpse.
Hard to Kill Unfortunately, Ptahneferu isn’t in her tomb. The Bone
In the great temple of Re at Itjtawy, the scarred flesh Shadows scour the land for whichever tomb robbers might
of an old woman gives birth to a legend. Redjemsaf is an have thieved the remains away, thinking her still a dead
Oracle of distinction, a priestess of Khepri who has fought body. The priesthood of Ptah catches wind of the hunt.
and survived innumerable fiends in her time. In her twilight Now, they desperately hide their ward, terrified of what
years, she lays down the bow to offer the wisdom of her the priests of Wepwawet intend for her, and what the
portents to the great and the good — even Sobekneferu consequences will be for themselves for having concealed
herself comes to the temple to receive Redjemsaf’s guidance. her from the powerful cult. They tentatively reach out to
the Weret-Wesir and other creatures of hekau, forced to
The Primordial Dream swirls around this old woman.
seek allies through lack of other options — but perhaps
Not simply a seer who aids others, she has herself become
someone else might be able to bridge the gap between
50
parties and find an accord. After all, if anyone could bear It’s not only good for naming characters or places and giv-
the brief weight of a Firstborn, it would be the Divine Fire ing your game an authentic feel, it’s also just a fascinating
of a hardy Created — or so they theorize. They refuse to look at the kinds of things the ancients valued and ways
admit they don’t actually have any idea what kind of effect they used language.
such a possession would have on either of them. The Book of the Dead hails from the New Kingdom, but
The story of Death Wolf’s vessel is an upper-tier tale, but it is a collation of many of the rites and spells that were in
the scope can be narrowed down to focus on the struggles use during the Middle Kingdom and Sobekneferu’s reign.
and choices of the characters involved and the negotiations Its passages give ample illustration of the beliefs the people
between parties, giving it a more personal bent. of Kemet held about the Duat and A’aru, what dangers and
obstacles they felt the afterlife contained, and the means
Sources and Inspiration

they used to reach the coveted goal of eternal life.
The Cannibal Hymn is an ancient passage hailing from
the era of Pharaoh Unas, reappearing among funerary in-
Storytellers may be hard-pressed to find fictional media scriptions during the Middle Kingdom. It details the bizarre
that takes place in Kemet’s Middle Kingdom, and most of and grotesque process of eating the power of the gods them-
the accounts we have of the places in focus in this era are selves, raising Unas up as a divine figure above all others.
later writings by Greeks like Herodotus, whose takes on
The Middle Kingdom saw a flourishing of literature,
Egypt are questionably accurate at best. For inspirational
including the Tale of the Eloquent Peasant and the Story
material, your best bet is to seek out translations of original
of Sinuhe, offering insight into how the people of the time
texts from the period.
saw more worldly and mundane matters such as commerce,
Also recommended is the book A Hieroglyphic justice, and ma’at.
Vocabulary to the Theban Recension of the Book of the Dead,
The Pack, by Paul Louise-Julie, is a comic featuring the rare
by E. A. Wallis Budge; you can find the full searchable
combination of werewolves and ancient Egypt. It’s set in a later
text, digitized by the Internet Archive with funding from
era than the Middle Kingdom of Sobekneferu, but as a story
Brigham Young University, at https://archive.org/details/hi-
of lycanthropes in the ancient world, it is peerless. It also gives
eroglyphicvoca00budg/page/n7. It gives a huge dictionary of
a sense of Kemet existing in the context of other places and
ancient Egyptian words found in original texts with English
peoples, as the main characters are themselves Nubians, origi-
translations, including a ridiculously useful index of the
nating from the land known to the people of this era as Kush.
English entries in the back and hieroglyphs for everything.
51
Rabbit hoisted the package higher onto his back. He looked at Wolf;
his brother in life, death, and crime.
“Are you certain?” he asked for the fourth time.
Wolf shrugged, glancing up at the Colossus: “It’s not moving now.”
No, Rabbit thought, it was not moving now. But stories hinted it
did sometimes, and Rabbit was not looking forward to that at all.
“Why am I carrying the package?” he moved to a different tack.
Another shrug. “I’m older.”
This was also true. By the time Rabbit had struggled free of the
leathery sack of alchemical fluid serving as a womb to him, Wolf
had already consumed his first kill. How long ago was that now?
The holes in Rabbit’s brain made it hard to remember.
“She’ll be wanting that,” Wolf reminded him.
She would. Rabbit looked forward to handing the gift to her — if
Wolf didn’t steal it from him first — and seeing her smile. The god-
dess was beautiful to Rabbit in a way even his Creator had not been.
She made him whole, or at least made him feel like he was whole and
that was just as good. He thought he loved her, though he couldn’t
be sure — he’d never felt love before.
He stepped between the feet of the Colossus, eager now to
get to the Hedge entry he knew was there. He stopped when
he heard stone grinding on stone above him. Towering
30 meters over Rabbit, the statue now looked down.
Its great eyes blinked, drawing stone lids over black
irises.
Rabbit was aware of metal unsheathing behind
him. Wolf was always the braver of them — and
the foolhardier. He, on the other hand, was
frozen in place with terror.
The Colossus bent forward; stone lips
drawn tight, forehead creasing into a frown.
Small bits of rock rained down on Rabbit.
A needle-thin blade whistled through the
air, whipping a stray lock of Rabbit’s tufty
hair forward, and clanked harmlessly off
the stone giant. Now the Colossus’ head
turned to regard Wolf and an unseen
weight fell off Rabbit — still too scared to
move, at least he could breathe again. He
watched as the Colossus’ hand came down,
larger than him from palm to fingertips.
His brain short-circuited, electric currents
sending alarms to his legs, and then he was
running. He almost tripped over his feet as
he flew past Wolf and ran to the safety of the
harbor. He didn’t even realize he had dropped
the package, landing near the Colossus’ feet with
a soft thud of flesh — the goddess would have
to wait for her quarry.
The Seven Wonders
The Seven Wonders
286-226 BCE
286-226 BCE
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World coexisted together for just half a
century. In that short era though, they created something never seen before or
after: the Web of Seven. The seven wonders form a series of Pilgrimage Markers,
drawn together in a roadmap to New Dawn. They serve as bastions against
the Gentry: The Great Bargain inscribed on the pyramid of Khufu repels the
Huntsmen, while the Lighthouse of Alexandria guides still-enslaved Lost out of
the Hedge. Prometheans and Lost wrought their magic separate from each other,
but the effects of Pyros and Glamour weave together into the Web of Seven.
Within the Web, a new Lineage of Prometheans hails from a Hedgebound
construct. Orphic Lost play at being genitors, hoping to create their greatest
work yet. Fetches can attempt the Pilgrimage, mistaken by the Divine Principle
for one of its own.
The Gentry, bound by Khufu’s Bargain, observe their fetch servants struggle
Great deeds are

to escape their clutches — but what starts as amusement turns to mounting
usually
wroughtwrought at
Great deeds are usually horror when one fetch comes dangerously close to Redemption. They respond
great risks.
at great risks. as Gentry would, by finding a loophole in the Bargain and sending loyalists to
sabotage the Web. Eventually, through their efforts or unlucky circumstance,
— Herodotus the Colossus of Rhodes falls in 226 BCE. Though the giant continues to lie
Herodotus
in place for centuries after, its destruction signals the end of the Web. Seven
Wonders takes place before the fall, when the road to Redemption is still open.
The seven wonders span a vast distance. What Has Come Before breaks
them up by empire: Egypt, Greece, and the Seleucid Empire each control several
wonders. Meanwhile, Where We Are Now places them geographically, from
the Hanging Gardens at the Web’s most eastern point and the Statue of Zeus
at its most western. Both sections provide history, supernatural involvement,
and story hooks. Where We’re Going offers a glimpse of the Colossus hitting
the ground, and moves further into the future still: Which wonder falls next,
and why does the Pyramid of Khufu alone still stand in the modern era?
Next, Promethean: Wonders in Shadow explains the complex relation-
ship between the Created and the most wondrous constructs of the ages, while
Changeling: Keepers of the Seven describes their struggle to keep the Great
Bargain in the face of Gentry posing as gods and an ever-growing loyalist threat.
We move to player resources — guidelines on playing a fetch; new goblin
fruits, tokens, and Azothic Objects; Merits; and ways to keep a crossover group
together — in Playing the Game. Lastly, Storytelling the Seven offers a closer
look at different tiers for a Seven Wonders campaign, replete with sample stories,
and sources for further research into the era. The Dream Builders presents a
freehold of Orphic Lost who bargained with the Lady of Death herself.
In the Ashes of Alexander

Alexander spent 10 years conquering everything he could, died in Bactria,
and left a massive empire behind him — which immediately collapsed. The
legacy of this empire was the Hellenistic Age, a period where Greek culture
54
The Seven Wonders
was spread across the wide breadth of Alexander’s empire.
The successor states, seized by his generals, would inform Shining from the Isle of
the next several centuries of power politics across the world.
There was more to Alexander’s conquest than the geo-
Pharos — The Lighthouse
political consequences, however — even great generals do
not exist in a vacuum. Even as Alexander’s empire split,
of Alexandria
his generals going to war to seize as much of their former Many things could be said of Alexander, but not that
comrades’ territory as they could, the spread of Greek he was humble — he left a dozen Alexandrias scattered
culture and language enabled a kind of cosmopolitanism across his empire, founding them as he went. He ordered
that had never before existed in this part of the world. If Egypt’s Alexandria built at the western edge of the Nile
you spoke Greek, you could travel virtually anywhere (of Delta. Once Ptolemy took control of Egypt, he quickly
interest, anyway) and expect to be understood. Among commanded not only the construction of a lighthouse on
other things, this enabled tourism like never before, and Pharos Island, just offshore, but a massive mole that served
even for those who couldn’t afford to travel, travelogues as a breakwater and stretched from the shore to the island
became ridiculously popular — Herodotus, the father of itself. Known as the Heptastadion (from the Greek hepta,
history (and lies) was famous for his. “seven,” and stadion, a unit of length roughly equal to 196
yards), it was an engineering marvel in its own right, but
The Wars of the Diadochi were over by 275 BCE,
it paled before the tower that rose from Pharos.
with power blocs consolidated more or less in the form
they would remain in for years to come. Ptolemy’s suc- The Lighthouse of Alexandria was 400 feet tall or
cessors controlled Egypt, and already the great Library in more, and such was its brilliance, powered by a purpose-
Alexandria the dynasty’s founder built was known as a built furnace at its peak, that it could be seen for many
center of great learning and wisdom; the Seleucid dynasty miles. In time, it would serve as the model for lighthouses
controlled most of Asia Minor and all of Alexander’s for- around the world, and the word pharos would make its
mer holdings in South Central Asia; and the Antigonid way into dozens of languages as a word for things that
dynasty had seized control of Macedon itself, as well as give off light.
most of the Greek city-states.
In Honor of
Ancient Even to Antiquity — the Lady of Ephesus —
The Great Pyramid at Giza The Temple of Artemis
Khufu, known to the Greeks as Cheops, was the pharaoh
The Temple of Artemis has stood at Ephesus for ages, but
responsible for inaugurating the age of Egyptian megastruc-
the present temple is not the first, nor even the second, but
tures, ordering a mammoth tomb constructed for himself
the third and grandest iteration thereof. The first, attributed
that took decades to build and consumed labor and lives to
by many to the Amazons, was destroyed by a flood in the
a degree unprecedented in history and never matched by
seventh century BCE; the second, built by Croesus of Lydia,
the time of the seven wonders. At 481 feet tall, it was by
a ruler known proverbially for his great wealth, was burned
far the tallest structure constructed by humanity, a record
to the ground by a single man who wished for his name to
it would hold until the 1300s CE, and the construction and
live forever. The Ephesians set about rebuilding the temple
architecture was so fine that the sides of the pyramid deviate
themselves afterward, but progress was slow.
only by centimeters from one another. Two other enormous
pyramids stand astraddle it, built by later pharaohs, and Ephesus had long been ruled by the Persians, one of the
Giza itself is strewn with temples, causeways, and the Great furthest outposts of their empire, but when Alexander swept
Sphinx. It was a wonder even among wonders, astonishing through Asia Minor the people revolted against the tyrant
all who looked upon it. Syrpax, stoning him and his family to death even before
Alexander could march on the city. Alexander offered to
It was already 2,500 years old when six other wonders
pay for the construction of the temple, but the Ephesians
would rise up to challenge it, the kingdom that had built
politely declined his offer, saying that it was inappropriate
it long since buried beneath the sand and rebuilt time
for one god to build a temple to another. After Alexander’s
and again, ancient but unbowed by time. The Ptolemaic
death, one of his generals, Lysimachus, took control of
dynasty was only the latest to rule Egypt, and was only a
Ephesus, and spent the remainder of his reign descending
blink of an eye in the long, long history of that country.
into infamy. First, he forcibly relocated the whole of Ephesus
Small wonder, then, that Ptolemy wished to leave his
away from the temple site, flooding the city by blocking up
mark on his new empire, and ordered the construction of
the sewers to force the issue, then destroyed two nearby
a massive lighthouse.
cities and forced the inhabitants to move to the new city
of Arsinoe (named for his wife) he’d constructed to replace
55
In the Ashes of Alexander
A Forest Within a City —
He Who Shall Not Be Named The Hanging Gardens of
Following the arson, the Ephesians made a law
that barred mentioning the name of the man Nineveh
who committed it, on pain of death, to stymie his It was not in the ancient city of Babylon (rightly famed
attempt to immortalize his name. Regrettably, the for its great walls, which were called a wonder more than
law did not succeed — his name was recorded by once) that the Hanging Gardens were built, but to the
several historians and has since become widely
north, in the city of Nineveh on the Tigris River, by the
known, to the point of becoming a metonym for
vainglorious criminal acts. It’s trivially easy to find Assyrian king Sennacherib. In his day, the Neo-Assyrian
the man’s name should you wish to do so, but we Empire stretched across Mesopotamia and into Egypt and
won’t be adding to his infamy here. Asia Minor — his conquests are recorded in the Second
Book of Kings. The capital, Nineveh, was home to great
works of irrigation and mechanism that spread the fertile
waters of the Tigris across a great area — and also provided
water for the massive garden, built over a many-tiered
Ephesus. At the beginnings of the Seven Wonders era, structure, that remained green even into the blistering
Lysimachus is firmly in control and hated by many, but he Mesopotamian summer. The garden itself housed plants
is soon to be the architect of his own doom. from across the world, meticulously cared for by a staff of
hundreds of gardeners.
One Man’s Memory — The It was a magnificent work of art and construction in
a city made great by conquest — but that city was, itself,
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus conquered. Following the death of Ashurbanipal, son of
Esarhaddon and grandson of Sennacherib, Assyria fell into
Mausolus was a Persian satrap, son of Hecatomnus,
civil war. Never a popular empire thanks to the sheer cruelty
who ruled a kingdom in Asia Minor called Caria. A great
of their methods, their many foes fell on them en masse,
admirer of Greek culture all his life, when he chose to
destroying the empire. Nineveh was besieged, sacked, and
move the capital to Halicarnassus he spared no expense
razed in 612 BCE, and its people fled.
on making the city suitably impressive. When he died, his
What was left of Assyria was divided between the Medes
wife, Artemisia II (also his sister — the Hecatomnids were
and the Babylonians — Nineveh itself was never resettled. The
known for sibling marriage) ordered the construction of a
great library of Ashurbanipal is said to have inspired Alexander
massive and magnificent tomb, importing famous Greek
to order the construction of the Library of Alexandria in Egypt,
sculptors and architects to ensure it outdid all others of
an order that Ptolemy posthumously carried out. In the time of
its kind. Such was her outpouring of grief for her husband,
the Seven Wonders era, the ruins of Nineveh still stand — as
she was thereafter known through antiquity as a model of
do the Hanging Gardens, abandoned, wild, but still green as
widowhood.
the lush forests of the mountains.
When completed, the tomb was 150 feet tall, and
covered in reliefs of scenes from Greek myth, from the
Centauromachy to wars of Greeks against Amazons. The
construction took years, lasting well past Artemisia’s death
two years after Mausolus’ — her ashes were interred with The Hidden Wonder
his, sealed behind a corridor full of sacrificed animals. At The Hanging Gardens is the only wonder for
the time, this structure was simply known as the Tomb of which we have no archaeological evidence — or,
Mausolus — the Romans wouldn’t be around to coin the at least, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon de-
term “mausoleum” in its honor for some centuries. scribed by so many ancient writers. Sennacherib’s
Halicarnassus itself was all but destroyed when
garden, however, is well-attested and was
renowned in its time for its great beauty and
Alexander took the city, not by the Macedonian army complex construction. It is certainly possible there
but by the retreating Persians, who fired it. Winds spread was another, equally grand garden in Babylon,
the flame and much of the city was lost, and even after but no Babylonian sources mention anything of the
Alexander left the city in the hands of Ada of Caria (who sort. We’ve chosen to set the Hanging Gardens in
left it to him upon her death) and the subsequent largesse Nineveh, according to more recent theories, even
of Ptolemy, the city never properly recovered. though the city was destroyed centuries before.
56
The Seven Wonders
The Shining Glory of the
Gods — The Statue of Zeus Physics Is a Cruel Mistress
The Statue of Zeus predated Alexander by nearly a century, The Colossus of Rhodes is frequently depicted
and was created by the sculptor Phidas, who had previously as standing astride the entrance to the harbor of
given the Athenians a masterful statue of Athena Parthenos Rhodes. Historically speaking, it almost certainly
to rest in the Parthenon. At 43 feet, it was by far the smallest didn’t — the technology to build it without blocking
the port (Rhodes’ lifeblood) for years simply didn’t
of the wonders, but also perhaps the most magnificent, for it
exist in the ancient world. Moreover, if it stood
was not for its scale that it was known but for its lifelike qual- there, it would probably have toppled into the
ity and immaculate construction. Sculpted of ivory and gold harbor itself when it fell, and we have numerous
over a wooden framework and studded with precious gems, accounts that rule that out. More likely, it stood off
onlookers were invariably overtaken by the sense of majesty to one side, and its precise location is a running
and power emanating from the statue. To protect the ivory argument in archaeological circles.
from degradation, the statue was covered in olive oil, refreshed
regularly, that flowed into a reflecting pool surrounding the
statue. Legend has it that when Phidas completed the statue,
he prayed to Zeus for a sign that he approved of the work — a a crossing of realms and a bending of otherwise ironclad
bolt of lightning immediately struck the floor of the temple. laws. For changelings living in this time, glamour flows like
the Nile, a steady stream that periodically floods its banks,
The temple itself stood at Olympia, on the Peloponnese,
running over with the pure energy of dreams, ambitions,
site of the Olympic Games — the temple and the statue
and hopes. For Prometheans, the cast-off half-children of
were, therefore, part of the ritual honoring Zeus of which
Demiurges caught in the feverish zeitgeist of the wonders,
the games were only a part.
the Principle — the Divine Fire that animates them — is
closer and more present in their lives than ever before. Yet,
The Sun Astride the Waters all things must come to an end, even and most especially the
— The Colossus of Rhodes

good. These few decades will see a flourishing of the Created
and the Lost alike, and exchanges between them that will
Rhodes is an island just off the coast of Asia Minor in fade along with the wonders, remembered only as legend.
the Aegean Sea. Briefly conquered by Mausolus and the
Persians, their rule quickly gave way to that of Alexander.
After his death and the partitioning of his empire, Rhodes
Egypt
made a deal with Ptolemy that ensured their autonomy Egypt, once-great, a power that stood for as long as his-
and allowed the two to all but control trade in the Aegean. tory remembers. Egypt, conquered by the Greeks, ruled by
the sons and daughters of Ptolemy and whatever lieutenants
In 305 BCE, eager to break the alliance, Antigonus
he saw fit to install beneath him. In the age of the Seven
sent his son Demetrius to take Rhodes — but after a siege
Wonders, the Ptolemaic Kingdom is still young — Ptolemy
of more than a year, the Rhodians negotiated a peace with
II Philadelphus, son of Ptolemy, began his reign in 285
him. The Wars of the Diadochi would not go Antigonus’
BCE, while the Colossus was still being built, and his son
way, however — he was dead soon after, and the balance
will succeed him as Ptolemy III Euergetes in 246 BCE.
of power left Rhodes between the three remaining post-
Ptolemaic pharaohs often share power with their wives
Alexander empires. Blessed with some of the finest sailors
(who are usually their sisters, if not another relative), who
in the Mediterranean, they played the three against each
rule as co-regents or, later, in their own right.
other to maintain their independence, and grew rich from it.
Ptolemy not only created a new god, Serapis, to com-
The Colossus itself was constructed astride the entry to
bine the features of Apis and Osiris, but instituted a state
the harbor of Rhodes in honor of Helios, the patron god of
religion centered on the cult of the deified Alexander.
Rhodes, and in celebration of the victory over Demetrius.
His family continued the practice after his death. Many
The youngest wonder was just over 100 feet tall, and was
Egyptian gods are portrayed in the Greek style, their
by far the tallest statue in the ancient world. It was also the
animal features pared back or eliminated entirely. Statues
shortest-lived wonder — it would collapse in an earthquake
of gods from both cultures are modeled on the Ptolemaic
a mere 54 years later.
pharaohs and their spouses — Arsinoe II, Philadelphus’
wife, is used as a model for Isis, Hera, and other goddesses.
Locations The Ptolemies themselves take on a divine role within

the state cult of Alexander, following in the footsteps of
the pharaohs they replaced — many are legally deified
The Seven Wonders are more than just noteworthy
works of art; bound in a mystical miasma that pervades following their death, their images subsumed into the
the Hellenistic world, they serve as the focal points for growing state cult.
57
Locations
Despite the conquest and the period of adjustment to
rule by foreigners, Egypt remains at the heart of trade both
in the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, but reaching into
Mesopotamia and Asia Minor as well. Its alliance with
Rhodes secures its freedom to trade on the seas, and so the
cities of Egypt are thriving cosmopolitan centers of culture.
Giza and Alexandria

The Pyramid of Khufu is almost unimaginably ancient
— by the time of the other wonders, half of Giza lay buried
in the advancing sands, and the pyramid still shone bril-
liantly in the sun, as heedless as the passage of centuries as
the sky itself. It was more than just a monument to a man
worshipped as a god, though. Within the pyramid, hidden
within stone and sand, buried within the structure itself,
lay a secret driving Egypt’s greatness.
Savants believe Egypt is the place where the living first
caused the dead to rise, creating the first Prometheans. Some
go so far as to say that not only were the Egyptians practiced
at creating Prometheans, but they institutionalized it, made
it part of their state’s policy using advanced funerary magic
now lost to memory. Those who know of the great strength
and unmatched stamina possessed by most Prometheans must
admit there are few other ways the ancients could have built
such a magnificent structure, one that has endured unmarred
for thousands of years. Of course, given that yawning gulf of
time, it’s impossible to say whether this is true, but the fact
remains that Egypt was and is a golden opportunity for any
Prometheans who journey there. The land is rich in the
Azothic memory, qashmallim come and go like the rising
and setting of the sun, and when Torment proves to be too
much, isolation and solitude is only a short walk into the
desert away. Giza is no exception.
The pyramid is not just a tomb, but an Athanor to
surpass all Athanors, constructed to guide the spirits of
pharaohs who crossed the river of death and returned.
The site is known to Prometheans throughout the world,
passed on through word of mouth or glimpsed in the throes
of an Elpis vision, and rare is the Promethean in this era
who does not at least try to find her way here. A few make
a semi-permanent home here, considering themselves the
stewards of this magnificent and ancient miracle — they will
venture elsewhere on their Pilgrimage sooner or later, but
there is always a newcomer who will happily replace them.
Prometheans are not, however, alone in their venera-
tion for the site. Hundreds of years ago, during a period of
chaos and instability in Egypt between the Middle and Late
Kingdoms, a symposium of the Lost came together at Giza
and used the pyramid — whose power they sensed even
if it was beyond their ken — to bind the Great Bargain,
though the truth of this deal would be kept a secret for
thousands of years more. This was a time before courts and
companies, with groups of changelings coming together in
informal symposia, loosely dedicated to the seasons and
shifts of wealth and water. Henceforth, the Hedge would
58
The Seven Wonders
certainly helped that with priesthood in the Imperial Cult
of Alexander came privileges and prestige that the son of a
Culture Clash low-ranking officer who happened to save a relative of the
great pharaoh Ptolemy I Soter could otherwise never aspire
Throughout much of its history, Egypt was to. Tending to the Tomb of the Divine Alexander himself,
remarkably ahead of its time when it came to the he is surrounded by luxuries from across the world, including
rights of women. Though certainly still patriar- many sacred texts taken in conquest and held as the god’s
chal, women could own property, work, manage
temples, and in several cases become pharaoh. personal property, unknown to the great library that bears his
Ma’at, translatable as harmony, justice, law, name — late at night, when he can arrange to be alone, he
or balance (and personified as a goddess) was peruses these texts, and he has learned much of the secret arts.
central to the Egyptian view of the world, and One day soon, he will test that learning, but not on Divine
ensuring a harmonious and orderly life was Alexander. Not yet, anyway. Academics (Architecture,
essential, because one’s station in life would be Burial Rites, Warfare) 4, Occult 3, Survival 2
exactly replicated in the afterlife. Cynical Tour Guide
The Ptolemies, however, were very thoroughly Ana was born in a village a few miles from the Pyramid
Greek, a culture that even by the standards of the of Khufu — according to her mother, her family have lived
time was on the misogynistic side. Women were
sheltered from the world, expected to weave, have there since before it was built, but she hasn’t believed that
children, and do very little else. However, when they since she was a child, long before familiarity with the pyra-
took control of Egypt, they followed Alexander’s mids bred contempt. Now, grown and with two daughters
example, and left the established social structure in herself, she makes a little extra money on the side by acting
place — Greek law coexisted with Egyptian law, as a guide for wealthy Greeks who visit the area, taking
and Egyptian women were permitted to carry on them on a tour of the grounds and repeating the nonsense
much as they had. Over time, the local culture influ- stories her mother used to tell — about how, before the
enced the Greek ruling class more and more, until sands came, the Sphinx would prowl the land, spiriting
they were more a mélange of Greek and Egyptian away any who hoped to burgle the tombs of the pharaohs,
rather than culturally Greek. It wasn’t until the decline or how the stars themselves descended in bodies of light
of the Ptolemaic dynasty and Rome’s simultaneous to make obeisance before the pyramids. Whether visitors
rise in the first century BCE that the Roman legal
system would slowly steamroll local conventions. believe it or not, they pay her well enough for the effort,
as do the Odd Folk who dwell nearby and who, best as she
can tell, drink down the excitement of the wealthy Greeks
the way she drinks down their wallets. She’s come to know
be open, more open than ever it had been before or since, them all by sight. Some are her neighbors; one is the old
and though this would allow the Gentry much more access woman who watches her children from time to time. They
to the world, it would also leave the doors open for those
they took to return, and for those who did so to remain free
from the threat of Huntsmen.
So it was for centuries, until Euphrasia, a sage of the Lost The First Athanor
hiding within Ptolemy’s royal entourage, posed a question
The pyramid at Giza breaks all the rules for Athanors,
as she watched the Pharos of Alexandria being constructed:
combining multiple types and projecting its effects
“Why not gift our trapped fellows with a beacon, that they much farther than any “normal” Athanor ever could,
might easily find their way through the Hedge?” It seemed, bathing Giza in Azothic energies. It is attuned to the
to Euphrasia and her peers, that rather than build one of Refinement of Gold, acting as a Refinement Furnace to
their own, they might instead make use of the lighthouse ease the transition from death into life — and despite
itself and so, with care and stealth, they worked great magics being unimaginably ancient, any Promethean in Giza
upon it each night, binding it to their service as well as the may avail herself of this, not merely the long-lost
service of mariners who followed its light. In the Hedge, creator. It also acts as a Sanctuary, and is a powerful
the Lighthouse of Alexandria shines like a beacon of pure Pilgrimage Marker as well.
glamour, visible even from the borderlands of Faerie. It is no Unfortunately, such benefits do not come without
surprise, then, that the trickle of refugees from that dread costs — the sheer Azothic radiance of the pyramid is
land rose to a torrent. As a result, Egypt under Ptolemy fairly such that Pandorans can sense it for leagues in every
seethes with the Lost, the Fae-touched, and fetches alike. direction, and Created who dwell here must always
be wary of hungry mouths lurking in the dunes around
Priest of Alexander, the Once-Living God them, some of them Pandorans, others weird Lifeless
Heliodoros’ father served under Ptolemy, who served creatures known as Shuankhsen.
the Divine Alexander, and so it seemed only right that he
follow tradition in the way best available to him — and it
59
Locations
look at one another, nod knowingly, and say nothing. Ana Vainglorious Athlete
may be a cynic, but she’s no fool. Academics (History) 5,
Let every Greek call her and her family barbarians
Empathy 3, Expression (Storytelling) 3
(never mind that their own accents are atrocious), Eudokia
cares not. Not only have her family’s horses won equestrian
Greece events for Elis two games running, but in the last Heraean
Games, she outclassed her fellow Eleans and even the
The Antigonids rule a fractured Greece from Macedon,
ever wary of the growing power of Rome to the west. Ever since Spartan women to an embarrassing degree. As tall as her
Epirus lost the Pyrrhic War and allowed Rome to secure total husband and nearly as powerfully built, she enjoys both fame
control of the Italian peninsula, their star rose ever further. and notoriety throughout Elis for her habit of wearing a
The age of wonders sees the First Punic War, where Rome man’s chiton and for riding the horses she rears up and down
secures control of the western Mediterranean and, shortly the countryside. Somehow, she dodges any consequence of
after its end, Hannibal ravages Rome’s possessions but fails to her libertine ways — ill-wishers and plotters seem to enjoy
secure victory. For the Antigonids and their empire, the age nothing but long runs of foul luck. Eudokia attributes this
of wonders is not an age of peace and plenty, but an age of to her lover, a maid whose horns only she is ever allowed
intrigue, of war, of revolution, and of rapidly shifting borders. to see. Clearly, Hermes not only heard her prayers, but has
taken a special interest. Athletics (Endurance) 4, Brawl
2, Ride (Horse) 5
Olympia
Elis, on the Peloponnese, is far from the center of power,
and for all that the prestigious Olympic Games are held there,
Asia Minor
the Eleans themselves are often thought of by other Greeks Stretching from the Aegean Sea and the Hellespont
as barely Greek themselves, their language so accented it can in the west to Armenia Major in the east, Asia Minor is a
barely be understood. Though Corinth is heavily garrisoned hilly plateau that has ever been a crossroads. From Lydians
by the Macedonians, their control wavers often — the old to Assyrians to Medes to Achaemenids and finally now
city-states, though no longer truly independent, still wield Seleucids, a host of empires has marched across it. As a
significant power thanks to support from Ptolemaic Egypt, result, it is a diverse region, home to Armenians, Greeks,
which sees them as a useful catspaw to undermine Macedon. the aforementioned Lydians and Assyrians, Hittites,
Olympia itself is a sacred site, far from the city of Elis Cimmerians, Galatians, and a host of others. Now, that
itself. The Olympic Games, part of a wider series of festivals diversity finds itself at the mercy of Greek rulership, and the
known as the Panhellenic Games, are the most prestigious promulgation of an official language and culture threaten
of the lot, and occur on a regular schedule throughout the to obliterate ancient ways and languages.
age of the wonders. A truce, the ekecheiria, is observed for Ruled from Antioch, just to the south, Asia Minor is
the duration of the games, and is not often violated, though at the forefront of the Seleucid Empire’s attention, thanks
the Games have throughout their history been a field of to its old connections to Greek culture.
struggle for prestige and games of power, a cosmopolitan
bed of intrigue wearing the mask of athleticism and ritual. Ephesus
At the heart of the Sanctuary of Olympia sits the mag- Ionia, the western coast of Asia Minor in the Aegean
nificent Temple of Zeus, and the masterful creation of the Sea, had long been a part of wider Greek culture — those
legendary Athenian sculptor, Phidas. For the Lost, the statue’s in Greece considered the Ionians to be a strange lot, even
gold-and-ivory glory is a never-ending font of Glamour that if being Greek did elevate them a step above “barbarians,”
eclipses even that of the other wonders, lending the local a word they coined to describe anyone who didn’t speak
changeling culture a manic energy that never quite fades — Greek, and which held connotations of incompetence,
during Olympiads, that energy rises to a fever pitch, to the untrustworthiness, and an uncivilized nature. Still, many
point where it becomes nigh-addictive. Lost elsewhere warn Ionian cities were important cultural centers dating
their fellows about the allure of such a place, for it’s easy to back hundreds of years, and Ephesus was no exception.
lose oneself to the awe and majesty such an experience brings. According to contemporary myth, the city was founded by
More than a few ecstatic cults of the Lost have been born and Ephos, Queen of the Amazons. Unsurprisingly, Artemis,
flamed out here, and the Dionysian Mysteries are routinely the goddess of wilderness, the hunt, and childbirth found
reborn from humans caught in the fringes of their festivities. a strong following here.
Prometheans find the statue no less astonishing, though The Temple of Artemis as it stands today is the third
it is neither Athanor nor Created. Rather, they take great such temple, and the grandest yet. The site on which it sits
comfort in seeing humans giving reverence to the image has been considered sacred for as long as history records,
of humanity, even if that image represents a god. It is as- important even to the Leleges and Lydians who preceded
pirational for them, apart from any feelings of wonder the the Greeks. Artemis as she is worshipped here (as the Lady
statue invokes in their hearts as well as in those of humans. of Ephesus) is a syncretic melding of Artemis and Kybele,
60
The Seven Wonders
and is venerated here not only in her traditional aspects
but as a giver of life. The land around the temple is verdant
and lush, the forests nearby deep and thick, and the beasts
therein large and unafraid to challenge humans.
As humans have long known Ephesus as a sacred site, so
too have the Lost among them known the truth — the land
is replete with gateways to the Hedge, and the Others ride
here with great frequency. Some Lost believe that Artemis,
here enshrined, is nothing more than an ancient Gentry so
profligate that she is remembered even by humans in myth,
but few voice such opinions aloud, fearing not only divine
retribution should they be wrong but the ire of those around
them. More Lost are inclined to treat Artemis as a patron,
especially those who revered her before they were Taken
— while more than one True Fae has mimicked Artemis’
trappings, many of the Lost who escaped such Gentry tell
that the catalyst for their escape was realizing that there
was nothing divine about the creature that had stolen and
changed them.
The city of Ephesus is second only to Alexandria by
population of the Lost, and even here their numbers run
so high that they could, were they so moved, fill every of-
fice of government with heads to spare. Here, though, they
almost flaunt their presence — thanks to the Great Bargain,
they know they are safe from Huntsmen coming for them
in the night, even if they’re not so secure against Gentry,
hobgoblins, and other inhuman creatures. More humans
are aware of the Lost in Ephesus than anywhere else in the
world, and it is a common place for first encounters and
curious follow-ups.
Innkeeper
Eirenaios manages a small inn in Ephesus in what some
locals refer to as the Overgrown Quarter, the neighborhood
in Ephesus where many Lost make their home and where
practically every alley holds a gate to the Hedge. Still young,
dark of hair and skin like so many locals, he inherited the
place from his father, and took a wife, Syntyche, to help
him manage it. That she was beautiful, he knew, with skin
so flawless it might have been carved from a single piece of
marble. Imagine his surprise when, in a moment of deep trust,
his wife let her Mask slip, and he saw that she was. He knows
the whole story now — her durance, her escape, and the long,
slow process of carving herself into a shape she cared for rather
than one forced upon her. Eirenaios found he could not bear
to throw her out and add to the cruelties and indignities she’d
suffered. She remains an attraction, and more than one tour-
ist, having made inquiries of the right sort of people, arrive
in Ephesus not only to see the Temple of Artemis, but to be
served wine by a woman of stone. Empathy 3, Expression
2, Persuasion (Seduction) 4, Socialize 4
Rhodes
The era of the Seven Wonders began with the comple-
tion of the Colossus, a work that took over a decade. When
it was completed, the marvelous statue stood watch over the
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Locations
port of Rhodes, a monument both to victory and to Helios, But there was always more to the Mausoleum than the
patron of Rhodes. Many, in the subsequent decades, claimed splendorous memory of a satrap, or even the grief of a sister-
they had seen the statue move ever so slightly, shifting its widow. For the two years she survived him, Artemisia spent
weight or glancing to the side before resuming its eternal every moment, every thought, focused on a single thought:
vigil. Such stories were laughed off as tall tales, the result How can I return him to the world of the living? And so she
of too much drink or not enough light — but the stories combed through every scrap of occult information available
were right. The Colossus not only moves, it lives. to her, sending riders as far afield as Egypt, Mesopotamia,
It is not certain when it became conscious, only that it and the unknown wilderness to the north and the west. She
felt the scurrying of mortal men across its skin, the swad- painstakingly recorded everything, hiding her intentions in
dling of scaffolding, and the passage of night and day. It her voluminous notes on the particulars of the Mausoleum’s
had no concept of movement at the time, and even now construction. When the time for interment came, both were
is only capable of the most subtle of motion, even after sealed up within, with only a hidden passage of Artemisia’s
watching humans going to and fro with ease. Connected design leading out through a secret tunnel.
to the Azothic Memory, it understands what it is, and what The structure itself, still pristine and immaculately
it greatly desires to become — but it also knows that noth- tended, is festooned with statues, murals, and friezes, all of
ing of its like has ever been touched by the Divine Fire. them apparently of mythological scenes or of Mausolus and
Eager to know the world beyond its gaze, it studied itself, Artemisia themselves — but within the beauty of the tomb’s
perfecting its own internal alchemy until at last it created construction, a hidden message waits, encoded in gesture,
life in its own image — a man of bronze pulled itself free in symbolism, or in deftly hidden ciphers visible only from
from the Colossus’ ankle, blinking and confused, made in certain angles at certain times of day. The Mausoleum is
the Colossus’ own image. a treasure trove of Promethean lore across Lineages and
Many more have since joined the first — the Colossoi Refinements, a material Azothic memory left behind by
are the only means the Colossus has of carrying out its a demiurge who, through her devotion to her husband,
Pilgrimage, and they have spread across Asia Minor, Greece, became her own creation.
and Egypt, studying the other things called wonders beside A haven for the Lost long before Mausolus moved the
their progenitor. They hunt down and retrieve Athanors, capital, Halicarnassus was home to a great many Lost in 350
collect Vitriol, and carry out the Pilgrimage of the Colossus BCE, when the Mausoleum was completed and its effects
even as they carry out their own. There are always at least became apparent. Half a century later, when the Miasma took
a few in Rhodes itself, resting between journeys or pursuing hold, Halicarnassus was one of the first sites where the nature
their own Pilgrimages by throwing themselves into roles of Azoth became clear to the Lost, who had been studying
within the city. the Mausoleum ever since their predecessors witnessed the
Superstitious Harbormaster bizarre weather that accompanied its completion and the
interment of its inhabitants, now known to be missing.
Rhodes’ navy is the pride of the sea, and Philandros
Indeed, such was Artemisia’s design that not one, but
considers himself a vital part of that navy, for all that a club
two Prometheans awoke within the Mausoleum, and even-
foot kept him from joining it. Still, with dedication and a
tually discovered the tunnel and emerged from their marble
bit of luck, he’s risen far and become the harbormaster of
womb. They did not, however, do so together; all one knows
Rhodes, a prestigious and powerful position that he takes
is that they woke up with a corpse, and the other that they
seriously. Apart from the essential duties of his office, he
woke beside an empty plinth. Both are still young — the
maintains a private set of rituals he carries out any time he
Mausoleum took time to work its ritual — and both still
has a bad feeling about a ship about to set sail — those few
walk the Pilgrimage, but they have yet to find each other.
times he hasn’t, disaster struck. He doesn’t know why it’s his
crutch, or why is has to be the blood of a chicken, or why Tomb Robber
each ship needs a notch of its own — but he knows all those A rule of the trade is that a famous tomb is worthless, and
things have to be done just so, and as ships are built and there’s few tombs as famous as the Mausoleum, but Theron
ships are retired, he’s running out of space for new notches. isn’t expecting to get rich from the burglary. Rather, some
rich snob offered a king’s ransom for rubbings — rubbings! —
Halicarnassus of interior walls of the Mausoleum! He’s got the parchment
and the charcoal, and now he just needs a way in (tomb
It was Mausolus who decreed that an aboveground tomb
robbers who wish to have successful careers are advised not
should be built for him, and decorated in the Greek fashion,
to make it obvious). The trouble is, even with the city half
with pomp and finery suitable to a satrap. But Mausolus
abandoned, the grounds of the Mausoleum are still lousy
died before his tomb could be completed, and it was not
with onlookers, even after dark. With an impatient buyer
he but his wife, Artemesia, who completed it. Such was her
at his back, he’s going to have to take a chance sometime,
grief that she died only two years later herself, and when
much as he’d rather not. Crafts (Forgeries) 4, Larceny
the work was completed according to her designs, she was
(Tombs) 4, Stealth 3
interred within along with her husband.
62
The Seven Wonders
Nineveh
Nineveh (or Ninawa, as it was known in Aramaic) was
The Door Between established before history, before writing itself, but it was
Life and Death not until Sennacherib named it his capital that the city
The Mausoleum serves as a Pilgrimage Marker truly rose to greatness. For a period in the 600s BCE it was
not for its Azothic potential, but for its sheer the largest city in the world, and all wealth flowed to the
quantity of information for the Created. It also coffers of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. With that wealth,
serves as a Refinement Mentor for the Refinement Sennacherib made the city grand, and built a garden that
of Bronze, thanks to Artemisia’s loyalty and drive would be known throughout time — the Hanging Gardens.
to restore her husband’s life. Using innovative techniques of irrigation and construc-
However, it also has another quality that has yet tion, he built a multi-tiered park in which plants from all
to be discovered. Were a body (or the ashes of regions were cultivated and allowed to flourish, alongside
one) to be interred within the Mausoleum, and a a menagerie of animals specially imported for the purpose.
host of animals sacrificed according to rites de- His palace and gardens both were called “without rival,” but
tailed here and there throughout the structure, that while the palace would not survive the sacking of Nineveh,
body would, without fail, rise as a Promethean. the gardens did — and survive to this day, still vibrant and
However, the working takes a significant amount verdant with life, uncontrolled and wild, a maze-like arti-
of time, between months and years, and the prod- ficial oasis replete with connections to the Hedge.
uct may be of any Lineage save the Unfleshed, Perhaps it was the nature of the gardens’ construction,
who are not born of the flesh of mortals. In the
intervening time, spontaneous Firestorms will strike or perhaps it was so magnificent that even the Others could
the surrounding area, creating strange weather appreciate its beauty and came often to admire it (or admire
patterns or leaving arcane scars on rocks and themselves within it) — none among the Lost know how
trees in the immediate vicinity. every path in the Hedge seems to lead here. The people of
Nineveh, those few who remain, whisper tales of strange
visitors in the night, and some of their neighbors nod
knowingly, for they have been subjected to those horrors
Mesopotamia themselves. Though the population is small, the Lost make

up a significant minority, either as travelers resting from
Once, it was the heart of civilization, home to the the rigors of travel in the Hedge, as watchkeepers always
Babylonians and Assyrians, and after them the Persians alert for signs of Gentry, or as Loyalists seeking contact
of the Achaemenid Empire who seemed to rule the world with their masters.
entire. Then came Alexander, and the Wars of the Diadochi Even among the ruins, however, there are treasures to
— the eastern swath of Alexander’s empire fell into the be found. The legendary Library of Ashurbanipal, a great
hands of the Seleucus I Nicator, who established a dynasty Assyrian king, remains in Nineveh, collecting many thou-
and an empire all his own. In 305 BCE, Babylon was one sands of clay tablets with secrets stretching back hundreds
of, if not the most, populous city in the world — by the age of years or more. It is for this reason that Prometheans (and
of the Seven Wonders, its population has dropped precipi- especially Tammuz, making a pilgrimage to the birthplace
tously, the people of Babylon forcibly relocated to the new of writing itself) often make the journey here — or take
regional capital, Seleukeia. Babylon’s immense walls still a shortcut through the Hedge, with the aid of a guide or
stand, and sacrifices continue in its grand temples, but it without.
is no longer the powerful and influential city it once was,
Lonely Shepherd
and it never again will be.
Still, their lot is better than that of the Assyrians, Layah’s family was once made up of priests and priest-
whose shining capital Nineveh was crushed and its people esses, once held power alongside the kings of old Assyria,
dispersed. When Alexander, and later the Seleucids, took whose armies once controlled the world. Now, her family
control of Assyria from the Achaemenids, they called (what’s left of it after 400 years) lives in a tiny village miles
the region (and Aram and Eber Nari, to the west) Syria. from the abandoned capital, tending sheep and goats and
Greek generals and officials replaced Assyrians, who had scraping a meager living from the land. Last of her line, she
once been favored subjects of the Achaemenids, and the carries a sword her father is no longer fit enough to bear,
Greek language replaced Aramaic as the lingua franca and has used it more than once to drive poachers away
of Mesopotamia. The Assyrians have thus far resisted from her flocks at pasture — once, she took a bandit’s head
Hellenization, and Ashur, the old capital, has once more with it. More than once, she’s drawn her own blood with
come back into prominence in the region. it, pouring it out on half-forgotten altars and begging the
gods in the high speech that so few remember to restore her
family’s honor and greatness. So far, none have answered
63
Locations
— but she hopes a journey to the old temple in Nineveh that draw travelers from miles around — and to be a creation,
will yield better results. Academics (Ancient Languages) a great work, a being made rather than born, that is despised,
3, Investigation 3, Occult 3, Weaponry (Shortsword) 4 hated, cast out, excluded from all the beauty and wonder that
many humans somehow manage to take for granted. That is
The Fate of All Things

the lot of the Promethean in the Age of Wonders — to know
that art is beloved, and to know that one’s existence is not art,
but tragedy, obscenity, an insult to the era itself.
Rhodes was great, and the Colossus they built to honor
And yet Prometheans are not wholly excluded, for they
Helios, their patron, known throughout the world — yet
fame and renown are no proof against the whims of the too can look upon the wonders, behold what is, in a sense, a
gods. In 226 BCE, a great earthquake will shake Rhodes. fortunate cousin of theirs, to be so admired, to be at the center
The city will suffer terrible damage, and the Colossus will of things instead of the fringes. They approach the wonders
not be spared, snapping at the knees and tumbling to the with fresh eyes, unvarnished by human expectations or bi-
ground. Though many will advocate its reconstruction, and ases — indeed, Prometheans perhaps see the wonders better
several neighboring city-states will even make gestures of than anyone, and recognize their kinship with them. This is
support, the Colossus never stands again. It will remain a at once a feeling of awe as well as a terrible feeling of being
wonder and an attraction for many years to come, lying in fantastically insignificant. One cannot but stand beside the
that very spot for nearly 800 years to come. The Colossoi Pyramid of Khufu and feel small; to look upon the Statue of
will fade from history without their great patron to sustain Zeus or the Colossus at Rhodes and feel mean and diminished
them — whether they achieved a New Dawn with it or
by their very presence; to stand in the adyton of the Temple
collapsed into dust with its fall, none can say.
of Artemis and look upon the Lady of Ephesus, only to know
With the fall of the Colossus, the Miasma of Azoth and
that even the attention of the divine is beyond one’s grasp.
Glamour fades, not all at once but over the course of a few
And yet Prometheans flock to these sights in massive
years. The Hedge grows hostile to the Created, and the other
numbers, their Pilgrimage strung out across continents as
wonders slowly cease to shine. The Great Bargain broken,
they make their way from wonder to wonder, taking in
a terrible time of suffering and privation descends on the
everything along the way and catalyzing it as they stand in
Lost, who are pursued ceaselessly by the furious and venge-
the presence of a majesty they can but hope to be worthy
ful Huntsmen who until now have mostly been kept at bay.
of. But for all its beauty, the Age of Wonders is not always
Some time after the Miasma fades, the Hanging Gardens
so easy a world to live in — war, deprivation, cruelty, and a
finally crumble under the weight of the wild growth and the
host of other ills are all as common now as in any other age,
weathering of the irrigation system — perhaps its connec-
and Prometheans must bear witness to it all. The wonders
tion to the other wonders was all that held it up. Nineveh,
themselves seem to float above the tide of misery and the
already a ruin, will pass into history, its last gasp of wonder
mere human, and while for some Prometheans this aloof-
and greatness forever lost. Apart from a few battles, the
ness is a call to be better, to be more human even than the
region remains largely undisturbed until the city of Mosul is
humans around them, it is just as much an inspiration for
founded on the opposite bank of the Tigris in the 630s CE.
some of the Created to cast aside the Pilgrimage altogether
Time takes its toll on the other wonders. The Temple and descend along the monstrous path of the Centimanus.
of Artemis will be ruined by Goths some 400 years hence.
The Statue of Zeus is lost to fire after Theodosius I bans The Miasma of
pagan cults and closes the temple permanently. The
Lighthouse of Alexandria stands for a thousand years, until Glamour and Azoth
successive earthquakes finally destroy it. The Mausoleum Whether it was the Great Bargain that catalyzed the
at Halicarnassus falls soon after, having endured invasions, Miasma or the Miasma that made the Great Bargain pos-
sackings, and the elements until an earthquake topples the sible, none can say, but its effects are all too apparent for
chariot at its peak. Only the Great Pyramid of Khufu sur- both Prometheans and the Lost. Accustomed to Pilgrimage,
vives to the modern era, and even it is not inviolate — over Prometheans were not the first to travel between the seven
millennia, the casing is stripped by weathering and by ma- wonders, but they are certainly early adopters. Rare is the
sons, leaving only the core to loom over the sands of Giza. Created in this era who does not, at the very least, intend to
walk the route between the seven sites, to bask in the Azothic
radiance of each great work and add her understanding of
Promethean: that work to her own as-yet-unfinished masterpiece.
To that end, the paths between the wonders are well-
Wonders in Shadow marked and understood by the Created. Only one, the
Statue of Zeus, requires transit on a boat, either a short ferry
There is nothing quite so terrible as to live in an era when ride across the Hellespont, or a longer journey across the
great works of art and architecture, works of creation itself, are Aegean or the Mediterranean (or, failing either, overland
beloved, revered, the sites of worship and festivals, attractions around the Black Sea, through the Armenian Highlands,
64
The Seven Wonders
the Caucasus Mountains, and from one Pontic Greek colony the Promethean. Echoed Disfigurements remain
to another, a journey of months at the very least). However, visible for the remainder of the scene — the
travel by the seas is not only common, but much faster than Promethean’s fade normally.
overland travel, with the slight risk of a storm at sea or
Disquiet provoking fellow passengers or crew to violence. • Disquieted Hedge: Locations in the Hedge may be-
The interplay of Azoth and Glamour, of the Divine come Disquieted by the Promethean’s presence. The
Principle’s energies and those of the Hedge and the strange dice pool for all rolls to Disquiet the Hedge are Azoth
lands from whence the Others hail, suffuse the era, and vs. the Promethean’s own Resolve + Composure. If
it naturally colors the Pilgrimages of Created, especially the Hedge becomes Disquieted, it arranges for events
when they visit the epicenters of the miasma, the wonders. and encounters characteristic of whichever Disquiet
Prometheans have encountered fetches, their true natures Condition applies. Additionally, a change occurs in the
revealed under Azothic light, and counseled them to pursue Hedge as a form of Hedgespinning (see Changeling:
true humanity, and they have ventured into the Hedge The Lost, p. 204) with the Storyteller rolling eight
itself, whether for prosaic reasons (to make for quicker Hedgespinning dice to determine how the Hedge shifts.
journeys between distant lands) or for the very sake of • Wasted Hedge: Wastelands never grow larger than
discovering what lies on the other side. a city block (Azoth 7), regardless of a Promethean’s
Azoth. Wastelands fester normally, but fade within
Setting the Hedge Ablaze a scene upon the creator’s departure.
Prometheans have no soul for the Hedge to rasp at with
• Remembered Nightmare: If the Wasteland’s creator
its thorns, but they bring with them with fires of Azoth, of
returns to the site of the Hedge Wasteland within
pure creative energy, and the Hedge cannot help but react.
the fade time, the Wasteland immediately returns at
Flaring into life, it becomes almost hyperactive, twisting
full strength.
and changing even as the Promethean’s attention shifts. For
the Created, to whom the natural world is new and yet to • Tormented Hedge: If the Promethean enters the
be discovered in so many ways, the Hedge’s disdain for the Hedge while in Torment (or enters Torment while in
normal laws of physics can be troubling, but it can also be the Hedge), she must make an immediate action to
liberating — knowing the rules can be broken is often a escape her exacerbated Torment, as per the examples
source of hope for Prometheans whose Pilgrimage is flagging. on p. 172 of Promethean: The Created. The nearby
However inspirational it can be, changelings often find the Hedge immediately becomes Disquieted at level two.
effect of the Divine Fire upon the Hedge unsettling, even dan-
gerous — but there are also many among the Lost who are eager
to understand the nature of the Hedge, and provoking it thus is
Firestorms
an excellent source of insight. With the Great Bargain keeping All Firestorms in the Hedge are things of dreams and
Huntsmen from easily murdering Lost, forays into the Hedge nightmares, and may have the following Aspects:
have become far more common and, if she seeks, a Promethean Animated Terrain: The area affected by the Firestorm
will always find a changeling willing to show her the way. remains an Extreme Environment, halving its intensity
(round up), after the Firestorm’s conclusion.
New and Modified Rules Glamour Bomb: All Glamour in the Firestorm’s area is
stripped. If this Glamour came from a changeling’s Glamour
• Pyros is Pyros: Anything that would be a source of pool, she suffers one bashing Health for every two points
Pyros or allow a Promethean to rapidly heal outside lost in this way.
of the Hedge serves the same purpose inside the Goblin Pandoran: The Firestorm animates topography
Hedge, regardless of whatever changes the Hedge of the Hedge as Rank 1 Pandorans. These Pandorans are
has caused to it. active in the presence of Glamour as well as Azoth, and
• Debt-Free: Prometheans may negotiate for ser- may steal it as if it were Pyros.
vices with hobgoblins with payment in kind and
gain Goblin Debt as usual. However, becoming a Lineages in the
Hedge Denizen represents a step backward on the
Pilgrimage, and risks a breaking point for every
Age of Wonders
chapter they remain connected to the Hedge.
Amirani
• Infectious Disfigurement: Whenever the It is said the Prophets glimpse Azoth in its purest form
Promethean displays her Disfigurements, those at the moment of their creation, and spend the remainder
Disfigurements are echoed by the Hedge, with every of their Pilgrimages chasing that vision, searing themselves
hobgoblin manifesting the same Disfigurements as to spark visions. In an age of wonders, though, with Azoth
65
pouring freely into the world, such claims begin to sound educated by their Demiurge or teach themselves letters, are
a little more truthful, and more than a few of their fellows often able to secure better work by dint of being literate.
turn to the Amirani seeking to know more.
Unfortunately for the Amirani, though the wonders Ulgan
surely provoke great personal transformation in them as Despite being born as a Lineage on the steppe, the
they do in other Created, they’ve no special insight into Ulgan can be found throughout the Hellenic world. Some
the nature of these magnificent works of art. It can be a joined Alexander’s army as it marched across central Asia,
moment of great hope and insight, or it can provoke the or followed it at a distance. Others heard tales of grand
most miserable to Torment, to look upon the finest of works temples and sought to visit them, to entreat the equally
and still find it wanting in the face of what Azoth can be. grand gods enshrined within for mercy and transformation.
The Hellenic world is replete with faith in gods, spirits,
Galateids and everything in between, and the miasma of Azoth and
Galateids know what it is to be adored, to say the words Glamour only adds a frenetic energy to the mix that the
and do the things that make others feel for them, even if Ulgan are both drawn to and terribly confused by.
Disquiet always ruins it in the end. They know how to love, Some in the Hellenic world refer to the Riven as Orpheans,
too — indeed, they are made for it. This is a cosmopolitan referencing the common myth at the center of the Orphic
era, an era of beauty, and Galateids are beautiful. Sadly, it’s Mysteries — some Ulgan find their way into the cult, but it rarely
also an era of violence, of possession, and power — power goes well. For all that they’re very like that mythical musician
to control others, to abduct, to hurt, and it’s a rare Galatean who descended into the Underworld, Disquiet has no mercy.
who isn’t a target at one point or another.
Drawn to humans despite the danger, Galateids are most Unfleshed
often found in cities — the largest in this era are Carthage The age of Wonders is an age of art, of creation, and of
and Alexandria in Egypt, but there are others — the glory human effort represented in wood, clay, marble, and a dozen
of Babylon is not yet forgotten, and Rome is on the rise, other substances. Religion in the ancient world often revolved
and there are other cities from farther afield, beyond Bactria around deities embodied in physical forms — the Statue of
where Alexander’s conquests ended. Zeus is simply the grandest example of the practice that dates
back to the earliest days of civilization in the Fertile Crescent.
Osirans More than one Unfleshed was born by a creator driven not by
Though their Lineage is ancient, today Osirans are but divine inspiration but by the Principle, an attempt to create a
one among many. Egypt today is not Egypt as it was — mum- god with flesh of gilded marble. As a result, many Unfleshed in
mification is still practiced, but the great monuments and the age of Wonders are as beautiful to look upon as a Galateid.
workings that called upon the Divine Fire are long forgotten This is not, however, universal. Just as many Unfleshed
to all but the most dedicated and obsessed of practitioners. were given life before their finer details were carved, or
Still, the waters of the Nile have birthed many Nepri over were the work of apprentices toying with ideas their masters
the ages, and there will always be more to come. warned them away from. Some were made for brute force, and
Egypt is their stronghold, and Osirans born along the no few in the image of Talos, the clockwork soldier of myth.
banks of the Nile will find a community of like minds wait-
ing for them. The lifegiving nature of water is not unknown Extempore
elsewhere, however, and many Osirans have traveled far As in every era, there is no shortage of the Created who
and wide before conducting multiplicatio. simply do not fit into any known mold, and in the age of
wonders there is one of the Matchless who stands far taller
Tammuz in stature than any other — the Colossus of Rhodes, the liv-
Writing is a technology that changed the world, and with ing statue that has birthed a Lineage all its own that spreads
the Hellenic attitudes towards study and excellence spreading across the Hellenic world, conducting a Pilgrimage by proxy.
across the world, the age of wonders is one of the most liter- There are others, though, born of the conflux of Azoth
ate yet in history, with Greek as a lingua franca enabling the and, in some cases in this strange age, Glamour. One is a liv-
exchange of ideas like never before. It’s a good time to be a ing extrusion of the Hedge, formed of thorns and vines with a
Tammuz, if ever there was one — the Library of Alexandria, gateway into its parent realm for a heart. Another is the living
though not accorded status as a wonder, is as frequent a draw pledge of two lovers, who fled for fear that Disquiet would
for the Named as the lighthouse with which it shares a city. drive them apart and that, pledge broken, it would cease to be.
Literate as the world is, however, universal literacy is still
a dream, and considered by many to be a poor idea — shar- Dur-Sharrukin
ing ideas with those unprepared to appreciate them, they
Mesopotamia has been inhabited for millennia, and in
say, is dangerous and unhealthy. Tammuz, whether they are
the wastes there stand cities that have not been inhabited
66
The Seven Wonders
for centuries, their people forgotten, displaced, or massacred Inanna. Throughout her Pilgrimage, she has maintained that
in some ancient war. Dur-Sharrukin, some 20 miles to the faith, conducting rituals in her goddess’ name and hoping to
northeast of Nineveh, is one of these places. Once the draw her favor. Through surgery and through alchemy, she
unfinished capital of Sargon II, king of Assyria and father has altered the body she was given by her creator, and now
of Sennacherib, it is now windswept and worn by time, the dances in the remains of the temple in Dur-Sharrukin, where
inhabitants a lonely and silent lot. None live within the she makes her home and keeps the enormous collection of
walls of Dur-Sharrukin save Prometheans. books she’s accrued over the course of her Pilgrimage. She
Unsurprisingly, the land around Dur-Sharrukin is a has seen and endured many Firestorms, believing them to be
Wasteland, stippled with the aftereffects of Pyros surging the closest thing to the full attention of the gods the world
through it time and again. Firestorms are almost common of mortals can bear. She guides those who come to her, of-
here, and almost always of the Semnai variety; for this fering them advice and solace, and never once doubting the
reason the inhabitants periodically desert the city when rightness of her mission. After all, she has at least one thing
they feel Pyrotic energies building to a peak, leaving only in common with her goddess: her teeth can crush flint, too.
a single sacrificial soul behind to finally trigger the storm Description: Tall and powerfully built with long dark hair
and bear its fury — an unhappy duty chosen by lot. and dusky skin, Enheduanna looks much like other priestesses
The reasons for Dur-Sharrukin’s existence are shrouded of Inanna, who makes women of men and men of women. She
in mystery. No one knows who the first Promethean to dwell dresses in the tunic and shawls of a priestess, and ornaments
here was, or why others joined them, or why the otherwise herself with jewelry and kohl. She keeps a proud bearing, even
abandoned city has remained a point of congregation for on those occasions where she travels away from Dur-Sharrukin
Promethean pilgrims. Some cite the nearby Nineveh, and and Disquiet draws the ire of those around her. While not
the Library of Ashurbanipal, and certainly few Prometheans beautiful, she possesses a strong countenance, with a stare that
wish to linger there for long and potentially spoil the wild could stop a whirlwind. When her Disfigurements are visible,
and wondrous Hanging Gardens. Humans regard the area the seams between her pieces become obvious, umber dust
around Dur-Sharrukin as cursed and will not venture there shaking itself free with every movement, the perfectly-woven
— what were once olive groves and cultivated land have fibers of jet that make up her hair heavy and lank, her eyes
become wild, strange, and twisted by repeated Firestorms. burning with the very fury of the dawn star.
There are many reasons to venture to Dur-Sharrukin, how- Lineage: Unfleshed
ever. Apart from finding companionship away from humans Refinement: Aes
and the threat of Disquiet, the city has become a treasure trove
Elpis: Maternal
of Promethean lore. Taking a cue from the many clay tablets
and steles still to be found in the city, the Prometheans of Dur- Torment: Pride
Sharrukin have developed their own writing system, which Attributes: Intelligence 3, Wits 3, Resolve 4;
has already worked its way into the Azothic Memory and as a Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3; Presence 4,
result can be found in fits and bursts almost anywhere in the Manipulation 3, Composure 4
world. In Dur-Sharrukin, however, there are entire volumes Skills: Academics 3, Enigmas 3, Occult (Cult of
of this written language, several of which are valued not only Inanna-Ishtar) 4, Politics 3; Athletics (Dance) 3, Brawl 2,
for their wisdom but because their authors invested them with Survival 2; Animal Ken 2, Empathy 4, Expression 3,
Pyros and made Athanors of them. Intimidation 2, Persuasion 3, Subterfuge 3
Merits: Hovel •••, Language •, Library
ENHEDUANNA, ••• (Occult), Sleepless •, Weatherproof •
KEEPER OF THE BOOKS Willpower: 8
Initiative: 7
Background: The sage who made her wanted a servant, Defense: 3
someone to transcribe lengthy texts, file them without error, Size: 5
and never speak a word unless ordered. He got an inquisitive Speed: 10
mind wrapped in clay and marble, interrogating the texts
she transcribed and, in marginalia and on scraps of parch-
Health: 8
ment, composing her own works. She debated the nature Pilgrimage: 6
of life with herself, derived concepts from first principles, Azoth: 5
and eventually came to the conclusion that she, too, was Pyros/Turn: 5/1
worthy of the gift of a soul. One day she was there, faithfully
scratching out words — the next, she was gone. Bestowment: Heart of Steel
Wanting for a name, she took one from the work that Transmutations: Benefice — Control,
inspired her to choose her own path, a poem and prayer to Corporeum — Charites, Hygeius, Metamorphosis
— Verto (Fixed)
67
ASKLEPIOS, Azoth: 4
THE KINDLING-SURGEON Pyros/Turn: 4/1
Bestowment: Corpse Tongue
Background: Stitched together and branded by a mor- Transmutations: Flux — Mutation, Solvent
tal, the thing that calls itself Asklepios in mockery of the Dread Powers: Hunter’s Senses (Fetches),
mythic healer-god quickly tired of putting humans back Natural Weapons ••, Snare
together and turned to finding interesting ways to take them
apart — eventually, it experimented thus on its creator,
and it was much disappointed with the results. Mortality? Changeling:
Humanity? It’s all just meat. It can do better than to just
be the meat that it’s made of. No, Asklepios means to at-
Keepers of
tain divinity, not through piety or blood relation or even the Seven
greatness — those doors are closed to it — but by reverse
The Lost didn’t build the seven wonders — that was a
engineering it.
wholly mortal endeavor — but they did tie their own fate
Its path led it to the strange realm behind the world, to them. Some of the wonders serve the Lost’s cause, keep-
where it spoke to things that were neither human nor like ing Gentry at bay and leading new changelings to freedom.
him, but called themselves gods. Well enough, then — but Others are a reluctant trade-off to worship or leave the
when it tried to twist them apart to see how they worked, Gentry new victims. All must be maintained — if a single
they laughed and faded like mist as though it were a game. wonder falls, the Bargain is void.
There was no answer for Asklepios here, but it learned
enough to see behind the Masks some people, not quite The Great Bargain
human, wore, and it found things just enough like itself
that it could understand their make. It hunts them now, The Bargain began with the Great Pyramid, though few
flensing them apart and trying to figure out how they’re Lost remember who struck it or what the particulars are.
stuck together, and it is getting very, very close to an answer. They know what it does, though. The Lady of Life Beyond
Death promises safety for any who return from death, in-
Description: It used to look human. Looking human
cluding Lost returning from the spiritual death of Arcadia.
had certain advantages. But now that it knows the hidden
Lost close to Prometheans believe the Lady was a genitor,
doors, it no longer needs a human face. Now it’s all catch-
whose moment of triumph rewrote the laws of reality that
ing claws and biting jaws, with its original delicate hands
govern the dead returned. Other Lost think she was Gentry
held in reserve for when careful examination is required.
trying to unseat a jackal-headed rival who governed the
Hulking, enormous, at turns chitinous and furred, it calls
underworld by denying him servants. The Bargain is written
to mind a massive scarab or mantis more than anything.
on the limestone cover of the Great Pyramid, wedged in
Lineage: Osiran between lines exalting Egyptian gods and Pharaoh Khufu.
Refinement: Centimanus So long as it holds, the Huntsmen cannot enter the mun-
Elpis: Curious dane world, save for the five nights of epagomenae, which
are not beholden to any deals.
Torment: Impatient
Attributes: Intelligence 4, Wits 3, Resolve 2; Nineveh’s Gift
Manipulation 1, Composure 3 Nineveh is the lost capital of Assyria, home of conquer-
ors, and a source of Contagion. She’s also Gentry, gender-
Skills: Enigmas 3, Medicine 4, Occult 3, Science fluid but often presenting femininely, who found herself in
2; Athletics 2, Brawl 3, Stealth 3, Survival 2; desperate times some two centuries ago. The Warlord of
Intimidation 4, Subterfuge 3
the local symposium blocked her Hedge portals, starving
Merits: Acid Stomach •, Ambidextrous •••, Nineveh of mortal prey. The Gentry offered a trade: a na-
Double Jointed ••, Giant •••, Terrible scent copy of the Great Bargain, given to her by the Lady
Disfigurement • of Life Beyond Death, in exchange for unfettered Hedge
Willpower: 5 entries and the Warlord’s service. The symposium, in all its
Initiative: 6 informal, disorganized wonder, agreed. In hindsight, it was
a mistake: For every escaped Lost, Nineveh snatches three
Defense: 3
back — one to keep, one to lose, and one to send back as
Size: 5 loyalist. The Lost weren’t the only ones who miscalculated
Speed: 11 though; Nineveh, too, gave away more than she intended.
Health: 9
Pilgrimage: 1
68
The Seven Wonders
The Tide Symposia (Changeling: The Lost, pp.
The Dream Builders
287–288) control the bustling port of Rhodes. While the
While only Khufu’s Pyramid was worthy of striking the symposia of Ebb and Low Tide govern most of the year,
Great Bargain, the other wonders were great enough to hold they yield control to Flood Tide during the month leading
it once already made — presenting an opportunity Nineveh to epagomenae. The actual five days themselves see the
had not foreseen. The Dream Builders (see p. 81), masters warriors of the High Tide fight alongside the Colossus.
of weaving dreams into physical form, broke the nascent Alexandria and its thriving Goblin Market are ruled
promise into six pieces and anchored each to the Glamour by the Traders’ Symposia (Changeling: The Lost, pp.
of a wonder. Now, the Great Bargain encompassed the 291–292). None of them claims to rule, instead citing that
entire Hellenistic world. Adding insult to injury, they hung cooperation is most profitable for all.
one shard on Nineveh’s own garden.
Kiths
The Lost and True This era is home to nymphs, satyrs and centaurs, cyclops
The Great Bargain ensures Lost are safe from the and giants, gorgons and minotaurs, harpies and sirens. You
Huntsmen all but five days a year, so long as they stay out of can build such a creature using Changeling: The Lost Second
the Hedge, though few abide by this rule due to the wonders Edition: a Beast Nightsinger makes for a siren, while a Fairest
the Hedge has on offer. They’ve become complacent and with the Paralyzing Presence Contract makes a medusa. The
averse to leaving the mundane world — Hollows sit empty, section below offers new kiths to customize this further.
and Icons remain forever lost. Freeholds consolidate in the
mundane world near the wonders, dedicated solely to main- Antiquarian
taining them. All freeholds know they have loyalist trai-
The Antiquarian is built from secrets. She collects them,
tors in their midst but find it impossible to tell who — and
hoards them, never spilling as much as a single whisper. She
preemptively killing or tossing new escapees back into the
was initially made to hold her master’s one weakness, and
Hedge only aids the Gentry. Only the Dream Builders still
everyone knows a secret is best hidden under another — and
travel the Hedge with any regularity, using trods to bypass
another, and another. Other changelings confided in her,
travel distance and war zones while pursuing greater dreams.
too, sharing names or memories their masters commanded
The Gentry, too, are affected by the Miasma. Glamour
them leave behind. She dug through all of them to find the
mixed with Pyros creates an alchemical refinement of the
secret path through the Hedge.
vows and pacts that comprise them, scouring out such
Antiquarians are the most numerous kith in Alexandria,
weaknesses as loopholes. The True Fae find themselves
serving in the library.
unbearably restricted by the full weight of the rules that
govern their existence, but it also makes them much harder Kith Blessing: The Antiquarian counts three successes
to destroy as changelings struggle to find any purchase into as an exceptional success when using Empathy to uncover
tricking the Gentry to break their pacts. secrets.
Secrets and Whispers: Once per session, the Antiquarian
Symposia may spend a Glamour and roll Intelligence + Composure to
find the answer to any question. The Storyteller determines
With the Great Bargain yielding safety, the loosely ar-
how many successes are needed, and how the answer is im-
ranged symposia made no bargain to govern the Gentry. For
parted. “Who built the statue of Zeus?” (Phidias) requires only
those symposia affiliated with seasons, and seasonal gods,
one success and can be found in a library. “What is Artemis’
Spring still demands Lost act in revelry and desire, and
weakness?” (The Gentry and her Huntsman doppelganger
grants both Spring Mantle and Contracts, but the Gentry
can never be awake at the same time — see p. 71) would
are not beholden to attack only out of desire — during
require five and be told to her by whispers in her dream.
epagomenae, the Others may attack for any reason that
pleases them.
Chimera
Spring is the most numerous seasonal symposium, call-
ing to changelings happy to be free and pay no heed to the The Chimera is built out of a multitude of shapes.
looming epagomenae. Most Spring Symposia are governed She has horse legs to better ferry her Fae captor across his
by polyamorous triads or quads, the most powerful being the domain, a lion’s head to devour enemies, and a scorpion’s
Three Queens of Ephesus. Autumn and Winter are roughly tail to assassinate his rivals. Stitched together with pieces
equal in number, home to Lost who spend their lives fear- from Arcadia’s beasts, Chimera share a unique kinship
fully preparing for epagomenae, or already mourning those with hedge denizens and goblins. A shapeshifting creature
they will lose. The Summer Symposium is nearly depleted known as a Geryo is said to despise this kith, hunting them
— the Gentry never attack, and when they do it’s best to wherever possible.
run and hide. The last great Warlord was traded to Nineveh, Chimera are plentiful in Nineveh and Ephesus, as both
and none have reclaimed the Crown since. Gentry enjoy experimenting with form.
69
Kith Blessing: The Chimera achieves exceptional suc- Nymphs guard the harbors of Alexandria and Rhodes,
cess on three successes when using Subterfuge to detect quickly rising to status in the local symposia.
trickery, spoken or in writing. Kith Blessing: The Nymph counts three successes
Goblin Kin: Each chapter, choose one Goblin Contract the as an exceptional success for Athletics rolls made while
character possesses; that Contract doesn’t incur Goblin Debt swimming.
when invoked. At the beginning of each chapter, the player must Gift of Water: After spending one Glamour and making
select a different Goblin Contract for this benefit; no Contract a successful Stamina + Athletics roll, a Nymph generates
can be selected again until all the others have benefited first. both gills and a tail that allow him to move freely and swiftly
underwater. He can swim at double speed and grow legs or a
Dryad tail, which last until he wills them away. Magic allows the
This woodborn decorated his master’s garden, a beautiful Nymph to breathe both air and water. The Nymph suffers
soul bound to ensure eternal summer leaves of her favorite no penalties for using weapons or performing complicated
tree. When the time came to escape, his affinity with all green tasks underwater. This ability remains in place for the dura-
things compelled the Hedge to reveal the way out. The Dryad tion of the scene.
still feels more at home with the trees than his fellow Lost.
Dryads hail from the woodland domains of Artemis and
Nineveh, as well as the Olympian palace of Zeus, who has
Into the Hedge
an eye for all things beautiful. The Hedge runs from the Hanging Gardens to Olympia.
Kith Blessing: The Dryad counts three successes as an Daring changelings use its maze-like trods to travel the
exceptional success for Survival rolls (tracking, finding the breadth of the Hellenistic world, and some motleys even
path) made in wooded areas, including the Hedge. serve as guides to Prometheans. This section describes the
Fade into the Foliage: So long as he has one turn in which Hedge of the seven wonders.
he is unobserved, the Dryad may spend one Glamour to
hide behind any tree or large foliage. He remains perfectly Khufu’s Pyramid
hidden while unmoving (provoking a Clash of Wills if any Khufu’s Pyramid shines with an impossible radiance.
supernatural power is attempting to detect him) and adds The light blinds anyone who looks upon it, yet changelings
his Wyrd rating on Stealth actions if he does move. cannot help but sneak a peek at the angelic figures, cast like
stars against its luminous backdrop. Lost have no interac-
Muse tion with these angels, but some learned their name from
The Muse inspires, threatens, and cajoles those around Created: qashmallim. No Huntsman or Gentry can enter
her into being their best. She escaped with the aid of other the light, ever, and inevitably Lost try to found a freehold
Lost, as they felt inspired to help her. within the circle of light. The freehold never lasts, as the
radiance burns their flesh — a condition to which Created
Muses are the most prolific kith of the Hellenistic world,
and others, including mortals, seem curiously immune.
which was founded on beauty and wonders as much as war and
bloodshed. They were instrumental in encouraging mortals to The captivating beauty of the light requires a Resolve
build the seven wonders and hold the respect of other Lost. + Composure roll to divert the gaze. If the roll fails, any
subsequent rolls for the character to avert their eyes are
Kith Blessing: Once per session, the Muse may interact
made with a cumulative one-die penalty. Looking upon
with other Lost as if her Mantle or court Goodwill (her
the pyramid for more than one minute inflicts the Blinded
choice) were one dot higher than it is.
Tilt in both eyes, typically, which resolves itself after the
Tyranny of Ideas: The Muse spends one Glamour point chapter ends. Looking into the light for more than five turns
and makes a social roll (i.e. Presence + Intimidation or inflicts the permanent Blind Condition.
Manipulation + Expression) to influence a human target.
After two days of exposure, the radiance deals one au-
The target adds the changeling’s successes as dice to his own
tomatic Aggravated damage per day. These wounds cannot
roll to create a lasting work of art or architecture and counts
heal, even by supernatural means, if the changeling is still
three successes on this roll as an exceptional success. The
in the light. Wholly inhuman creatures, such as Gentry,
Muse cannot harvest any Glamour from this act of creation.
Huntsmen, and hobgoblins, cannot enter the light at all.
Nymph Prometheans suffer no ill effects.
The Nymph is waterborn, sculpted in the image of
Neptune’s many children. He escaped through the water-
The Hanging Gardens
ways his Fae master failed to guard. He thrives in ports, of Nineveh
serving as the first eyes and ears of the local symposia. In The Hedge runs thick, forcing Lost to crawl through on
exchange, other Lost sacrifice treasures to his waters and their bellies, and impaling victims on long thorns. Vines
look the other way if he drowns the occasional sailor. alternate from deep emerald green to vibrant cerulean blue,
70
The Seven Wonders
spawning flowers of every rainbow hue. While the trods
themselves are barren, wonderfully ripe goblin fruits hang just
beyond the path. Travelers should be wary as they venture
into the thicket though, for Nineveh’s hounds (Briarwolves,
Changeling: The Lost p. 257) are on the prowl.
A motley may step off the trods at any time, designating one
of their number to serve as guide and navigate the Hedge (see
Changeling: The Lost, p. 200) to find goblin fruit. After the
chase through the Hedge, they must roll Wits + Survival. A
success yields a generic fruit, and the Storyteller should grant a
named fruit (see Changeling: The Lost, pp. 207–208) on an ex-
ceptional success. The fruits of Nineveh are of surpassing quality,
and don’t count toward the maximum goblin fruits a character
can carry. However, taking a single bite from a Nineveh fruit im-
mediately inflicts the Hedge Addiction Condition (Changeling:
The Lost, p. 340) pertaining to Nineveh’s Garden, even if the
person eating it is not a changeling.
Temple of Artemis
at Ephesus
Lost tell tales of a young mortal who tricked Artemis, to
steal her heart. The goddess cursed the mortal — a Huntsman
vessel — when her love turned out to be a lie, but was unable
to heal the halves of her broken heart. Now her ruined love
infects her as Gentry and her former lover, now a Huntsman
doppelganger of the goddess. As Gentry, Artemis rules over
a symposium of Amazon hunters. She is surprisingly kind to
those who serve her, allowing them to leave on a pledge of
returning. Goddess of life and fertility, she has many mortal
followers — plenty to choose from when she desires another
changeling companion. The Gentry punishes thieves and li-
ars by turning them into animals, then releases them into her
domain to forget about. The Huntsman version of Artemis
finds these creatures and tears them limb from limb. She is
taller than her twin, with perpetually bloodied hands and
eyes the color of moonlight, and unrelenting in her hunt.
Artemis’ Temple is far larger in the Hedge and cast in
perpetual night. Wanderers get lost in this unending realm of
thorns and glades, only occasionally broken by a temple pillar,
as trods change with the phases of the moon. Lost know the
temple opens into Arcadia on a full moon, and to the mundane
world on nights of hidden moon — but that only accounts for
a sliver of the lunar cycle. The Ceryneian Hind knows all the
trods, and guides supplicants if they make the right offering.
The temple also holds a small, currently empty, Hollow.
The Ceryneian Hind

Cerynitis doesn’t remember her days as mortal hunter,
clever and ambitious enough to steal a goddess’ heart. She
serves as a doppelganger of Artemis the Gentry, twisted
into the form of a Huntsman, testing the mettle of any
Lost who enter the temple. If the supplicant impresses the
hind (and thus the goddess) she grants any goblin fruit, a
token up to three dots, a transformative act performed on
the Lost’s body (which may remove Conditions and Tilts,
71
or grant Merits and Attribute dots), or another miracle the
Storyteller chooses within Artemis’ purview. Mausoleum at
The hind is Immortal within Artemis’ temple, and fur- Halicarnassus
ther has the Chameleon Horror, Conjure Dreams, Home
The Mausoleum sits on a gray, desolate stretch of no-
Ground, Immortal, Know Soul, Maze, Miracle, and The
man’s land. The Hedge vines are black, drinking souls in-
Path Not Taken Dread Powers (see Changeling: The Lost
stead of blood, and yielding black pomegranates. The Hedge
pp. 254–256).
here contains an alarming number of ghosts and wayward
shades, who somehow got snared on the Hedge’s intrusion
The Hollow of the Moon (••••)
into Twilight. Taking the wrong passage lands a Lost as
A Hollow sits in the thickets of the temple’s inner sanc- easily at the River Styx as it does Arcadia or the mundane
tum. Artemis grants use of the Hollow to changelings who world. The Dream Builders made their freehold here.
impress her, including servants who received leave to visit Prometheans claim the Mausoleum as Athanor, and any
the mundane world. In these cases, the Ceryneian Hind Lost who visits and doesn’t at least recognize Prometheans
acts as a Hob Alarm incurring no Goblin Debt. The Hollow exist clearly isn’t paying attention.
also carries the Size Matters 1 and Home Turf properties
(Changeling: The Lost pp. 116–117). Colossus of Rhodes
Statue of Zeus To hear Lost tell it, the Colossus is either a Huntsman
who took pity on his prey and broke free of the Gentry, or
at Olympia an Elemental still partially bound and unable to leave. Some
Zeus is the most powerful Gentry in Greece, controlling still remember the tale of Nineveh’s Warlord and know the
more than half the Hedge portals in the region. Any Great Colossus bears his exact likeness. It never occurs to any
Bargain must bind Zeus or be ineffectual, so the Dream that Colossus is a different creature entirely, a Promethean,
Builders singled out the statue to hold Nineveh’s gift. They protecting them not out of kinship, but out of empathy and
succeeded, and inscribed the Bargain on the sole of Zeus’ left mercy. Nor do they consider that the Colossus is not part
foot. The Gentry caught one of the Builders as he fled the of the Great Bargain by design of the Dream Builders, but
temple, though, and more than a century later his tortured rather as a weak point — a living thing with its own goals
soul still fuels the Glamour fount before the statue. and frailties — born of the Gentry’s machinations.
The Hedge occasionally pours through into the mun- Chains of bronze and copper wrap around Colossus’s
dane world as a rapidly growing, vicious foliage within the legs. They creep upward ever so slowly, restraining the
temple, which changeling servants continually clear, so all Promethean more every passing day. So far, these shack-
who enter may properly see the glory of Zeus. The Gentry les, supposedly emanating from the Hedge, cannot stop it
promises them freedom when the work is done, but the from defending Lost against Huntsmen. Lost huddle at the
Hedge grows faster than they can clear it — they’ve been Colossus’ feet during the five days the Great Bargain is null,
at it for nearly 100 years. None of them dare escape and and Rhodes overflows with rival motleys — not all of which
face the Gentry’s wrath come epagomenae. are happy to share their protector. Rumors persist of Lost
throwing each other to the Huntsmen so the Colossus can
The statue looks exactly like the Gentry, right down
focus on protecting them instead. These rumors are false, and
to his favorite golden robe embroidered with poppies and
loyalists use them to obscure their own nefarious schemes.
olive branches — Phidias was either an escaped Lost, or
Zeus posed for the mortal. The statue’s eyes move, keeping
watch on anyone in the temple, and Lost dread the day the THE BREAKER
whole construct animates to channel the Gentry. Being in the
statue’s presence instills the Cowed Condition (Changeling:
She serves Zeus by ferreting out secrets, finding the
The Lost p. 335) and most Lost rightly avoid it. Those few
weakness that tears a person apart and yields his soul ready
who visit either hope to free one of the servants, or raid the
for transformation. The screams of captives as she rends
Glamour fount. The former is difficult, the latter a trap.
them gives her joy; their tears as she re-sculpts body and
The Glamour fount sits before Zeus, just within reach
soul give her new purpose. Now Zeus gave her a greater
if the statue were to bend down. The crystal-clear water is
task: Break the Colossus. It’s hard job, but the Breaker is
saturated with Glamour, giving every appearance of being
dedicated, clever, and patient.
an easy source to harvest. Should a Lost drink from the
fount, he finds the Glamour ephemeral save the tortured Story Hooks
screams rushing down his throat. He immediately gains the • The Breaker sees the true nature of a Created and is
Immobilized Tilt if he fails on a Stamina + Survival roll, instantly fascinated. She plans to kidnap and bring
and the changelings tasked with clearing the Hedge now him to her Hollow in the Hedge, to take apart and
rush to carry him through a passage under Zeus’ footstool study. When she’s done, she gives him to Zeus.
to Arcadia.
72
The Seven Wonders
• Epagomenae is just a week away, and Rhodes over- Alexandria’s light is visible from anywhere within
flows with Lost. The Breaker stokes any flames of the Hellenistic Hedge. Gentry may unleash servants
dissent, and fights break out between motleys and and Huntsmen to threaten, kill, and ensnare travelers to
symposia alike. The characters must keep the peace, Alexandria, but they cannot block the trod leading there —
and recognize social sabotage at work. following it is far easier than most Hedge navigation, granting
any changelings making the attempt an additional two dice to
• The Colossus has a nightly visitor who entertains the attempt. When Zeus blocks all Hedge portals in Olympia,
him with games and riddles while talking of far-away Lost can brave the trods from Olympia to Alexandria and
places and beautiful tragedies. The Breaker is search- exit at the lighthouse. No Gentry claims the lands near
ing for his weaknesses. Alexandria, as doing so is a sure way to lose servants.
Seeming: Wizened Alexandria is home to a thriving Goblin Market. The
Kith: Antiquarian goblins sell fruits, tokens, Icons changelings are too scared
to retrieve themselves, Goblin Contracts, and amulets to
Court/Symposium: Courtless hide the wearer during epagomenae. The latter is a scam,
Attributes: Intelligence 3, Wits 4, Resolve 4; but then any buyer is unlikely to come for a refund. They
Strength 1, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2; Presence 1, also offer services to fetches, getting them in contact with a
Manipulation 4, Composure 4 Promethean guide or hiding them from any vengeful Lost.
Skills: Crafts 3, Investigation 4, Occult 4, Politics 3; The market employs Hob Alarms, granting Lost time to
Stealth 3; Empathy (discerning weaknesses) 3, escape into the mundane world should the Gentry send a
Socialize (“People are saying…”) 4, Subterfuge Huntsman.
(telling lies) 4
Merits: Anonymity ••, Hollow •••
(Escape Route, Hidden Entry) Playing the Game
Willpower: 8 Created and Lost are mirror opposites. The Promethean
is not human, but moves toward being so. The changeling
Current/Maximum Clarity: 3/8
was once human, but lost humanity at the hands of her
Needle: Chess Master captor. She feels jealousy and sympathy for the Promethean
Thread: Joy in equal amounts, while his New Dawn invigorates hope
Touchstones: None she can retrieve all lost parts of herself. The Promethean
fully realizes the Lost is no longer human — but when his
Aspiration: Break the Colossus
only other mentors are Created and a Divine Fire that com-
Initiative: 5 municates through vague and nebulous memories, having
Defense: 3 a former human as teacher is a good deal.
Size: 5 This era gives unique and easy opportunities for Created
and Lost to strike up a friendship, or at least a working
Speed: 9
relationship. The seven wonders are both Pilgrimage Road
Health: 7 and part of the Great Bargain: Both groups need them to
Wyrd: 3 survive. The Lost suspect the Gentry plan to sabotage
Glamour/Turn: 12/3 the Great Bargain — it’s an easy assumption with all the
loyalists about — and seek Prometheans’ help to defend
Frailties: Can never walk backwards the Wonders. A Created brings vast physical power to
Favored Regalia: Jewels, Mirror the table — he’s near impossible to kill — while the Lost
Contracts: Blessing of Forgetfulness, Changing
Fortunes, Glib Tongue, Hidden Reality, Know the
Competition, Trivial Reworking, Wayward Guide Glamour
Lighthouse of Alexandria and Disquiet
The lighthouse holds a second Bargain: Its patron The emotional catharsis of reaching a mile-
stone allows changelings to harvest more
shines a light for all creatures in the Hedge to see, so long as
Glamour than usual from Prometheans. The
Alexandria’s librarians copy every book passing the port. The Miasma even provides a bonus to the harvest-
Trade Court grew out of this arrangement, as it’s uniquely ing roll: +1 for minor milestones, +2 for major,
suited to negotiate and bribe mortals into doing exactly that. A and +3 for superlative ones.
Wizened Antiquarian named Calliope is in charge of maintain-
ing the library. Between the symposium and Calliope, loyalist The Miasma also renders Lost immune to
Disquiet.
attempts to smuggle books past the port have all failed so far.
73
is apt at moving unseen or navigating social waters. The • What are you made of? When someone cuts you,
relationship brings practical perks, too: the Promethean is insects pour from the wound. Your bones are made of
a powerful defender during epagomenae, while the Lost can wood. Your heart is a hollow egg with raging winds
ferry him through the Hedge from one Wonder to another. trapped inside. How do you cope with these remind-
The Dream Builders explicitly welcome Created in their ers of your inhumanity, as they itch and crawl under
ranks. Another good starting point is the Mausoleum, which your leaf skin?
sees so many Prometheans it’s impossible not to meet one of
these usually rare creatures. Meanwhile, Lost congregate all • How are you flawed? You have a tell, something
year round in Alexandria, and in Rhodes during epagome- instantly betraying you as inhuman. Your fingers are
nae — any Created worth his salt should notice the other black and covered in wax from where your Gentry
not-wholly-human creatures about. master sealed your skin. Birds try to nest in your hair,
recognizing they’re really twigs and leaves.
Players should consider how mortal attitudes affect char-
acters. The Wars of the Diadochi are over, but Alexander’s • How is your relationship to changelings? Did you
heirs are still fighting over the boundaries of his successor meet your changeling yet — did she reclaim her
empires. The Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage have life, or does she allow you to share the family? How
just begun, and threaten to upset the entire Hellenistic do other changelings, the local symposium, and the
world. Alexandria and Rhodes are in a trade war with the motley you travel with now, treat you?
Antigonid and Seleucid Empires. An Osirian may flee to
the Colossus, and find anti-Egyptian sentiments rapidly
aggravating Disquiet. One of the Lost returns from Arcadia
to find Seleucus defeated Lysimachus — and if he supported
Goblin Fruits
the latter, where does that leave him? While full-on bigotry Artemisia’s Sorrow
doesn’t aid any game, a little tension works well. This fruit grows at the Mausoleum, well-protected by
its black vines. Plucking the pomegranate fruit requires
Playing a Fetch a Dexterity + Survival roll to avoid the thorns lest they
The Miasma lets fetches attempt the Pilgrimage (see drain a Willpower point from the changeling. Artemisia’s
p. 54 for more), leading to a unique attitude toward these Sorrow tastes like tears and ashes when consumed. Nothing
half-creatures. A Promethean acts as mentor, viewing the untoward occurs if the fruit is consumed in the Hedge, but
fetch as no more or less human than himself. Even the Lost in the mundane world, upon eating it the changeling is
have some sympathy — the fetch is a broken, half-formed pulled into State of Twilight (Chronicles of Darkness, pp.
being looking for meaning. 124–125). A jetty leading to the River Styx immediately
Changeling: The Lost, p. 235, offers character-creation extends before her — she may choose to ignore or walk it
rules for fetches. A few things are different in this era. as she pleases. She interacts with ghosts and shades as if
Azoth is all about rules — follow these 12 impossible steps, she were one of them. This State of Twilight lasts until the
and you too can become a real boy — and the touch of Azoth changeling next sees the sun rise, or she spends a Glamour
makes the fetch a more literal being. This lets her bargain point and wills it so. If she has no Glamour to spend, she
for Goblin Contracts. She cannot become a Hedge Denizen may spend a Willpower point instead.
(Changeling: The Lost, p. 340) though — she’s already too
closely alike for transformation — and can never accrue more
Cerynitis’ Hope
than nine points of Goblin Debt. When she would incur her These clear, teardrop-shaped fruits are a rare find in
10th point, the Contracts simply stop working: Whichever en- the Hedge of Ephesus. A changeling eating the fruit gains
tity is empowering them refuses to until she’s paid off some debt. two additional dice on attempts to locate one of her Icons,
The player should also consider the Five Questions with the bonus disappearing at the end of the scene. The
(Changeling: The Lost, pp. 233–234) from a fetch’s Storyteller describes the Icons he planned for that character
perspective: (their physical aspect, i.e. “a flower made of light,” though
not what they represent) and the player picks one: Her
• When did you know? You led a human life. You had character gains the modifier to locate that Icon.
a family. Then one day, Azoth touches you, or your
changeling returns from Arcadia, and you realize: I Colossus’ Bane
am not human, I never was. What changed in that
This fruit of interlocking thorns from Rhodes’ Hedge
moment, and what did you lose?
forms a chain just large enough to bind a person. The chain
• Who knows or suspects the truth? Are you still cannot be broken by brute strength, requiring a success on
with your human family? Did you tell them, or did a Dexterity + Larceny roll to wiggle free, or someone else
your youngest child figure it out for himself? Did a (who must not be bound themselves) to release the captive
hunter see you cut yourself and not bleed? by touching the chain and spending one point of Glamour.
74
The Seven Wonders
Tokens Athame (••)
Damage +1, Initiative –1, Strength 1, Size 1,
Alexandrian Lamp (••) roll 9-again
This plain copper lamp is available for trade or coin, The athame represents Artemisia’s first step and deter-
at a fair price, from Alexandria’s Goblin Market. The mination: cutting into her beloved’s corpse to steal him back
lamp is placed inside the Hedge (right in the entrance from death. The knife is razor-edged and eager to be used.
works), and anyone holding the lamp as it touches the
ground can always find her way back to it, granting a Bowl (•••)
+2 bonus on rolls to navigate back to the lamp and Artemisia burned incense to soothe Mausolus’ soul, and
ensuring the path can never be completely blocked. blackroot to keep vengeful ghosts away. Burning incense
Only members of the original group can move the lamp (Resources 2) in the bowl ensures ghosts, including Hedge
once set down. ghosts, do not attack the characters first. Burning blackroot,
Catch: The lamp bearer cannot hide their presence harvested from the Hedge near the Mausoleum, repels
for the remainder of the scene following their holding the most ghosts, while major (named and statted) ghosts must
lamp, as their body glows with a flaming hue, regardless of succeed on a Resolve + Composure roll to draw near, and
supernatural attempts at concealment. even then, suffer a −1 on all actions.
Drawback: The lamp bearer gains the Lethargic
Condition once the lamp is set down, as it drains their Tongs (•••)
energy levels to hold it. Damage +0, Initiative –1, Strength 1, Size 1,
Grapple +1
Oath Sand (••)
Artemisia used these tongs to hold her husband’s spirit
This sand, taken from the base of Khufu’s Pyramid, is in place. They can reach through Twilight and affect (strike
one of the reasons Lost travel there. Running the sand or hold, depending on how the character uses them) in-
through your fingers grants a +2 bonus on any social corporeal creatures and objects. If the creature or object
action that involves giving your word — whether it’s could theoretically become corporeal, the character may
negotiating Goblin Contracts, forging pledges, or swear- spend one Essence point to pull it into the mundane world.
ing to the captain of the guard you won’t cause trouble
in her city. Fire Shard (••••)
Catch: The changeling must not have told a lie in the
Artemisia snatched fire from heaven itself and placed
24 hours preceding this token’s use, otherwise it renders
it where her husband’s soul used to be. It bled off his body,
no effect.
staining the altar and ground. This small shard of marble,
Drawback: The social action the changeling takes after taken from the Mausoleum, holds a single point of Pyros
using the last of the Oath Sand comes at a −1 penalty, as that replenishes daily and can be absorbed by a Promethean
their veneer of respectability vanishes. holding it. Using the Fire Shard in the generative act
(Promethean: The Created, p. 185) grants a +1 bonus and
Wolf Arrows (•••) ensures failure ends in a dead body rather than a Pandoran.
Damage +1, Size 2, Armor Piercing 1 Regardless of failure or success, the generative act consumes
the Divine Fire and leaves a blackened marble shard.
This set of 10 arrows, held in a quiver embossed with
wolf motifs, is crafted from the bones of Nineveh’s briar-
wolves. The bones howl as they fly through the air: anyone
New Merits
hearing the sound must succeed at a Resolve + Composure Hedgewise (••)
roll or suffer the Stunned Tilt. Some people go the long way around, traveling the
world by horse or boat. Not you — you are strictly a Hedge
Tools of Artemisia traveler. You gain two dice for kenning a Hedge portal, even
if it’s hidden (including by magic) and you weren’t looking
The ritual implements Artemisia used to scoop out her for it, and gain 9-again on Hedgespinning rolls.
brother-husband’s brain and replace his blood with oil yet
survive. These tools are traded in the hidden underbelly of Librarian (•••)
the world, moving hands from alchemists to morally lacking
Trained in the Library of Alexandria, your first social
Created and back again.
interaction with librarians and scholars is always at an
impression level higher than it otherwise would be (av-
erage becomes good, excellent becomes perfect, etc.).
75
Depending on your behavior (kind and thoughtful, or crass • Persephone has a pet named Cerberus, a three-headed
and hostile) you keep or lose the bonus on subsequent hell hound, who she sends to stop the characters. Use
encounters. You also know where to find any information statistics for a Trod Troll (Changeling: The Lost,
kept in a book or scroll — even if you don’t own it, you pp. 260–261), but change the Aspiration to “Serve
know who does — and gain two additional dice on rolls Persephone” and Frailty to “Falls asleep to lyre music”,
to research written accounts. and give him the Immortal Dread Power. Alternatively,
make him an ancient and powerful Geryo from Night
Storytelling the
Horrors: Shunned by the Moon, if you own that book.
• A snake approaches as the characters delve deeper
Seven Wonders into the Hedge. She doesn’t want Persephone to

succeed either, and offers aid in finding Mausolus.
The players made their characters and came up with The snake isn’t acting on her own though — she
interesting relationships between them. Now it’s your turn. serves and loves Hades, and the lord of Halicarnassus
Let’s take a closer look at devising a campaign, striking the worries his wife plans to unseat him. Accepting the
right mood, and telling stories for Created and Lost alike. deal gives the group a resourceful ally, but how do
Each Tier also presents ready-to-use campaign ideas. they stop Hades from stealing Mausolus for himself?
The snake uses statistics for a briarwolf (Changeling:
Tier One: A Wonder The Lost, p. 257), but replaces Brawl (Claws) with
Brawl (Grapple) and Jump Scare and Prodigious
This game revolves around a single wonder and is fairly Leap with Chameleon Horror and Hypnotic Gaze.
small in scope. Created and Lost both need the wonders to
survive, and loyalist saboteurs provide a communal foe. An • The group rescues Mausolus, but he has changed.
alchemist may expand her scope from hunting for Pyros to Initially Created attribute this to Disquiet, but a Lost
Glamour, trading with hobgoblins for Glamour in physical finds an Icon, a single dove feather, in the Hedge and
form. This game has to compensate for Disquiet, lest angry realizes it belongs Mausolus. Did Persephone — or
mobs and Wastelands run rampant. Encourage players to another Gentry — also find one of Mausolus’ Icons,
pick distinct Lineages in a Branded Throng (Promethean: and can she use it to create a fetch of him?
The Created p. 306) or give them access to a Sanctuary
Athanor (Promethean: The Created p. 189). Slavers in Rhodes
Alexandria is great for a Tier One campaign, since the
Gentry employ loyalists to capture escaped Lost, and
goblins have 1,000 errands to keep anyone entertained.
Rhodes — which continually sees ships comes and go and
Rhodes, a bustling port, and the Mausoleum with its Dream
has chains growing in the Hedge — is perfect for these
Builders and resident Prometheans, also offer opportunities
slavers. Now they’ve taken the Ebb Tide Prince!
for motley and throng to meet.
The Ebb Tide Queen asks the Lost to investigate and
bring him back — she offers tokens, status, or another boon
Mausolus Lost in return. The Colossus, self-appointed protector to the deni-
Epagomenae comes, and Lost hide. No one is taken the zens of Rhodes and feeling derelict in his duty, reaches out to
first day, nor the second. The third day, Created discover Prometheans to protect the motley. He serves as Refinement
Mausolus gone and a black pomegranate left behind. They Mentor and general fount of Pilgrimage knowledge if they
ask the Lost to guide them into the Hedge, where Created agree. When the characters investigate in the Hedge, they
know these fruits grow, and help find Mausolus. Venturing indeed find a Huntsman waiting to take the prince home,
into the Hedge, they learn — through tracking, divination, but no sign of the prince himself. So, where is he?
or speaking with hobgoblins — that Persephone of the True
• The King of High Tide aided the slavers. With the
Fae snatched Mausolus. She plans to merge his essence with
ruler of Ebb Tide out of the way, he felt High Tide
a Huntsman, to create an entity neither beholden to the
could extend its power — a grave necessity with
common laws of reality nor the Great Bargain. While the
the rising loyalist threat. The slavers snatched the
Created are unwavering in their desire to save Mausolus,
prince instead of the Queen of Ebb Tide, though, and
the Lost have different considerations. They were safe for
the King of High Tide refuses to help them past the
half the days of epagomenae as the Huntsman hunted dif-
Colossus into the Hedge with an innocent quarry.
ferent prey. Maybe they should save Mausolus, teach him
The slavers are holed up near the harbor, planning to
how to better hide from the Gentry, and quietly encourage
take a ship to Alexandria and cross into the Hedge
Persephone to try again next year. Meanwhile, the Dream
there. The king fears the slavers will reveal his
Builders are in disarray: Is Persephone the same as their
involvement and works to sabotage the characters
Lady of Death, and is this the prelude to a greater betrayal?
while sending agents of his own to save the prince.
76
The Seven Wonders
• The Queen and Prince of Ebb Tide had a public fall- world. You need to thread the needle between danger and
ing out (he believes she takes the loyalist problem excitement — make the decision hard for the characters,
too seriously) and suspicion turns to her. Even if the but ensure they come down on the side of going in.
characters determine she wasn’t involved, they must
maintain the air of investigating her lest the Tide The Goblin Queen
Symposia believe they are too lax. There’s also the
issue of whether the queen might prefer the prince An enterprising hobgoblin hires Alexandria’s Created
remain lost (after her name is cleared) so she can and Lost to bring him a plethora of tokens (“and other
replace him. fine items”) to sell. What initially starts as a light-hearted
adventure eventually turns dark, as the characters learn
• Nineveh commands this group of slavers. She once, the goblin uses the items to power Contracts beholden to
possibly inadvertently, crafted the Colossus from a a Goblin Queen named Hermione. The Queen doesn’t do
Summer King’s Glamour. Could she create another anything — she just signs her name as creditor, and the to-
from the prince? Colossus experiences loneliness on kens do the rest. So long as these Contracts remain though,
a level even other Created don’t, and the promise of the Queen is bound to her throne and must remain exactly
a brother might sway him to Nineveh’s side. that: a Goblin Queen. Which is just the way of the world,
but this Queen is a really a qashmallim who got trapped in
the Hedge and lost its identity.
Tier One Organization:
• Map the Pilgrimage so it coincides with the hobgob-
Wolf and Rabbit lin’s requests. One Created plans to visit the Great
Wolf and Rabbit are twin homunculi, soulless servants Pyramid, and a changeling offers to take him through
to an alchemist, who broke free of their master seven the Hedge and shave months off the journey — so
years ago. They found their bodies rapidly deteriorating long as he stands guard while she collects Oath Sand.
without her upkeep, and in a last, desperate effort released It helps if this cements him in the Bodyguard (Aes)
the alchemist’s other homunculus. Wolf and Rabbit sent role, and if a second task includes an encounter that
their brothers to catch Prometheans, leading to a rash of lets him explore a new Role or Refinement.
unprecedented kidnappings, and figured out how to extract
Pyros to keep their flesh animated. They couldn’t hunt • Ensure the Lost doesn’t feel like she’s simply per-
enough Prometheans to sustain all homunculi though, and forming fetch quests. She finds an Icon of the High
soon grew desperate again — enough that they followed Tide King while collecting goblin fruit in Nineveh,
a Created accompanied by Lost into the Hedge. Wolf and and now she travels to Rhodes on her own accord
Rabbit found religion in this strange and wondrous world. — creating a chance for Promethean characters to
The Gentry was magnificent, divine, and it fixed them right meet the fabled Colossus.
up — a handful of sand where their heart should be, a little
• Create room for players to pursue character goals.
spittle in lieu of blood. Now they, and their growing army of
A Created wants to find and claim a Sanctuary
homunculi and loyalists, hunt Created and Lost alike — the
Athanor. Another only works for the hobgoblin
former they keep, the latter go to the Gentry.
because it promised leads on a Pandoran she cre-
ated. A Lost works to rise in the Court of Favors,
Tier Two: Many Wonders brokering deals between his hobgoblin friend and
These games string wonders together in an overarch- other changelings. This campaign sees the characters
ing story. You can focus on an empire (for example, the return to Alexandria often, and it’s worth detailing
Lighthouse of Alexandria, Pyramid of Khufu, and Temple the city as you would for a Tier One game.
of Artemis are all governed by Egypt) or on a geographical • The group has several adventures behind them when
region (the Temple of Artemis, Colossus of Rhodes, and they learn about Hermione’s true nature, leaving
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus all lie in Asia Minor). Or, them allies if not friends. Now though, they come
you could simply mix and match whichever wonders have to a crossroad. To Prometheans, the path forward is
an interesting synergy (Artemis and Zeus are both Greek probably clear: They must remind Hermione of who
gods, and their pantheon was notoriously filled with strife). she is. Lost might view things differently. The Goblin
This game sees the group move, thus solving the problem Queen holds several Contracts in her name — they
of mounting Disquiet, but there is the matter of getting might lose their power if she’s no longer Queen.
around. Long distances, slow travel, and regional disputes What if the characters own some of these Contracts,
are nuisances. The Hedge holds trods from one wonder to too? Does it make a difference if epagomenae nears,
another but presents unique dangers — especially to Lost and they can’t afford to be weak now?
who consider themselves untouchable in the mundane
77
Storytelling the Seven Wonders
Tier Two Organization: and succeeding is high. They must devise a grander
plan to break the Gentries’ alliance.
Trader Goblins
• With the loyalists temporarily defeated, now is the
Goblin traders are everywhere. Even in the desert near
best (and likely only) time to reclaim Zeus’ Glamour
Khufu’s Pyramid, where few changelings go, they wait with
fount. Can they simply take it, or does the soul re-
their goods. They trade favors, secrets, Contracts, and to-
quire a special vessel to move (an Azothic object, or
kens — and Azothic objects. They recently found the Fire
the body of a fetch)? Even then it’s a disembodied,
Shard (see Artemisia’s Tools, p. 75) and hatched a plan to
tortured soul. The changeling’s master could reform
chip more shards from the Mausoleum to sell. While the
him. Maybe a Promethean can use the spark in the
lower levels of the Trader Goblins, which has no formalized
generative act, and create a new body for it? The
name, consist of jovial if crooked merchants, their higher
rewards are well worth it: This changeling was part
ranks hold a sinister secret: These goblins sell changelings
of the group that created the Great Bargain. If the
to Gentry, and Prometheans to Alchemists.
Temple of Artemis or statue of Zeus falls, he knows
Money (be it actual coin, favors, or pledges) flows up- how to re-inscribe the Bargain.
ward. A character buys a Contract from a friendly goblin for
a single strand of his hair, who trades that strand to a more
powerful goblin, who knows just the buyer for it — until Tier Three:
The Seven Wonders
the hair makes its way into the hands of Clotho who spins
it into a chain to bind the changeling. A Created trades
some of her phlegm for an Azothic object, not foreseeing This game takes characters across the breadth of the
the spittle making it to an alchemist who uses it to set Hellenistic world, on a trajectory that sees the seven won-
Pandorans on her. The character should always be the first ders forever changed in their passage. You can use all seven
step in this chain of unseen deals. wonders if you want to, but it’s not a requirement; this game
is about impact and scope, rather than miles traveled. You
Divine Alliance need to create a memorable threat only the characters can
Twice, Artemis set loyalist saboteurs to raze her temple, stop and make it personal.
and thrice mortals rebuilt. Whatever the particulars of the
Great Bargain, it allows time for a single monument to be The Return of a God
broken and resurrected. The Lost are now onto her and her On his deathbed, when a general asked who should inherit
spies find it increasingly hard to sneak by them. They even his kingdom, Alexander the Great only answered “toi Kratistoi”
formed an alliance with Created, who asked a throng (of — “to the strongest.” That was not as clear as anyone liked,
player characters) to guard the temple at Ephesus. leading to a series of wars and the collapse of Alexander’s
The goddess made an alliance of her own. empire into the smaller Antigonid, Seleucid, Ptolemaic, and
Artemis sent a group of loyalists through the Hedge to Attalid dynasties. Alexander the IV (son of Alexander the
Olympia. She persuaded her sister-wife Nineveh, whose Great) and his mother Rukhsana were poisoned in 310 BCE,
Hedge remains uncensored by Lost, to send her own loyal- thus ending the lineage of Alexander the Great.
ists over land. It took them a long time, but they finally Rukhsana’s sister Pamira now works to raise Alexander
arrived and now a two-pronged attack on Olympia begins. the Great from his grave to avenge her sister and nephew.
Their target: the writing on Zeus’ foot. As Pamira is an alchemist and genitor both, she could ac-
When the first blow lands, though, the Ephesus throng tually do it. Her main problem? Alexander may have been
receives an Elpis vision of Olympia under attack. Their more than human, and not as easily raised as a mere mortal.
only hope is to ask a changeling guide to take them there
• If you want to visit all seven wonders, here is a list
immediately.
of things Pamira needs (substitute as desired): a
• The Hedge near Ephesus is devoid of Artemis’ resurrection scroll held by an alchemist holed up
servants save the Ceryneian Hind, who leads them at the Great Pyramid, who will only trade if they
astray with her Maze and The Path Not Taken Dread smuggle him back past the qashmallim; heart fruit
Powers. The Olympian Hedge is guarded by a large from Nineveh’s garden; the blessing of the goddess of
group of loyalists. life, Artemis (possibly given through the Ceryneian
Hind); a tortured soul, conveniently found in Zeus’
• The real story comes afterward, when the characters Glamour fount; and a true light to guide the path,
realize three Gentry formed an alliance. With so harvested from Alexandria’s Lighthouse. Give the
many of Artemis’ followers already out, Nineveh characters a fair chance to discover what Pamira
unfettered in dispatching more, and Zeus — the one needs ahead of time, allowing them to snatch or
they’re trying to free — the most powerful Gentry in even replace it with a dummy.
the Web of Seven, the danger of them trying again
78
The Seven Wonders
• These are things Pamira absolutely needs: the body alongside its progenitor. Another Lost’s fetch joined
of Alexander the Great (she has it, and the bodies of the Kratistoi. The stakes are impossibly high — and
Rukhsana and Alexander IV); the life-spark of the also intensely personal.
Colossus to call Alexander back across the void of
death; and a location thoroughly attuned to genera-
tive magic, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus.
Tier Three Organization: Kratistoi
The Kratistoi descend from those who lost the Wars of
• Pamira’s Kratistoi attack the Colossus. Their objec- the Diadochi, and are now led by Pamira of Bractia. They
tive is to steal part of its life-essence, then flee though comprise mortal soldiers and politicians, as well as alchemists
the Hedge to Halicarnassus. While Colossus seems — some apprentices, and other rivals to Pamira — who can
unharmed at first, its movements quickly become field a small army of homunculi. Three fetches joined the
sluggish — the theft left it drained of life, and if Kratistoi, plugging the holes in their being with stolen Pyros.
Pamira’s ritual succeeds and permanently anchors
that essence in Alexander, the Colossus will become
an inert statue. Sources and Inspiration
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World by Peter A.
• The campaign’s conclusion comes at the Mausoleum. Clayton is a critically acclaimed resource on the era.
Pamira already prepared Alexander’s body and begins The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World by Charles River
the ritual. The Kratistoi patrol the Mausoleum. If the Editors holds amazing art and maps of the seven wonders.
characters successfully sabotaged her ingredients earlier,
Funeral Games by Mary Renault deals with the death of
they’re probably assured of a continued lifeless corpse.
Alexander the Great and its aftermath. While those events
If not, the ritual might lead to Alexander as a new
took place before Seven Wonders, their effects are still felt.
Colossus (unbound by the Hedge) or as a Pandoran —
The Jason Voyage: The Quest for the Golden Fleece and
either would be terrifying. Regardless of the outcome,
The Ulysses Voyage: Sea Search for the Odyssey, both by Tim
the ritual drains the Mausoleum of its generative focus.
Severin, recreate those epic journeys.
• Involve characters personally. Pamira holds the Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History podcast focuses on
Icon of a changeling and plans to use it in her new the stories and people behind history. The “Wars of the
Creation, or she is genitor to one of the Prometheans. Diadochi” and “Punic Nightmares” episodes are especially
A Colossoi knows his existence will soon end recommended for this era.
79
Storytelling the Seven Wonders
Wonders and Horrors
Vampires of this era belong to a great many sects, On one hand, the wonders are great and powerful
the Roman Camarilla’s chief rival being the Epigoni monuments fit for the Judges, on the other, are the
of Greece, North Africa, and Persia. These Kindred mummies themselves not the greatest monuments
revere the memory of Alexander as the greatest mortal to the gods? Some Deathless balk at the idea of
who ever lived, some even describing a legend of the mortal-built temples and statues outlasting them. Only
general finding immortality through drinking of the the Tef-Aabhi advocate preserving the wonders, as
blood of 100 fallen kings. Vampires of this covenant now they are seven, the nexus point between them
constantly test the best mortals and “reward” them with becomes a pool of Sekhem that fountains upward and
the Embrace, looking for their next savior. never ceases.
Werewolves feel anxiety over the wonders. Each Beasts and Heroes’ symbiosis is starting to col-
monument warps the Gauntlet in a unique way. Both lapse around this time, as the ages of truly primordial
Forsaken and Pure fear what might come through wonder approach their end. The world is ever-more
from the other side should one of the monuments fall, explored. It is now that Beasts slink into the darkness
predicting mutated Hosts or gross spirit reflections of and Heroes pursue twisted ends for the sake of leg-
human sacrifice and worship. end. Everyone wants to be Perseus, Theseus, or even
Alexander reborn. Thus, the vampires in the Diadochi
This is a wonderful time to be a mage. The Wonders watch them closely.
empower nearby spells reenacting their legend,
making them prime locations for cabals to argue over A subset of alchemists trying to create or experiment
access to in the very first Consilia. on Prometheans in this era discover a far more reliable
procedure: making Remade from living humans. Most
The Aegis Kai Doru are ascendant hunters at this alchemists believe Remade and Created are the same
time, wielding the weapons of great Greek and thing, hunting down other Remade elsewhere the way
Persian legends who remain fresh in mortal memory. they would Prometheans, and finding nothing but frus-
Their Vigil is a glorious one as they lead a hunt to the tration when they can’t find any Vitriol in their victims.
freehold at the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, deter-
mined to eliminate the otherworldly creatures des- The wonders are not colossal pieces of Infrastructure.
ecrating tombs. They will meet the changelings in open In fact, the complete absence of Infrastructure and an-
battle or drive them into the fields and their ambushes. gelic interest in these monuments is alarming to many
demons who want to know why the God-Machine’s
Sin-Eaters in this era have made deals with unusual agents appear to actively avoid them. The Unchained
Geists. Some take the form of half-constructed versions are now analyzing these Infrastructure dead zones
of the seven wonders, representing abandonment, and wonder if they’ll be able to make use of them as
renovation, or ruin. These Geists urge the destruction of environmental Covers.
idols and their creators. Some Sin-Eaters assume these
alien Geists are the corrupted spirits of the wonders
themselves.
80
The Seven Wonders
The Dream Builders
Children of Orpheus (Orphic Lost), Dream Walkers,
Keepers of the Wonders
Irena saw the fruit just off the path. A black pome- It’s the work that matters, not the single life.
granate, so dark it swallowed the light. Three steps,
she calculated, maybe four, and she could Keeping the
grab it. Three steps off the path and away
from the entrance.
Dream
“I know you’re here,” she
Alive
called out. Dream Builders collect
dream shards from the
Her voice was thick with Hedge, catching them
mockery — she didn’t, in in invisible nets and on
fact, know, but it wouldn’t ephemeral threads. They
be able to resist. Ah, it sort them, store them,
stepped forward now. Four and gift them to mortals
legged and hooved like a deer, if — dreams of hope for
much taller. A hole sat where its the downtrodden, and
head should be, antlers curving nightmares of helplessness
above the void. It stank of rot- for the cruel. The greatest
ting meat, and maggots fell from Dreams, of things lost under
a wound in its side. the dust of ages or yet to come,
“Thought you’d be here,” she they give to mortal artists and
opened her pack. “You look worse architects.
today.” No one knows if the Dream Builders
forged the Great Bargain — it’s been 2,000
The Huntsman didn’t answer.
years since Khufu. But they believe they did — a promise
Irena took a deep breath and ran into the Hedge. The of freedom from the Lady of Death — and so they main-
Huntsman galloped forward to meet her. She said a silent tain it. No Lost can deny they had a hand in extending
prayer to the Lady the goblin merchant was true to his word, the Bargain from the pyramid to the Web of Seven. They
and pulled the bronze and copper chain from her bag. roam the Hellenistic Hedge, traveling between wonders to
ensure their safety.
Fortitude Between their passion for creation, and the patronage
of the Lady of Death, the symposium is fascinated with
The Dream Builders are not content with just Khufu’s
Prometheans. It’s a recent development, perhaps one to fill
Pyramid. They block Nineveh, force her to yield a new
the gap now the Web of Seven is complete, but the sympo-
piece of the Bargain — and then they’re not content to
sium is moving along at its usual swift pace. They created
add one other Wonder. They break the Bargain into pieces,
a freehold at the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, introduced
gambling they can make it work somehow. The Dream
themselves to the Created, and offered to serve as guides
Builders’ response to uncertainty and danger is to plunge
into the Hedge. So far none of the Orphic Lost have delved
in headlong. They’re not foolish, they don’t do things they
into the dark art of creation, but some already dream it.
absolutely know will kill them. But when in doubt? Says
yes; take the risk — a Dream Builder knows the path they Dream-Builders, while a single symposium, divide
didn’t take is the one they’ll regret. into three factions: Marvels, Navigators, and Scriveners.
Marvels collect dream shards, shaping them to be just
Recklessness right for their mortal target. Navigators, meanwhile, are
experts at traveling the Hedge and guide other symposium
Dream Builders don’t expect to survive. They don’t members to their destination. Scriveners are a new fac-
discuss it, not even among themselves, but they all know it. tion to the symposium — former Marvels, they specialize
Their lot is to blaze the trail, to be front and center in the in collecting the dreams necessary to maintain the Great
resistance against the Gentry, and — eventually — to die. Bargain. Each faction is led by its most experienced mem-
Dream Builders meet certain death with a defiant shout or ber, and the Eldest Marvel leads the symposium as a whole.
a careless shrug, knowing others will continue their legacy. Recently though, both Navigators and Scriveners scoff at
81
The Dream Builders
•••• Your character gains one automatic success when
dreamweaving.
••••• Your character may spend a Glamour point to
What If They Do? either remove one Condition mentally weighing
None of the Dream Builders are genitors yet. But the target down (such as Cowed or Demoralized),
if they can dream it, they can do it. Changelings or give them the Beaten Down Tilt for one scene.
under the Miasma don’t suffer Disquiet, but that
does not mean the genitor-creation relationship Courtiers
is smooth sailing. Their Created are Extempore,
brought to life by a unique mix of Divine Fire and Hecara, Eldest Marvel
Glamour. Changeling genitors further take a page Hecara dreamed of histories forgotten and futures lost.
from the Gentry’s book, crafting their creations She tasted the journeys of Odysseus and Achilles. Now she
with a heart made of insects, or limbs made of
branches. These unfleshed Extempore (taking grows bored. The Darkling seeks new secrets, new mysteries
the Extempore lineage on Promethean: The to uncover — and believes she found them in the Created.
Created p. 38) won’t have much for which to be Hecara traveled with a throng, observing them and their
thankful. The Fire inside them doesn’t burn strongly Pilgrimage. She tries to see them as people, no more broken
enough to sustain them after the Miasma falls. than she is, but finds it increasingly difficult. She longs to
slip her fingers under the seams that hold them together,
rip them open, and see inside.
that. The Navigators feel their work is the most important Tehe, Eldest Scrivener
— everywhere but the Hedge is safe, and it’s their task to Once, Tehe dreamed of new wonders — a great labyrinth
guide Lost through that deathtrap. Meanwhile, Scriveners in Crete, or the rebuilding of Troy. No more: Now he only
believe supporting the Web of Seven is the symposium’s has nightmares of the fall of the seven, the breaking of the
most important task, and they are owed greater deference. Bargain, and the horde of Huntsmen finally coming to
claim their prey. That the wonders might fall, all the Dream
The Bargain Builder’s sacrifices come to naught, consumes the Wizened.
The Lady of Death embodies safety from persecution He seeks out prophecies to understand and prevent the
for the helpless, and punishment for the wicked. This is fall, and knows the Colossus plays a role. Perhaps, Tehe
why Dream Builders are so careful to grant pleasant dreams muses, he should remove the Colossus’ soul and anchor
to those in pain, and nightmares to those who inflict suf- the statue in place.
fering. In return, she gives them the Mantle of Dreams
and Righteousness. Some Dream Builders believe she also Dinara, Youngest Navigator
upholds the Great Bargain. If so, the Lady clearly brooks Dinara is a Chimera, relishing in the fluidity of zir
no competition, as courtiers are forbidden from making any nature. Zie always takes the road less traveled, venturing
deals to protect themselves during epagomenae — they deep into the Hedge in exploration of Dream Roads no
must simply rely on their cleverness. other Navigator ever walked. Dinara finds Icons. At first
zie tried to return them to the Lost, but the task is impos-
Mantle of Dreams sible — there are too many. No other Lost come so far into
and Righteousness the thickets, and the pieces of their souls just sit. Dinara
comes to suspect the Great Bargain is a burden, a curse of
This Mantle imbues the Dream Builder with the ephem-
complacency and false safety.
eral dream of death: Her hands become translucent, her
hair pale as bone, and her voice a whisper only heard on
the wind.
Legends
• Gain bonus dice equal to your character’s Mantle • Silence behind him. No footsteps. No breathing.
dots to mundane rolls to take a target’s measure. His faith wavered and he turned. There she stood:
The changeling must interact with the target, or Eurydice, dark eyes full of reproach. Ghostly hands
observe him interacting with someone else. carried her back into the darkness. The story does
•• Gain bonus dice equal to your character’s Mantle not end here — Orpheus’ obsession was greater than
dots to mundane attempts at coercion and encour- one failed descent into Hades. This time though,
agement of others. Persephone was not swayed by his music; Orpheus
••• Your character may name a Gate of Ivory or had his chance. He pleaded and begged, until finally
Dreaming Road, to gain two dice on navigation Persephone relented. She would free Eurydice to visit
attempts to find the shortest (not always safest) Orpheus in his dreams. He missed the cruel glint in
trod there. her eye. Eurydice wasn’t just free to visit Orpheus in
82
The Seven Wonders
his dreams, she was a dream, ephemeral and instantly the other side of the Hedge and fueling her own
forgotten. No longer trusting Persephone, Orpheus resurrection. When the time comes, if she proves
traveled East to Nineveh. She taught him how to too dangerous, the Dream Builders may yet cut the
capture dreams in marble and bronze and bind them ties that bind her to this world. Until then, their
to the admiration of mortals. interests align.
• The Dream Builders predate the Great Pyramid. • Eresjkigal was the first Dream Builder. Not a goddess,
They whispered to Khufu in his dreams until he but a Wizened prophet. Her Dreams took her to a
erected the greatest monument of mankind. On it glorious future of white marble and gleaming metal,
they transcribed the Great Bargain, given to them a towering machine burning with fire, and Arcadia
by a now-forgotten sister of Anubis. She still exists turned to ashes. That’s what the Dream Builders
within the words of the Great Bargain. The Dream are working toward: Shutting down the Hedge and
Builders work at her behest, starving her rivals on Arcadia forever is the Dream.
83
The Dream Builders
She stands, pale and imperious in the moonlight of the glade. She raises her arm, a small bird answering the
summons and settling on her outstretched hand. The bird sings a series of shrill notes, and the forest, one voice at a
time, in a rising cacophony of caws and growls, answers back.
“I seek audience with Vile Adham, Tall Man of the oaken downs. Is he here?”
The answer comes, the call of an owl, a cry that brings echoes of fearful memories to the vampire, “Who? Who?”
it asks.
“I am Caecilia, bloody-handed scribe of the Dead Legion. By the treaties of the Court of Night and Day you know
me as Medb, traitor-bride of Conall the Worm-Born, mother of the Legion of the Green, they who hunt your enemies on
legs of four and two—”
A wind rises, the creaking of the boughs like a chuckle cutting her short. From across the glade, a tree snaps, bark
splintering as two dark, oaken hands burst from within. Tearing itself free of the rotting wood, an immense, stooped figure
unfolds, robed in ivy and brambles.
“I know your names, friend Medb,” the tall man says, “what do you require of me?”
“Prophecy. I seek knowledge, a path to victory for our people. The Saxon invasion has resumed, but
this time they bring with them soldiers of shield and spear. I fought two of them a cycle ago, and
they wielded sorceries I do not recognize. Their eyes pierced my transformations, their hews
matched my own for strength, and when I bid them yield, they...refused me. I lost five
good wolves in that battle, I will not be humbled again.”
“And what do you offer?”
“A promise, writ in the heart’s blood of a nightingale.” Medb draws the
songbird close, kissing it gently before piercing its chest with a fingernail.
She holds up her bloodied hands. “A single boon of your choosing,
what do you desire?”
“Friend Medb, there is much that you need to know. I ask
only that you stay awhile, and listen to my story in full. Will
you do this?”
Medb smiles, bowing and spreading her arms wide in a
mummery of supplication. “It is my honor.”
“Then know this truth, and commit it to your soul.
The era of thirteen battles is at hand. The son of the
dragon shall face these threats by hill and down and
river, his knights shall triumph in your name...but
one day he shall falter. The father kills the son, and
the son condemns the father to the sleep of ages. In
that time of sundered brotherhoods, the true Lord of
the Hunt returns, and the witches of shield and spear
shall emerge triumphant. Our only path is that of
retreat, cowering in caves as you did when your nemeses
claimed Rome.”
Medb’s smile pulls back into a snarl. “You dare
speak of nemeses! I came to you in good faith!”
“And I accepted your terms, friend Medb, as you ac-
cepted mine, but these truces shall mean naught when the
Horned God comes to reclaim his names from you. The night
may be constant, but seasons change, and so too must I.”
Adham tilts his head, the smallest gesture, as vines ensnare
Medb’s legs. “You promised to stay a while, and I intend to tell
the story of your children’s follies until the sun itself bears witness...”
Arthur’s Britannia
Arthur’s Britannia
400-500
400-500CE
CE
In the year 410 CE, the last Roman legions leave Britannia. The Empire
is crumbling, divided and the “eternal” city of Rome, the light of civiliza-
tion, is burning. The Camarilla and the Julii are sundered; those that are left
cower in the Necropolis or lie in torpor in the catacombs beneath the fallen
splendor of Rome. In the wake of its exodus from Britannia, the senate leaves
a power vacuum. From the northern border of Caledonia and across the sea
from Hibernia, Celtic and Pictish barbarians come to reclaim what once was
theirs and punish the Britons for their weakness, for falling in line under the
Somewhere in
Roman lash. The land is the stage for a song of steel, the rhythm is the heavy
the world there

footfall of warriors’ boots, the clash of swords carries the tune, and the choirs
isSomewhere
a defeatinfor
sing with the screams of the fallen.
everyone. Some
the Older powers revel in their regained freedom. The Weihan Cynn, the golden-
world there is a defeat eyed Kindred of Britannia, once forced back into the dark depths of the forests by
are destroyed
for everyone. Some are the fire and steel of the legionnaires, return to strike unions and pacts with the
bysome
defeat,
made and
destroyed by defeat, old powers and the Hedge to regain their former dominion. Tribes find patronage
some made small and

and small with old gods, if they really are gods. The spirit of the Harrier, the Herjan, runs
and mean by victory. with their warriors; is it divine or does it just seem so? Are they swearing fealty
meantriumphs
by victory.
Greatness lives in one to the creatures beyond the Hedge or simply driven by their hand-me-down
over Greatness
who equally hatred of the Romans? Those sky-clad berserker warriors among them, frothing
lives inSteinbeck,
one who
defeat and victory. and foaming as the warp spasm takes them, are they man or beast... or both?
Within the borders of Britannia herself, chaos reigns. Romano-British
triumphs equally
— John nobles left behind vie for dominance, but with no legions supporting them they
over defeat and

The Acts of King Arthur cling desperately to the power once graced upon them by Rome. Among these
and His Noble Knights
victory.
holdouts, those Kindred who remain loyal to Rome but were left behind and
those who saw an opportunity, remaining to build their own kingdoms out of
John Steinbeck,
the blackened ruins of the Empire. Some don the appearance of the changeling
courts, seeking to sway the herd who still revere their pagan “gods.” This may
The Acts of
appear as a boon to those who have escaped the Hedge, but it is a double-edged
King Arthur
sword. The obfuscation helps hide the Lost but draws the attention of Gentry
and His Noble

and Huntsmen alike. The Kindred arrogantly dismiss the horn blasts of the True
Fae, but for the Lost hiding in the herd it is not so easily ignored.
Knights
Some mortal lords see a future free from Roman influence and they wage
bloody war against those they see as tainted by the Empire’s influence. Worse
are those opportunists hidden in their ranks, the robber barons who serve only
their own base interests. There is a reason these are called the Dark Ages. The
pall of ignorance creeping over the cowering tribes of the Britons (who either
cast off the iron shackles of Empire or mourn the loss of enlightened Roman
society) makes them malleable to those with the will to lead.
Aside from the immortal and the unliving are others who covet the fertile
hills and verdant forests of Britannia. To the southeast lie the massed and
superstitious ranks of the Saxon nations, Angles, Jutes and Frisians seeking
their own opportunity. They see the chance to expand, to conquer and drive
the encroaching darkness back, because within the ranks of the brutal invaders
comes something new: Mortal hunters experienced at facing down the monsters.
Where the Celts and Picts rely upon naked savagery and weapons of bronze,
the Saxons bring blades of steel and a formidable thirst for conquest.
86
Arthur‘s Britannia
There is little to bring hope to the dismayed and de- it carefully, the pall of ignorance can easily be ignited by
moralized tribes of the Britons but all is not yet lost. From the spark of fervor and raise the cry, “Thou shalt not suffer
among them one shall arise, the Once and Future King, a witch to live!”
born to the line of Pendragon and destined to build a leg- Those who see the liberation as an oncoming dawn
end in unyielding stone. He is the first Christian King of must face the truth; there are those things returning that
Britannia, Arthur. The Knights of Camelot and the virtues the strength of the Empire held at bay, and they will find
of the Round Table herald an age of light and justice in the hours before the dawn are the darkest of all.
the face of shadow and oppression. It is a promise that will
ultimately fail in the face of mortal appetite and avarice,
but a legacy will be born to inspire a nation for generations.
Blood
That would be cold comfort to the serfs and churls of Briton In this time of upheaval one rule holds true: Might
who labor under the feudal yolk, even if they could see it makes right. Whether to bind your holdings in a grip of
coming. All they know is they toil for whoever owns them iron, carve a new domain from the lands of your enemies
and their land. They know they bleed when they are called or bring forth the virtues of honor and justice, you must be
to bear arms for a cause they don’t fully understand and they prepared to get down in the blood and the mud and fight
know that they all, as one, fear the setting of the sun and for it. Even those who would barter with the old powers to
the coming of the night. claim their portion must pay the blood price. Steel is the
currency of this dark time for, while people may be bought
Themes and Moods with gold, they can only be held by steel.
Change
The lands of Britannia are in upheaval. In the wake of
The Empire’s Crown
the ordered rule of the Roman Empire there are those who With the Empire of Rome crumbling, the legions with-
mourn the absence of enlightened civilization and those draw to defend the seat of the emperor. The incumbent
who celebrate the end of oppression and privilege. The King of Britannia, Constans Aurelianus II, is a puppet. Son
Romano-Briton nobles keen and cling to what remains of of Emperor Constantine III, he is a monk turned king at
the marble institutions of the past, desperate for the edge the urging of an ambitious noble named Vortigern. With
that will let them hold on to their power, while the lords of the emperor dead and the legions gone, Vortigern can take
the newly freed Britannia use any means to savage the rem- the final step and rid himself of the last tie to the Empire.
nants of the oppressor’s culture. Religion undergoes sweep- Slain in his bed by Pictish assassins, Constans’ throne is
ing changes; the Romans bring with them Christianity and usurped in 411 CE by his trusted advisor and orchestrator
its teachings. The druidic influence of the Weihan Cynn of his murder, Vortigern.
seeks to undo what the Romans have wrought, but to do All does not go well for the new tyrant. Saxon foedarati
that they must clash with the new religion to bring back (mercenary troops bought or subjugated by the Romans)
what once was. revolt en masse in 440 CE. Despite the support of many
Kindred who see Vortigern (or “Wyrtgeorn”) and his covet-
Darkness ous nature as malleable, the usurper king needs more swords
for his banners. Between quashing the foedarati rebellion,
The light of civilization has set upon this green isle. land squabbles between the nobles (those trying to reclaim
Those of a darker nature who had been driven away under the glory of Romano Briton and those desperate to relegate
the order enforced by the Legions of Rome fight and bar- the Empire to the ashes of history) and border attacks by
gain to forge their kingdoms. Those that had served the the Celts and Picts, Vortigern is driven to approach the
once-invincible seat of the Empire now cling to whatever exiled Saxon brothers Hengist and Horsa. In 449 CE, these
they can. Beyond the wars fought for territory is a war of unbound war leaders agree to provide mercenary troops to
ideology; the enlightened writings and philosophies of keep the barbarians at bay and help subjugate the holdout
Rome are rooted out and burned in favor of spoken his- nobles. The brothers, settled on the isle of Thanet off the
tories or legends carried through the times of occupation coast of Kent, send word to their people of “the worthless-
and revived (ofttimes inaccurately) from the mouths of the ness of the Britons and richness of the land” drawing more
newly independent tribes. warriors from Saxony. The strain of supporting these merce-
naries taxes the Britons greatly, and Vortigern orders them
Gloom to leave, but Hengist has other ideas. Over a table strewn
The land is cloaked in creeping shadows. Those who with empty wine goblets, Hengist has Vortigern betrothed
bathed in the golden light of Roman enlightenment are to his daughter, Rowena. The dowry for this marriage? The
forced to hide in the smoke of its charred remains. If those Kingdom of Kent and the title King of the Cantware. The
who seek knowledge continue to do so then they must do Saxons will not leave and, with a clear foothold estab-
lished, they set their eyes upon the conquest of Britannia.
87
Vortigern’s son, Vortimer (taken by some prophetic vision It is 456 CE when Vortigern is tracked to his castle Caer
of the Saxon threat) overthrows his father and assumes the Guorthigirn, in the mountains of North Wales. The druid
throne to meet the approaching betrayal. Merlin foretold of his ruin at the hands of Ambrosius and
Uther upon the day he slew Constans, and here the druid
Four Kings stands to witness his prophecy realized. After three days
of siege bombardment, Ambrosius gives the order for the
Vortimer fought four valorous, bloody actions against castle to be burned with all trapped inside. Some tell that
the Saxon invaders, driving them back to Thanet. At the St. Germanus himself called God’s wrath and fire rained
third battle, in a place known as Set Thirgabail, Horsa falls. from the sky in response. A few whisper darker tales that
Finally, upon the shore of the Gallic sea, Vortimer drives Vortigern, his mind and heart broken after witnessing the
the Saxons from Britannia entirely, but his actions cost death of his wife and kin, and upon realizing what he had
him dearly. Upon his deathbed, Vortimer instructs that his done to reach that point, did escape the burning castle.
bones be buried where the Saxons first made landfall to ward They say he wanders the hills and valleys of Cambria as an
against their return, but his words are ignored. Vortigern empty, ragged husk, possessed only of the hunger he once
returns to the throne and, not long after, the Saxons follow. had in life and cloaked in the darkness that perverted his
To Vortigern’s surprise, a call for a peace summit in soul. Maybe he submitted to the Embrace of the Kindred,
Sarum comes to him from his father-in-law Hengist. The maybe he became something darker. During the siege,
representatives meet but it is almost a death knell for the Ambrosius witnesses the passage of a dragon through the
Chieftains of Britain. This “Night of the Long Knives” is a sky, perhaps it is what prompts him to burn the castle to the
bloody reminder that the Saxons take what they want by ground but, from that omen, he claims the name Pendragon,
fair means or foul. Four hundred and fifty Briton Chieftains the Dragon King.
are slain and Vortigern is spared only because of his marriage
to Rowena. By this time there are those who are tired of
Vortigern’s folly, those who weren’t old enough to oppose
The Dragon Rises
him when their brother was murdered and the usurper took Even enraged by the death of his daughter, Hengist is
the throne rightfully theirs. Those whose blood traces back no fool. In 488 CE, on the far side of the Humber River,
to the emperors of Rome: Ambrosius and Uther Aurelianus, he raises an army of 200,000 warriors and makes to destroy
who would soon be known as Pendragon. Ambrosius, Uther, and Germanus’ paltry 10,000-strong
Ambrosius and Uther had been hidden away in force. But he underestimates the three experienced
Armorica (Brittany) upon the bloody murder of their elder commanders and the fervor of their warriors. Germanus
brother Constans and, under the tutelage of their uncle himself put flight to a vastly superior Saxon army by using
King Budic I, both became skilled in the arenas of war and the echoes of his battle cry “Alleluia!” in the Vale of the
politics. Knowing they could not unite the tribes of the Mold to make it seem like his army was the larger. On the
Britons with Vortigern lurking in the shadows, they form field of Beli Mawr, the Saxons are routed and the Britons
an alliance with Germanus, Bishop of Auxerre. Germanus is pursue them across the fields of Britannia. Hengist rallies
a powerful man, a one-time duke become deacon, elevated his troops at Cunungeberg and turns to face the oncom-
to bishop, he practices strict austerity and unyielding piety ing Britons. His chance at victory in the bloody battle is
for the good of his followers. He is also no stranger to war snatched away when Armorican reinforcements, seeking
and command. With their combined supporters they cross favor with this valorous new king, pounce upon the engaged
from Gaul to Britannia to end Vortigern’s craven rule. As Saxons, sealing the Britons’ victory with Hengist himself
an initial gesture to Germanus’ purpose, to bring the faith- taken by the Consul of Gloucester and decapitated. As a
ful of Briton in line with the new Catholic Church, they gesture to stem Saxon retribution, Ambrosius accepts the
first meet with a great crowd of priests and their followers. petitions of the surviving war leaders, Octa and Eosa, who
In an effort to discredit the holy man, Vortigern has his submit to his rule. He pardons them and gives them lands
daughter confront the assembly and name him father of her to the north. This both placates the warlike Saxons and
child, conceived out of wedlock. The scheme is proven a places them as a buffer between the lands of the Britons
fraud; Germanus names Vortigern father of the child and and those of the Picts.
condemns the incestuous relations of the pretender. After With Vortigern gone and the Saxons appeased,
winning the support of the priests and their congregations, Ambrosius forges the Kingdom of Britannia but not with-
Germanus gives thanks at the tomb of St. Alban, one of the out opposition. Changelings amongst the nobility seek
first Briton Saints, and receives a vision of his own eventual to undermine his efforts, with stability not serving their
martyrdom. The Cult of Saint Alban swells the ranks of the court’s desires. A divided land is easier to prey upon, but
joint army and Germanus, now leading the clergy of Briton, the power of the high king’s charisma is inexorable as a
charges Vortigern in absentia for his crimes and (after a glacier and he makes ally after ally. Their salvation comes
shattering victory over Vortigern’s forces in Guollopum) from an unexpected quarter: Vortigern’s cancerous influence
crowns Ambrosius High King of the Britons. is not entirely expunged. Whether he escaped the fire of
88
his father’s castle or was never there at all, Pascent, son of
Vortigern, clings to a shred of his father’s power, claiming
the Kingdom of Builth. Upon promise of great reward, the
Saxon assassin Eopa poisons Ambrosius as he lies ill in
Winchester at a time when Uther is in Ireland quelling a
rebellion Pascent arranged. The satisfaction of his revenge
is short-lived. Upon news of Ambrosius’ death, something
savage awakens inside Uther, or perhaps it was always there,
held at bay by his older brother’s example.
Uther’s Rage
Uther crushes the combined forces of Pascent and
King Gillomanius of Ireland in a rage against the murder
of his brother and, with his new soothsayer Merlin in tow,
makes for Winchester to receive his crown and take his
place as the High King of the Britons. Unfortunately for
Uther, Octa decides that, with Ambrosius dead, his oath
to the king no longer holds. Gathering the scattered and
demoralized followers of Pascent and Gillomanius to his
banner, he marches south to make claim for the throne.
Uther meets him in battle at Bernicia but is forced to
withdraw south from the lands of Hadrian’s Wall to York
were Octa triumphs again. Finally, at the Battle of Mount
Damen, Uther defeats the Saxons. Urged on by his trusted
friend Gorlois of Dumnonia, he sets his army upon them
at night while they are drunk on the spoils of their previ-
ous victories and carves a bloody ruin through their ranks.
Some credit Merlin with calling on a powerful fae enchant-
ment to restore the strength of Uther’s knights before the
battle. Whatever magic might have been involved, Octa
and Eosa flee to Germania to lick their wounds and plan
their next move.
While still warring with the Saxons, Uther, his mind
increasingly frayed, has become obsessed with Igraine, wife
of Gorlois. Aware of his king’s darkening appetites, Gorlois
sends his wife to Tintagel, the farthest and strongest keep
of his holdings, for her protection. Undaunted, Uther de-
clares war on Gorlois and it is while his erstwhile friend is
engaged that Uther has Merlin use his powers to give him
the visage of Gorlois so he can walk into Tintagel and take
his pleasure in Igraine’s bed. By the savagery of his desires
and the sin of his loins is Arthur conceived that very night,
even as Gorlois falls beneath his soldiers’ thirsty blades.
Taking Igraine as his own, Uther continues his war against
the Saxons who still worry at the borders of Britannia but,
poisoned by his own nature, his health fails. Even then he
insists upon leading from the front. At Verulamium, in
battle once more with Octa, the Saxons see him propped
in his saddle and call him “The Half-Dead King.” It is here
Octa finally avenges his father and replays history. He has
the well at Uther’s camp poisoned and, finally, the Dragon
King succumbs to death.
Fearing the Saxons’ revenge upon the king’s death,
Igraine hides her young son Arthur away as chaos once
again rages across the lands of Britannia. Saxon raids
89
are common, and it is all the barons and dukes can do to becoming plagued by lung disease. Virulent skin diseases run
hold the country from Octa and his army of Goths and through the population. Health improves in larger settle-
Saxons. During this time, Merlin takes Uther’s sword and ments, however. Though the retreat of Rome means less
sets it in a stone, inscribed with the words “Whomsoever trade in a variety of foodstuffs, and therefore more limited
Pulleth out this Sword from this Stone is Rightwise King nutrition, the Romans practiced good hygiene (including
of Britannia.” Nobles from all the kingdoms come to test oral hygiene), and some families keep up the tradition as
their virtue against the druid’s spell but it defies them for best as they can.
more than a decade until a young boy wrests the steel free Language: In prior centuries, the most common lan-
and the new High King is declared, Arthur Pendragon. At guages were Latin and various Celtic languages, in particular
the age of 15 he assumes the throne, his youth belying his Common Brittonic. The arrival of the Saxons in the fifth
war-like aspect. The campaign he wages against the Saxons century added Old English, still written in runes rather
knows not defeat. than the Latin alphabet, to the mix. Language may affect
a vampire or changeling’s ability to blend in, depending on
The Kingdom from Below their point of origin; for example, many changelings who
unknowingly spent decades or centuries in Faerie speak
For the common people of the kingdom, Camelot is a Celtic languages exclusively.
remote concept with questionable impact on their lives. Technology: The people of the island work in iron and
The average person in Britain knows the name of the pre- precious metals. Arthur has minted no new coins, so trade
vious king Uther, and the name of the current king. The is largely a matter of Roman coins from a century ago or
commoners don’t idolize their king, but they are grateful increasingly frequent barter. Commoners have wooden and
he offers a stabilizing presence that hasn’t been felt since sometimes iron tools. Spears, knives, and bows are the most
the legions left. The more battles Arthur fights against
the Saxons, the more his fame grows — among Britons
and Saxons alike. The renown of any individual knight is
dependent on the location. If a warrior successfully slew Timeline
the Great Red Boar that was killing woodcutters in the
The following timeline is a mix of historical events
local forest, then the locals consider him the greatest of with known dates, historical events assigned
Arthur’s knights no matter his actual standing. Mordred’s arbitrary dates (in italics), and wholly legendary
name becomes wider spread as he gathers more disgruntled events also assigned arbitrary dates (in bold). This
warriors to his cause. is just one possible timeline for Arthurian Britain;
Entire books could (and have been) written on the daily alter however you see fit.
life of post-Roman Britain. Some of the key aspects to keep 401: The last Roman troops guarding Hadrian’s
in mind as you build your chronicle include: Wall are recalled to defend Rome.
Identity: The recall of the legions was a strong blow to
the Romano-British. What point was there in being proud
408: Roman army at Ticinum mutinies.
Roman citizens when the Empire has abandoned you? Much 410: Emperor Honorius recalls the last legions
of Britain is still trying to rebuild a new identity from the from Britain. Alaric’s Visigoths sack Rome. London
remains of deserted towns and unenforced laws. Some see partially abandoned.
the retreat as a sign they should return to the Celtic tradi- 430: Vortigern allows Anglo-Saxons to settle on
tions possessed before the Romans came, but those tradi- Thanet.
tions are rarely chronicled… though rumor has it that the
Good Folk remember.
446: The Britons make their final appeal to Rome
for help against the Picts and Scots.
Faith: The Romans brought new faiths with them, and
Christianity is surviving better than the cults of the Roman 455: Hengist founds the kingdom of Kent.
gods. Britons tear down temples to Jupiter, Juno, and Ceres, 488: Ambrosius’ forces defeat Hengist,
sometimes to make new Christian churches, sometimes and the king of Kent is executed.
simply to make new homes. The older Celtic faiths still have
490: Ambrosius dies; Uther becomes king.
a foothold, if a tenuous one, and the Saxons have brought
new gods of their own. Complicating matters further is the 495: Uther dies.
presence of the fae: The line between an extremely local- 530: The Battle of Mount Badon: Arthur de-
ized god and a changeling benefactor is not very distinct. feats the Saxon forces, temporarily halting
Health: Hard physical labor takes a toll on the poor; Saxon expansion.
farmers and laborers often suffer arthritis beginning in their
535: The Battle of Camlann. Arthur and
early 20s. Women give birth very young, and childbirth Camelot fall.
complications often turn fatal for women of all ages. Farmers
breathe woodsmoke in windowless houses every day,
90
common weapons; most swords in the land are Roman or presence and a focus on mortal conflict. A Camelot in Wales
Saxon make, and the crossbow has yet to appear. Mail is a might play to the strengths of a changeling-heavy chronicle.
Saxon favorite, and many of Arthur’s knights wear a simple
mail shirt taken or bartered from the newcomers.
Threats: The Saxons are the clearest danger at the gates.
Camulodunum
The farther east the settlement, the greater the danger of be- Camulodunum, the “stronghold of Camulos,” was the
ing subjugated and brought under Saxon rule. Tribes such as first established capital of Roman Britain. Boudicca led the
the Picts and the Scots still raid along the northern borders Iceni to destroy the settlement around 60 CE, but it was
without Roman soldiers keeping them at bay. The average rebuilt and flourished once more in the following centuries.
commoner fears the thick forests and avoids travel — some Many of the Roman works, such as its chariot circus and
wild animals may be dangerous, and wolves are numerous several temples, are demolished by the time Arthur estab-
in Britain, but superstitions about ghosts, faeries, and worse lishes his court here, but the influence remains. This is a
run rampant. The superstitions are correct. Camelot with beautiful mosaics and repurposed tilework
in its new Christian churches.
Camelot
A Camelot set here has a stronger vampiric presence.
What’s more, the Saxon settlements at Thanet lie just to the
south, across the estuary of the Thames — if Camulodunum
The true face of Camelot is a matter of speculation for is not Camelot in your chronicle, it has likely already fallen.
modern scholars; there’s little evidence it existed at all, and The Christian faith was also well-represented in the town;
that gives our stories freedom. Because we can’t say where even if Camulodunum is not Camelot proper, it may house
a historical Camelot was, it can be anywhere that best suits a prophet who knows the path to the Grail.
the chronicle’s themes. Because no clear remains were left,
a Storyteller may choose to invoke a truly supernatural end
to Arthur’s domain, scouring the very stones apart. Cadbury
Arthur doesn’t remain in Camelot year round. He rides Cadbury Castle, in Somerset, was a hillfort in the Bronze
out when there’s war, of course. But he and certain of his Age and the Iron Age alike. It lies near the River Cam,
court travel during the spring, summer, and autumn to visit which may have lent its name to Arthur’s seat. The lime-
his vassals and settle disputes in person. Several of his quests stone hill lent itself well to defense, and would have made
against supernatural beasts also take place in these months. a fine staging ground for Arthur’s defense against Saxons
He inevitably returns to spend the winter here, though, as coming from the east. From here, Arthur could defend the
the weather makes travel more difficult. Several of the king’s lands all the way west to Tintagel.
trusted warriors remain to defend Camelot while he’s away, This is a martial Camelot, and more besides. A short
and several of them know more about the supernatural than distance to the north lie the marshes surrounding the
is comfortable for the vampires and changelings who might freehold of Insula Avalonnis, a place of great faerie magic.
like to infiltrate and influence his court. A Camelot set here would be a fine showcase for intrigues
Camelot is the hope of Britain, though that hope is fading. involving Morgana, or indeed any Lost.
Arthur’s seat is the most splendid human settlement on the
islands, outshone only by the wondrous and sinister faerie
courts beyond the Hedge. Obviously, it doesn’t look like a
Caerleon
medieval castle or a Hollywood set, but its Dark Ages beauty Caerleon, in South Wales, began as a Roman legionary
should still be clear. Play up its art — Roman mosaics, carved fort called Isca Silurum, after the River Usk. Its easy access
wooden pillars, glass vessels, golden jewelry — as well as the to the sea makes it a prosperous Camelot, still retaining
lingering smell of smoke, the darkness at the corners of the much of the wealth it gained before trade began to fall off.
ceilings, the thick mists that hang over the town at night. If you prefer a truly regal court, Arthur may have rebuilt
People laugh more, though the songs grow sadder. some of the luxuries established by the Romans, such as the
grand baths and the amphitheater. The amphitheater may
even have been the “round table” itself, in a figurative sense.
Locations Caerleon is fairly well removed from Saxon territory;

any hunters here are a bit out of their element. But vam-
Camelot is the heart of the realm, and what the play- pires may be drawn to the splendors of this Camelot, and
ers’ characters experience here will inform how they see of course the Lost are not far away.
the kingdom.
Storytellers should feel free to review the following list of
potential sites and choose one that best suits the game you
Dun Tagell (Tintagel)
have in mind. A Camelot in the southeast will be closer to The site one day known as Tintagel features in mod-
Saxon territory, which may suit a game with a strong hunter ern Arthurian myth as the place where a disguised Uther
91
Locations
raped Igraine by fraud and conceived Arthur. As Camelot, mainland. When he discovered a young peasant with a
it holds a heavy sense of destiny. Arthur claims the land knack for dealing with birds of prey, he found a place for
of his mother, a gesture that would not go unnoticed by the youth. Arden cares for the court’s hawks, falcons, and a
matriarchal pagans and Christians alike. The site is also coop of pigeons besides — if the Romans could use carrier
far from the Saxon lands, though a particularly bold enemy pigeons, why not Camelot? The aviary is the only one of its
might try an attack from the sea. kind in Britain, and Arthur’s knights treat the fey-seeming
Dun Tagell’s location on the seaside cliffs of the Cornish Arden with a mix of befuddlement and respect.
coast offers plenty of environmental storytelling opportuni- The junior mews-keeper is shy and reclusive, easily
ties. Shipwreck victims, raiders from the sea, furious storms overlooked. Arden’s exhaustive knowledge of birds could
cloaking a True Fae hunt, Hedge-islands out at sea that ap- be mistaken for witchcraft, but it’s actually the fruit of keen
pear only when the moon is right — Tintagel contributes observation. Arden has sharp ears and excellent recall, and
scene after scene of rich visuals. is the first one to see the messages brought back from courier
pigeons. The strange youth is nearly as well-informed as a
Venta Belgarum (Winchester) spymaster, and nobody has any idea. Animal Ken (Birds
of Prey) 5, Politics 3, Streetwise (Far-flung Rumors) 3
The Roman town of Venta Belgarum sits not far from
Arthur’s Courts
the southern coast and the Isle of Wight. Like other Roman
towns, it declined when the legions withdrew, and was
abandoned within decades — but as Camelot it would be
restored. It sits almost halfway between east and west, and Like many other contemporary monarchs, Arthur
as such is a tempting target for the Saxons. spends a portion of each year traveling to, and reign-
The Winchester Camelot is not the proudest, or the ing from, settlements throughout his realm. Apart from
most defensible, or the most mystical choice. But as such, Camelot, he travels a roughly triangular route between
it may be one of the most evocative. This is the smaller, three other courts — the north, the south, and the west.
dimmer Camelot, where the dark is creeping in and the
gloom has set about the rafters. Saxon hunters prowl ever
closer, vampires taste bitterness in the locals’ blood, and the
Luguwalion (Carlisle)
Winter Court comes calling to feed on the mounting sorrow. The northernmost settlement to receive Arthur’s court
is Luguwalion, once a Roman town that supplied the forts
The King’s Hand along Hadrian’s Wall. It is at the heart of the kingdom of
Cai’s duty is to keep Arthur’s household, a duty per- Rheged, a realm willingly subordinate to Arthur. The people
sonally granted by his foster brother and king. Cai does of Rheged are hardy fighters, used to defending their own
not owe his prestigious position to his family connections from the Picts and the Scots. Meirchion Gul is the aged
alone: He is a brave and ferocious warrior, who has tested lord of Rheged, and vassal to Arthur; he has a sickness in
his sword arm against giants and beasts alongside his king. his bones that enfeebles him, but he has great reservoirs
But he is also stubborn and prone to take offense at slights of war knowledge to share. Meirchion’s young grandson
against himself or his family. He was present for many of Urien Rheged eventually marries the enchantress Morgana.
Arthur’s early battles, and carries the scars to prove it. Cai is Luguwalion is one of the stoutest fortresses standing
renowned for his stubborn strength, but it’s less well-known in the realm. The town has an impressive stone wall, and
that he’s considerably cannier than his reddened features the lord has a sturdy castle. Half a mile to the northeast, a
and bull neck would imply. Roman auxiliary cavalry fort still stands as part of Hadrian’s
Cai does his job well. He keeps a sharp eye on the ser- Wall. The kingdom of Rheged has accepted the faith of
vants and guards of the royal household, and is sufficiently Christ, but old altars to the Roman war god, marked to Mars
mistrustful to make matters difficult for any outsider at- Ocelus, Mars Victorius, and Mars Belatucader, have been
tempting to infiltrate Camelot. Local rumor holds that carefully preserved within the town. Several of Rheged’s
a wound from his sword will not heal; the origin of this most veteran warriors feel it’s foolish to throw away the
blessing is unknown, but he’s said to have slain a vampire blessing of a battle god no matter your faith. Changelings
with it (among many other things). Cai’s loyalty to friends of the Summer Court believe a battle oath or oath of ven-
and family is unstinting, making him a desirable ally and geance sworn before these three altars carries particular
a very undesirable enemy. Intimidation (Relentless) 4, weight with the Wyrd.
Investigation (Household) 3, Weaponry (Sword) 5 Two hundred years ago, Carlisle was the seat of Marcus
The Junior Mews-Keeper Carausius, a Roman commander who declared himself
Emperor of the North. He was assassinated after seven years,
Arden is a scruffy youth, feathers in his hair and white and the Empire condemned him to Damnatio Memoriae
stains on his jerkin, who cares for a variety of birds in the — to be forgotten. Rumor among the Kindred hints that
newly established aviary. Falconry is still largely unknown Carausius held more than temporal power, and the Roman
in Britain, but Arthur had word of the practice from the
92
effort to suppress his memories was in part an effort to hide The area around Novus Burgus has a long history of raids
whatever blasphemous power he’d attained. Carausius between chieftains; King Gwynllyw is but one of many.
minted a number of coins with various phrases glorifying One of the area’s tensions is that the local warriors are used
his reign, and it’s said that a few contain clues to his secret. to riding out to take what (or whom) they require, and
not all of them have taken well to the coming of Arthur’s
Londinium (London) peace. When King Arthur is attending one of his other
courts, some of the knights here inevitably descend into
Londinium has seen better days. It prospered during the old feuds or attempt to carry off one another’s sisters or
Roman occupation thanks to its vital access to the sea, but daughters. Some Kindred use these belligerent warriors as
by the middle of the fifth century, much of the settlement somewhat-disposable catspaws; all it takes is a few whispers
has been abandoned. Several buildings, including a major at the right time.
church and the manse where Arthur holds court during his
The Rider Ahead
visits, were assembled a century ago out of masonry reused
from other buildings. The town has an oddly patchwork One of Arthur’s several nephews by his half-sister
look overall, befitting a kingdom built from two cultures and Morgause, Agravain is a hard-hearted warrior with a knack
with a third at its door. A great bridge crosses the Thames, for carrying grudges. He currently holds the duty of riding
where a smaller portion of the city sits on the low-lying, ahead of Arthur’s court as it travels, arriving in a town a
marshy south bank. A small group of Saxons has established few days early to inform the locals to make ready for the
a semi-permanent camp outside the central town, and so king. In truth, Arthur gave him this position in part to
far they seem more interested in “Lundenwic” trade than keep Agravain away from court for brief periods of time, so
clashing with the locals. So far. that any slights he may have given or received have time
When Arthur brings his court here, he deals in part to heal. Sadly, Agravain often takes out his frustrations on
with the remaining wealthy families who still preserve as any of the town-dwellers that don’t seem to be preparing
much of their Roman way of life as is possible. He also pays for the king’s visit quickly enough.
his respects to the local church, and to the healer Sister Agravain is a strong fighter, and well-connected — he
Placidia. The king’s visit is both opportunity and danger holds particular influence with his brother Gawain and his
for the vampires remaining here. There is no better time half-brother Mordred. He is ultimately loyal to Arthur and
to try influencing his court, but it is also more difficult to the kingdom, but his arrogance and temper drive him to
preserve the Masquerade as other vampires close in with find some way to distinguish himself. A skilled manipula-
similar intentions. tor might, with caution, be able to make a useful catspaw
Most of Londinium is Christian by this point, but well- of the headstrong young knight, but Agravain has many
connected rumormongers might hear tales of an endur- ambitions of his own, and is not always the best at tak-
ing mystery cult of Mithras. The Mithraic cult is said to ing direction. Intimidation 4, Ride (Foul Weather) 4,
be either a group of hunters unaligned with their Saxon Weaponry (Broadsword) 4
counterparts, or a coven who simultaneously venerate The Blessed Healer
Mithras and a lion-headed demon called Arimanius. Both
When Arthur’s court comes to London, the king himself
possibilities pose threats to the Lost and Kindred who
pays a visit to Sister Placidia. The young nun is a member
frequent Londinium.
of one of Britain’s first convents, no more than a dozen
virgins and widows calling themselves brides of Christ. Her
Novus Burgus (Newport) grandparents were talented apothecaries who learned their
trade before the Roman withdrawal, and Placidia learned
Novus Burgus, in South Wales, was the westernmost
at their feet. The town’s faithful consider Sister Placidia to
edge of the Roman occupation. Now it is the westernmost
be blessed: not only are her remedies remarkably effective,
edge of Arthur’s realm. The nearby fortress of Caerleon
but her skin is free of the all-too-common diseases run-
is, if not Camelot itself, the site of Arthur’s court when
ning among the populace. She has tended to members of
he rides west. King Gwynllyw is the cantrev’s current lord
Arthur’s court and Saxon outcasts alike — anyone in pain
and vassal to Arthur. Gwynllyw was formerly a ruthless
may gain her charity.
raider and kidnapper, but after a vision of a white ox with
a black spot on its forehead, he was inspired to convert to Sister Placidia has no supernatural gifts of healing, but
Christianity and founded a church on nearby Stow Hill. her knowledge is uncanny. She knows how to treat sword
Some Lost suspect one of their own was responsible for wounds, elf-shot, and disease. Although she knows little
altering the robber-chieftain’s dreams, but if that were the of vampires — and many of them are afraid to approach a
truth, it would never do to have it come out. Gwynllyw’s woman of faith — she recognizes the signs of blood loss and
son Cadoc is if anything more pious than his father, prefer- can help a victim recover more quickly. Because her primary
ring to serve as a simple abbot rather than take command concern is alleviating suffering, she is even willing to treat a
of his father’s armies. person’s ills secretly… though avoiding the curious eyes of
93
Arthur’s Courts
her fellow sisters might be more of an obstacle. Academics As war becomes more commonplace, so too does the
(Theology) 3, Empathy 4, Medicine (Apothecary) 5 plague of the dead. A few wandering corpses becomes a
The Saxon Envoy dozen, several score, sometimes even more. Their march
drives the small holds and fiefs into isolation, and as the
When the Saxon kingdoms need to send a message to number of slain rises, so too does the hungry aftermath.
Arthur under a banner of peace, they send Warian. The The Brythonic people struggle under this nightmare, and
Saxon envoy is a scarred man who’s survived to middle age, find themselves beseeching Saxon settlers for aid. These
who speaks Latin well and Celtic well enough. Warian carries warriors from overseas, raised on the stories of einherjar and
a diplomatic token given by Arthur himself, allowing the draugr alike, are strident in rallying their neighbors, a trend
Saxon to visit the cities where Arthur holds his court without that causes many to see them as saviors in these dark times.
being taken captive or beaten. Warian honestly argues for
peace when the Saxons speak of truce, and he calmly deliv-
ers threats when such is his charge. He often mentions a
recently born grandchild during diplomatic measures, by way The Bloodied Fields
of proving that he has every reason to avoid a prolonged war. Over the course of his reign, Arthur engaged in 13 major
The envoy’s key talent is not his fair speech — Warian is battles, each having a severe impact on men and monsters
blunt and proud — but his patience. He gladly endures insults in the region, some of which are documented below:
and implications thrown his way without losing his temper, a
valuable skill for a messenger. He also has a keen memory for
names and faces. Warian might praise or make introductions
Dubglas — The Battles
for a Saxon hunter if the need arose, so long as said hunter
didn’t have a reputation for causing trouble. Intimidation 3,
of the Black River Host
Persuasion (Patient) 4, Weaponry (Broadsword) 3. Four of Arthur’s battles are waged over an extended
campaign in the Linnuis region to the north-east against
the Saxon Colgrin. Colgrin, aided by his brother Badulf
The Dead that Walk and in alliance with the Frankish Duke Chedrich, vio-
lently subjugates and forges alliances with many of the
War brings ill tidings. The camp followers, looting and Scoti and Pictish clans in the region, granting their
picking through the dead of the battlefield, know not to troops from overseas a significant territorial advantage.
tarry too long. They bring shovels and torches, even in Arthur counters this by using Colgrin’s sizeable lands against
daylight, and the more pious among them burn herbs over him, staging a series of light cavalry raids along the river Dubglas
the corpses. Whenever they claim a coin or scrap of jewelry and ambushing Colgrin’s hosts as they patrol the region. These
from the dead, they offer a terse “thank you” so the ghosts raids culminate in a full, pitched battle between Arthur and
of the slain see this exchange as a gift rather than a theft. Badulf. Taking advantage of an early winter, Badulf moves to
When night falls, the wisest looters retreat far away and cross the frozen Dubglas with his personal guard and outmaneu-
leave the ravens and crows to eat their fill. ver Arthur’s skirmishing force, but mountain thaws cause the
The night after a battle, nearby homesteads call their ice to become slick and weak, and Badulf’s forces are divided.
children to bed early. Parents move from room to room Arthur’s spearmen drive them into the river, damming it with
with a hammer and nails, shuttering every entrance to the frozen corpses until the waters run black with blood. Lacking
house. A sprig of mistletoe is set over the doorway, and a Badulf’s men to transport goods between them, the fortified
pinch of herbs is cast into the hearth. Hatchets are held keeps of Colgrin and Chedrich are isolated and besieged one
in vigil, and prayers are made to the night sky. Silence is after the other, their local allies abandoning them to their fate.
a blessing in these long nights. The alternatives — the During this time, the freeholds of the Lost active in the
wet pad of footprints, the frightened squeals of wounded region are buckling under oppression from an invading force
cattle, the creak of splintering wood — are all far worse. of vampires that do not honor the Treaties of Night and Day.
This is a world in which vampires are not a fanciful fiction, These vampires hold powerful powers of enthrallment, and
they are the inevitable horror that follows in the wake of control swarms of insects to do their bidding. They use these
every slaughter. They rise from the battlefield, feral beasts that powers to ravage crops, leave plants sterile, and to poison
lash out at the carrion birds and grave robbers that loiter too the minds of humans and Lost alike into mindless servitude.
long into the night. They skulk through the fields and streets These vampires, known as the Melissidae, have enthralled
in packs, descending in droves on the unprepared. For days, local tribes into working in tandem with the Saxon invad-
these hungry corpses drift further and further afield until they ers, using them to set up a series of hives and forest havens
vanish into the shadows or collapse from hunger. Travelers in the region. The Hands of Tyr present among Colgrin’s
that find a dead body with bloodied hands and maw on the forces seem either unaware of or unconcerned with the
roadside know better than to leave it lie, severing its head vampires that are bolstering their forces, instead hunting
and burying it if they have the time, burning it if they don’t. down a Circle of Mor that has been kidnapping firstborn
children from the isolated homesteads in the region.
94
The City of the Legions
Built around the Roman fort of Deva Victrix and intended
for a time as the center of Roman rule in Britannia, the City
of the Legions is now recognized by the Courts of Night and
Day as a freehold of the Legion of the Green and is fiercely
contested by the Britons of Gwynedd and the Saxons of
Deira. This conflict comes to a head when Cadwallon ‘Long
Hand,’ Lord of Gwynedd is ambushed and killed en route to
the fort by Ardith Red-Braid, dubbed the She-Wolf of Deira,
in a betrayal orchestrated by Cadwallon’s brother Maelgor. In
return for their service, Maelgor gifts the fort to Ardith and
her mercenaries, with whom he allies to ransack his rival lords
in the regions of Powys, Pengwern, and Dumnonia. Dragged
into infighting, the Brythonic Lords are routed many times
before Arthur travels north and rallies them. With the aid
of Cadwallon’s son, Maelgwyn, Arthur ousts Maelgor from
Gwynedd, driving him east for a final confrontation.
The city, having expanded greatly beyond the scope of the
old fort, lacks fortifications on its southern side. Because of this
Ardith and Maelgor set their armies up in the streets, hoping
to lure the Britons into a rash nighttime charge by threatening
to execute a number of captured nobles in the main square.
Having filled many of the houses with bales of straw, their plan
is to hem in Arthur’s forces with walls of long spears and start a
series of fires that will destroy the city and Arthur’s army both.
The Roman Kindred of the Legio Mortuum and the Legion
of the Green, having sheltered a number of their sleeping elders
within the crypts of the city, are desperate to stop this plan
reaching fruition, but they are also engaged in conflict with
the hunters within Arthur’s court. The Green Knights of the
Legion and the Black Knights of Merlin have opposed each
other many times in trying to guide the morality of Arthur’s
growing retinue, and they find themselves in direct and open
conflict here. The Lost, with their close ties to Gwynedd,
have also taken to the field to avenge Cadwallon, unaware
that Ardith’s retinue includes two powerful Huntsmen that
ride with the She-Wolf as part of their hunt.
Camlann —
Arthur’s Final Battle
In Arthur’s absence, as he supports his allies in Gaul, his
vassal Mordred seizes the throne. Mordred declares himself
as the bastard son of Arthur, with his claim supported both
by his mother Morgause and the queen’s sister Gwenhwy.
Many of Arthur’s vassal lords, angry at his conversion to
Christianity, take up Mordred’s banner in defense of their
faith, allying with Saxon lords in the north as allegiances
are permanently redrawn. In this time, Merlin disappears,
his whereabouts unknown. Arthur and his loyalist forces, ex-
hausted from battle in Gaul and from infighting in Britannia,
muster in the southern riverlands of Camlann in Dumnonia.
A temporary truce is called as Arthur, Mordred, and their
retinues attempt to air grievances over parlay. They agree that
95
The Bloodied Fields
neither side will charge until the first sword is drawn, but on the mercenaries. How Ardith died, none can say, as her body
third day of negotiations a soldier on the front lines draws his was never recovered.
sword to strike at an adder in the grass, and the truce is broken.
Both armies attempt to use the curves and fork of the river Mordred
to keep their bowmen and catapults isolated from the melee,
Mordred spent much of his life unaware of his lineage, serv-
with Slaughterbridge and two shallow crossings contested
ing among Arthur’s retinue as a soldier and envoy. Inducted
throughout the battle. It rages for days, with reinforcements
into a secretive order of dark-armored knights, he learned an
for both sides approaching day and night from villages and
array of fighting techniques, and developed a reputation as
woodland to bolster their lords. Finally, Arthur and Mordred
a gallant slayer of monsters and men alike. On the night his
face each other in battle, Arthur wielding Excalibur, the sword
mother told him of his true parentage, it is said he wailed in
of the Lake, and Mordred wielding Clarent, the Sword of the
despair and isolated himself in his keep. It took many days
Stone. These men, exceptional warriors born of sorcery and
before Mordred would look upon another living soul, and when
deceit, find themselves each other’s match as blades clash.
he did he was said to be a changed man, resolute and certain of
Members of the freehold of Avalon, long fearing this day, his right to rule. His eyes, now resplendent and golden, were
struggle to support Arthur in the final battle, actively hunted an omen of his challenge to the kingdom.
as they are by the Kindred of the Lancea et Sanctum. They
scour the land in a panic, allying with the Black Knights to
locate Merlin before the battle draws to a close. The Hands
of Tyr and the Knights of the Green, longtime enemies, Night Approaches
propose a tentative truce in service of the old gods, a truce Strange and cruel weather blankets the isle in the years
doomed to failure when the forces of Herne take to the field immediately after Arthur’s fall. The summers of 535 and 536
and declares the Kindred knights as imposters of his line. are far too cool, with the sun obscured; crops barely grow and
This conflict is a maelstrom of ill fates, and Arthur’s trees fail to give fruit. This climate shift is felt worldwide —
death is near certain. The final battle, then, is not to save the historian Procopius would write “For the sun gave forth its
Arthur’s kingdom, but his very soul. As the freehold of light without brightness…and it seemed exceedingly like the
Avalon seeks to inter Arthur’s body in the Hedge to rest sun in eclipse, for the beams it shed were not clear” — but it
and heal, so too do the Kindred war among themselves to is a rare Briton who doesn’t assign the terrible shift in climate
claim him as an addition to their ranks. The Black Knights to the loss of the hero-king. A little over a year later, plague
of Merlin and the Hands of Tyr meet and struggle to recon- reaches Britain and ravages the population even further.
cile the similarities in their desires, to let Arthur, beloved The Saxons expand further in Arthur’s absence. They are
king and valiant enemy, finally rest in peace. joined by the Angles, another Germanic people who land on
the east coast and conquer much of the northern portion of
Chedrich, of the line of Childerich Britain. By the year 600, the greater portion of Britain falls
under the rule of seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms: the greater
Tall and fair-skinned, Chedrich the Ever-Young was
famous for his strength and charm despite his slender frame.
Soft spoken, he could command respect with a whisper, and
his soldiers were notoriously disciplined, able to fight in
formation and shield each other from blows without saying Timeline
a word. When his body was returned to his homeland and As with the previous timeline, historical events that
interred, he was dressed in a cloak ornamented with over have received arbitrary dates are shown in italics,
300 gold-wrought cicadas at the request of his daughters. and wholly legendary events are shown in bold.
535: The Battle of Camlann. Arthur and
Ardith Camelot fall.
Ardith Red-Braid, the She-Wolf of Deira, was instantly 535–536: Climate changes bring famine to the
recognizable on the battlefield. Freckled and stocky, her isle, depleting the population.
long hair belted around her torso, with one blue eye and
one green, she was remarked upon as being a uniquely strik-
549: The bubonic Plague of Justinian reaches
Britain, killing many.
ing. It was a shock to her then, as she hunted alone in the
woods, to come across a group of travelers led by a woman 597: Saint Augustine arrives in Britain, converting
who appeared her exact double. Confusion led to anger, as Kent and becoming the first Bishop of Canterbury.
the stranger named Ardith an imposter and monster and 1177: Chrétien de Troyes writes Lancelot, the
drew a dagger. The two fought, and Ardith was aided by two Knight of the Cart, one of the works rekindling the
hunters who came upon the battle by chance, eventually medieval legend of Arthur.
emerging victorious. Ardith and her new companions were
inseparable from that day, and roamed far as soldiers and
96
kingdoms of East Anglia, Mercia, Northumbria, and Wessex, taxes in return for allotments of land to farm. A serf might
and the minor kingdoms of Essex, Kent, and Sussex. England spend three days a week actually working their land for most
would not be unified again for another 300 years. of the year, only planting and harvest time require more effort.
The further expansion of the Saxons forces the Lost to Periodically, the serf takes their produce or animals to market
abandon several old freeholds and found others. Even Insula to sell and receive the latest news (by word of mouth) from
Avalonnis is left to the crows — archaeologists sift through other regions in the kingdom. In times of conflict the nobles
Saxon artifacts atop Glastonbury Tor many centuries later. are called upon by a king to raise soldiers for his army. This
This cycle of flight and rebuilding places the Winter Court levy will no doubt be taken from the young men who work
into prominence in most of the new freeholds. The Court the lands under the noble’s authority. Far removed from the
of Sorrow was best prepared for the inevitable fall, and politics of kingdom or court, the life of a serf is one of taxes,
their talents for stealth and secrecy are critical to helping tithes, and toil, a routine only interrupted by times of war,
numbers of changelings survive. or should something strange come to prey upon their town.
Many of the hunters suffer similar decline. The Order of The reality of facing the creatures of the night as a
the Black Knight hold what they can with Camelot gone, but simple Briton is daunting. While an old lady who collects
their numbers dwindle each year. When more of the Aegis herbs on the village outskirts might be branded a witch
Kai Doru eventually return to Britain, they absorb those cells for her peculiar ways, or a lunatic who shambles into town
who managed to survive. Conversely, the Hands of Tyr persist muttering indecipherable gibberish might be shunned as
mostly as they are as long as the Saxons keep their culture. one possessed, they are easy prey for an angry, overzeal-
Of the three vampire factions at play in Britain, only the ous mob. In fact, the first point of call for a serf who sees
Lancea et Sanctum endures the coming centuries with its something they deem “unusual” is the local tavern to rouse
core identity intact. The Legion of the Green pay a dear price, the townsfolk who will capture the unfortunate and bring
their numbers ravaged by the efforts of Saxon hunters and the them before a priest (if the town is big enough to attract
depredations of the True Fae. Little remains of their legacy but one) or one of the elders of the village. There, among the
their traditions of oaths, which find their way into the practices fervent cries of the other villagers, accusations will be laid
of the Invictus. The Circle of Mor turns inward, falling on (mostly wildly exaggerated) and a test will be set. Stoning
one another in a cannibalistic delirium. Most of the Bron go is common, ducking (having hands and feet bound before
forth and fall into a stone slumber, vanishing from the record. being thrown in a body of water) and pressing (laying of
And what if the Threefold Hunter was bound, or even a board on the accused and adding weight until they are
slain? If the changelings and their allies failed to destroy, crushed) are easily enacted upon those deemed socially
banish, or bind all three of the Herjan’s titles, then the True unacceptable unless, of course, they really are monsters.
Fae continues his hunts for centuries to come. He may still Between the withdrawal of the Roman Legions and the
be active in the modern era, a terribly powerful bogeyman rise of Arthur and Camelot the lands of the Britons are
who has adapted to hunting the alleys as adeptly as anyone beset by calculating, opportunistic creatures. Aside from
ever hunted prey in Whitechapel. But if Herne was well the raids of Celts and Picts, there are darker forces at work.
and truly defeated, then things are very different for the The Hedge runs rampant through the deep forests, having
Lost for a century or so. The Others actually avoid Britain been repressed by fire and steel during the Roman occupa-
for a time — they take fewer new captives back to Arcadia, tion. The Uratha, forced out to the hills and borderlands of
and they suspend their hunts against their escaped chattel. the savage Picts, return to prowl the hills and valleys. The
The surviving Lost grow stronger as they grow old, forging remaining vampires race to raise fiefdoms, insinuating their
many powerful tokens in the years to come as they brace way back into the nobility, manipulating mortal dukes and
for the inevitable day when the hunts resume. lording their power and influence over the frightened serfs.
In order to prevent rebellion, most nobles forbid peas-
Hunters: Fealty,
ants from keeping even the most basic of weapons. A serf
might have access to a bow for hunting or an inherited
Fear, and Fire

bronze sword passed down the generations. Beyond that,
they have only the tools of their trade and the protection
of numbers. If a real monster comes to prey upon the vil-
“When crops be blighted put the widows on the stake and
lage, a runner must be sent to the lord’s hold to petition
light the torch.”
for aid, and those left behind can only pray that the local
— Old English Proverb
noble believes the story. If they are lucky, the lord’s soldiers
The day-to-day life of a post-Romano Briton is simple will come, mounted and armored, with all the tools of war
compared to the technological light-show of modern times. at their disposal. The likelihood is they will still fail, their
The country is split into kingdoms like Brigantes, Coritani bodies found sundered or drained in the woods some time
and Dumnonii, but there are many others. These early feudal later (if they are ever found at all) but, in drawing attention,
states echo the Roman structure preceding them. The king a lone creature or small group might choose to move on
rules over dukes, earls, and barons, who tithe the peasants for rather than face the hardship of armed opposition.
97
Night Approaches
With most of the literature left behind by the Romans often the knight would simply have to ride against some evil
destroyed, any knowledge of the twilight must be passed beast and it did not matter who saw them slay whatever
on in spoken word. Despite this lack of wisdom, there are afflicted the common folk, though it makes for many con-
warriors who seek out monsters for fame or glory and there fused accounts. What all the knights who donned the guise
are those who face the night because they have to, for of the Black Knight had in common was an oath, to never
the good of their tribe or their family. Still, any would-be take credit for their actions and to oppose evil by building
hunter needs information, which in this day and age is kept a reputation fearful enough that it would unsettle even the
by bards, druids, or hedge witches, all of whom ask a price. most savage creatures of the night. Each is a member of the
Wisdom doesn’t always indicate honesty, and there are those Aegis Kai Doru Conspiracy, but the Order, if multiple Black
charlatans who spin tales to suit any occasion, confident in Knights ever assemble, is effectively a Tier Two Compact.
the knowledge they will be gone by morning, or the listener As a branch of the Aegis, the Black Knight has a re-
will be dead soon enough. Of course, there is a chance the sponsibility to seek out and obtain any items of significance
wise one out in the deep woods has golden eyes and, upon that might aid humanity against the night, or that the night
the setting of a price, can solve the township’s problem. It might use against it. During the height of Arthur’s reign
won’t be cheap, and it’s very likely to be distasteful or im- over Camelot, the sword Excalibur was the most notable of
moral, but better the devil you know. these items, but it was far from the only one. The Knights
of the Round Table became famous for questing in search
The Order of the of the Holy Grail throughout the known world, but that
Black Knight — wasn’t the only thing they sought. To give the Order of
the Black Knight the fearsome reputation it desired, the
A Fraternity of agents of the Aegis used legendary relics already at hand,
Chivalric Hunters taken from the kingdoms of Ireland and Wales in the time
of Uther. The armor of the Black Knight is cast from the
“The force of his blow is as if Heaven and Earth came shards of Pair Dadeni, the Cauldron of Resurrection gifted
together, with me in the midst.” to the ancient Briton King Bendigeidfran by the giant Llasar
— Sir Meriadoc, son of Caradoc, Knight of the Round Llaes and sundered by the Welsh villain Efnysien. He also
Table wields Assal, the spear of Lugh, which is said to be able to
During the reign of Arthur, the lands of Britannia are pierce seven warriors in a single throw, never missing its
a fertile ground for twilight creatures to exploit. Isolated mark, and return to the hand that cast it.
centers of humanity, often days or weeks of travel from sol-
diers who could defend them, become ripe opportunities for The Armor of the
those who revel in the darker side of their nature (whether
they are truly monstrous or not). In response, druids of the
Black Knight
Aegis Kai Doru inducted those Knights of Camelot who This rough suit of black-iron plate armor is forged from
had seen beyond the veil and created the Order of the Black shards of the Cauldron of Resurrection. In times of war,
Knights. Although they are hunters, there are as many tales any warrior killed could be immersed in the cauldron and
of the Knights colluding with or being steered by the power return to the field renewed. What the stories don’t tell is
of mysterious elfin figures like the Lady of the Lake or the that, with each resurrection, the soul of the warrior was
Green Knight (though the Order of the Black Knight har- eroded and the same is true of the armor.
bors deep animosity toward the Order of the Green) from Rating: 4/2
the tale of Gawain, as there are tales of them opposing such Strength: 3
mysterious powers. Given Merlin’s previous pacts with the Defense: +3
courts of the fae, it is assumed that, whether the knights are
Speed: –2
aware or not of the true nature of their guide, there is some
secret agreement held between the old druid and some of Coverage: Torso, Arms, Legs, Head
the courts upon the isle of Britannia. Availability: Unique (•••••)
The Black Knight himself stands as a figure of much Special: The Armor of the Black Knight is an imposing
controversy. Some call him a villain, some a hero, some assembly, it was built to be. The armor gives the wearer
question if the figure in the ebon armor is a “he” at all. In +2 bonus dice to Intimidation Skill rolls.
truth a number of individuals wore the armor of the Black Drawing upon the power of the Pair Dadeni the armor
Knight, all members of the Aegis Kai Doru within the Round can “resurrect” the wearer should they be slain in battle.
Table itself, taking upon themselves the role to face great The first and second turn after the Black Knight is slain
evils. Sometimes a knight would have to commit seemingly (each time the knight is slain) make Stamina rolls. For
atrocious acts to achieve victory, such as an entire village every success the Black Knight regains 2 Health and for
put to the sword to stave off some malignant influence, but every Dramatic Failure they lose 1 Integrity as the magic
herein lay the importance of the anonymous ebon visor. Most burns away their humanity.
98
Assal — Spear of TACTICS
Lugh, Shaft of the Tactics are self-contained group activities that,
Moon if successful, incur a specific complex result. The
primary actor in a Tactic is the lead, or player who
One of the four treasures of the Tuatha de Danann. The spear will roll their dice last, and the secondary actors
that killed the Fomori king Balor of the Piercing Eye. Lughs’ include participating players. Unlike Teamwork,
battle with Balor left its mark on this formidable weapon. Where the secondary actors do not have to match their
once it required a sleeping drought of crushed poppy seed to dice pools to the primary actor’s.
quell its roaring and struggling to seek battle, its passage through
Balor’s dread eye has stripped the spear of some of its savagery.
• Primary actor risks a Willpower point for their
roll’s outcome.
Damage: 2
• Primary actor assembles their dice pool.
Initiative: +1
Strength: 1 • Secondary actors assemble their dice pools.
Size: 4 • Secondary actors roll dice and may risk or use
Availability: Unique (•••••) Willpower as normal. The outcome affects the
Special: As a spear, Assal grants a +1 Defense bonus against primary actor’s results.
opponents who are unarmed or wielding weapons of size 1. • Primary actor rolls their dice pool. Secondary
Assal is lighter than any mundane spear so only requires actors’ roll results are then added or subtracted,
a Strength score of 1 to wield; add to that the enchantments
and success (or failure) is determined.
placed upon it and Assal can be used in one hand by any • Primary actor’s roll results are calculated as
character with dots in the Weaponry skill and confers a +1 normal.
Initiative bonus as it seeks out blood. Any hunter may choose to participate in any
If the wielder chooses to throw Assal, the spear can strike Tactic, but only hunters can.
up to three targets (different targets, it will not strike the
same target three times). Make a roll to hit/damage each
target in turn. The spear must then be recovered from the After the fall of the Round Table at the hands of the
ground/the opponents’ body. vampires, the soldiers who aided the Black Knight have per-
sisted, but they are haunted by a dark legacy. Of the knights
Excalibur — who wore the mantle of the Black Knight, one — Sir
The Blade of Kings Agravaine (son of Morgause and half-brother to Mordred
le Fay) — has let the darkness enter his soul. Though there
The Sword of the Lake. Once given to Arthur and (sup- are tales of his death at the hands of Lancelot, the truth is
posedly) returned by him before his final death to the Lady that he rides abroad killing any and all, monster or man.
of the Lake, Excalibur is famed as a blade that is unbreakably In using the Black Knight in a chronicle, the Storyteller is
tied to justice and truth. But, as with so many things, the encouraged to create a creature suited for their own purpose,
sword is simply a tool that focuses the will and intent of be it an immortal slasher or a corrupt knight.
the bearer, be that will benign or malignant.
Damage: 3 New Tactic: The Aura
Initiative: −1 of the Knight (• – •••••)
Strength: 2 Prerequisite — Membership (at least one dot of Status)
Size: 3 with the Aegis Kai Doru
Availability: Unique (•••••) The surviving members of the Black Knight maintain
Special: In the hands of a ‘rightful’ bearer (should the blade what links they can with the Aegis, but communication is
be awarded to a character by the storyteller or used by such an difficult in these dark times. Many of the relics entrusted to
NPC) Excalibur is a powerful symbol and a fearsome weapon. Camelot are lost after the fall and the members scattered.
What they retain is knowledge, the methods used to convince
Excalibur acts as a bane to targets of the bearer’s choos- a monster that the Black Knight was close, hunting them. It
ing. By invoking the characters Virtue (or Vice) and spend- is this doctrine they employ on the hunt and these methods
ing a point of Willpower, the character’s next strike causes they use to turn fear back upon the monsters themselves. The
Aggravated damage. members of the Order can use the Aura Tactic to prepare,
The scabbard, when worn, grants a +1 Defense bonus bait, and intimidate a creature they are hunting. Properly
against damage and a +1 to any roll against deceptions and applied, they can lay tricks and traps to convince their prey
falsehoods (such as detecting a lie or piercing an illusion). that the Black Knight himself is stalking her.
99
Night Approaches
Properly preparing a trial for a creature plays along the Tactics however this is no guarantee of stability. Squabbles and
rules to lay the groundwork. The cell chooses a primary actor and bloody feuds between families can last for generations, and
the remaining members are the secondary actors. As the creature dissatisfied dukes (or eorles) often rise to challenge the in-
approaches each secondary actor makes an Intelligence + Aura cumbent monarch, leading to brutal wars lasting years. The
roll vs. the creature’s Composure. Each successful trial inflicts Saxons’ first real taste of the rich lands of Britannia comes
a −1 penalty to the creature’s Composure attribute. In closer when King Vortigern of Kent invites the exiled brothers
proximity (at the site of the ambush or in combat) the Aura is Hengist and Horsa to fight as mercenaries against the Celtic
employed by the primary actor as an Aura + Intimidation roll vs. and Pictish barbarians savaging his borders.
the target’s Resolve + Composure to generate further penalties to From that point, the Saxons covet the island. It is secure,
all rolls as the hunter ratchets up the monster’s fear and paranoia. rich, bountiful, a veritable paradise, and, considering most
of its people were conquered by the Romans before, ripe
Saxon Hunters: for invasion. In a display of cunning characteristic of the

Saxons, the brothers manipulate Vortigern, bringing more
Blood and Iron and more Saxon warriors into Britannia until they have a
force capable of staging a coup. This began the first Saxon
“Wide ne biþ wel, cwæþ se þe gehyrde on helle hriman.” invasion of Britain, an invasion finally ended when King
“Far and wide things aren’t good, said the one who heard Arthur beat the Saxons at the Battle of Badon Mount, a
wailing in hell.” campaign spanning decades. This leads to a protracted
— Saxon Proverb period of instability and infighting amongst the eorles in
Saxony lasting until the eventual fall of Camelot itself.
The warriors of the tribes of Saxony are a proud people,
unconquered by the might of Rome. They bow before no The Saxon tribes have a long-running culture of spoken-
king and no god save their own. Fearless in combat, they word histories or sagas and superstitions that served them well,
bloody their blades in celebration of their strength and as they were never conquered by the Roman Empire like their
are loath to leave the field unless it is in victory. But, like Frankish and Goth cousins. When the time for war comes
all mortals, there are those dark and uncanny things even upon the tribes, they hold a grand celebration to Hretha,
these brutal warriors fear, but what they fear they learn to Goddess of Glory. The raucous rituals involve feasting, sing-
destroy in honor of their gods. It is from this trait they have ing, the telling of sagas of victory, the sacrifice of animals to
learned, over long, arduous, and bloody years the skills of invoke the goddess’ favor, and the edhilingui drawing lots for
the hunter and for those who observe the right rituals and the position of war leader. The tribes invite divine providence
know which of the wise ones to speak to, there is a better to choose their leader for battle. A victory is celebrated by
chance of returning from the hunt alive and victorious. the taking of enemy heads as trophies and the Saxons value
most highly those heads that whisper prophecies and bring
The Tribes of the Angles, Frisii, Jutes, and Saxons bridge
luck. A defeat (if the leader has not already perished on the
the cultural gap between the Norse tribes to the north and
field) leads to another ceremony with the defeated general as
the Germanic, Frankish, and Goth tribes of the south. Brutal
the tribute to Hretha. But not all is barbarism. A particularly
warriors they may be, but they have many advanced skills, not
skilled opponent, bested but not killed, can opt to enter into
the least of which are metalwork, seamanship, and trade. The
bondage and join the ranks of the lazzi. Those who do not
tribes uphold a strict class system of nobles (the edhilingui),
fight are taken as asne and traded or sold between tribes, used
the freemen (frilingi), bonded natives subjugated and sworn to
as labor or sacrificed in the Saxons’ darker rituals.
loyalty (lazzi), and the slave caste (asne). Saxons share many
traits with their northern neighbors. They are warriors, raid-
ers, and traders of great ferocity and shrewdness. That which Close Relationships
cannot be bought can always be taken. From their southern
cousins they inherit their superstitious nature, much as the
With Death
If the tribe encounters the supernatural, a similar cer-
great Gallic leader Vercingetorix would not fight in the rain
emony would be held where, instead of Hretha, the tribes
as it was seen as an ill omen.
would invoke Hellia, the Goddess of Death, and sacrifice
The Saxon gods echo both the Nordic and Germanic the lives of slaves in place of the chosen hunter so they
cultures. Woden sits at the top, chief of the gods with his might face down the monsters in safety, knowing their place
son Thunear and wife Frig at his side. The tribes worship in the afterlife was, temporarily, taken. While war leaders
or ascribe patron gods for themselves or their enemies. would be chosen exclusively from the edhilingui, the role of
The Saxons worship Seaxneat, the Frisii are led by Ingui, hunter was open to volunteers from the frilingi or lazzi and
and the Angles favor Freyr. To their northern cousins they is a means by which a warrior might rise in station within
attribute Geat, god of the Geats (the tribe of Beowulf), the tribe. A successful hunt will not only ensure the warrior
rivers, and watercourses. a place in the sagas of the tribe, but entry to the edhilingui.
The tribes of the Saxons, from single families to larger The Saxon tribes have complex, structured burial cus-
mixed groups, swear fealty to the current king or aetheling, toms they practice for friends and the most respected foes.
100
The dead must be outfitted for the afterlife; a simple crafter
or farmer will be gifted with clothes, money, and tools to
see them well cared for. Warriors of note have weapons and
finely engraved armor placed upon them as they are laid in
their cairns. However, exemplary warriors (especially those
of enemy tribes) of fearsome skill or stature have to be ap-
peased so they will not rise again. In the case of monsters,
at least those with a human form, the head is severed, but
the grave goods lain as well. In line with their superstitions,
the Saxons are highly necrophobic; the dead are feared more
than the living. An enemy who is greatly respected is buried
with much wealth so their spirit is appeased. A wrathful
spirit, an aptrgangr or revenant, one who was buried with-
out the respect they were due, is one of the few things that
can strike fear into even the most seasoned Saxon warrior.
Monsters don’t always come at you with fangs bared
and claws ready. The Saxons are as susceptible to trickery
as any of those nations reclaiming their place from under
the Roman boot. More than most they are open to offers
of riches in return for deeds of conquest. Faerie lords and
ladies and vampires with the gold to spare recruit these fierce
warriors as mercenaries in matters of war both mundane and
internecine. The Saxons’ rituals and practices make them
efficient shock troops to employ against invaders both mortal
and supernatural. Their spears, swords, and broad axes back
up their renowned ferocity as warriors. Layered leather and
iron chainmail protect the edhilingui as surely as the round
shields protected their frilingi and lazzi foot soldiers. These
arms translate to the hunt as well as they do to the battlefield;
however, a Saxon hunter always carries a bow as part of their
equipment, along with several stakes cut from a holly tree and
brushed with crushed mistletoe berries. The successful hunter
drives these stakes through the hands and feet of a vanquished
monster, binding them to the earth while standing vigil for
two days to ensure the creature will not rise again. After that,
the corpse can be brought back to the tribe for the proper
interment into the cold embrace of the earth.
The Hands of Tyr —

Brotherhood Among
Saxons
“In the days of my grandfather’s grandfathers Tyr was the
father of all things. Then Fenrir took his hand. We will not forget
how the Wolf laid our god low, how he stole his power, and we
will ensure his children pay the wergild for it.”
— Hands of Tyr credo
Spiritual forerunners of the Long Night, the Hands of Tyr
are tier one hunters driven by the need to avenge the mutila-
tion of the creator god Tyr at the jaws of Fenrir. They remember
the time before Woden rose to prominence, when Tyr was the
All-Father. In the shared myths of the Saxons and Norse, the
gods attempted to bind the wolf Fenrir with a Glepnir, a ribbon
made of the footfalls of a cat, roots of a mountain, fish breath,
and bird spittle. The great wolf would only allow itself to be
101
Night Approaches
bound if one of the gods placed a hand in its mouth. Tyr stood as a revenant, but the Hands of Tyr know to bury the head of
forth and offered his. Once the beast was bound it tore Tyr’s a vampire several feet away from the corpse, or to drive iron
hand off and thenceforth Tyr was known as “the Leavings of nails into the heart of a fae Huntsman before burial, or bind
the Wolf.” The Hands have never forgotten. Beginning with the body of a werewolf with a Glepnir. The mortal Hands of
werewolves (the offspring of Fenrir in the Hands’ teachings) Tyr have no means to create the mythic Glepnir of legend but
but swiftly encompassing all manner of twilight creatures, they they do create their own version for the hunt. It is difficult to
exact bloody retribution in his name. The Hands pass their bind a living werewolf, but the Hands are experienced hunters
knowledge and membership (including recognition of Tyr as and often make use of the Glepnir in snares and traps.
the true father of the gods over Woden) from one generation The Hands of Tyr are not organized but there is an aware-
to the next via spoken-word histories and sagas. Wherever ness of individuals following the same practices in other
possible, the Hands preempt the invocation of Hellia and tribes, and some sharing of knowledge in times of need. An
take on a hunt themselves, relying on the support of family elder of the Hands might know of up to a dozen other fol-
or other known hunters to achieve the desired goal without lowers in different tribes, and compiles the accounts of their
raising the suspicion of the rest of their tribe. hunts for sharing with any active member who comes seeking
The Hands of Tyr can be identified by the unique, silver- the wisdom. Upon the battlefield, should one of the Hands
inlaid seax knives they carry and pass from generation to gen- become aware of another, they avoid conflict unless abso-
eration. Alongside the knives they hand down sagas and eddas lutely necessary. Should circumstance bring them together,
of their own, including detailed accounts of how to combat loyalty to tribe triumphs and no quarter is asked nor offered.
monsters and deal with their remains. A fearsome warrior from However, securing another Hand as lazzi is desirable. Should
another tribe might be beheaded at burial for fear he would rise they meet upon a hunt, unless there is a particularly personal
vendetta at stake, they likely join forces to face the darkness.
TEAMWORK RULES The Glepnir —

Bound by Tradition
When creating Glepnir or working together on
As well as their trademark silver seaxes, the Hands of Tyr
any other great task, one hunter is the primary
actor, and hunters who wish to help are called carry the knowledge of how to craft the sacred Glepnir, a trib-
secondary actors. ute to their god’s sacrifice at the jaws of Fenrir. In preparation
for a hunt the Hand crafts a new binding (they don’t keep for
• The primary actor must assemble their dice more than a month, though some ingredients can be reused).
pool. The Glepnir is made of fine, strong rope shot through with
• Secondary actors assemble their dice pools to young ivy lengths, hawthorn thorns and silver slivers, then
match the primary actor’s. brushed over with a compound of soured beer and crushed
• Secondary actors roll dice. The outcome af- mistletoe berries. Access to silver is not a given. The Hand
fects the primary actor’s results. will need some way to get access to silver for the construction.
After collecting the required ingredients, hunters
• Primary actor rolls their dice pool. Secondary involved must use Teamwork rules to successfully cre-
actors’ roll results are then added or
subtracted. ate Glepnir. A Wits + Craft roll is required to create the
Glepnir, with five successes required, but it cannot be
• Primary actor’s roll results are calculated as achieved alone. If the creation is successful, every success
normal. beyond five subtracts a die from any escape roll made by a
The primary actor’s roll results are as normal for the ac- creature bound by the rope, to a minimum of one. For every
tion the group undertakes, except that hunters always turn the creature is bound, it takes one point of bashing
win ties on contested actions when they use teamwork. damage. Any failed escape rolls result in one point of lethal
Results damage. The Glepnir is intended to render the more savage
monsters insensible for easy dispatch.
Success: +1 die to the primary actor’s roll for
each success earned, cumulative for each sec-
ondary actor’s success. Changeling: Tree,
Exceptional Success: As success. Lake and Stone
Failure: Primary actor receives no bonus dice. Desire. Wrath. Fear. Sorrow. Gloom. The last years of
Dramatic Failure: –4 dice to the primary ac- a kingdom are a feast of emotions, but the Lost are in a
tor’s roll, cumulative for each secondary actor’s tenuous position to partake.
dramatic failure. The primary actor must continue; The Lost of Arthur’s Britain are both stronger and
the outcome affects the story. weaker than their modern counterparts. Nothing can truly
prepare anyone for the durance — but they were born into,
102
and returned to, a world that believed in the Others. They
have context for what they are: understanding, even if
acceptance is harder. And there are few mortal powers to Faerie Etymology
contend with fae magic. Yet at the same time, the Lost share In general, a number of the faerie names
their world with more than hobgoblins and the True Fae — we’re used to are a bit anachronistic for the
they must come to terms with vampires, hunters, and a king time. In practice, that’s fine. Even if the word
who both believes in and fights against the supernatural. “ogre” doesn’t show up until a millennium
Arthur’s warriors ride out against all threats to their later, it’s easier on all the players to still call
realm, mortal and otherwise. This charge benefits the Lost the seeming an Ogre. It’s a proud tradition to
rationalize that some words are much older
as Camelot’s finest fight the hobgoblins and Huntsmen that
than etymologists realize. But if you would
would threaten their freeholds, but it also endangers the Lost. like something period-plausible for in-charac-
Canny changelings do their best to ensure that if humans ter speech, you have a few options.
sense their true presence at all, the humans see the Good Folk.
Better to be mistaken for a kindly seelie pooka than a wicked Fata: The Latin term for the Fates later informs
unseelie ogre. The Lost are creatures of the wilder lands, build- old French and gives rise to “fae” and then
“fairy.” Consider appropriating this term early
ing freeholds in old forests and lonely moors. Some mortals
and having the Romano-British speak of “the
fear and revere them, leaving them offerings in exchange for fata” when they mean faeries.
blessings and protection. A few Romano-British think of them
as genius loci; to the Celts they’re the Old Ones. Pooka: Old English puca, Welsh pwca,
Changelings still feel the temptation to go home, to
Cornish bucca, Irish púca. A good all-around
term for shapeshifting or bestial fae, espe-
try living among their former human families. But even if cially as it sounds much the same in most
they can hide their true nature with glamour, even if they non-Latin languages of the era.
dearly long for the comfort of their loved ones, the danger
of being discovered is too great. This is an age of iron. Both Elf: Some Old English works use the term
Romans and Saxons brought plenty of iron with them, and “elf”; you may prefer to use the related “alp”
the knowledge to find and smelt more. The secrets of finer
(which can also mean “nightmare”) or “alfar”
if you want a less familiar variation.
steel — deadlier to mortals, less dangerous to changelings
— won’t reach Western Europe for centuries. No matter
how powerful the Lost may be, they find it more prudent
to live in the forests and mountains and caves.
Faerie Magic Yet apart from this grave weakness, changelings still hold
The Hedge is wild and verdant in this era. Some of a number of advantages. Mortal travel between settlements
the special tricks of Lost magic work a little differ- is slow, and long-distance communication is extremely lim-
ently than they will in the modern age. ited. No human understands the land as well as those who
have contracted with the stones and forests. Camelot may
• Hedgespinning: The Hedge is prone to fall, but the Lost intend to remain in Britain to remember it.
change both by a changeling’s hand and
on its own. When the Hedge shapes itself,
the Storyteller rolls nine dice rather than the Beasts in the Briars
modern-era eight. When a changeling shapes The Hedge is in full flower, so to speak, in this age. The
the Hedge, the player may spend successes as forests are dotted with naturally occurring Hedgeways. The
usual, but the cost of any paradigm shift rated Hedge entices new visitors into itself with all the usual lures,
at two successes or higher is lowered by one and one particular to the time — the lure of the quest.
success. For example, a player may create a Anyone, mortal or immortal, who takes action to pursue a
goblin fruit with four successes rather than five.
quest near a Hedgeway may be drawn into the Hedge just
• Oneiromancy: Changelings are stronger as if they were indulging their Vice. The mechanics are the
in this era, but there are fewer dreamers. The same (see Changeling: The Lost Second Edition, Chapter
dream world has been shaped less by hu- Four), but instead of a vision that tempts the person’s Vice,
manity’s subconscious. The Dreaming Roads they instead see a vision related to the object of their
are more dangerous, and Bastions harder to quest — a white hart, a great boar, even a glowing cup in
find. Paradigm shifts follow the above rule for
the hands of a maiden who flees into the darkened thorns.
Hedgespinning of requiring fewer successes
(though never less than one). Important eido- Some say the Saxons brought the giants with them.
lons have a Wyrd rating of one higher than the Maybe the Hedge smells blood and bones. But for whatever
Fortification rating of the dreamer’s Bastion. reason, a greater portion of the hobgoblins roaming the trods
and Thorns are large, ogrish, and hungry. There are trod
103
Night Approaches
trolls, of course, but also giants — savage man-eaters, cunning
Summer
sorcerers, ruthless sea-raiders, kin of Ysbaddaden and Balor
and Gogmagog, forefathers of Blunderbore and Cormoran. The Iron Spear is crisscrossed with scars. The prevalence
Thankfully, the Lost are clever enough at navigating the of iron weapons makes it dangerous business to be the ones
Hedge that they can usually slip past the giants without much holding the wall. Healing magic helps changelings live longer
effort, even if mortals who blunder their way into a hobgoblin and stay healthier than their mortal relatives, but the Court
giant’s territory usually find their way into its larder as well. of Wrath suffers the greatest share of wounds that no charm
The true threat, though, is harder to evade. A True Fae stalks will heal. Nor are they happy to limit themselves to opposing
the forests and Hedges of Britain, a creature so enamored with Huntsmen and hobgoblins in this age of battle. Many Summer
the thrill of the hunt that it spends little time in Arcadia. courtiers direct their wrath as much against mortal Saxon and
First it was called the Herjan, the Lord of Hosts. Then as his Pict invaders as they do against threats out of the Hedge. You
name circulated among the ordinary people, they called him can often tell the Iron Spear changeling who holds a grudge
the Herne. Changelings are his favorite prey, but he doesn’t against the mortals — she’s most likely to bear a terrible scar,
restrict himself. When the Lost reach out to find friends an empty eye socket, or a stump at the end of one arm.
outside their freeholds, it’s with the knowledge that they Most Summer courtiers have a high opinion of Arthur
need allies if they’re ever to be free of the Threefold Hunter. and his court. Arthur’s claim took the shape of a sword.
The Pendragon took his throne to fight. The Crimson Court
The Courts aids Arthur’s reign as much as possible without betraying its
presence to new enemies. With careful woodcraft, Summer
It seems the seasonal courts have always ruled in Britain,
scouts have quietly guided his warriors to their foes while
even in the time before Arthur. For reasons mythological and
never being seen. A few of Arthur’s knights carry bless-
religious, the four seasons are distinct in the British Isles, and
ings that they unknowingly owe to the Iron Spear. Yet as
old Celtic observances of equinox and solstice hint of Bargains
Camelot sinks into malaise, the Court of Wrath feels the
that even the humans have tried to strike. The courts do not
deepening gloom as much as any other changeling does —
necessarily share power equally, depending on the freehold.
but isn’t that all the more reason to keep your blades sharp?
The emotion of the land plays a part as well — for a time,
If Arthur dies with no heir, the realm will fall. War will
Spring and Summer were ascendant as Camelot waxed, but as
come again, and the Summer Court will be ready.
it wanes, Autumn and Winter see their time coming yet again.
Courtiers of Wrath are of two minds regarding the
Spring Saxons, and the hunters that came within their ranks. One
part of the court respects the Saxons because they’re able to
It’s a difficult time for the Antler Crown. The heyday fight, and perhaps that could be turned against the Gentry;
of Camelot is fading. With the protection of the Roman the other part saw friends and loved ones killed or dragged
legions gone, the Saxon threat pressing harder, and the away by the newcomers, and argues that the Saxons deserve
Hunter taking more stragglers, the primary desire filling their fury as well. As a group, the Summer Court shows
the hearts of mortals is simply the desire to survive. It’s a the most respect for hunters who’ve bound themselves to
bitter cup to taste. But if the Court of Desire gives up on a martial brotherhood — that, at least, the Lost can relate
joy and surrenders passion, it ceases to be. And the Spring to. The same holds true for vampires, for if stone and forest
courtiers will not let that happen just yet. and fire can swear an oath, then so too can the dead.
Arthur and his courtiers are powerfully tempting tar-
gets for the Emerald Court. While it’s still 500 years too Autumn
early for the concept of courtly love to flourish, the nobles
The Leaden Mirror is surprisingly strong, perhaps
of Camelot are no strangers to passions that burn all the
the strongest of the courts throughout the year. Insula
brighter because they’re forbidden. But Arthur’s court is
Avalonnis is one of the most powerful freeholds in Britain,
dangerous ground to tread. If the constant presence of iron
and a bastion of Autumn sorcery. The Saxons are growing
weren’t enough, vampires are at play in Camelot’s halls as
stronger and Arthur has no heir, and so the populace is
well. A vampire might be a potential ally with much in
afraid. This is an era of mysticism where witches are still
common, or a jaded predator searching for a new thrill, and
feared and respected — perfect for the Ashen Court. Or
it’s always a gamble to see which is which.
it would be perfect, if the threats that menace one court
The Antler Crown has waning influence among the didn’t menace them all.
other courts. Autumn and Winter are both caught in their
The Autumn Court is, unusually enough, divided on
different forms of fatalism, and both seem to think that
the subject of Arthur. Some Ashen courtiers see in him the
Spring has already had its day. Summer was ever Spring’s
power of a legend, and reason that his extended reign would
closest ally, but the Iron Spear is constantly distracted by the
strengthen the magic latent in the realm. Others argue that
Saxons pressing against the borders and the depredations of
as a true king, Arthur’s fate is to be sacrificed for the good of
the Herjan. Some Spring courtiers find themselves looking
the realm — Britain will endure without him, but only if he
outward and striking desperate bargains to find new allies.
dies at the proper time. Some are convinced Arthur must
104
search for the Herne, and in so doing both slay a dangerous they are now, unless the Winter courtiers find a way to turn
Title and die a sacrificial king’s death. Messenger familiars them toward a common enemy. The most promising sign is
scuttle and fly from one freehold to the next, carrying argu- that the newcomers already seem to know of the Herjan. If
ments over the latest portent and the necessity of action. properly directed, they could be useful catspaws or even allies
Ashen courtiers are reasonably openminded regarding against the Threefold Hunter. But one must be cautious…
cooperation with other hidden factions such as vampires The Winter Court has grave misgivings about the
and hunters. It’s useful to know about the strange powers amount of lore that other courts have shared with the
and cunning tactics they might use, and certainly they all vampires. No matter how honeyed the speech of the Court
have a common enemy in the Threefold Hunter. When of Night, it rolls off tongues that lick blood from fangs.
they truck with these others, however, Autumn Lost at- Certainly, there are crueler and stronger things in this world
tempt to be subtly unnerving or intimidating. Better to and beyond than vampires, but the Silent Arrow tries to
earn a healthy respect than hope for a polite respect, and withhold as much knowledge of banes and tells as they can.
to be frank, few members of the Court of Fear wants their Perhaps the vampires could help rout the invaders from the
allies to regard them fearlessly. isle, nail the Threefold Hunter below a hill with iron nails.
But if they remove a common foe…what happens next?
Winter For want of an enemy, would the undead turn on a friend?
The Silent Arrow has exhausted its hope. Winter spies flit Best to aid them as is prudent, and always be cautious not
through the halls of Camelot at night, taking note of every- to give too much away.
thing they can. They see little to encourage them. Arthur has
no worthy heir, and his court is in slow decline even as the Freeholds
Saxons grow stronger. The Onyx Court encourages the other The freeholds of this era are built on necessity. They
Lost to isolate themselves, to draw farther from the world of need to be far enough from human settlements that a stray
iron. The presence of the Herne is even more reason to fade woodcutter won’t bring iron across the boundary. And for
from sight and memory. It may not be glorious, but it’s a way that reason, they also need to be self-sufficient. The Lost
to survive. And at least sorrow is plentiful in these times. can’t rely on dropping by the local village to purchase
Apart from a few aforementioned spies, the Winter Court groceries, and they can’t take too much from the peasants
has largely given up on Arthur as a power to shape the realm. without dooming the mortals to starvation. A freehold’s
At present, the Saxons concern them more — the Saxons, and buildings were probably raised by changeling hands; its
the dangerous hunters within their ranks. Should Camelot fall, food might have been raised by Arcadian magic. A freehold
as Winter expects it will, the invaders will expand to occupy might stand in the thickest part of a forest, under a broad
the vacancy. The Saxon hunters will be a greater threat than chalk hill, or on a lonely island.
105
Night Approaches
Some freeholds carry an extra share of internal tension. Crow’s Hold is a freehold of scavengers. The Lost that
Most Lost were born among the original Celtic peoples or reside here have a tradition to roam down the trods and visit
the Romano-British, but the vagaries of Arcadian time all manner of places in Britain, carrying away the most interest-
mean that some Saxons have already been taken into Faerie ing things they find. The freehold itself is practically a Goblin
and escaped. There aren’t yet enough Saxon changelings Market for those who find their way here. The Crows deal in
to found freeholds of their own, which leaves the others to weapons, tokens, goblin fruits, strange trophies, Roman trea-
decide whether to take these invader-kin in or turn them sures, Saxon goods, and even rarities from across the Channel.
away. At the moment the freeholds take in more Saxon They scrounge things only the fae could find, too: memories
Lost than they turn away, for the shared experience of the from a corpse’s skull, dreams of a true love never met, a slander
durance is a deeper tie than a shared language. But if — victim’s good name. They might have had the Grail once, if
when — the battles turn bloody again, some Lost may forget it weren’t for the Crows’ general lack of Christian piety. The
that bond and turn out their newcomers. Crow Kings and Queens encourage a mismatched faith that
takes something from everything. It’s being practical.
Insula Avalonnis The freehold’s courts share power in the usual fashion,
In the marshes south of the Severn stands a single hill, mostly. But even when it’s not winter, the Crow King of
an island among the wetlands that will someday be called Winter holds a monarch’s share of influence. The present
Glastonbury Tor. It is the single strongest freehold in Britain: officeholder is Crimthann Rook, a wily old Beast who
the Isle of Fruit Trees, the Ynys Afallon — or, one day, Avalon. barters his treasures for secrets around the kingdom. He
Insula Avalonnis is a place of powerful sorcery. Fruit hangs cheerfully trades with vampires, hunters, even werewolves
from trees in all seasons, both tart mortal apples and stranger and spirits, it’s said. Rumor has it that King Crimthann sees
goblin fruits. Secret forges that work metal without iron send out the fall of the kingdom coming, and he’s gathering all the
smoke in the dead of night. A powerful and well-guarded trod pieces to the puzzle of its fall so that his court can be ready.
leads to the second-largest Goblin Market in Britain’s Hedge.
The magic of the isle is to be expected, for Autumn reigns The Threefold
here all but year-round. Avalon technically honors the pro- Hunter
cession of the seasons while keeping the true power largely in The True Fae took who they wanted from the Celts
the hands of the three sisters who take turns as the Autumn and Picts. When the Romans came, the Gentry stole away
Queen. Before the winter solstice, the first sister passes the settlers and soldiers. Now Arthur is king, and the Saxons
freehold’s apple-and-thorn crown to a temporary Winter have come, and the True Fae still do as they will. One in
monarch for three days, and then the crown returns to the particular has become so taken by the hunt that he stalks the
second Autumn sister. The vernal equinox brings three days forests every night. He is the Herjan, the Herne, the Harrier
of Spring rule, and then the crown passes to the third sister.
A Summer monarch takes the crown for three days of high
summer, and then it returns to the first and strongest Autumn
Queen until the winter solstice, and the cycle continues.
Insula Avalonnis has declared for Camelot — though Morgana and Avalon
not to Camelot, of course — so long as Arthur shows more
wisdom than do those around him. Some of the Lost here Morgana le Fay is the kind of legendary figure
that is difficult to categorize. She would be a
play the parts of mysterious enchantresses and warlocks
strong candidate to master the magic of Mage:
who wander into a knight’s story for a moment, offer crucial The Awakening. But she might also be a
guidance or a strange blessing, and then are gone without a changeling, an abducted mother who learned
trace. Usually their aid helps the knight toward his goal — Arcadian sorcery and became an Autumn Queen
unless the knight’s goal is to explore the Severn’s marshes on her return. She might be a mortal whose witch-
and find the freehold, in which case the knight typically craft is little more than misdirection and cunning.
awakens in a strange place, his arms and armor replaced She might even be a player character. And why
with wood and bone mummeries. not?
The legend anticipates that Morgana carries the
Crows’ Hold mortally wounded Arthur back to Avalon. Whether
To the north of the realm, long stretches of Hadrian’s that happens or not should probably depend
Wall stand abandoned. In some places, the forest has already on the events of your chronicle. We assume that
reclaimed the land around it. The ragtag freehold of Crow’s Glastonbury Tor no longer houses the freehold of
Hold is built along one such stretch, where an entire wall-fort
Ynys Afallon in the modern world, and therefore
Arthur isn’t there either. Your troupe may find it
has been swallowed by the woods. Ramshackle huts stand entertaining to discover why.
next to portions of the wall that still stand tall, while other
buildings are built from stone quarried from the wall itself.
106
in the Woods. Bloody-handed and antler-crowned, reeking
of entrails and musk and wet fur, an army of Huntsmen
behind him, he is the Wild Hunt embodied.
Vampire: Shield,
“The Herjan” is one of the many titles of the Saxons’
Woden as well as one of his. The hunters among the Saxons
Spear, and Sickle
know of the Herjan; the vampires have heard whispers of For centuries, Britannia has stood as a frontier territory of
the Herne; the changelings know both, and his third mask the Camarilla, a site of dispute and war between the Kindred
the Harrier of the Woods, far too well. Most who know of Rome and the native tribes of Albion and Hibernia. Now,
of the Hunter’s three masks assume they are different ac- the Camarilla is gone, brought low in a few short nights of
counts of the same being; only the changelings know that fire and madness. The Julii are dead or scattered, and the
each mask is a Title, and all three can hunt at once. Unlike consuls of Britannia serve only themselves. The influx of
other True Fae, the Threefold Hunter spends little time in Kindred from across the sea whisper of the shadowy nemeses
his Arcadian realm, returning only to hang another prized that eradicated the senate, and are even now lurking in the
trophy from his walls or sentinel trees. The hunt obsesses darkness to deliver the killing strike. It is no longer safe to
him, and the hunt is here. live as a vampire, and so many of the Kindred of Britannia
None of the Lost have seen an enemy like the Threefold have chosen to become something else, the Court of Night.
Hunter before. He has a small army of Huntsmen, far too
many. He has the talent to scent iron on the wind from
miles away, allowing him to strike only where he is at least
The Great Deception
risk — no warrior who rides out in a mail shirt and with
an iron blade by his side will ever find the Herjan. He
and the Courts of Night
The Court’s inception began in 230 CE as a manifesto
has learned to hunt vampires. Thankfully, the Herne and
penned by Consul Octavia of the Julii, “Courting the Other and
the Harrier of the Woods do not pursue prey into human
the Taming of Gods.” Over the centuries she watched monsters
settlements, though the Herjan has been known to do so,
real and imaginary vanish into fable, lingering as stories and
at night when there are few to see. The changelings fear
superstitions on the tongues of man. The peasantry venerated
they cannot defeat all three faces of the True Fae at once
gods that would never answer. “Why,” she asked, “should a
— at least, not alone.
vampire spend centuries rising to the status of divinity, when
they can simply assume the mantle of a similar, absent god?”
Oath: Blood Liege (•••)
Working with her childe, Caecilia the Blood-Scribe, Octavia
Prerequisite: Changeling supplanted loyal Kindred into many of the cults of the region,
Effect: Some changelings enter into the Contracts of including the Celtic figures of Sulis and Cernunnos, and
Night and Day to bind their fates to those of the Kindred many of the Tuatha de Danann. These cults, already coerced
— or rather, to add a layer of protection between them- by scholars of Rome to regard their gods as an extension of
selves and the True Fae. The character with this Merit has the Greco-Roman pantheons, fell quickly to Kindred control.
sworn herself to a particular vampire, receiving a measure This policy of syncretism — of vampires co-opting the
of protection in return. mantles of the heroes and gods of folklore, brought the
While the Oath between the two remains in force, the Kindred into swift and troubled negotiations with the resi-
changeling receives the benefit of a two-dot Mentor Merit dent freeholds of the Lost, some of whom outright claimed to
to represent the vampire liege’s protection. However, the be the figures whose domains and cults were being usurped.
character may surrender this Merit to redirect a Huntsman Treaties were brokered, both by the Autumn Court of
or True Fae away from the changeling; the changeling’s Avalon and the Weihan Cynn of the Kindred, outlying a
enemy focuses its attention on the vampire instead. If the set of rules that would redefine them as the Courts of Night
changeling cancels the Merit in this fashion, the Sanctity of and Day. The Kindred and the Lost divided their domains
Merits rule applies, and the character receives three Merit into courts, each of which was appointed a leader who held
dots to spend on an appropriate replacement. sole responsibility for protecting their borders and subjects.
The recipient of this Oath resolves the Obliged Strict rules on domain and ownership of mortal vassals
Condition and gives the changeling the Oathbreaker were set down in fae contracts penned in blood, rules that
Condition, as the Lost becomes a traitor to the Wyrd. would shape Kindred society for centuries to come. Once
Drawback: While the arrangement is in effect, the each season, new inductees are presented to the freehold of
character owes service to a vampire liege. Once per lunar Avalon and gifted titles by the Mekhet sorcerer Manannán
month, the vampire may ask the character to perform a of the Green and notarized by the Goblin Queen Red Teller,
task; if the task does not put the changeling in significant granting them a modicum of recognition among the courts
danger, the changeling must obey the spirit as well as the of the Lost. For the Kindred, this arrangement allows them
letter of the request. to hide their identities as vampires, maintaining influence in
a world where mortal hunters and the monstrous Strix alike
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Night Approaches
pursue them. For the Lost, aware of the true nature of their themselves, sometimes allied with the Lost and sometimes
courts, the benefit is a more closely guarded secret. The titles in direct competition, in much the same way Kindred ally
gifted to these kindred, carefully chosen by Manannán (in and fight with each other. For the Legion, the line between
truth, a Darkling archivist known as Shackle mac Lir) are vampire and changeling becomes increasingly blurred,
echoes of the Titles of the True Fae themselves. By offering deceived by their own arrogance and the honeyed words
vampires the titles of their enemies among the True Fae, the of the Lost into thinking they are equals in the fae courts.
freehold of Avalon creates a legion of monstrous scapegoats to In order to distance themselves from the Legio Mortuum,
fight their enemies when the Wild Hunt inevitably returns. the warriors among the Legion of the Green have cultivated
a warrior caste inspired by the legends of the Green Man.
The Legion of the Green — The mantle of the Green Knight, the immortal warrior
that hunts on legs of four and two, is a useful pseudonym
The Unconquered Kindred for Kindred that need to influence the wars and courts of
Composed heavily of members of the Weihan Cynn humanity directly. When armies clash, the Green Knights
and displaced Roman Kindred from the Cult of the Augurs charge from the mists on horseback, declaring for no man
and the Peregrine Collegia, the Legion of the Green is the and fighting for a cause of their own before retreating back
prominent force within the Courts of Night, a confederation into the wilds. Their founder, a Bron known as Bertilak of
of allied lords undergoing the uneasy transition between the the Green, is even known to stride into the halls of men,
gatherings of the Camarilla and the rival fiefdoms of the challenging potential thralls and childer to match his war-
new world. Their elders, in recognition of their authority, rior ideal. The Green Knights of the Legion, in their efforts
are gifted with aliases drawn from the cults and legends to steer the fates of men, have earned a growing animosity
of Britannia, with the rulers of each fief given the suffix with the Black Knights of Merlin, and their forces have
“of the Green” to make their status clear. In Gwynedd to crossed swords on numerous occasions.
the west, Math of the Green holds court, a shapeshifting For their mutual protection the Legion relies on strict
seer that speaks to animals. In Caer Baddan, Sulis of the liege-vassal relationships imposed by a system of blood oaths
Green leads a cult of mortal warriors, reaping praise with that will soon form the foundation of the Invictus. For the
her majestic presence and the healing power of her Vitae. purpose of purchasing Merits, Kindred Status in the Legion
Across the sea in Ulster, Conall of the Green commands of the Green functions identically to modern-day Status in
men and beasts alike as he battles for dominion. Across the Invictus, including access to Invictus Oaths.
Britannia, the Lords of the Green fight to claim a land for
108
Contracts of Night and Day (•) For this reason, the Lancea et Sanctum gathers every
weapon they can in their ongoing war. They sway the hearts
Prerequisites: Notary (Invictus Merit), Occult •• of humanity to their cause, not through deception, but
The Legion of the Green, while lacking the full breadth through ardent support of the common folk, rallying the
of authority that the Weihan Cynn possess, have developed masses. They tie legends of the treasures of the land to their
a limited ability to impose oaths of prestation and fealty new faith, inspiring devout Kindred and humans alike to
upon their allies within the Lost, aided in their transactions seek out the mystical artifacts of Britannia that they might
by Hobgoblin servants of the Bank of the Red Teller, who be repurposed as saintly relics.
store and ferry the accumulated Glamor and Vitae between
the liege and vassal of each oath. To the Lost, submitting to Faith Militant (••)
such total obedience to another is an unsettling prospect, Prerequisite: Lancea et Sanctum Status •
particularly to a member of the Court of Night. Kindred, The bonds of faith bind communities in the Dark Ages,
too, recoil at the idea of gifting their unique powers to one and in these times, as knowledge is destroyed and lost, the
not of the blood. In the modern nights, such an arrangement church is a bastion of academic knowledge. The Lancea et
would be viewed as abhorrent and worthy of Final Death, Sanctum has learned to cultivate the strengths of their flock.
but in present times it is a repulsive but dreadful necessity. Effect: Your character can treat their Herd rating as
Effect: Kindred with this Merit can invoke Invictus Resources for the purpose of procuring services. Once per
Oaths between a Kindred liege and a Lost vassal, grant- chapter, you can also treat your Herd Rating as Resources
ing the full benefits to each. The bloody sympathy of the for the purposes of procuring equipment.
bond between liege and vassal allows the changeling to use
Contracts on their vampire lieges without the expenditure of
Glamour, as though they were utilizing a Loophole. As part
of this Oath, the affected Lost must imbibe a small sample of
their liege’s Vitae, incurring a first stage blood bond for the
duration of the Oath. Note that this blood bond creates a
The Fine Print
blood sympathy, making the Kindred liege an eligible target The Legion of the Green’s Contracts of Night and Day
for anyone seeking to harm the changeling by proxy. and the Weihan Cynn’s Contract with the Uncanny
(Dark Eras p. 271) grant the Kindred a great deal of
The Lancea et Sanctum — authority within the courts of the Lost. These bargains
clearly favor the Kindred, but will not favor them
Knights of the Lance forever. The exchange of blood and titles between the
Courts of Night and Day give the freehold of Avalon
Paying lip service to the Treaties of Night and Day, ample opportunity to twist these contracts to their own
the growing might of the Lancea et Sanctum is a source benefit, labeling the Kindred as imposters of the True
of contention for their allies among the Lost and the Fae and viable targets for their wrath.
Kindred alike. Following in the wake of mortal missionar- For the duration of their service under these
ies, their demagogues help to reinterpret folklore heroes contracts, Lost vassals benefit from the Obliged
as biblical saints, and they do this with little regard for Condition. In addition, while serving as vassal un-
the titles formally traded by the Lost and Kindred courts. der an Invictus Oath, the Lost vassal may announce
This practice has led to conflict many times over, and with their liege’s crimes and impart the Hunted Condition
their acquisition of a number of surviving Kindred from on their Kindred master. Imparting this Condition
the Legio Mortuum, members of the Lancea et Sanctum does not end the Oath, nor does it protect the
find themselves capable of increasingly militant options in changeling from retribution from their liege. The
defense of their growing territories in southeast Britannia. bargains of the Weihann Cynn, not being subject to
Blood Sympathy, do not suffer from this drawback.
This aggressive approach is more than warranted — of Instead, failure to repay a favor of level four or
all the Courts of Night, the Lancea et Sanctum has the higher granted by a Contract with the Uncanny
closest ties to Rome, and their battles with the Strix at allows the aggrieved Lost to inflict the Hunted
the empire’s collapse is a recent and bitter memory. They Condition upon the Kindred as punishment.
hear whispers of ill omen, of yellow-eyed shapeshifters in
In each instance, this Condition is invoked only as
the wilds, of cultists bedecked in black-feather cloaks that a last resort, and almost never against a true ally
dance by firelight and dispense mocking prophecies, and of the Lost. Any attention from the True Fae, no
they ready themselves for the next strike. The nemeses cast matter how tangential, can be disastrous for the
a long shadow, one that lurks even in the ruins and wilds Lost, as well as accruing the full ire of the Kindred
of Britannia. It is an enemy that cannot be hidden from of the Court of Night. In the midst of a Wild Hunt,
with courtly intrigue; the only way to banish the shadows however, such sentiments mean nothing.
is with the light of judgment.
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Night Approaches
The Circles of Mor — Your character serves a coven that worships one of the
Strix, though you do not know them by this name. In ex-
Sibyls of the Nemesis change for veneration and tithes of Vitae, the Owl delights
in sharing its knowledge and dark power.
The Morrigan. The Furies. The Kindly Ones. The Effect: Once per chapter you can request a boon from
Valkyrie. Nemesis. These are the names of the Carrion your Strix master, treating your Circle of Mor Status as dots in
Queens, those who sit in judgement of men and monsters, Mentor for the purpose of requesting knowledge. As Ephemeral
who teach the virtues of vengeance. Kindred that aspire Beings, the Strix are not limited to a specific range of skills,
to this ideal adorn themselves in robes of black feathers, having access to lore acquired over many brutal lifetimes. This
carving runes into their own flesh. They offer up the weak boon can also take the form of the use of a Dread Power with
as food for their masters and exult in their continued sur- Shadow Potency no greater than your Circle of Mor rating.
vival in the face of ever-increasing adversity, prophesizing Drawback: Each boon must be paid for with Vitae equal
the death-throes of the world. They are what the Kindred to twice the level of your Circle of Mor Status. This Vitae
could be, what they should be, they are the Circles of Mor. can be gifted by your character, or offered from another
The Kindred that join a Circle of Mor choose a life bereft captive Kindred. The Strix delight in the corruption of
of clemency or negotiation. They are predators deep in the Kindred, and rage at the prospect of redemption. If your
wilds, followers of old faiths that reject the communal weak- character ever increases their Humanity, the Strix com-
ness of the new gods. Hospitality is an illusion, those that mands them to debase themselves, performing rites and
stand at the entrance of your cave are prey, enemies, or both. depredations until this change is reverted. Refusal or delay
The Sibyls do not operate within a broader structure. Each causes your character to be marked for death by their Circle,
Circle typically comprises three to six Kindred, with twice as losing their Circle of Mor Status. While the Circles of Mor
many ghouls serving them in hopes of their own ascension. are disparate and self-serving, with the option of joining
Rivalry is constant; the Circles of Mor depend on outside en- another Circle possible, it is by no means assured. Service
emies for any level of cooperation. In times of relative peace, to the Strix is a dangerous and dehumanizing path, one that
the Circles wage war on each other, and Kindred within the few other Kindred would ever tolerate, and the Storyteller
same Circle undermine each other at every step, their Beasts is encouraged to make it a challenging experience.
ever restless. When attacked from without, however, they have
an alarming unity of purpose, gathering to perform powerful
rites to turn the land against their enemies. Some within the
The Encroaching Darkness —
Circle take greater steps to focus this hatred outward, traveling
into the communities of man to spread their own enlighten-
Maintaining Touchstones,
ment, starting their own Circles as they teach their weaker Humanity, and Feeding
Kindred brethren the true power of the Beast. Some claim
that Morgana’s sister Morgause (or someone using her name) Ground in the Dark Ages
ranks among their number, but none among the Kindred have The time of vampires is in decline. Rome has fallen, trade
dared to make this accusation and lived to share her response. and contact with the mainland has collapsed, and the grow-
Few Kindred endure this path for long; many of the ing animosity between the peoples of Britannia has created
oldest among the Circles are feral, driven mad by their kin- an era of death and hunger. The world, no longer an empire,
ship with the Beast. They lead short, pure lives dedicated has diminished to a series of warring fiefdoms, small kingdoms
to the old ways. Some, however, have led their Circles that can be crossed in a few days’ travel. Every journey is a
for centuries, ancient beings that work their magic in the crawl, inch by bleeding inch, through a thicket of corrupt
darkest places, the yellow glint of their eyes a beacon to lords and drawn steel. Arthur’s rule did not eliminate war,
Kindred on the true path. Not all Circles are associated it only gave it focus, making the armies larger and better
with the Strix, and the call of the Beast sometimes leads equipped. Amid this constant murder and bloodshed human
the Circles into war with them, but the influence of the integrity is constantly tested, and so is a vampire’s humanity.
Owls is an ever-present secret of the order. The vampire is a predator, and like any predator its
Circle of Mor Status is functionally identical to Acolyte survival is dependent on a healthy feeding ground. The
of the Crone Status. While the Acolytes will not be formally peoples of Britannia have been at war for decades, and as
recognized as a Covenant for many centuries, the rites and they approach the Dark Ages they are becoming lean and
traditions that inspired them (including the Blood Sorcery paranoid. Division and warfare can be excellent distractions
of Crúac) have existed for far longer. for a nomadic hunter, but for the social hunter it creates ad-
ditional challenges. When the Legio Mortuum first arrived
Parliament’s Apostle (•) in Britannia, their report was blunt: “Food is plentiful, but
Prerequisites: Circle of Mor Status •, Humanity rating the Kindred struggle for every drop of blood.” The blood-
of 6 or less soaked fields and hardy survivors of this era have caused
the number of revenants and grave-born vampires to rise
110
sharply. They attack farmsteads and ambush travelers on are regular meetings practical. The Gangrel, and the rising
the road. The survivors speak freely of the damned, demons Ventrue and Bron fare better under these restrictions, endur-
in human skin that feast on the blood of the innocent and ing long journeys or commanding beasts and men alike to act
abhor the light of the Lord. There is no Masquerade — the as personal envoys, but all clans struggle to maintain their
threat is real and the people are rising to fight it. herds as the boundaries of man change constantly. Even the
Kindred have few options in maintaining their feeding most active of Kindred struggle to gather more than once a
grounds. Some abandon society, retreating into the wilds, far season, and the democratic traditions of the Camarilla are
from the swords and torches of “civilized” man. They become regarded as a failed experiment.
beasts, preying on animals, or hermits dispensing wisdom and A vampire’s Touchstones, the tethers to their humanity, are
gifts to desperate wanderers over a cup of proffered blood. under constant strain. The great distance between settlements,
Others embed themselves among the people, hiding in plain the increasingly isolationist fiefs, and the bitter winters all
sight among the noble and warrior castes, or scribing in secret make travel difficult, with loved ones moving out of reach for
in monasteries. Kindred society is a strained concept in these months or even years at a time. With the stability and protec-
times — travel is difficult and too many vampires in one place tion of the Camarilla a fleeting memory, Kindred struggle to
swiftly arouses attention. Only in the largest of settlements rely on people to stave off their descent towards monstrosity.
People fight and vanish, mortal households that have held do-
minion for decades are slaughtered overnight. The scope of the
great invasions strips the Kindred soul bare, encouraging their
descent. Kindred of this era are more reliant on locations and
keepsakes to bolster their Humanity. The country is infested
Touchstone Mementos with the ruins of old glories, and Kindred are bound to these
As war and the seasons force people apart, it is com- places. They gather at castles and stone circles, at abbeys and
mon for loved ones not to see each other for many battlefields. They renew their pledges to the old ways, carving
years at a time. So too are Kindred often deprived faces into ancient oak trees and staining them with blood, or
of the people and places that acts as touchstones for gather in stone churches in honor of the new faith.
their humanity.
Mementos help Kindred reassure themselves in this
time, acting as reminders of distant Touchstones
and helping them to draw on their benefits. They
Playing the Game
act as surrogate representations of the original Your setting is the chaotic years following the Roman
Touchstone. Any keepsake with a personal con- withdrawal, the reasonably stable time of Camelot itself, or
nection to the Touchstone can act as a memento. the dark times following the fall of the Round Table; there
is plenty of narrative meat to sink your teeth into. Besides
A tribal warrior, ruminating on a bloody battle, more immediate goals, each group has their own ongoing
clutches a child’s cloth doll in her hands, knowing
interests to drive them onward during this unstable period.
she fought to keep him safe. A traveler, stranded in
a snowstorm, staves off descent into feral hunger Vampires are looking for control, or at least comfort, in the
by reading his brother’s letters. A missionary, newly abandoned lands of the former Empire, the Uratha
bearing witness to profane rituals, draws strength mainly seek a return to the old ways or establish equilibrium
from the bronze crucifix gifted by her church. with the new human rulers. The Lost want to maintain their
anonymity and avoid the Huntsmen as they ever did, but
Mementos make it easier for a vampire to defend
continue to shepherd the Hedge’s growth as a means of hid-
attachment to their Touchstones, even if they are
hundreds of miles away or (unbeknownst to the ing from the mortals, creating a struggle between changeling
vampire) deceased. A prominently displayed fears. Hunters face the shadows that appear before them and
memento can also help a vampire to resist Frenzy, threaten their villages, whether that is a monster from with-
granting a +1 modifier to the dice roll. Finally, out, in the darkened woodlands, or within, at the seat of local
if the vampire permanently loses the affiliated governance. With such incongruent goals how does one cre-
Touchstone, the gifting of their memento can ate an antagonist that can bring them together? The answer
act as a powerful gesture in establishing a new is to look outside. Who has goals that serve themselves at
Touchstone. the cost of others? What dark alliances threaten the whole?
Vampires feel the loss of these treasured keep- The Saxon invasion and subsequent conquest of Britannia
sakes keenly. Another individual manhandling or looms, and that brings hardship and death for all. The Saxons
damaging a memento can induce frenzy with a themselves are superstitious people; they do not tolerate the
−2 modifier to resist. The destruction or loss of a supernatural (where they become aware of it) but, in this time
memento can be as potent a loss as losing a loved of strife, they are happy to act as mercenaries for those willing
one, inducing frenzy with a −4 modifier. to pay them (even if they only appear mortal). The promise of
a Saxon incursion can bring the most disparate of characters
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Playing the Game
together in the face of a greater threat. The Saxons might need draw the unwanted attentions of a Huntsman but, with only
an inroad, a safe landing or a way through the Hedge under the barest investigation by a True Fae, the illusion of the
the direction of an overambitious Fae who is also manipulating vampire’s court would be pierced and the ruse discovered.
some hapless mortal or even vampire noble to act as host to the The Huntsman moves on and the Lost remain concealed.
invasion. The characters might be offered advance knowledge
of such a plan and the opportunity to arrange an alliance to
counter the Saxon mercenaries, or a means to coerce the
Threats Without
traitorous noble into implicating themselves in the plot before
it comes to fruition. A Saxon raiding party focused solely on
and Evils Within
hunting the creatures of the night might bring an uneasy alli- Working as agents of a newly established kingdom pres-
ance together with a common goal, a tale of hunter becoming ents its opportunities, too, if the seat of power is awakened
hunted on the heaths and under the old oak branches. to the threat of the supernatural and wise enough to employ
such agents as they can to advise about or protect against
The Old Ways Resurgent it. A hunter of some renown is a logical choice, a Kindred
assassin of the Mekhet, and even a Lost of the Autumn
Within Britannia the Weihan Cynn seek to reclaim Court could profit from such an arrangement. Such a group
what once was theirs. The golden-eyed mystics, druids and might form spontaneously in the name of survival, faced
soothsayers claim the land by ancient right and work dark with a greater threat like Wyrtogern, the Herjan, or the
deals, tithes, and allegiances with any Otherworld entity post-Camelot slasher that is the Black Knight.
that encroaches upon their territory (See Contract with the Having witnessed the fall of the Empire, there is a chance
Uncanny, Dark Eras p. 271). In the past they relied upon for players to represent either side of the coming conflict as
their supernatural aura to cow the herd and ensure respect pagans standing in defiance of the Sanctified, or as Romano
but, after the Romans drove them into the shadows, they Britons still loyal to the lost Empire. Characters from multiple
had to watch and learn new strategies for the time when the backgrounds might struggle for the pagan soul of Britannia
chance would arise to retake their place at the reins of hu- against the encroaching Christian faith. They might choose
manity. In the ages before, the divisions amongs tribes served to undermine the older, established ways of the Weihan Cynn
them, their place as the ‘middle-men’ in transactions with the and further the cause of the Invictus and the new god, driving
Hedge and other powers saw them well kept in payment and the older powers back into the darkness. Given how success-
favors from both sides. In the centuries to come the Weihan ful your characters are in their efforts they might prompt the
Cynn seek tenuous alliances with the incoming Kindred Sanctified to employ some Saxon hunters to run them down
covenants to preserve their vaunted position of power, but or cause the Weihan Cynn to employ a darker bargain to be rid
in Arthur’s Britannia everything is a struggle. The Lancea et of them. The most attractive reason for playing in this setting
Sanctum come with the new faith trying to expunge the old, is, of course, to play Knights of the Round Table. Fifty-nine
but they are far from their powerbase; the Weihan Cynn have named knights appear in the romantic tales of the court of
been here forever but they are disparate, isolated and recover- Camelot. It has also been said that there were as many as 150
ing from their persecution at the hands of the fallen Empire. at its height, and some histories say the table itself could host
Yet, they still have ties among the older gods and creatures, 1,000. A chronicle can be written to explore battles, quests,
among the courts and with the Owls. There is everything to and political machinations both within and without Camelot.
play for and, whether by Machiavellian intrigue or outright In such a game there is scope for intrigue on many levels. What
warfare, this is the last chance for the golden-eyed Kindred if your vampire character is a member of the Bron, using the
to assume full control over the isle’s cowering mortal herd. knights of Camelot to gain information on the whereabouts of
These are the times when, in place of the Camarilla, the the Holy Grail? Are your characters truly loyal to the Round
Lancea et Sanctum and the Invictus are establishing their Table or working to speed its downfall at the hands of Morgana
power but are starting from scratch. The darkened shores of le Fay? Are these elements present despite the characters, do
Britannia are a long way from Rome, but it was once part of the goals of conspirators and saboteurs clash breeding a shadow
the Empire and so should be again. The root of Christianity war between knights outwardly loyal to the court of Camelot?
has been established and it is up to the Sanctified to see it Romantically, the period surrounding the rule of King
grow and use it as the bridle to lead humanity. Those Kindred Arthur is considered a time when one man led a nation fall-
who embrace the new ways must fight against the old or the ing into shadows toward an era of light, a shining beacon of
different; those who seek to establish an independent kingdom justice in a barbaric world before the folly of human nature
of their own would do well to do so in secrecy or in disguise. struck him down and sundered all he had built. Historically,
A vampire who founds their kingdom upon the ways of the era following the surrender of Briton by the Romans
the changeling courts cannot do so without some insight is no more or less barbarous or civilized than what went
into those courts. It could be quite attractive to one or before or came after. Here, the players have free rein to
more of the Lost (especially the Darklings) to aid a new hold up the romanticized ideal of Camelot or to delve into
vampire lord in building such an intricate facade. It might the horror-strewn filth of the Dark Ages and its mythos.
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Running the Game
of an aggressive Pictish chieftain gaining influence; a
vampire character fed on someone close to the ally;
the rival was famed for arrogance and poor threat as-
The advantage of a game based on Arthurian myth is sessment. In this way the setting still feels tumultuous,
that most players are already pretty familiar with the story but it also feels cohesive and real.
of King Arthur from various media. This is also the disad-
vantage. To really share the spirit of fifth-century Britannia • Darkness: The darkness theme extends beyond literal
at your table, you want to keep your players from visualizing poor lighting. People don’t see as far as they used to.
knights in plate armor charging to the strains of Carmina The future is more uncertain than it was a century ago
Burana — or worse, doing musical numbers about Camelot. while Rome was still strong and the Saxons far away.
Arthur’s story has been told in countless ways, many of them Communities become more isolated: sea trade falls off,
sanitized, cartoonish, comical, melodramatic, or completely and it becomes more dangerous to travel from town
anachronistic. But if you can get buy-ins from your players, to town. Play up this theme by exploring the limits to
all of that can fall away as you explore how the rise and fall characters’ knowledge. No freehold knows how many
of Camelot might have played out in an older, darker world. other freeholds are in Britain; some might not know
any other freeholds. Vampires remember, or hear tales
Setting the Scene of, the world across the Channel, but never the latest
news. The hunters know precious little of the beasts
Useful visuals for fifth-century Britain can be hard to find, and godlings of this strange new island. Everyone is
especially inspirational movies or television, 2004’s King Arthur using out-of-date information, and the world keeps
and 2007’s The Last Legion are set in the right place at the right changing all the same.
time, but are a bit off-key for a Dark Eras game. Dim the lights
during play if you can; if your group is comfortable playing by • Gloom: The key to establishing a mood is consistency.
candlelight, this can evoke their characters’ environment. You don’t have to read aloud paragraphs of prewritten
Audio aids are more readily available. Keeping a low, un- flavor text to play up a malaise fallen over Camelot.
obtrusive musical soundtrack running is a common Storyteller Be subtler, but persistent. Most characters with whom
technique; you might prefer monastic chants, dark fantasy, the players interact seem weary; they may speak a
or dark ambient, or the more atmospheric tracks from video little more slowly, or in lower voices. In the firelight,
games such as the Dark Souls series. While Beowulf won’t be metal shines dully and colors are darker. News of a lost
written for another couple of centuries, there’s no better way battle hangs over a castle, and all the bards’ songs have
to bring Old English to your table than to play a recording of changed. The Spring Queen’s smile seems forced at
the poem being read aloud in its original language — a solid times. But remember to add a few moments of genuine
trick to give the Saxon characters a recognizable voice. joy or humor from time to time. These moments bring
a welcome (and believable) reprieve from the mood,
Returning to Theme and Mood and then help reinforce the mood when the moments
are past and the gloom returns.
• Change: Invoking change as a theme is an easy, two-
step process. Step one: Establish a recurring element
in the setting, something the players can get used to: Mutable History
a colorful town, an understanding ally, a recurring Players are not obligated to follow a script — even if
rival. Step two: Remove or drastically alter the thing. the script of history. They might act to somehow change
The town is burned by Picts; the ally switches her the timeline as you’ve planned it. This is fine. They don’t
allegiance; the rival unexpectedly dies to make room have to succeed, but they also don’t have to fail. You may
for a new, more dangerous rival. Many Storytellers find the ramifications more fascinating than anything you’d
upset the applecart almost by reflex, and when you’re previously anticipated.
stressing a theme of change, you do want plenty of
• Kill Arthur: The most obvious twist is to assassi-
chronicle-altering events. But the trick is making each
nate Arthur before his fated fall at Camlann. This
change feel earned. If changes feel too arbitrary, the
is, ironically, the least disruptive change. Camelot
players’ suspension of disbelief is altered. They think
simply falls ahead of schedule, and the Saxons move
of events as driven by the Storyteller’s authorial hand
in. An entertaining aspect of this change is either
rather than by the actions of their characters and oth-
describing how the legend changes, or showing how
ers, and they probably develop fewer attachments to
people spread the lie of Camlann to try keeping
characters, places, and causes within the game. Each
hope alive. This would be a plot for Tier One or
change needs to feel as though it was bound to happen
Tier Two chronicles.
based on the characters’ experiences. Rumors warned
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Running the Game
• Save Arthur: The players might rig events so Arthur
survives Mordred and rules on. Camelot endures
longer, but it may become clear that Arthur is the
Traits and the
only thing holding it together. If the players truly Threefold Hunter
want to change history, they need to find a way for Mechanics for the True Fae are covered in
Arthur to have heirs (other than Mordred), and his Changeling: The Lost Second Edition,
heirs to have heirs. If your players enjoy high-stakes Chapter Five. We don’t assign Traits to the
matchmaking, this might be a delight to play out. Herjan here; rather, we have recommendations.
This plot works best for Tier One or Two games.
The Hunter has three active Titles, all active
• Bloody the Saxons: It’s very unlikely that the players at once: the Herjan (or the Lord of Hosts), the
will succeed at driving out the Saxons where even
Herne (or the Bloody Antler King), and the
Harrier of the Woods. Each Title is associated
Arthur failed, but they might strike a surprising blow. with a separate seeming (Beast, Ogre, and
One example would be killing Hengist before he founds Darkling respectively). Each Title can possess
Kent. Do the players’ actions kindle a vengeful fury in as many of the following Aspirations, Regalia,
the Saxons, or bowel-loosening terror? Can they push oaths, and banes as you see fit — though each
the advantage? Embarking on a war with the invaders is one should probably have only one bane,
solidly in the Tier Two category, if the players intend a even if the other two are rumored. Each mani-
concerted effort to sabotage the Saxon invasion, or Tier festation has at least Wyrd 8, which means
Three if they intend to unify Britannia against them. it has at least 40 dots to divide among its
Attributes and another 40 dots divided among
• Strengthen the Herne: We assume that the Herjan is its Skills. It may have an even higher Wyrd and
weakened or slain at the end of it all. But what if the play- higher Traits, if it possesses more titles that that
ers, through accident or stratagem, actually strengthen have not made themselves known. Yet.
the Harrier’s grip on the isles? The Lost freeholds may Aspirations: To bring home the finest trophies;
be doomed. Changelings are no longer remembered as to watch the prey flee for its life; to taste the
minor godlings and strange guardians of the wild — they blood of a ferocious heart.
simply become prey in the Herjan’s grand preserve. For Regalia: The Leashes and the Reins (Mirror),
a time, Britain seems less magical… and then, with The Spear Inexorable (Sword), The Horned
one of the True Fae as the Horned King in the woods, Stallion (Steed)
it becomes much more magical indeed. Handling the
supernatural, especially something as powerful as the Banes: The teeth of a beloved dog; the knife in
True Fae, rests within the Tier Three level of play.
a child’s hand; the smoke from a burnt branch
of flowering yew
Tells: Antlers; sharp deer’s teeth; leaves hoof-
prints with his left foot.
Tiers
Legends of the Era

If you’re not already familiar with gameplay tiers
from Hunter: The Vigil, and recurring throughout
this book, they are a means of setting the scale
of your intended chronicle, and perhaps tracking Stories in this era range from the intimate struggles of
how larger events affect things on lower tiers. The individuals attempting to get by in an uncertain time, to
tiers in this era play out roughly as such: nobles dueling and warring for power over an entire region
• Street (Tier One): A town. A small freehold. and its people.
A vampire’s hunting ground.
• Regional (Tier Two): A kingdom — Camelot, Threats to the People
a Saxon kingdom — perhaps all of Britain.
Arthur’s court. Covenant and clan politics. A • There was a hanging in the town square today. The
large freehold, or a pact between freeholds. condemned raved on the way to the gibbet about
monsters and demons even as they dropped the noose
• Global (Tier Three): Britain; possibly much of about his neck. Strange that his crime was murdering
Europe. Travel to and from the Saxon homelands, or
a wandering storyteller. Does it have anything to do
from territories formerly held by Rome. Communication
with covenant elders. Freeholds on the mainland ask with a tale that had spread during the bard’s travels,
for aid, or pledge aid against the Herjan. a tale of lost fairy gold in the deep forests, and the
people who went looking for it and never returned?
114
• Bad enough when a mortal finds themselves dragged numbers dwindle; every night more are gone. The
off into the Hedge and replaced by a fetch, worse shadows move, and shift, and whisper dark things.
still when a mortal draws the attention of the fae by The owls have come for us and, in the forest, the
choice. A barren couple, desperate for a child, so des- golden eyes watch and laugh at our strife.
perate the husband traded himself for his wife’s happi-
ness so the fae would grant her a babe. Unsurprisingly, • In the scrublands around Blaeca’s Clearing to the
the fair folk kept to their word and only their word. east, cattle are gathering. A herd of hundreds con-
Years have passed and the babe is still in swaddling, verges on the hamlet from all sides, circling and
never growing, never changing, but exerting its will lowing, stamping the image of three interlocking
over the village, draining their strength and resources circles, miles wide, into the tall grass. They signal
and they can’t see anything strange going on at all. the awakening of the Catuvellauni, a Celtic tribe
that defied the invading Romans 400 years earlier. In
• In the western kingdom of Gwynedd, armies are mus- that time the Legio Mortuum captured 20 tribesmen,
tered as the rival lords Lleu Llaw Gyffes and Gronw Embraced them, and unleashed them on their own
Pebr vie for the affections of supernaturally beautiful families. The frenzied Catuvellauni were staked and
Blodeuwedd. Accounts vary on her origin. Some buried by their kin and will soon rise, at the heart of
claim that she is forged from flowers, her soul plucked Saxon territory. Their people eradicated, and with a
from storm winds, others that the ghostly spirit of an fierce hatred of vampires and foreign invaders alike,
owl was coaxed into a dying body. Regardless, she their allegiance will be highly uncertain.
has become a prize worthy of killing for, and even
the Courts of Night and Day are enraptured by her • The villages of the east coast have a legend, the
glamor. Currently her husband, Lleu, and her lover Black Shuck. A cyclopean hound the size of a horse
Gronw seek pacts with ancient beings for power. that roams the fens and pathways. To see the Shuck
is to die; but now, whole villages have heard the
Shuck howling up and down the coastline. Maybe
Threats to the Region it heralds a Saxon invasion, maybe something worse.
Whatever it is that looms on the horizon, the omen
• They say where the path of Wyrtogern lies the dead lurking in the fog of the marshes is just as dangerous.
become restless. The local graveyards have become
places where the living fear to tread at night. A
hooded figure has been seen in the forest, clad in rags Threats to the Kingdom
and shambling through the unnatural mist that hangs
around him like a shroud. As the sun’s rays wane in the • The old gods stir. The Hibernian Celts raid in the
evening, ghostly wails and creeping shadows trouble name of Crom Crúach, sacrificing their victims in
the wooden grave markers and the old priest looks the name of the crooked one of the mound. Whether
more like a walking corpse every day. Someone has the tithes of blood they pay are to gain his favor or
to do something before this evil befalls us all. divert his corrupting gaze from their crops matters
not. The tributes awaken stone and metal effigies of
• There is a story told of a Roman legion lost beyond the god itself to walk with their warriors: unliving,
Hadrian’s Wall, ambushed by Picts and slaughtered uncaring, and unstoppable by the efforts of mortals.
to a man. If there is truth in it then there are 8,000 The cults must be stopped and the golems they’ve
well-armed and well-trained soldiers buried in the awakened put to rest once more.
north without the proper tribute paid to sate their
imperial souls. If someone could find the legion’s • Across the western coasts a new sect of invaders has
Eagle, they might rouse them into service once more appeared, gifted with an unsettling power. Entering
or lay them to rest eternally, or maybe the dead sol- a battle frenzy known as the “Warp Spasm,” these
diers are just waiting for the right stars to align and warriors slough off their skin and manifest myriad
awaken them so they can march south and set their appendages, transforming into beasts wrought of
anger against the living? madness. The Bron witnessing these transformations
attack the warriors on sight. The Courts of Night
• We came ashore by night and in secret to raise a and Day both reject affiliation with these warriors,
fiefdom in this godless land. We sought to strengthen with speculation on their identity in its infancy. A
the hold of God’s church on these shores in the name missionary present at one of their attacks claimed
of the Lancea et Sanctum but none of the nobles that they were servants of demons, nightmares
we visited would bargain with us. They feared the made manifest. A blind seer far removed from the
golden eyes in the forest and so we readied ourselves battle warns that they are diseased, emissaries of a
to take what we required. That was days ago, now our contagion that sickens land and people alike.
115
Legends of the Era
• The gates of Camelot seem never to shut. Pictish live beneath the land of Britannia itself, places like
incursions, robber barons, politics, and threats from Lambton or Sockburn are plagued by huge, white,
far shores occupy as much of the knights’ time as maggot-like creatures of entropy that leech the
questing for religious artifacts and standing against life from the very soil. At times even the simplest
the creatures of the night. Quests are raised to seek task, such as visiting a noble’s court to end an
the staff of St. Christopher, the bones of John the ongoing feud, can lead to desperate battles against
Baptist and the silver dinari paid to Judas Iscariot evil creatures bent upon sowing dissent and chaos
alongside the quest for the Holy Grail, and then between the mortals who want nothing more than
there are calls to sally forth against the wyrms that safety and security.
War Among the Remains

Werewolves in this era enjoy the people’s return to Created just need to overcome each one.
primal darkness and fear, but stalk a fine line between
reveling in their role as predators and falling off the Like the Created, many Sin-Eaters of this era were
path, into untamed wilds where creatures more horrific not born here and cannot leave here. Their geists tie
than they hold court. Beshilu pour through tears in them to the Isles, and so they remain as their leaving
the Gauntlet, left by dreadful bloody clashes and the compatriots depart. Though there’s much unfinished
uprooting of occult tradition, as Pure lay claim to the business and crimes that have gone unpunished here,
disconnected regions of the highlands and the moors. there are talks of Reapers pouring through from each
corner of Britannia, looking to call an official conclu-
Merlin was almost certainly a mage, but whether he’s sion to Roman occupancy. They fully intend to deliver
one to worship and aspire to or revile for his flagrant Sin-Eaters to their final rest.
acts of Sleeper manipulation is a cause of hot debate
between the orders. Mages in this era capitalize on Arisen abandon subtlety in this era, striding across
the resurgence of folk belief and lay claim to any fields, through villages, and into holy and mysterious
number of mysterious places the Romans abandoned, places to claim each one for their guilds. Something of
taking all they can from this new Dark Age. the Isles stinks of the Lifeless, compelling mummies to
move fast and secure the sources of Sekhem that seem
Tales tell of how the legendary King Nuada lost his plentiful here. They care little for the struggles between
arm in the battle at Mag Tuired and his throne when vampires, hunters, and changelings.
the Fae declared a one-armed king unfit to lead the
people. He returned, Remade, with a silver arm as This period is wondrous for Begotten who enjoy many
part of his Divergence. At first Nuada was a Devoted, of the same boosts in power through fear and nightmare
ruling over a fiefdom as a mortal conspiracy’s puppet, as the Gentry. While Tyrants mourn the loss of unified
but he has since gone Renegade, and plots to lead an power as kingdoms crumble, the Eshmaki delight and
army against the conspiracy as the Tuatha Dé Danaan share toasts with the True Fae, believing Britannia is finally
once rebelled against the Fomorians. returned to its rightful state — dark, wild, and terrifying.
For Romans and Prometheans alike, the British Isles Saboteurs celebrate as Camelot falls, the demons
exist as a place of abandoned toys, retired warriors, taking broad credit for the assaults on Rome and thus
and artifacts too cumbersome to take home. The permanent damage to the God-Machine. To them,
Created who came here with the legions do not return Camelot was the last holdout of Rome’s once-great
to Rome, finding their Pilgrimages drawing them to western reach. With angels losing interest in the Isles
observe and interfere with the activities in Camelot however, cryptids emerge in great number, taking ad-
and the Saxon and Angle invasions. There is so much vantage of the chaos along Britain’s eastern coastline.
of life’s darkest sides to experience in Britannia; the
116
The Bron
“This is the only game of consequence. to live by their pious examples. They
Strike me, and I strike you back. First to defend the churches, the relics, and the
die loses.” sanctity of humanity, both as the stalwart
The unknown soldier challenging shield and as the crusading sword. The
knights in their own court, the stoic her- Hedge Knights drawn to the wilderness, to
mit standing vigil on the mountain top, the feral places of man, are more akin to the
the painted savage patrolling labyrinthine beasts in the humanity’s stories. In the wild
forests with bloodied spear in hand, these they hunt and fight, guarding their sacred
are the guises of the Bron, who have been groves and circles from intruders, in service
present in Britannia since the infancy of to the Weihan Cynn, or to something far
mortal memory. Their bloodline, twisted by older. Many Bron take to quiet introspection
promises long forgotten, recedes and resurges like in these times, warning interlopers away from
the tides, reawakening when the fabric between worlds their domains for their own safety, but some are guided
wears thin. Their willingness to take up arms against the to an unwholesome path, enacting rites that call to the
monsters of the wild and to court the favor of the fae nemeses of old. Those they capture become more than
has earned them the nickname “Hedge food. They are sliced open in rituals, their
Knights,” a mockery they have accepted innards nailed to trees as warnings while
willingly. The rites and powers that the Bron dance by firelight.
called them into being are unclear — some
claim lineage to the sun-cult of Sulis, goddess of
Why you want to be us
healing and battle, whose mystic founts were said to cure You do not break. You are a hound of the battlefield,
all maladies. Others claim to be the kinsmen of Bran the screaming in triumph and pierced by the spears of a hundred
Crow-King, the blessed warrior who sundered the Cauldron slain foes. When you walk the paths at the edge of dream-
of Rebirth and pledged his undying body to eternal vigil. ing, the eaves of the forest dip in acknowledgement of your
Most recently Bron have been tied to legends of the Holy power. You are no mere vampire; as a Hedge Knight you
Grail, with vampires claiming to have seen, and even have tempered the sorceries of the otherworld with your
supped from this sacred chalice and transforming their own spilled blood, and in doing so have become what you
blood. It is possible that all of these stories are true and the were always meant to be, a legend.
magic worked on these vampires is a fuel, rousing a spark
of change that has long been dormant within the Ventrue.
Why you should fear us
The Bron of this era are at the height of their influence, We do not bow. We are not gentle. We are not kind.
holding court across Britannia. Some are young, newly To intrude on our domain is to face an implacable foe.
awakened to their bloodline, serving as vassal knights and We track our prey through the fiercest of storms and defy
guardians of the glades. Some are ancient, roused from the even death in our pursuit, and should our enemies elude
sleep of ages by the drums of war and the distant call of us we can nurse our hatred for 1,000 years, biding our time
the hunt, claiming rite of rulership from younger vampires to resume the hunt. They are naught but monsters in our
in tests of skill, honor, and the sword. Regions controlled story; they cannot stop us.
by the Bron are prone to upheaval, the Hedge Knights do
not live by half measures. Whether they name you friend Why we should fear ourselves
or foe, the Bron pursue their goals to ruination. We cannot bend. There is always another path to walk,
This intense loyalty has created a schism among the another enemy to pursue. We have been snared in the
Hedge Knights, already divided by myriad awakenings of brambles of fickle fate, snagged on threads that pull us from
the bloodline. Those drawn to the towns and cities of man our homes and turns us against our loved ones, and as long
predominantly serve the Lancea et Sanctum. They view as we cannot control it we cannot fully control our own
themselves as living martyrs, born to endure hardship in ser- destiny. The Hedge Knights are compelled to ever greater
vice to their lords and their vassals, forcing other vampires deeds, and we cannot stop ourselves.
117
The Bron
Clan Origins
• On a winter’s night, a pious pilgrim — tired and • In the ruins of Caer Guorthigirn, Wyrtogern recov-
wounded from her travels — arrived at threshold ered the burned remains of his wife, her flesh dark
of the Chapel of the Grail. Bron, brother of Joseph and scarred. With trembling hands, he carved a
of Arimethea, offered her shelter and tended her prayer on her brow and buried her in the scorched
wounds, but in return was cursed with the Embrace. earth. He fed the soil his own blood, and pleaded
Seeking a cure, Bron ascended the chapel tower, to the old stones of his castle to bring her back to
took the Holy Grail to his lips and drank deeply of him. The ground quaked and broke, and she arose
the blood of the Christ. No salvation came, and the that night, her eyes black and her skin like stone.
Grail vanished from sight. For his hubris, Bron and They kissed and clawed at each other, red and black
his line were cursed to endure calamitous fortune, blood spilling from the wounds, and they walked
and since this day they travel the lands in pilgrim- hand in hand among the hills of the dead to remake
age, hoping to rediscover the Grail and become their army.
truly worthy of its blessing.
118
• Bran the giant lay bleeding and still after crush-
ing the skull of the Hibernian king Matholwch in
Swift Flows the Blood •
battle. Seeking to enslave him, Matholwch’s men All Kindred have an innate ability to heal their bodies
cast Bran’s body into the Pair Dadeni, the Cauldron through the power of Vitae. Using this discipline, the Bron
of Rebirth, an enchanted vessel of boiling blood greatly speeds this process.
that could return the dead to life as mindless sol- Cost: 1 Vitae
diers. Amid the fire and the blood, Bran clung to Dice Pool: Intelligence + Medicine + Crochan
life, and with rejuvenated strength shattered the Action: Instant
Cauldron from within. Matholwch’s host fled, and
Bran gathered their undying soldiers and claimed
Roll Results
their loyalty for his own. Dramatic Failure: The character’s blood becomes
unresponsive. For the remainder of the scene, during any
• Around the hill of Tomnahurich, where the ancient turn in which the character wishes to spend Vitae to heal
Pictish kings were crowned and buried, a forest of her wounds, she must spend an extra Vitae to shock her
brambles sprang up overnight, devouring the nearby sluggish system into responding. Only one extra Vitae must
villages in bloodied thorns. Fifteen soldiers of the be spent per turn.
Legio Mortuum strode into this forest with axe Failure: The character gains no additional ability to
and torch in hand. A season passed, and the forest channel Vitae toward healing. She may try again in sub-
rescinded, but only six of the soldiers returned. In sequent turns.
turn they denounced the Camarilla and scoured the
Success: For each success on the activation roll, the
eagles from their breastplates, and have remained in
character may spend one additional Vitae over her Blood
the north ever since.
Potency limit, but only for purposes of healing injuries.
Parent Clan: Ventrue For example, Cecilia has a Blood Potency of 4, allow-
Nickname: Hedge Knights ing her to spend four Vitae per turn. She activates Swift
Bloodline Bane: The Errant Curse Flows the Blood, achieving four successes. This increases
The Bron are victims of fate, pulled by unknown skeins the total number of Vitae she may spend this turn to
toward tragedy. They defend what they love fiercely, lest eight. Four Vitae can be spent on healing wounds — her
everything they hold dear abandons them. player spent one Vitae to activate the power, and the
In addition to possessing the Ventrue clan bane, ﬁnal three Vitae may be spent as Cecilia’s player wishes
whenever the Bron’s permanent Blood Potency changes, within the normal rules.
they lose attachment to all their Touchstones. These are Exceptional Success: The extra successes are their
not permanently lost, but remain unattached until the own reward.
Bron successfully defends her attachment (Vampire: The
Requiem p. 88).
Blooding the Hunter ••
Upon waking each night, the Bron must make a The Bron approach each hunt with veneration and
Humanity roll for each unattached Touchstone. On a ceremony. Anointing their eyes or brow with their quarry’s
success there is no effect, but on a failure the Storyteller blood, the Bron is spurred on to greater success. This power
replaces the Touchstone with a new attached Touchstone can be used at the same time as A Taste of Blood (Vampire:
of their choosing. The Requiem p. 91), with similar modifiers.
Favored Attributes: Stamina or Presence Cost: 1 Vitae
Disciplines: Animalism, Crochan, Dominate, Dice Pool: Wits + Survival + Crochan
Resilience Action: Instant
Duration: One Night
Crochan Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The vampire gains no clues from
Crochan is a series of rites that enhances the power the blood. In addition, they are unable to benefit from A
of Vitae to heal, hunt, and bind others to obedience. Taste of Blood or Blooding the Hunter for the remainder
The disparate sects of the Bron perform these rites in of the scene.
different ways, from quiet prayer to graphic bloodlet- Failure: The blood yields no new information.
ting, and the discipline has altered many times in Success: For the remainder of the night, the Bron
response to these schisms. Derived from the Welsh gains additional dice equal to the number of successes
word for “cauldron,” users of Crochan see themselves rolled (to a maximum of 5) to Wits + Composure rolls
as living vessels, scions of a unique fusion of vampiric to track their tasted quarry. This bonus also applies to
and divine or fae lineages.
119
The Bron
Investigation, Athletics, Survival, and Streetwise rolls the Kindred being treated) to heal them as if healing
made to pursue their quarry. themselves, at a cost of one Vitae to heal two points of
Exceptional Success: As above, and for the remainder of bashing damage or one point of lethal damage. A single
the night the Bron can use the number of dots in Crochan aggravated wound requires one Willpower and five Vitae
to pierce their quarry’s supernatural concealment (such as to heal. Unlike conventional healing, the time required
Obfuscate) in a Clash of Wills. to treat an injury is limited only to the speed at which the
Bron can expend Vitae. For example, a Bron with a Blood
Sealing the Covenant ••• Potency of 4 (expending four Vitae per turn) can treat a
The Bron know the power of contracts and blood single point of aggravated damage in two turns. The Bron
promises. By mixing their Vitae with one or more willing can accelerate this process by activating Swift Flows the
Kindred (such as by clasping cut hands together, or sign- Blood as part of the same action. This Discipline also
ing a pledge in their own blood), they can bind them to a allows the Bron to treat their own aggravated wounds.
common cause. Many Bron use these oaths to help mitigate Using this power on mortals is functionally identical,
the curse of their clan bane. with the added ability to heal permanent wounds. The
Cost: 1 Willpower, 1 Vitae (per participant) cost varies from two Vitae to remove a small scar or restore
Dice Pool: None a missing eye, up to six Vitae to regrow a missing limb.
Entirely reliant on the Bron’s Vitae to heal the wound, the
Action: Instant
treated mortal often experiences intense, shocking euphoria
Duration: Permanent (until the Touchstone is destroyed as their body rapidly heals and regrows.
or abandoned).
Expending Vitae on another in this way does not create
The Bron binds one or more willing vampires in a a blood bond.
declaration of loyalty. The vampires gain an additional
Touchstone at Humanity 4 representing this loyalty,
determined by the Bron during the rite and agreed to by
Conquering the Challenge
the participants. Example Touchstones include a noble of the Axe •••••
liege, a secret society, a holy site, or an ancient relic. Legends speak of warriors that could withstand any
The Bron leading this rite can choose to witness the strike, unbreakable on the field of battle. Following Bran,
oath rather than swearing it, in which case she does not Cú Roí, and the Green Knight, the Bron have gained
gain a Touchstone (although she must still expend vitae echoes of this gift. They use this power to act as bulwarks
as part of the rite). A vampire cannot possess more than and figureheads, unbowed and unbroken.
one additional Touchstone from Sealing the Covenant Cost: 1 Willpower, 2 Vitae
at any one time. This Touchstone is not affected by the
Dice Pool: None
Bron’s bloodline bane.
Action: Instant
Such oaths are not taken lightly. The loss of this
Duration: Scene
Touchstone (such as from its theft or capture) is a Humanity
3 Breaking Point, and the destruction of it is a Humanity 1 The Bron shouts an ultimatum, refusing to yield. For
Breaking Point. A vampire can abandon an oath and lose the remainder of the scene the Bron has complete immu-
the benefit of their additional Touchstone, but in doing so nity to damage, regardless of the source. The sword falters,
gains the Languid condition. the axe passes cleanly through the Bron’s neck without
breaking it, and the flaming pyre leaves her unscathed.
Blood of My Blood •••• Even the bane of sunlight poses no threat to a Bron invok-
ing this Discipline.
Blood calls to blood, regardless of the vessel that holds it.
By cutting their palm and placing it over another creature’s This benefit is lost if the Bron takes any hostile ac-
open wound, the Bron can call to the blood of another and tions, such as attacking, grappling, or feeding from an
stir it to action. unwilling target. Aggressive, targeted use of Disciplines
by the Bron, such as Dominate, automatically fail,
Cost: Varies
and lashing out with the Beast or frenzying also ends
Dice Pool: None the effect. This power does not restrict the Bron from
Action: Instant obstructing enemies or tending to injuries, and less di-
By placing a hand over another creature’s injuries, the rect applications of Disciplines (such as lower levels of
Bron can expend Vitae to accelerate their healing. Majesty or Nightmare) may be permitted.
Using this Discipline on a consenting Kindred al-
lows the Bron to expend Vitae (their own or that of
120
The Dreamlike Nature of Arthurian Myth
Arthurian mythology varies wildly from the grim expectations of Dark Ages Britain, riddled with plague, lack
of infrastructure and education, corrupt nobility, and invading forces, all the way to fantastical romantic
Britain, with magicians in flowing robes, kings in golden crowns, and heroes slaying fell beasts triumphantly.
In that regard, this chapter stands out from among most others, as while the French Revolution took place
and the Great War was an awful, real-world event, Arthurian Britain is considerably less faithful to historical
certainty.
As can be gleaned from this chapter, we veer more toward historicity where possible, at least in terms of
era and setting, but you may wish to court the pomp and romance of polished, full-plate armor and over-
sized swords; marital intrigue between Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot; or the nonsense of Monty Python.
The Dark Ages of this era’s setting may make villages and towns out to be beacons of flickering light amid
the shadows of the dangerous wilderness, or have every stretch of countryside be populated with faeries,
soothsayers, ladies in lakes, and wizards.
The good news is much of this content can be adapted to whichever mood suits your group. Playing a com-
pact of hunters, grim and grizzled from the last attempt at Saxon invasion, only to have them stumble upon a
dragon’s lair or go on a quest for the Holy Grail, isn’t at all a bad proposition. Storytellers can even empha-
size the contrast in life among the ruins of fallen Roman Empire, through to the dreamlike and nightmarish
nature of monsters’ lairs and the unnatural beauty of fae kings and maidens.
Tell the tale of how the world seems to be in flux, with the players following the breadcrumbs to discover the
True Fae or the Begotten at play, each interfering with the mundane world. Make it seem alluring, if artificial,
to plunder these realms while your characters’ contacts, Touchstones, and king back home seem all too
mundane in comparison.
The mercurial nature of Arthurian myth is one you can easily interlace through your game, to make every-
thing seem all the more magical and chaotic. Only feel the need to abide by historical accuracy if it serves
the game and the players. Otherwise, pick your preferred myth and make it the canonical truth of your
chronicle.
121
The Bron
I retch at the stench of humanity permeating the streets. The spice and incense in the
air are as inescapable as the facade that makes the masses think they can live like
caliphs. I hear people drinking and dancing and feasting in the distance. Good for
them. They can stay there; the last thing I need is mortals sticking their noses where
they don’t belong.
Baghdad. I must hand it to al-Mansur; his vision became a reality. Pity he missed
the part where the streets didn’t smell like piss. I’ve been squatting on this rooftop for
the last three hours because I don’t need a div’s nose to know something festers
within these walls. Before my torpor, only the Fir’awn possessed the secret
of Majnun. Now every div in the Round City wields it.
Once upon a time, Saeed was my contact within al-Amin. I ar-
rived hoping he would have answers for me. The Dukhan have their way of
knowing everyone’s secrets without stealing them. Instead, I find him leading
a blood sorcery ritual.
So much for not stealing secrets.
I wait for the ritualists Saeed gathered to disperse, then strike like a leopard.
No need to make this messier than necessary. Saeed drops like a lead jar as I
land on top of him. Before he can recover, I grab him by the throat and
slam him against the alley wall.
“Hello, Saeed. It’s been a while. I see you picked up some new
tricks. Care to tell me where you learned them?”
“Laila,” he wheezes through his collapsed windpipe, “times
change. You disappear for so long and come back demanding
answers? They aren’t mine to give. Baghdad belongs to
the Faithful.”
“You are the cesspool at the bottom of every vile
stream,” I snap as I toss Saeed to the ground. “I
don’t care who’s in power. Someone had to teach you
Majnun. I want to know who betrayed our secrets
and where I can find them.”
Saeed isn’t listening. I hear a rush of water
all around me as the alley floods. Two leathery
tendrils burst from Saeed’s gullet. They pry his
mouth apart until his jawbone shatters and rip
a bloody portal in his neck. A withered patriarch
with tentacles for legs emerges, dripping in viscera.
The Sheik al-Bahr. One of the Begotten. He
throws the first punch before I can compose myself,
and it hits me like a catapult. Getting back to
my feet, I see Saeed fitting the broken pieces of his
jaw together, the dead flesh and bone cracking and
gurgling as they stitch themselves back into place.
I don’t have time to wonder how the Sheik is still
alive or how the old bastard managed this rope trick.
All I know is a vicious Beast has me outnumbered and
trapped.
Wallah khalas! This will be a rough night.
OneThousand
One Thousandand
and
One Nightmares
One Nightmares
832
832CE
CE
As-salaam alaikum. Welcome to Madinat al-Salaam, the City of Peace, the
heart of the Abbasid Caliphate. Enter the greatest repository of knowledge
since the Library of Alexandria. Marvel at the gardens blooming in the desert,
where princesses and thieves rendezvous. Welcome to Baghdad, the home of
the One Thousand and One Nights.
This is a tale of al-Khayzuran and al-Ma’mun. It is the story of how the One
“What a strange
Thousand and One Nights come to be, when the caliph still unites all Muslims
and lovely
lovely story!”
under one banner. When the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him,
“What a strange and recited the words of the angels to his faithful, they never knew how high their
story!”
“What
“What isisthis,
this,
star would someday rise. Islam is still a young faith at this time, and like all
compared withwith
youths, its capacity to learn and adapt far exceeds its elders’. Islamic society
transcends cultures and bridges faiths, accumulating the knowledge of 100
what I shall tell you

compared what I generations in the House of Wisdom. The legacies of Athens, Babylon, and
if I survive until
shall tell you if I survive Persepolis flourish as translators reimagine the One Thousand and One Nights
tomorrow
— Dinarzadnight?”
until tomorrow night?” in Arabic, never knowing the truths those words expose.
and The Islamic scientists are brilliant, and their curiosity opens the gateway to
— Dinarzad and and

Shahrazad, The One the occult, revealing secrets to prying mortal eyes. Kindred despise exposure,
Shahrazad Nights, The

Thousand One but they can do little besides crowd into darker shadows. The Beasts sense their
One Thousand
cousins’ struggles and lend a hand to ease their burden. What is the moral of a
and One Nights

story about family, if not to help one another? Together, Begotten and Kindred
journey across the Abbasid Caliphate, searching for ways to usurp mortal sci-
ence to hide once again.
If that were all, it would be too easy. True, it should be a happy time for the
Children: the eldritch force they call the Refrain has returned to let them feast
on their legendary exploits. But the Refrain is sick, and old knowledge creeps
into the people’s slumber. Tonight, Kindred and Beasts persevere in the face
of this threat as they prowl the streets, seeking their next meals. Adversity is
everywhere, but so are opportunity and wonder.
Welcome to the One Thousand and One Nightmares.
Theme: Discovery
Science advances in the Islamic Golden Age at a rate unseen in centuries.
Islamic scholars make knowledge accessible across cultures, but exchanging
knowledge reveals secrets. Sunlight penetrates div dens while Heroes uncover
hidden Lairs. Kindred and Beasts walk a thin line between taking advantage
of mortal innovation and exposing themselves to discovery. The Refrain stirs
mortal curiosity into a sandstorm scouring the monsters at its heart. Discovery
means violating trust and invading privacy. Discovery makes the world a better
place at the expense of those it grinds to dust.
Science and religion are the two faces of progress driving Islamic civiliza-
tion forward together, but progress breeds fear of change. Dreamers realize the
impossible is now possible. Worlds collide, but collision brings new ideas.
124
One Thousand and One Nightmares
parasites, too. Heroes and Strix are terrifying, but humanity’s
vast numbers make mortals a far greater threat. Reckless super-
Glossary natural creatures who forget why they operate in the shadows
won’t last long in humanity’s bright gaze without adapting.
“Vampire” is a European word unknown in this era, Yet, realism doesn’t mean pessimism. God is Ar-
while “ghoul” is an Arabic word that represents an Rahman, The Most Compassionate. God is As-Salaam,
entirely different type of monster here. During the
Islamic Golden Age, the following terms are used: The Bringer of Peace. God is Al-Fattah, The Opener of
Ways. In a world where the caliph can send a clock made
div: vampire of dancing musicians to the Frankish King, who says divs
Emir: Prince cannot overcome their curse? Mortal science makes fables
come alive, and the incredible is now mundane. Persian
ifrit: Methuselah; also refers to other powerful Kindred who once fed on Alexander’s troops marvel at
supernatural creatures, like Beasts’ Horrors civilization’s advance, while Beasts relive the glories of
Karamat: Theban Sorcery bygone ages. The One Thousand and One Nights are alive
Majnun: Crúac tonight for those with eyes to see them.
Maqam: Elysium
qutrub: ghoul; also applies to Wolf-Blooded and
werewolves
In 610, the angel Jibreel (Gabriel) appeared before
qadar: dhampir Muhammad ibn Abdullah and commanded him to recite
In folklore, the jinn are invisible creatures made of the holy words of the Qur’an to the people of Mecca. In
smokeless fire. Jinn come in many forms, and the term doing so, Jibreel marked Muhammad as God’s Prophet
refers to a wide variety of creatures. In the Chronicles and the revelation of Islam began. The political and theo-
of Darkness, divs and Beasts style themselves as jinn, logical unification of the Arabs was fraught with strife
although the label also applies to Strix, ephemeral enti- and conflict. Families divided as some members became
ties, changelings, werewolves, and sometimes others. Muslims, while others violently resisted the new religion.
Prophet Muhammad’s tribe, the Quraysh, tore itself apart.
Muhammad’s uncle, Abbas, sheltered him, but the Prophet
Mood: Dreadful Innovation was eventually driven out of Mecca by the Umayyads,
another family within the Quraysh.
The next great inventor may live down the street or kneel Unable to remain in Mecca safely, the Muslims fled north
beside you at the mosque. Glory be to God, who changes others with the Prophet to the city of Yathrib (Medina), an event
and remains unchanged. Science is ubiquitous in the Islamic that would become known as the hijra. Among the Muslims
Golden Age and is deeply tied to mysticism. Scholarship rips on the hijra were Fatima, the Prophet’s daughter, and Ali ibn
away obfuscating veils, bringing the scientist closer to God. Talib, the Prophet’s cousin. Their marriage and their sons’
The more educated she is, the better she understands the eso- births were early celebrations for the Muslim community,
teric truths hidden within the Qur’an and Hadith. Reconciling as was Yathrib’s wholehearted conversion to Islam. Beyond
dread of the future with enthusiasm for improvements to so- the city walls, the Quraysh continued their persecution of
ciety and quality of life leaves people awestruck at humanity’s Muslims, fearful that Muhammad might return with Yathrib’s
advances and how far they may yet reach. army at his back. The continuous raids escalated into all-out
Mortals of this era don’t become disillusioned when they warfare in 630, from which the Muslims emerged victorious.
learn uncomfortable truths; instead, they marvel at how clever Even the Umayyads converted to Islam as the tribes of Arabia
the illusion was and try to puzzle out how the new truth fits into paid homage to Muhammad’s victory and his God.
their worldview. It’s the monsters who fear humanity now, who
must change their ways if they want to keep thriving. What
does a Beast do when people take nightmares as prophecies
Religion to Empire
and learn their own lessons? What about when a div clan’s In 633, Islam exploded out of the Arabian peninsula.
hidden weakness is now the talk of the town, repeated on every The Prophet’s death the previous year saddened the Muslim
corner and written down for posterity? Maybe now it’s time for community, but Muhammad’s successors were not idle. Both
monsters to learn from mortals instead of the other way around. the Eastern Roman and the Sassanid Persian Empires rotted
from within, while the Arabs were at their most unified. The
Tone: Wake-Up Call Rashidun Caliphate’s armies won victory after victory, con-
vincing non-Muslims to turn on their masters by offering a
Humanity is dangerous. Divs and Beasts believe them- better quality of life and greater religious freedom to Christians
selves alpha predators, but the Refrain reminds them they are and Jews. But even as the Islamic Empire enveloped Egypt, the
125
eastern Mediterranean coast, and western Persia, the Muslim many works of Greek philosophy and Persian literature
community’s political unity fractured internally. to Arabic, among them the Hazar Afsana, the Thousand
The Alids, family and followers of Fatima and Ali ibn Talib, Stories. These tales dated back to Artaxerxes I’s reign in
contended that Ali inherited the Prophet’s ilm, or spiritual the Persian Empire. Artaxerxes cultivated his image after
wisdom, making him singularly qualified to lead the Muslim the legendary Kayanid King Bahman. Artaxerxes’ daughter
state. The Umayyads opposed Ali, using their allies and clients Parysatis likewise styled herself as Bahman’s daughter and
to claim widespread popular support. Civil war once again successor, Homai Chehrazad. The Hazar Afsana was a gift
divided the population, and following Ali’s assassination in from Artaxerxes to Parysatis. Storytellers wove classic Persian
661, the Umayyads claimed the title of caliph and sovereignty fables together with tales from distant Greece and India,
over the Muslim state. The Alid minority insisted Ali’s ilm including the legend of Queen Chehrazad. In this narrative,
passed on to his sons, but they were exhausted and defeated. Chehrazad was the narrator who recited each parable to her
The Umayyad Caliphate expanded further still, envelop- royal family, binding the disparate stories together.
ing the rest of Persia, North Africa, and even the Andalusian The Arabic translation of the Hazar Afsana rewrote the
Peninsula, but conquest alone did not breed loyalty. The tales in an Islamic setting to make them feel more familiar
Prophet Muhammad had won converts by preaching a to Muslim audiences. Zoroastrianism became Islam and
message of cultural and ethnic egalitarianism, while the Chehrazad became Shahrazad, but the stories of Alf Layla,
Umayyads imposed heavy taxes upon non-Arabs. Frustrated the Thousand Nights, remained mostly the same. Vulgar,
with unequal taxation and the Umayyads’ authoritarian scandalous, and sexual, the stories became part of popular
rule, popular uprisings broke out throughout the caliphate. culture, and their translation embodied the spirit of the
Sensing the opportunity was right to strike, the Alids led a age: All cultures possess knowledge Muslims should value.
revolution that toppled the Umayyads by 750 CE. Nothing was beneath translation or examination.
Today, I learned I may be the last Umayyad. Insurgents have
slaughtered every brother and sister, every son and daughter, Chehrazad Reborn
every mother and father. Their blood drips from the Alids’ hands. During this time of mystery and enchantment, al-Khay-
I flee across Africa to evade the same fate. My only solace is zuran dwelt in Baghdad’s caliphal palace. She was born into
that the Alids are denied the throne that is rightfully mine. Their poverty before slavers kidnapped her and sold her into the
Persian generals promised to make a member of the Prophet’s prince’s harem, but the people of Baghdad whispered she had
family caliph, but they never said it would be a descendant of become the power behind the throne. Leveraging her influ-
Ali. Abbas was also Prophet Muhammad’s family, was he not? ence wherever she could, al-Khayzuran refused to curtail her
This Abbasid caliph is a usurper, but there is comfort in knowing ambition or let society’s expectations confine her. Intelligent,
the Alids have no more power than I do. charming, and powerful, she was a force to be reckoned with.
It is a cold comfort. Whether in the harem or walking the city with her
entourage, al-Khayzuran shrouded herself in mystery. Few
— Abd al-Rahman, c. 750 met her, but all knew her as her exploits circulated the
streets. Gossip said she flouted royal protocol by inviting
The Islamic Golden Age judges, politicians, and generals into her private quarters.
Audiences sat enraptured as scandalmongers claimed al-
The Abbasid Caliphate brought with it a massive soci- Khayzuran did not bed these power brokers, but negotiated
etal shift. The Umayyads enforced strict Arab superiority, treaties with them, wielding her words as deftly as swords.
but the Abbasids recruited talented Persians, Jews, Greeks, Dark rumors spread that she commanded her firstborn
and Amazighs into positions of power. A meritocracy of son suffocated when he tried to undermine her influence.
influential advisors, judges, and wives surrounds the caliph. Whispers swirled that she was Chehrazad Homai reborn, a
With the right skills, even a poor beggar or menial slave
could find themselves standing in dirty back alleys one day
and the palace’s gilded halls the next.
The Abbasid built a new capital in the heart of Persia. The Kayanid Dynasty
Madīnat as-Salam, the City of Peace, rose from the sands on Myth obscures the historical Bahman and Homai.
the banks of the Tigris in 762 like a desert miracle. Fragrant The story presented here frames the Kayanids as
gardens and shining minarets replaced blowing sands and Persian royalty living around 1000 BCE, but it is
muddy flats, while people from every faith and ethnicity only as true as you need it to be for your game.
flocked to the new metropolis. The citizens of this splendid The Kayanids may have been entirely fictional
city of wonders, marvels, and enchantment gave it the characters or misinterpretations of Artaxerxes and
nickname that eventually replaced its official title: Baghdad. Parysatis by later historians. History is ambiguous,
In the xenophilic Abbasid culture, it became vogue to so use the tale that suits your game best.
translate texts from other languages. Translators converted
126
Persian legend in a Muslim age. All of Baghdad mourned 833: Al-Ma’mun dies in Anatolia without naming a suc-
her passing in 789. The caliph, al-Khayzuran’s son Harun cessor; al-Mu’tasim becomes caliph
al-Rashid, flouted custom by personally leading her funeral 859: Fatima al-Fihri founds Kairouan University in Fez
procession and publicly displaying his grief. 864–999: Samanid Emirate in Persia
909–1171: Fatimid Caliphate in North Africa
House of Wisdom 915: Al-Tabari composes a world history using eyewitness
Abbasid interculturalism evolved under Harun al-Rashid’s accounts, called The History of the Prophet and the Kings
guidance. Harun established the Khizanat al-Hikma, the Library 929–1031: Umayyad Caliphate in Andalusia
of Wisdom, a private collection recording advances in history, 969: Construction of Cairo near Fustat
medicine, optics, astronomy, engineering, and agriculture. 1025: Ibn Sina compiles all current medical knowledge in
Even minor intellectuals were granted access to the caliphal The Canon of Medicine
palaces, so they could describe the world’s wonders. 1037–1194: The Seljuk Empire rules the Abbasid
The Khizanat evolved from a repository of knowledge to Caliphate
a scientific institution under the guidance of Harun’s son, al- 1077–1221: Khwarazmian Shahs rule Persia
Ma’mun. Recast as the Bait al-Hikma, the House of Knowledge,
1090–1256: Nizari State in Persia and Syria
scholars no longer merely recorded knowledge, but actively
sought to expand their understanding of God’s universe. Their 1206: Ismail al-Jazari writes The Book of Ingenious
discoveries transformed Baghdad into a bastion of education Mechanical Devices, an early manuscript on robotics
and enlightenment, where the marvels of science and faith 1219–1221: Mongol Invasion of Khwarezmia
coexisted side by side. The city’s translators received their 1258: Mongols sack Baghdad; Islamic Golden Age ends
work’s literal weight in gold as payment. Caravans arrived 1704–1717: Antoine Galland publishes The One Thousand
from Sicily, the Indus Valley, and Constantinople consisting and One Nights in French
of nothing but hundreds of camels laden with books. 1838–1841: Edward William Lane translates The One
The cultural appetite for knowledge became ravenous. Thousand and One Nights to English from Arabic
The Bait al-Hikma’s scientists consumed resources their 1946: Nabia Abbott publishes a biography of Al-Khayzuran
predecessors only dreamt of to fund their research. The 1947–1949: Abbott discovers a ninth-century fragment of
scientifically-minded aristocracy adopted the Mu’tazilite The One Thousand and One Nights from Syria
philosophy that stated faith and reason must work together
to discover the truth of creation. Conservative religious
scholars and their working-class supporters raged at this Blood in the Sand
assault on their literalist worldview and the implicit chal- Even at its height, enemies surrounded the Abbasid
lenge to their political authority. Caliphate. The Roman Empire had lost much of its territory,
but maintained firm control over Anatolia, leading to frequent
Timeline border skirmishes with the Abbasids. The few remaining
Umayyad and their allies fled to the Andalusian Peninsula dur-
Before 1000 BCE: Reigns of King Bahman and Queen ing the Abbasid Revolution, eventually founding the Umayyad
Chehrazad Homai Emirate in 756. The Umayyads used Abbasid cultural and
465–424 BCE: Reign of Artaxerxes I scientific advances to reinvent themselves, transforming their
747–750: The Abbasids and Alids revolt against the capital of Córdoba into the jewel of Europe. The Alids fell
Umayyads into factionalism following the Revolution, but the Idrisid
750: Abbasid Caliphate founded; Islamic Golden Age begins branch built a power base in the western African Maghreb
756–929: Umayyad Emirate in Córdoba from 789-808, coalescing into the Idrisid Emirate of Fez. Each
762: Construction of Baghdad nation checked Abbasid power, bringing more skirmishes. For
most citizens of the caliphate these wars were distant, only
786–808: Reign of Harun al-Rashid
encountered when battalions of Turkish slave-soldiers marched
788–974: Idrisid Emirate in Northwest Africa through town on their way to the front.
799: Harun al-Rashid sends an automaton clock as a gift The true danger came from within the caliphate itself.
to Charlemagne’s court Discontented with governing the eastern provinces and
809–813: Civil war between al-Amin and al-Ma’mun fearing his removal from the line of succession, al-Ma’mun
820: Al-Khwarizmi writes Calculation by Completion, revo- revolted against the caliph, his half-brother al-Amin, in
lutionizing the teaching of algebra 811. The resulting civil war starved the Abbasid Caliphate’s
Present Day population, and Baghdad’s suffering was particularly brutal.
For two years, al-Ma’mun’s generals besieged the City of
832: Al-Ma’mun breaks into the Great Pyramids of Giza
Peace, street fighting caused corpses to fill the markets, and
833–851: Rationalist inquisition against literalist scholars artillery demolished the capital.
127
The civil war devastated Baghdad, but when they took al- beacon for Prometheans, while changelings comb the sands
Amin’s head, we thought al-Ma’mun would assume the throne, for evidence of the Great Bargain. Kindred unearth lost
which would be the end of our troubles. We never thought he Theban rituals while mummies delve for relics and cultural
would abandon us. Baghdad falls into disrepair, and fires raze remnants of the Nameless Empire. Beasts seek out their kin in
what buildings remain standing. Stagnant water floods out of the pyramids’ shadows but remain fearful of an ancient terror
ruined canals into the streets. If al-Ma’mun does not return in the Nile they cannot explain. To al-Ma’mun, they are all
soon, we may need to find ourselves another new caliph. sorcerers, and even sorcerers must obey a caliph’s summons.
Baghdad’s neglected population proclaimed a counter- I summoned the sorcerers last night, for all the good it did
caliph in 817, igniting another round of conflicts just as fam- me. Dozens of magicians, cloaked in blood, oaths, and fear.
ine decimated the eastern provinces. Sensing an opportunity Many magics, beyond the ability of my pen to describe, all of
to strike, a blend of Alid and Zoroastrian rebels known as them crowded into the Great Pyramid to examine the glyphs.
the Khurramites launched another revolt in northwestern They found nothing. They said it was like an engraving on
Persia, citing Abbasid betrayal during the revolution against the soul of humanity. I commanded them to continue working
the Umayyads. Realizing his empire might slip through his on a translation, to which they agreed, some surprising even
fingers, al-Ma’mun made peace with Baghdad and finally themselves. They have sworn themselves to this task, saying
returned to the capital in 819. The people resented their they worry the world itself is ill. I am unsure whether it was
mistreatment but, exhausted from constant warfare, they my authority as Commander of the Faithful or my intriguing
laid down their arms and welcomed the royal family back. mystery that enlisted their aid, but at this point, it matters not.
The Khurramite rebellion, however, aggravated the They are my last hope.
Abbasids for the next 13 years. Led by the charismatic — al-Ma’mun, Egypt, 832
and brilliant Babak Khorrammidin, the Khurramites seized
fortresses and disrupted trade throughout the northern The Khorramids prove no less frustrating. Babak
provinces, stoking the population’s fears of another bloody Khorramdin’s marauding rebels receive military and fi-
war. Dread across the caliphate intensified in 831 when nancial support from the Roman Emperor, who is eager to
Egyptian Christians, frustrated with years of famine and challenge Abbasid hegemony. Subjects loyal to Baghdad
marginalization, ignited another major revolt. As 832 cannot make ends meet, as bandits swarm though the
begins, the Abbasid Caliphate is in a strong but assailed hills. Confronted with the royal army, Babak strategically
position; any misstep could shatter its power. entrenches himself in the hinterlands, forcing the Abbasids
to pay in blood for every inch of territory they retake. Not
even non-combatants emerge from the experience un-
Where We Are scathed. Eventually, Baghdad’s forces claim partial victory;

the Khorramids scatter, restoring order, but Babak slips away
Rebellious subjects aren’t the only reason Egypt occupies during the massacre to fight another day.
al-Ma’mun’s attention. For years, nightmares of the Great Baghdad anticipates al-Ma’mun’s return from the fields
Pyramids of Giza have haunted the caliph. He sees hiero- of battle, but eagerness mixes with apprehension. The
glyphs inscribed on a wall, knowing they are important, literalist scholars find al-Ma’mun more willing than ever
knowing he will die unless he can decipher them, but they to challenge their convictions, and even the lower classes
are incomprehensible. As he awakens in a cold sweat, one feel dissenting beliefs are becoming less tolerated. People
word rings in his mind: Refrain. gossip in the street that in his mind, al-Ma’mun is not only
Local militias are unable to restore order in Egypt, and a monarch but akin to the Prophet, a divinely inspired guide
the fighting intensifies as throngs of people die in the streets. for all Muslims. They say he expects his subjects to treat his
The bloodshed pauses momentarily when al-Ma’mum ar- wisdom with a proper mix of awe and dread.
rives at the royal army’s head, but the rebels are unwilling If only it were just gossip.
to submit to al-Ma’mun’s harsh terms and fight to the last
man, woman, and child, to no avail.
The caliph doesn’t depart following his army’s victory;
Islamic Society
instead, he holds an audience with every scholar, historian, In the Islamic Golden Age, food is abundant but un-
and linguist he can find. One by one, they leave the caliph evenly distributed. Hunger compels the poor to beg along
disappointed as none can translate his hieroglyphs. The the roadside while the rich feast on an endless variety of
people of Fustat awaken awed and horrified to the news dishes. On holy days, caliphs, emirs, and their advisors
that al-Mamun broke into the Pyramid of Khufu in a fit of throw massive public banquets, but such events are few
desperation. The caliph finds the passage that haunted his and far between. In those rare times when the needy can
dreams, but nothing to help him translate it. dine like royalty, the most desperate gorge themselves, not
While the pyramid’s treasure is missing, the secrets re- knowing when the next meal is coming. Among the work-
main, and al-Ma’mun’s fevered quest draws the attention of ing class, modest dinner parties with friends are a popular
others with interest in this place. The Athanor of Giza is a form of evening entertainment.
128
Despite Qur’anic prohibitions against alcohol, wine is
trendy among all classes. Conservative judges deride its Uncovering Knowledge
consumption as blasphemous, but many pious Muslims ques- Education is everything. Without knowledge, we are no
tion austerity, arguing that the Qur’an endorses moderation better than animals. With it, the wonders of God’s universe
rather than proscription. Song, poetry, and storytelling are ours to discover. I dream of the day everyone receives an
accompany drinking, with classical art juxtaposed against education worthy of a prince.
urban fables. In this way, the One Thousand and One Nights
spread through destitute streets and caliphal palaces alike, — Fatimah al-Fihri, Fez, 832
spreading their subliminal messaging far and wide. Islamic scientists are multidisciplinary, drawing no
Dominated by others, the enslaved live brutal lives. The distinctions between the humanities, social sciences, and
Qur’an forbids the enslavement of Muslims, but slavers physical sciences. Academics study a variety of topics ranging
rarely bother with determining their victims’ faiths. Male from grammar to medicine to history, rather than specializing.
slaves become eunuchs or soldiers. The legions of Turkish The bedrock of Islamic science is the Bait al-hikma and its
slaves guarding the Persian frontier swell with each pass- translated texts. Islamic linguists convert the accumulated
ing year. Female slaves become servants, poets, or singers. knowledge of Greece, Persia, and India into Arabic, mak-
Harems are spaces exclusively for women, both enslaved ing it accessible to everyone within the caliphate. As more
and free, which range from simple private chambers to the translations become available, Abbasid culture becomes
luxurious royal complexes. Education and intellect increase steadily more sophisticated, increasing wealth and quality of
a slave’s value. Many slaves use these traits to attract a life for the entire population, while decreasing inefficiency
patron’s attention in hopes of improving their quality of and corruption within the political administration.
life or buying back their freedom. You can be assured your son will receive the finest treatment
at our facility. The caliph himself funds the hospital, to ensure his
Practicing Faith people fear no disease. Our staff practices humoral medicine and
uses cutting-edge commentaries, particularly regarding how diet
Theologians proclaim Islam the completion of the pro- and exercise impact illness. Please note as well how the building
phetic tradition Judaism and Christianity began. The title is divided by floor and by ward. In less-sophisticated cities, they
Ahl al-Kitab, or People of the Book, collectively describes scatter patients, exposing them to additional maladies. Not so
the three religions that each possess a prophetic book God in Baghdad. Here, we group patients by their illness, prevent-
bestowed upon them. The state requires Jews and Christians ing cross-contamination. With such a mindful and scientific
to pay the Jizya, a religious tax levied on non-Muslims, and approach, we have no doubt we will have your boy back on his
local rulers protect those who pay from harassment for their feet in short order.
faith. Some Muslims also welcome Zoroastrians into the Islamic astronomy is known as “the mistress of all sci-
Ahl al-Kitab, but others persecute followers of the Persian ences,” and all Muslims understand some astronomy since it
religion. Buddhists and pagans live in Muslim states, too, predicts the phases of the moon, which dictate the months
with different degrees of acceptance depending on the region. of the Islamic calendar. Astronomy also plays a central role
The collision between rationalism and literalism divides in prayer: Muslims use the positions of the stars to determine
Islam. Traditionalists assert the Qur’an and the Hadith, the prayer times and to ensure they are facing the holy city of
tales of the Prophet, contain the only knowledge Muslims Mecca. Beyond these practical considerations, divination by
require. They read the Qur’an literally, believing its message astrology is both a favorite pastime and an academic field of
existed before God commanded the angel Jibreel to address inquiry. Conservative religious scholars scoff at such fortune
the Prophet. Rationalists proclaim reason complementary telling, fearing people will worship the stars instead of God,
to scripture, which they often interpret metaphorically.
Questioning tradition deepens their understanding of God’s
creation and their esoteric knowledge of Islam. They argue
that since God is indivisible and the Qur’an is not God,
logically the holy book of Muslims is a divine creation and Sunnis and Shi’ites
cannot be eternal. The chasm between Sunni and Shi’a Islam opens
The Abbasid doom themselves with their petty squabbling. during al-Ma’mun’s reign but is still bridgeable. Those
They spend half their time fighting their bureaucrats for power who support Alid religious authority call themselves
the Shi’at Ali and become Shi’ites. Those who give
instead of leading. It takes the wisdom of Prophet Muhammad,
credence to religious scholars, both rationalists and
peace be upon him, to navigate the Qur’an’s esoteric complexi- literalists, become Sunnis. The Umayyad and Abbasid
ties. This is why I follow the Alids. Only the Prophet’s descen- families generally align with the proto-Sunnis, but this is
dants have such wisdom. If all Muslims were to unify behind a not ironclad. Some Alids establish Sunni regimes, while
single Alid heir and follow that heir’s guidance, we would have al-Ma’mun himself has Alid sympathies.
unity and peace. Alas, too many Alids have tried to claim the
mantle, and I fear the family is becoming as divided as our foes.
129
Where We Are
but divining the future from the night sky remains popular Dominate Discipline and Begotten Nightmares (prompting
among princes and paupers alike. Demand for translations a Clash of Wills between the victim and the influencer),
of astronomical texts is so high that booksellers cannot keep although these influences resume once the victim leaves the
them in stock. Everyone loves the stars. building. Baghdad’s divs can’t explain the phenomenon, but
How pleasing is the cool shade of a garden in Baghdad’s sum- they hold Maqam here, and the supernatural community at
mer heat! The children play beneath the date palms, the merchants large uses the Grand Mosque as a neutral meeting ground
sell their wares, and the caliph relaxes in the harem’s company. where all parties can be sure their thoughts are their own.
Bismillah, it is not possible without water. You wish for a sign of Karkh
God’s mercy? The Almighty has granted our engineers the ingenu-
The population of Baghdad’s primary market district
ity to bring water into every city. The ancients knew these secrets,
outnumbers the rest of the city. Al-Karkh’s burgeoning
with their canals and aqueducts, but we perfected the art. We
banking industry supports its status as Baghdad’s economic
cannot purify ourselves for prayer without clean water, much less
hub, where anything can be bought or sold. According to
support the world’s largest urban population! Truly, this science is a
rumors, a hidden passage in one of the canals is rumored
sign that there is no god but God, and Muhammad is his Prophet.
to lead to an ancient underground museum of all the blood
sorcery rites ever discovered.
Locations Rusafa
The eastern district of Baghdad on the Tigris’ far bank
The following four locations are important cities during
is home to the city’s Gangrel and Ventrue. Rusafa houses
the Islamic Golden Age.
Baghdad’s army garrisons, and while the most prestigious
Baghdad
estates are those within the Round City’s walls, many elites
build sprawling palaces along the river banks. Retracing
Baghdad pulsates, growing in fits and bursts. It spreads al-Khayzuran’s steps within the district’s luxurious houses
along the Tigris’ banks like a hungry infection, an urban and gardens grants a fraction of her wisdom but runs the
wound in the desert wilderness. The old city has a structured risk of being Claimed by a Dreamborn.
layout, but new districts grow wherever is convenient. The Traditionalist Ulama
royal family’s power and privilege define the entire city. Yusuf ibn Saeed possesses decades of experience as a judge
Baghdad is a city of wonders that make even the most and is a revered Qur’anic scholar in Baghdad. Yusuf doesn’t
miserable worker feel like a caliph. oppose the Golden Age’s scientific developments, but his
Gates of the Round City conservative worldview places the judiciary as the Abbasid
Four gatehouses separate the wealthy core of Baghdad Caliphate’s supreme authority. Those in trouble with the law
from the residential districts around the city. God gifted the could find an ally in Yusuf, or he could become an implacable
Prophet-King Suleiman (Solomon) the ability to speak to enemy making use of Baghdad’s bureaucracy to thwart them at
birds, control the wind, and command jinn to do his bidding. every term. Academics (Qur’an) 5, Politics 4, Subterfuge 3
He imprisoned those who disobeyed using his mystic seal. By The Qahramâna
Suleiman’s edict, the jinn created these gates centuries ago. Unlike most women of the royal harem, Farrah can
Anyone possessing the correct Key can walk through the move in and out of the palace as she pleases. She is a stew-
gates into another world, venturing into humanity’s Bright ardess in charge of organizing and providing for the harem’s
Dream through what some sorcerers call Synesi. women and the caliph’s political prisoners. As Farrah rises
The Fief of Dogs through the ranks, she develops a network of connections
Packs of stray dogs wander around this poor, over- across Baghdad and makes herself indispensable to influen-
crowded neighborhood. Residents claim jinn haunt some tial people. Farrah isn’t above influencing their decisions
of the abandoned buildings, but the real threats lurk in in exchange for a favor, and she is an excellent informant
Twilight. Dog resonance permeates the entire area, allowing with valuable contacts throughout the city. Intimidation
dog spirits and barghests to Urge or Possess anything from (Subtle Threats) 2, Medicine 2, Politics 3
buildings to animals to people.
The Grand Mosque Córdoba
The largest and oldest religious building in Baghdad, the Carved from the ivory bones of Roman Iberia, Córdoba
Grand Mosque is the city’s heart. Most of the population, rich is the home of the Umayyads in exile. Abbasid Baghdad may
and poor, prays in this opulent building where everyone is be the center of political power and scientific advancement,
equal in God’s eyes. For many residents, the Grand Mosque but Córdoba is the capital of culture refinement. Fashion,
is the closest they come to the royal court. The mosque sup- fine dining, and sublime beauty define the city, with its
presses supernatural influence on the mind, including the unique mixture of Roman, Islamic, and African aesthetics.
130
Cordovan Gardens
Filled with orange trees, date palms, and pomegran-
ate shrubs, the royal gardens invoke a lost age’s splendor.
Hidden under one gnarled tree is a secret passageway lead-
ing to an underground vault containing millions of keys.
Occultists whisper that a copy of every key ever made can
be found in the chamber, from the first keys of Egypt and
Babylon to the Last Key, which unlocks its bearer’s doom.
The Grand Mosque
Formerly a Visigoth cathedral, the grandeur of Córdoba’s
mosque reflects the Umayyads’ power. Abd al-Rahman II
prepares to expand the mosque to accommodate the city’s
growing population and enhance his reputation. From
within the cathedral’s buried remnants, an alliance of
Jaliniyya and mummy cults explores the nearby Roman
ruins in hopes of uncovering the Camarilla’s secrets while
avoiding their mistakes.
Roman Bridge
The Umayyads rebuilt this bridge, on the road leading
to Rome’s far end, when they first conquered Córdoba. The
Nosferatu of Córdoba claim the bridge as their territory, but
they built their necropolis too close to the river. Silt and water
leak into the library from above, making every night a battle
to keep the floodwaters from destroying their ancient texts.
Beleaguered Soldier
Sisbert is Christian, but he gladly serves the Umayyad
Emirs. He fights Carolingians to the north and Idrisids to
the south, but a new threat emerges. The Muslims call these
oceangoing pagans al-Madjus, but Christians fleeing from
the north have another name for them: Vikings. Sisbert
operates under orders to investigate al-Madjus activities,
verify rumors of their plans for a massive raid on Seville, and
organize a defense. Sisbert recruits mercenaries to his cause
and pays gold to any who seek out the northern raiders and
report intelligence back to him; chilling tales of monstrous,
fanged beastmen on al-Madjus longboats give him pause,
but he hasn’t mentioned them to anyone else. Athletics
3, Ride (Horses) 1, Weaponry 3
Educated Translator
Córdoba demands more books, and Nadia happily
obliges. She puts her years of education to work translating
manuscripts to and from Arabic. Nadia currently works on
new translations of the Hazar Afsana, a selection of Galen’s
medical texts, and a book of occult science. She is willing
to put those projects on hold, though, if presented with an
intriguing subject or commissioned with gold. Academics
(Translation) 4, Investigation 2, Expression 3
Fez
The Idrisid capital of Fez is a twin city. Madinat is on the
River Fez’s western bank and al-’Aliya is on the eastern. Fez
sits at the intersection of two important trade routes. The
131
Locations
north-south route connects Europe to west Africa, while the of irrigation canals to support its growth. As their wealth
east-west route stretches across north Africa, all the way to increases, the people of Merv find themselves wondering
Baghdad. As a result, Fez is a wealthy city, full of traders and if it isn’t time for another revolution.
merchants selling their wares. The city is well-known for the Kyz Kala Fortress
indigenous North Africans known as Berbers to the Arabs,
who call themselves Imazighen (singular: Amazigh). It’s not The fortress-citadel of Merv, built by the Sassanid
as grandiose as Baghdad, but Fez’s inhabitants are always active Persians in the 7th century, is a central location in the city
in the bustling tanneries, winding streets, and busy markets. tonight. Stern and imposing, the fortress reminds everyone
of Merv’s military past. Anyone living inside or nearby
River Fez learns quickly not to wander alone at night, for the ghost
The River Fez is the city’s lifeline, providing water from of Yazdegerd III, the last Sassanid Shah, stalks the halls.
the high mountains and a pathway to the ocean. In the mud Silkworm Fields
at the river’s bottom sits a glass jar, and inside the jar is a
city made of brass. Recovering the jar and speaking the right Among Merv’s agricultural wonders are large plots de-
words would allow one to travel to the supernatural city. voted to raising silkworms. Distant cities buy the raw silk,
Only a fool would believe such a journey free from peril, but where it becomes the finished product. Merv’s Apex is Nuh,
learning the City of Brass’ secrets could be worth the danger. a Beast who preys upon the nightmares of silk farmers who
depend on the crops and fear their failure. Nuh cultivates
Shrine of Idris II these fears the same way the farmers cultivate silk and works
Since his death in 828, Idris II rests under the mosque he hard to ensure his crop remains sustainable.
built in the center of Fez, around which developed a shrine Inventive Artisan
devoted to the Alid prince. Here, Rasheed, the Ravager
Apex of Madinat, holds court and feasts on fears that Idris’ One of the few female artisans in the city, Batya runs a
passing heralds the city’s end. glassworks near her synagogue. She primarily sells her wares
to the Radhanite traders who periodically pass through
Amazigh Guide Merv. Batya’s passion is not in glasswork, though, but
Although she comes to Fez to pray in its mosque, Daya’s automata. She loves to create ingenious contraptions that
heart is in the valleys. Anyone wishing to contact the can operate independently of their creators. Those with
Imazighen outside the city starts by finding Daya, and she practical purposes she sells in her shop, while the rest line
facilitates meetings for parties she trusts. Daya is a devout shelves in her back room. If a problem requires a techno-
Muslim, but her faith takes a distant second place to her logical solution, Batya is the first person to consult. Crafts
culture. Daya harbors a deep hatred of the slavers who ab- (Automata, Glass) 3, Enigmas 2, Science 2
duct Amazigh women to sell them into harems. Archery Wandering Preacher
4, Brawl 3, Survival (Finding Water) 3
Challenging passersby with complex questions of faith
Caravan Trader is not what people expect from most devout Muslims, but
Bassam came to Fez hiding in a caravan from Kairouan, Waleed is not most Muslims. He lives on alms when he
fleeing violent revolution. They had little more than the can and steals when he must, preaching that enlighten-
shirt on their back, but once in Fez, they were able to ment comes from individual religious experience. Waleed
embrace themselves as mukhannath, a genderfluid person. teaches that Ahura Mazda is the same supreme being as God
A decade later, Bassam’s goods routinely flow both east and encourages Muslims to welcome Zoroastrians as their
and south across the Sahara through their trade networks. spiritual kin. Waleed is happy to carry messages or teach
Anyone wanting to cross the desert can go with Bassam’s lessons about mysticism in exchange for food and shelter.
caravans, if they are willing to pay their way. Empathy 1, Expression 3, Larceny 2, Occult (Mysticism) 4
Persuasion (Sales Pitches) 3, Streetwise 2
Merv What Is to Come

Built around an oasis, Merv is one of the last stops for In 833, al-Ma’mun institutes a rationalist inquisition to
convoys heading north or east, and it thrives on the wealth eradicate literalists and force the people to accept the Qur’an
they bring. Despite its distance from the capital, Merv is the as a divinely created text. Soldiers drag judges and politicians
seat of revolution. The original Abbasid revolt against the from their homes, forcing them to stand trial before the caliph.
Umayyads began here, as did al-Ma’mun’s rebellion against He leaves anyone who disagrees with his beliefs to rot in the
al-Amin. While Merv’s importance is diminishing due to dungeon. The caliph’s heavy hand leaves the lower classes
the provincial administration moving to Nishapur, the city untouched, but they live in terror that they will be next.
is too critical an ideological and economic hub to ignore. But Al-Ma’mun dies while marching to war later that
Merv is a center of agricultural innovation, using a series year. The inquisition continues, galvanizing a growing
132
conservative bloc to challenge the caliphs for temporal Egypt, the unthinkable happens: Khufu’s hieroglyphs are sud-
authority. Within decades, they become the Abbasid denly comprehensible. It doesn’t take long to determine why.
Caliphate’s masters. Reports arrive that Napoleon’s troops found a stone inscrip-
The Abbasids’ influence erodes again in 864 with the tion in Memphis that will allow mortals to translate ancient
Samanid family’s pre-eminence as governors in the empire’s Egyptian writing, on the same day the hieroglyphs became
eastern administration. The Samanid Emirate pays lip service readable. The Sworn long ago determined that the Refrain
to the caliphs and remains on good terms with Baghdad, caused al-Ma’mun’s dreams, and the Nights are popular in
but it is an independent state. Following the Samanid lead, France. Convinced that coincidences don’t exist, and the
politicians and warlords dismember the Abbasid Caliphate Refrain is now more dangerous than ever, the newly christened
to carve personal nations out of the empire’s body. Rosetta Society’s Egyptian branch sets out to investigate.
The illusion of Abbasid control shatters in 909 when
Ismaili Alids seize control of Northern Africa and proclaim
the Fatimid Caliphate in direct opposition to Baghdad.
The Umayyads in Córdoba follow suit and resurrect their
Beast: A Nightmare
caliphal status in 929. Hassan-i-Sabbah, an Ismaili evange-
list or da’i, annexes castles across Persia and Syria in 1090.
for Monsters
Vastly outnumbered, the Nizari Ismaili State practices “My story is a strange and amazing one which, if it could
asymmetric warfare, a technique the Nizari guerrilla warrior be engraved with needles in the corner of the eye, would be a
— or fida’i — Rashid ad-Din Sinan masters. Sinan strikes lesson to those who heed its wisdom.”
up an unexpected alliance with the warlord Salah al-Din in — One Thousand and One Nights
1176 during the Third Crusade. Despite their religious dif- In the Islamic Golden Age, the cat’s out of the bag and
ferences, both men have previously survived div encounters no one can completely stuff it back in. Although humans
and create a new compact of hunters to free Islam from the usually get the details wrong and assume most magical be-
undead threat: the Ismaili Ahl al-Jabal. ings they meet are some jinni variant, a few follow paths that
The Bait al-Hikma endures these changes and continues lead them to true occult lore, and from there, to monsters’
al-Ma’mun’s legacy, but the end of its tale approaches from doorsteps. The introduction of paper and improvements to
the east. The Mongol war machine’s might blindsides the the writing system allow these scholars to share their dis-
Abbasid Caliphate as it descends upon the empire like the coveries readily, and sometimes this leads to crucial secrets
apocalypse come early. Hulagu Khan sacks Baghdad in falling into the hands of hunters and Heroes — or worse.
1258, obliterating the entire Abbasid royal family. Legends Many Begotten have mixed feelings about this. Mortals
say the books of Baghdad weep ink as the Bait al-Hikma’s poking their noses where they don’t belong violates a Beast’s
collected knowledge goes up in flames. privacy and, more importantly, slowly inures them to her
But the One Thousand and One Nights’ tale does not end. Horror’s power and to instincts that usually prompt them
The magic of the Nights breaks for a time, but the tales never to block out memories of what’s in the darkness. On the
disappear, nor do the secrets tied to the Refrain. The Nights other hand, the Children still live in the world and benefit
resurface in France in the early 18th century. Publishing from its comforts. The Dark Mother’s gifts do not extend to
between 1704 and 1717, Antoine Galland translates the providing her children with hospitals, optics, and clockwork
Nights into Les Mille et Une Nuits and includes the unrelated marvels, and Beasts enjoy the poetry, music, and art that
tales of Aladdin, Sinbad, and Ali Baba in his compilation flourish during this era as much as anyone.
(and, unknowingly, in the tales’ astral reflection). Galland’s Because of their Family Ties and the traditional role of les-
translation revitalizes interest in Islamic knowledge across sons in leading humans away from the shadows, the Children
Europe. Numerous writers draw on the tales for inspiration find themselves at the heart of an unprecedented — if tenuous
for their own stories, spreading the Refrain further still. and fractured — alliance among many diverse supernatural
European translators immortalize the Nights, helping the communities, as humanity turns the light of reason onto the
stories survive to modern times. dark corners of their world, applying advanced science to the
weird and unusual en masse for the first time and suppressing
The Caliph and the Pyramids their fears in favor of fascination. Some supernatural creatures
want to outright erase the secrets humanity is learning about
Through it all, the coalition of “sorcerers” al-Ma’mun
the occult and plunge the world back into darkness. Others
left behind in Giza sporadically continues its study of the
hope to counter knowledge with misdirection, managing the
pyramid’s mysterious hieroglyphs, even through multiple
problem by drowning out the truth with lies. Most are resigned
generations. They obsess over the mystical power of inscrip-
to reinventing themselves, so they can continue thriving
tions unreadable even with decryption magics, connecting
among a populace that knows more about them than humans
with other likeminded groups around the globe who agree
ever have before; if you can’t beat science, they say, you’ll have
with their increasing concern that the writing is a sign of
to learn how to use and abuse it for your own gain instead.
something wrong with reality. When Napoleon later invades
133
What Is to Come
Bound believe their geists are the angel Azrail’s servants.
A Conspiracy of Cousins Others contend they are qarin, ephemeral doppelgängers
Each kind of kin responds to the threat of exposure hidden from mortal eyes. Some Sin-Eater tariqas (krewes)
differently, and that threat takes varying forms. Beasts try welcome mortal curiosity, using it as an opportunity to
to keep their fingers on the pulse of their delicate web of recruit into their mystery cults, but most fear mortals will
allies, hoping to keep the peace without drawing too much find ways to open wide the gates to the Underworld and let
attention to themselves. Reapers run amok. Already prone to community-building,
Changelings believe they have the most to lose if hu- Sin-Eaters — particularly Undertakers — readily ally with
manity draws the curtain back too far. It’s one thing to ap- Beasts and have little patience with petty squabbles among
proach individual mortals to make bargains, granting wishes their supernatural peers; but some Necropolitan tariqas try
in exchange for protection (and letting the fools believe to convince everyone not to worry so much about restoring
they’re in command); it’s another for curious scientists to their privacy. If, they say, humanity has gotten to the point
haggle for fae blood samples while obliviously advertising where they can handle the idea of angels and devils walking
the sanctuaries of the ummah (freehold) to the Wild Hunt. among them, isn’t that a good thing?
More paranoid Lost are the most likely to advocate for As opponents, by and large, of the Begotten and their
trying to reverse the Nights’ influence entirely; others look alliance, hunters experience a bit of a Golden Age of their
askance at this extreme response, viewing it the way later own. To them, the One Thousand and One Nights is the
changelings will view Bridge-Burners. Each court has its motherlode of occult lore; once the tales circulate widely,
own idea of what trickeries to employ against exposure, and new compacts form all over the Islamic world, and the Bait
a few courts withdraw entirely into their Hedge territories. al-Hikma plays host to an arm of the Council of Bones, a
Most changelings are eager to cooperate with the Begotten, conspiracy of scholar-mediums. Scientific progress gives
but Persian Lost — who call themselves peris — vehemently hunters all manner of experimental new weapons, defenses,
refuse to work with the divs, who have waged a longstand- gadgets, and potions with which to support their Vigil.
ing campaign of kidnapping and enslaving peris with iron; Regional sects of the Ascending Ones recruit heavily; oc-
the Persian divs feel the same way, disdaining changelings casionally, one of their diplomats approaches the Begotten
as inferior creatures. with an olive branch and an offer of sanctuary for them
Demons maintain a bustling trade in pacts, contending and their kin (within reason) in exchange for promises of
with an ascendant God-Machine buoyed by bureaucracy- peaceful behavior or willing exposure. It rarely goes over
loving caliphs who blend faith with science. Every scientist well, but it sometimes gives the Children ammunition
has the potential to be a cultist in disguise, and even if they for arguing with their more violent and reactionary allies
aren’t, they increase the risk of compromise as attentive against lashing out at curious humans too often.
scholars identify demons by their Glitches. Clever demons The Awakened Diamond comprises six Orders: the
use their natural gift for language to coax pacts out of dis- Adamantine Arrow, Guardians of the Veil, Keepers of the
traught Bait al-Hikma translators with incomprehensible Word, Pancryptiates, Silver Ladder, and Tremere. Debates
foreign texts. Only the most desperate Beasts work with the rage over whether the Sleeper obsession with the shadows
Unchained, but few demons turn down Begotten requests should be encouraged wholeheartedly — a position the
for aid. A collection of supernatural allies is a potent tool, Silver Ladder spearheads — or shepherded carefully, which
and many Unchained aim to create Hell by installing the Guardians of the Veil and Pancryptiates agree is wisest.
themselves as these accords’ puppet-masters. Both sides clash occasionally with scattered Exarchal cults,
Although world-spanning conspiracies are several but the Diamond’s most hated enemy are the Accursed:
centuries away, heightened interest and advances in experi- soul-stealing, Abyss-worshipping pagan mages. Many
mental science and medicine lead to Deviants Remade and Accursed traditions see themselves as heirs to Sumerian
hunted by local coalitions of conspirators among scholars magic the Hellenistic Diamond would like to erase, and
and physicians, with ties to the larger Web of Pain through the warrior-scholars of the Arrow and the Tremere spend
noble bloodline offshoots, secret harems, pockets of plot- most of their time hunting Accursed hiding in desert ru-
ting rebels, mercenary companies, merchant caravans, and ins, letting their colleagues worry about the Sleepers; the
guilds of all kinds  craftsmen, thieves, and alchemists Diamond won’t realize their own Tremere are themselves
primary among them. Many Renegades welcome the pros- Accursed for centuries yet. Many Muslim Mastigos and
pect of mutual aid from Beasts and other allies, since hu- théarchs practice goetic sorceries supposedly handed down
man conspirators are precisely the sorts of people pursuing from Suleiman himself and involve themselves heavily in
knowledge with reckless abandon, but their Scars  or the Sleeper affairs, viewing themselves as his successors in more
behaviors those Scars necessitate  sometimes seem like ways than one. Mages agree cautiously to work with the
sinful impurities to their Muslim comrades, not to mention Begotten, particularly once they themselves get their hands
the Muslim Remade themselves. on the Hazar Afsana and realize they’re a treasure trove of
Ghosts do not exist in Islam, but the Bound still make Mysteries, but not a few of their new allies end up feeling
their Bargains amid the revolts and revolutions. Many like they just exchanged one kind of exposure for another.
134
Mummy cults and lesser immortals thrive in Baghdad’s Some Begotten simply choose to ignore the conflict.
urban underground but increasingly deal with scholars and This might mean abandoning the faith entirely except for
wonder-hunters investigating their activities, as well as what social station demands of them. In other cases, a Beast
Begotten extending invitations once they’re exposed. The may regard his connection to the Dark Mother as something
Arisen responding to their summonses find the Islamic wholly separate from his devotion to God, less a spiritual
Golden Age’s emphasis on art and learning creates a glut of figure and more a literal familial one.
relics. Some take this gift from the Judges as a sign of Irem’s Others regard the Dark Mother not as an unholy fig-
imminent return and prepare their cults accordingly, but ure but as the Accuser of the story of Ayyūb (Job) or as a
danger surrounds them. The era’s creativity and progress commander of the angels responsible for dispensing God’s
also produce abundant seba, emboldening the Deceived as judgment on Earth — those who rained fire down on Sodom
they race their adversaries to claim human ingenuity. The or slew the firstborn children of Egypt. She is an archangel,
Mesen-Nebu alternatively compete and cooperate with and her Children serve God by serving her.
the Jaliniyya for research and resources. The Lorekeepers A smaller number of Begotten stray into gnostic, or even
and the al-Amin have a similar relationship, each faction dualistic, cosmologies, treating the Dark Mother as a partner
developing rival historical narratives. Beasts’ requests for to God. This is rare among Muslims, who regard the idea as
alliance create uncertainty for the Arisen, as their raven- shirk (polytheism). Christianity has always had some gnostic
ous Hungers and devotion to the Dark Mother potentially currents running through it, but official Church teachings
mark them as the Devourer’s minions. For now, their goals seldom recognize it. Zoroastrianism and Mandaeism are
align, so mummies who accept work to ensure the Begotten’s much more accommodating of this idea.
activities serve their own goals. Begotten from pagan traditions — or those willing to
Many Prometheans consider ilm al-takwin (multiplica- adopt them after their Devouring — have a much easier time
tio) especially important and perform it repeatedly beyond reconciling belief in the Dark Mother with their existing
al-’Amal al-A’zam’s (the Great Work’s) requirements. faiths. To them, the Dark Mother is one goddess among many.
Unfleshed are more common than usual due to mortal inno-
vation with alchemy and automata; this also prompts many
Created to take roles as scientists, detectives, or translators.
Devoted of Suleiman
Prometheans find mortals intrigued instead of repulsed by Tales of Suleiman, including some found in the Nights,
their artificial natures even when Disfigurements flare, but claim he had the power to bind, command, and imprison
Disquiet twists this interest into violent and unhealthy jinn, ifrits, and other devils. Some Heroes can replicate this
obsession. In the face of such cruel attention, they welcome legendary power, which they believe proves God has given
Beasts’ invitations, but they remain convinced the Jaliniyya them dominion over the devils that run loose in the world.
are no better than other alchemists and could unleash This hearkens back to, and reinforces, stories of imprisoned
Pandoran hordes at any moment. jinn who grant wishes to those who find the bottle, lamp,
Werewolves guard Barzakh, the barrier separating hu- or ring in which a mighty sorcerer imprisoned them.
manity’s world from that of smokeless fire, but the herd’s
inquisitiveness makes the Oath of the Moon challenging
New Anathema: Binding
to uphold. While humans rarely seek out Uratha directly, The Beast is susceptible to binding as though he were an
they meddle often in spirit affairs, much to the Forsaken’s ephemeral entity (Chronicles of Darkness, p. 140); anyone
chagrin. Humans learn to summon or wake spirits to learn with an Integrity trait who knows the right magic words to speak
sorcery or have wishes fulfilled. Many would-be sorcerers and the right binding ritual to perform can define a space and
end up Claimed, but those who don’t threaten to upset the command the Begotten to stay within it, without a bane. The
balance between worlds. Islamic werewolves frequently join words and ritual are different for each Beast. The usual penalty
Beasts’ alliances, but the Forsaken insist Iblis was Mother to the binding roll is equal to the Beast’s (Lair/2, rounded up)
Wolf and Father Moon’s sibling, increasing tension with instead of Rank, and the effect lasts for one scene rather than
the Ahl al-Mumit and preventing them from recognizing days; but each success on the binding roll inflicts a cumulative
the similarity in their mutual rage. −1 penalty (to a maximum of −5) to any roll the Beast makes
to oppose the one who bound him until the Anathema resolves.
God and the Dark Mother The Beast cannot flee into his Lair while thus bound.
High Satiety: The Beast treats the boundary as though
Although those who dream deeply always sense a
it were a bane, taking one point of aggravated damage each
connection to the Primordial Dream that colors their ex-
round he touches it. It requires spending a Willpower and
periences, the Devouring does not erase a Beast’s religious
succeeding on a (Resolve + Composure − half his Lair rat-
upbringing. Reconciling a Muslim, Jewish, Christian, or
ing, rounded up) roll to voluntarily touch the boundary;
even Zoroastrian faith with a life that demands frightening
it takes a number of instant actions equal to his Lair while
or hurting people requires considerable self-examination
touching it to break through, should he try. Someone else
and potentially a change of heart.
disturbing the marking of the boundary does not free him.
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What Is to Come
If the Hero remains within the boundary herself, she may Medium Satiety: As high Satiety, but Heroes cannot
impose a longer-lasting imprisonment; other binders cannot trap the Beast inside small containers or command him to
do this. After chanting her magic words and concentrating perform tasks; once he drops to Medium, he immediately
for a number of consecutive instant actions equal to 2 + the emerges from a container in which he’s bound and no
Beast’s Lair rating, the Hero chooses a container of Size 4 or longer needs to complete any task he’s been given, but the
smaller within the affected area that can be closed or sealed boundary remains.
— typically a bottle or oil lamp. The Beast becomes trapped Low Satiety: As medium Satiety, except touching the
within the object until the Anathema resolves; even the boundary deals lethal damage rather than aggravated. If
Hero’s death does not liberate him. A Beast trapped this way someone else disturbs the marking of the boundary, the
does not lose Satiety over time and can only spend it when binding is broken (but the Anathema Condition remains).
and how he’s commanded. However, he can still engage in Beat: The Beast succumbs to a binding ritual or performs
mundane Mental and Social actions, and anyone nearby a task for one who commanded him.
can hear him speak from inside the container. Resolution: The Beast gains and then resolves the
Anyone eligible to perform the binding ritual who Ravenous Condition.
speaks the magic words can issue a command to the trapped The ties between the Dukhan (p. 141) and the
Beast, which lets him out of the prison. He may twist the Primordial Dream make them susceptible to this Anathema,
command’s intent, adhering to its wording rather than too. Substitute Vitae for Satiety and Blood Potency for Lair.
its spirit, but cannot ignore or refuse it unless it involves
harming himself, accessing his Lair, or achieving the im-
possible — and he can’t perform any other actions until AL-ARD,
DABBAT AL-ARD,
the task is complete. Once it is, he automatically returns THE BEAST OF THE EARTH
to his prison. The command must be a single, discrete task
that could reasonably be completed within one scene; the “Stand up. Every wicked man begs God’s forgiveness when
Storyteller is the final arbiter of what commands are accept- faced with punishment for his sins. The time to repent was before
able. Once the Beast performs three such tasks, regardless you met me. Now it is too late for you.”
of who demanded them, he is freed from the prison and the
binding ritual both.
136
Aliases: The Dabba, Suraqah Shannam, the Apex of Science 2; Athletics 3, Brawl 4, Ride 2, Stealth 3,
Baghdad Survival 2, Weaponry (Staff) 3; Animal Ken 2,
Background: Born Suraqah Shannam nearly a century Empathy (Guilt) 3, Expression 4, Intimidation 5,
ago, the Dabba dreamed of the end of the world throughout Socialize 3, Streetwise 3, Subterfuge 2
his early life. The Horror visited upon him there was Dābbat Merits: Allies (Beasts) 4, Allies (al-Amin) 3,
al-Arḍ — the Beast of the Earth that features in the Qur’an Contacts (Imams), Contacts (Judges), Contacts
as one of the first signs of the world’s end and whose arrival (Royalty), Fame 3, Fame (Advanced) 3, Fist
at a certain spot outside Makkah delineates the moment of Nightmares, Resources 4, Status (Baghdadi
after which repentance and new faith become impossible. Government) 3
The Horror bears the Seal of Suleiman in one hand, with Satiety: 8
which it marks the unbelievers for hell, and the Staff of Willpower: 6
Musa in the other, with which it singles out the faithful.
Initiative: 7
The Dabba soon surrendered his mortal name and
embraced that of Dābbat al-Arḍ. He prowled Baghdad Defense: 6
for many years, seeking out and punishing those guilty of Armor: 3/2 (see Unbreakable)
dhanb — heinous sins against Allah that cause the faithful to Size: 5 (effective Size 13 or 20, see Looming
stray and prevent others from coming to Islam. He secured Presence)
a place as a judge, which he uses to feed on the guilty. He Speed: 13
grew in strength and influence within the city until he was
the most powerful monster in Baghdad, and he has been its Health: 9 (16 with Looming Presence, 23 with
Apex for the last 30 years.
Satiety expenditure)
Description: When Dābbat al-Arḍ lives as a human, he Lair: 7
is an ancient man with a bald pate and a gray beard who Lair Traits: Blazing Light, Extreme Heat, Mirages,
walks with the assistance of a staff. He quotes scripture and Burning (Size 3, Intensity +1), Viscous
fables frequently to support his points and comes across as Hive Trait: Mirages
educated and wise, if perhaps a little inflexible. When he
Atavisms: Looming Presence, Mimir’s Wisdom,
dons the garments of a judge, the Dabba possesses a gravitas Needs Must, Titanic Blow, Unbreakable
that makes even sultans and emperors in the room with him
seem less important by comparison. Nightmares: Behold, My True Form!, Fear Is
Contagious, You Are Alone, You Cannot Run, You
Dābbat al-Arḍ’s Horror is a monstrous and huge hodge- Deserve This, You Will Never Rest, We Know All
podge of animal parts that matches the Beast of the Earth’s Your Secrets
description in the Qur’an: “His head is like the head of a
bull, his eyes are like the eyes of a pig, his ears are like the
Weapons/Attacks:
ears of an elephant, his horns are like the horns of a stag, his Dice
neck is like the neck of an ostrich, his chest is like the chest Attack Damage Initiative Pool Special
of a lion, his color is like the color of a tiger, his haunches Unarmed 0B −0 9 —
are like the haunches of a cat, his tail is like the tail of a
ram, and his legs are like the legs of a camel.” Staff 1L −1 9 Two-
handed
The Dabba’s Lair consists of hellscapes sculpted from
visions of burning deserts and lakes of fire.
Storytelling Hints: The Dabba’s harsh judgments are The Refrain
legendary among Baghdad’s people, as is his reputation for This era sees a resurgence of an occult phenomenon
delivering some punishments personally. The resurgence of known to scholars among the Children as the Refrain,
the Refrain (below, p. 151) has only increased his reach. although none of them has yet discovered a pattern in its
Family: Anakim periods of activity and dormancy. Sometimes centuries pass
between manifestations. Other times, they happen only a
Hunger: Nemesis
couple of years apart. They usually last no more than a few
Legend: Merciless years, with the shortest recorded one lasting only three
Life: Righteous months and the longest stretching out for more than 50
Aspirations: Punish the guilty years. The Refrain requires a human host to anchor it, giv-
ing her constant nightmares, and ends when that human
Attributes: Intelligence 3, Wits 3, Resolve 2; dies. It has two effects for Beasts:
Manipulation 2, Composure 4 Campfire Tales: Once per chapter, a Beast can gain
Satiety by telling frightening stories of her past exploits to
Skills: Academics (Theology) 4, Investigation 3,
an audience of at least a few people, none of whom can have
Medicine 2, Occult (Primordial Dream) 5, Politics 4,
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What Is to Come
unclear whether the successor really harbors the same Horror,
kept alive by the Refrain, or whether it’s just the Legend
itself that persists, but in practice they’re indistinguishable.
Immortal Horror allows the Beast to feed by telling
tales about her predecessor instead of herself, via Campfire
Tales, but she may still only benefit from one of these tales
per chapter, and these feeding rolls don’t benefit from the
character’s Fame Merit. Additionally, whenever the Beast’s
player achieves an exceptional success on a feeding roll that
aligns with her Legend, she may draw upon the Primordial
Dream’s memory of her predecessor’s long-lost Lair, gaining
a new temporary minor Lair Trait for the rest of the chapter.
For more information about the Refrain, see p. 151.
Discordant Dreams
The Refrain is active now, but it suffers corruption. The
discordant Refrain has all the usual benefits for the Children,
but exhibits additional, troubling effects:
• It spreads knowledge about supernatural phenomena
and creatures through humanity’s dreams wherever
Beasts and their Horrors actively feed, disturbing the
Dark and Bright Dreams in a way that dredges up
secrets the humans would otherwise have no way to
discover and pushes them up through their Oneiroi
into their dreaming minds. These dreams about the
tales of Shahrazad may reveal anything from div clan
banes to the location of an Insatiable’s Den. They
create more Heroes than usual and make it easier for
heard or witnessed the story or its events before. These stories Heroes to recruit followers. See p. 148 for systems.
must be true (though she can embellish) and must promi-
nently feature both her Legend and a successful feeding. She • It causes reflections of kin with whom the Begotten
gains 1 Satiety if she regained one point of Willpower from share Family Ties to feature in any nightmares a Beast
her Legend during the events she describes, or 2 Satiety if she or her Horror causes, which also spreads knowledge
regained all her Willpower. She can gain also Satiety this way about those kin as above.
if someone with whom the Beast has Family Ties tells such
a story, even if she isn’t present, but this counts as her one • It haunts divs’ torpor, granting them knowledge of
tale per chapter. If the Beast has the Fame Merit, she adds a dangerous form of Majnun; see p. 145.
dice equal to her Merit dots to all feeding rolls.
Immortal Horror: Some Children in every age claim a
Primordial connection to a famous Beast born, Devoured,
Vampire: Night Terrors
and slain centuries ago. A few even go so far as to claim “I saw in that cavern many dead bodies that exhaled a putrid
to be the reincarnation of such a legendary creature. Most and loathsome smell, and I blamed myself for what I had done,
of the time, the Begotten scoff at such notions. Everyone saying to myself, “By God, I deserve everything that has hap-
knows that when a Beast dies, her Horror dies with her. pened to me.”
While the Refrain lasts, however, it does connect newly
Devoured Beasts to Children from the past who share her — Sindbad the Sailor, The Fourth Voyage of Sindbad
Legend; it can only connect her to a Beast who has either The Embrace is brutal in this era. The process remains
died or achieved any type of Inheritance. During character the same: a stranger kisses a neck, a heart stops beating, and
creation, a player should either come up with an identity and a body twists into a mockery of life. In the Islamic Golden
a few details about their predecessor Beast or leave them to Age, the difference is the psychological impact it has on a
the Storyteller. A Beast doesn’t automatically know about div. Prolonged exposure to corpses is impure for Muslims.
her Begotten forebear, but her dreams contain clues she can Existence as a self-aware corpse capable of walking around
investigate; many Children in this era run across stories that does not lessen the humiliation. Likewise, Islam forbids the
seem eerily familiar to them when they read the Nights. It’s consumption of blood, considering it worse than pork or
alcohol. Some Muslim Kindred don’t last their first nights;
138
the spiritual contamination is too great to bear. Those who dead flesh. It was Iblis who sired the clans, Iblis who gave
do must find a way to survive without religious purity. us our path, and Iblis who taught the first Karamat.
Even for non-Muslim Kindred, the Islamic Golden Age Our practices: We use our rage to hunt Kindred,
is a dangerous time. Mortal curiosity is boundless, making it Begotten, and other monsters who lost their humanity long
difficult for Kindred to practice their Masquerades. Worse, ago; yet we temper our wrath, so we do not become like them.
the Refrain infects Kindred with unpredictable blood sor- Karamat reminds us of God’s mercy, and it is our solemn duty
cery, throwing power structures into anarchy and attracting to recover these rituals. We will not allow them to fall into
attention from the dread owls. But divs manage to thrive, the Lancea et Sanctum’s hands, and we take it upon ourselves
nevertheless. They are pious beings in impious bodies, a to keep those monsters out of our lands. We infiltrate mortal
million contradictions modern and ancient. Kindred adopt institutions, both to eliminate those we deem corrupt and to
the curiosity defining humanity in this era, distorting it for remind ourselves how to be human.
their own desires. Nicknames: The Wrathful (informal), al-Hamasoun
(respectful), Banu Shaitan (European, derogatory)
Golden Age Covenants When we are in power: The wicked feel our wrath. The
Even at its height, the Camarilla never touched many of other covenants claim our domains are uncompromising,
the Abbasid Caliphate’s lands. The covenants here evolved but we only turn our rage upon them if they give us just
independently of those in Europe, although pockets where cause. We ruthlessly hunt down divs who welcome the curse
the Invictus and Lancea et Sanctum hold sway exist in the and become true monsters, for God finds them wanting.
caliphate’s western reaches. When we are in trouble: We lash out against those
who keep us down. We are putrid and denied spiritual
Ahl al-Mumit purity. Now these arrogant bastards want to eliminate our
“My rage is my weapon, but it is also my curse. Inshallah, remaining dignity? Let God damn their families! We will
I will one night overcome it.” crush them with our rage.
You want to join the Ahl al-Mumit because: You are

angry that you’re dead and you don’t know how to deal with
al-Amin
“You think we need sorcery to defeat you? Words can
it. You think mortals waste their humanity. You are driven
move mountains if you whisper them into the right ear. Here,
to hunt down other monsters.
let me tell you a story…”
The big picture: We rage at our cursed condition and
the injustices committed against us. We always feel close You want to join al-Amin because: You are dead,
to frenzy, and one wrong move could end with watching but you still have your faith. You believe upholding the
a sunrise. Fortunately, we possess the gift of Karamat, the surahs and laws you can is better than discarding every-
magical rituals Europeans call Theban Sorcery. Karamat thing. You look to history to provide role models for how
reminds us of our humanity, tempering our rage to work you should conduct your Requiem.
miracles. God does not directly intercede to work these The big picture: Rather than agonize over their cursed
marvels; instead, we call upon the gifts God granted us. existence, members of al-Amin leave it to God to judge
It is God’s role to convert the wicked and judge the their souls and focus on their night-to-night business.
impure. It is our role to execute God’s judgment and pun- Arabia and Persia have long traditions of raising up in-
ish the unworthy. We see every vile act humanity commits dependent, influential women, who take the initiative to
and find them wanting. Some Wrathful wish to prove to uphold Muslim customs and laws. The Faithful honor these
God that the world is unworthy. Others hunt monsters far traditions, using them as guides to their imperfect Requiems,
worse than divs. Most just want to make it through tonight but they respect Khadijah al-Kurba and Homai Chehrazad
without unintentionally destroying what little we have left. above all others. Khadijah was the first Muslim convert, the
Muslims dominate Ahl al-Mumit, but significant minori- Mother of the Faithful, a powerful and wealthy merchant.
ties of Christians and Jews exist within our ranks. The few Chehrazad becomes a popular icon in the Islamic Golden
European Kindred who journey east and return compare us Age, but al-Amin biographers were already regaling her
to their Lancea et Sanctum. We add this presumption to the history to the covenant centuries ago.
long list of reasons we are angry at the world. We are cursed Members of al-Amin consider it their duty to keep the
enough as it is, and God has no need for more monsters! peace between the covenants, but that peace easily becomes
Where we came from: The Lancea et Sanctum say they tyranny. The covenant is quick to defend itself against
learned Karamat from an angel. We learned it from Iblis criticism, citing God’s as the only judgment that matters.
himself. God made his anger known when Iblis would not While this belief is sincere, it also prevents al-Amin from
bow to humanity. Iblis asked for a gift so he could be an confronting their actions’ consequences or realizing when
agent of God’s wrath, and God granted him Karamat but they have gone too far and angered their fellow divs.
cursed him, so his form was no longer smokeless fire, but
139
What Is to Come
Where we came from: When the Prophet was but a for themselves. Most older Fir’awn inherited their faiths
simple merchant, Khadijah al-Kurba saw how great he would as mortals and now seek to ensure their persistence in the
become and proposed marriage. The Prophet refused, saying face of Islamic supremacy.
he could not earn the wages to support a wife, but Khadijah Elders are as rare among the Invisible as they are in every
reminded him of her vast trade empire and how she provided other covenant, but every div has heard stories of these elders’
for herself. Inspired by her strength and devotion, we resolved terrifying blood sorcery. In an age when any div can learn to
to follow her pious example to give us the will to persist. wield Majnun, Forbearer elders practice it as if it were second
We walked the hijra behind Prophet Muhammad, we stood nature. In future centuries, the inheritors of this tradition will
beside him in Mecca, and we welcomed him in Yathrib. join what will be known as the Circle of the Crone.
Our practices: We emulate Homai Chehrazad as sto- Controversially, the Fir’awn welcome mortal curiosity in
rytellers and mediators. Our neonates help others within this era. While it is hazardous, many Invisible hope exposure
the covenant solve their problems and keep libraries of to the occult will bolster their faiths among mortals. Most
all our tales, while elders serve as lore masters who medi- are canny enough to recognize when to cut their losses and
ate between divs of other covenants and spread stories go into hiding, but a few are recklessly close to endangering
that manipulate the kine’s opinions in ways we desire. other Kindred by encouraging inquiry among the kine.
(“Propaganda” is such a harsh word.) Others say our solu- Where we came from: Arabs and Persians worshipped
tions can be heavy-handed, but if it weren’t for us, they many gods before the Prophet Muhammad’s coming, and
wouldn’t have solutions. We also take responsibility for fa- we worshipped alongside them. We belonged to hundreds
cilitating safe travel between cities for Kindred; long desert of different faiths and small alliances among coteries, but
trips are hazardous, requiring preparation and careful tim- Muslim divs pigeonholed us into a single community. We
ing. Trade caravans are our favorite transport method. Both have never unified, but given the threats we face tonight,
Khadijah and the Prophet were merchants, and caravans maybe it is time for change.
allow us to enrich ourselves (and keep other covenants in Our practices: We delve into ancient ruins to uncover
our debt) while providing an essential service. the secrets of cultures long dead and gone — some of which
Nicknames: The Faithful, the Arbiters, the Camels our eldest remember from life. We are the self-appointed
(derogatory) guardians of these sites, ensuring monotheists do not damage
When we are in power: We keep the All Night Society or desecrate them. When the Strix return to terrorize our
running smoothly and the caravans coming in on time. The kind and wipe us from the Earth as they did the Romans, we
law holds everyone in check equally. We resolve disputes hunt them down, driving the Owls back into the shadows.
quickly and efficiently, so they do not draw mortal attention. Nicknames: The Forbearers (within the covenant, for-
When we are in trouble: We fight our way back to the top mal); the Invisible (informal); Jinn (Europeans); Mushrikun
— not with open war, but through our superior knowledge of (derogatory)
the law, ensuring our enemies don’t get comfortable. We are When we are in power: We rarely hold power for long,
happy to serve as advisors to Princes from other covenants, so we make the most of it while it is ours. We don’t go after
all the while hatching schemes to reclaim power. Muslims en masse, but we strike down foes who thought it
Fir’awn wise to persecute us when were subjugated. We rule with a
light touch and let individual coteries lead their Requiems
“They call us Pharaohs to mock us. But the Pharaohs kept as they like.
their faith. The Pharaohs were powerful. We accept the name When we are in trouble: When aren’t we in trouble?
and all that comes with it.” When our backs are against the wall, we do our best to
You want to join the Fir’awn because: You won’t forget keep our heads down while we take the names of those who
the old ways. You are a polytheist living in a monotheistic wrong us. And we have long memories.
world. You have faith but feel that being a div is incompat-
ible with being a Muslim.
Jaliniyya
The big picture: The Fir’awn (Pharaohs) aren’t really “You are having visions of the future and experiencing
a covenant, but a loose alliance of polytheistic Kindred nausea? Fascinating. I’d like to take a sample of your blood.”
practicing Majnun in the Muslim empires; the group is You want to join Jaliniyya because: Being dead doesn’t
much larger than most divs assume. Despite the stereotype stop you from being curious. You practiced medicine or
that they are all ancient ifrits, many neonates flock to their alchemy in life, or you want to learn how in death. You
banner, hoping to find a new faith in Arabian paganism, believe science can free you from your curse.
Egyptian Kemeticism, Greco-Roman mystery cults, or The big picture: We cope with our deaths by immers-
Persian Zoroastrianism. Many of these new divs were devout ing ourselves in alchemical studies. The Jaliniyya thrive
monotheists in life but recognize that God did not intend by adapting the scientific progress that drives the Islamic
the Qur’an for them. Now they seek wisdom from sources Golden Age to our own purposes. Science, medicine, and
outside the Muslim canon, hoping to find new meaning alchemy are all a part of God’s plan, so why not use this
140
knowledge to our advantage? We follow the Mu’tazilite phi- make themselves comfortable in every city. The Nosferatu
losophy, and we research nothing more than our own Vitae. are most influential in the east, often emerging as water-
If blood taken from the body is spiritually impure, we want logged corpses from the sea. The Ventrue hold the west,
to understand the impurity mystically and scientifically. reigning in cities that once belonged to the Romans. Some
Our greatest achievement would be to synthesize an Lords wander onto the northeastern steppes of Transoxiana,
artificial substance that mimics Vitae. With this, we could claiming to be Gangrel transformed by some hideous occult
sustain ourselves without violating our spiritual purity by disease. Thriving across all Islamic lands are the Dukhan, a
consuming blood. Until then, we explore the supernatural clan of predators who trail smoke while haunting the soul
using scientific methods and refine our knowledge of the of humanity.
blood alchemy we call Kimiya. We don’t promise to make the
Requiem any easier, but we can ensure it will be wondrous. Dukhan
Where we came from: We were once a minor sect The ones who walk with nightmares.
in the Camarilla’s dying nights, dedicated to applying “Deeper than dreams, beyond the night sky. That’s how
Galen’s humoral medicine to the study of Vitae. When the far I’ve traveled just to see this look on your face.”
Camarilla collapsed, we fled east to the Sassanid Empire
and remained when Islam became the new game in town. The Dukhan were once Mekhet, but they embroiled
The Camarilla’s fall and the Bait al-Hikma’s rise were the themselves in the affairs of Beasts and split off into their
best things to happen to us. own clan centuries ago. Tonight, they stalk humanity’s soul
instead of shadows. While it is rare to find divs haunting the
Our practices: We postulate, we test, we research. We
Primordial Dream, the Dukhan are the clan most common
investigate clans and bloodlines to determine how the blood
and most comfortable within the Astral.
evolves. Many of us endeavor to found our own bloodlines
so we may study their Vitae before and after the transfor- Why you want to be us: You can see the realms beyond,
mation. Interviews and anecdotal evidence are useful, but all the wonders and horrors that ever were, fantastic and vile.
blood samples provide the fruitful research. Few divs are Once you know them, you become them. You are the night-
willing to part with their blood, though, so we persuade mare. Free from the world of flesh and pain, your imagination
them when we can and steal it when we must. When other knows no bounds. Be any kind of terror you like. Be all of them.
Kindred debase themselves by committing diablerie, we Why you should fear us: The Mekhet may watch you
hunt them down and capture them swiftly. Foul as it is, sleep, but we watch what’s beyond sleep. We know human-
Amaranth changes the blood, and we cannot afford to let ity’s brightest desires and darkest dreads. We drink deep
the other covenants destroy such valuable test subjects. from the well of the collective soul and learn things about
Nicknames: Alchemists (formal), Harun’s Children you that you didn’t even know were there to learn.
(informal), Greeks (derogatory) And if that’s not enough, we have other monsters inside
When we are in power: Science triumphs over petty us. We are never alone. The Begotten claim Chambers
politics and all become part of our experiments. We pay lip within our blood. You haven’t known terror until you’ve
service to those with worldlier concerns and let them handle seen a three-headed horse the size of an elephant force itself
the night-to-night micromanagement, while we focus on the through a ribcage like an erupting meat volcano.
big picture. What we learn can then benefit the entire domain. Why we should fear ourselves: When you’re a vessel
That means some of our subjects walk away with less Vitae than for something scarier than you are, you have to wonder
they started with, but it is all in service to the Emir. where you went wrong. What are the Begotten, really?
When we are in trouble: Left to work in peace, we are They say they’re kin, but they’re no Kindred. They say you
unlikely to meddle where we aren’t wanted. If you threaten hunt and feed together, but what if they’re just using you?
our research or libraries, on the other hand, things get messy. When you travel in the Primordial Dream, it’s their territory
Violate our laboratories and you’ll become a bloody smear you’re in, but you keep doing it because the world seems so
in an alleyway. empty without those wonders. Addicted to blood, sure, but
addicted to dreams? What do you do when your supplier’s a
Matters of Blood 20-foot-tall cyclops with anger-management issues?
Not to mention coming face to face with the exaggerated
Clans, mortal and div alike, are especially significant mirror of your own Beast, for those of us who dig far enough
in this era. The Abbasids, Umayyads, and Alids all wield into the Dark Dream to linger where the collective soul of
tremendous influence because they are part of the Prophet’s the Kindred dwells. Some claim to have seen the Blood
clan. Similarly, neonate Kindred of the Emir’s clan, regard- itself as a marauding Dreamborn monster, ever-evolving
less of covenant, wield disproportionately immense political and always hungry.
power. The land between the Tigris and Euphrates has been
Nickname: Succubi, Incubi
home to the Daeva and Gangrel since Enkidu and Ishtar
Clan Bane (The Curse of Reverie): The Dukhan
walked the Earth. The Mekhet homeland of Egypt is an-
have strange urges, even by div standards, and can’t sustain
other critical province for the Abbasids, but the Shadows
141
What Is to Come
themselves on blood alone. If a Dukhan goes (Humanity) in favor of absolute free will. The Jaliniyya host many of
nights without visiting the Astral for at least a full scene, these Mu’tazilites and constantly seek qadar blood in hopes
whether through a Primordial Pathway, the Nightmare of determining its occult properties; they and those who
Journey Devotion (p. 143), or some other method, he gains practice Majnun, stable or not, have developed several
the Languid Condition (Vampire: The Requiem, p. 304). new — if dangerous and unpredictable — ways to produce
It resolves when he either succumbs to torpor or spends a qadar, later lost to history when the Bait al-Hikma burns.
full scene in the Astral. Many qadar are less certain about their condition. A
Favored Attributes: Wits or Stamina common perspective is that their bloodlust is a challenge
Disciplines: Auspex, Obfuscate, Protean from God to maintain spiritual purity against all odds. A few
even go as far as declaring themselves prophets, although
Vitae Chambers such blasphemy quickly attracts angry mobs. Other qadar
A Beast can use a Dukhan div who shares Family Ties believe their foul urges and dark magic can only be God’s
with her, rather than a location, as the basis for a new curse. It is far more common to find these qadar leading
Chamber to add to her Lair. The div need not have any mortal investigations into supernatural activity than most
traits in common with her Lair, but he does need to have Kindred would like to admit.
lost Humanity via a breaking point in the Beast’s presence. Systems: Qadar blood mutates similarly to div blood
A Chamber created this way is a Vitae Chamber, pulsating during the Islamic Golden Age, but the effects are not as
with congealing blood and rotten flesh. The Beast’s Lair pronounced. All qadar gain the three-dot version of the
Traits take on a vampiric cast in these Chambers; Slick Mother’s Army Recruit Merit (Half-Damned, p. 45) for
might lubricate every surface with blood, for instance. free without meeting its prerequisites.
The external end of the Chamber’s Primordial Pathway
is the host div’s body. Jaws distend to vomit up the bloody New Merits
Beast, cavities stretch in a mockery of birth, or a grisly The following merits are available in the Islamic Golden
portal tears open in the div’s chest for the Beast to squeeze Age. Fir’awn may purchase Altar (Vampire: The Requiem,
her way out. It sickens witnesses, usually prompting rolls to p. 109) as though they were Acolytes; Dukhan may purchase
resist repulsion, but leaves the host unharmed. Whenever Dream Visions (Vampire: The Requiem, p. 111) as though
the Beast uses the div’s body to open a Primordial Pathway, they were Mekhet.
the div himself can step through it to bodily visit her Lair
without the Beast having to Hold the Door. To outsiders, Ifrit ’s Might (•••)
it looks like the Dukhan implodes or eats himself from the Prerequisites: Blood Potency 6+, Fir’awn Status •
inside, vanishing from sight in a spatter of gore. Effect: For every Blood Potency dot above 5 your
Bloody Destinies character possesses, choose one Majnun rite. When leading
this rite, achieving three successes counts as an exceptional
Predestination is a critical point of theology for Muslims. success. If your character’s Blood Potency increases after
Most divs perceive divinity in the twists of fate surround- purchasing this Merit, choose an additional rite for each
ing qadar and declare only God capable of bestowing such new dot. If his Blood Potency decreases, he retains the
powers. The qadar’s abilities even fascinate those Kindred benefits, but doesn’t choose more new rites if his Blood
who adopt the Mu’tazilite creed and reject predestination Potency increases again to a rating for which this Merit
already provided a benefit.
Lingering Dreams (••)

Prerequisite: Dream Visions
Being Respectful When you dream of others, they also dream of you.
Whenever your character successfully interprets a dream vi-
As bad as turning into a vampire may seem for others, sion about a person, the dream’s subject gains the Swooning
for many Muslims a curse forcing them to violate their Condition for your character.
faith by consuming blood is a cruel injustice. Be mind-
ful of your audience. If anyone feels uncomfortable
with portraying Muslim vampires, don’t include Muslim
Shahrazad ’s Tale (• to •••••)
vampires in your chronicle. The Islamic Golden Age is Prerequisite: al-Amin Status •
cosmopolitan, so use non-Muslim vampires instead. Effect: Your character enthralls listeners when telling
You can easily replace the Ahl al-Mumit and al-Amin tales, keeping them coming back for more. Once per chap-
covenants with Lancea et Sanctum and Invictus inher- ter, she may spend at least an hour telling an addictive story
ited from the Eastern Roman Empire. targeting up to her Merit dots in victims. Each listener’s
player rolls (Resolve + Composure), with a −1 penalty per
142
Merit dot. Anyone who fails succumbs to the tale’s power, Systems: Mechanically, Kimiya is a ritual Discipline
suffering Vitae addiction (Vampire, p. 99) for both Vitae and and a form of blood sorcery, like Majnun. Only Alchemists
your character’s tales. As long as a victim has an Addicted in good standing (Jaliniyya Status • or more) may learn
Condition caused by this Merit, their impression of your char- Kimiya and its formulae. If an Alchemist loses all status in
acter improves by one level; for each additional such tale they the covenant, she cannot learn new formulae. Each formula
hear while already addicted, the impression improves again, requires spending one Vitae, plus a sacrifice of blood from
to a maximum of perfect. Kindred with Blood Potency 6+ are lethal wounds equal to the formula’s dot rating − 1, to a
not immune to addiction caused by this Merit. In addition to minimum of one. The blood must come from the formula’s
the Condition’s usual resolution, if your character falls into subject. If the subject is an object, the ritualist sacrifices her
torpor or suffers Final Death, all Addicted Conditions she own blood instead. The dice pool for activating Kimiya
caused with this Merit resolve immediately. formulae is Intelligence + Science + Kimiya. On an ex-
ceptional success, the ritualist may choose the Inspired
New Devotion: Condition as her benefit, while on a dramatic failure she
gains the Jaded Condition.
Nightmare Journey Kimiya Formulae
(Auspex •••••)
The following formulae are examples of those the
The Dukhan have long stalked the kine from their col- Jaliniyya teach.
lective soul. Divs of other clans who learn this Devotion
have a mysterious way of disappearing. Spider’s Hijra (•)
This Devotion costs 3 Experiences to learn. Target number of successes: 6
Cost: 1 Vitae + 1 Willpower The Alchemist sacrifices his own Vitae and spins it
Dice Pool: None into fine silk, weaving webs as though countless spiders
Action: Instant had worked for many weeks throughout an area with a
By activating this Devotion at any time while using radius of (ritual’s Potency x 10) yards, centered on the
Twilight Projection, the div may transport her mind to an div. These webs inflict penalties equal to (his Blood
unclaimed Chamber in the local Hive; which Chamber is Potency/2, rounded up) to Initiative, Defense, and Speed,
up to the Storyteller, but it always has Lair Traits in com- as well as Physical dice pools. Any dramatic failures within
mon with wherever the div is when she uses this Devotion. the affected area inflict the Immobilized Tilt; the webs
The div gains a Dream Form (Beast: The Primordial, p. have Durability equal to the penalties they impose. The
99) capable of using Disciplines and physically interacting Alchemist himself is immune to these effects. The webs
with other entities while in an Astral realm; this sends her last until the next sunrise.
into true torpor, losing Blood Potency every 25 years as
normal, and abiding by her usual torpor duration (Vampire: Sayih’s Khol (••)
The Requiem, p. 105) and methods of waking. Falling to Target number of successes: 5
Blood Potency 0 does not inflict Final Death. The formula’s subject must be present. The Alchemist
In Dream Form, she may feed from Dreamborn (but not inscribes words of power in blood on the subject’s eyelids.
Actors), Horrors, and other Dream Form travelers as though For the rest of the night, the subject cannot be harmed
she had the Unnatural Affinity Merit (Vampire, p. 114) or impeded by the ocean’s or other body of water’s cur-
for them, but gains one Vitae per two points of damage she rent, pressure, or waves. Living subjects can breathe
inflicts. She may traverse the Day or Mists into other Astral underwater.
realms as normal. Her Dream Form functions as any other;
she can’t defy gravity in the Astral or pass through objects al-Ajsad (•••)
there, and she moves at her base Speed. She can return to Target number of successes: 6
the material world as a Twilight Projection by returning to The Alchemist mixes her own sacrificial Vitae with
the Chamber where she entered the Hive and voluntarily corpse parts, mercury, and sulfur to create a homunculus
ending this Devotion, which ends her torpor early as well. that serves her loyally (see sidebar). It can speak, but only
Blood Alchemy: Kimiya in simple language; it can read any language the div can.
It can survive indefinitely, but the Alchemist must feed it
Kimiya is equal parts ritual and scientific process. The one Vitae each night for it to remain active; she can feed
Jaliniyya consider Kimiya an occult science rather than it additional Vitae to heal its wounds as though they were
ritual magic, a distinction few outside the covenant see. her own. It dissolves into a puddle of viscera if its rightmost
Kimiya initially developed in Greece when Kindred applied Health box fills with any damage, or it does not receive
Galen’s humoral alchemy to Vitae, but it reaches its apogee Vitae by the next sunrise.
during the Islamic Golden Age.
143
What Is to Come
Ebony Horse (••••)
Target number of successes: 8
The Alchemist inscribes bloody runes on an inanimate
object of up to Size 7 and commands it to awaken. Until
Kimiya Homunculus
the next sunrise, the object gains the ability to move and Aspiration: Serve my master
fly at a Speed equal to (formula’s Potency x 2), as well as Attributes: Intelligence 3, Wits 3, Resolve 2; Strength
carry passengers. The object is not intelligent and cannot 1, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3; Presence 1, Manipulation 1,
think for itself, but it obeys the Alchemist’s commands and Composure 3
knows how to navigate to any earthly location he knows
General Dice Pools: Cacophony Interpretation 8,
how to find. The Alchemist can close his eyes and take an Distractions 6, Lab Assistant 8, Lifting and Carrying 4,
instant action to see the object’s surroundings, losing his Snooping and Stealing 6
Defense while he does so.
Willpower: 6
Curse of the Monkey Prince (•••••) Initiative: 5
Target number of successes: 10 Defense: 3
Contested by: Stamina + Supernatural Tolerance
The Alchemist mixes her victim’s blood with mystical
Size: 3
reagents, then drinks the potion and speaks aloud to the Speed: 6
victim one discrete action she genuinely considers an Health: (Formula’s Potency)
injustice against her, such as “visiting your secret lover”
or “taking my inheritance as your own.” The potion no Potency: 1
longer counts as the victim’s blood for any purpose. If the Dread Powers: Hunter’s Senses (Alchemist’s blood
victim performs the stated transgression before the next sympathy relatives)
sunrise, he transforms into a prey animal between Size
1 and 6, taking (6 − Stamina) points of bashing damage
144
as his body warps painfully and unnaturally. In animal
form, he uses the animal’s Physical Attributes and Skills,
RODROGUNE,
Speed, Defense, and Health. He can move and sense as THE DREAMING QUEEN
the animal can — a turtle can swim, a parrot can fly, and a
“I have dreamed for longer than you have drawn breath.
monkey can climb and use tools. Any other supernatural
Displease me, and my javelin will ensure you do so no longer.”
ability that would change his shape provokes a Clash of
Wills. If the character who used the ability wins, it can Background: Rodrogune dreamed for decades. She saw
change the victim’s shape normally and break the curse. eagles the size of whales flying in the sky. She attended par-
Otherwise, the curse lasts until the next sunrise. ties filled with silk and incense in the wreckage of crumbling
minarets. She cowered in the Dark Mother’s shadow.
Dreams of Smoke Tonight, she dreams no more.
The world is not as Rodrogune remembers it. Though barely
Kindred dream, as mortals do. The Refrain sends their
dreams into overdrive, stirring the Beast unnaturally. The a mortal generation passed while she was torpid, the Kindred
Blood twists to unleash rituals that would typically take world went mad in her absence. Mortals who know too much
hard work to master. During this era, the Refrain acts as drive divs into hiding. The Islamic world sees the Strix return
a conduit for Rodrogune’s knowledge (p. 137) and any to hunt once again. The Blood transforms in unpredictable
div can learn the art of Majnun, which other cultures ways as daysleep becomes day terrors. It is all repulsively familiar
call Crúac. to Rodrogune, but she can’t explain why or shake the feeling
Most Kindred don’t know what to make of these muta- it’s her fault. She has stalked the night since the beginning of
tions to the Blood. The sudden changes simultaneously the 4th century BCE, but uncertainty gnaws at the back of
intrigue and terrify Jaliniyya alchemists. The al-Amin fear her mind. She intends to find the truth and set things right.
the breakdown of the All Night Society, while the Ahl al- Description: Rodrogune appears to be a woman in her
Mumit cannot decide between hunting down those who early 30s with black hair framing her tawny skin and cool,
give in to using their unstable Majnun, or letting their dark eyes. She typically dresses in black robes with intricate,
own Beasts out. night-blue embroidery, indicating wealth without being
The discordant Refrain isn’t the only plague these flashy enough to draw undue attention.
nights, and the Beast isn’t the only thing awakening. Storytelling Hints: Rodrogune is calm and collected un-
Doom soars on shadowy wings as the great Nemeses of der pressure but prefers time to plan and study her opposition
the Camarilla return. Filled with a cold rage the Kindred before embarking on anything important. Her curiosity often
can’t explain over the spread of Majnun, the Strix set gets the better of her, especially when it comes to questions of
to work like antibodies sterilizing a wound. The more occult significance; she’s willing to make deals to learn what
powerful unstable Majnun a div commands, the easier it she wants, but she’s canny enough to bargain intelligently
is for the Owls to find them. These nights, no one is safe. and try to get the upper hand. She possesses a loyal streak,
They are watching. and betrayals infuriate her. Given the choice between staying
Systems: Whenever a div wakes from torpor, loses loyal and surviving, though, she chooses the latter every time.
Humanity, or achieves dramatic failure on any non-ritual Clan: Dukhan
roll while in the Astral or a roll to resist frenzy anywhere, Covenant: Fir’awn
he gains a dot of unstable Majnun, each of which comes
Mask: Guru
with a new ritual as usual; if he has five dots already, he
learns an additional ritual instead. Whenever he success- Dirge: Survivor
fully casts a Majnun rite, his player rolls Blood Potency + Aspirations: Protect Persian culture; discover the
Majnun + number of additional rituals he knows. If the roll truth behind the discordant Refrain
succeeds, the ritualist draws the Owls’ attention and gains Touchstone: The Zoroastrian temple near her lair
the Hunted Condition (below).
Faded Touchstone: Parysatis, her mother
The Fir’awn have practiced stable Majnun for centuries
and only draw Strix when they cast rites they didn’t pur- Anachronism: Recreating the royal javelin hunts
of the Achaemenid women
chase with Experiences. A Fir’awn may spend a Willpower
when casting a rite to use only those dots of Majnun he Attributes: Intelligence 6, Wits 4, Resolve 4;
purchased, to avoid risking Strix interference. Strength 3, Dexterity 7, Stamina 4; Presence 8,
Whenever a div with unstable Majnun gains Humanity
or achieves an exceptional success on a breaking point or Skills: Academics (Persia, Zoroastrianism) 6,
roll to resist frenzy, his player may choose to lose the most Enigmas 4, Investigation 4, Medicine 2, Occult
recent rite or dot of unstable Majnun he gained. (Div, Strix) 7, Politics 4, Science 3; Athletics
(Javelin) 4, Brawl 7, Ride 3, Stealth 6; Empathy 2,
Expression (Speeches) 8, Intimidation 6,
Persuasion 3, Socialize (Royalty) 7
145
What Is to Come
Majnun Rites: Blood Blight, Blood Price,
Deflection of Wooden Doom, Feeding the Crone,
*Gwydion’s Curse, The Hydra’s Vitae, Pangs of
Proserpina
Weapons/Attacks:
Dice
Attack Damage Range Initiative Pool
Javelin 2L Thrown −2 12
Notes: None of Rodrogune’s Majnun dots or rites
are unstable. Traits preceded by * are found in
Thousand Years of Night, pp. 72–78.
Hunted (Persistent)
The div has attracted a Strix’s ire, posing a serious
threat to the character’s safety and well-being. The
Strix may be intent on direct violence (or worse), or
simply wish to torment him.
Beat: The character’s persecutors find him.
Resolution: The character stops his persecutors,
either through bargains, changes in lifestyle that deny
them access to him, or through more direct means,
typically violence.
Merits: Acute Senses, Allies (Adamantine Arrow) 3,

Clan Status (Dukhan) 3, Contacts (Jaliniyya),
Contacts (Maa-Kep), Covenant Status (Fir’awn) 4,
Playing the Game

Honey Trap, Ifrit’s Might (Blood Blight, Deflection
of Wooden Doom, Feeding the Crone), Unnatural
Affinity (Beast)
Humanity: 5 In this era, mutual defense drives Kindred and Begotten
together. Inquisitive mortals and the Refrain give super-
Willpower: 10 natural creatures common cause. The Dukhan clan has ties
Initiative: 13 to the Primordial Dream, but other Kindred aren’t in their
Defense: 8 element there. Beasts are familiar with the Refrain but do
not yet understand how this outbreak has gone so wrong.
Armor: 0/0
Size: 5
Speed: 20
Astral Nightmares
The Islamic Golden Age is dangerous for the supernatu-
Health: 9
ral. Humanity grows intensely curious about creatures going
Blood Potency: 6 bump in the night and knows secrets it should not. Beasts
Vitae/per Turn: 20/6 and divs sense something festering beyond the borders of
Banes: Holy Day (Saturday), Repulsion (blue dreams and fear the end of their world has come. The truth
glass) is much stranger and more wondrous.
Disciplines: Auspex 5, Celerity 3, Dominate 2,
Majesty 3, Majnun (Crúac) 5, Nightmare 5, Rodrogune
Obfuscate 4, Protean 1, Vigor 2 Rodrogune was the daughter of Parysatis and Darius
Devotions: *Annals of Death, *Celebrity, I, but history forgot her, despite her niece inheriting her
Chain of Command, *Crush of Years, Nightmare name. Near the end of the 770s, she discovered a copy of
Journey (p. 143), Summoning, The Wish, Wraith’s ancient Egyptian inscription from Sneferu’s Red Pyramid
Presence
146
describing an occult phenomenon linking legendary and the infection cannot end until all these Dreamborn return
monsters across time. Rodrogune was an accomplished to the Primordial Dream — or are destroyed.
occultist, but this Refrain was outside her expertise, so Afterward, Al-Khayzuran’s experience transformed her
she consulted the one person she trusted in supernatural into a Hero, founding a Heroic dynasty within the Abbasid
matters: her mother. family. Not every Abbasid becomes a Hero, but enough of
Parysatis was long dead, but a Dreamborn impression them do; the first sign is seeing Rodrogune’s pyramid text in
of the Persian queen persisted within the Bright Dream. their dreams. This dynasty believes the Refrain is a blessing
Rodrogune fell into torpor to make the perilous journey from God to help them slay Beasts. These Heroes anchor the
there from the Primordial Dream. The answers she sought Refrain through their connection to the Primordial Dream’s
were also beyond Parysatis, but the Dreamborn suggested surface, permitting it to use the Nights themselves as another
the explanation may lie beyond the Cave, in the Mother’s host. Perhaps, if this dynasty were destroyed or somehow dis-
Land. Never one to leave a mystery unsolved, Parysatis connected from the Primordial Dream, the Refrain could end.
accompanied Rodrogune deeper into the Astral. With Rodrogune, Dreamborn-Claimed, and the stories
themselves as hosts, the Refrain did not end with al-
Al-Khayzuran Khayzuran’s passing. Now, when mortals read the Nights,
they dream of the supernatural histories hidden within the
Meanwhile, al-Khayzuran’s mystique and power
stories. While the Golden Age’s zeitgeist produces mortals
unleashed rumors that she was Chehrazad reborn. Al-
with extraordinary natural curiosity and willingness to ap-
Khayzuran did not believe reincarnation possible, but she
ply science to the mystical, the Refrain dispenses secrets for
wondered whether her family had an ancient blood tie to
humanity to investigate and bolsters their resilience when
Chehrazad. She couldn’t satisfy her curiosity using mortal
faced with what lurks in the shadows.
science, but she summoned the “sorcerer” Meher bint
Sultan, a Begotten Obcasus Initiate, into the harem to The Refrain prevented Rodrogune from awakening
help her uncover the truth. Unbeknownst to al-Khayzuran, from torpor, trapping her for decades inside a Chamber
Meher had her own agenda to reawaken the Refrain with that Meher’s ritual created, which a Beast recently
al-Khayzuran as its new host. Meher had been experiment- claimed — setting her free. The Refrain also warped the
ing for decades, and now with a suitable test subject, she Dreamborn Parysatis, turning her into a nightmarish rep-
succeeded in concocting a ritual to forge a link between resentation of Shahrazad, who played with Rodrogune’s
al-Khayzuran and Parysatis — the queen who adopted mind and turned her Astral journey into a hell. As hu-
Chehrazad’s legend — giving the queen the answer she manity discovers monsters and Rodrogune’s own torpor
wanted and inviting the Refrain to occupy her soul. nightmares spill out of her Chamber prison, Dreamborn
representing these creatures appear in the Bright Dream.
The presence of Rodrogune and Parysatis in the
The nightmare Shahrazad roams the Astral, recruiting
Mother’s Land caused the Refrain to spiral uncontrollably,
these monstrous new Dreamborn into a massive army that
reacting to the div’s powerful Dukhan blood. It returned
aims to conquer the souls of humanity and the world, one
with a vengeance, infesting al-Khayzuran and Rodrogune’s
domain at a time.
minds. Their nightmares spill into the Mother’s Land and
the Primordial Dream, spreading to the rest of human-
ity. The Refrain disseminates their dreams through its
connection to other times, past and future. It points the Astral Worlds
authors and translators of the Hazar Afsana to supernatural The Bright Dream is humanity’s collective soul, a
secrets, which they subconsciously encode in their stories. collection of tales, mythologies, and ideas also
Supernatural events also inspire tales that are not yet part known as the Temenos. Each realm within human-
of the Nights but one night will be, like the Voyages of ity’s Bright Dream has a theme, and the Primordial
Sindbad, Ala ad-Din and the Magic Lamp, and Ali Baba and Dream borders realms associated with fear. The
the Forty Thieves. Mother’s Land is the name Beasts give to the
Anima Mundi, the world soul; Horrors are born
in the Mists that blur the boundary between this
The Tale of the Dream and the Dreamer place and the Dark Dream. Separating the Bright
When rumors suggested al-Khayzuran was Chehrazad and Primordial Dreams from the Mother’s Land is
reborn, and Meher’s ritual linked her to Parysatis, the the Cave, a misty passage with every language
Primordial Dream listened. Each retelling of the newly imaginable covering its walls. All of these realms
translated Nights strengthens the subliminal association are populated by ephemeral creatures known as
between Homai and al-Khayzuran. Dreamborn.
At some point during al-Khayzuran’s life, Parysatis Claimed See the Beast Player’s Guide, pp. 153–158,
her and used her political influence to plant Dreamborn- for more information.
Claimed throughout the Abbasid Caliphate, who are still at
large. These Claimed act as secondary hosts for the Refrain
147
Playing the Game
Three Apples.” The latter triggers when the charac-
ter encounters any element of the supernatural truth
Taking Control of the Legend behind this story. Once per chapter, you may roll
Wits + Composure whenever her Unseen Sense trig-
This tale links powerful figures of legend across time gers. If successful, your character gains the Informed
periods, creating the discordant Refrain as a back- Condition related to the Merit’s subject.
drop for this era and planting the seeds for cross-era
play (p. 151). The most obvious hook for the play- • Gain +2 to rolls for breaking points triggered by
ers’ characters is seeking the truth so they can stop exposure to the supernatural; infected mortals are
the Refrain from making humanity’s lifting of the veil less likely to forget when they encounter strange
worse. Since those goals align with Rodrogune’s
things, even if they fail.
own, feel free to have someone in the troupe play
her. Someone else could play Meher. Players could • Each time the character becomes the victim of any
even make new characters of their own and insert
Beast’s Nightmare, she gains a cumulative +1 die to
them into these roles. Being the unwitting authors of
the Refrain as well as its opponents could be a fun rolls to contest future Nightmares that target her,
way to tease out more pathos. to a maximum of +5; this bonus resets to 0 at the
beginning of each story.
• If the character is a Hero, every infected character

within a few miles responds when she gathers follow-
Systems: Impossible Knowledge ers, regardless of whether they’ve encountered the
The Refrain bestows occult knowledge upon its host supernatural or been fed upon. Characters swept up
through her nightmares, making her sensitive to supernatu- too often as a Hero’s followers can begin to dream
ral phenomena. Possessing a torpid Dukhan host during the way she does and become Heroes themselves.
the Islamic Golden Age, the Refrain spreads throughout Both the Nights’ adaptations and the original stories
humanity, bestowing its knowledge upon entire communi- are potentially infectious. The Refrain is also connected
ties. Any mortal who reads or listens to one of the Nights’ to Rodrogune, although she hasn’t yet realized it; her
tales risks infection: her player rolls Resolve + Composure, Disciplines and Devotions, and Majnun rites she leads,
with modifiers based on having had any of the following automatically infect mortal victims with the Refrain
experiences within the current chapter: without a roll.
Circumstance Modifier
Experienced a dream touched by the −3 Stories Within Stories
supernatural The One Thousand and One Nights contain fragments
Visited an Astral realm −3 of supernatural history and occult secrets. Here are a few
Dramatically failed a breaking point from −3 examples to use in your chronicle or to serve as a guide for
exposure to the supernatural adapting other tales.
Fed upon by a Beast or Dukhan, or fell vic- −2
tim to other dream- or mind-related powers The Ox and the Donkey
Failed a breaking point from exposure to −2 Synopsis: A farmer learns the language of animals but
the supernatural will die if anyone finds out about his gift.
Targeted by any supernatural power and −1 The Truth: The div Barmak stalks the Silk Road,
noticed draining blood from unwary merchants and stealing their
wares, but he craves a human family. He woos a kine woman
Exceptionally succeeded on a breaking +2 named Parvin, without revealing to her what he is. Parvin
point from exposure to the supernatural is soon with child, and Barmak fears the horrors his rivals
Failure on this roll infects the character with the Refrain could unleash upon her and their unborn qadar. Lying low
next time she sleeps, causing the following effects: to protect his family, Barmak uses qutrub farmhands as spies
to lure prey. A feud between Barmak’s most trusted qutrubs,
• Gain the Unseen Sense Merit. Characters capable
the oxen and donkey handlers, undoes his careful planning.
of possessing Supernatural Merits gain it for free at
Barmak intervenes and puts an end to the feud, but Parvin
character creation. You may choose a type of super-
discovers his secret. Still pregnant, she flees. Barmak and
natural creature as normal, a type of non-creature
his qutrub family search for his descendants to this night.
phenomenon, or a story from the One Thousand and
The Secret: Monsters play at humanity, giving them
One Nights (even one only included in the future),
human weaknesses. Threatening the illusion of nor-
such as “The Fifth Voyage of Sinbad” or “The Tale of
malcy forces monsters to make rash decisions. Violence is
148
effective, but far from the only tool for destroying a monster. within, zie meets the captive mummy Ahmose, a curse
Alienating a monster from their mortal Touchstones or turning his legs to stone binding him in place. Ahmose’s
shattering their self-image is just as harmful as slaughter- jailer is the Shuankhsen Merseger, who feeds on him to
ing their allies. stave off her Descent. Talib defeats Merseger, breaking the
curse. The mummy and Beast swear upon the Black Caul
The Merchant and the Jinni to be allies through the ages. Talib gifts Ahmose an ancient
Qur’an and oversees the mummy’s conversion to Islam.
Synopsis: A traveler’s carelessly thrown date seed kills a
The Secret: The word of God reaches creatures lurking
jinni, whose father demands vengeance. Three men rescue
in darkness just as it does humanity. While this secret isn’t
the traveler by telling the jinni’s father stories of the curses
destructive, it can be disruptive. A human meddling in the
that transformed their relatives into animals.
affairs of Kindred or Beasts to welcome them as Muslims
The Truth: Traveling through the desert, a Beast named can destroy carefully laid plans as surely as a stake to the
Dina throws a date seed into the sand. The seed disrupts an heart. A Hero who believes a Beast can stop being a mon-
occult matrix meant to summon an angel of smokeless fire. ster by following God still tries to impose their narrative
The defender angel guarding the matrix manifests and fights on the Begotten.
Dina, believing her blood can complete the summoning. The
battle abruptly ends when three old men with their cryptid
livestock repair the damage and persuade the angel to spare The Fisher and the Marid
Dina’s life. Her respite is short-lived, as the cultists hook Dina Synopsis: A fisher uncovers a sealed jar containing a
into an infernal clock to power their occult rituals. vengeful marid.
The Secret: Monsters have cults everywhere, so don’t The Truth: The div Zainab discovers a brass jar half-
trust humans. The three old men are members of the Cult of buried in the tide while hunting for prey in Aden. They pry
Herdsmen, stigmatics obsessed with creating cryptids. Reem open the lead sealing the jar shut, unleashing Abu Noor,
al-Qahir, a stigmatic Hero, leads the cult. Reem uses Dina the smoky Beast Incarnate trapped inside. Furious at his
in an occult matrix to create cryptids to help him track and centuries-long imprisonment, Abu Noor rampages through
kill Beasts. Finding Dina requires tracking the cult’s cryptid Aden, threatening human and Kindred alike. Desperately,
herds back to their base, but freeing her is another matter Zainab uses blood sorcery to recreate the magical seal that
entirely, as centuries of occult torture have broken her mind. imprisoned the Incarnate. In his rage, Abu Noor blunders
over the seal, entrapping him in Zainab’s blood.
King Yunan and the Sage Duban The Secret: This tale teaches how to create a variation
of King Suleiman’s seal, although it requires occult training
Synopsis: Sage Duban heals King Yunan’s incurable
and reagents. While legends of Suleiman say his seal only
leprosy. The King heaps rewards upon Duban, but Yunan’s
traps jinn, the version this story describes can trap any
vizier grows jealous.
supernatural creature. Heroes appropriate this iconography,
The Truth: A Strix called the Leper possesses Yunan, using it to develop Anathema to trap Beasts (p. 135).
a div Emir. Yunan’s court fails to rid her of the Leper until Zainab combined a variant of this seal with Kindred sorcery
a Promethean calling herself Sage Duban appears. Sage to bind Abu Noor, creating the Dukhan clan.
Duban exorcises the Strix, but her Disquiet infects Yunan’s
advisors, who execute the Promethean. The next night,
Duban’s body reanimates and unleashes vengeance on her Jullanar of the Sea
Kindred murderers. Synopsis: Shah Zeman marries Jullanar, a princess from
The Secret: Yunan’s fortress still stands among the the sea. They have a son, Badr, who must seek out a wife
Roman ruins in Armenia. Braving its depths reveals a with the aid of his uncle when he becomes king.
trove of rare medical texts, mundane and occult. Their The Truth: Jullanar, a Daeva princess from the
secrets are worth far more than their weight in gold. The Necropolis Beneath the Waves, emerges from the sea. Shah
ruin crawls with shadowy Owls and is an Athanor. Yunan’s Zeman’s displays of devotion persuade her to marry him,
bloody ghost haunts the complex as an Ash that Devours, and she bears Zeman a qadar son named Badr. Murdering
seeking diablerie victims to reconstitute her body so she his father, Badr fulfills his destiny and seizes the throne
can reap her revenge. while Jullanar and her Makara brother Sayih rule from the
shadows. Badr develops an obsession with marrying the Sin-
The Enchanted Prince Eater Queen Jauhara. Finding his possessive fixation with
her abhorrent, Jauhara meets his attentions with contempt.
Synopsis: A king discovers a magical palace where an
The Secret: Beneath the Persian Gulf’s coastlines, mon-
enchantment binds a captive prince.
sters populate necropolis kingdoms. Those who discover
The Truth: While surveying the mountains around these marine city-states find kingdoms of broken mosques,
Muscat, Talib al-Rukh, the city’s Apex Beast, discovers a temples, mausoleums, and shipwrecks filthy with seaweed
palace of black marble perched above a lake. Venturing
149
Playing the Game
that monsters use as religious retreats. Some pray to God, to avoid death), many of the stories feature characters
others ask for the Dark Mother’s blessing, and a few seek who themselves tell stories. In some cases, stories contain
the dark gifts of Angra Mainyu. The waves protect these stories that serve as frames for other stories. The tales
communities from hunters, but the monsters under the range in length from a single page to more than 50 pages,
sea cannot survive without prey from the land. Begotten and range across genres from fables in the style of Aesop,
Heralds, qadar children, and other servants infiltrate human to ghost-town stories such as “The City of Brass,” to ad-
society and help their rulers feed. venture tales, to an early example of the detective story
called “The Three Apples.” Many of the stories descend
Storytelling
from older tales, often adapted to ascribe moral lessons to
them that reflect Islam’s teachings.
One Thousand and Frames within Frames

One Nightmares Since Beasts in this era (or any era featuring the Refrain)
can feed by telling stories of their distant predecessors, the
The One Thousand and One Nights is the most famous Storyteller can run these “flashback” scenes as tales within
example of a frame story. It begins with the story of a woman the tale. Each player takes up the role of another character:
who marries a sultan, who routinely executes his brides The player of the focal Beast becomes her own predecessor,
the day after the wedding. To save herself, Shahrazad tells while others take up roles as characters in that Begotten’s
the beginning of a story on their wedding night but stops brood. When the player and Storyteller come up with
speaking as soon as the sun rises. The sultan wants to know details about the original Beast, each other player should
how the story ends, so he spares Shahrazad until the next come up with a broodmate to play during flashback tales.
day. The following night, she does it again — continues You can create full character sheets if you like and play out
her story, then stops speaking in the middle of events, forc- full-fledged scenes with dice to determine the outcomes,
ing the sultan to defer her execution yet again. Shahrazad or just roleplay through them with a minimum set of pre-
continues this for nearly three years — 1,001 nights — at established details.
which point the sultan abandons his original designs. You can also build these Refrain connections not as a
Within the primary frame story (Shahrazad’s gambit single past brood, but as a network of Begotten and their
150
kin connected across time through their Legends and
Family Ties, by using chronicle-building techniques like
Cross-Era Play
Climbing the Ladder (Vampire: The Requiem, p. 282) Although especially appropriate to an era inspired
and Spinning the Web (Thousand Years of Night, p. 87). by the Nights, the Refrain (discordant or not) can pop
Adjust the categories and questions these exercises ask to up in any time period and in any chronicle featuring
create a spread of characters and broods you can use to the Begotten, even if they’re Storyteller characters. Just
rotate among the players whenever you shift from the main choose a mortal host and build story hooks around that
chronicle to a framed story. person to introduce the ordinary Refrain in any time
Each flashback tale can provide further hooks for the period. This mortal could be a Storyteller or a player’s
primary characters in the chronicle’s present day, as well character; games that lend themselves well to mortal char-
— for instance, if characters in the past destroy a palace acters and could also feature Beasts include Changeling
and kill everyone within, the primary characters may later (fae-touched), Mage (Sleepwalkers), Mummy (cultists),
encounter its ruins and the ghosts that haunt them. Vampire (ghouls), and Werewolf (Wolf-Blooded) — and,
of course, Hunter.
In a game that features the Refrain, the main chronicle
and its framed stories can operate at different gameplay Because the Nights’ influence and the discordant Refrain
tiers. Characters operating at a local level could experience stretch forward and backward through time, they can be
flashbacks of broods whose actions had global impact, and a vehicle for playing a game that spans multiple historical
vice versa. eras and places around the world, using Refrain flashbacks
and flashforwards or just playing out each story or group
Characters should keep Beats their counterparts earn
of stories in one era and then skipping forward to see how
in a framed story.
the successors in the next Refrain era fare in the wake of
those events.
The Discordant Refrain The tales’ influence persists to the present day and
The discordant Refrain adds a few options to your flash- their origins lie in ancient Persia, so almost any period is
back scenes, if you decide to use it. Characters within each fair game for introducing this hook. You can use all kinds
framed story become aware of characters from the others of characters to bridge the gap, too, like elder vampires
thanks to the impossibility of its spread throughout the old enough to remember the original secrets the tales
collective unconscious and the Family Ties Beasts build, expose, or Beasts linked through the Refrain to bygone
each experiencing flashbacks or flashforwards of the others, Children who helped solve the problem (or exacerbate
and can communicate with broods in different times and it) in the past. Mages, changelings, and demons all have
places through these frames. One brood’s discovery can aid unique relationships with dreams, the Astral, and time
the investigative efforts of a connected brood 100 years and itself; mummies wake over the course of millennia and
1,000 miles away by leaving messages or useful items in their cults are present in every period; Sin-Eaters deal
places they “remember” encountering in the past or future with ancient ghosts and uncovering the memories of their
as different people and sharing vague thought impressions own geists, any of which could have been involved in
and experiences across time. Use odd “coincidences,” such these events whether living or dead at the time; and so
as characters running across places or phenomena they on. Try dropping the same enigmatic figure into every
remember seeing in a flashback by what seems like chance, era and see how long it takes your players to chase the
to clue the characters in that the Refrain has become a mystery down.
mystery to investigate — that they are playing out someone Perhaps the most obvious way to use this hook is to set
else’s Legend all over again, or that interacting with mortals your chronicle across a bunch of the eras in this book, as
who, consciously or not, know things they shouldn’t about well as eras from the original Dark Eras and Dark Eras
that Legend is leading them onto that path. If you use the Companion.
investigation system (Chronicles of Darkness, p. 77), let Finally, this era works particularly well as an extension
players earn Clues in flashback or flashforward scenes that of The Contagion Chronicle. The discordant Refrain could
apply to present-day events. easily be a symptom of a Contagion outbreak, which that
You can introduce framed scenes even without a player’s book describes in detail how to present with rules. It also
Beast feeding through story, to represent the spread of the contains the Sworn and the False, crossover-friendly orga-
discordant Refrain. When these framed scenes end, let nizations that can be used with or without the Contagion;
characters remember bits and pieces of events that took one of them, the Rosetta Society, already has a reason
place in the past without even knowing or ever having to be involved with this era thanks to al-Ma’mun’s Giza
told the tale — even small details no secondhand tale shenanigans (p. 133). Note that Napoleon’s reign imme-
could relate, such as private conversations. As secrets seep diately follows the Reign of Terror era, which starts on p.
out through the Bright and Dark Dreams, eventually the 316 of this book.
characters should run into other people telling their stories
as a clear cue that something is amiss.
151
Storytelling One Thousand and One Nightmares
Story Hooks the incidents’ correspondence with the arrival of a group
of foreign divs who brought Majnun with them. Assuming
Below are story hooks for use in your Islamic Golden Age they’re to blame for violating local Fir’awn tradition, the
chronicle. They can all stand on their own, but they are Emir recruits the characters to kill the outsiders, drive
intended to be appropriate ways of furthering the chronicle’s them out of town, or otherwise get rid of them to keep
frame story as well. Either way, Storytellers should feel free the domain’s peace.
to modify them as necessary to their troupe’s tastes. But not long after their departure, one of the characters
themselves or someone they’re close to suddenly displays
Fanning the Candle’s Flame (Local) knowledge of Majnun, too. They’ll either need to hide it
from the Fir’awn or come clean to enlist help in getting to
A mob of fledgling hunters calls the characters out, the bottom of the mystery. The Emir and the Fir’awn are
correctly identifying them as Beasts and divs with too threat enough, but the dilemma of whether to share their
much knowledge about how their powers work and what knowledge or not becomes direr for the characters when
their weaknesses are, before attacking. The characters they run into their first honest-to-God Strix. Can they keep
can fight, flee, or scatter the mob, but the question such an omen secret? Or must they out themselves as false
of how these humans knew so much in the first place Majnun practitioners to protect themselves, the domain,
remains — not to mention that most humans in this and maybe all Kindred everywhere?
era react to the supernatural with curiosity, not malice.
Either way, the Emirs of the Islamic world can no
What riled these people up enough to take up the Vigil,
longer ignore the strigine invasion once it becomes clear
and how are these now-frequent mobs getting their
that it isn’t a local problem, or one they can solve simply
hands on increasingly accurate intelligence about the
by exiling or visiting Final Death upon a few traitors. Divs
supernatural underworld?
of every domain have mixed feelings when, one by one,
At first, the Kindred focus their concerns on finding the their Emirs begin inviting Begotten allies and others of
culprit of a severe breach of Traditions or an occult rival’s their kin to Maqam, mandating that coteries extend these
secret meddling, while the Begotten assume the hunters outsiders every courtesy. Elders who remember the fall of
are some Hero’s followers whipped into a frenzy. As the the Camarilla or the nights immediately following, who
characters investigate, though, they find that all their rivals hear the echoes of flapping wings in their darkest torpor
are in the same position, no obvious point of Masquerade dreams, resolve to avoid the same fate no matter the cost.
breach can be found, and the hunter mobs almost never But what cost each one considers while the neonates and
work with Heroes at all. Beasts become crucial mediators ancillae bicker over bringing dragons, witches, and walk-
between disparate supernatural factions with a mutual ing automata into their sacred spaces, only those ancient
enemy but little else in common, herding overgrown cats dead know — until, perhaps, they pay it and let the chips
with magic powers and centuries of fierce rivalries. fall where they may.
Investigation tracks these hunters back to a single
source: the Bait al-Hikma, and a scribe named Bashir al-Jizi
who produces written tales feverishly documenting every
The Beast of Baghdad (Global)
detail of his mystical dreams, with notes in the margins In Baghdad, ordinary humans are no longer the only
pointing out useful passages for taking advantage of mon- ones gifted occult lore in their dreams. Kindred, the
sters’ weaknesses, and circulates them to anyone he can Children themselves, and others of their kin experience
find who has a traumatic or horrifying first encounter with revelatory nightmares that seed their subconscious with
the supernatural, thus deliberately exposing as many secrets secrets about each other. Moreover, some can dream lucidly
as possible to the right people to work up mobs of violent to control these revelations, allowing them to seek specific
reactionaries. If he can’t find people with such stories to information — such as a rival’s weaknesses or leverage
tell, he manipulates events to make them happen. Al-Jizi that can secure a potential ally’s cooperation. When the
hides behind anonymity and a network of eager patsies to characters must face a rival group that knows far too much
stay out of the line of fire, but the compact he’s building about their private affairs, prying into the cause demands
is a wildfire, and soon he’ll be left holding the match and their attention. They soon learn — or experience for
wondering how it all got so out of hand. themselves — that in mutating, the discordant Refrain
brings the urge to punish wrongdoing with violence, and
Echoes of the Camarilla (Regional) together with the secrets necessary to see the skeletons in
everyone’s closets, an all-out supernatural war threatens to
Several divs of various covenants demonstrate forbid- boil over. No denizen of the shadows is without skeletons
den knowledge of Majnun, and the Fir’awn are furious in their closet or trespasses against others.
to see their secrets in the hands of outsiders. As Kindred If the characters keep their heads long enough to
society begins to fracture over it, the characters discover investigate, they discover that Parysatis and her army of
152
Set in Harun al-Rashid’s Baghdad, The Father of
Locks by Andrew Killeen captures the history, soul, and
For Further Reading setting of the early Islamic Golden Age perfectly. It
also mimics both the genre and the story-within-a-
Beast: Building a Legend contains a lot of useful story structure of the Nights while remaining engaging
tips for designing a Beast chronicle and conveying to modern readers.
the mood of a region and its hive using the Hive Trait
and other setting elements. Neil Gaiman’s Sandman offers a stunning look at the
world of dreams; in particular, Baghdad and the Nights
Thousand Years of Night, the book about elder inspired the tale entitled Ramadan.
vampires, provides several chapters’ worth of advice
Robert Irwin’s Arabian Nights: A Companion provides
for running games that span eras. This includes how to
build and run flashbacks; how to use troupe play to lots of details about how the Islamic Golden Age regards
portray cyclical dynasties in which elder vampires take storytelling and Baghdad’s urban life. It also gives a his-
turns being active while the others are in torpor; and tory of the transmission of the Nights worldwide, making
a chronicle-building exercise that links elders together it essential if you want the events of this era to reverberate
at character creation across long spans of time, which in another age. Irwin’s fiction novels are also excellent
could easily be adapted to link disparate characters inspiration.
connected by the Refrain instead. Michael Cooperson’s biography Al-Ma’mun is a short
read, but chock full of relevant information about this
era. Cooperson spends a great deal of time discussing
the philosophical, scientific, and religious advances of
Dreamborn have invaded the Dabba’s Lair and, through the age.
him, spread the Refrain in a form even more twisted from Christopher Nolan’s film Inception is all about dreams
its original purpose, taking on his Legend and Hunger and stories. Every time Cobb’s team dives deeper into the
as it sweeps through the Primordial Dream and beyond. dream world, they create another narrative, which reflects
Destroying him is one option, but his personal power is the story structure of the Nights. The motif of ideas im-
matched only by the devotion of those who protect him — planted via multiple layers of dreams is a perfect thematic
his own brood, Baghdad’s government, his many allies, and match for the Refrain.
even the Strix, who recognize that the discordant Refrain Putumayo’s Arabic Beat album provides an authentic
resonates now from him out into the Hive, and from there Arabian sound. The music is contemporary, using instru-
into Hives elsewhere. The further the Refrain sounds, the ments and techniques that did not exist during the Islamic
more beacons of Majnun call the Owls from their slumber, Golden Age, but it conveys the heart and passion of Arabic
so they stand watch over the Beast of the Earth unseen as music to a modern audience.
his Legend devours the Astral. The core theme of the original Assassin’s Creed video
game is the liberating power of knowledge and the danger
Sources and Inspiration it entails. While Baghdad does not feature in the game,
it does provide a good sense of urban life in the Islamic
Golden Age.
The One Thousand and One Nights is essential reading for
this era. The Muhsin Mahdi edition translated by Husain
Haddawy and the Penguin Classics edition by Malcolm and
Ursula Lyons are both recommended.
153
Aisha moved through the darkened library corridors. She steadied her
shaking grip on the lantern clasped in her hand and prayed that the flick-
ering light did not betray her location. The scholar had been loath to
bring it, but at this hour, moonlight scarcely reached the floor of
the vast, labyrinthine building and going without would surely mean
being caught unaware by whatever hideous creature of darkness was ru-
mored to be hiding here. She secured the lance beneath the crook of
her arm, so its glimmering tip stayed well ahead of her. If any of her
colleagues caught her skulking around with this lantern and a weapon,
she’d be hard-pressed to explain herself.
Yes, of course, she imagined herself saying, the monsters of our
nightmares are real, and they lurk within the very structure of
our great society itself. I have brought this one weapon and
a light to stop them. Absurd. Aisha, however, had no inten-
tion to fight, rather to observe and confirm if any of the
strange rumors were true. Was Imam Rashid speaking with
some kind of devil in human flesh? Had he truly made a
compact that would cost his mortal soul? Once she had
these answers, she would return to her cell, and they
would then make a plan to stop the monsters. One young
woman alone would not be enough.
Ahead, Aisha heard the murmur of soft voices and —
against her better judgment — blew out the lantern and
stashed it between a collection of scrolls. She pressed
her back to the shelf and held her breath, turning the
fullness of her attention to the conversation as she
crept ahead.
Aisha recognized the soft timbre of her teach-
er’s voice and understood the quiet, pleading
intensity of his muffled words. A second voice
followed, sterner but feminine. She scoffed
to herself. If these wild rumors of unknow-
able arcane rituals and monsters in human
shape were a coverup for an affair, she was
going to be furious with the scribe who
informed the cell. As she drew closer,
she smelled incense, hot metal, and
something oily. Beneath the tones of
their conversation she heard a strange
buzzing — an altogether-unfamiliar
sound, like an alien insect. Warm
light spilled from the clandestine
meeting, and Aisha watched through
a space between the books.
Imam Rashid bent over a table
covered in unfurled scrolls. Across
from him, a fierce-eyed woman Aisha
did not recognize fixed the teacher
with her intense stare. Arcane sym-
bols impossible to comprehend and
hard to look at floated just above
the page. Aisha reflexively averted
her gaze as her mind raced to forget
what she saw.
“All you need to do is agree,” the
woman said in a rich, alto voice, “and
this understanding is yours.”
He shook his head, “I have longed to
know the truth, but the price…”
Aisha leaned in to get a better look
at the other objects on the table when
the end of the lance brushed against an
improperly shelved tome, knocking it loose
with a thud. The woman’s burning stare fixed
the scholar to the spot.
“It seems we have company.”
Empire
Empire of
of Gold
Gold and Dust
and Dust
1337-1347 CE
1337-1347 CE
The Empire of Mali conjures images of boundless riches. Commanding the
“From the far

trans-Saharan gold and salt trade, Mali is an economic powerhouse. In this era,
reaches of the
Mali is one of the largest empires in the world, second only to the Mongol Empire
Mediterranean
in Asia. From all over the known world, travelers converge on the Empire of
Sea to the
Mali intent on sharing Mansa Musa’s legacy. Considered the wealthiest man
Indus River,
to have ever lived, Mansa Musa’s stores of gold were immeasurable. While he
the faithful
was not the first mansa of the Empire of Mali, Mansa Musa is the most famous
approached the
and successful. Under his rule, the empire expanded to new heights. Claiming
city
of the of Mecca.
Timbuktu for the empire, he established the city as the epicenter of learning in
“From the far reaches
All tohad the same
the Islamic world. A devout Muslim, Mansa Musa undertook the hajj, bringing
Mediterranean
the objective to
with him thousands of people and enough gold, which disrupted local economies
Sea the Indus River,
worship
the city oftogether
wherever he traveled, for over a decade. This journey affirmed the ruler’s wealth
faithful approached
at
hadthe the most sacred
but also exposed Mali to new vulnerabilities caused by greed.
Mecca. All
shrine oftogether
Islam, the
Following his death, the empire began to decline. Mansa Musa’s son squan-
same objective
Kaaba most in Mecca.
ders much of its wealth during his four-year reign, and the empire never fully
to worship at
One suchthe traveler
recovers. Court officials seek to maximize their own power, undermining Mansa
the sacred shrine
was Mansa Musa,
Musa’s heirs in their quest for greater personal wealth and power.
of Islam, Kaaba
Sultan ofMansa
Mali
Hunters strive to uphold the empire’s legacy, rooting out supernatural
in Mecca. One such
in Sultan
Western
threats that undermine their beloved home. The Followers of the Mansa seek
traveler was
Africa.
information about the creatures secretly influencing their empire, and spread
Musa, of Mali in
Mansa had Musa
information as best they can, while the Golden Library records as much as
Western Africa. Mansa
had prepared
possible for posterity’s sake. Conspiracies of hunters from across the Islamic
Musa prepared
carefully
journey hefor the
world converge on Mali, to learn its secrets and gain what resources they can
carefully for the long
long journey he
to aid them in the Vigil.
and his
and
He hiswasattendants
attendants would take. While hunters struggle to make sense of the shaitan invading their homes,
would take. He
determined the Unchained recognize the leader’s death gives them an opportunity to build a
was hisdetermined
to travel not only sanctuary for themselves in Mali. After weakening the God-Machine in Niani,
to travel not
for own religious the demons thought their victory was assured, but their achievements could
for only forteachers

his
fulfillment, but also not last. As the God-Machine rapidly constructs new Infrastructure, demons
own religious
recruiting of the once-mighty Seven Shadows Agency watch impotently as their Covers
his fulfillment,
and leaders, so that erode and the holders of their pacts are targeted. A growing cult of religious
but of also for

realms could learn demons discover Unchained from across the known world are mysteriously
recruiting
more the Prophet’s drawn to Timbuktu and the mysteries it conceals. With tensions rising and hunt-
teachers and
teachings.” ers unraveling their secrets, the Unchained desperately hoard pacts and forge
leaders, so that
networks of mortal servants to protect themselves from the gathering storm.
his realms could

— Mahmud Kati,
learn more of
Chronicle of the Seeker Theme: Greed
the Prophet’s
teachings.”
The greatest king the world has ever known is dead. Mansa Musa’s incred-
ible wealth and generosity captivates the attention of the Islamic world and
Mahmud Kati,
beyond. Travelers from across the known world converge on Mali, intent on
Chronicle of the
taking as much of the empire’s legendary riches as they can.
Seeker
In the capital, court officials and Musa’s heirs wrestle for control of the
empire and its fortune. Embroiled in court intrigues, the empire’s wealth is
squandered or diverted into the pouches of foreign travelers. Desperation for gold
and salt leads to ill-advised deals and subtle betrayals. Demons seize upon this
156
Empire of Gold and Dust
desperation, offering pacts for fabulous riches in exchange then his son Wati, a brief period of misrule by Khalifa,
for services or shards of lives, but they are not above such and onward down the family line until the famous Musa I.
struggles themselves. Rulers of Mali took on the title “Mansa,” which translates
The most powerful demons in the Empire hoard pacts to “Master,” “conqueror,” or “Emperor.”
and attempt to maneuver mortal servants into advantageous The kingdom grew into a vast empire that spread from
positions, while demons from outside the empire try to seize the Atlantic coast to what is now known as the Niger River.
its riches to fund their own endeavors. While some demons Mali blossomed into a massive cosmopolitan empire, boast-
work together against their foes, most are greedy and selfish. ing a diverse population spread across 400 cities, towns, and
Mali’s hunters know something is wrong, but aren’t villages. At the time, only the Mongols controlled more
sure what evil has befallen Mali. While many would gladly land and people. To help rule this vast population, the
sacrifice themselves for the empire, few would leave their empire arranged itself into strict, hierarchical provinces
loved ones behind, and the temptation to secure their led by governor while cities and towns were presided over
family’s future is often stronger than their desire to fight by a mochrif, or mayor. This decentralization of power gave
a losing battle. the empire incredible stability and allowed it to thrive even
under poor and fractious leadership. Besides its strong politi-
Mood: Uncertainty cal structure, the empire also had a large army, trained to
quash any rebellions and to keep the all-important trade
Despite their wealth, Mansa Musa’s heirs struggle to hold routes safe. At its peak, the army consisted of over 100,000
onto their empire. Court officials undermine them at every well-trained soldiers devoted to the empire.
turn, seeking to seize the mansa’s legacy for their own and These trade routes ran through three of Mali’s major
fill their pouches from the empire’s dwindling stores. The cities: Timbuku, Djenne, and Kawkaw. Each of these cit-
fame of Mansa Musa’s fortune has spread far, and the empire ies is situated along the river, readily facilitating the flow
welcomes an influx of outsiders who bear no loyalty to the of commerce and goods from one end of the empire to the
empire or its people. While the rising instability worries other. From the western side of the empire, mines produced
the people of Mali, it is far worse for those operating in salt and gold, staples of the Malian trade. Wealth moved
the shadows. Hunters expect monsters will see that Mali along the river to the ocean and inland to Mali’s neighbors.
has been weakened, and fear what will happen should they This was the lifeblood of the empire, and its vast wealth
take advantage of the failing empire. was critical to Mali’s lasting power and success.
Hunters seeking to protect the legacy of Mansa Musa After the short reign of Khalifa, his rulership was fol-
must contend with both the mortal intrigues and the lowed by that of Abu Bakr, whose reign was also short-lived.
machinations of the demons lurking in their midst. As the In a coup, a man named Sakura deposed Abu Bakr, but his
demons attempt to infiltrate their lives, the hunters must time on the throne abruptly ended when, after his conver-
cope with the fact that any ally or loved one today might sion to Islam, he was murdered on a pilgrimage to Mecca.
be a devil in disguise tomorrow. When the mansa departed for a pilgrimage, he appointed a
Accustomed to enjoying the fruits of Mali’s wealth, regent to rule in his stead whose duty would be to ascend to
demons find their comfortable positions torn away, their the throne, should something happen to the current king.
Covers unraveling under the scrutiny of hunters even as the While Sakura was on his pilgrimage, the man he appointed
God-Machine enjoys a resurgence. The intrigues among the to the position was none other than the famous Kankou
mortal court threaten what security the Unchained retain, Musa. Musa assumed the title of mansa circa 1312, just 80
rendering their schemes for power more unreliable. Demons years after Sundiata established the empire. Some demons
from distant lands flock to the empire, but most are at a believe the God-Machine turned the tide of circumstance to
loss to explain why. Hunter and demon alike see that their arrange for the rise of Mansa Musa, though they have been
futures depend on the right information, and both seek unable to procure any conclusive evidence. His ascendance
answers to the mysteries of Mali for any edge they might to the throne was momentous, following strange occur-
gain for the coming conflict. rences. The God-Machine had already proved interested
in the West African empire, so demons worked to further

install themselves in Musa’s court in order to investigate.
The rise of Mansa Musa brought peace, prosperity and
stability. He was a figurehead, a celebrity, and a ruler be-
In 1235, after the defeat of Sumanguru Kanté — ruler loved by many. As with any person who held such power
of the Susu Kingdom — Sundiata, the rebellious leader of and sway, all opportunistic sorts from hunter to demon to
the small Malinké kingdoms, founded the kingdom of Mali. monster alike sought to be part of his social circles and
He unified the Malinké and declared the city of Niani, his have an opportunity to manipulate his choices. Knowing
birthplace, as the capital of his new kingdom. Through his this, hunters struggled to counter these efforts, attempting
lifetime, Sundiata expanded the boundaries of his kingdom everything in their power to keep the mansa safe. During
until his death when he was succeeded first by his son Wali, his reign, hunters founded the Followers of the Mansa,
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adhering to his religious beliefs and his love of academia, heard tales of a kingdom of gold, religious clerics, scholars,
and applying these principles to defending their kingdom and travelers of all stripes flocked to the great cities of Mali.
through observation, study, and cautious approach. With the influx of foreigners seeking to invest, trade, and
Day to day life in the Malian empire revolves around study, more sinister things followed along the trade route.
mining, agriculture, and trade. Miners delve deep into the The deposed vampires called for aid from their kindred in
earth to dredge up blocks of valuable salt and precious Europe, preparing to take back their hunting grounds in
gold. Laborers move cargo from riverboats to the shore, or Niani. Ghosts and spirits followed along, attached to the
from caravans to the markets. Merchants direct caravans thoughts and feelings of traveling academics. As the God-
loaded with goods or direct cargo ships to port, along with Machine does not work on a miniscule scale, Its agents
guides, porters, and navigators. An emphasis on learning too traveled into Mali along the trade routes, to clash with
brought many scholars to Mali’s cosmopolitan cities, some the demons nearly successful in building their own Hell
of them secular academics, others religious clerics. Free men in Niani. All the while, hunters struggled to contain and
and women also enlist themselves in the empire’s armed study this surplus of new threats.
forces, becoming palace guards or going to war to secure
new territory. In the capital, courtiers and diplomats attend
to political affairs while governors and mochrifs oversee
Death of an Emperor
daily, common life. The empire is stable and safe, and the All great things must come to an end, and in 1337,
everyday person sees little threat from outside invasion, Mansa Musa died and passed his reign to his son, Maghan.
cruelty, or starvation. His death began the slow decline of the empire as insta-
bility crept in from all sides. Musa’s children did not hold
Pilgrimage of a Lifetime the same popular sway their father did, and enemies from
without and within turned their eyes toward the wealthy,
A devout Muslim, Mansa Musa also chose to make the weakened empire.
long trek from western Africa to Mecca. In 1324, he de- The gradual collapse of the empire has overturned
parted from Mali to make the trip. His journey, however, was monster haunts as people move, political alliances shift,
no humble, ordinary affair. To demonstrate the incalculable and money loses value. This chaotic time of slow decline
wealth of his empire, Musa traveled with hundreds of camels has also created new, vulnerable prey. Desperate people
and a retinue of 60,000 people: servants, soldiers, scholars, who once held power are willing to make dark pacts or fell
and courtiers. Each person and beast were loaded for bear agreements to reclaim what they’ve lost. Those who have
with chests and sacks of gold. Mansa Musa distributed this wealth and fear losing it find themselves vulnerable to the
gold freely to everyone he met, and he gave generously, predation of monsters. Demons learned quickly that the
casually upending local economies in his wake. Word of the political climate is ripe for targets willing to offer up their
Malian king’s spectacle and generosity spread throughout souls in return for material wealth, power, and control.
the world. Legends hold that along the way, Musa built a Hunters, too, find their societies rocked and crumbling,
new mosque every week. Musa spent every single ounce of support networks strained to their brink and resources taxed
gold he brought with him, and stories tell that he had to and diminished.
borrow money for the trip home. Beyond supernatural threats, mortal politics threaten to
With such a vast undertaking bringing power and tear the empire apart. First, the Wolof people declare their
recognition to the Malian empire, hunters, demons, and secession from the empire. In the city of Kawkaw, a rebellion
other monsters alike acted to be part of the mansa’s great foments; dissatisfied citizens express their quiet desire to
pilgrimage. They disguised themselves in many forms, from be independent of the empire. On the borders, the Tuareg
humble gold-carrying servants, to hardy navigators, to nomads watch as corruption, intrigue, and infighting slowly
financial advisors seeking the ear of Mansa Musa himself. weaken the decentralized structure of the empire. They
Hunters fought to keep their king safe from overt threats, wait for an ideal moment to strike, their hungry gaze on
while agents of interested demons observed and manipu- the wealth and commerce of Timbuktu. The empire stands
lated key figures. They struggled to direct the course of the a fragile house of cards, ready to tip at a moment’s notice.
journey, a subtle tug of war simmering beneath an ostenta-
Where We Are
tious surface while the mansa scattered gold to the four
corners of the earth.
Though he was a religious man, Mansa Musa did not
force the practice of Islam upon his citizenry. His celebrity Mansa Musa’s death rocked the world. His reputation
and popularity made converting to the religion a common and personal charisma put the empire of Mali on the lips
choice, but Musa encouraged personal choice and study. He of people thousands upon thousands of miles away from the
promoted the creation of mosques and madrasas (centers West African kingdom. The vast stores of gold he brought
of learning) and welcomed all comers to his empire as an with him introduced the precious substance to places who
urbane place of culture and academic discourse. Having had previously never seen the mineral, let alone such
158
material wealth in person. Unsurprisingly this earned the large enough to swallow a boat whole (or so they claim)
Mali Empire a reputation for being paved with gold, where that swim beneath the river’s surface and await unsuspect-
no man, woman, or child wanted for anything. ing prey. Miners tell tales of dangerous, unspeakable things
After his passing, his son, Maghan I, claims the throne lurking beneath the earth or of indecipherable writing found
and rules for a brief time before the warlike and ambitious glowing on the walls of abandoned mine shafts. Neither
Suleyman usurps the throne and takes his place. Ripples hunter nor demon ignore these tall tales lightly, for every
of dissent rolled through the empire. If the king could be drunken story about an encounter with the strange holds
so easily overthrown, perhaps the role of Mansa could be a grain of truth.
claimed by anyone with the will to take it.
Nobles and governors scheme behind closed doors,
whispering of who might make the next attempt for ruler-
ship. If it is anyone’s game, it may as well be theirs. In the
Locations
The places within the Mali Empire where characters will
royal palace itself, the king ferociously holds to his position,
visit include the metropolitan city of Niani and Timbuktu.
knowing that he is beset on all sides by hungry enemies. It is
this instability and greed that will ultimately undo the great
empire. Meanwhile, outside the empire’s borders, external Niani
threats lie in wait, craving to conquer and control the em- The capital of the empire and birthplace of the first king,
pire’s significant resources. Owning even one of the empire’s Sundiata, it is the crown jewel of Mali. Niani is renowned
gold mines would make them wealthy beyond belief, and for his vast wealth, a bustling hub of commerce, trade, and
if they could also seize the trade routes, they would rule political maneuvering. At the height of its power, records
as kings themselves. All the while, in the shadows of the report that the city held a population of over 20 million
empire, even darker, more dangerous threats lurk. people — a city on par with any modern civilization. As
Beyond mundane concerns, hunters fight a war besieged a major city, travelers from within the empire and tourists
on all fronts. Ghosts and spirits stalk the streets in Kawkaw; from across the world journeyed to the great city to partici-
stranger, more powerful creatures have taken over Niani, pate in religious and academic lectures, to study at any of
and the call of unlimited knowledge tempt academics with its madrasas, or simply to bear witness to the capital made
a dark side in Timbuktu. Meanwhile, all around them the famous by the pilgrimage of Mansa Musa.
structure of their empire collapses and resources run dry Life in Niani is never dull. The jewel of the empire
as the tides change. Some hunters argue for a cautious boasts crowded streets, fine food, and any kind of entertain-
approach, to study and wait and see, while others demand ment a person of the era might desire. Fashion trends begin
action. There are certain threats, the cautious warn, that in the capital and spread to the empire along the river and
cannot be handled with violence. Stretched thin and the overland trade. Here the elite rub elbows, being vis-
weary, hunters in the empire of Mali have their work cut ible on the crowded streets. Foreign faces color the crowd,
out for them. each bringing their own strange stories and customs. Those
Demons struggle against the ever-present influence of fortunate enough might get invited to a noble’s soiree, but
the God-Machine. In Mali, the hand of angels is apparent in those without means still enjoy the performances of poets,
the empire’s wealth, stability, and long-term success. Their minstrels, and storytellers. Whether a person controls a
success in Niani has been short-lived, and their cosmic portion of the empire’s vast wealth or earns a modest liv-
enemy continues to move, building a strange machine in ing in the mines, Niani promises something for everyone.
the desert and skirmishing to recover its lost foothold. All Beyond mortal affairs, Niani was once the seat of vam-
the while they face opposition from hunters, from the other pire power. Demons in Mali overthrew them in an overt
monsters they deposed, as well as angels and their agents. display of supernatural power, going loud and revealing
Demons work their agenda through cults and intermediar- their true natures to the prince and her court. Faced with
ies, only acting directly when circumstance dictates that monsters far greater than even the apex predators, the vam-
they must. Rarely do hunters and demons clash with each pires fled, abandoning their fertile hunting grounds. While
other one on one. A hunter is far more likely to take down this gained demons a significant foothold in the empire,
a cult leader than the demon herself. allowing them time to suborn Infrastructure to their own
Though the common person enjoys relative safety and purposes, the wound to the pride of the vampires still festers,
comfort thanks to the empire’s stability and wealth, they are and the undead do not forgive slights easily. Hunters may
not safe from supernatural threats. At a local level, Malian find unlikely allies against demons among vampire society.
hunters pursue reports of hauntings and cursed objects As a seat of power among the Fallen, Niani is the central
brought in from the river trade. Evil ghosts and spirits at- hub for numerous cults. They send their members into the
tack people on the fringes of society, and those who cannot bustling streets, spreading their message and seeking new
obtain costly mystical protections afforded to the wealthy membership. A strategic choice on the part of the demons
must turn to charlatans and hucksters. Riverboat pilots and involved, they hope that the ever-growing presence of
dockhands spread wild stories of encounters with beasts
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Locations
these cults will spark the interest of a bored noble socialite other, invaluable and precious objects put on display as an
and he or she will join. Once they have the attention of a economic show of force. While the average person in the
noble, it is a simple of matter of tempting them into a pact empire would rarely see any part of the palace past the Hall
and gaining access to the throne itself. Hunters in Niani of Audience, a character with a diplomatic bent might be
know the power balance of monsters shifted, and that these welcomed into the more private quarters.
new cults are on the rise, and have worked tirelessly to To an outsider, the royal palace appears as a serene place
investigate and stop them. Despite their protections and of power and opulence. The truth is that it seethes with
talents, hunters are not immune to persuasion and must quiet instability as monsters crawl in through every crack
take caution when dealing directly with the cults and their and open window to corrupt and influence the nobility,
charismatic leaders. while hunters struggle to leverage any opportunity to get
Amid the chaos of the political scene in Niani, rumors within in order to protect those inside from supernatural
fly that the theft of gold from royal coffers is at an all-time danger. Demon cults beg for the ear of the nobility and the
high. Accusations fly left and right while auditors, ac- mansa himself. Meanwhile, purely mundane greed fuels
countants, and courtiers scramble to find scapegoats for petty squabbling for human political power. With every
their missing funds, but even the empire’s most talented creature, hunter, cultist, and scheming politician scrabbling
investigators cannot find the culprit. Hunters in Niani sus- for a stake in the control of the empire, life in the royal
pect supernatural influence, as the thieves vanish without a palace is far from idle and blissful.
trace. The strange, perfect circumstance arouses suspicion
among the demons who sense the fingerprints of an angel Military Garrison
on these unusual material disappearances. Tensions run
high, as for the common person working in and around the Spartan in comparison to the lavish culture spots and the
palace, it means that someone above them might decide royal palace itself, the garrison sits squat and fearsome among
they’re to blame. the other buildings of the city. It is positioned close enough to
the palace to make a threat clear to dissenters and outsiders:
Any attempt to harm the royal family or their seat of power
Hall of Audience will be met with violence. With such vast territory to protect,
When a citizen of the empire has a grievance or a case the Malian army is always accepting new members, and eager
to bring before the court, they are brought to the Hall of recruits willing to become soldiers can enlist directly at the
Audience. More than just a place of reception, the Hall garrison. Many other military bases exist across the expanse
was designed to awe the visitor with a taste of the elites’ of the empire, but the garrison in Niani shoulders the burden
wealth and power. It was decorated lavishly with stunning of protecting the mansa and his family.
mosaics and was famous for its immense, curving dome lined Many hunters awaken to the Vigil from military service.
with reflective, silver foil. This receiving area was attached These hunters typically prefer a more violent approach to
directly to the palace and allowed the common populace dealing with the supernatural — a lethal choice when it
to have their voice heard — but also kept them separate comes to demons — though many from this background
from the goings-on within. are driven by a desire to protect those who cannot defend
Being members of their communities, hunters have plen- themselves. Demons find easy Covers among foot soldiers,
ty of reasons — often mundane — for bringing grievances often using a nameless infantry soldier as a burner Cover
to the Hall of Audience. Besides civic concerns, hunters to gain access to restricted places. With its close proximity
may have connections within the royal palace: a patron, a to the royal palace, demons sometimes find it easier to pose
concerned noble, a contact in disguise. Additionally, cult as a nameless guard than to co-opt the identity of a more
members and cult leaders frequent the hall to request more noticeable courtier or princeling.
property, more freedoms, and more subsidies for their “reli- Court Bureaucrat
gious” activities. They are tireless, persistent, and, much to
the hunters’ dismay, slowly gaining ground in Niani. Some Muhammad Nasir always had a mind for numbers and
hunters have begun to suspect that the cults may have a a keen eye for detail. The child of a wealthy family, he was
mole within the palace, an embedded agent greasing the neither the eldest — and therefore destined to inherit his
wheels to make sure they get what they ask for. father’s money and titles — nor ambitious enough to unseat
his brother’s claim, so he found himself a bureaucrat work-
Royal Palace ing within the Malian political machine. Midnight-dark,
lean, and handsome, Nasir is easy to get along with and a
In the seat of the impossibly wealthy empire, its royalty good listener. He’s good at his job, so people trust him, and
resides within the walls of the palace. As to be expected, the if he just happens to overhear something critical, he might
palace stood as a monument to the tremendous economic be willing to pass it along to an inquiring character for the
success of the kingdom. Designed to overwhelm visitors right price. Academics 3, Politics 2, Empathy 2
(especially foreign diplomats) with displays of gold, treasures
from around the world, rare and unique works of art and
160
Guard Captain Kawkaw; during the day hucksters, con artists and scammers
spin yarns to part a sucker from their hard-earned coin. At
Sunjata Kankou’s loyalty to the mansa and the royal
night, footpads and thieves prey on anyone careless with
family is unquestionable. She considers it her upright and
their money while vampires tempt the naïve into dark alleys
absolute duty to ensure the safety and protection of her king
to feed on their blood. Hunter cells operating in Kawkaw
and instills that fervent ideology in the cadre of soldiers
become seasoned quickly, with no end of threats to manage
entrusted to her leadership. Kankou is nearly incorruptible
night after night.
and cannot be persuaded to step away from what she sees
as her life’s work, but characters not looking to harm the Kawkaw boasts a high population of hunters, thanks to
royal family may find a steadfast and trustworthy ally in the this increased number of monsters. The Followers of the
guard captain. She cares little for backstabbing and intrigue Mansa consider time spent in Kawkaw excellent training
but can be convinced to assist characters in their political for new hunters, as a month spent in the port city will ex-
maneuvering, if it would be in the empire’s best interests. pose even the greenest hunter to a staggering assortment
Athletics 2, Intimidation 2, Weaponry 3 of threats. The Followers keep a scribe stationed in the
city to keep an ongoing record of every strange, occult,
Minor Noble and supernatural occurrence reported and observed by its
Ziad Ghaazi is the eldest son of a governor. Young and hunters. Besides the abundance of opportunities to clash
impulsive, he seeks his fortune as a courtier in the capital with monsters, easy access to the river makes for easy travel
city. Ziad is ambitious to a fault, hoping to claim his father’s through the empire and the city’s hunters claim at least one
title and exceed him as a leader. If a character can offer Ziad of the smaller docks and a modest number of riverboats.
anything in line with his political goals or offer to advance his Concern ripples through the merchants’ conversations
career, he will do his best to return the favor. Given his preoc- at caravanserai when word spreads that slaves have been
cupation with his goals, the young noble is keenly aware of stolen from shipments of human commodity. Kidnapping
his peers’ plans, connections, and current standing with each slaves is far from uncommon, but concern grows into fear
other and the royal family. With the right motivation, Ziad when the stolen people are found, covered in the blood of
is a wealth of information perhaps necessary for a hunter’s their kidnappers. Furious, violent rebellion spreads among
investigations. Persuasion 2, Politics 3, Subterfuge 2. slave populations — far more brutal and visceral than or-
dinary humans should be capable of. Hunters immediately
Kawkaw suspect the influence of the supernatural, as the stationed
scribe makes a new entry in their record of the city’s strange
Of the cities along the Niger River, Kawkaw (now called
occurrences. Is this the work of a possessor ghost, a vengeful
Gao) is the most critical, and the most rebellious. A major
spirit, a member of the vampire court, or something new?
port along the river, the city sees much of the empire’s
trade and commerce. Any good or service a person could
desire can be found in the markets of Kawkaw for a variety River Port
of competing prices. Prior to the rise of Mali, Kawkaw had Boats loaded for bear with salt, gold, and other goods
been the seat of the former Gao empire, and had broken cluster in bright groups around the docks. Dockhands
away from the empire after its capture, only be reclaimed glistening with sweat unload crates and sacks of cargo to
while Musa I was on his famous pilgrimage to Mecca. The be transported to the market or exchanged with other mer-
undercurrent of rebellion runs along the streets in the chants. Stern-eyed boat captains check their manifests and
beating trade heart of the Mali Empire, making the crucial grant their travel-weary crews a few days’ reprieve in the
economic city a hotbed of secrets and intrigue. bustling city. Ships returning to the empire wait patiently
Rebellion seethes in Kawkaw. With the rest of the for their clearances to be approved and for their crews to
empire in turmoil and the structure of society crumbling, return. Characters seeking work can find it readily here, or
those who’d always resented Malian rule now unite to those pursuing travel through the empire can find a willing
express their displeasure and plan their eventual secession vessel and crew to transport them down the river, while
from the empire. Demagogues shout stirring messages in the other characters might look to intercept a particular ship-
street while laborers haul cargo from ships to be delivered ment before it reaches its planned destination.
further into the empire or sold in any of Kawkaw’s dozens of The port opens the possibility of travel and exchange
markets. While Niani claims the title of most cosmopolitan with the rest of the empire and, on a greater scale, the rest of
and fashionable, a person interested in the strange, rare, the world. Anyone, monster and hunter alike, with the right
or unusual can find it for sale in Kawkaw. If a person has contacts can spread a message or exchange necessary supplies
money, all doors in Kawkaw are open. along the river. Likewise, foreign monsters arrive in the city
After their defeat in Niani, the vampire court resettled from the river as easily as local monsters leave. Though for
in Kawkaw, adding one more threat to the night beyond every foreign ghost or spirit following a haunted soul into
ghosts, spirits, violent revolutionaries, and rumors of river Kawkaw, a hunter, seasoned by her time in Kawkaw, catches
monsters. The innocent and the trusting are at risk in a boat to face down something bigger and more sinister in
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Locations
Timbuktu or Niani. Likewise, critical scrolls containing Caravan Leader
information for stopping the latest occult threat arrive from
Negin Abbasi has deliveries to make and money to earn,
the Great Library, marked with the seal of the Followers.
and no time to waste with small talk. She’s a short, stout
woman dressed for the road with a brusque, businesslike
Bazaar attitude. Her caravan is an efficient, well-managed organiza-
Beneath the colorful canopies of merchant stalls erected tion with a reputation for always arriving on time, come hell
to shade the sellers from the harsh sun, an enterprising or high water. Negin stays on top of worldly news though
buyer can find anything she might desire. Kawkaw is a city cares little for petty gossip. If characters need passage across
of trade and all manner of goods and services arrive within the empire or information about the greater events of the
its borders by either land or river. If it can be bought or sold, world, Negin is a valuable resource. She hates to have her
hired or rented, a character can attain it at one of Kawkaw’s time wasted, however, and will turn quickly on anyone she
many bazaars. Besides the usual items or services avail- thinks isn’t worth speaking to. Drive 3, Science 1, Survival 2
able, information flows freely through these marketplaces. Dock Hand
Characters pursuing the supernatural need only know where
Tawfik Boushab’s family are miners. His father was a salt
and who to ask, and a wealth of secrets and information
miner, his grandfather was a salt miner, and so on, but Tawfik
will be opened to them.
didn’t want to spend his life beneath the earth, toiling where
Treasure hunters set up stalls in the bazaar, selling any
the sun doesn’t shine. He much prefers to work where the
number of strange, ominous objects. They promise good
sun does shine, and as soon as he was of age, he left his family,
fortune, saying they found them in hidden caches beneath
joined up with the first riverboat captain who would hire him
the sands of the Sahara. Those who purchase these un-
and made his life moving cargo along the wide Niger River.
usual objects find that the opposite happens, including
Tawfik is a large, quiet man who doesn’t speak much but is
a death caused by circumstances so unfortunate it could
a keen observer. He’s willing to do any sort of labor for a fair
only be called a curse. Kawkaw’s hunters have begun to
price, and perhaps for a higher price, will share what he’s seen
investigate these treasure hunters and their claims. Could
and heard. Athletics 3, Brawl 2, Survival 2
the objects truly be cursed? More importantly, where are
these hidden caches in the desert brimming with strange, Untrustworthy Merchant
magical treasures? How many more of these objects have Francisco Alvarez is a long way from his homeland, a
already been sold? place he left thanks to a reputation for being a liar, a cheat,
and a swindler. This reputation is far from undeserved, and
Caravanserai while Francisco is no longer in the company of those who
remember his scams, he hasn’t stopped trying to perform
Like the river port, the caravan route merges the city
them. His crew of boatmen are always in on the con, mer-
with the rest of the empire via land passage. All manner
cenary men and women purchased with the promise of a
of wheeled conveyances from simple two-wheeled carts
share in the big score. Francisco has traveled across the
to elaborate trade wagons group together at the city’s
globe, seen many places and done many things — if char-
checkpoint. A blend of dialects and languages fills the air
acters can trust what he says to be the truth, he’s a wealth of
commingled with the smell of metal, salt, sweat, and beasts
knowledge about both the mundane and the supernatural.
of burden. Characters seeking passage over land or protec-
Larceny 3, Occult 1, Subterfuge 2
tion for their cargo can easily find it among the caravan
drivers. As caravans often group together to camp, word of
mouth travels swiftly along the land routes, and characters Timbuktu
looking for news or information about other goings on in Another major city on the Niger River, Timbuktu also
the empire can obtain it with a conversation among the hosts a center of trade, but more importantly, this city is well
caravan workers. known in the empire for its academic centers. Where gold,
Here, too, traveling merchants spread tales of hidden salt, and trade goods cross hands in Kawkaw, philosophy,
treasure beneath the Sahara and of some kind of great turn- art, and ideas are exchanged in Timbuktu. Musa I promoted
ing machine, made of gold and infinitely complex. Demons and encouraged learning and scholarly pursuits and made
working in Kawkaw pay attention for these kinds of stories Timbuktu a fixture in the book trade of the ancient world.
and ply traders with wine to loosen their tongues so they During his reign the city saw a rapid rise in growth, blos-
talk more freely. Merchants and caravan laborers make for soming into an urbane place of culture and learning in the
ideal contacts and Covers. If any group of people has access short span of a few years. The city boasts more libraries than
to news and stories about the unusual events of the greater any other of its kind, and is a bustling, diverse place to live.
world, it is merchant-caravan leaders. For similar reasons, At any hour of the day in Timbuktu, the curious or the
hunters take care to make friends among those who travel insatiable for knowledge can find a venue to hear a poet
the overland trade routes. recite his work, attend a lecture at the Sankore Masjid or
162
any of the dozens of madrasas that dot the city, or participate uncovered an ancient tome granting the ability to render
in a salon with other like-minded philosophers. People arcane materials into tinctures and potions that give the
from all over the world come to Timbuktu to read and learn drinker incredible power. When the studious folk who
and study; it is an academic’s paradise, where one can have come to Timbuktu for learning and discourse drift down
discourse with brilliant men and women from Europe or as this left-hand path, the hunters of Timbuktu (including
far away as Asia. Like Niani, the residents of Timbuktu do the Librarians) rally to stop them.
not want for things to do.
Timbuktu is the home of the hunter compact the Great Mosque
Golden Library. This small group of hunters stations
One of the most famous religious constructions of its
their headquarters within the Sankore Masjid and vets its
time, the Great Mosque at Timbuktu opens its doors to
members through rigorous exams and testing. They focus
religious pilgrims from every corner of the Earth. The Great
on studying supernatural forces and archiving information
Mosque is a holy site visited by the city’s faithful, and is
about monsters as well as curating a collection of artifacts
well-trafficked by those who could not afford to make the
and occult objects they deem too dangerous to be in an
pilgrimage to Mecca. The mosque serves as a place of wor-
average person’s hands. Any person of academic pursuit
ship, a community center, and as an institute of culture and
who awakens to the Vigil may find welcome among their
learning. Those who want to study the Quran or engage in
limited ranks and enjoy access to their personal collection
philosophical discourse will be welcomed within the halls
of tomes and powerful items.
of the Great Mosque, provided they show proper respect
Obsessive study has its downsides. Some scholars grow while visiting this sacred location.
too curious, delving further and further into mysteries they
cannot tear themselves away from, until it consumes them.
Darkness consumes these ambitious scholars and their curi-
Sankore Masjid
osity drives them to acts of depravity. Rumor travels through Unlike many contemporary universities in Europe,
the learned circles of Timbuktu that a cult of alchemists has Sankore Masjid is not a secular organization. Though it
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Locations
offers courses on dozens of different secular topics from days to make time to see one of Aya’s performances. She
mathematics to economics, the faculty and staff are mem- is gregarious and friendly, as big and bold in private as she
bers of the Islamic clergy. Its campus library hosts thousands is before a crowd. Even when not performing or speaking,
of manuscripts that arrived in Timbuktu via the book trade, Aya dresses in bright colors and the latest fashions. As a
both by river and land, each available in a variety of lan- jelimuso, Aya has memorized dozens of stories about the
guages. Scholars from around the globe travel to Timbuktu history of the empire and is a wealth of information for
to lecture, share their knowledge, and learn in the masjid’s anyone willing to strike up a conversation. Academics 2,
halls. It is far from uncommon for a student at the university Empathy 2, Expression 3
to encounter both teachers and students alike from as far Pious Cleric
away as India or China.
Hadi Osei knew from a young age that he wanted to
Hunters looking to join the Golden Library must attend
serve Allah. When he came of age, he told his parents he
a specific course hidden on the university’s schedule. If they
would rather be a man of the cloth than join the family’s
pass this course — a trial that involves essays, rigorous dis-
gold-trading profession and traveled to Timbuktu to enter
course, and a demonstration of knowledge and trustworthi-
the clergy at the Great Mosque. Hadi is still in his youth,
ness — they are accepted as a member. Following this, the
though laugh lines have begun to form at the corners of
hunter is expected to record their observations and report
his eyes. He is a deeply devoted individual and his faith
any sightings of occult artifacts or supernatural activities.
is unshakeable. The young man is a fixture of the com-
Demons visiting Sankore Masjid seek out pact targets from
munity, well-liked by the regular attendees of the mosque.
the knowledge-thirsty; they are fully aware that hunters visit
Characters may find him an invaluable resource for navigat-
Sankore Masjid, but feel the benefits outweigh the risks.
ing the social circles of Timbuktu. Academics 2, Empathy
Professors and students alike hunger to know about the
3, Occult 1
secrets of the universe, and demons are more than willing
to share information for a price. Devoted Student
The daughter of a wealthy merchant, Nadira Abdellahi
Great Library traveled from outside the empire to pursue her studies at the
A vast collection of tomes and scrolls, the Great Library Sankore Masjid. Her interests lie in economics, trade, and
at Timbuktu holds enough knowledge on its shelves to rival diplomacy and she could think of no better place to study
even the fabled Library of Alexandria. Musa I expanded the than in the thriving Malian empire. Though she dutifully
library’s collection significantly during his reign, bringing attends to her lessons during the day, Nadira is adventurous
in scholarly texts and literatures from every culture he and flirtatious, with a taste for adventure and getting into
encountered on his pilgrimage and many more. Anything trouble. If asked, she will readily share everything she’s
characters could possibly wish to research —including sub- learned, but will also glom onto any whiff of danger, invit-
jects of the supernatural — can be found nestled away in ing herself along to any kind of hunter pursuit — especially
the Great Library’s voluminous archives. The more unusual ones far too dangerous for her. Academics 3, Investigation
and occult scrolls require certain clearances to access, and 2, Politics 2
characters researching in the library may need to bribe or
talk their way into reading the library’s hidden lore.
Demons and hunters are equally invested in the library’s
archives. Hunters with access to the library’s hidden ar-
What’s Yet to Come
Instability creeps into the once-unshakeable empire of
chives gain a wealth of knowledge about the world, both Mali. From within, ordinary mortals driven by ambition
mundane and supernatural. Any member of the Golden and greed threaten to tear the kingdom apart. Every noble
Library compact automatically has access to the Great family considers making a move for the throne while the
Library’s stores; an unaffiliated savvy hunter with the right royalty in power fight to retain their grasp on the empire.
contacts may also be able to gain access to certainbooks Rebels in Kawkaw threaten to break away from the cohesion
and scrolls. Demons suspect an angel may have meddled in of the empire again and speak in secret of sedition. Outside
the information stored in the library, bestowing knowledge the empire, the nomadic Tuareg set their sights on the vul-
beyond human understanding to the people in Timbuktu. nerable mines and trade routes in the hopes that claiming
Besides sensing the meddlesome hand of the God-Machine them will bring some of the wealth the empire has claimed.
and Its agents, anyone seeking the library’s hidden stacks They move in quick strikes, avoiding all-out war. Though
desires uncommon knowledge — easy leverage for a demon. Mali may be beginning to crumble, it still commands an
Popular Jelimuso impressive military and the Tuareg are not foolhardy.
People flock from all corners of the empire to hear Aya Beyond mortal threats, darker, more powerful things
Jedou perform. She commands the attention of her audi- arise to speed the collapse. Once, vampires ruled the desert
ence with her powerful voice and lively storytelling style. nights. A thriving population and many bustling metropo-
Even foreigners just arriving in Timbuktu know within lises are ideal breeding grounds for the rulers of the night.
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However, something else stronger and far more insidious of different demons, nor will they clearly understand how
appeared and drove them from their roosts. Vampires still the Unchained function in society. To many Malinese
haunt the night, feeding on the unwary who venture into hunters, demons are the stuff of legend and myth: Islamic
their territory, but demons have made themselves known as hunters recognize them as shaitan, but don’t possess the
the true threat to the realm, and the hunters of the era turn knowledge to fight them effectively. Some demons may be
their sights towards studying and casting out these monsters. treated as evil spirits while others are considered djinnis
The rapid rise of the Malian empire and its slow de- or angry ghosts. How can a hunter fight when they aren’t
cline into instability has brought the attention of demons. sure who the enemy is? What does this mean for the future
Though hunters may be unaware, the God-Machine works of their empire?
here, Its infinite machinery turning beneath and around Once hunters realize a greater mystery is at work, the veil
the palace, the Great Library, the Sankore Masjid. With that separates the supernatural from the world of mortals
infighting and corruption on the rise, demons find easy will lift. At that moment, hunters will understand that some
targets to seduce into their infernal pacts and then revel in supernatural threats function beyond a typical human’s
the vices of the mortal world. They whisper in the ears of comprehension and facing them is next to impossible with-
unsuspecting courtiers, bureaucrats, nobles, and merchants out a plan in place. Even so, hunters have help. They can
and drive them to satisfy their base desires, driving the find hidden tomes in the Great Library that speak of these
empire ever onward to its collapse. What will happen if cosmic threats, they can ally with other hunters, and they
the demons get what they want? can protect the people. Hunters may never know a demon
has witnessed the divine machinery of the universe. What
Hunter: Hope
human can grasp such a concept? The God-Machine is a
mystery that will fascinate them for some time, but most
and Darkness hunters are more pragmatic. They know to truly make a
difference they must focus on protecting the people around
Though it may not appear as such from the outside, the them before launching a full-scale assault on an enemy they
empire is in turmoil. Something crawls just beneath the may never understand.
surface, something terrible and insidious, and something
that wishes to see the whole of society torn down. Like a For the Player:
hidden machine, it churns and grinds, moving inexorably
towards an unknowable end. Each passing day ticks closer
Building a Hunter
towards this outcome, influenced by human and monster Hunters of the era hail from all walks of life to face the
alike. Hidden in the spaces between philosophical manu- dangers threatening the great West African empire. Sample
scripts, shipping manifests, and the accounting of gold, a concepts include suggested Merits and Skills found in the
powerful force vastly dangerous and otherworldly lingers. Chronicles of Darkness core rulebook. These recom-
When other monsters fled this new presence, the hunters mended concepts would work well in any location within
of Mali share information in hushed and fearful tones to the Empire of Mali.
figure out what transpired and what they could do about it.
Deft Investigator
What could they, mortals of flesh and blood, do against
something so dangerous that the immortal undead, the Your job was to pursue violators of the law for your gover-
vampires, would turn away in fear? Each agreed that they nor, and you were counted among the best. Nothing escaped
would turn their attentions to this new threat and proceed your keen eye, and suspects found it all but impossible to lie
with the utmost caution. After the accord, hunters in the to you. One day, as you were pursuing a criminal through
Malian empire have, through study, found and identified the back streets of Kawkaw, you witnessed something you
this threat. These things take human form, whisper cor- couldn’t fully comprehend, and your life has never been the
rupting lies and drive them to perform vile deeds. Unlike same since. Now you don’t just chase down petty thieves
vampires or ghosts, hunters are warned not to approach this and murderers, but monsters that threaten the very structure
new threat unless they know what they’re fighting. Demons of reality itself.
must be studied and approached with caution, and only Suggested Skills: Academics, Empathy, Investigation,
through ritual and exorcism, driven out. Occult, Persuasion, Science, Subterfuge.
Suggested Merits: Encyclopedic Knowledge, Eye for
The Enemy the Strange, Investigative Aide.
Hunters of the era understand the threat they face is Auditor of Royal Funds
a cosmological terror but are unaware what that means
to them. Though demons are not a new phenomenon, You kept the records for the royal coffers, tallying more
hunters interpret the invaders through the lens of their gold than any one person would ever see in their lifetime.
faith and experiences. They will not be aware of the types Your head for numbers put you ahead of your peers and
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earned you the recognition of the royal family themselves. Suggested Skills: Athletics, Brawl, Expression,
That’s not all that didn’t escape your notice. When one of Medicine, Persuasion, Politics, Stealth.
the financial advisors to the mansa began to act strangely, Suggested Merits: Barfly, Resources, Table Turner
you took it upon yourself to audit his behavior as you would
any financial record, and what you found changed your For the Storyteller:
Hunting by Tier
world entirely. Now you fight alongside others to keep your
homeland safe.
Suggested Skills: Academics, Crafts, Empathy, The Empire of Mali contains several locations that
Investigation, Persuasion, Politics, Socialize. possess their own culture, social mores, and local politics.
Suggested Merits: Common Sense, Contacts (Imperial Tiered play in this era is dependent on the location the
Bureaucrats), Good Time Management player-characters are hunting monsters in and what capa-
bilities they have. Storytellers should mark threat levels
Observant Palace Guard by the number of antagonists in an area and which Dread
Your duty was simple and straightforward: Stay alert Powers they possess, what Tilts and Conditions may be em-
and stop any threats. You swore an oath to do this to best ployed thematically, and whether or not the God-Machine’s
of your ability, and even at the cost of your life. Most days, presence exposes hunters to a deep, dark mystery.
you simply stood alert and waited for nothing. Then, one
night a thing breached the walls and came for your charge.
Tier One: Cells
You did your best to stop it, but it wasn’t enough. Only you Tier-one hunters focus on threats that plague individuals
walked away, forever changed. Now you’ve sworn to never or small communities, such as their villages or their neigh-
let that happen again. borhood within the greater city limits. While some hunters
Suggested Skills: Archery, Athletics, Brawl, Drive, at this level may be individually wealthy — perhaps from
Intimidation, Occult, Weaponry. success in the mines, as caravan laborers, or members of the
Suggested Merits: Armed Defense, Danger Sense, military — they do not typically have access to resources
Relentless. beyond what they can attain personally. Financial chal-
lenges can daunt tier-one hunters as readily as supernatural
Watchful Caravan Merchant creatures, and can potentially drive a desperate hunter to
broker unsavory agreements to get what they need. Some
Being mistrustful was always in your nature, and it served
hunters will even go so far as to work with demons — but
you well. While others fell prey to con artists and scams, you
do so at their own risk. Not only is this a violation of the
never lost a single coin to a grifter. Your caravan might not
Code, many hunters are devoted to their faith which clearly
be the most profitable, but you know a liar and a cheat when
expresses that the forces of darkness are not to be trifled
you see one. When you met the strange man from another
with. Hunters who push the boundaries of their morality
continent, everything about him screamed lies. You didn’t
will struggle with their conscience and their relationships
listen to his offers and you kept on going, but the encounter
with their Touchstones, which may lead to the suffering of
left you shaken with the impression that you’d just met a
a breaking point. In most cases, hunters would not treat a
monster. Now you use those instincts to keep others safe
demon as an ally, even a temporary one, unless they were
from the predators that lurk in the darkness.
tricked or could not identify the enemy.
Suggested Skills: Academics, Athletics, Drive, Occult,
At this tier, a hunter can expect to tangle with an
Survival, Weaponry.
antagonist, never realizing the depth and breadth of the su-
Suggested Merits: Fast-Talking, Hardy, Iron Will pernatural’s activities, whereabouts, or potency: a vengeful
ghost haunting the site of their murder, a spirit possessing a
Savvy Courtier local official and driving them to erratic behavior, a single
You grew up around the court and know several members occult object dredged up from beneath the sands that alters
of the royal family. Your parents were courtiers and when the minds of anyone who touches it, a disease spirit plaguing
you came of age you, too, joined the complex political a neighborhood, and so on. Hunters invested in the trade
machine. From a young age you learned to spot a lie, to routes might deal with cryptids who hunt in the desert or
maneuver with a smile, and how to get what you want with- the river threatening human and beast alike. The Sahara is
out being overt. At a grand celebration you met a woman filled with strange treasures, some of which have tangential
who lied and maneuvered a little too well and you caught connections to the much greater threat of angels and the
glimpses that she was far more than what she appeared. God-Machine, though that level of threat would not be
Those images have never left you and haunt your dreams managed by tier-one hunters. Where tier-one hunters clash
to this day. Now you use your influence and skill to thwart with the affairs of demons, they conflict with the rank and
the infiltrating monsters at every turn. file of the demon’s cult or their allies. They might struggle
to prevent cultists from proselytizing or spreading literature
166
that supernaturally influences the reader, or to keep cult
members from gathering publicly to increase membership.
Tier-one hunters are also subject to local politics. Cells THE GOLDEN LIBRARY
will notice social anxiety, uncertainty, and political unrest Based in Timbuktu, the hunters of the Golden
before other hunters will; though tier-one hunters aren’t Library promote the study and exchange of occult-
opposed to accepting help, they tend to be wary of foreign related written works and artifacts. The compacy
visitors — especially now. was founded in 1320 during the reign of Musa
I; its supernatural collection of scrolls and tablets
Tier Two: Compacts were donated by a teacher at the Sankore Masjid
who, after a brush the supernatural while traveling
At tier two, hunters face threats of increasing scale on a river boat, became obsessed with studying
powerful enough to overcome an individual cell or village such creatures. As Timbuktu is a hub of the world’s
and may endanger whole cities or gubernatorial provinces. book trade, members scour shipments of litera-
Compacts benefit from the Empire of Mali’s storied legacy ture, seeking texts that contain useful truths about
and wealth; the Golden Library, for example, is a notable combating the world’s monsters.
compact that’s based out of Timbuktu with headquarters
The Golden Library has three known goals:
in the Sankore Masjid. As the empire is vast and diverse,
other compacts may also exist — many of them form and Exchange: News and information travel along
disband due to decreasing numbers in the monster-infested trade routes and can be bought and sold as easily
city of Kawkaw. as any material good. The Golden Library be-
lieves that scrolls and tomes containing lore about
When tangling with demons, tier-two hunters either monsters should continue to flow along these trade
face a low-powered threat or must strategize how to deal lines, and should be accessible to other hunters
with the demon’s influence over a larger area. Tier-two devoted to the Vigil. The librarians are dedicated
hunters often deal with demonic cults as if they were a to making sure this information gets into the right
rival organization seeking to undermine the Vigil. At this hands.
tier, the leaders of demon cults become important figures
Archive: Some scrolls are too valuable to pass
as they meddle behind the scenes of local government and along like a common commodity, while relics
trade operations, doing their best to co-opt these social may prove to be too dangerous for untrained use.
structures to the demon’s purposes and their own greed. The librarians collects occult artifacts along with
Cults left unchecked will continue to spread, snatching folklore and traveller’s tales, maintaining a well-cu-
up real estate and converting as many locals to their cause rated collection of critical literature and dangerous
as possible. As such, tier-two hunters are forced to become relics. Hunters may, upon request, use compact
vested in regional interests to defend themselves, their cit- funds to sell, trade, or purchase new items for the
ies, and their futures from demonic influences. This often collection with permission.
causes rifts with other hunters, because compact members Instruct: Along with their goal to exchange infor-
are ordered to abandon nightly patrols and focus solely on mation andartifacts, the Golden Library consid-
thwarting demons. ers it important to also teach other hunters what
Followers of the Mansa they’ve learned from the material they’ve found
and studied. An ill-prepared hunter is as good as
Keeping an ever-watchful eye on their home empire, dead, so the librarians do their best to teach any-
the Followers of the Mansa formed in homage to Mansa one who asks — provided they are an active and
Musa I, adopting his philosophy of knowledge, compassion, well-regarded member of hunter society. Despite
and generosity and applying it to the thankless (yet neces- its leanings, the Golden Library is acutely aware
sary) task of keeping the Vigil. Likewise, compact leaders that some supernatural enemies can take human
choose new members by identifying hunters who opt for a guises, and they are reluctant to share information
thoughtful and peaceful path. To reconcile this pacifistic with everyone and anyone who asks.
approach with the demands of the Vigil, the Followers teach The Library understands how academics and
their members to pass unseen as just another face in the economics draw people from around the world to
background, and to strike subtly against their enemies by Timbuktu and hopes that through exchange and
denying them access to their contacts and their resources. instruction they can are hunters with knowledge.
All members of the Followers of the Mansa know how to Despite its willingness to share information, its list
identify each other with the subtlest gesture and have doz- of members is kept secret; even the librarians, who
hold their jobs sacred, possess two or more aliases
ens of hidden meeting places across the empire. Formally,
to hide their identities from supernatural enemies
however, their headquarters sits in Niani, within sight of and rogue hunters.
the palace but unremarkable enough that daily passersby
have no idea that it’s there.
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The ascendancy of demons as the chief threat to the The revelation of the God-Machine should be treated
empire cemented the compact’s policy of observing before as an earth-shattering event that will force hunters to
using violence as a solution. They know demons act through reexamine their commitment to the Vigil, their faith, and
intermediaries and alternate identities and have learned to each other. Most hunters, even at tier three, will not believe
cut the demons off from their allies before attacking. Other the God-Machine exists, understand what It does, or think
hunters have tried to convince the Followers to take more any hunter has a chance of deciphering Its machinations.
direct action, believing that this cautious approach fails to Hunters might convince themselves that the God-Machine
yield results. The compact’s faithful members argue they is a hallucination or a trick that demons are playing on
have more experience dealing with powerful creatures, them; they might even claim the God-Machine is a group of
and that avoiding forthright, violent conflict with demons demons who are conspiring to end the Vigil once and for all.
is the only way to win the war. Storytellers are encouraged to let the characters process
the God-Machine according to their beliefs. Should they
Tier Three: Conspiracies realize what the God-Machine is, that moment may incur
Tier-three hunters face monsters and supernatural a breaking point for the character depending upon the
threats capable of endangering humanity on a nationwide circumstances of that scene.
to global level. In the Empire of Mali, conspiracies will Aegis Kai Doru
primarily concern themselves with what’s happening in
Timbuktu and with the God-Machine. Though no hunter Though the mansa has passed, his legacy lives on. The
conspiracy is fully aware of what the God-Machine is or Empire of Mali continues to attract visitors, and its vast
how It operates, hunters will notice Its machinations and sums of treasure draw both curious and greedy hunters who
seek to understand demonic behavior once they realize It seek the means to continue fighting. Most, if not all, Aegis
exists. For tier-three hunters, the God-Machine represents Kai Doru hunters believe that the Empire of Mali is a hub
a supernatural enigma that must be studied and tested. where they can find rare relics and artifacts passed through
secret exchanges in the hundreds of bazaars scattered across
Cells from active conspiracies enjoy the benefits of their
the face of the empire. Lore and secrets travel along the
legacy and their resources without being forced to solely
empire’s robust trade routes, drawing foreign hunters to
rely on help from local sources; some conspiracies have
Niani and Timbuktu.
existed since the Vigil began, changing only their name
throughout the ages, while others come and go as time The conspiracy is mistaken in its assumption that the
passes. Hunters in the Empire of Mali find allegiance with wonders of the ancient world are accessible to all hunters in
any of the conspiracies listed; unlike tier-one or tier-two Mali, however, and do not realize that rogue and rival hunt-
hunters, conspiracy members may ally themselves with ers are also converging on Timbuktu. While the Aegis Kai
tourists, travellers, merchants, and scholars who are not Doru keeps agents at every port and every caravan stop, to
from Mali. Tier-three hunters are subconsciously aware that keep a watchful eye on occult objects of interest and to keep
what they’re dealing with may eclipse their capabilities,
and may push the boundaries of the Vigil by kidnapping,
torturing, and interrogating demons and cultists to find SOLDIERS OF JABREEL
answers. Tier-three hunters will also grapple with their role Hunters are not the only force interested in stop-
in their families and communities; eventually, the demands ping demons. An angel has formed a secret
of the Vigil will threaten and strain their relationships if conspiracy of hunters by speaking to them via holy
they’re not careful. visions. In these visions, the angel reveals demons
At this tier, hunters are all but guaranteed to tangle that must be eliminated, and promises wealth and
with demons and become embroiled in their plots. Hunters reward in return for its demise. Those who believe
clashing with demons at tier three reach the nadir of how
in the word of its prophets commit to the belief their
work is holy and divinely inspired. If asked, the
deep the web of connections go as they discover that the conspiracy claims the angel is named “Jabreel.”
evangelizing cultists on the street in their home neighbor- This ruse has been immensely successful in drawing
hoods are tied to the unfathomable being in human disguise believers to its cause.
who has an incomprehensible plan. When hunters realize
that angels have meddled in the affairs of the empire, and The Soldiers of Jabreel direct their followers to
that bigger, more bizarre things lurk just outside of mor-
face monsters head on and destroy them without
reservation. Some members claim to have fought
tal perception, this knowledge will trigger a conspiracy’s and defeated a demon in its true form, thanks to
involvement. Faced with the realization that the Divine holy benefactions bestowed upon them by Jabreel
exists, hunters do their best to prepare defenses against himself. Whether or not this claim is true, it is
monsters capable of altering reality itself while their con- undeniable the Soldiers can call upon some kind
spiracies form local headquarters to provide more guidance of supernatural power to fight demons.
and oversight to their hunters.
168
an ear out for valuable information, they are unaware their vested interest in discovering new potions to deal with the
hunters are perceived as a threat to the local community. threat of demons and are experimenting with new and rare
Claiming a loose power base in Timbuktu, the Aegis Kai ingredients. When, and if, they discover new elixirs, then
Doru has built one of its labyrinths beneath the city and is the alchemists will be ordered to assist other hunters in their
actively recruiting members. The conspiracy has agents in efforts to overthrow the demonic taint that threatens all.
the book trade and, where it can spare a hunter or two, seeks Of all the conspiracies, the Ascending Ones were the
to gain access to the Sankore Masjid. Occasionally, entire first to investigate this new threat. Their first attempt failed,
cells of Aegis Kai Doru members visit the city to study the and the hunters never returned. Weeks later, the Ascending
supernatural, with the understanding that their membership Ones armed themselves with their elixirs, and managed to
in the conspiracy eclipses their personal desire to hunt. du- find a demon willing to talk — perhaps too willing. The
ties are to fight the monsters who’d claim invaluable relics exact details of what transpired are unknown to other
and claim them for the conspiracy’s collection. members of the conspiracy. Rumor has it the record of their
Ascending Ones conversation had been written down on five separate scrolls,
and copies can be found hidden somewhere in Niani.
In the Empire of Mali, the Ascending Ones look to
Muslim practices to guide them in their nightly Vigil. The Lucifuge
Elixirs, drugs, and potions exchange hands along the Word spreads from the cities of Mali to Milan via trade
trading ports on the Niger River and are traded in secret routes that stretch across the Mediterranean. Members of
bazaars accessible to a few. Their presence is marked by a the Lucifuge have better understanding than most about
seal that appears on certain crates offloaded from mysteri- the true nature of demons and angels, but the Lady of Milan
ous riverboats and transported to unlisted destinations. has refused to send any hunters to Mali thus far. In fact, she
The goods they trade make their way to Malian markets has issued a proclamation: Members of the Lucifuge who
via a third party in Egypt, as the alchemists do not wish to travel to Mali do so at their own peril.
make their presence known. The Ascending Ones have a
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Chronicles of Darkness in the Empire of Mali
The Empire of Mali is home to an array of supernatural creatures who are acutely aware that demons are
flocking to the region. With the presence of hunters in the area, their activities will not go unnoticed and may
expose them to risk or harm if they’re not careful. Vampires who remain in Mali stick to populated areas
but may also be encountered in trading centers; many Kindred are torn between leaving the empire, infiltrat-
ing the royal court to assume control, or picking the gold from its bones to ensure their coffers remain filled.
Recognizing the empire’s might, the Forsaken have traveled to the edges of Mali, only to be disturbed
by darker forces threatening their doorstop. They will be the first to notice the uptick in hunter activity, but
will ensure their tribes and hunting grounds are safe before pursing hunters or their prey. When they do, the
Forsaken will need to decide whether they should leave Mali or become more active in its affairs — espe-
cially since the politics of the day is not their primary concern.
Few Created will visit Timbuktu; some mistakenly believe a piece of lore will help them reduce the effects
of Disquiet. What they don’t know, is that the Golden Library is setting a trap for them. Some will fall for the
hunter’s trap. Others will be caught between demons and hunters, unaware of the brewing war between
them, unsure of their role in the fight. Arabic mages, who are commonly found in Timbuktu, will be curious
to see what happens next. They will have their hands full securing trade routes and calming fears that the
empire is in decline, but will seek out and strengthen their alliances with local hunters if possible. Some local
Awakened are preparing to welcome mages from Europe and Asia; thanks to Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage to
Mecca, foreigners are curious to explore the area. This could spell an amicable exchange of knowledge,
but it could also signal anxiety. If other mages head to Timbuktu, then their enemies are sure to follow.
Changelings have enjoyed the stability of the empire, and some have even followed Mansa Musa on his
pilgrimage. After he dies, some become more anxious and decide to explore uncharted paths through the
Hedge — just to be safe. Others, however, broker pacts with demons to varying ends. Some Changelings
want their fae masters to suffer; others want to forget who they are, until eventually their enemies notice
something odd is happening in Mali. The more obssessed Changelings become with what demons might
offer them, the greater the chance their enemies will appear to take advantage of their misguided attempts.
Greed is rampant. With the mansa dead and the throne weakened, the wealth of the empire attracts oppor-
tunists and thieves alike. The Begotten are keenly aware of the hungry eyes that seek to control the trade of
gold and salt. They can either succumb to base desires or rise above them and master their Hunger.
Some members of the Lucifuge have ignored this de- personal intrigues. Now, their past returns to haunt them, their
cree and plan to meet in Kawkaw. Their presence has not legacy crumbling as their Covers erode. Other demons aban-
gone unnoticed by the demons who’ve gathered there; the don the city or forge new alliances. With their hold on power
Lucifuge is unaware that demons are aggressively targeting fading and hunters avidly driving them out, the Unchained
members of their conspiracy in an attempt to wipe them become ever more reliant upon cults and stigmatic allies.
out and glean the location of the Lucifuge. Other Lucifuge The Faithful, a growing Agency of Islamic Unchained
hunters worry that the Lady of Milan is keeping secrets from dedicated to the principles of faith, wisdom, and compas-
them; should they compare notes with other hunters based sion, graciously watch over Timbuktu’s burgeoning demon
in Timbuktu, they’ll learn that some hunters fear the God- population, offering aid to the Unchained mysteriously
Machine is powerful enough to remove a mortal’s free will. drawn to the city. Between the Faithful’s unsettling hospi-
Once they realize the God-Machine is not just a myth, the tality and the apparent leniency the God-Machine affords
Children of the Seventh Generation must decide whether the Unchained in this city, newly arrived demons suspect a
to stay in Mali and risk being manipulated by It, or leave trap. With no certain allies, tensions among the Unchained
and take up the Vigil anywhere else. rise, threatening to break into open violence.
Throughout the empire, the Unchained scheme to
Demon: Defend seize the wealth and power of the empire to forge their
personal Hells. Clashing with each other as much as the
and Siege God-Machine, some seek to find an advantage among the
hunters pursuing them, manipulating them into targeting
Once, Niani was a stronghold for the Unchained, the their foes instead. Bold or desperate demons seek to strike
prosperity of the empire at their disposal. The Seven Shadows pacts with the hunters, offering advantages in the Vigil in
founded a mighty Agency, growing complacent in luxury and exchange for Cover, servants, or even a rare alliance.
170
Incarnations Guardians
Manifesting in Mali Employed to protect not only Infrastructure but also
important mundane resources and other angels on their mis-
Demonic influences in Mali are visible in unique ways sions, Guardian angels are the most abundant in the empire.
that befit the era. Incarnations will effect how, when, and More arrive from distant lands, disconcerting perceptive
where demons will be found. Unchained who ponder the reason for increasing security.
Across the empire, Fallen Shields wage a secret war
Analysts with their angelic brethren for control of key locations.
Silently watching, these angels observe everything in Antinomian Guardians are the most overt with this, seiz-
Timbuktu, studying gatherings of the Faithful, activities of ing control of key Infrastructure and handing it over to
angels, and construction of new Infrastructure with equal other demons without looking back. In Timbuktu, Faithful
focus. As the God-Machine’s enigmatic plans advance, new Shields choose charges among the most vulnerable to watch
Analyst angels appear with alarming frequency. Demons over. Niani’s Guardians struggle to protect the Unchained
noting their presence call them the Silent Messengers, as and their most useful mortal implements from the watchful
few show willingness to interact even when confronted. eyes of hunters.
Unchained Analysts collect and verify intelligence for When hunters cross paths with Guardians, it is often
dispersal to other demons. While active in Timbuktu, the because the Shield stands between hunter and quarry.
Eyes also migrate through Mali’s trade routes, scrutinizing While this can easily erupt into violence, most Guardians
travelers and God-Machine activity for harbingers of impend- try to prevent such encounters from occurring at all. This
ing tribulations. Antinomians make themselves the center requires them to monitor their fellow demons, protecting
of attention, driving home the tendency to classify Analysts the more reckless ones by covering their tracks for them.
as Messengers. They act impulsively without consideration
of the consequences, often sharing information without Messengers
verification. Ironically, antinomian Analysts are the most Messenger angels are abundant in Mali. In major cities,
likely to suspect their true nature, but they aren’t telling. they recruit fresh blood into God-Machine cults, bolstering
Analysts often avoid notice of hunters entirely. While the ranks of Its servants. They whisper ideas into the right
the Eyes may notice hunter cells at work, most are con- ears to direct policies towards the God-Machine’s advan-
tent to observe and report. When hunters do encounter tage. Some communicate with known demons, seeking to
Analysts, it is often by noting another demon acting on entice them back into the fold.
information they shouldn’t have and tracing it back to the Messengers are among the most overt demons operating
source by noting all present when such information could in Mali, furthering their Agendas by forging and breaking al-
have been observed. liances. While Messengers operate comparatively openly in
Timbuktu, their talent for information dispersal puts Trumpets
Destroyers in high demand throughout the empire. They spread lies and
Mali’s Destroyer angels eschew direct violence, spe- truths throughout the court of Niani, and act as ambassadors
cializing in arranging for accidents and seemingly natural and mediators wherever Unchained of different cultures meet.
disasters when removing the God-Machine’s targets. In Timbuktu, it isn’t unusual to find Faithful Messengers argu-
When human targets must be eliminated, Destroyer angels ing with their angelic counterparts. Antinomian Messengers
frequently lure them away from civilization, allowing the sequester themselves from others, frequently disappearing into
desert to finish the job. the wild for personal contemplation.
Despite rising instability, Destroyers have difficulty fulfilling Hunters encounter Messengers more often than other
their purpose in Mali, relying on subtle means to eliminate Incarnations, as they tend to operate more openly. They’re
targets. Many focus on dealing with other supernatural beings, the most likely to attempt to parley or forge temporary alli-
taking advantage of their secretive natures to avoid undue ances against mutual threats, but their openness also makes
attention. Some Swords are drawn to the violence at the them the easiest targets.
edges of the empire or the growing unrest in Kawkaw, while
others wait in Niani or Timbuktu for opportunities to strike Psychopomps
effectively. Antinomian Destroyers become artisans, seeking With the God-Machine’s projects proceeding rapidly,
to compensate for destructive pasts by creating new things, the ranks of Psychopomp angels are on the rise, constructing
doing their part to further the cause of beauty in the world. Infrastructure and maneuvering both supplies and individu-
When Destroyers turn to overt means to achieve their als into place. These angels have long managed the flow
ends, conflict with hunters is almost inevitable. Even subtle of materials along Mali’s trade routes, ensuring transport
ones sometimes draw scrutiny, as hunters delve into any strange of necessary supplies and maintaining the God-Machine’s
circumstances. When they clash, violence is inevitable. hidden circuits.
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Psychopomps undertake much of the heavy lifting for seek to uncover the cause of the mysterious lure drawing
the Unchained, quietly arranging resources and organiz- the Unchained to this city, or portents of its consequences.
ing disparate rings into functional units for important Others pry into the affairs of the Faithful, hoping to unearth
tasks. Many allow others to accept the praise for a mission any ulterior motives behind the Agency. Watchers among
well done, focusing instead on preparing for the next. the Faithful focus on study and philosophical discussion,
Psychopomps provide for Timbuktu’s burgeoning demon hoping to ascertain the true nature of Allah. Overwhelmed
population, maintaining a supply of burner Covers for des- by the scope of its activities, Niani’s Inquisitors struggle to
perate Unchained. Faithful Wheels extend their charity to track the progress of the God-Machine’s projects. Watchers
needy mortals. Antinomian Psychopomps often shun other along the trade routes have discovered the Infrastructure
Unchained, content to live the lives of their simple Covers. Beneath the Sands, and currently scheme to get close
While Psychopomps maintain low profiles, the actions enough to determine its purpose.
of the Unchained draw scrutiny from hunters. Anticipating With both investigating the same mysteries, Inquisitors
this threat, many Wheels take the effort to construct false are among the most likely demons encountered by hunt-
trails for hunters to follow, leading them in circles or towards ers. The Watchers sometimes infiltrate hunter groups to
the demons’ foes. gather intelligence. Some even openly approach hunters as
equals, offering fair exchange of information. These tense
Agendas of the alliances seldom persist, but valuable insights to both are
often uncovered while they last.
Unchained
Integrators
What demons are doing in Mali is just as important as
why they’re flocking to the region. The turmoil in Mali leaves the Integrators torn between
trepidation and hope, the God-Machine’s ascendancy and
Inquisitors the future of the Unchained uncertain. Niani’s paranoid
The temptation of Timbuktu’s secrets is too great for the Unchained quickly turn upon any Turncoats revealed, so
Inquisitors to resist, drawing a majority of Watchers. Many Integrators operate with utmost discretion, seeking to con-
ceal other Unchained and the God-Machine from the city’s
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numerous hunters. While Timbuktu’s Faithful welcome
Integrators with open arms, a schism grows among these
Recommended Covers
Idealists, some insisting the God-Machine is a malfunc- Demons rely upon their Covers for security, both from
tioning tool of Allah, while others embrace the belief that the God-Machine and hunters. Most demons seek out
the two are the same entity. Other Integrators, drawn to Covers as freemen, generally favoring warriors, advisers,
Timbuktu with conviction that the God-Machine is calling and artisans. While slave Covers are abundant, few demons
them home, search for signs of a new mission, maintain them permanently, due to the difficulty of oper-
Focused less on mortal affairs than other demons, the ating without compromise. Merchants and travelers from
Turncoats seldom run afoul of hunters. When their paths foreign lands are prized, as odd behavior can sometimes be
do cross, the Idealists’ apparent sorrow for past wrongs and played off as cultural differences. While hunters could prove
determination to redeem themselves make these demons ideal as Covers, the caution exhibited by most provides a
the most capable of appealing to a compassionate hunter’s challenge to Unchained hoping to obtain one.
sense of pity. Patchwork Covers allow demons to custom build their
identities but are limited by the aspects a pactbound is
Saboteurs willing to offer. Many slaves offer up their servitude, for
The wealth of Mali could fund the war against the God- instance, but few demons wish to live as slaves, leading to
Machine for generations, and many Saboteurs flock to the a ready supply of slave burner Covers. Most demons relying
empire to seize some of it for their own. Soldiers drawn to on patchwork Covers settle for building weak Covers out
Timbuktu don’t trust the apparent leniency exhibited by of a few choice elements, then living them to strengthen
the God-Machine’s servants. Suspecting a trap, they work and build them into desired shapes.
tirelessly to suborn or destroy as much Infrastructure as Souls remain the most effective way to gain established
possible. Faithful Saboteurs undermine Timbuktu’s angels, Covers, but in times of plenty, people are reluctant to part
subjecting them to arguments and experiences intended with them. Travelers drawn to Mali’s legendary wealth
to provoke a Fall. Niani’s Saboteurs strike against reno- sometimes pay the ultimate price to gain some of it for
vated Infrastructure, seeking to reclaim the hold the Seven themselves, but others must be put into untenable situations
Shadows once held over the city, although the vigilance of before they consider such a sacrifice.
hunters and mortal authorities prevents them from acting Compromise constantly threatens a demon’s Covers.
as overtly as they might like. While the God-Machine seems strangely tolerant of the
The extent of the God-Machine is unfathomable to Unchained in Timbuktu, the rest of the empire offers no
hunters, but Saboteurs don’t hesitate to put the two at such reprieve. Stranger still, compromises sometimes draw
odds. A Thug perceiving hunter pursuit arranges a trail attention from hunters, giving momentary glimpses of the
leading directly toward Infrastructure. Whether the monster beneath the mask.
hunters interfere in the God-Machine’s plans or angels
crush the foolhardy mortals, the Saboteur has weakened Common Pacts
an enemy. To the people of Mali, words hold great power, which
Tempters the Unchained wield adeptly to obtain cults, influence,
and souls. Growing instability in the empire proves a boon
Tempters are widespread in Mali, establishing cults among to demons seeking new pacts, avarice and turmoil driving
both the local populace and waves of travelers flocking to the mortals to desperate measures. Competition for pacts inten-
Empire. The remnants of the Seven Shadows in Niani cling sifies, the market for pact trading flourishes, and resourceful
to what influence they retain, attempting to navigate the demons reap the benefits.
turbulent political landscape while evading the ever-vigilant
Striking pacts with hunters requires caution. The mere
hunters. Throughout the empire, Decadents forge connec-
offer risks compromising their Cover or earning a new en-
tions among scholars and merchants, gaining prosperity in
emy. Incautious hunters may be tricked into pacts, but few
knowledge and gold to fund their elaborate schemes. Among
hunters are so reckless. Demons hoping to gain pacts with
Timbuktu’s Faithful, Builders focus on faith and charitable
cautious hunters rely on greed or desperation. While greed
activities to the exclusion of expected intrigues and power
may be innate, desperation can be engineered by targeting
plays, sparking rumors that the Unchained are witnessing
a hunter’s support system.
the birth of an entirely new Agenda.
Cults provide valuable services to Tempters, but also Sacrificial Pacts
prove a weak point, as cult activities draw attention from Whether belonging to a hunter wary of the Unchained
vigilant hunters. When hunters interfere in a Decadent’s or to someone quite content with their life, some souls aren’t
schemes, the demon attempts to gain leverage over them, for sale. Still, everything has its price. Demons wishing
hoping to force pacts, or at least direct them against the to obtain such souls must be creative, often resorting to
Tempter’s foes. the exploitation of a mortal’s loved ones. A demon with
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a soul pact may offer another the opportunity to take the disturbing for the pactbound, who may not even recall they
pactbound’s place. made a bargain. Investigating lost memories functions simi-
System: A person wishing to supersede the pactbound larly to investigating a demon’s Cover. Any time the pact-
in a soul pact must willingly sign their name in blood on bound uncovers new facts about the memories lost, it causes
the original pact document beneath the original pactbound. compromise as though learning a new fact about the demon.
This requires an extreme act of will on behalf of the new
pactbound, costing a dot of Willpower. The demon spends Pactkeepers
a point of Willpower to seal the pact. Other terms of the In cultures like Mali’s, where oral history told through
pact continue to affect the original pactbound, but their soul song and story is the norm, some demons prefer to invest
is safe unless they enter into a new pact. The demon may their pacts or memoirs into the memory of a living person
collect the soul of the new pactbound, but other terms of rather than physical objects. Pactkeepers function as living
the pact don’t benefit the new pactbound unless the demon records and hunting hounds for those who would deny a
spends an additional point of Willpower to extend them demon their due.
when the pact is sealed. System: For a human to become a pactkeeper, they re-
quire a sufficiently keen memory, either the Eidetic Memory
Memory Pacts Merit or an Intelligence + Expression dice pool greater
The Unchained often lament the shards of lives they than the demon’s side of the pact. Imposing the Pactkeeper
collect carry none of the accompanying memories, leav- Condition on a mortal requires one less Willpower point to
ing exploitable weaknesses in their Covers. Some demons seal, to a minimum of one. Soul pacts requires the pactbound
circumvent this, striking pacts for mortal memories. Demon anoint the pactkeeper with their blood. As this blood remains
gaining memories in this way recall events as though having perpetually fresh, neither washing off or smearing, most
experienced them personally, leaving the pactbound with pactkeepers prefer these marks be made in areas concealable
ragged holes in their memories. While this provides demons by clothing. Pactkeepers become stigmatic, potentially caus-
with useful information, the loss of undesirable memories is ing compromise if the demon’s nature was unknown before.
sometimes offered as a service. Desperate hunters, in par- Entrusting pacts or memoirs to pactkeepers carries sig-
ticular, may take advantage of such offers to provide tangible nificant risk. Pactkeepers know the details of any pacts held,
benefits for loved ones while removing harmful memories of and may reveal them to others, causing compromises or
the supernatural. Despondent hunters wishing to abandon inflicting the Betrayed Condition upon the Unchained. The
the Vigil may seek demons to forget the horrors witnessed. death of a pactkeeper also counts as the destruction of any
System: In addition to a pact document, striking a pacts or memoirs they held. Passing down pacts requires a
memory pact requires the pactbound create an account of new pactkeeper to possess a blood connection to the current
the memories surrendered. These accounts, called memoirs pactkeeper, whether through family lines or simple blood
in later years, must be recorded by the pactbound, although rituals. Both the current pactkeeper and future pactkeeper
the process relies upon intent rather than skill. Memories spend a point of Willpower, and the current pactkeeper
increase the demon’s side of the pact as the fragments of recites the information held to the new one. Pactkeepers
life would if they were collected for a Cover, effectively cannot hold pacts affecting themselves.
doubling Willpower costs when collecting both aspect
and memories. So long as the pact document and memoir
remain intact and under the demon’s control, the demon
BLOODY SOGOLON
recalls events clearly, gaining the Informed Condition for
any tasks actively benefited by the memories. A demon “They robbed me of my life. I’ll end theirs with a song.”
only receives a Beat from a given set of memories once
Background: Sogolon was the best. Everybody knew it.
per chapter but may renew the Condition once per scene
The youngest daughter of a jeli family, Sogolon absorbed
by making physical contact with the memoir. Stealing a
history and songs like a sponge, moving people to tears
memoir causes memories to fade, removing the Informed
or laughter with her performances. The jelimuso claimed
Condition without resolution and requiring Intelligence
a repertoire of songs vaster than the night sky, and few
rolls to recall details. Destroying the memoir or pact docu-
disagreed. So great was her talent, she was unconcerned
ment instantly removes memories from the demon, return-
when invading forces came to annex her village, knowing
ing them to the pactbound, although memoirs share pact
talented jeliw were often added to the service of influential
documents’ bolstered Durability. Memories vanish upon
individuals. Her blatant displays of skill moved a member
the pactbound’s death, although memoirs retain the written
of the Seven Shadows operating within the invading army.
accounts, in the initially recorded detail.
Sogolon became the unfortunate soul chosen to act as
The pactbound recalls nothing of their sold memories, pactkeeper for the Seven Shadows’ collected soul pacts,
finding nothing but lost time during those periods. This is a desperate effort to prevent intrigue from devolving into
174
enmity. Bitterly enduring slavery and confinement for years, Pact Sense Merit (•••)
Sogolon studied her captors, plotting for the day when she
Prerequisite: Stigmatic
could avenge herself. Her opportunity came when hunters
attacked the demons’ hidden bolthole, slaying one of her Effect: Your character senses the frayed aspects of reality
captors and rescuing her in the process. While most hunters stitched together by demonic pacts. When encountering
distrust her, none deny her information is useful, and she something directly affected by a pact, they recognize it by
offers it willingly for her vengeance. sensations unique to the individual. Demons, pactbound,
pactkeepers, pact documents, and even bargained away
Description: Between her brilliant crystal eyes and the
shards of a pactbound’s life trigger this sensation. This
bloody hand print extending from her left cheek to the
provides no information about which aspect of a pact the
top of her neck, Bloody Sogolon is striking to behold. Her
character encounters but does detect the presence of de-
melodious voice sets people at ease but becomes harsh when
monic influence. Pactkeepers commonly develop this Merit.
speaking with anger. Despite the freedom of dress offered
to women in Mali, she favors the garb of a Muslim woman,
going veiled to conceal the bloody hand prints covering Generational Pacts
her torso and legs. The soul is the ultimate pact a demon can gain, but
Storytelling Hints: Sogolon was wronged, and anyone doing so requires the demon to offer something a person
who listens will hear about it. Despite her bitterness, Sogolon truly wants. The right pact ensures a person’s descendants
remains patient, carefully planning each move against the will have an abundance of wealth, talent, or influence.
Unchained and wielding her allies as tools. Aware her Few demons do this out of the goodness of their hearts.
pacts are her greatest protection against her former captors, Demons entering into generational pacts play the long
she toys with the Seven Shadows, slowly unraveling their game, cultivating an influential family cult or ensuring
Covers and reveling in their fear and helplessness. She acts future Covers to collect going forward. Some demons even
more decisively with other demons, directing hunter allies to create more lasting legacies, binding a portion of themselves
observe hints of demonic activity and swiftly strike against into favored families.
them. The necessity of keeping to the shadows is a constant System: Generational pacts affect the pactbound and
frustration for her, but Sogolon endures. any blood descendants. These require more effort from
Stigmata: Sogolon’s crystalline eyes glow like a demon to enact, requiring a dot of Willpower beyond
LED lights when reflecting moonlight. any costs associated with the pact. Few demons strike
such pacts lightly, as the terms bind all parties for as long
Virtue: Calculating
as the pact document endures. In addition to creating
Vice: Conceited documents for generational pacts, the mortal object of the
Attributes: Intelligence 3, Wits 3, Resolve 4, pact gains an additional mark to show who’s bound to it.
Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2, Presence 3, Particularly trusted families may be entrusted with these
Manipulation 3, Composure 3 items, passing them down as heirlooms. Pactkeepers may
Skills: Academics 1 (Mali History), Crafts 1 be used for generational pacts but must pass the pact down
(Instruments), Investigation 1, Occult 3 (Demons), each generation to maintain it. Demons seek both cultists
Politics 2, Athletics 1, Larceny 1, Stealth 2, and souls from generational pacts, meticulously avoiding
Survival 2, Animal Ken 1, Empathy 1, Expression names when wording the pact to maximize their gains.
4 (Singing), Persuasion 2, Socialize 2, Subterfuge 2 A demon offering a deal in exchange for the soul of the
Merits: Eidetic Memory, Inspiring, Numbing firstborn child of the family, for example, would be able
Touch 3, Pact Sense, Sympathetic, Unseen Sense to collect on the firstborn of each generation. A demon
(God-Machine) collecting on a soul in a generational pact may choose to
Health: 7 adopt the individual as their own child instead of taking
them as a Cover, rendering them into Offspring. Members
Willpower: 7
of pactbound families easily become stigmatic, frequently
Integrity: 5 drawing the God-Machine’s scrutiny.
Size: 5 When striking generational pacts, demons investing a
Speed: 9 dot of Primum render descendants of the pactbound into
enhanced stigmatics called Embers. In addition to the usual
Defense: 3
stigmatic condition, Embers gain a single Embed at birth,
Initiative: 5 often one of the demon’s known Keys, and a connected
Armor: 1/1 Exploit, usually manifesting during puberty. These are com-
mon to the Ember bloodline, along with the stigmata mani-
fested. Rumors persist of clever Embers reverse engineering
their Exploit to learn additional connected Embeds with
some difficulty. As Embers lack Aether pools, activating
175
their Exploit inflicts a level of aggravated damage for each
point of Aether required.
AMAL, THE HOLY BRAND
Cults and Stigmatics “You must. It is Allah’s will.”

Mission: Amal is a Messenger sent to direct hunters
Demons hoping to preserve their Covers maintain low
against demons, acting as patron to the current incarna-
profiles, relying upon mortal allies to further their schemes.
tion of the Soldiers of Jabreel. Appearing mostly to devout
These allies offer many advantages, acting as security,
Muslims in Timbuktu and those undertaking the hajj, he
servants, and informants. They also prove to be a demon’s
favors the recently converted, taking advantage of both
most vulnerable point.
their faith and their unfamiliarity with the finer points of
Mali permits religious diversity, so the Unchained find their religion.
fertile ground to nurture cults. Many Malian cults remain
Description: Amal presents as a massive figure garbed
small, centering on individual families or loose associations
in green, with six multicolored feathered wings extending
of mortals practicing similar trades. Some operate almost
from his radiant humanoid body. His face radiates serenity
openly, relying upon belief in myriad spiritual entities and
or fury depending on his mood, the halo surrounding his
expectations that artisans will intercede with them to dis-
head soothing or blinding accordingly. When manifesting
courage scrutiny. Other demons build cults among outsiders,
in human form, he takes the shape of a man clothed in
hoping oddities of behavior may be dismissed as cultural
green, often an imam or someone familiar to his audience.
differences. Hunters are not so easily fooled. Ever vigilant,
they discern sinister patterns hidden within seemingly in- Methods: Masquerading as the archangel Jabreel, Amal
nocuous behavior. These hunters trace cult activities back shrouds himself in contrived authority. Amal leverages
to demonic masters, sometimes infiltrating these cults to people’s faith, presenting whichever face will best influ-
get closer to their quarry. ence a target to act on the God-Machine’s wishes. He
permanently binds golden jewelry to chosen hunters. This
Stigmatics find themselves torn between humanity and
jewelry, enchanted to provide edges against demons, is so
the machinations of the God-Machine. While stigmatics
finely wrought it eerily resembles tattoos. He also sows seeds
can operate on behalf of demons without fear of compro-
of a schism among the Integrators of the Faithful, offering
mise, their stigmata and any strange behavior are certain to
to inform any demon of the will of Allah.
draw attention from hunters. Few hunters trust stigmatics,
but those who take the risk find their unique senses provide Virtue: Ardent
an undeniable edge. Stigmatics may function as mediators Vice: Prideful
between hunters and demons under a truce, although some Rank: 2
take advantage of the situation to pursue their own aspira-
tions, playing both sides off of each other.
Attributes: Power 5, Finesse 6, Resistance 3
Influence: Faith 2
Angels Corpus: 9
Willpower: 9
While the God-Machine maintains cults and stigmatics
of Its own, angels remain Its most useful servants. As It forti- Size: 6
fies Its hold on Niani through means both subtle and overt, Speed: 16 (species factor 5)
new angels arise nightly. In Timbuktu, angels are not only Defense: 5
created but also imported from distant locations, a disturb-
ing fact for vigilant demons. Timbuktu’s angels displaying Initiative: 9
an unusual tolerance for the Unchained does little to ease Armor: 0
their minds. Conversely, angels zealously protect Mali’s Numina: Aggressive Meme, Awe, Hallucination,
trade routes, and attempts to interfere are harshly punished. Implant Mission, Rapture
Hunters run afoul of angels less frequently than demons, Manifestation: Image, Materialize, Twilight
but sometimes unwittingly interfere in angelic activities. Form
The God-Machine recognizes the utility of hunters for
Max Essence: 15
undermining the schemes of the Unchained, frequently
attempting to maneuver one against the other. Hunters rec- Ban: If commanded by an adherent, Amal must
ognizing angels at work usually can’t distinguish them from depart a place of faith until the next sunrise.
demons, assuming they are rival demons. While seldom able Bane: Desecrated holy symbols or texts
to add them to the God-Machine’s cults, directing hunters
towards demons is a favored strategy, especially in places
where angels seem reluctant to target demons personally.
176
flow of wealth and whispering the right words in the right
ZAIN, THE ANGEL ears ensured the growth of Mali’s fortune.
OF GOLD AND SALT Zain struggles to prevent the flow of gold from drop-
ping to critical levels. Avoiding direct conflict whenever
possible, the angel prefers to possess humans when his own
“Are you certain such an expenditure is wise?”
Cover proves insufficient. While he has several subordinate
Mission: Zain facilitates the proper movement of wealth angels and mortal agents available, he travels constantly
in Niani and throughout the empire and beyond. He has between the capital and trading centers of the empire,
lurked among the powerful for as long as the Empire has preferring to oversee everything personally. If the troubles
existed and considers the nation’s wealth to be his personal befalling the empire continue, it won’t be long before Zain
achievement. While everything flowed smoothly under faces Abandonment, or a Fall.
Mansa Musa, the empire now hemorrhages wealth, and the Virtue: Frugal
Angel of Gold and Salt intends to stanch the leak.
Vice: Meticulous
Description: Zain appears as Amjad Abdullah, a richly
dressed adviser in the mansa’s court. In his angelic form, Rank: 4
Zain’s gleaming golden skeleton is clearly visible through Attributes: Power 9, Finesse 12, Resistance 8
the translucent halite crystals composing his flesh. Wings Influence: Greed 2, Wealth 3
forged of gold jut from his back, and golden spider legs make
up his lower half.
Corpus: 13
Methods: Left to his own devices, Zain would micro- Willpower: 10
manage every aspect of the empire’s economy. For years, Size: 5
he surreptitiously transferred miniscule grains of gold dust Speed: 26 (species factor 5)
from one pouch to another to tweak the weights, returning
excess grains to the mansa’s stores. Directly overseeing the
Defense: 9
177
Initiative: 20 Amnesia, Apprehensive, Avarice, Blind, Deaf, Guilty,
Armor: 0 Leveraged, Madness, Mute, Notoriety, Obsession, Ominous,
Pactkeeper, Shaken, Spooked, Swooning, and Wanton.
Numina: Blast, Drain, Essence Thief, Implant
Mission, Innocuous, Pathfinder, Speed
Manifestation: Discorporate, Fetter, APPREHENSIVE
Materialize, Possess, Twilight Form, Unfetter
Max Essence: 25 The loss of someone or something seems imminent, and
Ban: Zain cannot allow wealth to go to waste. If your character is terrified. The character loses the 10-again
he sees gold dust spilled into the sand, he’s unable effect on rolls unrelated to protecting the subject, and
to depart the area without seeing to it the gold is they suffer a −1 penalty to all actions when believing the
gathered. subject is actively endangered. Anyone plausibly threaten-
Bane: An object that caused financial ruin for its ing to wrest the subject from the character may apply the
owner Leveraged Condition.
Example Skills: Intimidation, Subterfuge
For the Storyteller:

Resolution: Ensure the safety of the subject, by any
means necessary.
Managing Mortals and AVARICE

the Divine Enough is never enough. Your character’s lust for worldly
When running a chronicle that includes hunters and power and material wealth knows no bounds. Composure
demons, keep in mind that the characters’ perspectives rolls to resist temptation suffer a −2 penalty, and anyone
frame the story. Hunters won’t care that demons are fleeing, offering opportunities for material advancement gains an
because they won’t recognize or treat the God-Machine as exceptional success on three successes for Social rolls in-
real. Their concerns are usually pragmatic to keep their fluencing the character.
communities safe or learn more about the supernatural to Example Skills: Persuasion, Subterfuge
apply that knowledge to a future hunt. A mythic story about Resolution: Resist an opportunity for significant mate-
a machine run amok will do little to force hunters to work rial gain or give generously to the needy, suffering large
with demons — especially if that hunter is religious or has financial loss without hope of reward.
clout in their community.
Hunter groups have the resources to investigate myster-
ies, but are aware time is short. The Golden Library may
OMINOUS (PERSISTENT)
welcome information provided by a helpful Arabic scholar,
unaware he’s the angel known as Ink. The Unchained see an Bizarre phenomena and strange omens haunt your
enemy providing intelligence and move to strike. Hunters character’s steps. Your character seems to be a harbinger
who watch a pact being sealed see lies and deception, re- of doom, drawing blame for the slightest misfortunes. Your
gardless of the pact’s terms. character gains the 9-again effect on Intimidation rolls, but
When confronted by a demon, hunters will want to suffers a −2 penalty on other Social rolls.
kill, study, or capture their target unless they’re given just Possible Sources: Supernatural curses
cause to work with the enemy. In this era, a hunter’s faith Resolution: Remove the curse or overcome its source.
is crucial to how they approach the Vigil and the enemy. Beat: The character is shunned, banished, or attacked
The only way a faithful hunter will betray the Code and because of this Condition.
work with a demon is if they’re unaware of their ally’s true
nature. Demons can and do infiltrate hunter cells. The
reverse is also true: hunters may infiltrate a demon’s cult PACTKEEPER
or network of informants, feeding information or rumors to (PERSISTENT)
track down their location and launch an attack.
A demonic pact or memoir is metaphysically bound into
Using Conditions your memory. You gain a single point of Armor against all
sources of injury, and supernatural attempts to alter or remove
Demons influence mortals around them to obtain their memories related to the pact are penalized by your Intelligence.
desires, frequently imposing Conditions through pacts, pow- Pactkeepers eternally sense their pactbound, effectively pos-
ers, or manipulation, which hunters often recognize as signs sessing the Direction Sense Merit related to them.
of demonic influence. Common Conditions imposed include
178
Resolution: Render all pacts or kept memories null, or • The Signal: An Analyst discovered a major
pass them down to a new pactkeeper. Command and Control center and a critical weak-
Beat: The pactkeeper’s pacts or memories place the ness within it. Certain a large demonic force could
pactkeeper in immediate danger. seize or destroy it, he puts out a call using suborned
Infrastructure, bouncing the signal from other fa-
Tilts cilities to expand its range. Unchained perceive the
signal as an impulse to journey to Timbuktu. The
The desert holds myriad dangers for travelers engaging God-Machine notes the influx, opting for nonin-
in strenuous activity. Tilts of concern include Extreme Heat, terference until it determines the demons’ current
Heavy Winds, and Shifting Sands. agenda.
• The Summoners: Other hunters can’t explain why

SHIFTING SANDS a small cell of hunters suddenly began hoarding salt
(ENVIRONMENTAL) and gold dust, but suspect demonic influence. In
truth, cursed gold ignites their natural greed, and a
Description: Loose sand or other unstable surfaces strange scroll provides the secret of drawing demons
impedes the character’s movement. towards them. Soon, they will bind them to service,
Effect: The character struggles to maintain balance, seizing supreme wealth and power through a thou-
reducing Speed by 4 and suffering a −1 penalty to Physical sand forced pacts.
actions. Attempts to climb loose sand suffer an additional
−2 penalty. Dramatic failure on Physical actions inflict the Infrastructure Beneath the Desert
Knocked Down Tilt.
Sprawling Infrastructure lurks beneath the sands of the
Causing the Tilt: Loose sand is a frequent concern when Sahara. Well-guarded by angels and fueled by the flow of
moving through desert areas. materials through the trade routes, its purpose is unknown.
Ending the Tilt: Reaching stable footing ends the Tilt. Here are two possibilities why the Infrastructure is pres-
ent in this part of the world at this time:
Unraveling the • Sands of the Hourglass: The Infrastructure will
Unchained’s Presence allow the God-Machine to command the winds,
moving sand grains back to previous locations,
Timbuktu beckons demons from beyond the ends of the symbolically turning back time. If completed, the
empire. The burgeoning demon population draws attention God-Machine would be able to turn back time
from angel and hunter alike, but the reason for the influx is a on a large scale, reversing any defeat. While the
mystery even to the Unchained. Here are some possibilities: Infrastructure isn’t fully functional yet, It causes
• The Beacon: At sunset, a mirage flickers to life over time ripples within the desert, leading to lost time
the Sankore Masjid, an iron lighthouse emanating for travelers and anomalous time storms drifting on
golden light, visible only to those touched by the wind-borne sands.
God-Machine. Blazing every night since the death of
• The Oasis Network: Natural oases channel travelers
Mansa Musa, it beckons any demon who has encoun-
through stable routes in the desert, but the God-
tered Malian gold dust, a siren song promising secrets
Machine would find It convenient to extend this
beyond their wildest dreams. The God-Machine is
worldwide. This Infrastructure will allow the God-
concentrating demons in one place, but whether It
Machine to terraform the world into a network of
collects them for some enigmatic purpose or distracts
inhospitable terrain broken by easy routes between
them from its plans elsewhere remains uncertain.
habitable locales. Testing this Infrastructure pro-
• The Dreamer: A demon-blooded hunter rests duced bizarre veins of metal and plastic for angels to
uneasy, haunted by visions of demonic entities and mine and a proliferation of desert cryptids, including
bizarre sigils. She wakes every morning with a sense horned devil vipers emitting staticky whispers in
of foreboding, certain the faces glimpsed in her strange tongues as their scales slide along the sand
dreams approach. As reports of demon sightings from and ghoststalker scorpions capable of shunting hap-
other hunters surge, she fearfully questions whether less mortals into Twilight with a single sting.
her dreams are warning her or summoning them.
179
For the Storyteller: Managing Mortals and the Divine
Story Hooks
one of their kind. Increased scrutiny does nothing to help
the demons’ wavering Covers, so finding the one responsible
becomes a priority. Sightings of Zain draw the Unchained
Despite the beginnings of economic hardship and an towards the Infrastructure he constructs. Has Zain been
uncertain future, Mali is still a relatively peaceful place that Abandoned or Fallen? If he completes his ritual, what will
attracts tourists, travelers, and merchants from far-off lands. truly rise in the body of the Golden Mansa? How does the
Many stories wait to be told, but each could vary greatly statue factor into the God Machine’s plans?
depending on the nature of the characters.
The story hooks below provide scenarios to leverage the
information provided in this era and offers suggestions for
The Pride of Kawkaw
adjustments depending upon which characters are involved. Note to Storytellers: This story hook involves human
Storytellers should feel free to use whichever elements they slavery and a violent uprising. If you are planning to run a
like or create their own, nuanced hooks. chronicle inspired by this hook, talk to your players ahead
of time and ensure they’re comfortable with the scenario.
The Gilded Statue Though slavery was prominent during this era, players may
not want to engage in a chronicle that touches on this topic.
Summary: Gold disappears from the coffers of Niani, Summary: Workers and slaves vanish nightly from the
leading to suspicion and accusations among the court. market in Kawkaw. They reappearwithin two days’s time
Meanwhile, Zain buries gold in strategic locations, desper- bearing fresh scars and eerily calm attitudes. The afflicted
ately constructing emergency Infrastructure to replenish the accepts punishments without complaint and stares at their
wealth of the empire. To save his beloved empire, he will oppressors with ravenous eyes. Soon, the lions will strike.
steal from death itself. Setup: The player-characters investigate the slaves’
Setup: Niani’s political scene is chaotic and is becoming unusual behavior, but by the time they discover the lions
unstable. When gold disappears, everyone — nobles, politi- they’re protecting, it’s too late to stop the violence. The
cians, tourists, traders, and workers alike — is suspect. False night of their attack, the slaves rise as one, ripping and
leads are being introduced in greater frequencies as many feasting upon the flesh of all they encounter. As the slaves
court officials are taking advantage of the circumstances to feed, three cryptid lions appear. The lions are supernaturally
undermine rivals or fill their own pouches. Evidence points causing the afflicted to act, think, and feel in concert: to
to many court officials as thieves, but none recall the details free their victims, the player-characters must determine
of such events. Zain unhesitatingly accepts bribes or pos- how to deal with the lions without causing further harm
sesses court officials to gain the required gold. At the center to the slaves.
of his makeshift Infrastructure, a golden statue of Mansa Hunters: Most hunters are conflicted by this scenario.
Musa stands ready to welcome the king back to the world. As a citizen of Mali, they have witnessed (or participated
Hunters: Tier-one hunters hear rumors of a strange in) uprisings before. What a hunter needs to see, however,
being digging in the earth lead the characters to enough is how the supernatural is playing a role in this event. Tier-
buried treasure to ensure their comfort for a long while. one hunters will step in as their consciences’ demand, but
Who buried these urns of gold, and what are the strange will refocus their efforts when they realize the supernatural
cords connecting them together? is at work.
The Followers of the Mansa often receive information Tier-two hunters will start by searching for demonic
from Amjad Abdullah, but lately he has been distracted, influence, and may suspect the slaves’ minds have been sto-
hyperfocusing on the empire’s gold. Coupled with recent len by fiendish bargains that result in their freedom. While
demon sightings around town, tier-two hunters fear they questions remain, tier-two hunters will recognize that the
have lost him to the enemy. Why does he focus so much on linked minds’ won’t stop attacking and innocent people’s
gold? Has Amjad been replaced with a demon? lives are at risk. Compact leaders will want the violence to
The conspiracies watch for signs of supernatural influ- end without anyone else — including the victims — getting
ence among the mansa’s court, but the discord caused by hurt. Tier-three hunters will take a different approach, and
the vanishing gold complicates matters. Sightings of a will broaden their search to include vampires, sorcerers, and
demon burying gold confirms their fears of one in their other enemies capable of hypnotizing minds.
midst. Which court official is the demon’s puppet, and When the uprising begins, hunters will coordinate to
why does he focus on stealing gold instead of souls? Is he contain the violence, ensure the victims are safe, and deal
connected to the God-Machine? And, if so, why does The with the cause. Can they be cured of the lions’ influence,
God-Machine care about gold? or is destruction their only hope?
The Unchained: Most demons carry out their personal The Unchained: A ring of foreign demons has suborned
agendas knowing a hunter may not be far behind. The the Infrastructure containing the lions and witnessed their
Unchained is aware someone is stealing gold, but isn’t sure escape. Now they’re recruiting any demons willing to help
if that enemy is a demon or something else masquerading as their cause. Some demons hope to stop the lions before they
180
cause trouble, while others wait to see what chaos they’ll stigmatics — the cult of alchemists — begin hunting them
cause. Most demons are surprised by the slaves’ attack and down. When the demons discover the Infrastructure respon-
are confused by the lions’ behavior. Was the God-Machine’s sible, they’ll learn the cult is firmly in control. Is the bound
intent to save the slaves with the lions’ help? By hunting Destroyer angel a prisoner or fulfilling its purpose? How are
them, will demons hinder Its plans or fulfill them? What these potions granting alchemists demonic abilities? Why?
should the Unchained do once hunters are involved? Should they ally with the alchemists? Or fight with hunters
to eliminate them?
The Rendering Chamber
Summary: A cult of alchemists has established a
laboratory in Timbuktu, and they hunt anyone exhibiting Sources and Inspiration
aberrant behavior, rendering them down into whatever The jeliw of Mali, most commonly known as griots in the
supernatural resources they can gain for their strange con- modern day, carry the legends and history of their people
coctions. Imbibing these potions twists them into stigmatic through their songs, which they believe to be passed down
nightmares. through the blood. In fact, the term jeli actually translates
Setup: The first hint of something odd is likely the dis- to “blood.” The tradition stretches back to before Sundiata’s
appearance of someone known to either the characters or jeli, Balla Fasséké, and continues to persist to this day.
their contacts. Investigation reveals other disappearances, Documentaries and beautiful performances by modern
eventually leading to the discovery of the cult. Its laboratory griots may be found through Internet research.
is set up in a small home on the outskirts of the city, but the The Epic of Sundiata: Available in numerous translations,
facility is far larger on the inside. A biomechanical horror is this epic poem details the life of Sundiata Keita, from the
bound into a tube at the center of their equipment, a pair of time he was born, weak and disabled, to his conquest of
terrified human eyes staring from its impassive metal face. the sorcerer king Sumanguru Kanté and the rise of the
Hunters: Tier-one hunters will think either a sorcerer Empire of Mali.
or demon is to blame and will target the cult as an enemy. The Travels of Ibn Battuta, by Ibn Battuta, translated by
Tier-two hunters might suspect demonic activity, but will Samuel Lee (1829). Ibn Battuta was an Islamic scholar and
be careful not to jump to assumptions. Some hunters will explorer who visited the Empire of Mali in the early 1350s.
take a careful approach to spy on the alchemists and may While colored by his prejudices and greed, it provides a
even require proof that they are, in fact, demons. Tier-three good look at the empire immediately following the years
hunters will be the first to suspect a rogue hunter is behind covered by this era. Other translations are also available.
the alchemists’ unholy activities, and will approach the Empires of Medieval West Africa: Ghana, Mali, and
Ascending Ones in the area for answers. The more questions Songhay, by David C. Conrad (2005). This book provides a
hunters ask, the more they’ll realize not everything is as it simple introductory look at the history of the Mali Empire
seems. While some ingredients had been stolen, all hunters and the culture and society of the Mande people.
have been accounted for. Who stole from the Ascending The Royal Kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay: Life
Ones and why? Who has access to such formulae? What in Medieval Africa, by Patricia and Frederick McKissack
purpose does this cult serve? Whom do they answer to? (1994). This book also gives a look at the society and
The Unchained: The Unchained are forced to assume culture of the era.
The God-Machine is plotting against them when bizarre
181
Followers of the Mansa
Protectors of Life
“We will protect everything that is good.” must trace them to their hunting grounds. This means
When monsters crept in over the borders and sprung using the trade network to pass along critical information
up in the shadowy places where the fearful refuse to look, and artifacts or to block the corrupting actions of a demon
a few brave men and women faced the darkness and bound trying to stir unrest or spread lies.
themselves in agreement to fight what others would not. As their primary quarry is something immense and un-
The founders of the compact were deeply devoted in their certain, the Followers of the Mansa avoid reckless conflict
service to Mansa Musa I and out of that love for king and with monsters. Rather than shooting first and asking ques-
country swore never to allow harm to come to the mansa tions later, the Followers choose thorough investigations
or his great empire. Though Musa has passed, the Followers and strategic strikes. Demons are unparalleled liars, and one
of the Mansa remain loyal to the throne, adhering to the false lead could result in the death of an innocent, or the
compact’s principles to defend the kingdom and its rulers. dismantling of an entire organization — perhaps exactly
The Followers of the Mansa recruit members from the what a demon wants.
The Response
critical but unsung members of society. Scribes, auditors,
investigators, and palace guards who have had the scales
fall away from their eyes and take up the Vigil are welcomed Though the Followers adhere to a practice of general
into the ranks of the Followers. While the seat of the caution, when they know they are facing a demon, they
compact resides in Niani, any hunter willing to make the do everything in their power to avoid a direct conflict
journey to the capital and be formally accepted into the with the monster. After losing a number of members to a
ranks is welcome to join, as long as their loyalty belongs to conflict with a demon that turned violent, the compact
the empire and the empire alone. forbids overt combat with the Fallen. In place of violence,
Choosing membership from the empire’s most innocuous the Followers instead encourage their hunters to subvert
places allows the Followers of the Mansa to move unseen and undo a demon’s plans, to try to reveal its true nature,
through society. No one looks twice at the sweaty-faced dock and to drive it out with their own supernatural abilities. All
laborer as he unloads his wares (though he is listening to and of this is, perhaps, easier said than done, and sometimes a
watching everyone around him), or gives a moment’s con- hunter may find that violence is the best answer.
sideration to the hurried, overworked scribe and she travels Upon learning that demons exist, the Followers made
down the masjid’s halls (she has uncovered an arcane secret an agreement to avoid direct, violent conflict with these
in her translations, and it must be revealed to her cell, post- incomprehensible beings. Instead they chose to accumulate
haste). Their eyes and ears are everywhere within the empire, knowledge and archive every advantage they can muster to
and they will give the enemy no quarter and no reprieve. turn away the Fallen’s corrupting influence. The Followers
Where the military handles mundane threats to the have made a strategy out of rigorous observation. Hunters
empire, the Followers shoulder the burden of pursuing are directed to watch, learn, listen, and act indirectly —
and destroying supernatural threats. Certainly, they often striking at supply lines, misleading informants, ad cutting off
employ bows and lances, but it is the strength of knowledge the monster’s access to vulnerable people. They encourage
and economic savvy that give the Followers their advan- doing anything to weaken the corruption without facing the
tage over the monsters that creep in the night. They are demon directly. If direct conflict becomes the only option,
everywhere, and they have the resources of a vastly wealthy, the Followers urge their members to fight as prepared as pos-
powerful kingdom behind them. A word in the right ear sible and be ready to exploit their target’s every weakness.
and the river port closes, preventing a vampire from making
its escape that night. Another nudge in the right direction
and all inventory manifests from incoming caravans are
Hunters
You work as a scribe in one of the many prominent
audited, revealing dozens of smuggled, cursed objects. The
masjids in Niani. Though your name does not appear on
Followers will not let monsters prey on those they protect.
any prestigious placard, all the employees and attendees of
The Enemy the masjid know your name. You spearhead the recruitment
for the Followers of the Mansa, and ensure each member
The Followers of the Mansa, in their pursuit of demons, will add value to the group. You are opposed to the use of
have found that they crop up most often around societal violence and are willing to sanction members if you’ve
centers: important buildings, institutions, social constructs. discovered they are ignoring the rules.
If they are to hunt down and drive out these monsters, they
182
Though few people know your full name, you served as carefully amassed, recorded, and taught to other hunters.
the quartermaster stationed in Niani for years. Your con- Scribes abhor violence and will only fight as a last resort.
nections in the military are valuable, and your dedication Soldiers are convinced that military tactics and battle
and hard work have earned you a favorable reputation. plans are effective tools to deal with the enemy. They are
You often find yourself at odds with other, less experi- insistent that violence is necessary. Many soldiers want to
enced hunters who don’t understand that violence train other Followers in the art of self-defense.
is sometimes a necessary solution when dealing Students are hunters who study and use recorded
with the supernatural. knowledge to fight. While they can and do attack mon-
You are a new member who was chosen be- sters, they prefer to seek nonviolent solutions to avoid
cause you served in the royal palace. You have a confrontation that will result in harm.
access to sensitive information that you share
to gain favor with your fellow hunters. Because
of this, you’ve been granted status in your
Status
compact that other hunters feel you Status among the Followers of the Mansa is
don’t deserve. You want the opportu- closely tied to a hunter’s reputation.
nity to prove yourself, and are and • You’ve just been inducted into the
excellent scout with an outstanding ranks of the Followers of the Mansa. If you
memory. One day, you know your weren’t already, you’ve been promoted
observations will save lives. One day. to a person of minor standing, but not
too important. Gain a Skill specialty
Factions in Politics or Expression relevant to
your position.
Three groups of hunt- ••• Your fel-
ers take different low hunters are im-
approaches pressed and speak
to the hunt. highly of you. Gain
Of the three two dots of Allies
groups, the (Followers of the Mansa).
Scribes are the largest, and the
••••• You don’t seek fame or
Students are the smallest. This may
wealth, and your fellow hunters
change over time as the compact
know you are an example to be fol-
acquires more knowledge of the
lowed. Gain three dots of Resources
supernatural.
to aid you in your hunt.
Scribes believe that the Vigil
can only be upheld if knowledge is
183
Followers of the Mansa
Accorso,
If you will not heed my warnings to turn from your studies on grounds of our friendship
and trust, let me tell you fully of the Soncino matter, in hope this might penetrate your
prideful stubbornness and return you to humility.
Filippo Mantovani died before my companions and I arrived at his crumbling villa
at the edge of Soncino. He was struck down by a wasting disease. Some
farmers had already taken the shriveled corpse on a crude bier to a hilltop
near the town, its crown bare but for the jagged shape of an old monolith.
We resolved to challenge this superstitious nonsense after questioning
Rigarda, Filippo’s wife.
Amid the meager furnishings and empty shadows of her home, Rigarda
told us her husband had spent his riches on telescopes and prohibited texts.
She showed us copies of De revolutionibus, Siderius Nuncius, and others be-
sides, and admitted that she too had read and studied these books.
Further, she said that she and her husband had witnessed strange lights
in the night sky, that there were pearls of silver that did not match the
charts of any philosopher or mathematician and certainly not holy scrip-
ture. They had spent months tracing the arc of these lights and learned a
certain flashing rhythm from them which they believed to be a language
of the firmament.
Filippo had fallen in with certain men from the local farms,
men of whom Rigarda was fearful, and regardless of their dif-
ference in status the merchant had employed these peasants
because of their belief that the monolith on the hill had
been built by the ancients, and that witches used it as a
beacon to speak with spirits of the sky.
As she explained this story to us, and we ques-
tioned her closely as to how they had acquired these
books prohibited by the Sacred Congregation of
the Index, evening fell. Rigarda offered us hos-
pitality but, as we sat to eat, a terrible sound of
buzzing and clicking came from that distant
hilltop and shook our bones so intensely that
it brought us to senselessness.
When we came to, Rigarda was gone
along with the books. The distant hilltop
was limned with white light, and the
monolith burned there like an ivory
brand. We could see the shapes of figures
dancing around it. A light answered in
the night sky above and fell on a trail of
fire to consume that hilltop in a thunder-
ous conflagration.
In that fire, Accorso, I saw wings
unfolding.
You know I am not superstitious,
Accorso, but I have no explanation in
scripture or reason for what I witnessed. I
urge you to set aside your fanciful obsession
with the philosophy and mathematics of
the heavens. The mysteries of the firmament
should not be explored.
Some truths come at a price too high for
simple mortals such as we. Leave these secrets
to God, my friend. Please.
— Guglelini, in service to the Supreme Sacred
Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition
Light
Light of theSun
of the Sun
1630-1640
1630-1640CE
CE
Europe is in turmoil. The Holy Roman Empire and its enemies lurch through
the relentless carnage of the Thirty Years’ War. Millions die to fire and sword
and pox and hunger. Rising powers and crumbling lineages choke and throttle
“But that which will

one another over entanglements of authority and faith. Christianity, sundered
excite the greatest

between Catholic and Protestant, turns on itself like a rabid animal; divisions
astonishment by far,
“But that which will fuel frenzied feuds and are used to justify new ambitions.
and which indeed

excite the greatest In the shadow of the Holy Roman Empire, Italy’s growth slumps, its myriad
especially moved
indeedme
astonishment by far, of squabbling dominions eclipsed by greater powers. Plague scours the land, its
to call themovedattention
and which rancid grasp leaving so deep a suppurating wound in society that even decades
of all astronomers
especially me later there will still be deserted homes and desolate farmsteads. After the scintil-
and philosophers, andis

to call the attention of lating brilliance of the Italian Renaissance, the peninsula now seems tarnished.
this: namely, that I

all astronomers This is not simply a decline, though, not a dark age stark against prior light.
have observed four
philosophers, is this: This, too, is a time of illumination, where the grandeur of the Renaissance is
planets, neither
namely, that I have set aside in favor of sharper tools of rationality and inquisition. Flourishing
known nor observed
observed four planets, science brings inconvenient truths to bear against the foundations of power;
by any one ofone theof
neither known nor men and women of influence and intelligence must balance the rival demands
astronomers before
observed by any of veracity, piety, and loyalty.
my
my time, which have
time, which
the astronomers before Some, like Galileo Galilei, are unable to maintain such a balancing act.
their orbits round
have Strange powers grapple with the tumult spilling through Italy. Awakened
a certain
brightbright
their orbits round a magicians struggle for influence within the corridors of authority, dealing in the
star, onepreviously
of those
certain star, one carmine cloth of Cardinals and the schemes of nobility. They watch as Sleepers
previously
known, likeknown, Venus like
of those lurch forward in their understanding of the world and wonder what the huddled
Venus or Mercury
or masses might do once armed with new revelations. Conspiracies of occultists
round the sun, and are
Mercury round the sun, transgress across boundaries of sanity and morality, defying stifling edicts to push
sometimes in front
and are sometimes in new science and old mysticism too far. Deviants serve them in bloody, secret
of it, it,sometimes
front of it, sometimes wars, the manifested proof of seemingly ridiculous theories.
behind it, though they
behind though they
never
beyond certain limits.it
depart from
And behind it all, demons and angels clash in fire and shadow as human-
never depart from it
beyond certain factslimits.
ity’s progress threatens to reveal the grinding guts of the God-Machine. The
All of which facts

flickering intellectual light of brilliant souls throws strange phenomena into
All of which were
were
a few discovered and
stark and sudden relief. Such discoveries could bring the Unchained salvation
discovered and observed
observed a few days
— or usher in catastrophe.
days ago by the
ago byby the help of
The divine engine of God will not go down without a fight.
help of a telescope
a telescope devised
devised me, through
by me, through
God’s grace first Theme: The Price of Truth
God's grace first
enlightening my mind.” Revelations on the nature of the world, long incubated through lineages
enlightening my mind.”
— Galileo Galilei, of thinkers and philosophers, now emerge into full bloom. This crop of truth
Galileo Galilei,
“The Sidereal Messenger” threatens established power, its harvest of discoveries a danger to the status quo.
“The Sidereal
Pamphlet, 1610 The orbiting place of the world in the vast dance of sun and stars challenges
Messenger”
embedded geocentric beliefs, and therefore also challenges the institutions that
Pamphlet, 1610
derive their authority from those beliefs — chiefly the Papacy and the Holy
Roman Empire. Promoting truth is not a question of delving into the unknown,
but of fighting for the acceptance of the known.
For thinkers and theologians, this thorny issue can alter the course of careers
and end lives. Speaking truth to power leads to ostracism, condemnation, and
execution. Galilei is lucky; he is punished for his heresy with lenient arrest.
186
Light of the Sun
Giordano Bruno, a contemporary, dies amid flames with his Protestantism, the Papacy ignites a new cultural and theo-
screams choked by a gag. Promoting truth is a dangerous logical movement. The Counter-Reformation is to inspire
game, a dance of influence and friendships and favors by and to unify the Catholic Church. It burns out spiritual
which the messenger protects themselves from retaliation. rot. Far-flung missions tighten the Church’s grip on the
Even an unpalatable truth can be made heard, if one has sprawling spread of colonies. Clever tongues proselytize
the protection of popes and princes. to those split from the congregation in Protestant lands.
Sorcerers and the Unchained face terrible choices as the It is the Catholic counterattack, a rigorous reinforcement
skin of the world peels back before the light of humanity’s of the ideological and intellectual tenets that serve as the
investigations. When mortals stumble upon the truth of the faith’s foundations.
God-Machine, should their efforts be strangled in the crib or By the 17th century, Europe is viciously divided on lines
fostered and aided? What plan does the great and awful en- of piety, lineage, and authority. This is no longer a clear-cut,
gine of reality attempt to engineer in this time of revelation? simple conflict between Protestantism and Catholicism. It
is a messy, complex network of alliances broken, promises
Mood: Hubris and Rot betrayed, and faith compromised. Two branches of the
Habsburgs are split between Spain and the Holy Roman
The struggle between truth and power reveals rot has set Empire — a provisionally Catholic alliance that contains
in across Europe, corruption in institutions of power and the multitudes within its borders, including a large number of
decay that now seizes the arteries of Italy’s economy. Bloated Protestant subjects. France, the other great Catholic power
merchants squander wealth on luxuries, and nepotism runs of the day, vies with the Habsburgs for influence, while the
rampant among arrogant clergy, even as common folk slave Protestant nations squabble and clamor in the north.
through fields of thin soil or are trampled under the Thirty Italy has been a patchwork for centuries, carved up
Years’ War. Spiritual rot finds a reflection in the scourge of among city-states and duchies — but now, allegiances to far
the plague that reaps a monstrous, reeking harvest. Societal masters further scar the country. The Spanish hold the leash
decay, injustice, and disease are evident wherever one looks. of much of the south. The north sees the French and the
The struggles of the era are defined by the arrogance and Holy Roman Empire squabbling over dominance. The Papal
hubris of those caught up in them. Emboldened by the Counter- States squat in the midst, a teetering edifice of religious
Reformation, Emperor Ferdinand II of the Holy Roman Empire authority born on the back of real secular power. The Holy
grinds down his Protestant subjects until they lash out in ven- See grapples with base, material appetites — the pecuniary
geance. Pope Urban VIII reaches for the glittering apogee of the hungers that suckle at its coffers of coin, and the arrogant
Papacy’s power but leaves it laden with terrible debts. Galilei, ambitions of the men who slouch upon the papal throne.
so confident and blinded by his conviction in his discoveries, The Seers of the Throne well understand the politics
so eager to receive accolades for his intellect, drives allies away of the age and can maneuver better than most. Up until
through his arrogance. When the jaws of the Catholic Church the mid-15th century, the Seers of the Throne were not a
close in, almost no one is left to stand at his side. unified sect, but a tenuous and shifting alliance of Exarch-
How many of the disasters that are to come could have oriented Nameless Orders. The early years of the Italian
been avoided with humility and empathy? Renaissance and the birth of city-states like Milan and
Venice gave rise to the nationalistic Hegemony, who wor-

ship the Unity, Iron Seal of Mind and Exarch of control
through xenophobia. As the first Ministry, they organized
the other proto-Seer cults into similar Ministries, forming a
Faith has power. It can drive humans toward incredible bloc that could more meaningfully oppose the Diamond and
achievements or monstrous atrocities. The Awakened, both enact the Exarchs’ will. This included Paternoster — cult of
religious and secular, seek to understand the rules governing the Father, Iron Seal of Prime and Exarch of control through
the universe alongside their Sleeper counterparts, a path by dogma — though it was a hard sell. Paternoster has been the
which humanity might be inspired — or chained. Demons largest and most cohesive Exarchal Nameless Order since
experience the power of faith so personally and painfully the 13th century and would have stayed independent if the
in the moment it is gone — when unthinking faith in the other cults hadn’t fallen in line with Hegemony’s plan. As it
God-Machine is no longer enough in the face of terrible is, while Paternoster Seers remain powerful and numerous,
questions. Hooded Broken whisper Pater Nosters in mon- and retain their own hierarchical structures, they too are
asteries or kneel in the darkened corners of cathedrals, now considered a Ministry of the Iron Pyramid.
begging God to make them clean again, but to no avail.
Still, in this era, the alliance is fractious: The Hegemony
It is the clash of faiths that places Galilei under the supports a Christian Reformation that will fracture
spotlight — a chain of events born long before, in the con- Christendom into rival factions, while Paternoster supports
flict between Catholicism and the Protestant Reformation. the Counter-Reformation to keep papal power consolidated,
The Counter-Reformation, born from the Council acutely aware that the Reformation is giving the nobility
of Trent in 1545, sets the stage. Facing the challenge of unprecedented sway over the Church. To the Father’s
187
devout, this assault on their authority is unacceptable. The Those who cannot conceal their connection to the
pressures between Reformation and Counter-Reformation supernatural world face the Inquisition to be tried as
seethe and suppurate among Seers and Sleepers alike. witches. Some escape this fate by seeking service to wealthy
In 1618, the flesh splits and the pus boils out. Emperor patrons — whether as bodyguards, assassins, or stranger
Ferdinand II demands uniformity of faith, uncaring of his professionals — who can put their occult talents at the
subjects’ disparate forms of fervor. He crumples and casts disposal of their masters out of sight of the public. Others
aside old agreements that protect Protestants’ rights, drives join mercenary companies, which assign them to special
them out, and stamps down on those with the temerity to squads of scouts, shock troops, or engineers, depending on
defy him. In Prague, the Bohemians throw the emperor’s their particular abilities.
representatives out of a window to the cruel ground below At first, Italy seems spared from the excesses of the war
and elect a Calvinist as their king. They gather their allies playing out across northern Europe. That will change — but
to the banner of war. The Catholic League does the same. for now the conflict’s impact on the peninsula is economic,
Thus begins the Thirty Years’ War. This nightmare burns intellectual, and theological. Shifting alliances among the
for three horrific decades. It reaps untold millions of lives. great patron powers of France, Spain, and the Holy Roman
In the first, heady, outrageous days, the belligerents have yet Empire pressure their nominal Italian subjects, and loot the
to appreciate the terrible slaughter that will follow. Blood coffers of Italy to pay for their excesses. The threads that link
soaks the fields. Soldiers and mercenaries meet in battle the Papacy and the states around it are pulled taut or twisted,
after battle until the dead lie in great piles of rotting meat. and so too does the Church’s relationship with science and
Civilians are butchered, settlements incinerated. No one truth change — all bent before the altar of political necessity.
is spared; entire principalities are depopulated, and not
just through sword and fire. War’s eternal companions ride Galileo Galilei
wild and free, disease running rampant and famine birthed
through ashen fields emptied of workers. In the 14th century, the Italian Renaissance was the
spark that lit a wider cultural revival across Europe. Italy
The emperor’s plans grind forward mercilessly, without
now sits at the tail end of that great movement, but it is
regard for such consequences. He executes swathes of
much diminished. The Italian states once saw a flowering
Bohemian ringleaders, drives nobles into exile, and treats
of art, literature, science, and philosophical thought driven
Protestant denominations with scornful expulsions and
through wealth and patronage that cascaded down from
bans. In 1629, he passes an edict of restitution, restor-
affluent and ambitious urban magnates. The University of
ing to the Catholic Church lands that it lost during the
Padua, where Galilei would one day teach, hosted the first
Reformation — lands that must now be snatched from
and most widely known anatomical theater beginning in
the hands of Protestants, many of whom are nobles and
1594, where professors lectured on physiology and provided
magnates hitherto holding back from the fray. Gouged of
practical demonstrations of dissection to an audience of
their property, they retaliate with fury and dissent. In 1630,
students and scholars.
a scant few years before Galilei faces his trial at the hands of
the Inquisition, the Swedish king Gustav Adolphus enters Much of that dynamism has been leeched away by the
the war — and he does not come alone. Barriers of faith 17th century, the prestige and wealth of the great city-states
are broken in the face of expediency. Louis XIII of France, foundering, and their power shackled by the Habsburgs.
a Catholic, throws his support behind the Swedes, stoking It is not eradicated, though. Thinkers and scientists
the war into a bonfire of carnage and chaos. of the years that lead to Galileo Galilei’s trial stand upon
Nightmares and occult puppeteers slither through the the accomplishments of those who have come before.
shadows. They walk a world turned to madness. Where Universities flourish, a valuable asset of the mind that duch-
the ground is soaked in gore, where once-fertile fields turn ies and principalities leash for their own aggrandizement.
to choking dust, spirits of the courts of death and hunger The Counter-Reformation has not strangled intellectual-
and fear come together to caper and cavort and glut them- ism, but instead lashed it to a framework of encouragement
selves. Those Awakened to the world’s Mysteries find entire and patronage dependent on the oversight and approval of
villages caught under the rapturous influence of spiritual the Catholic Church and the Holy Roman Empire. The
invaders, their flesh twisted into horrors that stir terrified Papacy and the Habsburgs compete for preeminence over
Sleepers into manias of witchcraft and devilry. Possessed thought and spirit.
corpses rise again on battlefields to reenact the cruelty of It is against this backdrop of feuding powers that Galilei
their last moments over and over again, trapped in their and his contemporaries publish their discoveries. The
torment. Priests spew heresies vomited into their minds Church is a potent friend to those scientists and scholars
by gibbering phantasms. Blood-hungry things prowl in the who respect its authorities, and who have connections
armies’ wake, feasting on the wounded, spreading sickness and allies among the courts of Italy. This includes those
and pox among the weak. Strange beings are driven from whose studies require a supply of cadavers for dissections,
their ancient lairs by the ruination wrought through feuding as evidenced by the fact that Italy, along with France, earns
faiths and warring princes. a reputation for the quality of its anatomy books.
188
Light of the Sun
Political protection allows a thinker to explore ideas firm compared to the whirling firmament above. The Bible’s
with relative impunity. At first, Galilei is supported by the focus upon humanity and its planet confers comforting
Jesuits, the Medici rulers of Tuscany, and Cardinal Barberini assurance that this world is the focus of divine attention.
— the future Pope Urban VIII. He is almost coddled in how Yet such seemingly obvious doctrine grates sharply against
these friends and supporters allow him to pursue his studies. discrepancies and phenomena revealed by the light of inquiry
Giordano Bruno, who follows a close path to that of — inquiry of which the Catholic faithful are at the forefront,
Galilei — even competing with him for a position at the including some astronomers among the Jesuits. The notion that
University of Padua — does not have such friends, nor does the planets orbit the sun is hardly new — Copernicus espouses
he play the political games of the church. He is sentenced it in the 1500s, and others long before him — but Galilei makes
to death in 1600 for his heresies, and his works banned. bold new claims in his Siderius Nuncius of 1610, and later the
Both Galilei and Bruno explore the idea of heliocen- Dialogue that will prove his downfall. His words — now scath-
trism, the idea that the Earth orbits the sun. The Church’s ing, as he felt he was not being heard — offer a platter of fresh
position is derived from scripture, a belief that the Earth is evidence. The telescope has burst onto the stage and Galilei and
the center of all things and never to be moved. This seems his peers not only turn it to the skies, they refine and hone it until
self-evident — the sun and moon can be seen to move hitherto-unknown secrets of the heavens are revealed. Galilei
through the sky, where those upon the Earth have no sense sketches details of the moon. The gears of the God-Machine
the ground is moving anywhere. If the world spun, they ask, twist to frantic overdrive as the keen sight of humanity pierces
then why do things that are dropped fall straight down? In into a domain that, until now, served as a bleak but safe deposi-
all things, the earth beneath one’s feet seems stable and tory for the insensate divinity’s churning engines.
Galilei garners attention for the Siderius Nuncius, little of
it good. The Jesuits laud his work — but the scholar shows
his signature lack of judgment and ignores his allies’ work
delving into the mysteries of sunspots. When he publishes
Language and Terminology his Letters on Sunspots, his arrogance on the topic and hun-
in 17th-century Italy ger for acclaim riles those who should be his friends. Even
as angels hurriedly stamp down on occult pattern genera-
Language usage in Italy is complicated and its tors in the sun’s outer reaches, agitated by the impending
evolution is part of a centuries-long discourse that
involved Dante Alighieri, Niccolò Machiavelli, observation of their efforts, Galilei’s smug self-assurance
and many others. During this era, Italian city-states cracks the rift with the Church wider.
use regional dialects tied to that location. When a For now, though, Galilei takes a step to secure his future
citizen travels from Venice to Milan, a Milanese will for the short term. He spies moons around Jupiter — and
instantly be able to tell where the speaker hails from. an angel in Rome, tasked with interpreting blinking flashes
Unfortunately, many citizens are illiterate and rely of light from those distant satellites, weeps tears of blood
on their internalized knowledge to understand one from its seven faces and Falls as the Jovian signal suddenly
another; sometimes, they are unable to communicate silences — and names them the Medician Stars. Such
unless they have a translator versed in both dialects. blatant flattery and oozing obsequiousness earn him the
In academic, political, and religious circles, a patronage of the Florentine Medici, the rulers of Tuscany.
great discussion called the questione della lingua He is awarded a sinecure at the university of Pisa. When
seeks to answer what the proper or standard castigation finally arrives in 1616 for his transgression
form of Italian is, a conversation that includes against Church dogma, the Medici connection ensures it
four different factions active in this era: the purists is incredibly mild. He is rebuked to neither hold nor defend
who draw from classical texts, the Florentines who the Copernican approach, and that is all. It is a far cry from
weight common usage, courtiers who insist local
the incendiary fate suffered by Bruno.
vernacular must be incorporated, and a papal
faction who believes the Church’s version is the But the gears of the God-Machine are already turning;
correct one. The question of language will remain meanwhile, the jealous attention of the Awakened falls
unresolved until the Napoleonic era when Italy upon the progress of human understanding. The Pentacle
is unified in the 19th century; even so, it will take wonders if this might be the seed from which Truth will
years before a standard language is implemented, spring — and the Iron Pyramid readies itself to crush the
and dialects are still in use to this day. light of revelation.
During this era, terms provided in this chapter either Not all of Galilei’s innovations are so controversial.
use terminology sourced from 20th-century Italian His standardization of measurements and use of repeated
or from Latin. To simplify this for your chronicle, treat experiments to identify patterns that lead to broader theo-
Latin as the “language of scholars” and Italian as a ries make peer review possible and come to be embraced
common language. by other scholars. Rigorous and repeated experiments yield
greater understanding of the mechanics and potential prac-
tical applications of occult topics, too. As the era opens,
189
universities serve as another potential place of refuge for workings; provoked by the threat to Its secrecy, the divine
Remade, albeit one where Devoted can expect to be the engine catches mortal lives in Its grinding gears and tears stars
subjects of often invasive experiments. from the firmament. Thinkers and scientists for whom no law
of church or nature is sacrosanct practice illicit experiments
Where We Are
that produce Deviants in ever-greater numbers.
Sorcerers, demons, and the Remade alike watch Galilei’s
trajectory with bated breath. His fate will demonstrate
“The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who main- which vision of the future burns brightest amid the machi-
tain their neutrality in times of moral crisis.” nations and entanglements of nations, faith, and shadow.
— Dante Alighieri
It is 1630, and the chaos and tumult of the Habsburgs’ States of Chaos
wars have finally reached down into Italy. The impact is
Italy is a patchwork of states, each with a city at its beat-
calamitous. French and Imperial foreign soldiers march to
ing heart. For centuries, Italy has lounged upon its throne
battle over the fate of Italian city-states. The pope treads a
at the nexus of mercantile and maritime trade routes, claw-
treacherous path, attempting to balance the conflicting de-
ing grotesque wealth into the coffers of its merchants and
mands of France and the Holy Roman Empire. A monstrous
nobles. The fires of the Italian Renaissance were lit with
killer stalks the land, for the bubonic plague has come and it
such glittering riches, but now they have lost their luster.
will slake its thirst for suffering with a million Italian lives.
As the world looks to far-off colonies, the Mediterranean
Amid the madness, Awakened magicians battle for influ- loses its dominance over trade.
ence. Seer Ministries struggle to assert their vision for the future
Italy remains broken and fragmented, but its place in
of the Papacy and the aristocracy; the Diamond Orders pry
the world is changing. Genoa, Venice, Milan, and Naples
at the Iron Pyramid’s grasp on the reins of authority in both
no longer possess the grandeur or independence of the past.
arenas. Clandestine rings of Unchained work frenetically as
They are leashed to the will of greater entities, dependent
meddlesome human scholars illuminate the God-Machine’s
190
Light of the Sun
on the patronage of rulers abroad — the Holy Roman philosophical circles through which Galilei moves. Some
Emperor Ferdinand II, the French King Louis XIII, and women succeed as political leaders, whether in their own
Philip IV of Spain. These lieges squeeze the Italian states right or as regents — such as the Grand Duchess of Tuscany,
for money and for support, using them as proxies and pawns. Christina of Lorraine, to whom Galilei pens an extensive letter
During these cruel years, the plague carves a brutal on his heliocentric model to sate her astronomical curiosity.
gouge through the ranks of the workforce and guts the Yet while Italian society begins to embrace women for
productivity of the cities’ industries. Merchants and nobil- their learning and their art, tradition remains a significant
ity turn to investments they desperately hope will restore barrier. With diminished wealth, many mercantile and
their squandered riches — oil, wine, and silk. The soil of aristocratic families struggle to afford dowries for the mar-
the countryside, abused through over-farming until it is riage of their daughters. Some become mired in debt, but
exhausted, turns thin and lifeless, a weak foundation that others circumvent the problem by sending young women
chokes off agriculture. Debts and decadent excess drive a to become nuns. Large numbers of daughters with little
surge in poverty. Roving armies of mercenaries, hungry for religious inclination are consigned to the cloisters.
both food and plunder, only deepen the desperation of every The institution of slavery within Italy is in decline, even
city, village, and farm in their paths. with the loss of so many laborers. Most such slaves are from
This era sees strictures of class and hierarchy growing eastern Europe or the Ottoman domains; few here come
more rigid. Social mobility slips out of the hands of those from Africa. Genoa and Naples are the remaining centers
grasping at elevation. The burgeoning middle classes, cod- of slavery on the peninsula, and even there they are rare
dled by the Italian Renaissance, are now ground back down enough. Still, slaves of this era suffer from more than just the
by the few families to have reached the heady heights of crushing weight of work; they are easy victims for Makers
power. A fresh divide yawns between rich and poor. Urban seeking to create new Deviants.
communities remain the heart of Italian influence and in- During the Renaissance, Italy’s courts expressed their
dustry but are throttled by the claustrophobic influence of splendor and wealth through elaborate dishes and creative
the guilds and growing economic crisis; the Seers work to cooks, but now the rigors of the plague and a shift in cul-
keep this grasp as tight as they can. The countryside remains ture mean that, even among the powerful, a growing trend
as snared in stasis as ever; sharecroppers and peasant farmers emerges of pride in regional cuisine. While the rich still hold
are still mired in superstition, still given little influence over banquets to build their status, even as their coffers dwindle,
the states of which they are nominally citizens. For those the common folk make do with two meals a day with a pre-
already at the bottom of the social pecking order — and ponderance of vegetables, fruits, and grains; millet and rice
especially the disabled and the chronically ill — the daily are staples. Pasta grows in popularity as new machines for its
struggle to survive by begging or stealing grows more frantic. production come into use. Cheeses and other dairy products
Ties of family and patronage, duty and honor, are the are more commonly eaten than meat, but it’s hardly a rarity;
sinews that hold society together despite the tumult. Wealthy in theory, religious dictates enforce a preponderance of fast-
and influential patrons offer their support to thinkers and ing days where meat cannot be eaten apart from fish, but in
artists who catch their interest or flatter their pride, and so practice myriad loopholes pepper such doctrine.
intellectuals have a route from modest beginnings to success
— like Galilei himself, whose friendship with Ferdinando of Blisters and Buboes
the Medici brings the aid of Tuscany’s ruling family. Nepotism
runs rampant, especially in the Church; indeed, Awakened In 1629, the shadow of death falls over northern Italy.
among the clergy take full advantage of the opportunities The bubonic plague scours the peninsula over two years in
of such corruption to protect and enrich themselves within outbreak after outbreak, a merciless assault of sickness that
the Holy See’s influence, and the faith becomes perhaps the claims hundreds of thousands of lives. Perhaps a quarter of
greatest bastion of mage activity within Italy. The friendships Italy’s entire population perishes, ripping a hole through
and feuds between rival aristocratic families can define the society’s already-frayed fabric. Where the plague’s ravenous
politics of entire principalities. For many, it is who they know, hunger is at its most cruel, entire regions are almost entirely
rather than what they know, that dictates success or failure. depopulated. It does not confine itself to turning cities into
charnel houses; its sickly influence penetrates far and wide,
Still, the plague’s passage through Italy forces change.
bringing ruin not just to cramped streets but to villages and
Each laborer’s value rises. Traditions creak and break under
fields in a grim harvest of peasants.
the weight of new necessities. Fear accompanies the uncer-
tainty and upheaval — those who have little fear they will The plague is another of the vicious consequences un-
be crushed underfoot, while those who have much fear they leashed by the war engulfing Europe. It comes to Italy in the
will lose it all. For the Unchained, this is fertile ground filled meat and guts of soldiers from France and the Holy Roman
with mortals ripe for exploitation through pacts. Empire. It spreads like wildfire. Milan is hit first, then Venice,
then Florence. The carnage does nothing to stop the fighting
The place of women within society changes. Literacy
and the feuding. Not even such an unthinkable death toll
spreads, especially among the upper classes, and an increas-
can quench the fires of ambition and hatred.
ing number of women takes part in the intellectual and
191
Where We Are
People come to fear the smallest sign of illness in those the Duke of Guastalla, a distant cousin. The legalities of
around them, for any bout of headaches, dizziness, fever, their claims are not important. All that matters is the pride
vomiting, or swollen lymph nodes might degenerate into of their backers and patrons.
gangrene and vomiting blood as victims’ flesh decomposes The French support de Nevers, the emperor supports
while they still live. The disease soon spreads to every house. Guastalla. If Mantua falls to French influence, the Spanish-
Local officials impose quarantines on the neighborhood Austrian Habsburg union faces a breach in its continu-
to prevent the spread of the disease into the city at large. ity — a wound between its southwestern and northern
Then the plague doctors and the Order of the White Lily expanses cut like a dagger into its midriff. French troops
venture among the sick and count the dead. march through the Alps to support de Nevers, and imperial
In the plague’s wake, a yawning absence. Everyone has forces move to counter them. Each side drags the bubonic
lost someone. Everyone. Families are shattered. Friends are plague in its wake.
gone. The grotesque transfiguration of the bubonic plague The rival powers strike at each other’s holdings in the
consumes them all, a cruel and rapacious thief tearing north of Italy. By 1630, an army of over 30,000 imperial
loved ones away in an agonizing desecration of the flesh. Landsknechts besieges Mantua itself. The city is hollowed
The Italian economy, already limping, is dragged down by out by the plague and by fire as it is brutally sacked. Yet the
the suppurating talons of sickness as workers die in droves emperor cannot press his advantage, as the gleaming blade of
and farmers fall in their fields. And it does not stop. The Gustav Adolphus now threatens his northernmost holdings.
nightmare returns again and again, emerging each spring A peace is negotiated — Charles de Nevers becomes
to scour the survivors and demand even more from them. Duke of Mantua, but the French will withhold from med-
The few who persist live in a world emptied of faces and dling in Emperor Ferdinand’s affairs in the north. Once
presences. Some pray to God, seeking mercy or absolution. the imperial forces withdraw, the French promptly renege
Some find it hard to look to the heavens for salvation any- on the deal. A year later, another treaty of more lasting
more. They can see no signs of divine love in the pestilent, nature is signed.
rotting world around them. Mantua might appear as a sideline to these greater
The Awakened struggle with despair in this apocalyptic clashes between kings and emperors, but it flings the Papacy
landscape. For all their arrogance and all their power, they into precarious plight. The Habsburgs expect Pope Urban
cannot stop the plague. Some try nonetheless, running VIII to roll over like a dog and support their claim, but he
themselves ragged and scouring themselves with Paradox as does no such thing. Indeed, the pope has been anything but
they fight the advance of the disease again and again, but cooperative for some time, resisting Habsburg demands for
it’s never enough. Some seek explanations for their apparent military support, for the excommunication and interdiction
powerlessness in the face of the plague, wondering if it is the of their enemies, and for rallying lesser Catholic powers to
work of the Exarchs, or the influence of the Abyss — any- Ferdinand’s cause. His reticence riles those who feel the
thing to help them make sense of the carnage. Most mages Papacy should dance to their tune.
are more than capable of keeping themselves alive in the face Urban has ambitions of rising papal power, and a danger-
of the plague and can ward their friends and loved ones to ous love of France. The influence of King Louis serves him
protect them from disease. Unfortunately, mages cannot save as a counterbalance against the Habsburgs within the faith.
everyone or stop an entire plague from spreading — and even In Mantua, Urban must make a choice that will anger one
if they could, the curse of Quiescence makes it impossible to or both of these great, bloated powers — and he throws his
help on too large a scale. For many, the weight of survivor’s lot in with de Nevers, the French candidate.
guilt becomes too much to bear, aggravated by the belief that Actions have consequences. The Habsburgs lash out,
they should have had the power to stop this. their ecclesiastic allies within the Church surging hard
against Urban. Cardinals and priests and princes alike ques-
The Struggle for Mantua tion his authority and weaken his position. The Holy Roman
Inevitably, war itself reaches Italian land. The great Emperor is, after all, the foremost Catholic power in the
Catholic powers of the era throw themselves into conflict world — and a man who has restored lands to the Church
— a struggle with more significant consequences than the once lost to Protestantism. The pope’s feeble paucity of aid
immediate bartering of lives and influence on the butcher’s to the emperor’s war effort — driven in part by the parlous
block of battle. This conflict will gravely affect the Papacy’s state of the Papacy’s own finances — throws his piety into
position, and thus twist its attitude to those who challenge doubt. A rift breaks open with the Dukes of Tuscany, Galilei’s
its power and orthodoxy — including Galilei himself. patrons, due to their Habsburg allegiances.
In 1627, the Gonzaga dynasty dies with Vincenzo, Duke Urban is walking a perilous path. He has angered the
of Mantua and last of his line. A succession crisis erupts. emperor, and so seeks to regain his footing as preeminent
Several claimants vie for the inheritance of Mantua — authority of the faith in a way that will not give the
Charles de Nevers, married to the duke’s niece; the Duke Habsburgs more kindling for a fire to burn him upon. He can
of Savoy, whose daughter married Vincenzo’s brother; and no longer afford to coddle and encourage such precocious
192
Light of the Sun
Locations
thinkers as Galilei. Now, the pope must show his strength
as defender of Christendom’s tenets — and the trial and
cruel condemnation of rogue scientists and philosophers
who throw doubt upon scriptural dogma is an easy, direct The lines dividing regional-and-city states continue to
way to do so. shift following the end of the Italian Wars and once great
centers of power, like Venice, are beginning to decline.
Every heresy Urban roots out, every question he crushes
Marked differences can be found in each village, town, and
under the weight of the papal throne’s disdain, is more proof
city due to the spread of plague, disruption of trade, and
of his devotion to the faith, a shield against the Habsburgs’
presence of the supernatural.
pretensions, and a lever with which to influence his victims’
aristocratic patrons.
Truth becomes dangerous not because it challenges faith, Rome
but because it challenges power. Despite the malaise of flesh and commerce that afflicts
Italy, Rome is a city of dynamism. The Counter-Reformation’s
Superstition and Inquisition drive for art that inspires faith has remade Rome into a shrine
The Church digs into every aspect of life in the city- of the baroque, an edifice raised up to God’s glory. Sorcerers
states. It is an omnipresent moral authority figure that offers scheme and demons bargain in the shadows of such grandeur.
judgment and salvation. It is fattened on swathes of land, Following the 16th-century plans of Pope Sixtus V, avenues
its coffers drinking down wealth to hold back the Papacy’s and processions are seared through the city’s substance to
colossal debts. It is a vocation not just of the spiritual but form a vast, star-shaped array — a new pattern of arteries
of the political. In the Papal States themselves, the pope through which pilgrims, priests, and produce can flow. Those
serves as prince over a domain with its own administration who pry into the occult cannot help but look upon this vast
and its own military forces. impression of a celestial symbol and think it to be the work
of a greater hand than any mere mortal pope.
The Roman Inquisition serves as one of the Papacy’s
arms of control. The Supreme Sacred Congregation looms Excessive papal spending transforms the city; Urban
over the investigation of superstition, heresy, and defiance VIII will leave the Papacy burdened under colossal debts,
against the Church. This is a bureaucratic juggernaut that but there is no doubt of Rome’s splendor. Building sites and
grinds to pulp the lives of those caught beneath its bulk. construction sculpts the chaos of old streets into the beauty
Inquisitors seek to demystify the folklore of the countryside, of new palaces, new churches, new baroque accomplish-
replacing it with rationality and adherence to scripture — ments. Rome has a dark side, though. The renovations
although such efforts fall into disarray as astronomers and reveal things beneath the city’s skin that are bricked up
philosophers tear a rift between their truths and the beliefs once more, subterranean spaces and sights that are stu-
that Urban’s power relies upon defending. diously forgotten. The old bones of the city, crumbling
remains of ancient glory, predict the inevitable fate of the
Until now, the Catholic Church has been key in the
prideful papal vanity on display. Architects and artists are
progress of scientific advances. Holy orders such as the
themselves hardly paragons of virtue; taverns, prostitution,
Jesuits produce many astronomers — Niccolò Zucchi first
and violence fill the seedier regions of the city with vice.
identifies the belts of Jupiter, and Christoph Scheiner first
observes sunspots in 1611. Now, though, its relationship The Architect
with those who investigate the world’s nature takes a more Giacomo drinks to quell his misgivings and drown the
adversarial stance, fueled by pope Urban’s need to appear memories of the things he has seen in the shadowy inter-
powerful and uncontested in authority and piety. stitial spaces of Rome. He came to the city, fresh-faced and
It becomes more necessary than ever to rely on the idealistic, to work alongside Francesco Borromini on Pope
protection of patrons and allies. Scholars must ask for a Urban’s own Palazzo Barberini, but his youthful rowdiness
religious license, the imprimatur, to print their works. The and indiscretions had him banished from the project in
scrutiny of Church censors brings the risk of falling onto disgrace. Desperate for work and a patron, he accepted the
the list of prohibited works, administered to by the Sacred first offer that came along — but now regrets it.
Congregation of the Index. A group of Vatican priests has Giacomo designing and
Despite the Inquisition’s efforts, superstition remains overseeing the construction of a series of chapels across
rampant throughout Italy. The mass hysteria of witch the city. Strange geometries scratch at his eyes, and he
hunting has fallen from its previous intensity, but not yet has walked streets that he swears are on no plans and can-
been quenched entirely. Terrible outbreaks of persecution not be seen from atop Rome’s hills. If he were not at the
still erupt, and belief in witches is widespread. Those who heart of the Catholic faith, the architect would wonder if
would shine the light of truth risk not just the attention of witchcraft were involved. Instead, he drinks, and lashes out,
the strict enforcers of Church doctrine, but also riling the finding solace in the pain of fists and feet and inebriated
anger of the superstitious. More than one scholar has met anger. Crafts (Architecture) 4, Brawl 2 (Street fighting),
their death at the hands of an angry village mob. Streetwise 2 (Rome)
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Locations
The Inquisitor The Patron
Tommaso is a bitter man. His true belief in Christ has Isabella is a powerful woman in Florence, her wealth and
been ground down by the corruption he witnesses and the reputation buttressed by patronage of artists and thinkers.
political games the Papacy must play just to survive. He’s an She’s long been a collector of the curious and strange, her
expert in canon law and theology, and a far more adept mind agents furnishing the family’s grand palazzo with wondrous
than many of his peers. In some ways, he’s a natural fit for the treasures new and old — particularly oddments from far
Inquisition, able to match the intellects of arrogant scholars colonies, or relics of the ancient Romans — and she loves
and keen to dispel the ignorance of the masses. Still, it never to indulge those who can offer insight or theory about their
seems to end — the stupidity, the venality, the nepotism. history and nature.
Now, Tommaso has stumbled upon evidence of the Something is different about her latest search for new
God-Machine’s existence — and he has no idea what to do talent. Her rapacious intellect has met its match in a bizarre
about it. He hides the clicking egg of lighting and gears in structure excavated in the nearby countryside — a Roman
his office, knowing he can’t simply reveal it to his fellows ruin inscribed with strange astronomical markings and
in the Inquisition. He tries to fight the urge to press its interwoven with metal threads. Isabella hunts for anyone
cool metal shell against his ear and listen to its tick-tock who can cast light upon this eerie remain, inviting intel-
cadence. His will is slowly slipping. Academics (Religion) lectuals from Italy and further afield; France, Germany, even
4, Empathy 3, Occult 2 the Ottoman Empire. Academics 3, Occult 2, Socialize 3
The Artist The Scholar
The arts always called to Anna. She was inspired by the Giuseppe is terrified. Peering through his telescope, he
likes of Fede Galizia and Artemisia Gentileschi to become traces an unexpected phenomenon in the sky — a twinkling
an excellent portraitist. Her works gained some small fame string of little shapes like a necklace around the world. No
among the circle of the noble and influential and so, after other astronomer has recorded such a sight, and Giuseppe is
her husband died in a bizarre accident, she accepted a pa- at a loss to explain them, and how they shine with a differ-
tron’s invitation to move from Milan to Rome. ent luminescence from that of the moon. Other academics
Anna doesn’t know that her patron is a Seer of the mock his claims or assume his mimicry of Galilei’s telescopic
Throne, or that he murdered her husband with cruel magic. assembly is faulty in some way.
Her paintings and portraits — so brilliantly depicting the Giuseppe goes ahead and tries to publish his findings any-
emotions and expressions of those they portray — are used way but is denied the imprimatur by the Florentine censors
by the Iron Pyramid for occult purposes, serving as Yantras of the Sacred Congregation of the Index. The next night, he
and sympathetic anchors for the Seers of the Hegemonic witnesses those gleaming pearls plummet out of orbit, one by
Ministry. Soon, though, the artist will accidentally test one, on glimmering ribbons of fire. His frantic calculations
her gilded cage — she desires to return to Milan, and her show one must have fallen near Florence. He has become a
family there. The Seers will not let her out of their grasp. man torn between the arrogance and pride of his intellect
Academics 2, Expression (Painting) 4, Socialize 2 that demands he investigate and glean proof that will show
them all he was right, and an abject fear of the Inquisition
Florence and the gnawing sense that whatever fell to Earth somehow
knows he witnessed its descent. Worse still, he doesn’t know
Florence is a far cry from its former Republican glories. that several mage cabals have been watching him and warring
Memories of its fall still rankle among the families shoved over his potential future. Academics 3, Crafts 2, Science 3
aside by the accession of the Medici. It is the Medici who
The Good Walker
have ruled as hereditary overlords of Florence for almost a
century now, elevated by papal patronage that later added Lisabetta is a benandanti, a “good walker,” in a little
all of Tuscany to their dominion. The family’s famous bank Tuscan village near Florence. Her community credits her
has long been in decline, the city’s industrial strength wanes, with the good health of their crops while all around them
and the influence of the grand dukes diminishes. other fields are lifeless and desolate, and for more reasons
Nevertheless, Florence remains a beacon of art and schol- than just her physical labor. When she falls into fits that fill
arship as the Medici continue to pour wealth into demonstra- her mind with visions, Lisabetta believes her spirit flies from
tions of their grandeur. Duke Ferdinando II enthusiastically her body to fight the malign magic of witches and sorcerers
indulges his hungers for discovery and technology, an inven- who seek to curse the land, her struggle blessed by God.
tor in his own right, and he greedily gathers intellectuals Out here, far from the hustle and bustle of Florence, the
and mathematicians at his court. Both Ferdinando and his superstitions and traditions of the countryside are easily over-
grandmother, the Grand Duchess Christina, follow Galilei’s looked by the Church. Still, one day a priest of the Inquisition
studies with interest. When the plague comes to Florence, comes. He asks Lisabetta questions she does not understand
Ferdinando does not flee and, miraculously, the disease takes — of demons and angels, of Sleepwalkers and stigmata. He
only a light toll on the city’s population. seems disappointed when he departs but, since that day, the
194
Light of the Sun
nightly journeys of her spirit have grown ever-more exhaust- One conspiracy in particular has snared his attention —
ing, her visions of battling twisted witch-horrors growing all figures spotted flickering along the walls, oddly contorted
the more intense. Athletics 3, Occult 2, Survival 3 shapes digging at their base, and midnight meetings of
architects and masons. Luis is now convinced that these
Milan renegades plan to undermine the walls and leave the city
vulnerable to attack. His intense suspicions are pushing
Milan is a seat of Habsburg influence in northern Italy. into irrationality; Milanese priests and magnates openly
Lombardy, the state that Milan serves as capital to, is a pos- criticize the envoy, which only serves to fan the flames of
session of the Spanish crown now ruled and administered by his paranoia further. Investigation 3, Politics 3, Empathy 2
foreigners, its past independence strangled. It is a bastion for
The Worker
its liege’s power, but only at Milan’s own expense; the city
slumps into depression, stripped of its pride and ruthlessly Milan’s position as a subject of Spain is not entirely to
exploited. Wealth drains out into Spanish coffers, balanced the detriment of Lombardy. While much of Italy languishes
by investments into military strength rather than into art or in an industrial slump, Lombardy sees new growth through
scholarship or prosperity. When the plague comes to Milan, the manufacture of materials, where women like Maddalena
it is hell upon Earth. Half the population dies. Swathes of find new and prosperous employment in their own homes
the city are filled with nothing but ghosts and memories. — especially after the plague rips a void through the male
Like a tree’s rings, the walls of Milan mark its growth labor force and diminishes the power of the guilds.
over the ages. Each fortified boundary tumbles into disre- Yet despite her new wealth and toil, turning materials
pair as a new one springs up. Now, Milan is encircled by into goods in return for rising recompense from merchants,
a huge defensive array of walls built by the Spanish in the Maddalena is a quiet, haunted woman. Most of her family
16th century, a symbol of strength encompassing the entire perished at the hands of the plague and, even now, she sees
city along with stretches of farmland within. The walls do their ghosts in the spaces they once inhabited, the quiet-
little to halt the plague, merely defining the edges of this ness of the streets, and the shared pain of the survivors.
crucible of human suffering and misery. If anything, they Sometimes, the ghosts she witnesses are more than just
are more akin to a cage. the pangs of her lingering sorrow. Athletics 1, Crafts 3
(Textiles), Streetwise 2
The Dealer
Verragio can get whatever an ambitious scholar wants — a
body fresh from the gallows, a fragment of Roman pottery with li- Sappada
centious art upon it, a book banned by the Sacred Congregation. This remote mountain village seldom sees visitors other
Nothing’s a problem for the grinning priest, as long as his palm than the occasional Venetian tax collector. Even wealthy
is crossed with enough silver. He’s a talented canon lawyer, families regard Sappada as too remote, too dull, and too
protected by the right friends in the right places, seemingly backwards to vacation in. The villagers prefer it that way.
untouchable despite his gaudy demonstrations of wealth. The holy water in the parish church comes from a
An incredible flow of proscribed and illegal goods spring-fed pool hidden in the coniferous forest just outside
passes through Verragio’s hands, from stolen spoils to occult of town. Nearly all outsiders who touch this water suffer a
oddities. Along with the charlatanry of innumerable saints’ painful and spectacular death. It does not harm Sappadans
finger bones and the macabre harvests of corpses that have baptized with it in their infancy, however. Each year, a few
died in manners of occult significance, he has a metal scale villagers exhibit marvelous supernatural abilities as they
supposedly from the Gargouille slain by Saint Romanus, and reach adulthood. These become the Gift-Given, blessed by
the inhuman alabaster mask of an angel of death. Verragio’s the Holy Spirit with gifts of impossible physical abilities,
smug smile has started to falter at the edges, though. He’s in prophecy, keen senses, or healing. The Gift-Given have
an excellent position to note the rising tide of the weird that been a fixture of the community for centuries.
simmers and seethes beneath Milan’s surface, and he fears The Physician
the consequences. Occult 3, Persuasion 2, Subterfuge 3
Alceo Calabresi’s elder sister and youngest daughter are
The Envoy Gift-Given, so he understands these extraordinary people
Luis, loyal servant to King Philip IV and assistant to better than most. Father Gino has entrusted him with
Cardinal Gaspar de Borja y Velasco, the Spanish ambassador helping newly arrived Gift-Given adjust to their lives as
to Rome, deeply resents his posting to Milan. He is tasked the holy servants of Sappada. Alceo does what he’s told,
with supporting his superior in pressuring the Papacy for for despite his reservations about Father Gino’s violation of
support and compliance, and he is sourly mocking of the centuries of tradition, the physician’s desire to care for the
pope and the Italian clergy who support Urban’s defiance of Gift-Given outweighs his distrust of outsiders. Academics
Habsburg authority. He hates the Italians. He hates Milan. 1, Crafts 2, Empathy (Deviants) 3, Medicine (Surgery) 2
He hates the heretics and dissidents he is convinced inhabit
every shadow of the city.
195
Locations
The Young Priest excellent opportunity — a chance to express his authority
and show his strength as pope. Galilei’s insults scour away
Under the careful management of Father Damiono
whatever misgivings Urban might have had in persecuting
Palermo, Sappada enjoyed a long peace and prosperity even
his old friend. Medici influence can only do so much to
as wars ravaged much of Europe. After Damiono’s death,
shield against the crushing heel of the Papacy’s boot as it
Father Gino Schiavone succeeded him. Although Gino is
is brought down on the scholar for the last time.
a native Sappadan, he spent several years studying in Rome
among Jesuit occultists and scientists, and it has changed The God-Machine’s protocols and parameters grind
his views of the Gift-Given. brutally through the threats that challenge Its integrity and
secrecy. Infrastructure is disassembled — often including
In poring over parish records, Gino notes a steady
its screaming human components — and rebuilt again in
decline in the number of new Gift-Given — from a dozen
far more secure, concealed forms that will be proof against
per year a century ago to only one or two annually during
human perception even with centuries of further develop-
the last 20 years. Instead of blaming insufficient faith as his
ment. The firmament of the night sky is rearranged to cover
predecessors might have done, Gino sets out to find some
up the gleaming eyes of God that once watched from the
rational explanation for these dwindling numbers and to
heavens, imperceptible to the human eye until the telescope
seek a way to reverse this trend.
pierced the veil. Outbreaks of mass realization of the God-
He briefly considers encouraging outsiders to come to
Machine’s presence are cracked from the timeline entirely
Sappada. After seeing the grisly fate of a Venetian merchant
and bottled up, entire pocket realities hidden within the
family who came into contact with the holy waters, howev-
tangled, folded streets of Italy’s great cities. This jury-rigging
er, Gino decides he doesn’t have the stomach to repeat that
of divine engines, this profane self-mutilation, seals the
particular experiment. Instead, he sends Good Shepherds
God-Machine’s truth away once more. For now, at least,
to other communities in search of other Gift-Given who
the idiot leviathan of gears and immanence collapses back
might be convinced, tricked, coerced, or abducted into
into somnolent lassitude. Its tools of ultimate sanction are
service to Sappada. Academics 2, Occult (Remade) 3,
put back to sleep — Mediterranean society saved from a
Persuasion 2, Science 3
scourging of reality-quakes, soul-eating machinery, and
angelic, nuclear fire.
What Is Yet to Come Or perhaps almost all Its tools are put back to sleep.
Protecting Itself requires that the God-Machine do more
For the acolytes of truth, the immediate future offers than just pull back further beyond the veil; It actively
grim prospects. Plague ravages Italy, culling a quarter of its crushes those who seek to push that veil aside. Its agents and
populace. War stretches on for three full decades, bringing angels murder thinkers, stir unrest, and spin misdirection
ruin to those regions caught in its madness and wracking that will derail the pursuit of truth and science for decades,
Italy with the consequences. The Church swings away if not centuries. If these are Its scalpels then the plague may
from liberal encouragement of innovation and progress, too be Its hammer — a tool of widespread death and misery
intent on firming up its own foundations at the expense of that drags humanity back from the precipice of discovery
those who would question its power. and mires it in the nightmarish fundamentals of the world
The fate of Galilei, great scion of science and admired within which they dwell. The Unchained are never quite
by many fellow thinkers, provides a stark warning to those certain whether the outbreaks are the divine engine’s work,
who might think to tread in his footsteps. He publishes his or the efforts of their own kind to mask the God-Machine
Dialogues, a new text laying out his Copernican model of the and sedate It once more.
heavens and the new discoveries he has gleaned with tele- The light of truth, though, is not so easily quelled, nor
scope and mathematics. For it, Galilei is met with rebuke the human spirit cowed. Some say that even as he recanted
and sharp sanction. Summoned to Rome for inquisition, his supposed heresy and affirmed that the Earth stands firm,
he is condemned to heresy, forced to recant, and punished never to be moved, Galilei spoke quietly and with convic-
with house arrest. tion: “And yet it moves.”
He lives out the remainder of his life in Tuscany, falling
into ill health and perishing in 1642.
Galilei’s hubris drives his fate. In the Dialogues, he places
the words of his erstwhile friend and ally, Pope Urban VIII,
The Supernatural
The truth is in question. Fields of scientific study — as-
in the mouth of Simplicio — the Aristotelian philosopher tronomy, biology, botany — are emerging in a world fraught
figure portrayed as being on the wrong side of the argu- with superstitious and theocratic beliefs. The denizens in
ment. In his career he has driven the Jesuits away through the Chronicles of Darkness are caught between worlds and
his pride and scorn and winnowed out what allies he has must decide whether to hide, prey, hunt, or survive in a
had in the Church. For Urban, caught precariously in his turbulent political landscape.
struggle with the Holy Roman Empire, Galilei presents an
196
Light of the Sun
Demon: This fresh generation of Destroyer demons is among the
most aggressive in fighting back against the God-Machine,
A Convulsing God laboring under heavy guilt for the damage they have done.
The Guardians who now Fall are often older angels
Those who bear the torch of truth aloft look to il- suddenly buried in frantic orders flooding through the ma-
luminate the shadows of ignorance — but all-too often, chine’s connections. All of a sudden, as humans lurch close
what they find in the dark spaces beneath the world’s skin to perceiving the totality of the God-Machine, defensive
are the gears and machinations of the God-Machine. The steps need to be taken immediately — and with little scope
sheer scope of intrusion into the divine engine’s domain for preparation or care. Shields are torn from long vigils
has overwhelmed Its usual defenses; humans suddenly peer around the Papacy’s lands that they have been overseeing
far further into the shadows than any element of the blind for decades without incident.
behemoth had prepared for. This is not the first time human- Some are tasked with the destruction of the very things
ity has threatened the divine machine’s secrecy upon such they have been guarding all this time — priests or witches,
a scale — but that makes the situation no less dangerous. hidden chambers in grand Renaissance palazzos, the par-
Philosophers peer at the heavens, spying stars that should ticular patterns formed by monks attending their morning
not be. Mathematicians and architects, laying out maps, spy prayers. Others face overwhelming threats to their wards,
the calculated angles that weave between ancient monu- unable to save a city from the very plague unleashed by
ments. The claims of stigmatics among the intellectual com- another angel or given no back-up to deal with an entire
munity are taken much more seriously by their peers, who are army of foreign mercenaries descending upon the valley
eager to delve into the world’s mysteries — and to proudly they guard. Those who Fall are left adrift, confused and
claim credit for whatever they might discover. Concealment uncertain in this strange new world.
Infrastructure begins to fail left, right, and center. Messengers flood forth. Lacking time, the God-Machine
The God-Machine is in overdrive, stung into rampage relies on quantity rather than quality to make sure a mes-
by the burning ambitions of humanity. It reworks failing sage reaches its target; one Messenger might fail, so three
Infrastructure overnight into new configurations of occult mad- or four are sent to issue the same instructions to a cult
ness; angels are reprogrammed with new missions on the fly; and secreted among the engineers of Milan, or to bestow an
even the fabric of reality is torn apart and stitched back together ecstatic vision of demonic figures to a nun, or to place false
in radical new ways as the gears of divinity grind into action. inspiration in the mind of a scholar.
For the Unchained, this is a time of terror and opportunity. The hastiness of the instructions means some are simply
erroneous. For other Messengers, there is a sense of redun-
Falling from Grace dancy when they arrive last and find their task already
done — or, worse, that the target’s mind has collapsed due
Old Infrastructure groans into life, turned to purposes it to having already received five visitations from roaring
was never intended for. New Infrastructure is raised up with spheres of fire and eyes this week. In some cases, Messengers
haste, corners cut, a sacred rush job erratically leaking divine find their recipients before a mob or Inquisitorial tribunal,
energies. Angels flood into Italy in larger numbers than ever decried as witches because of the strange lights and weird
before on increasingly extreme tasks. Is it any wonder the phenomena that have been manifesting around them. Great
ranks of the Unchained grow as well? Flaws and glitches in numbers Fall, but the God-Machine does not care one whit.
the divine work give birth to a new generation of demons. Psychopomps are brutally overworked as logistics net-
The God-Machine dispatches Destroyers to execute works labor under many times the load they were designed
astronomers who have seen too much, to hunt and kill to sustain. Demands come through in a constant, conflicting
both witches and the Inquisitors who root them out, and to stream — these bell towers must be built in Florence to warp
do whatever is necessary to suppress knowledge relating to space-time, no, wait, five wains of granite must fill a smoking
occult matrices. In 1626, a Destroyer in Naples triggers an crater in Lombardy, no, 1,000 more rats must be shuffled into
earthquake that kills thousands as a side effect. Plague an- the sewers of Rome. A legion of hastily assembled angels is
gels in the north spread disease to specific communities in a sent to metaphysically staple new patterns of constellations
patchwork of death that is a new Concealment Infrastructure. into the darkest recesses of the sky, and they are given only
Many of the new Destroyers Fall precisely because the half the Essence needed to perform the job properly.
enormity of the suffering they inflict is simply too much. Often, the very Infrastructure on which the Wheels
Others, as they loom over tremulous victims to deliver rely is being broken apart by other angels to hide the God-
the ultimate sanction, face final questions upon the lips of Machine’s presence. Orbital platforms are dropped from
the dying that they simply cannot answer. When they are the sky in screaming trails of fire before some human with
witnessed, the Destroyers face pleas for salvation from the a telescope can spot them. A series of trees made of bone
suffering who fervently believe these angels to be something in the countryside around Pisa are cut down to terminate
good and pure, and find they cannot cope with the burden the leaning tower’s gravity-warping field because suddenly
of such broken expectations repeated over and over again.
197
The Supernatural
scholars are dropping things off the top of it to test the One of the primary tools the God-Machine’s agents have
laws of physics. Frustrated or faced with impossible choices, in rooting out rogue Unchained is faith and superstition. This
Psychopomps Fall into the relief of sudden freedom. doesn’t necessarily mean the attention of the Inquisition —
although that is a problem — but rather that the ubiquity of
Grit in the Gears Catholicism in the area makes anything aberrant stick out.
A new Unchained has little time to get their bearings. Systems

Too many angels are on the hunt; fresh Infrastructure
Compromise rolls caused due to a demon acting out of
emerges in unexpected places. Italy has more than its fair
character for a Cover in a way that also violates adherence to
share of frantic demons desperate to make deals and assemble
the dominant Catholic faith suffer an additional −2 modi-
Covers before they are rooted out and purged. The populace
fier to the dice pool, and whenever a demon weakens their
is primed to believe that demons exist and will tempt pious
Cover due to any failed compromise, the Inquisition and
men and women. Trying to make a pact runs the risk that the
Witch Panic Conditions are added to the list of Conditions
Unchained’s activities will be reported to the Inquisition, and
by which they may be affected (see p. 216).
thence draw not just the eyes of mortal authorities, but the
relentless divine overlord against which they have rebelled. The guilds of the cities, however, offer a web of connec-
tions that thread as deeply through city life as the Catholic
Strong divides run through society, and it’s easy to risk
faith does — and one that can be subtly manipulated by a
compromising Cover by transgressing against the strictures
demon to protect herself. Guilds offer welfare, support, and
that should be binding the identity a demon is wearing —
something of a replacement for family ties — membership is
the ties of loyalty, family, class, and faith.
designed in a way that makes it easy for one of the Unchained
The common classes are neither mobile nor given to a to exploit and slip right into. Pacts made for Cover experi-
surfeit of free time. The peasants of the countryside are share- ences that relate to elements of guild life grant one bonus
croppers or shepherds; the people of the city work for guilds Cover experience, and the demon can add any dots in Status
and mercantile concerns in what remains of Italy’s industrial (Guilds) they possess to spoofing and legend rolls.
economy. Professions include vintners, butchers, tanners,
The symbolism of clothing is potent in Italy. Styles are
working in textiles — particularly wool, with various special-
often divided by city and region as well as by social status.
ist roles for the different stages of production — construction,
Clothes are made from velvet, silk, wool, and linen; color
or ship building, and many more besides. To hide among the
matters, and a common fashion has the lining a different hue
mass of humanity, the demon needs to attend to the demands
from the rest of the fabric. Wearing the wrong clothes for one’s
on their Cover of work and family and all the complex social
Cover is, of course, a significant risk but the midst of the great
ties that bind the city together. One demon finds himself
gatherings and festivals is a great place to hide; blending in
dragged into a feud by his supposed blood connections or his
with the right clothing during a major festivity grants a +2 dice
allegiance to a Venetian merchant patron, which turns so ugly
bonus to compromise rolls. Something of deeper meaning runs
as to become murderous; cities like Venice pass ordinances to
through Venice’s great carnival, the masks and garments letting
restrict grudges and rivalries to duels and other limited forms,
the Unchained smooth the frayed edges of their deceptions; a
but no law can quell passions once they’ve risen. Another
demon who spends all of the carnival under a mask, moving
demon’s Cover frays as friends and family perish to the plague
through the celebrations and absorbing their opulence, gains
but she survives despite her apparent frailty. Shedding ties and
a single Cover experience when the event concludes. Many
becoming a loner or traveler brings the heavy weight of suspi-
demons travel to the city for this grand event.
cion upon the outsider Cover for everything that goes wrong
wherever they pass. Little time is left over to simply be a demon. As the plague scours Italy, the groaning masses thus
afflicted cry out for succor — and a demon can provide it.
Above the common mass, better prospects for Covers
Granting relief from the bubonic plague’s suffering is a lesser
might tempt a demon to enter pacts with merchants, nobles,
(1) benefit in a pact. Such a pact does not cure the plague,
and priests. The middle and upper classes have more time for
merely alleviates the pain and delirium so that the victim
leisure, and more freedom and resources to indulge their desires,
can think clearly and act without impediment in their final
but they are just as beholden to the expectations and demands
days. Demons willing to brave sickness-struck streets find no
of status and their place within society. The ecclesiastic life can
shortage of those willing to do something, anything, for relief.
be a good Cover for laying low; as long as the demon adheres
to the explicit strictures of an order or vow, they can poten-
tially hide for long periods in a monastery or nunnery without Cults and Stigmatics
drawing attention. That said, the God-Machine’s agents and Knowing that their Covers are so vulnerable to discovery,
Infrastructure are particularly active within the Church; it’s some Unchained use the Cultists Merit to build powerbases that
easy for a demon wearing a priest’s life to accidentally stumble are independent of their false identities. It’s easy for a demon to
upon a conspiracy of monks feeding the bones of saints into build a cult upon a heresy or outright devil worship, especially
whirling gears beneath the Vatican, or to come face to face among the common laborers or peasant farmers; the minds
with an angel masquerading as an actual inquisitor.
198
Light of the Sun
of the people are primed for such superstitious belief, and the among the lower classes often end up in unknowing service
ravages of the plague leave so many questioning the God who to the blind engine, whipping up apocalyptic fervor or lead-
could let this atrocity occur. Unfortunately, this kind of religious ing regressive sects who vigorously oppose the orthodoxy-
deviancy is precisely the sort of thing the Inquisition is set to root challenging search for truth by Galilei and his peers.
out; they’re just as easily rooted out as they are created in the
first place. As a result, many Unchained turn to a subtler form
of cult, building fellowships among the guilds or the scholars of
Gods and Monsters
Italy. Rather than fanning the flames of full-blown heresy, these The Unchained often avoid the Church; more demons
conspiracies are built on the backs of already-extant intercon- slither through the ranks of the guilds than the religious orders.
nections and relationships, buttressed by mutual suspicion or fear Some do deal with Catholic Awakened from the Diamond
of those outside the circle. Many intellectuals already fear the Orders, though, seeking to protect themselves in ways ranging
Church’s heavy hand; it’s easy to build a cult by gently pushing from the immediate benefits of getting an Awakened priest
them towards new revelations and hinting at greater mysteries. to turn the eyes of a local mob toward another victim, to
Unsurprisingly, a large number of stigmatics emerge the grander scale of strengthening the power of a city’s guilds
during this era. The Unchained Agendas particularly prize against that of the Church. A demon would be just as willing to
philosophers who push too hard against the God-Machine’s deal with Paternoster’s Seers, but the same isn’t true the other
veils, but they’re a dangerous treasure to reach for. These way around; after one or two of the Exarchs’ faithful tried it,
intellectuals draw the attention of angels seeking to crush they learned the hard way that neither their Supernal deities
their discoveries, and they can end up under Inquisition nor the God-Machine’s angels would stand for such an alliance.
scrutiny for their strange claims and beliefs. It’s a matter Demons see Deviants as problem and opportunity, all rolled
of risk versus reward for a demon; helping a stigmatic stay into one. Some demons are the sponsors of the very Factores
one step ahead of the forces at play costs resources and risks who create such Remade, the subtle influence of a cult push-
compromise, and some are promptly suborned to the God- ing an inspired scholar toward the act of Malevolentia, but more
Machine’s purposes anyway. Those stigmatics emerging commonly the Unchained come across Renegades who have
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already fled their masters. They’re driven to act without regard of talented human sculptors and painters, fascinated in the
for the social mores and ties of obligation that ensnare so many ingenuity and passion of these flawed creatures — their work
people of this era, but they often lack the power to go toe to toe imperfect next to the occult science of the God-Machine, yet
with the sorts of enemies that Unchained must contend with. with so much more meaning. Plenty of Italian artists find them-
Yet each is, in his or her own way, a symbol of defiance against selves briefly beholden to strange, awkward patrons who want a
the God-Machine’s efforts to stymie human progress for Its own lasting reminder of the face of a Cover they plan to soon shed,
protection — an example that can be shown to cultists and or the immortalized depiction of a beloved human who walks
intellectuals to push them onwards. a dangerous path speaking truth to power.
Seeking Hell
Every demon wants something. Service to an Agenda offers
overarching structure and purpose, but few Unchained are so The Chronicles of Darkness
empty of personal drive as to give their all to such institutions.
Many demons desire safety from the God-Machine’s in Light of the Sun
presence. If the divine overseer no longer watches over Italy is a small country and any emerging threat
them, they will be able to shed their paranoia and live in will quickly be revealed to other denizens of
peace as they wish. For some, this takes the form of hunting the supernatural. Many Kindred have already
for a location to which the God-Machine is blind — but infiltrated the church to prevent changes that
they find vanishingly few such places in Italy. Rings of would negatively impact their domains, but are
demons ascend into the mountains or lurk in shadowed also concerned that a feud is brewing between
woodlands, only to find ancient menhirs pulsing with the
the Invictus and the Lancea et Sanctum.Two tier-
three hunter groups are active during this era: the
machine’s commands, and cults capering in remote villages. Lucifuge in Milan, and the Malleus Maleficarum in
Others take a more direct approach. These Unchained Rome; other hunters struggle to maintain the Vigil,
actively go after vulnerable angels that are influencing the as they do not have the ability to halt the spread
congregations and the courts, and hunt for Infrastructure of plague. Any tier two compact that’s specifically
in the dusty villages and crowded city streets in order to formed or created to deal with the supernatural
sabotage and ruin it. The risk of drawing too much atten- this time will be short-lived.
tion, though, is great. The populace is too sensitive to the Changelings are avoiding the Church’s long
weird and the dark, too tense and flammable when it comes reach and enjoy the company of nobles in Venice
to the spark of hysteria and panic. and Florence. They will seek allies where they can
Faith drives some demons, strange as it may seem. Oh, find them, as the threat of plague, political instabil-
the Integrators seek reunion with their God-Machine, yes, ity, and supernatural activity threatens their com-
but there are also those Unchained who find hope in the fort and stability. Many worry that any instability
belief in an even higher power — a true God, one who in Italian society will encourage Privateers to take
surely the Christian faith is wrought in some reflection
advantage of any unrest. Some Geists are gather-
ing in northern Italy and are investigating whether
of. These demons turn to scouring the halls of religion of or not the plague is supernaturally caused, but are
the God-Machine’s influence, seeing It as a sick cancer, a careful to avoid local politics when possible.
desecration of the truly holy. They don the Covers of priests
and zealots and hunt for angels amid cloisters; they eagerly The Forsaken is staying out of the cities and hunt
take the torch of the Inquisition and burn cultists and prey in northern alpine regions and fishing villages
stigmatics they manage to root out; they visit the minds of
along the coasts; they steer clear from Rome and are
preparing to secure new hunting grounds in Sicily,
the desperate and the pliable with visions of holy madness. Calabria, or Sardinia if the plague causes wide-
Tearing away the God-Machine’s influence is a secondary spread panic. A few of the Created gather to witness
concern — or not one at all — for plenty of demons, though, Galilei unlock the mysteries of the universe and won-
especially the surfeit of new Unchained born in the current der if the Church’s scholars hold more answers for
tumult. Freed from the shackles of their divine programming, them. Those who are desperate to connect with the
these demons prefer to immerse themselves in humanity — living seek out plague victims, because the Disquiet
not necessarily the indulgences of the Tempters, but they seek is less noticeable to them. Created who encounter
to define themselves in ways other than in relationship to Renegades for the first time become obsessed with
the God-Machine. They find themselves in the laughter and them; they wonder if the Remade are like them, or
if they hold the key to attaining mortality. Lastly, the
closeness of the simple, close homes of the common folk, or
Begotten are concerned the plague affects them
in the cut-and-thrust debate of keen-minded academics, or in differently than other supernatural creatures, but are
the fading grandeur of the great courts of Florence and Rome. unsure where to seek answers or from whom.
A few acquire odd peccadilloes and tastes. Art is a com-
mon one. Many an Unchained starts to collect the handiwork
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Light of the Sun
KOKABIEL Ban: Kokabiel can only remain within Earth’s
atmosphere for four hours at a time, after which he
must return to orbit.
Mission: One of the God-Machine’s orbital overseers, Bane: Kokabiel is repelled by accurate illustra-
Kokabiel is tasked with shepherding occult resources in the tions or charts of the stars in the sky.
cold grasp of the void. Now, looking down at the gleam-
ing world beneath, Kokabiel is bombarded with urgent
demands from command-and-control Infrastructure. The NEW NUMEN —
eyes of humanity suddenly pierce far more keenly into the
heavens, revealing new details in the firmament — details
IRONCLAD
that reveal the God-Machine’s existence. Astronomers
This angel’s form has been buttressed with heavy
armor — not necessarily thick plates of defensive
become stigmatics at an unprecedented rate. Kokabiel is material, but possibly such exotic protections as
now tasked with decommissioning his beloved, drifting warped layers of space-time, gravity anomalies
flock, and cleaning up the rest of the mess too. that drain the force out of attacks, or force fields.
Description: Kokabiel is huge — a gleaming array of The angel gains armor equal to its Rank.
wings, eyes, and coils of plasma that writhe and dance
through the gaps in the roughly humanoid silver-shod
armor he wears. His voice is the hissing roar of a furnace,
and he shines with blue-white light. Kokabiel’s face is an
MINERVA
eyeless mask of alabaster and gold, locked into an expres-
sion of serenity that is wildly at odds with his now-furious Mission: Minerva was deployed a century ago to stir
temperament. The angel’s shape twitches and stutters as if the minds of mortals with inspiration and ideas, creating
slightly out of sync with the world; his new commandments Infrastructure and cults by shepherding academics and intel-
clash with the old, and it is driving him to raging madness. lectuals towards new discoveries. At some point, she became an
Methods: Kokabiel is decommissioning orbital exile — seemingly forgotten by the God-Machine, receiving
Infrastructure — strange, tangled knots of bone, gleaming no new instructions, and left to follow her existing parameters.
orreries, and other, stranger satellites, some in Twilight — She has spent decades idly stirring philosophers to new, often
by hurling them down to the world below to be destroyed deviant lines of inquiry, or driving them mad by putting ideas
upon reentry or impact. Alerted to a meddling astronomer in their heads that they simply lack the knowledge or technol-
sighting something they should not, he hurries to his pre- ogy to realize. Now, of course, the God-Machine has entirely
cious child and rides it down like an apocalyptic steed, turned against the very mission It once set her upon — but
ideally crashing somewhere near his target, then emerges still offers her no recognition, not even as a threat.
from the conflagration to hunt down the human who has Description: Minerva has a half-dozen shapes in her
condemned his beautiful ward to destruction through their metaphysical wardrobe, mostly feminine and mostly whole
gaze. Kokabiel doesn’t always kill his targets; he likes to of body in appearance. She’s been various muses and patrons
burn their eyes out and leave them to suffer. to struggling intellectuals, and usually dresses as an upper-
Virtue: Practical class woman to cement the impression. Over time, though,
her forms seem to be breaking down; they’re increasingly
Vice: Cruel
scarred and pockmarked.
Rank: 4 Methods: Minerva is going mad with bitterness and spite
Attributes: Power 12, Finesse 10, Resistance 12 and loneliness. At last, she sees a way back. She knows she
Influence: Gravity 4 is still loyally following her programming, bringing inspira-
tion to the minds of mortals; therefore, if she steps it up
Corpus: 27
even further, and her proteges are thrust into revelations
Willpower: 10 that threaten the God-Machine’s secrecy even more, It
Size: 15 will have to take notice of her — and she assumes It will
Speed: 22 (flight 32) then give her new, non-conflicting orders, and will stop
crushing the bizarre intellectual traditions she has spent
Defense: 12 decades coaxing into being. She has a number of cults and
Initiative: 22 stigmatics to use as tools in her new game. Where Minerva
Numina: Awe, Blast, Drain, Ironclad, Mortal passes, scholars peddle ever more extreme notions of the
Mask, Regenerate, Speed, Stalwart heavens and the earth, priests spout heretical truths, and
Manifestation: Twilight Form, Discorporate, concealment Infrastructure is broken and torn away.
Shadow Gateway, Image, Materialize, Fetter Virtue: Hopeful
Essence: 25 Vice: Callous
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The Supernatural
Rank: 3 Stigmata: Foscari’s blood has flecks of copper in
Attributes: Power 5, Finesse 9, Resistance 5 it, little fragments of metal that glint brightly in the
light.
Influence: Inspiration 3
Virtue: Devoted
Corpus: 10
Vice: Envious
Willpower: 10
Mental Attributes: Intelligence 3, Wits 3,
Size: 5 Resolve 4
Speed: 19 Physical Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3,
Defense: 5 Stamina 3
Initiative: 14 Social Attributes: Presence 3, Manipulation 4,
Composure 2
Numina: Aggressive Meme, Awe, Dement,
Hallucination, Implant Mission, Mortal Mask Mental Skills: Academics 2, Enigmas 2,
Investigation 3, Occult 4, Politics 1
Manifestation: Twilight Form, Discorporate,
Materialize, Image Physical Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 2, Ride 1,
Stealth 2, Survival 1, Weaponry 3
Essence: 20
Social Skills: Empathy 3, Persuasion 2, Socialize
Ban: Minerva must use her Inspiration Influence 3, Streetwise 1
on any mortal human who spends a scene pro-
pounding on their intellectual ambitions while in Merits: Allies (Foscari Family) 2, Contacts
her presence. (Merchants, Philosophers, Venice), Fast Reflexes
2, Psychokinesis (Fire) 3, Resources 3, Status
Bane: The bones of a human executed for heresy. (Venice) 2, Striking Looks 2, Sympathetic,
Tolerance for Biology, Unseen Sense
FOSCARI THE WAKENER (God-Machine)
Health: 8
Background: Alberto Foscari is a stigmatic bent on free- Willpower: 6
ing God. He has seen angelic creatures swimming through Integrity: 4
the canals of Venice, bearing gleaming orbs and skulls; he has Size: 5
witnessed priests performing masses to quench divine will; he
has laid his hands upon spinning gears that, he is sure, are part
Speed: 11
of a great, Satanic machine that works to shackle God beneath Defense: 5
its monstrous weight. Foscari threads his way through Italian Initiative: 7
courts, seeking knowledge of the demonic artifice that chains
the divine. He murders priests, and defiles Infrastructure with
their blood. He’s a Saboteur’s dream, a self-guided and mis-
guided stigmatic weapon that believes God can be woken from
Deviant: Vendetta
His nightmare and bring salvation to the world once more.
Description: Foscari is a startlingly good-looking man,
or Service
fair of limb and complexion and with an easy, ready smile Malevolence is not a new phenomenon. Humans have
that disarms and engenders trust. He wears fine Italian stumbled upon life-altering manifestations of the occult
tailoring; the Foscari family may have fallen far from the for as long as there have been people. They have eaten the
days when the Doge of Venice was among their number, sacred plant that grew on the holy mountain. They have
but they remain wealthy and have an image to uphold. received the blessing or curse of an angel, demon, jinni, or
Alberto’s appearance matters to him, even when the serial witch. A soldier donned the torque he looted from the crypt
killer is up to his elbows in blood. beneath the city his army just conquered, only to find that
Storytelling Hints: Foscari believes God needs his help, it would not release him. As always, most did not survive
and he’s willing to do anything to break the Devil’s chains. these encounters, or else the arcane powers disfigured them
He can be charming and sweet if he thinks he can get what in mind and body, driving them to the fringes of society.
he wants from someone that way, flipping to brutal, calculated In some parts of the world, these occult-touched figures
violence in the blink of an eye and without any regret. He are respected — even revered. They possess secret wisdom
hates the Catholic Church and the Papacy, because they must and otherworldly talents. They are warriors who traveled
be in on the conspiracy to keep God chained. Foscari has a to the sacred mountain to eat the mystical fruit that grew
relentless hunger for matters academic, drinking down every there. They are soldiers placed beneath the sacrificial
theory and observation in the hunt for traces of Infrastructure knife and reborn into members of their lord’s elite com-
he can ruin or cultist collaborators he can kill. pany. They are acolytes into whose ears the village priest
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Light of the Sun
the Remade from the tender mercies of the mob, but often-
Translation of times it is only a different sort of terrible fate.
Deviant Terms First, many of those who study Deviants regard Blasphemies
as curiosities, but still carry the inherent assumption that Scars
Deviant: The Renegades introduces some are evidence of sin. They might seek to cure the Malevolence
terms that are anachronistic for this time period using any number of increasingly invasive medical procedures
or inappropriate for the era’s context. When
introducing them in a chronicle, you can choose or religious rituals, all of which are doomed to fail. Others
to use the following terms instead to retain an wish only to understand and catalogue, but they do so without
era-appropriate feel. The first term is the modern regard for their subject’s desires nor acknowledgment of his
word, the second is its substitution, and the third is shared humanity. If he refuses to cooperate, they will cage or
a Latin translation. even torture him to force his participation.
Acclimation: Disgrace, Dedecus Second, although the scientists who study Malevolence
almost always begin by examining existing Remade, they
Baseline: Common, Communis discover how rare Deviants are the first time a test subject
Cephalist: Mindful, Memor escapes or dies on an operating table. Coupled with the
discovery that it is possible — even easy — to produce new
Clade: Circle, Orbis Remade artificially, some scholars turn their inquiries in that
Coactive: Mystic, Mysticus direction. Alas, the curiosity of these luminaries carries a
heavy price in human lives. Renegades are the norm among
Cohort: group, globus
these test subjects, not the exception.
Divergence: Malevolence, Malevolentia Finally, the emergence of scholars who seek out Deviants
Instability: Penance, Supplicium to study means the Remade are much more likely to meet
others of their kind — and to band together with them to
Invasive: Monstrosity, Monstrum escape or overthrow their captors. Groups of Renegades
Origin: Transgression, Peccatum are possible for the first time in the region’s history. In the
same vein, although some who study Malevolence come
Progenitor: Maker, Factor
into conflict with one another — competing as they do for
Stability: Piety, Pietas access to the limited pool of viable test subjects — many
Variation: Blasphemy, Maledicta others form alliances with each other, and these organiza-
tions form the seeds of the first conspiracies.
whispered dark secrets of the Universe — knowledge that

The Old Testament and the New
gifts a handful with superhuman powers, while driving Most Remade in this era cannot blame shadowy conspira-
the rest into madness and death. These Deviants cannot cies for their Malevolence. However, they are still dependent
pretend to have normal lives, but most serve important on some combination of the righteous anger of Conviction
roles in their communities. Renegades in such societies are and the perfect devotion of Loyalty. Without enemies to de-
comparatively rare. stroy or allies to serve, a Deviant swiftly succumbs to instabil-
In the Holy Roman Empire and most other parts of ity and death. What’s more, each one instinctively recognizes
Europe, however, Deviants face all the stigmas of bodily this and moves to forge Touchstones. Most Remade do not
deformity, disease, and witchcraft. The Church regards sort themselves into Renegades and Devoted, but they still
Scars as marks of God’s disfavor — proof of secret sins ter- rely on these patterns of behavior to survive.
rible enough to mark the Remade in body and soul. The Renegades are the embodiment of wrath, falling upon
Church considers Blasphemies a form of witchcraft, and the enemies of the righteous like a sword and sweeping them
many Deviants face execution for trafficking with demonic away like an inescapable flood. The drives of Conviction do
forces. Those who survive the scrutiny of their neighbors not permit much nuance or sympathy for these enemies. Nor
do not receive high positions in society. He is the beggar at are all Deviants theologically equipped to distinguish the
whom children throw stones, the mad hermit eking out a worthy from the unworthy, and so Conviction Touchstones
solitary existence in the wilderness. If she is very lucky, she are more likely to be those who have angered the Remade
might find a life as the kindly local priest’s assistant. The life than ones who have committed some grave sin in the eyes
of an Italian Deviant is nearly always solitary, violent, brief, of the Church or other legal or religious code. Personal
and very few Remade ever meet anyone like themselves. vendettas or family feuds make for common Conviction
As scholars in Italy take a greater interest in human Touchstones in the immediate aftermath of Malevolence, but
anatomy and embrace the scientific method, they become most Renegades soon run out of Common enemies to destroy.
at once the Deviant’s greatest potential allies and his worst In the hollowness that follows, some become vigilantes
nightmares. Submitting himself as a specimen can preserve or launch one-person crusades against perceived heretics or
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The Supernatural
other religious or political foes. A number of these even find priest, local prince, the leader of a mercenary company, or
themselves attached to larger movements led by Common some other figure of authority they deem worthy of their
humans who name the Renegade among their champions. loyalty. They forge connections with those who show them
It is in the pursuit of these causes that Renegades are most kindness — the family that took him in, the tavern patrons
likely to encounter conspiracies for the first time — some- who invite her to join their games, or the soldiers who fight
times as wicked men to be punished, and sometimes as at his side. Devoted often find themselves in caretaker or
silver-tongued whisperers seeking to tempt the Deviant caregiver roles — whether it means distributing food to the
away from her true purpose. poor, serving as a bodyguard, or keeping the candles lit in
Many Renegades find themselves in common cause with the church sconces. Deviants guard these tasks zealously
the Unchained. The God-Machine’s machinations involve and become agitated if anything threatens their ability to
far more Common servants than angels, after all. Some of continue performing them.
the God-Machine’s cultists go on to found conspiracies, Some Devoted look for comfort in the tales of miracu-
and when they do, the new organizations tend to share Its lous healing in the New Testament. Despite their outward
unconcern for the suffering of individuals as long as that insistence that they serve faithfully out of devotion to God
pain serves the conspiracy’s larger cause. and without expectation of a worldly reward, these Deviants
Renegades tend to view mages with some degree of pray for healing. Many earnestly believe they have offended
skepticism. The obsessive curiosity of even one Awakened God in some way and that Malevolence is their punishment.
can be every bit as dangerous to the Remade as an entire By dutiful service and an ascetic lifestyle they hope to gain
conspiracy. Sometimes, in order to remain free of one God’s forgiveness and so become clean once more.
mage’s clutches, a Deviant must forge alliances with the It is in the service of others that Devoted typically en-
willworker’s enemies among the Wise, and this can entangle counter a conspiracy for the first time. Common-led organiza-
the Remade in the mages’ schemes and adventures. tions aren’t the only ones eager to make use of the talents of
Devoted are more likely to embrace the New Testament the Remade. The God-Machine often seeks to bring these
call to service and charity. They bind themselves to a parish useful tools into Its cults, as do the Seers of the Throne. In
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Light of the Sun
such occult hands, the Devoted are usually unwitting pawns seek their fortunes elsewhere. These Prodigals rarely find
in larger games. They are often pathetic players who believe better lives beyond the village’s boundaries. The same gifts
even their darkest deeds serve something great and noble that that elevated them in their birthplace make them objects of
will preserve, or even elevate, humankind. suspicion elsewhere, and the physical deformities and mental
and social quirks that their families and neighbors accepted
Deviants of Other Faiths as a part of God’s plan are instead proof of divine disfavor.
To address this, Sappada has its Good Shepherds — Devoted
The majority of Remade in the Holy Roman Empire are who venture into the wider world to bring these Prodigals
at least nominally Catholic. Most do not receive enough back into the fold. It is not the Good Shepherds’ way to drag
formal education to appreciate — much less participate their brothers and sisters back in chains. Rather, they pick
in — theological debates or comparative studies of other (or, more often, arrange) a moment when the Prodigal most
religions. The Church is all they know, and everything they longs for home — when she is starving and friendless — and
know about any other faith is at least colored by Catholic offer the Renegade a way back into God’s service.
portrayals of those religions. Moreover, the Church’s
Under the reforms of Father Gino, the Good Shepherds
representatives — although not absolute arbiters of truth
have begun to use these same tactics on Remade who have
and the law as they were in recent centuries — still wield
never set foot in Sappada.
considerable influence over the lives of most people.
That being said, not everyone in the Holy Roman
Empire owes loyalty to the Church. Jewish, Muslim, and Forest of Beasts
pagan enclaves exist, as do any number of heresies and The people of Barga speak softly when they mention
Protestant sects. Some practice quite openly — whether the nearby forest, for all that it is a common destination.
because they live in areas with a more diverse or tolerant Woodcutters have little other choice in where to ply their
population or because they are part of a community that trade, and poor families often venture into the woods to
shares their creed. Others must keep their beliefs secret. forage food and hunt small game. No one willingly stays
Although Deviants of other faiths are often used to outside the town’s walls on cloudy or moonless nights,
being outsiders in their own homes, Malevolence greatly however. Not that everyone has a choice.
intensifies these feelings of alienation. Nearly everyone who has ventured within the forest
has encountered the strange animals that live there. These
are hybrids of two different species, such as deer with the
Makers ears of a rabbit or ravens with the red wings of rosefinches.
Although Remade are not a new phenomenon, few Fewer claim to have spotted the animal people — wolves,
people in the Holy Roman Empire have learned how to deer, birds, and more with the stature and gait of humans.
intentionally trigger Malevolence. Certainly, the process Especially skeptical outsiders who visit can expect to be
of systematically creating Remade is generations away. shown one of the many squares the prince has chosen to
For this reason, few Makers of this era are members of a display his personal kills. During the summer season of
conspiracy. In most cases, Malevolence is the result of a communal, open-air meals known as sagras, the prince
chance encounter with the occult or an accident of birth. trots out select animal people from his menageries to exert
Deviants are more common near long-lasting sites of su- his dominance over the local folk and to impress visitors.
pernatural power, where a critical mass of potential victims
of Malevolence can come into proximity with the forces The Trial Pit
that trigger it.
The town of Bomarzo, which was founded by monks in
the fifth century, rests on millennia-old ruins. The previ-
Sappada ous occupants left behind vast piles of buried scrap metal
In this remote mountain village in Northern Italy, the — copper and tin, bronze and iron — that the Bomarzans
populace hails the Remade as recipients of unique gifts of still have not completely excavated. Near the center of
the Holy Spirit. The Gift-Given are ultimately servants of the settlement is a 10-foot-wide, 100-foot-deep pit that
the village and are never given leadership roles. They are resembles a well — constructed from a gray metal that has
always the assistant to the village midwife, the advisor to thus far thwarted all attempts to scavenge it. This Trial
its leaders. Partially, this is due to centuries of tradition, but Pit, as the locals call it, generates a terrible racket like the
it is rooted in long experience with Remade psychology. sound of a thousand-wheeled wagon rolling across a cobble-
Deviants who do not serve are driven to destroy. Those stone road at a full gallop, and it occasionally belches out
who can do neither become unstable in mind and body, foul-smelling smoke. This has prevented all but the most
their divine gifts festering like untended wounds until they desperate squatters from reoccupying any of the abandoned
ultimately kill the Remade. buildings within half a mile of it.
Remade who chafe at this expectation of servitude or The Trial Pit serves as Bomarzo’s execution grounds.
grow curious about the world beyond the village sometimes Those credibly accused of crimes that carry the penalty of
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The Supernatural
death face justice in the Trial Pit. The city watch lowers
these criminals into the pit with a rope and leaves them
Nodes and Linchpins
there. The pit’s sheer walls make climbing out impossible, Custodes: Hierarchal Node. The leaders of the con-
leaving the condemned no choice but to either die of thirst spiracy reside in Padua and are predominantly priests, monks,
or pass into the metal tunnel that leads out of the pit and and nuns attached to the Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua.
into the Infrastructure beyond. This Node directs the White Lily’s members in accordance
Whatever its original purpose, the Infrastructure be- with the conspiracy’s Principles. It strongly urges its mem-
neath Bomarzo has not performed it properly in centuries. bers in other Nodes to care for the sick above all else, but
Its infinitesimal metal spiders disassemble and rebuild any it also recognizes that the Black Death is a kind of wildfire.
living thing they encounter. They do so without any clear Sometimes extinguishing a single spark is not enough to
guiding intelligence, and the process is far more likely to kill stop its spread. It must be contained through firebreaks or
the subject than to transform him. Those who fall through by organizing bucket brigades or constructing canals and
trapdoors into vats of noxious-smelling liquids drown more aqueducts to ensure that a ready supply of water is available
often than not, with dissolution in strong acid being the should a fire break out. The Custodes accept that its support-
next most common fate. Fewer than three people of 20 who ing Nodes might need to resort to unorthodox methods of
face the pit’s trials emerge from the tunnel beyond, and fighting the Black Death. Its Linchpin is the Custos of the
barely a tenth of those last a fortnight after the ordeal ends. Franciscan Order of Saint Anthony of Padua within the city.
Those who survive the Trial Pit are considered innocent Almoners: Exploitative Node. This Node reports directly
of the crime of which they are accused — no matter how to the Custodes but is based in Rome. Its members wield
heinous or how many witnesses were present. Although influence among those among the Franciscan Order of Saint
Deviants who become disruptive might yet face banishment Anthony of Padua who take in alms for the poor and sick. The
(or a second journey through the Trial Pit), most return, White Lily’s parent order has secured several wealthy patrons,
in some fashion, to their original lives — although their including the Papacy itself, which sees the order as a way of
deformities serve as grave reminders of the terrible power undermining Venetian control of Padua. The Almoners direct
that lurks beneath Bomarzo. some of these resources to the Conspiracy to fund the White
Lily’s aims. Its Linchpin is a well-connected priest in Rome who
also uses his control over the order’s purse to fund his personal
New Conspiracy: crusade against the God-Machine he served before his Fall.
Heralds: Structural Node. This Node reports directly to
The White Lily the Custodes and is based in Padua. They maintain a network
The care of the poor and sick is among the foundational of spies and informants that in some cases stretches 400
concerns of Franciscan orders. The Franciscan Order of miles or more beyond Padua — from Vienna and Stuttgart
Saint Anthony of Padua has long ministered to the disabled to Marseille and Naples. Their primary purpose is to listen
and the mentally ill — particularly those abandoned to for news of outbreaks of plague (or other diseases), but they
die by their neighbors and families. Some members of that also watch for Deviants the Conspiracy might recruit. Its
order were not satisfied with merely ministering to these lost Linchpin is a Paduan merchant’s wife who keeps the Node’s
souls. Rather, they hoped to learn how to reliably cure the records of known Remade and plague outbreaks. Whenever
sick and to preserve the healthy from disease — and most the White Lily encounters a Deviant whose Blasphemies are
especially the Black Death. A century ago, several priests of little use to them, or who refuses the conspiracy’s entreaties,
of the order formed the White Lily, named for the flower she passes on the information to her brother, who uses it to
associated with both funerals and Saint Anthony himself. find Deviants to press into his mercenary army.
In the course of pursuing their lofty goal, the White Censors: Hierarchal Node. Although the Custodes are
Lily have discovered that some of the broken wretches the chief strategic directors of the White Lily, the Censors
under their care possessed miraculous abilities. While fly- handle the Conspiracy’s day-to-day operations. They have
ing women and soldiers with impenetrable skin are objects a much better idea of the specific functions of the other
of curiosity to a few of their members, the White Lily is Nodes than do the Custodes — in part because they afford
particularly interested in identifying Deviants with healing the Conspiracy’s leadership a measure of plausible deniability
or disease-fighting abilities. regarding its Nodes’ less-savory methods. If the Custodes
Standing: 2 (Dysplasia) were forced to liquidate this Node due to external political
First Principle: Care for the sick or religious pressure, it would reconstitute the Censors in
Second Principle: An end to disease some other form as soon as the scrutiny had passed. The
Node’s leadership resides in Milan, which further aids the
Third Principle: God’s will be done
Custodes in keeping its activities at arm’s length. Its Linchpin
Virtue: Charitable is a Franciscan nun whose father is a general in the Milanese
Vice: Unorthodox army, and it is from him that she learned the importance of
strategy when fighting any foe — including the Black Death.
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Light of the Sun
Plague Doctors: Exploitative Node. This Node, which attempting to visit her despite being continually refused by
reports to the Censors, has infiltrated the ranks of the plague her superiors, who well knew her wishes.
doctors who operate within the reach of the White Lily’s She befriended and often worked alongside Father
Heralds. Primarily charged with the care of plague victims Lucio Li Fonti — a missionary of the Franciscan Order of
in areas affected by epidemics, plague doctors also count and Saint Anthony of Padua. Sympathetic to Maria Haddad’s
identify plague victims for public records. They are permitted frustration at her suitor’s continued unwelcome pursuit, he
to perform autopsies on plague victims, which the White Lily suggested she travel to Padua to seek reassignment to a dif-
has used as cover to dissect Deviants whose recruitment or ferent mission. Carrying the priest’s letter of introduction,
capture could not be accomplished. Its Linchpin is a physi- she began the long journey through the Ottoman Empire
cian and anatomist who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. and across the Mediterranean Sea. She arrived in Venice
Harvesters: Structural Node. This small and highly mo- during the height of the Italian Plague of 1629–1631.
bile Node works closely with the Plague Doctors and reports Travel out of the city was all but impossible, and so Maria
to the Censors. It recruits potentially valuable Deviants by Haddad decided to make herself of service as best she could.
picking through the survivors of towns and cities ravaged She approached the local Franciscan orders and soon found
by plague. Its members have access to an Icon that renders herself ministering to victims of the plague. In the course of
them immune to most natural diseases, including all strains this work, she became infected herself and was placed under
of the Black Death. The Linchpin of this Node is a mage quarantine. As she lay in her cell, fully prepared to die, a visit-
of a Nameless Order who lost her entire family to plague ing priest named Father Francesco came to Maria Haddad to
before she Awakened. administer last rites. In making her final confession, Maria
Flagellants: Temporal Node. The bloody whips of the Haddad learned that the priest belonged to the same order
Censors, this Node consists of fanatical cultists who have as did Father Lucio. When Francesco learned of the letter of
become convinced that the end of the world is upon them. In introduction, his demeanor changed significantly.
response, they engage in self-mortification and press everyone Father Francesco explained that he and some of his
they meet to do the same. If they decide that a person is in brethren had developed a more effective treatment for
league with the Devil or that a town is beyond saving, the the Black Death. Although it sometimes hastened death,
Flagellants will often resort to violence — lynching unde- anyone it successfully cured would never be touched by the
sirables or razing entire communities. Although the Censors plague again. He offered her this elixir, dissolved in a chalice
sometimes deploy them to eliminate the conspiracy’s enemies, of wine, and Maria Haddad took it willingly.
they also serve as a last resort when they only way to prevent The effect was almost immediate, and its intensity
the Black Death from spreading beyond a town’s walls is to clearly took the priest by surprise. That the elixir wiped
kill everyone living in it. Flagellants do not fear death and are away Sister Maria Haddad’s symptoms would have been
willing to kill themselves to complete the Node’s grim quaran- miraculous enough, but it also granted her divine gifts of
tine procedure. Its Linchpin is a Devoted who recovers from healing far beyond anything Father Francesco had antici-
virtually any illness or injury in a matter of hours, which she pated. She soon became a devoted member of the White
also uses to convincingly “play dead” when the time comes to Lily, serving among its Harvesters.
escape enemies or leave behind hapless allies. Description: Sister Maria Haddad is a woman in her late
Power: 4 30s with dark skin and eyes. She is seldom seen in public
Finesse: 6 without her habit, but she keeps her head clean-shaven.
Resistance: 5 Her mysticism often masks her Remade nature, with Scars
Conspiracy Actions: 1 manifesting as well-known marks of holy men and women.
Icons: 1 Storytelling Hints: Maria Haddad is a true believer in the
Nodes: 7 cause of the White Lily and regards her service to it as a sacred
duty to God. Because she regards her healing gifts as miracu-
lous, she only imparts them on those who beg her for healing.
SISTER MARIA HADDAD Transgression: Volunteer
Circle: Grotesque
“Pray for God’s mercy, that He might, through me, for- Forms: Transmittable
give your sins and wash away this disease.”
Background: Sister Maria Haddad was born in Ethiopia Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 5 (7); Presence 4,
as Wadha Haddad. During the reign of Susenyos I, she con- Manipulation 2, Composure 3
verted to Catholicism and fled to a convent not far from her
Skills: Academics 1 (Catholic Doctrine), Animal
home — partially out of sincere faith and a friendship with Ken 1, Athletics 1, Brawl 3 (Biting), Crafts 1,
many of the nuns, but mostly to escape the advances of a Empathy 3, Expression 2, Investigation 2,
suitor in whom she had no interest. Her would-be husband Medicine (Plague) 3, Occult 1, Persuasion 3,
and his family refused to be dissuaded by this, frequently Science 1, Socialize 2, Stealth 1, Streetwise 1
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The Supernatural
Merits: Allies (White Lily) 2, Language (High
Italian), Language (Venetian Italian), Living
Progenitor 3, Multilingual (Arabic and Latin),
Shared Suffering, Status (Harvesters) 2, Tolerance
Mage:
for Biology
Willpower: 6
Awakening to Truth
The truth of the Supernal does not bother to differen-
Piety: 8 tiate between the learned and the ignorant. The human
Disgrace: 3 soul, in breaking through the Lie and reaching across the
Initiative: 6 Abyss, brings equality in revelation. A scholar or a deacon
or a wealthy merchant has no special privilege here. The
Defense: 4
burning fire of Awakening has no need for social status
Armor: 3/0 or patronage.
Speed: 9 This means that a bishop and a bandit are both as worthy
Health: 10 (11) as one another in the strange world of the newly Awakened.
Suddenly blessed with world-shaping power, a new mage
Controlled Scars: Perilous Variation (Physical;
Healer) 3 has the ability to indulge their every whim — but it can
take time to break free from the ingrained habits of a life
Persistent Scars: Hallucinations (Mental; lived under restrictive social order. A common Venetian
Superhuman Stamina) 2, Hemophilia (Physical;
laborer can suddenly see into the souls of those around him
Carapace, Immunity) 3
after experiencing strange visions when he nearly drowns
Blasphemies: Carapace (Steel) 2, Healer 3, in a canal — but he does not necessarily believe himself
Immunity (Disease) 2, Cutting Brawl Lash to be better than the Sleeping masses, at least at first. He is
(Sickening) 1, Superhuman Stamina 2 still firmly anchored by his duty to his family, his enmity
Conviction Touchstones: 1 (a friend or ally of with a rival who has insulted his pride, and his loyalty to
the players’ characters) Venice itself. A noblewoman of Naples who carves her
Loyalty Touchstones: 4 (Father Francesco, name, bloody and raw, into the Watchtower of the Primal
three fellow Harvesters) Wild needs to take this incredible change to her world and
Weapons/Attacks: process it, make sense of it through the lens of her beliefs.
She cannot easily walk away from her family and status to
Dice
indulge her newfound Obsessions.
Type Damage Initiative Pool Special
Bite 0L −0 6 Successful attack
that inflicts at Cloaks & Masques
least one point Clothing is a vital part of this society — a clear state-
of lethal dam- ment of whatever social status, wealth, and refinement an
age exposes the individual may possess. During the Renaissance, Italy stood
target to possible at the forefront of European fashion; now it has fallen be-
Malevolence; hind Spain and France, but textiles remain a key industry
see below and Italians still pay great heed to the signs of power and
Notes: Maria Haddad’s Malevolence can be transmitted influence that are found in the warp and weft of garments.
in one of two ways — by smearing or injecting her saliva The resurgence of the Venetian masqued carnival is an
into a patient’s open wound or whenever she cures someone attempt to reclaim some of that old glory and grandeur.
of the plague using Healer. In the former case, Malevolence The Awakened of Italy commonly use garments as
occurs almost immediately and initially mimics the symp- Yantras within their magic, providing a one-die bonus
toms of bubonic plague. Resisting the infection when it if the clothing is appropriate to the spell — particularly
is passed by this means requires a successful Stamina roll. magic of veiling and of connections to members of the local
In the latter case, Malevolence is considerably less likely, community. By combining garment Yantras with a festivity
permitting a Stamina + Stamina roll with an interval of or celebration important to the city and its communities,
one day and a target number of 3. As with all methods of this bonus rises to two dice; wearing a mask and partaking
Malevolence, infection is more likely to be fatal to the in the great Carnivale di Venezia is a powerful three-die
patient than to Remake him. Yantra for spells of trickery, emotions, and that target the
Maria Haddad’s Healer can heal the plague as though population of Venice.
it were aggravated damage (at the risk of infection per
the prior note) and most serious but non-life-threatening
diseases as though they were lethal damage.
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Light of the Sun
(Catholic Church) Merit, climbing the ranks to become
Iron and Diamond figures of power pulling at the strings of the more public-
For most mages, the Orders remain the heart of facing clergy. Yantras are concealed among the pomp and
Awakened society, a network spread through the penin- ceremony of Catholic rites. The international nature of
sula that offers companionship and understanding in a the Church gives mages ample opportunity to garner the
wider world that seems, by the measure of Awakening’s Contacts Merit, and the sorts of sympathetic links that will
revelations, to be painfully mired in ignorance. The aid allow them to magically meddle with events elsewhere in
of an Order, combined with the power of the Arcana, can Europe.
catapult a once-lowly peasant into prominence, or open up Most mages build a large number of dots in the Resources
new vistas to someone trapped in the higher echelons of Merit, and often surround themselves with Staff and
society. Some magicians use the influence of their Order Retainers — all as expected of someone of note in 17th-
to embroil themselves in worldly matters — including the century Italian society. Many build their occult Obsessions
subject of faith, as the church is a very real power and can into the works of art or science or architecture that they
exert a great deal of influence. have built with their wealth. Less constrained by the
Nepotism and corruption allow a magician to trivially Church’s strictures than those who actually dwell within it,
gain influence within the church, as Awakened fellows merchant and noble Awakened can get away with the pur-
offer a helping hand up the hierarchy even without magic. suit of odd pastimes more easily, especially where it matches
Many willworkers become priests, accepting the restrictions the expertise of a scientist or philosopher in their employ.
of holy vows and duties in return for power within this The Nameless must live cautiously. Unlike Sleepers,
international organization. they have little to fear directly from the Inquisition’s in-
Other mages embed themselves in secular power. An vestigations into witchcraft — but drawing attention from
Awakened can gain wealth and fortune with ease through the eye of the Seer Ministries means considerably more
Fate magic or the transmutations of Matter or gather valuable fearsome foes. Many foster strong links with their local
social connections through the Arcanum of Mind. Where agricultural communities through kindness or intimidation,
others face hardship and dwindling riches, mages flourish. garnering Allies and Contacts within the area, and shroud
Without the travails that burden most Sleepers, a mage themselves through extensive Occultation. Unlike urban
is far freer to spend her time as she wishes and can travel Awakened, they rarely have much in the way of Resources,
much more easily within society. The Arcana can let her but often take the Familiar Merit.
appear as who she wants, travel unseen, bind ephemeral be-
ings to perform labor for her, and break many of the shackles
that would bind a Sleeper in an equivalent position. Most
The Struggle for Power
Awakened use this freedom to pursue their Obsessions, but The Church is already a fractious web of Sleeper alli-
many newly enriched magicians infiltrated into the middle ances based on nationality and loyalty to particular philoso-
and upper classes spend their money on luxuries, art, and phies and kings, and it is further divided by the Awakened
patronage as they see fit. scrambling for control over its levers of influence. The
Diamond Orders form one loose faction, and Paternoster
Unsurprisingly, many Awakened turn their attention
Seers form another. Finally, a few independent Nameless
upon the science and philosophy that shines through this
fight their corner with determination, outmatched but
period. Some see a strong resonance between the revela-
dangerously unpredictable.
tions of Awakening and the fervent hunt for truth that
grips scholars and intellectuals. A number of Diamond The Seers of other Ministries, especially the Hegemony,
mages, particularly the Silver Ladder and Mysterium, give exploit the Church from the outside to sway or reduce its
patronage to thinkers and universities, hoping to gently influence over secular powers. These mages see the era as
encourage them towards interesting discoveries, Mysteries, an opportunity to permanently redefine the relationship
and, perhaps, Awakening. They see Galilei and his peers between the Papacy and the nations upon the European
as fellow travelers; Sleepers, yes, and mired in the Lie, but stage. The Hegemony works to turn the Church into an
endeavoring for the Truth nonetheless. extension of the political theater in which monarchs and
ministers play their puppeteer games; it suits these Seers to
Then there are the Seers of the Throne. As eager as
see the Papacy weakened and subjugated. The very struggles
ever to crush humanity beneath the boot of the Exarchs,
between France, Spain, and the Holy Roman Empire to gain
they are nonetheless divided. A great rift runs between the
that influence are themselves an excellent reinforcement
servants of the Unity and the Father.
of the Lie, the strife and struggle helping keep humanity
down. While these Seers fear science and rationality might
Church and State threaten the Lie in time, it suits the Hegemony to foster
thinkers such as Galilei for now, because it challenges the
Awakened who plunge themselves into the murky world
central authority of the pope — and thus weakens the
of Church politics often gain significant dots in the Status
Church’s power. While a few members might get involved
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The Supernatural
with religion or maintain an appearance of Christian piety, They are wary of the works of thinkers like Galilei, but
the Hegemonic Seers are patricians and aristocrats. recognize it is not desirable to simply stamp down on
Conversely, the Seers of Paternoster seek to protect humanity’s attempts at progress — that would leave them
the tradition of the Church, as it perfectly reinforces little better than the Seers. They may hunt rogue magi-
their central philosophy of chaining the masses through cians who turn to dark practices in the countryside — but
dogma. Christianity, they say, is a Fallen approximation it is the Guardians who forge peace with several covens
of the Father’s holy will, like any other Sleeper religion of Benandanti Proximi, where the Adamantine Arrow
— the only way Sleepers can understand true faith is to threatened to simply destroy them.
devote themselves slavishly to its pale reflection while Amid the shifting, byzantine alliances of Sleeper politics
the Awakened hand of the Father guides them. They in the Papacy, it can be hard to identify which machinations
hide within the heart of Rome, stretching their influence belong to which faction. When an envoy from France falls
to the highest levels. Paternoster is hungry to stamp the sick with a fatal illness, has a priest of Paternoster under-
Holy See’s power upon Europe, to reinforce its authority mined the power of the Unity, has a Guardian of the Veil
once again and to force the huddled masses of humanity acted to keep French agents out of hidden schemes, or is it
to bend knee and bow head not to a worldly crown but simply poor fortune on the hapless Sleeper’s part?
to the all-knowing, all-judging moral authority of their As the years pass, the rivalry among the factions grows
God. Anyone who challenges the Church is an enemy ever fiercer. Scheming and manipulation of Sleepers flares
to be crushed, regardless of faith or truth. The mages into outright murder. Mages bend the will of their rivals’
of Paternoster and their militant arm, the Order of the favored pawns and force the Sleepers into suicide or break
Temple of Sophia, support Urban’s military expansion them under the pretense of demonic visitation. Ghastly su-
of papal lands, and push the authority of the Sacred pernatural diseases are unleashed in cloisters, leaving entire
Congregation and the Inquisition to increasingly oppres- monasteries dead from sicknesses far crueler than the plague;
sive lengths. As they see it, the pontiff is their pawn, to key Sleeper allies are coddled and protected when the true
be moved wherever they see fit to move him. plague does indeed arrive, wild and untamed beyond the
In truth, the Seers of Paternoster fear they are losing easy ability of the Awakened to control. Transmutation,
this war. Their influence in the Church is strong and they illusions, and mundane accounting fraud pour resources
still outnumber any other individual Ministry, but they into one mage’s favored Church projects and deny them
have a lot to lose and face the combined power of the to those of the enemy.
rest of the Iron Pyramid, as well as the Diamond Orders Yet still, Seers and Diamond mages alike struggle to truly
on a separate front. The Holy Roman Emperor usurps control the Catholic Church. It is too large and unwieldy to
more of the Church’s authority, and the Vatican sits upon be easily leashed. The clashing machinations of Awakened
crumbling financial foundations. The very symbolic basis and other, stranger entities often spoil against each other,
of Paternoster’s success has been undermined, and the and Sleepers are too willful and independent to adhere to
Apotheosian is not pleased. a magician’s schemes for long.
The Diamond Orders fight their corner as best they can.
Those of the Adamantine Arrow often align themselves
closely to Urban VIII’s efforts at expanding papal power God and the Machine
through military might, using the conquests of war as a The Awakened are aware of some of the workings of the
cover to seize Hallows and Mysteries. The Mysterium draws God-Machine, though few grasp the greater picture. They
on the collected knowledge of the Church as an incredible know that the divine engine is not the Christian God,
resource for tracing and investigating magic. They pluck the and nor is It a tool of the Exarchs, but they are often at a
jewels of truth from amid archives of Sleeper superstition, loss to explain Its nature further. Mages catch glimpses of
and yank humans with occult talent out of the grasp of the its presence — strange, angelic entities, grinding masonry
Inquisition’s tribunals. and gears in interstitial spaces that fold themselves away
The Silver Ladder plays its part in the Counter- when approached, and ancient menhirs in the countryside
Reformation push towards rationality and science, hoping that ring with bizarre chords or spit crackling static out in
to encourage humanity forward with the combination of frequencies that only those who have dabbled in Forces
spiritual faith and intellectual rigor. Many théarchs are can hear. The impression the Wise have is that It is some-
avidly supportive of the efforts of Galilei and his peers, thing akin to an underlying layer of existence, an occult
hoping that these minds might light the way for the greater system devoted to maintaining reality in accordance with
masses to follow. an inscrutable plan — or possibly a mechanical parasite,
The Guardians of the Veil, for their part, stalk the ranks an invader that has stretched Itself underneath the world’s
of the Sacred Congregation and the Inquisition. They hunt skin to hide.
for signs of magic abused and secrets that should remain The God-Machine’s machinations sometimes impinge
hidden. The Guardians are not, however, humorless villains on the schemes of the Italian Diamond, but such interac-
determined to ban every book and crush every discovery. tions have, in the past, been simple ones for the Wise.
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Light of the Sun
Although some of the divine engine’s servants are powerful between ancient megalith sites, trying to feel out where
and Its Infrastructure dangerous, cabals could deal with a the threads of power go when the stone circles transmit
problem without much fear of retaliation. Collapse a blood- weird emanations into the sky; something streaks out of the
filled well that spews strange, mutated vermin with glass firmament, all fire and metal, and obliterates the magician,
eyes, or discorporate a howling wheel of fire and eyes that his home, and his entire household.
guards a tower whose higher geometries pierce into other The Seers of the Throne, while likewise keen to quell
realities and times, and the God-Machine would respond by any discoveries of supernatural truths, dislikes and mistrusts
shutting down Its presence and withdrawing. Now, though, the God-Machine’s servants. Nonetheless, their Exarchal
that has changed. patrons occasionally order them to work alongside these
Awakened tampering with the God-Machine, facilitated biomechanical horrors and their Sleeper cults. Whatever
directly by a combination of Prime and Fate or indirectly drives the divine engine, there seems to be some sort of
through all kinds of meddling, are met with more robust recognition of mutual cause; the Exarchs prefer to subvert
response. There’s an impossible building wedged between and use the God-Machine’s efforts rather than combat It
two textile factories in Florence, within which racks of anyway, regardless of human cost. For the Diamond, though,
doppelganger mannequins are assembled and set loose upon the threat of the God-Machine is growing with every pass-
the city; when the Adamantine Arrow burn it out, a crack ing year, as if It fears discovery, Its danger is matched only
in Twilight spills out a seemingly endless tide of hunter- by Its plethora of Mysteries. Facing such a rising tide, some
killer angels seeking the perpetrators, and the grinding Awakened have met with — and made pacts with — an-
occult gears of the machine spin up two new infiltrator other mysterious force, one that might help them fight or
manufactories elsewhere in the city. The Guardians of study the machine.
the Veil pounce upon an angel inflicting rapturous visions
on pilgrims in Rome, only to then be politically assailed
by conspiracies of monks and cultists. A Mystagogue tries
Mysteries
to tap into esoteric energies that form a symbolic pattern Every Awakened must decide to what purpose to devote
themselves, and for those to whom the God-Machine’s
211
The Supernatural
blind fury is just something to survive, Italy possesses many else, something deep in the soil. Mages debate the source
other strange secrets to be pried forth into the light. of this link. Some believe it may be the land itself.
Something is gathering the dead. In 1631, the pope’s Nickname: The Blessed
brother, Cardinal Antonio Barberini, has the bones of Appearance: Benedetto are mostly born among the
thousands of friars of the Capuchin Order transferred to a peasantry of the Italian countryside, and they look the part
crypt purpose-built in Rome; their remains are turned into a of their lowly social class. As agricultural workers, these
macabre work of art, decorating the walls and ceilings with Blessed are heavily built from a life of hard labor, and they
their skulls. A cryptic, undecipherable series of symbols is prefer simple clothes. Many take on the trappings of the
carved into the ossuary. Those same symbols begin to appear Sleeper benandanti traditions, but others hew more closely to
in graveyards across the country, literally scored into stone the Church and serve village communities as proper priests.
as if by talons of incredible strength. In each event, every Proximi of this dynasty often look weary or sleep-deprived
ghost for miles around shrieks in terror, wailing through from their nightly battles.
Twilight before vanishing. Those Moros who investigate in Parent Path: Mastigos
the following hours have their souls boil away out of their Blessings (Mind, Space, Spirit): Mind – Know Nature •,
bodies. Whatever is causing this, it isn’t the Underworld; any Mental Scan •, Dream Reaching ••, Incognito Presence ••,
Avernian gateways in the graveyards are obliterated in the Mental Shield ••, Sleep of the Just •••; Space —
process. Instead, the Awakened find the architecture of the Correspondence •, Groundeater •, The Outward and Inward
nearest churches twisted into strange, impossible angles and Eye •, Scrying ••, Ward ••, Ban •••; Spirit – Coaxing
spaces — but only to them. Sleepers notice nothing different the Spirit •, Exorcist’s Eye •, Invoke Bane •, Command
at all and continue to congregate and pray in their churches Spirit ••, Ephemeral Shield ••, Shadow Walk ••
as if nothing has changed. This is a Mystery of Opacity 6.
Curse: The Blessed are duty-bound to protect their
The Villa di Pratolino in Tuscany was a favored retreat for communities and their land from supernatural influence.
the Grand Duke Francesco I, but after his death it has fallen Each night, their minds are taken on strange voyages,
into lonely disuse. A skeleton staff still maintains the villa, but witnessing omens and visions of supernatural threats they
the current duke, Ferdinando the technophile, never visits. must do battle with.
At the heart of its grand gardens lies a bizarre sight — the
Persistent: A benedetto Proximus only regains
Apennine Colossus, a stooped but massive sculpture of a beard-
Willpower from a night’s rest if she has used her powers to
ed man so large it has rooms within it. A cabal of Diamond
protect a Sleeper from supernatural forces within the past
mages considers the Villa part of its territory — and guards it
three days.
jealously for its power to generate tass without a Hallow, in the
form of crystals that pulse with a sickly light. Mages who use its Beat: Whenever a benedetto is investigated or perse-
Mana find that their spells are more powerful, but at the cost cuted by the authorities, take a Beat.
of weakening their bodies and ruining their health; still, they Severe: If a benedetto is prevented from gaining a full
cling to the advantages it gives them, using magic to stave off and restful sleep, her visions spill out from her dreams into
the worst of its effects and determined to figure out where it the nightmares of the Sleepers around her. When her curse
came from. This is a Mystery of Opacity 4. worsens, each additional night during which she replenishes
no Willpower inflicts the Spooked Condition on every
Sleeper within a five-mile radius, and the portents they feel
The Benedetto compelled to act on in resolving it point to the Proximus
Faith alone isn’t always enough. Everyone knows witches as the source or cause of their night terrors.
stalk the countryside, casting their evil eye upon the common Oblations: Bargain with or dance with a spirit; calm
people and their honest toil. They summon evil spirits or the fears of another or provide them with moral guidance;
demons and are the cause of the earth growing thin or sour, of walk from one settlement to another to bring good news;
miscarriages and sickness, of ill fate and nightmares. Despite take part in the harvest.
the Inquisition’s best efforts, traditions of folk superstition Character Concepts: Provincial priest, peasant sorcerer,
thrive in the form of charms and wards. Most folk witches and shaman of an old god, countryside vigilante, witch hunter.
suppliers of trinkets are just Sleepers with no actual power, or
Sleepwalkers plagued by a sensitivity to the strange, but the
Proximi of the benedetto are authentic — a loose network of
minor practitioners, priests, and occultists who oppose the
Playing the Game
depredations of spirits, mages, and other supernatural beings. In Light of the Sun, characters face the conflicting de-
The power of the benedetto comes from an unknown mands of truth and survival, the clash between power and
but common source; they are not found beyond the borders faith. Driven by obsessions, opportunism, or simply the de-
of Italy, but no family nor bloodline seems to bond them sire to see another day, the protagonists of chronicles set in
together. Rather, when one of these Proximi is born, a this era struggle to have their voices heard and to deal with
powerful sympathetic link briefly forms with… something a world caught in social, spiritual, and supernatural tumult.
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Light of the Sun
Creating Characters or are part of the Church, bringing them centrally into such
conflicts. For this sort of focus, characters are best served with
Characters in Light of the Sun are very likely to be multiple dots in the Contacts, Resources, or Status Merits
Italians, natives to the patchwork of city-states sprawling at the very least. The more interwoven with the influential
across the peninsula. Despite the relatively cosmopolitan strata of society that is closest to the tangle of patronage,
nature of Italy over the past centuries, most Italians will politics, and piety through which Galilei moves, the deeper
not have ventured beyond the borders of their country or, they can delve into this exploration of faith and power.
indeed, far beyond their city-state; merchants, sailors, and
magnates may have traveled farther afield, but the world The Unchained
is still a small place with close horizons for many of the
Initial Cover choice is important for an Unchained
urban working classes and the peasants of the countryside.
character, and attention should be given to the relation-
High ratings in Academics and Science are the preserve of
ships, responsibilities, and loyalties the Cover possesses.
priests, thinkers, and intellectuals, and are rare among the
Since many Unchained embed themselves among the
rest of the populace, whereas practical necessities such as
secular structures of the guilds—and many Fall from the
Crafts, Survival, and Streetwise are common.
God-Machine’s need to rapidly destroy and rebuild its
Characters — and Covers — drawn from farther afield Infrastructure—a strong rating in the Crafts and Athletics
are quite possible, however. Travelers from Spain, France, the Skills are common, as are Embeds and Exploits such as Raw
Holy Roman Empire, and lands farther east and north come Materials and Like I Built It.
to Italy for trade and piety, although the stream of foreigners
seeking the great banks of the likes of the Medici has largely
withered away by this era. Ottoman and African characters
The Awakened
can easily reach Italy via the Mediterranean and may be For Awakened characters, their original social standing
drawn there by academic pursuits or mercantile concerns. and their post-Awakening status may be wildly different
Origins can shape the connections and contacts that the — how does the man who was once a laborer but is now a
wider group of characters can access and help forge links courtier through magic and Order connections deal with
between characters that give justification for their actions that elevation? How does wider society look at his sudden
together as a group. For example, a Spanish character or transgression across strict lines, or is it all covered up, a dirty
Cover might provide a cabal or ring with political links that secret that rivals might pry out to use against him? Dots in
they need, represented through dots in the Allies Merit; a the Status Merit and Academics are often appropriate for
group entirely made up of Florentines is bound together both sorcerers who hew to the Church and those who come
by the characters’ shared pride and honor of their city and from patrician upbringings or maneuver themselves into
the patronage of the Medici, and may also possess higher the nobility after Awakening. Mages often pick Shadow
Resources dots to represent the material benefits of such Names that are Biblical references and take the Shadow
allegiance. Name Merit to strengthen the symbolism thereof.
Social class and position are vital elements to consider
during character creation. The Status Merit is vitally im- The Remade
portant; noble titles, guild rank, and ecclesiastical positions Deviants are often dredged from the most victimized of
should be represented through Status dots. Characters with society. Not for the Renegades are luxuries or lofty status;
Status above 1 or 2 should also look at assigning Skill dots instead, Deviants often rely on dots in Contacts and Allies
to Politics and Socialize to express the talents needed to among the lower tiers of the community for their continued
acquire such significance. Philosophers and thinkers are survival. Renegades who stay alive for long tend to acquire
likely to have few dots in Status but be reliant on Mentors dots in Stealth, Survival, Streetwise, and Subterfuge.
and Allies who possess such for their protection.
Pride, honor, and duty are all key parts of the social
interplay between the people of this era and should be
Group Effort
reflected in the nature of the characters and their standing. No one is an island — not even the Awakened and
Pride in a character’s city-state might drive them to favor the Unchained, and certainly not the Renegades. Most
their home in matters of politics and influence. The Allies chronicles set in Light of the Sun will feature a group of
and Contacts Merits are strong candidates for bringing out players and their characters, including mixed bands of
a character’s loyalties in this way, showing the people and demons, mages, and Deviants all working together, and it’s
groups to whom they hew most closely. important to keep a character’s place in that group in mind.
Light of the Sun is a time of revelation and truth. The How do they connect to the other characters? Do they have
emphasis on intellectualism and the exploration of the God- drives or motivations that link into those of their fellows,
Machine’s mad paroxysms lend themselves strongly to char- or are these sources of friction and trouble?
acters who are monied, who possess significant connections, A group may choose to build their characters around a
central, complementary theme — a shared understanding
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Playing the Game
between the characters that ensures everyone is on the will “win.” The Saboteurs may not agree on the specific
same page. Perhaps the entire cabal is clergy, fighting a way to undermine the God-Machine’s plague bearers in
shadow war in the ranks of the Church against meddling Rome, but they will all agree that something must be done;
Seers, demonic forces, and mad angels; in this case, bind- the cabal of mages might argue over whether they should
ing everyone together through shared faith, or perhaps influence the Sacred Congregation to let Galilei’s work be
cynical lack thereof. Another group might create a ring published, but they are all concerned with foiling the Seers’
of Unchained who share the desire to protect Milan from efforts to twist the situation into service of the Exarchs.
the dark machinations of the God-Machine; they may be Conversely, a knives-in approach draws conflict and
disparate in the social status of their Covers and in their story from the direct struggles between the characters
Agenda, but when the chips are down and angels are within the group. In this setup, the wider world is just a
trying to use the city’s walls as an occult cage to tear the backdrop for the clashes between the characters; the story
whole thing out of the timeline, they will come together is a vehicle to explore how they interact with one another.
to protect their turf. In a knives-in group, the fundamental expectation is that
This kind of binding thread can be key to a group of char- individual goals and group goals will clash, and hard, and
acters in this era, because of the nature of the society through it’s therefore very important to consider strong binding
which they are moving. A linking concept is the glue that can elements to stop the characters from promptly disbanding
stick an otherwise-disparate band together, where the usual — or to plan a short-term chronicle that is not intended
strictures of social status might otherwise divide them up. Look to last. Perhaps the band’s members are mages and demons
at the role each player wants their character to have within forced together to deal with a terrible catastrophe that the
the group and the story and seek out the common thread that God-Machine threatens to bring about on the place they
might tie the whole thing into a greater picture. live — but they are all eyeing the inevitable aftermath,
and want their personal, Order, or Agenda goals to be the
Goals and Knives ones that are at the top of the heap when the dust settles. A
cabal, split between rich merchants and influential priests,
When building a group of characters, consider both the finds itself leaned on by national and ecclesiastic patrons
characters’ goals and the players’ goals. A character might and individual members bound by fierce rival loyalties —
want to get rich, find God, have the truth publicized, or and the story becomes how far they can go before duty and
just survive, but it’s not always the most interesting story if honor tears them apart. Fellow philosophers tear at each
the player just goes along with that. The fun of a chronicle other’s theories and ideals, sabotaging their progress and
often comes where the character faces obstacles to what denouncing them before the Church; a cutthroat game of
they desire or has to adapt in the face of such challenges. academic betrayal that leaves only one to claim the glory
One of the Unchained could want the revelation of the and renown of success.
God-Machine’s orbital presence made known to human-
ity — but the player wants her demon to grapple with the
arrogance and ego of the human intellectuals she is trying
to shepherd toward the truth, to clash with the grinding Storytelling the
bureaucracy of the Catholic Church, and to face the in-
creasingly frantic opposition of the God-Machine’s angelic
legions. Aspirations are an excellent way to make these
Radiant Sun
Running a game in the Light of the Sun era may pres-
desires clear, and working with the Storyteller to explore ent a challenge for Storytellers. The character and culture
some of the aspects of 17th-century Italian society will make of 17th-century Italy comes through in the grim, slumping
interesting obstructions for the characters to overcome. collapse of this once-thriving peninsula, in the fierce feuds
Individual and group goals can clash in the same way. and political schemes that beset the patchwork of states
A band of demons and mages all driven by wildly different and their foreign lieges, in the interplay between faith and
goals can be briefly exciting, but risks shattering the group science, and the connections that tie the men and women
quickly and leaving the Storyteller grasping for straws as to of Italy together through blood and pride. All these come
why they would all continue to work together. bundled together with the considerable supernatural powers
It can help for the players to decide ahead of time of the players’ characters — beings who possess incredible
whether they want to pursue a “knives-in” or “knives-out” abilities to move society and seize the opportunities revealed
approach to the group. A knives-out group assumes that the by the tumult that grips Italy at this time.
players can ultimately all rely on each other’s characters to
stand together; they will struggle against the wider world,
struggling to reveal or suppress truth in the face of human Styles of Play
efforts. Individual goals may clash with the group’s overall Every chronicle, or chapter thereof, is likely to have a
aims, but they are moderated so that they raise questions dominant style of play — whether mental, social, or physical.
that need answering, rather than clashes where someone This style defines much of the tone and theme of the game
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Light of the Sun
for its duration, dictating whether it will be a tale of clashing or use lies and poison to solve their problems rather than
wills and devious politics or fiery passions and sharp blades. legal wrangling or brute force. When social arcs stumble,
No chronicle needs to adhere to a particular style for its dura- have a Storyteller character react with greater passion than
tion, or even for a whole chapter; it is likely to change scene the situation might usually call for, forging new bonds of
by scene. However, having a particular style in mind can help love or rivalry in the heat of the moment.
the Storyteller plan out certain story beats and give a useful
lever to rely on whenever the action seems to be dying down.
It’s a good idea to communicate any plans for an overarch-
Pacing
ing style to the players before character creation, but the three The tricks above can help maintain a level of pace
types of characters in focus here are particularly well suited to through a given chapter’s play. Light of the Sun comes
a chronicle where the style regularly changes — Blasphemies with certain inherent tensions that need to be ad-
(Variations), the Arcana, and Covers let them adapt swiftly dressed, however, in order to keep the overall flow of
when the intellectual schemes of the University of Padua the chronicle moving.
are flung into religious and social maneuvering against the Light of the Sun is about arrogance and truth, about
Inquisition’s piercing gaze, or when the gathering of occult the dangers of revealing that truth and the consequences
secrets in Mantua is brought to ruinous end by the arrival of of challenging power. The protagonists are, however, not
would-be conquerors and the tides of battle. likely to be the individuals standing at the forefront of those
Mental arcs and stories focus on the intellectual butting struggles. How, then, to tie characters to these themes,
of heads between arrogant academics, their attempts to draw and keep the pacing of the chronicle flowing? One part
back the veil on human understanding, and the puzzling-out of the answer might be found in Storyteller characters.
of occult secrets. The mental style of play might see demons By building strong links between the players’ characters
consorting with philosophers while trying to put together the and particular academics, patrons, and priests of the time,
hints at the God-Machine’s plan in their observations of the they can be drawn into the travails and struggles of these
stars, Renegades studying sacred tomes and heretical rituals Sleepers, Commons, and mortals who look to them for
in an attempt to find a cure for Malevolence or give their support, help, and advice. The clash between Church and
Makers a taste of their own medicine, or mages assembling science is direct and real for these characters, so put them
theological arguments based on canon law and scripture that under pressure in order to stir the characters into action.
will protect them from religious accusations. Whenever play This doesn’t have to be in the form of direct threat; when
seems to stumble during mental arcs, have a character ask a the game’s pace might slacken, set Storyteller characters
difficult question that challenges existing beliefs, or have a against each other in rivalries over matters of theory and
rival make an accusation that must be answered. science, or have a priest begin to question his faith on mat-
Physical arcs and stories focus upon survival in the tu- ters to which the characters could provide answers, should
multuous landscape of 17th-century Italy, and battle against they choose — but possibly at risk of their own secrecy and
rivals. During the physical style of play, the characters might raising further questions.
face off against Seers and their God-Machine cult allies who Another method of pacing is to raise and lower the
are trying to wake slumbering Infrastructure with calamitous stakes at play in a given arc. The story of Light of the Sun
results, or a character might find herself beset by conspiracy does not need to be a constant escalation of Inquisitions
thugs with knives and clubs eager to dole out pious justice and defiant intellectuals that ends with everyone impris-
to a witch in a grimy Roman back alley. A group might oned or in anarchy. Rather, like a guttering candle, take
hunt for sanctuary in plague-riddled streets, or sneak past a specific truth or revelation that the characters wish to
guards to a secure papal archive wherein dark secrets are shepherd through to acceptance, and offer challenges to
kept under warded lock and key. If a physical arc is grind- that little light in waves. A theory first must be tested in
ing to a halt, reveal an unexpected strength or capability the rigorous, feuding corridors of the university, building up
on the part of an antagonist — or reveal a way out of the to a mental showdown between a character and his rivals
scene and immediate danger, but one that comes at a cost. where his discovery will either be torn apart and discred-
Social arcs and stories deal with some of the most im- ited, stolen by another, or come through intact due to his
portant elements of the era: the interconnections between brilliant work. After that, though, offer some respite and
people and places, the rivalries of great powers, and the perhaps turn the chronicle to a different issue — a piece
clash between faith and rationality. Social play could see a of local Infrastructure falling into aberrant and destructive
mage carefully navigating the court of the Medici to secure malfunction, maybe — before returning to the troubles the
support for a rejection of the Church’s policy, a Remade character now faces in getting his work printed and spread,
infiltrating and manipulating a university to tear down facing the influence of supernatural creatures who want
its brightest minds, or a demon pulling at the emotional it stifled, the struggle for the imprimatur from the Sacred
threads of two Venetian families set against one another in Congregation of the Index, and the eventual escalation
rivalry. Characters caught in social arcs may wield impas- towards the halls of papal power where Seers and monsters
sioned speeches to stir priests and commoners to their cause, conspire to foil the truth.
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Storytelling the Radiant Sun
Truth and Power antagonism, or matters of the heart, your foe is set on ven-
geance. You suffer a −2 penalty on all Social Merit-based
The great clash of this era is between those who be- dice pools due to the rival’s interference, and whenever
lieve they have truths that must be heard, and those in you or your rival use Willpower to enhance a dice pool
power whose authority rests on assumptions that are now that harms or attacks the other — politically, physically, or
challenged. Storyteller characters with Status and other otherwise — it adds five dice to the pool rather than three.
forms of influence have little patience for such challenges, Resolution: The rival perishes, is satisfied they have
and often seek to stamp out inconvenient discoveries that avenged the wrong, or is content that you have made amends.
undermine their position. One way to represent this air of Beat: The character suffers a significant setback due to
intolerance and the anxieties of the powerful is through the machinations of the rival.
the following optional rule for Social Maneuvering.
Optional Rule: Dangerous Truths Unchained Compromise

Speaking truth to power is a risky proposition. Like Conditions
sharks circling in the water, others wait for a chance to Conditions employed are inspired by the religious
seize upon any flaws or vulnerabilities expressed through threats prominent in Italy during this time.
words and ideals.
When a powerful individual or institution that con- Inquisition
trols the immediate scene is faced with another character
making claims that challenge their authority or influ- You’ve drawn the attention of the religious authori-
ence, such as an Inquisition tribunal or the court of a ties; Agents of the Roman Inquisition are investigating
grand duke, and the scene goes to Social Maneuvering, reports of your demonic activities or seeking to question
the Storyteller chooses a specific type of Status. For the you personally due to rumors of heresy. Such investigation
rest of the scene, whenever a character attempts a Social threatens your Cover further, inflicting a −2 penalty on
Maneuver against someone who has more dots in that future compromise rolls.
Status, and the maneuver challenges the Aspirations, Resolution: Face the Inquisition’s tribunal directly, or
Obsessions, Vice, or Virtue of the target in some way, the kill, bribe, or otherwise compromise an inquisitor.
difference between the two characters’ dots in Status is
added to the defender’s Doors. Furthermore, should the Witch Panic
character fail on any such roll, it becomes a dramatic Your supernatural powers or glitches in your Cover
failure; they invite immediate sanction or retaliation have stirred up a panic in the local populace. They vigi-
due to poorly chosen words, incautious approach, or a lantly watch for the slightest signs of witchcraft and devilry,
lack of appropriately soothing flattery. which makes assembling new Covers difficult. Whenever
This situation can sometimes be assuaged sooner by you would gain Cover Experiences through a pact or other
changing the underlying terms of the scene — a showdown supernatural ability, reduce the amount of Experiences
with priests and their Status (Catholic Church) could be gained by one, to a minimum of one.
brought to an end by successfully appealing to the grand Resolution: Locals sate their paranoia by condemning
duke in whose court the scene is taking place, whose Status and killing another character for witchcraft, you change to
(Florence) is both more immediately significant and higher a new Cover, or you leave the region.
than the priests’.
Honor & Pride The Plague

The plague has the potential to add a grim and gory
Feuds and rivalries stab through the tight-knit fabric of element to the historical backdrop of a chronicle. However,
Italian society in this era. Proud philosophers slander one most people playing a Chronicles of Darkness game neither
another before the Church, the supporters of noble fami- expect nor want to tell a story in which their characters
lies kill one another over grudges, and loyalties to France, die of the plague. That said, there are many ways to use the
emperor, or pope carve brutal dividing lines that flare into plague in a chronicle:
fierce conflict. Where a character is caught in such a rivalry,
the Storyteller can use the Vendetta Condition to represent • As a source of horror: Unchecked by modern medi-
the drama of their feud. cine, the bubonic plague cuts like a scythe through
populations. This gives it considerable potential
Vendetta (Persistent Condition) as an element of a character’s background. Players’
characters quite often possess the means to protect
Your character has fallen into a feud or intense rivalry themselves from the plague. Although the plague is
with another. Whether due to wounded pride, political
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Light of the Sun
a wholly natural phenomenon, it sometimes triggers vie to fill a power vacuum. As an antagonist, it cannot
Malevolence in those who are predisposed to such be reasoned with or defeated on the battlefield.
transformation. Many mages can shield themselves
with magic. Demons are not bound to a single body • As an Influence on a Human Organizations:
and so can cheat death by adopting a new Cover. Finally, humans respond to the arrival of plague in
many different ways. For most, it is an object of fear
The same cannot always be said for their friends and dread, but a minority instead see in it a fountain
and family — much less the population of an entire of opportunity. The earliest recorded form of biologi-
city. Even a Master of Life cannot provide reliable cal warfare involved launching the corpses of plague
protection from the plague to all of Venice or Mantua victims into besieged cities by catapult, and more
— although some might fall to hubris in the effort. than one cadre of conspirators was executed under
Moreover, a neighborhood conspicuously immune suspicion of intentionally spreading the plague in a
to the plague is likely to attract unwanted attention community. A group of saboteurs might ply the same
— and suspicion — from others. A Deviant who tactic in an enemy military camp.
fearlessly walks streets strewn with the plague’s vic-
tims might convince witnesses that she derives her In other cases, an existent contagion might pro-
protection from God, for example, but accusations vide cover for Left-Handed mages in need of human
of witchcraft against her are just as likely. sacrifices. Or a conspiracy could dangle promises of a
plague cure in order to recruit subjects for experiments
• As a force of nature: The plague can behave as an in intentional Malevolence. Or the God-Machine might
indifferent actor within the chronicle. It can compli- take advantage of the fear of a plague outbreak to en-
cate travel plans in the form of quarantines, remove courage people to build Infrastructure whose purpose is
a desperately needed ally (within the usual limits of wholly unrelated to the pestilence at hand. At the very
the Sanctity of Merits), or turned an otherwise-stable least, an outbreak of the plague is likely to shape the
political situation into a chaotic free for all as factions efforts of altruistic organizations and to drive pragmatic
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Storytelling the Radiant Sun
scientific minds in the direction of seeking real cures plague doctors without their characteristic cloaks and masks.
for this terrible disease. Second, the soldiers maintaining the quarantine report that
bodies left out in the street overnight are not there when the
Exposure to the Plague sun rises — seemingly carried off in the middle of the night.
Third, rumors persist of plague doctors escorting wagons of
Exposure to the plague can occur through a variety of people into the neighborhood. Finally, local mystics and others
vectors. Any character exposed to plague-carrying fleas attuned to occult currents sense a strong otherworldly influence
or persons risks infection. If a character is exposed to the over the neighborhood and its inhabitants.
plague, their player rolls Stamina + Resolve to resist in-
The cause of this mystery lies in the crypt of one of the
fection. Due to the virulent nature of the plague, human
neighborhood’s churches, where an object of supernatural
characters suffer a −2 penalty to this roll. The Storyteller
power generates a highly localized and non-contagious form
may impose penalties or bonuses based on the duration and
of bubonic plague. The White Lily’s Harvesters are using the
severity of exposure at their discretion. The player should
plague outbreak to identify and recruit possible Deviants.
only roll once per every 24 hours of non-supernatural plague
In this they have fierce competition from elements of the
exposure. This once-daily limitation explicitly does not
Inquisition that are using it to identify witches and other
include supernatural exposure.
diabolic influences in Rome. Unnatural servants of the God-
Roll Results Machine collect the dead to construct an ossuary of bone as
Success: The character successfully resists infection for part of a substantial Infrastructure project. Awakened Reapers
this round of exposure. likewise pad their collections of souls by deploying their grisly
Exceptional Success: The characters successfully resists praxes among the condemned Sleepers of the neighborhood.
all attempts of infection for the next month. Setup: The plague doctors could be angels, Reapers, or
Failure: The character contracts the bubonic plague. servants of the White Lily — or any combination of the
For three to five days, they exhibit no symptoms. Six hours three. The wagons of abductees could as easily be directed by
after symptoms start, the player must roll Stamina + Resolve servants of the God-Machine or rogue elements of the White
(again at the −2 penalty) or the character takes 2L damage. Lily. Some of the victims could be Loyalty Touchstones,
After four or five days of symptoms, the disease has run and mages and demons alike should be easy to lure into the
its course, and no more damage is taken. If the character Mysteries surrounding the neighborhood’s strange plague.
survives, they are inoculated against the plague and will Questions: What purpose will this macabre project
not contract it again for a number of years equal to their achieve for the God-Machine? What is the object’s origin,
Stamina unless infected by supernatural means. and how does this Mystery interact with Awakened magic?
Dramatic Failure: The character contracts the septice- What should be done about the White Lily’s involvement
mic plague. This manifests as headache, fever, and coma. in a clear attempt to create, rather than merely collect,
If the victim survives for more than twelve hours, they Remade? Can the relic be destroyed or disabled? If not, can
develop a bloody cough and bleed from bodily orifices. Take it be moved to a remote area where it won’t cause further
4L damage every six hours until dead. harm, or is it immobile? Who or what are the plague doctors
In action scenes, characters with any symptomatic form who never reveal their faces?
of the plague are considered to have the grave version of the
Sick Tilt (Chronicles of Darkness, p. 286 or Mage, p. 323). Gaze of the Heavens
Summary: Across Italy, innumerable human eyes are now
Story Hooks raised to the firmament through the medium of the telescope,
and they see such terrible things. The sky is writ with sin-
ister signs, the traces of a mad god at work in the heavens.
The scope of chronicles set in this era is shaped by the
mysteries and intrigue surrounding The God Machine. A Those who spot the Infrastructure of the God-Machine often
tier one chronicle will not involve the The God Machine become stigmatics and find even darker revelations of gear
as much as a tier three might. Balance the chronicles’ and gristle in the earth and stone of the world around them.
scale against the capability and interest of the players; While many astronomers initially see nothing of the
the presence of demons, deviants, and mages can quickly occult detritus in orbit — including Galilei himself, who
overwhelm any group when introduced along with a life- remains oblivious — angels like Kokabiel (see p. 201)
threatening plague, political machinations, and cultural scramble to clear away all traces of the great machine’s
differences prominent in this era. work. Gleaming pinpricks in the sky staple new shrouds of
reality against the dark void, and defiled angels fall to the
The Pocket Plague bleak world below. All evidence of the God-Machine is
swept away — but is the damage already done?
Summary: A plague panic strikes a neighborhood in Rome. Setup: The characters in this story face an outbreak
Not everything adds up, however. First, no one has seen the of stigmatics who have witnessed the heavenly secrets,
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Light of the Sun
leading to a surge of heretical theories, madness, and the the great walls, though — if the characters sunder the
discovery of further Infrastructure. This is a tale of mind fortifications, the stolen time will spill back again. They
and society, and characters best suited to it are those with should face many dangerous angels guarding the perimeter
an investment into the clash between truth and faith. For of Milan if it comes to that.
those wanting to glean the secrets of the skies, it is also a Questions: Do demons attempt to foil the God-
race against time as the God-Machine’s agents rush to hide Machine’s plans entirely, or let It go ahead and seal away
the signs of Its presence. some of the events that will otherwise cause suffering and
Questions: Do Unchained seek to suppress this outbreak chaos? Do the Awakened thieve away the focus objects
of revelation, fearing the damage that overly inquisitive that will let It retcon out Galilei’s discovery, and replace
stigmatics might inflict on their own secrecy? Do the it with an object representing something else they want
Awakened attempt to gather all the brief glimpses of insight redacted from history? What consequences may ripple
and revelation the stigmatics gleaned from the heavens, out from such a brutal violation of causality? This occult
putting together a bigger picture of what the God-Machine matrix is a Mystery of Opacity 8, although individual
had assembled before it was forced to hide away once more? pieces of its Infrastructure may have lower Opacity if
Do the Remade see the many stigmatics created as fellow Scrutinized separately.
victims to be helped, or do they see these keen minds that

have been broken by the divine engine as new threats?
The Cage of Milan Galilei’s letter to Grand Duchess Christina of Tuscany

Summary: The God-Machine is turning Milan into offers interesting insight into his scientific approach and
an occult oubliette, its walls the symbolic boundary of a ideas, his pride, and the pursuit of noble patronage by
pocket dimension into which It will cast the threats to philosophers and academics. Galilei comes out swinging at
Its secrecy. Cults dig twisting tunnels that create occult those he feels criticize or oppose him, but he also writes of
matrices of earth and buried bones. Angels stir up unrest the situation and his beliefs in a manner that would have
against the Habsburgs and anoint confluences of certain been more accessible for layfolk such as the duchess.
streets with spilled blood. Agents bring objects that repre- “The Thirty Years War and the Galilei Affair,” by David
sent the threats the God-Machine will unmake — a lens Marshall Miller, is an interesting paper that offers some
from Galilei’s telescope, a length of thread from Barberini’s insight into the clash between Galilei and the Church
robes, the skull of Vincenzo of Mantua, plague-infected based on the Papacy’s wider conflicts — particularly those
flesh from a dozen cities. with the Holy Roman Emperor and the Habsburgs. It
If allowed to be completed, the oubliette will tear the challenges common beliefs that Galilei’s fate was sealed
fabric of time and spin away the threats, tranquilizing Italy due to the Church simply being regressive or opposed to
with the removal of traumatic and destabilizing events. any sort of progress, instead placing the situation into the
Sensing the effort of the divine engine, Minerva has arrived context of Pope Urban VIII finding himself in a weak situ-
(see p. 201). She starts causing havoc, hoping to force her ation where he had to reaffirm his authority as defender of
god to finally take notice of the angel once again. Catholicism — a need so strong that it overrode his former
Setup: The characters are either based in Milan or have friendship with Galilei, especially when he felt insulted by
noticed the agents of the God-Machine focusing upon the the latter’s Dialogues.
city. This is a story of chaos and action, as the authorities For a peek into Italian culture during this time period,
struggle with unrest in the streets, Minerva’s stigmatic cult- Tale of Tales (2015) is a collection of fairy tales that touch
ists cause havoc, and the plague tears through the ranks of upon myths and folklore against the lush backdrop of dif-
the conflicting factions. If the God-Machine is successful, ferent city-states. To get a feel for the politics of the Holy
Milan becomes the repository for a pocket dimension woven Roman Empire, Luther (2005) offers a view of the power
into its backstreets, deleted people and events safely bottled structures present within the Church. Lastly, there are two
away — including Galilei’s insights. It’s all still bound by biopics of Galileo produced in 1968 and 1975, respectively.
219
Wei dabbed the sweat on his brow, took a relaxing breath, and returned to his position. Maintaining
unused imperial caravans might generate great income for the village, but dealing with palace officials was
always a headache. Still, guarding an empty cluster of wagons at night was easier than—
“Keep your eyes on the ground, soldier!” a foreign voice snarled behind him. Wei reflexively turned
towards the speaker just before a large fist slammed him to the dirt.
“Eyes down! Mouth shut!” Wei tried to place the stranger’s accent but couldn’t. Ignoring the assailant,
the guard glanced up. Whoever they were, they weren’t from China. They wore strange black robes adorned
with symbols he’d never seen before. “We’re not here to hurt you.”
“Who—” Wei started. Before he could utter another word, the guard was plunged into an unnatural
darkness. Wei clutched his throat and gently knocked his ears. Why couldn’t he hear anything? Or speak?
Thankfully, the strange feeling faded quickly. As soon as his head cleared, Wei heard the familiar clashes and
clanks of metal hitting metal surrounded Wei, spurring him into action. Someone was trying to break into the
empty wagons! But why?
First, Wei placed his hand on his hip to draw his own sword — but found the scabbard was empty. With no
time to figure out how his blade had been stolen, the guard scrambled toward the nearest wagon, but was blocked
by a threatening black-clad figure. Wei slid to the ground, closed his eyes, and curled into a ball.
Seconds later, when he felt no pain, the guard realized the bandit was not targeting him
him.. Curious,
Wei rolled over onto his side just as metallic thunder rang in his ears; one of the caravan’s
wagons crashed a mere arms’ length from his body. The wagon was filled with small shiny
objects, like bells or beads.
Before Wei could react, another bandit oozed from the shadows onto the
fallen wagon and stabbed its side with a long spear. Wei stared at the bandit
blankly as the bandits attacked its side. The caravan had been decommis-
sioned from service months ago, but the local officials had demanded it
remain guarded. Now, Wei was beginning to understand why. Feeling
betrayed, the guard took a step back and let the bandit work; the
figure stuck the spear into a crack, then hurled their body off the
wagon. When the bandit landed on the spear’s end, the weapon
bowed, sending a ripple of force that instantly shattered the
wagon’s side, exposing thousands of taels of silver. The cur-
rency was more than Wei had ever seen, and more than
he’d see again.
“Wait,” Wei said aloud to no one in particular. “Why
not steal a wagon full of silver? Is there something else
inside?”
On instinct, Wei knelt in front of the silver coins
and pushed them out of the wagon as best he could.
When he was almost finished, one of the bandits
shoved the guard aside and rifled around the
interior. Seconds later, Wei heard a loud thump!
followed by laughter.
“What is it?” Wei asked the bandit. “What
could be more important than silver?”
The bandit clutched his find — a wrapped jar
— leapt onto the wagon and pointed at it. “Life.”
Then, the shadow-clad stranger leapt over Wei
and casually kicked him to the ground.
“But I’m the only guard! I’ll be blamed for this!”
Furious, Wei jumped to his feet. A volley of arrows
flew just over the guard’s head, followed by dozens
of similarly clothed bandits fleeing into the dead of
night. Soon, Wei was left alone with naught but a
ruined wagon, and a fortune in silver.
Eyeing the treasure, Wei sighed and removed his
armor. Then, he pocketed several bags of coins. He was a
poor excuse for a guard, but maybe he could buy — or earn
— his freedom. After taking one last look at the smashed
caravans, the former guard weighed his options and set off
to pick up the bandits’ trail.
Rise
Rise of of the
Last Imperials
the Last
Imperials
1644-1661 CE 1644-1661 CE
The birth of the Ming Dynasty was a time of hope for the Han people. For
the first time in nearly 100 years, they were in control of their own kingdom,
instead of the Mongol tribes of Central Asia, which ruled China during the
Yuan Dynasty. In 1368, the Han reestablished themselves as a cultural and
diplomatic powerhouse. To this day, the distinctive blue-and-white designs of
Ming vases are seen as priceless treasures.
Almost as soon as it was founded, the Ming Dynasty fundamentally changed
the course of history. The Yongle Emperor, fourth son of the founder of the Ming
dynasty, moved the capital of China to Beijing (then Beiping) and created the
Forbidden City, the famed fortress and seat of power within the capital city.
He also brutally eliminated his rivals and shifted the bureaucracy towards a
“Thus, the
meritocracy by implementing a rigorous examination process, curbing nepotism.
Master is available
But, perhaps most importantly, he launched an age of exploration in Ming
to all people and

China. Between 1405 and 1433, China sent seven voyages into Southwest Asia,
doesn't toreject
the Middle East, and East Africa, exchanging tribute and establishing diplomatic
“Thus, the Master is relations with dozens of nations. Records suggest the largest of the 317 ships
and anyone.
available all people dwarfed all other wooden ships, more than twice as large as any European ships
He is ready to
doesn’t reject constructed during the Age of Sail, 100 years later.
anyone.
use all situations
Unfortunately for the Chinese people and historians, the next emperor,
He is ready to use all
andwaste
doesn't waste
the Zhengtong Emperor, was a chaos magnet. In 1449, he rode out to the
situations and doesn’t
anything.
northwestern borders to deal with a band of marauding Oirot Mongols. They
anything. destroyed his army and kidnapped him, intending to ransom him back to Beijing.
This isthe called

This is called Instead, his brother ascended the throne as the Jingtai Emperor, leaving the
embodying light.”
embodying the
Oirots with a significantly less-valuable prize. They eventually let him go, and
Taolight.”
— Lao-Tzu, he made his way home, where he spent years under house arrest, until 1457,
Te Ching, when the Jingtai Emperor’s son died mysteriously. Zhengtong reclaimed his
Lao-Tzu,
Verse 27 throne shortly thereafter, now calling himself the Tianshun Emperor. Almost
Tao Te Ching,
as astounding as a two-time emperor, the emperor’s vice minister of war purged
the Royal Archives of most of the records of the Treasure Fleet, claiming they
Verse 27
were “deceitful exaggerations of bizarre things far removed from the testimony
of people’s eyes and ears.”
In 1572, a nine-year old became the Wanli Emperor. Astoundingly, his regent,
Zhang Juzheng, proved significantly less corrupt than one might expect from a
bureaucrat who was given the keys to the largest kingdom in the world. Not
only that, but Zhang was one of the most competent political figures of his time,
navigating the existing political structure to revitalize the Ming Empire. In just 10
years, the Ming had begun a renaissance, prospering economically and militarily.
Among the advancements were the construction of 1,000 watchtowers along the
Great Wall and repairs to the vital Shanhai Pass. With these advantages to the
north, the Ming were able to defend against Mongols more effectively, greatly
reducing the cost of national defense, in spite of the construction costs.
Unfortunately, at the end of those 10 years, Zhang died, leaving the 19-year-
old emperor alone. Thankfully, Wanli had learned much from his deceased
advisor and the Ming’s economic and military prosperity continued. The
Wanli Emperor diligently attended morning meetings, taking an active role
in the governance of China, soundly defeating three separate military threats:
222
Rise of the Last Imperials
The Rise and Fall of the Ming Dynasty
1368: The Hongwu Emperor forces the Mongol tribes out of Baidu (now Beijing), back to Mongolia
1380: An assassination plot against the Hongwu Emperor fails. He executes the suspects and everyone
remotely connected to them, some 30,000 people in total
1399: A squabble between the Jianwen Emperor and his uncles turns into a civil war
1401: The Jianwen Emperor disappears, and his uncle Zhu Di is crowned the Yongle Emperor
1405: The first of the Treasure Fleet expeditions sets sail
1449: The Zhengtong Emperor leads an army to confront marauding Oirot Mongols. They destroy his army
and kidnap him. His brother takes the throne as the Jingtai Emperor
1457: A military coup reinstates the Zhengtong Emperor, now referred to as the Tianshun Emperor; his
brother dies mysteriously
1552: St. Francis Xavier leads the first Jesuit mission to China, dying before reaching mainland
1554: The Portuguese are granted control of Macau
1556: 830,000 people die during the Shaanxi earthquake
1567: The Jiajing Emperor drinks a potion of immortality, stops outward signs of life, and is entombed
1573: China begins to trade with Spain
1576: China begins to trade with America
1583: Jesuits Matteo Ricci and Michele Ruggieri move to Zhaoqing at the request of the governor
1592: Japanese forces invade China’s ally, the Joseon Empire (now Korea) and Admiral Yi Sunsin routes
Japan’s navy
1597: A Japanese spy destroys Admiral Yi’s reputation, resulting in the admiral’s torture
1598: Daimyo Toyotomi Hideyoshi dies of illness; Ming and Joseon forces sinks half of Japan’s navy and
Japan retreats
1616: Nurhaci declares himself Khan of the Jin Dynasty and invades northeast China
1621: The She-An rebellion begins in Sichuan
1622: Dutch warships attack Portuguese-occupied Macau and turn to piracy
1626: Nurhaci dies from cannon fire
1629: The She-An rebellion is finally quelled
1635: Li Zichen leads a rebellion in Shaanxi
1636: Nurhaci’s son declares himself the Hongli Emperor of the Qing Dynasty
1641: Li Zichen attacks the Southern Shaolin Temple and scatters the monks
1644: Li Zichen captures Beijing and declares himself Emperor of the Shun Dynasty; The Chongzhen Emperor
kills himself and most of the Imperial family; Ming survivors establish the Southern Ming Empire in
Nanjing; Qing forces defeat Shun forces at the Battle of Shanhai Pass; Qing captures Beijing
1645: Qing capture Nanjing and kill the Longwu Emperor
the Mongols to the north; the Japanese, led by Toyotomi him. While Wanli may have had the longest reign of the
Hideyoshi to the east; and the Yang Yinglong rebellion to Ming Dynasty, the last 20 years of it squandered all of the
the southwest. Almost immediately after the wars, Wanli progress he had built.
stopped attending morning meetings or doing much of any- Although his eldest son had been alive to witness the
thing aside from enjoying the excesses that wealth afforded glory days of Wanli’s reign, he learned none of the lessons of
223
1644-1661 CE
them. Instead, he was inaugurated as the Taichang Emperor abandoned his plans to throw in with Li and murdered the
and reigned for just one month before partying to death. envoy, throwing the Shanhai Gate open to the Qing forces.
Taichang’s son reigned longer but had also learned bad les-
sons from Wanli’s final years. Rising to the throne at 15,
the Tianqi Emperor let his favorite eunuch advisor, Wei
Banner Armies
Zhongxian, and his nanny, Madam Ke, rule the country In from the north flowed the Banner Armies, so named
while he spent his days crafting wooden art. Wei has been because of the banners used to organize them: yellow, red,
immortalized as China’s worst advisor of its 3,000-year his- white, and blue. Originally comprising only four banners,
tory, installing secret police, spies, and completely failing to the Banner Army doubled in organizational units by sewing
prevent the Dutch annexation of Taiwan and the Manchu a white border on each of the banners (except the white
invasion of Liao. banners, which bore a red border). Based on mission needs,
casualties, and new recruits, any unit within one of the
The Beginning of the End Banner Armies could be moved under another banner, giving
the Banner Armies great flexibility. This tightly integrated
The death of the ineffectual Tianqi Emperor was a mixed newly recruited units into the army, spreading them through-
blessing for the Ming Empire. On one hand, it handed the out each of the banners, ensuring that the recruits were
throne over to his brother, the Chongzhen Emperor, who surrounded by their new allies, thus preventing desertion.
ousted Wei and Ke. On the other hand, it also led to the While known as the Banner Armies, the Eight Banners
rise of Li Zicheng, a peasant leader. While the Chongzhen were more than just a military structure; the entire Manchu
Emperor was busy righting the wrongs of his brother’s ad- civilization fell under the purview of the banners. Individual
visories, Li was rallying an army in central China. Before soldiers were not assigned to banners. Instead, entire house-
long, rebellion had spread across the provinces. Li solidified holds were assigned to banners, ensuring that loyalty to
his power by killing Ming officials and putting the wealth one’s banner was felt at a very personal level. Bannermen
into the hands of the people. In 1644, Li occupied the fought fiercely for their banner, as the banner, in a real
Ming capital of Beijing and lay siege to the Forbidden City. sense, represented their families.
When surrender talks broke down, the Chongzhen Emperor The army was originally composed of battle-hardened
ordered his entire family to commit suicide and attacked Jurchen tribes, which had harried the Joseon Empire of
those who refused with his sword. Princess Changping, left the Korean Peninsula for decades. Once united under the
for dead by her father after he hacked off her arm, was the warlord Nurhaci, the Jurchen became nearly unstoppable.
lone survivor of the massacre. Nurhaci himself had survived repeated attempts to kill him,
Once Li Zicheng held Beijing, he declared himself the only to turn around and conquer his attackers, earning him
Yongchang Emperor of the Shun Dynasty. Before he had a the title of Khan by the Mongols. Then, he set his sights
chance to sit on his new throne, he received word of the even higher, declaring himself emperor of the Jin Dynasty, a
growing Qing army to the north and led his army to the callback to the Jurchens who ruled China for over a century,
Great Wall. Thanks to the Wanle Emperor, the wall was starting in the fourth century.
well prepared to defend against the Qing invaders. Although Nurhaci eventually died to a Ming cannon,
Wu Sangui led the Ming forces in charge of defending his dynasty lived on, with his son Hong Taiji taking the
Shanhai Pass, the eastern edge of the Great Wall. For the reins. Hong Taiji continued his father’s work of harassing
past two years, he had been fighting a losing battle against the Ming and Joseon Empires and winning more people to
the Qing. While his army could hold the pass, the same serve in the Banner Armies.
could not be said for the border cities that lay outside the As the date of the Battle of Shanhai Pass grew closer,
gates. One by one, they fell to the Qing. When word of Hong Taiji adopted a new name for his people, the Manchu,
the Chongzhen Emperor’s death reached Wu, he realized and more importantly, a new name for his empire, the Qing
that he was caught between the Qing and the Shun armies. Dynasty. While the Banner Armies were chiefly composed
For two weeks, both armies entreated the final northern of Manchu at this time, Hong Taiji made sure to recruit
Ming army, each trying to win Wu’s support. After the Mongol soldiers and Han bureaucrats, reasoning that he
two weeks, he had decided to surrender to Li’s forces and would need Han officials in order to effectively rule China.
called for Li’s envoy.
The fate of the Qing Dynasty fell into uncertainty when
Meanwhile, without Li to control his southern generals,
Hong Taiji died in 1643, less than a year before the fateful bat-
they brutally suppressed Ming loyalists. One such com-
tle at the Great Wall. His brother Dorgon and cousin Jirgalang
mander, Zhang Xianzhong, committed genocide in Sichuan,
both had their eyes on the throne, and neither man would see
killing millions of Han Chinese. With such men associ-
the other ascend. In the end, they both backed down, in order
ated with Li, distrust and hatred of the new Shun Dynasty
for Hong Taiji’s five-year-old son to take the throne instead.
exploded across the Middle Kingdom. Before Li’s envoy
Dorgon pledged to serve the young Shunzhi Emperor as prince
reached Wu’s tent, word of the Shun’s evil deeds reached
regent and led the Qing forces to Shanhai Pass.
Wu, changing the course of history; the Ming general
224
Shanhai Pass With the five-year-old Shunzhi Emperor on the Dragon
Throne at Beijing, Dorgon and Jirgalang are not done vying
Once Wu Sangui’s Ming forces joined with the Qing, for rank. Though both are prince regents and advisors to
Li Zicheng’s army was outnumbered two to one. The Ming the emperor, Jirgalang is continuously losing power to his
soldiers attached white cloths to their armor to make sure cousin, and will eventually be stripped of his titles. Despite
that they would not be confused for Shun, and took the the political backbiting, Jirgalang continues to serve as a
field, holding back the Shun army. With the former bandits military commander and will break the back of the Southern
engaged, Dorgon led the famous Manchu cavalry onto the Ming Dynasty in 1649, brutally massacring many of the last
field in a wide charge, shattering the Shun flank and send- Ming loyalists.
ing his enemies fleeing. The six claimants to the throne know the precarious-
Li Zicheng’s army fled, looting what they could on their ness of their positions. More than a few of them turn to
way back to Beijing and burning what they could not. By unconventional help to ensure their survival. Hunters of all
the time they made it to Beijing, the people of the capital allegiances are called by imperial agents. Some hunters are
were done with the charismatic Li. He ordered his men to cajoled into spying on their enemies under the pretext that
burn as much of the city as they could while he fled. Much their rivals are being influenced by two types of ghosts: the
of the city was destroyed, but the citizens of Beijing took to gui or yaoguai. Others are hired to defend against suspected
the streets. By morning, there were no living Shun soldiers attacks by the supernatural. Whether any of these threats
in the capital. Li himself escaped to his home province are actually real is as hard to sort out for hunters as it is for
of Shaanxi and was never seen again, although dozens of the imperials to find real hunters whom they can trust. In
people claimed to have slain him. the end, hunters see their country in chaos and everyone
asking for help.
Where We Are
Meanwhile, the constant wars have created vast
amounts of restless dead, from simple spirits like gui to
more violent creatures, like the jiangshi. Some areas have
“The flags of the Eight Banners darken the frosty sky; become new battlegrounds, as hunters are forced to band
Ten thousand horses gallop, reveling in the adverse wind. together to put down undead threats. Some of these bands
Startled ranks of geese break high above; last only as long as the mission ahead of them. Others retain
Thunder filling the sky arises from carved bows’ release.” the bonds they forge in blood.
— “Hunting Song” by Chen Zhilin, 17th century Despite the Shunzhi Emperor and his late father’s at-
Now in control of the capital city, the Qing are mak- tempts to create harmony between the various peoples
ing substantial changes to China. Diehard Ming loyalists of China, people still take notice of differences. Former
have fled to the southern quarter of China, establishing soldiers of the short-lived Shun Dynasty find themselves
the Southern Ming Dynasty in Jiangning. It will not last. hated everywhere in China. Their battles against the Qing
Nor will their fallback capital of Guangzhou. But, for long and Ming have made them unpopular on both sides of the
as the Southern Ming stands, Ming loyalists have at least Yangtze, especially in the Jiangsu Province, where people
one home they can seek out. still remember the massacres Li Zicheng’s unattended
Confusing the issue, these years will see the rise and fall generals committed.
of six different claimants to the throne of China: Seeking any escape, many former Shun turn to newly
sprung religions that they believe are new forms of ances-
• The Shunzhi Emperor, the Qing child emperor who tor worship. And so, the Undyings’ cults fill with desperate
dies of smallpox in 1661 people, the easiest converts to radicalize. With unfamiliar
northern culture flooding into the heart of China, the cult-
• The Hongguang Emperor, who is captured in the
ists manage to blend in and flourish, their leaders exploit-
Battle of Jiangning in 1645, executed in 1646
ing Han confusion to hide in plain sight. Only those who
• The Longwu Emperor, who is executed after the grew up in a mixed religious environment have a chance
Battle of Fuzhou in 1646 to notice that the “ancestors” being revered are not what
they seem. For this exact reason, cults are unknown in the
• The Shaowu Emperor, who commits suicide during western and northern provinces of China. Unfortunately
the Battle of Guangzhou in 1647 for China, the coastal provinces of the south and east are
by far the most populous. Each day, the secret influence of
• The Genyi Emperor, who flees to Taiwan in 1651 the mummies and Shuankhsen grows.
and is believed dead Even ignoring wars and the supernatural, early Qing
• The Yongli Emperor, who repeatedly flees until China is far from peaceful. Though Ming loyalists have
strangled by Wu Sangui in 1662 fled to the southeast, many rankle under Manchu rule. The
Shunzhi Emperor decrees that men must style their hair in
225
Where We Are
the Manchu style, long in the back and shaved everywhere the Outer City, but scars from the fires are everywhere.
else. Fines and forced haircuts become commonplace. Even This makes the perpetually busy city even more frenetic,
more galling, the Qing declare themselves owners of all of as laborers and architects inspect and work at repairing,
the land, charging farmers and former landowners rent, replacing, or rebuilding as necessary. Security, especially at
turning the holdings of many upside down. all of the gates, is high, and almost exclusively Manchu or
This isn’t to say that the Han and Manchu don’t get Mongol in the Inner City, making it difficult for Han visi-
along anywhere. Indeed, the Qing have been working to tors to gain access to sensitive areas and virtually impossible
bridge the gap between Manchu and Han ever since Hong for Europeans, who are not allowed in the city without an
Taiji recruited 1,000 Han bureaucrats and personally mar- Imperial invitation.
ried them to Manchu women in 1632, over a decade before In fact, most of the Inner City is Manchu or Mongol,
the Qing seized control of the Middle Kingdom. In fact, in with 130,000 bannermen and their families making their
many ways, the Qing embraced the existing bureaucracy, homes inside its walls. Each of the Eight Banners occupies
though this did not necessarily ingratiate the literati to the a specific district of the Inner City. Those districts are fur-
common people. ther subdivided into Manchu, Mongol, and Han sections,
With so many scrambling for power in the Middle with the Han sections of each banner typically towards the
Kingdom, there is a constant resettling of people. Some outer walls, the Manchu by the Imperial City walls, and
have even exploited this, slipping in unnoticed among the Mongols in between. By dividing the Inner City along
the refugees, particularly the Deathless, the Soldiers of the banner and racial lines, outsiders are easily recognized, a
Forbidden Sun, and organized crime. Refugee shanty towns fact not lost on visitors.
become notorious among hunters as hotbeds of spies and The Inner City is, however, the administrative hub of
are largely shunned by smaller cells, as the cultists and the the Qing Empire, making visitors a regular sight. Thanks to
Soldiers infiltrate each other. Hong Taiji, Han bureaucrats with multiracial families are
With war, refugees, and displacement comes a whole host common in the Inner City. Indeed, the censor-in-chief, the
of other problems. Anyone not growing their own food is a highest ranking civil servant, is just one of many Han civil
few missed shipments from starvation. For those living in servants who frequent the Inner City.
rural areas, this isn’t a problem, but cities, especially ones be- Nestled within the Inner City is the Imperial City,
sieged by refugees, are at serious risk of going hungry. Which home to royalty, officials, and high-ranking members of
is to say nothing of disease; where there are large numbers of the Banner Army. Thanks to the large size of the emperor’s
people mixing, there’s sickness. Healthy people might not fear clan, dozens of princes live in the Imperial City, maintain-
influenza, but the stress of fleeing home and missing meals can ing the tradition of the emperor being the only fertile man
easily turn a flu lethal. Those who encounter the flu might allowed to live in the heart of Beijing, the Forbidden City,
well consider themselves the lucky ones when compared to to ensure that any pregnancies within the Forbidden City
the people who run afoul of smallpox. are unquestionably the emperor’s offspring. Furthering this
And then, there are the cities. idea, the imperial staff is made up entirely of women and
eunuchs. And while it would be easy to assume that the
Locations
Forbidden City is small since it is only home to one family,
the truth is that it is composed of nearly 1,000 buildings,
including over 90 palaces.
In the 17th century, China’s cities sprawl. The capital The Forbidden City is itself separated into the Front
city (north of the Yangtze River, at least) of Beijing is home Court and the Back Palace, with numerous other walls and
to over one million people, making it the most populous city even an artificial river further dividing the city, making
in the world. Beijing may be the largest, but it is only one getting from one end of the Forbidden City to the other a
of hundreds of large cities dotting the country, something much longer distance than the size of the city (72 hectares)
that takes outsiders time to wrap their hands around. would suggest. In fact, it takes a full hour for the emperor’s
palanquin to be carried from the residential palaces to the
Beijing Front Court.
Beijing makes it clear to all who are the “haves” and who
are the “have-nots.” Those without means live outside the Beihai Park
moat and the stone walls of the city. Those inside the 20-foot One of the largest gardens of China, Beihai Park boasts
walls are further separated into the Outer and Inner Cities, a staggering 69-hectare size, roughly half of which is a
which are not only walled from the outside, but walled from sprawling lake. Dedicated over 600 years ago, the park
each other, ensuring that the sprawling city is well-defended is in a constant state of renewal, with new additions and
from invaders. Thanks to the fires set by the fleeing Shun installations being created every few decades. For example,
Dynasty, much of Beijing requires repair. Some areas, such a 40-meter-tall pagoda is under construction, in honor of
as the Forbidden City, see more attention than, for instance, the upcoming Dalai Lama’s visit in 1651. The park itself
226
takes up almost the entire western half of the Imperial City,
making access to it restricted, though not quite as restricted Jiangning
as Jingshan Park in the Forbidden City. Before the Yongle Emperor transformed Beiping,
More than a few deals among the aristocracy and literati “Northern Peace,” into Beijing, “Nothern Capital,”
have been hatched in Beihai Park, as the beautiful and Jiangning was the capital of China. Unlike its northern
exclusive setting makes meetings private. Few turn down sister, whose walls were designed for both security and aes-
an offer after they’ve been granted a rare invitation to the thetics, the Southern Capital’s were constructed for defense,
gardens. Which is not to say that business is the only thing with beauty almost as an afterthought. The current residents
the park has to offer; there are several Buddhist temples in are glad to be behind the thickest city walls in China after
the park, allowing visitors to meditate and reflect on the the death of the Chongzhen Emperor. It is inevitable that
serene setting. the Qing will ride south to assault Jiangning but, in the
meantime, the city stands as a shining beacon of Ming
Niujie Mosque loyalism, the first home of the Southern Ming Dynasty.
After the arrival of the Qing, the bustling city will
Home to Beijing’s Muslim population, members of
transform nearly overnight, with large swaths of the city
Niujie Mosque will come under scrutiny as other members
taken over as an encampment of the Eight Banners. Though
of their faith proclaim themselves to be Ming loyalists.
the civilian population will be spared any atrocities, they’re
The Hui, as the Han and mixed-race Muslims of Beijing
still subject to the same fealty requirements the Manchu
are called, have no interest in being massacred and have
imposed on the rest of China, the most obvious being the
decided to swear fealty to the Qing Dynasty. This puts them
mandated queue haircut for the men of the city. It will
at odds with Muslims outside the capital, who are initially
become the home of the Viceroy of Liangjiang, the official
skeptical of the Qing government, especially given the
in charge of Jiangning’s province and two of its neighbors.
existence of the Southern Ming.
The mosque itself is in the Xuanwu District, located
in the Outer City, at the westernmost gate between the Yangshan Quarry
Inner and Outer Cities. As a part of the Outer City, Niujie One of the largest limestone quarries in China, Yangshan
Mosque is primarily visited by members of the lower class, Quarry is responsible for most of the stone and cement used
making it relatively removed from the eyes of the Manchus. in the construction of Jiangning. The quarry is the site of
Thanks to laws mandating that the Hui people marry Han the unfinished memorial statue of the Hongwu Emperor and
Chinese (if they are not already Han), the Hui people are the notoriety of the laborers’ village. The statue of Ming
a heterogenous people that includes people of virtually Dynasty’s founder would have stood 75 meters tall, making
every race in China, such as Uyghurs and Kazakhs from the it five times larger than the next largest stele. Unfortunately,
western Chinese provinces. Hunters and their adversaries no one has figured out how to move the 30,000-metric-ton
would do well to check in with the worshippers here, as structure out of the quarry yet.
they frequently have their eyes trained for things that other Of more immediate concern, the laborers’ village has
Beijing inhabitants might miss. been nicknamed “The Grave Mound” for as long as anyone
can remember. Since the limestone is essential to the de-
The Temple of Heaven fense of the Southern Capital, workers used to face summary
execution for failing to meet their quota. With the eyes of
Located in the center of the Outer City, the Temple
the Qing Dynasty turning to Jiangning, the Southern Ming
of Heaven was constructed for emperors to petition the
has resurrected the policy, making the workforce desperate
Heavens on the behalf of the country. One of the few
for any sort of relief.
constants between the Ming and Qing dynasties, the bi-
annual ceremony draws the emperor out of the Forbidden
City to the Circular Mound Altar, an open amphitheater Imperial Ming Palace
constructed to amplify and redirect sound to the sky. Along Constructed nearly 100 years before the Forbidden City,
with the emperor asking the Heavens for a good harvest, a the Ming Palace has waited for the return of the Ming royal
bull is sacrificed and burned. family for over 200 years. Thanks to the aristocracy of
During the rest of the year, the temple is a massive Jiangning maintaining a reserve court at the Ming Palace,
complex of religious buildings spread out over two square when the Hongguang Emperor arrived in 1644, he was
kilometers. While chiefly maintained by Taoists, the temple able to get to work almost immediately. Now, the palace is
is specifically for the worship of the Heavens, a part of a little worse for wear, having lost several buildings to fires
Chinese culture that goes far beyond religious boundaries. last century, and everyone knows it’s just a matter of time
Thanks to the temple’s location in the Outer City, it is one until a Qing army arrives on the doorstep.
of the few places that has the attention of the emperor, but Until that happens in 1645, the palace is a bustling
is accessible to commoners, at least on the days that the madhouse, paradoxically focused on putting on the façade
emperor isn’t there.
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Locations
of calm, divine grace as well as desperately effecting repairs well-regarded that even after the Southern Ming falls, it
and preparing for the inevitable battle. Which is to say that will still flourish under Qing rule. Taoists also have a great
this is an opportunity of a lifetime for anyone looking in many temples and shrines. While Christianity and Islam are
the right place. With hundreds of workers swarming the not openly practiced, they were once welcomed in the city.
palace and its grounds, it’s almost trivial to slip into or out Homegrown legends, such as the Brothers of the Three
of the palace. Anyone who can sell the promise of hope Kingdoms, are also welcome here, with Guan Yu receiv-
to the Imperial Court stands to gain a great deal of money ing special attention. While he might not command a full
and influence. temple dedicated to him, it’s hard to travel very far in the
Shortly before the arrival of the Qing, the Hongguang city without noticing a small carving or painting of the
Emperor and his retinue flee to Guangzhou and the civilians red-bearded giant.
left in the lurch loot the palace before following suit. After
the Qing invade, the palace will become little more than Hoi Tong Monastery
an opulent barracks for their army to take up residence in.
Not meant to house thousands of soldiers, the palace will Established in the South Han province of the Five
fall apart, even before the Qing decide to dismantle it for Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (10th century CE),
building materials, which have become scarce after the the Hoi Tong Monastery has stood for the better part of a
laborers of Yangshan Quarry fled. millennium. The Sea-Banner Temple has served many dy-
nasties and will continue to do so well into the foreseeable
future. The sprawling monastery serves as a beacon to all
Tomb of the King of Boni who would explore the Buddha’s teachings. As such, it is
One of the few tombs built for foreign dignitaries in one of the few places in Guangzhou which admits foreign-
China, the Tomb of the King of Boni is the result of a ers. All those who strive for inner peace are welcome here.
friendship between the Yongle Emperor and the eponymous Scattered throughout the grounds are the temple’s fa-
king over 100 years ago. After a fruitful series of diplomatic mous pig sties, where monks practice the Buddha’s tenet of
missions, the two became fast friends. Sadly, the king fell serving life, instead of destroying it. Here, the pigs live a life
ill during one of his visits to the Southern Capital and of luxury, being well-fed and receiving funerary rites when
died, leaving the emperor to follow his friend’s wishes and they meet their natural ends. Which is not to say that all
construct a tomb in the forest outside of the city. Far off the of the monks at the temple are pacifists; Guangzhou is the
beaten path, the tomb has become overgrown, the forest future city of the Ten Tigers of Canton, and the monastery
striving to reclaim the stone. is home to some of greatest practitioners of kung fu of the
Lately, the area around the tomb has seen a decrease in Qing Dynasty, particularly after the destruction of the
wildlife, causing no small confusion among the local resi- Southern Shaolin Monastery.
dents, as they’re mostly Buddhist and Taoist vegetarians, so While the hustle and bustle of the surrounding city can
it’s unlikely that one of them is hunting the animals. Some be deafening, the temple is surrounded by banyan trees,
think one of the local Hui is responsible, but the Muslims which do much to quiet the din. Many visitors to the temple
seem just as confused as everyone else. Some younger are stunned by the silence of the place.
residents are sure that there’s a Qing scouting party in the
woods, while the older generation thinks a yaoguai must be
responsible; no one is sure which would be worse.
Pearl River
At 2,400 kilometers long, the Pearl River and its
Guangzhou tributaries connect Guangzhou harbor with virtually all of

southern China, as well as parts of Vietnam. While most
Home to the Southern Ming Empire, Guangzhou is the people prefer solid ground under their feet, thousands of
last redoubt of the Ming. While the fall of the Southern people have opted for a life on the water. Sometimes referred
Ming is all but assured, the city of Guangzhou proudly plays to as Tankas, or “boat people,” the people of the Pearl River
host to a wide variety of peoples. Foreigners are restricted to live a life where they literally go with the flow, living aboard
only a few locations within the city walls, but the Portuguese junks of wildly varying sizes, from single-masted ships just
colony of Macau is not far off. Virtually anything goes there. large enough for a small fishing family to ones with crews
The city itself is a prominent port on the southern coast of 100 people. While those who prefer living on land might
of China. As such, it has seen travelers from every seafar- not understand their aquatic cousins, they concede that
ing people within a thousand miles, some of whom found a without the residents of the Pearl River, life in Guangzhou
way to stay. As such, the temples and shrines in Guangzhou would be much harder. Thanks to the Tankas, trade with
are a veritable who’s who of Eastern religion. All sects of Macau and areas upriver is easy and swift.
Buddhism are well represented in Guangzhou, from the Of course, while the Tankas make up the majority of
Temple of the Six Banyans, originally constructed to hold the traffic on the Pearl River, they’re far from the only
Cambodian relics, to the Hoi Tong Monastery, which is so ones. More formal shipping vessels crowd the harbor of
228
Guangzhou, as well as the occasional trade mission from
Vietnam. For anyone with the coin to pay for goods, the
Pearl River is an incredible bazaar, especially when a group
of boats are lashed together, creating a temporary, floating
village. With boats constantly coming and going, virtually
anything is obtainable, from gongshi scholar stones to
rumors about monster sightings.
Abbey of the Five Immortals

The largest Taoist temple in Guangzhou, the abbey
pays tribute to five of the god-like Immortals of the Taoist
faith, with resident monks studying each of the Immortals’
chosen craft: divination, kung fu, neidan (inner alchemy),
herbal medicine, and music. Although they have much in
common with their Buddhist neighbors in Hoi Tang, Taoists
seek the Way, the perfection of skill, technique, and self.
By dedicating themselves to the crafts, the Taoists become
closer to the Immortals, striving for divine perfection.
Practical exercises and classes in all five of the crafts
are held throughout each day. Although the monastery
is open to all, the resident monks generally practice at a
high level, making it difficult for beginners to join in. That
said, it’s hard to find a better place to study in Guangzhou.
Anyone looking for training or an expert would do well to
seek out the temple.
Local Contacts
Storyteller characters in Rise of the Imperials are a
mixture of nobles, palace officials, trade professionals, and
entertainers, alongside peasants, stonecutters, and monks.
Boat Shaman
Like most of the river dwellers, Chen Hui-Yi is super-
stitious, with good reason. When the slightest change in
wind’s smell can signal a favorable wind or a typhoon, you’d
have to be a fool to not be interested in signs and portents.
Unlike many of her neighbors, she has yet to be wrong about
any of her predictions. Although she frequently insists that
she’s not a fortune teller, that has yet to stop anyone from
asking the middle-aged woman what she thinks about the
future.
Officially, her boat belongs to her father, but he has
been deferring to Hui-Yi for guidance on business and
direction for two decades at this point, making her the
de facto matriarch of the family. Technically, she and her
parents are fishermen, but they receive enough “gifts” from
people who “casually” mention interest in the future that
the family could probably hang their poles up at this point.
Hui-Yi trusts her instincts, making her an unlikely ally for
anyone with direct connections to the supernatural, but an
excellent person to ask for anyone looking for something
or someone out of the ordinary. Occult (Taoism) 3, Ride
3, Streetwise 2
229
Locations
Buddhist Pilgrim rules a little for a friend. Streetwise (Beijing) 3, Persuasion
3, Politics 2
Returning from a pilgrimage to the Four Sacred
Mountains in north and central China, Hu Keung has re- Minister
turned to Guangzhou to find the mood completely changed. Li Lei has had the year of his life. One day, he was just a
Like most of the residents of the city, he smells the danger “reserve” minister at the Jiangning court, a mere figurehead
in the air. Still, he stays in the city for now, spending most of a bureaucrat. The next, the Chongzhen Emperor was
of his time in the Hoi Tong Monastery, not out of any sense hanging from a tree in the Forbidden City, and Lei was one
of homesickness, but because he knows there will be a time of the ministers responsible for determining which of the
when people of the city need to escape, and who better to surviving Ming royalty should succeed and rule China, or at
show them the way than someone who’s spent the last few least the lands that the Qing and Shun didn’t currently hold.
years traveling the country by foot? Since he helped install the Hongguang Emperor on
Partly as practice and partly out of endless wanderlust, the Southern Ming throne, Lei has the ear of the emperor,
Keung travels the city’s boundaries, learning all the paths as well as actual day-to-day responsibilities for processing
in and out of the region. Until the Qing come, and perhaps paperwork and turning edicts into laws. News of the battles
even afterwards, Keung is an eager guide for anyone inter- to the north fuels his daily life with energy and terror. Now
ested in learning about the local mountains or who needs that Ming royalty and silver reside in the palace once more,
to search the nearby Baiyun mountain range. Survival 3, long-needed repairs can finally be made, and Minister Li
Medicine 2, Expression 2 doesn’t have a moment to spare. For anyone capable of
Farmer getting him to believe they’re capable of improving the
defense of the city, Lei stands with ears ready and palms
Thanks to the tropical climate of Jiangning, Fung Feng’s
full of silver. Those who can’t convince him have wasted
job is never done. Even in the winter, it’s still prime time to
the time of a man who has none to spare and an armed
grow radishes. Fortunately, that also means his income is far
guard at his beck and call. Politics (Jiangning) 3, Politics
more stable than farmers in the north and that he doesn’t
(China) 2, Persuasion 2
need to hoard food to make it through a harsh winter, which
is just as well, since he’s pretty sure that at least some food Nanny/Spymaster
would spoil if he tried to stockpile enough to get his family “Old” Lady Wang Jin is only 25 but is “Auntie” to most
through an off season. of the Han children in the White Banner camp of the Inner
In the meantime, he has a fresh crop to harvest every City. After her husband died in battle, she dedicated most
few weeks, as well as more to plant. He’s glad for the work, of her time to looking after children, regardless of who they
especially since the more time he spends in the house, the belonged to. At first it was a coping mechanism, but now
more his mother reminds him that she does not yet have she wields more power among the next generation of White
grandchildren. His father understands that Feng is unlikely Banner Han than their parents do. She didn’t set out to
to ever find the right woman to marry, especially since Feng’s become a spymaster, but children are natural gossips, and
boyfriend would probably feel slighted by the nuptials. now she’s keenly aware of virtually everything that happens
Thanks to periodic trips to the city to sell radishes, Feng in the west half of the Inner City. At first, the other parents
knows virtually all the other farmers in the area, as well as of the camp were a little annoyed at her being seemingly
most of the restauranteurs. Although he mostly uses his con- everywhere, but soon came to see it as a boon after her teas
nections to arrange nice meals for his family or boyfriend, brought an outbreak of influenza to heel. Occult (Taoism)
there is a complicated network of favors at play. Persuasion 3, Socialize 3, Crafts 2
2, Streetwise 2, Crafts (Farming) Noble
Merchant Duke of the Second Class is the lowest Manchu title
Abdulmutallip (Mutallip to his friends) runs the fin- that is awarded any stipends by the royal family, and one
est halal market in Beijing, or at least according to him. with which Nikan would be satisfied. Unfortunately for
Originally from Xinjiang province in the northwesternmost him, he’s not the duke; his father is. After a disastrous show-
corner of China, Mutallip had a briefly successful caravan ing at the civil-servant examinations, he’s had to fend for
route from Xinjiang to Beijing before friction between himself. Although he’s been spotted sleeping in an alleyway
Mongol tribes turned his home province into a war zone more than once, Nikan has managed to scrape by with an
that was inhospitable to the Uyghur trader. increasingly suspicious series of art sales. While many have
Although that conflict was settled years ago, Mutallip their theories as to how he acquires the paintings, no one is
has found a new home in Beijing, establishing his connec- willing to ask questions of the budding art dealer, certainly
tions throughout the Xuanwu District, as well as much of not when the more elite members of the royal family are
the rest of the western portion of the Outer City. Although willing to pay significantly more than Nikan is charging.
he’s not a smuggler per se, he’s more than willing to bend the Academics (Painting) 3, Crafts (Forgery) 2, Larceny 2
230
Stonecutter last Han rulers the Middle Kingdom will see for the next
300 years. From 1661 to 1669, China will technically be
Tong Jian is a third-generation quarry worker and aspir-
under the rule of the Kangxi Emperor. In reality, the child
ing musician. Although his days are dedicated to measuring,
Kangxi Emperor will be a puppet of his regents, particularly
cutting, and moving giant slabs of limestone, he dedicates
Oboi, a ruthless general who was instrumental in purging
his meager earnings to continuously improving his home-
the Qing court of those who believed in Dorgon’s ideas
made erhu, a two-stringed musical instrument. As a child,
about integrating the different races of China. For nine
he had favored percussion instruments, banging sticks on
years, the Oboi regency will continue Jirgalang’s quest to
virtually anything that could make a sound. When a python
discard customs and rule the Han people the Manchu way.
slithered the wrong way under a moving cart, he took the
dead snake as a sign that he had a different path to pursue Once the Kangxi Emperor takes full control of the
and used its skin to construct his erhu. government, his reign will be the longest of any Chinese
emperor and will be marked by an increasing amount of
Jian doesn’t get out much, but that suits him just fine.
collaboration between Han and Manchu. Though trust
Interesting people tend to go to him, anyways, especially
between the Qing ruler and his Han subjects is essential to
now that he’s gotten passable with his instrument. Weary
effectively ruling the country, it is also rife with intrigue. Wu
miners who can join in do so, and those too tired to play
Sangui will lead a revolt, cementing his place in history as
along just enjoy the music. Though the miner’s village
the man who betrayed both the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
has an ominous name and might be mildly haunted, the
after-shift parties tend to be relaxing affairs with occasional This political struggle will be nothing new to hunters of
strangers joining in and sharing stories. Thanks to being at the era, especially not the Soldiers of the Forbidden Sun.
the center of the parties, surrounded by exhausted people, Nevertheless, Wu Sangui’s revolt will happen years before
Jian hears things from all over. He has no idea which rumors anyone thought it would, leading the Soldiers to specu-
are true, but he knows a good story when he hears one. late the handiwork of yet another Undying, bringing the
Craft (Stoneworking) 3, Expression (Erhu) 2, Politics 1 suspected total of mummies up to at least three. What the
purpose of such an insurrection could be is anyone’s guess.
Taoist Monk
Meanwhile, over 100,000 Ming loyalists will flee to
A longtime resident of the Abbey of the Five Immortals, Taiwan and force the Dutch to surrender the island, seizing
Liang Jun follows the path of Iron-Crutch Li, the Immortal all of the Dutch East India Trading Company’s goods. While
famed for his medical skill and care for the beggars. She the Ming enclave expands and grows, the rest of the East
set out on Li’s path by taking care of Guangzhou’s home- India Trading Company won’t take the loss of income well.
less population with the goal of mastering medicine and Coupled with the Qing’s Canton Policy, which restricts
transcending death herself. Over the years, she has stopped trade to Guangzhou (also known as Canton), westerners
caring as much whether she personally transcends death will grow increasingly dissatisfied with their lot.
and becomes an immortal, instead striving for perfection This resentment will explode across China once the
as an intermediate step to providing the best care she can Portuguese discover that Indian opium is far more potent
for those less fortunate. than Chinese opium, especially when combined with
She runs a small apothecary shop within the abbey, tobacco. Despite imperial decrees banning the substance,
which is surprisingly well stocked, mostly thanks to her European trading companies will be all-too willing to
being owed favors from a wide selection of people who visit supply the Chinese people. Once addiction takes hold of
the bustling port city. Once the Qing take the city, she will China, millions of people will become slaves to the East
stay behind to look after those injured in the battle and India Company’s plot, leading to rampant smuggling, trade
those too ill to flee to safer lands. Thanks to her prowess wars, and, eventually, the infamous Opium Wars of the
and generosity, she’s a frequent stop for visiting hunters, 19th century.
especially Ascending Ones who are more than a little No strangers to exploiting human weakness, vampires
curious about her potions. Medicine 3, Crafts (Potions) will follow the opium to mainland China, creating a new
2, Academics 2 front in the hunters’ battles for the safety of their country.
While the Soldiers will still need most of their forces to
What’s Yet to Come defend against the Undying, descendants of the He Family
and the Vanguard will have formed their own compact,
known as the People Under Heaven. The People will be
In the coming years, the Qing will complete their con-
more than eager to stand up against the Kindred.
quest of China, toppling the Southern Ming Dynasty, the
231
Hunters: Determined people from different ethnic groups have varied responses
to the queue. Uyghur men of this time typically shave their
and Restless entire heads. Hui men typically maintain queues but will
often shave themselves bald for special occasions and pil-
grimages. For travelers moving between spaces, going bald
Chinese hunters possess a rich history of tracking, study- and keeping an artificial queue handy is not unheard of.
ing, and capturing monsters. Knowledge of these creatures
What ethnic group or groups does your character be-
is woven into myth and folklore; everyone in 17th-century
long to?
China knows stories of yaoguai (monsters) and has at least
Europeans: Officially restricted to Guangzhou, few
one relative who swears they saw one — regardless if they’re
Europeans can be found in China. Those present are largely
a hunter or not. Whether or not anyone believes their family
merchants and Jesuits from Portugal, Holland, and Spain.
member is another matter entirely, but most people know
that something lurks just beyond their reach. Han: Making up the majority of China, the Han
people can be found virtually anywhere in China, from
Despite this social anxiety, few people believe that the peasantry to the top ranks of the Qing bureaucracy to
yaoguai are widespread enough to be a real problem. the entirety of the Southern Ming Court. As the majority
China’s population swells with each passing year, and its ethnic group of China, many Han simply refer to themselves
size, growth, and imperial politics are taking its toll on the as Chinese. Ancestor and folk-hero worship are common.
country’s many citizens. Thus, monster hunting isn’t con- Hui: A unique blend of Han and Persian culture, the
sidered a real career choice by most, but that doesn’t stop Hui are almost exclusively Muslim. Thanks to unique mar-
the grief-stricken, the restless, and the curious from leaving riage and social laws, Hui can be found anywhere in the
the safety of their homes and venturing out into the night, country, from a variety of other ethnic backgrounds. Hui
often without knowing why. typically live near Han settlements, most famously in the
Xuanwu District of Beijing.
Creating a Kazakhs: One of the smallest ethnic minorities of
Qing-Era Hunter China, the Kazakhs are a Turkic people who are at home in
the steppes of northwestern China. They have been neigh-
Consider where your character is from. While the war bors to the Mongols and Uyghurs for hundreds of years.
over the fate of Beijing has been settled, the quarter of the Although the Kazakhs also have a heritage as cavalry, they
country that lies south of the Yangtze River is mostly in have largely kept to themselves during these strange times.
the hands of the Southern Ming loyalists. While current Manchu: Originally nomads from the northeast, the
and former members of the Qing Banner Armies can be Manchu people find themselves trying to reconcile their
found throughout China, they’re unlikely to be found in former lives as hunters and warriors with ruling the largest
the Yunnan Province until 1659, especially if they’re of country on Earth. The Manchu can be found wherever the
Mongol or Manchu descent. Qing have a presence.
Also, for male characters, consider whether or not your Mongols: Tracing their lineage to Genghis Khan, the
hair has been cut into a Manchu queue, as ordered. The Mongols have been enjoying their part of the spoils of con-
hairstyle has been mandated by the Shunzhi Emperor, vis- quest of the Middle Kingdom, but are not used to massive
ibly marking people subject to Qing rule. Characters with cities like Beijing, finding rubbing elbows with a million
queues will face hardships in the quarter of China under neighbors uncomfortable.
Southern Ming control, while characters without them in Tankas: The boat people of the Pearl River can be
Qing territory face punishment by authorities. Additionally, found in the waterways of southern China and Vietnam.
Although their culture is difficult for landlubbers to wrap
their minds around, that doesn’t stop the Tankas (and their
FOR THE PLAYER: trade routes) from being an essential part of China
Uyghur: A cultural blend of Turkish and Han culture,
YOUR HUNTER’S CULTURE the Uyghur occupy a unique place in Chinese society.
Even in a setting as specific as 1640s China, the Although they have commonalities with the Kazakhs, the
wealth of cultural influences, faiths, and ethnicities Uyghur are most at home in hot, dry climates of the western
could (and does) fill several books. The suggestions provinces. Also, unlike most of China’s ethnic minorities,
in this section are not meant to encompass all pos- they are the majority population in their home province,
sible people in China at this time, nor are they meant Xinjiang.
to provide a complete picture of the cultures men- Think of your player-character’s faith and beliefs. While
tioned. Players are encouraged to use these sugges- ancestor and folk-hero worship are widespread, they’re far
tions as jumping-off points to learn more about their
characters’ cultures to better represent them. from the only spiritual influences on the Chinese people.
Temples, shrines, and monasteries dedicated to all sorts of
232
religions are spread throughout China. Most Chinese people
belong to more than one category. FOR THE STORYTELLER:
Ancestral Worship: Praying to and giving offerings to
ancestors is so common in China that most people don’t
BUILDING ERA-
even think of it as a religion. Most people don’t expect APPROPRIATE MONSTERS
overt help from their ancestors, instead requesting help
Monsters in Hunter employ the use of Dread
with better fortune. Powers and are further characterized by their
Catholicism: Largely unknown outside of Jesuit- physical descriptions and surroundings. Ghosts will
educated Han scholars and a handful of Mongols, Qing-era employ the Numina rules found beginning on p.
Catholics have a unique merging of cultures, often viewing 136 of the Chronicles of Darkness core rulebook.
folk heroes as patron saints. While there’s no mechanical distinction between
Confucianism: The oldest religion in China, the teach- a Chinese gui and a woman in white, there are
ings of the philosopher Confucius largely focus on filial many cultural differences that mark where the ghost
piety, that is, a natural order to the flow of power within
appears or who they were in life. These distinctions
occur due to a variety of factors that include deeply
society. Thanks to the sudden unpopularity of Taoism, held religious or philosophical beliefs about death
Confucianism is on the rise. entwined with cultural mores. When introducing an
Folk-Hero Worship: Many revere powerful figures from era-appropriate monster, choose Dread Powers
folklore and history, such as Guan Yu and Hua Mulan, as and Numina that fit the theme. Then, let the player-
the epitomes of various qualities and pray to the heroes to characters draw from their beliefs and experiences;
intercede on their behalf. their reactions will guide the monster’s weight and
Han Buddhism: Primarily drawing upon the Mahayana cultural meaning in your chronicle.
school of Buddhism, this is the most popular form of
Buddhism in China. Adherents see the Buddha’s struggle
for enlightenment as a road map on which they can base
their own path. The Enemy
Heaven Worship: Common across China in a variety Hunters during this era have their work cut out for
of forms, this family of religions believes in the existence them. The native monsters of China seem unaffected by
of one or more heavenly realms, from which much of the the recent wars, and cultists clear a safe path to welcome
power on Earth derives, especially the emperor’s. the mummies they serve. In this chaotic time, hunters must
Islam: Nearly ubiquitous among the Hui and Uyghur not only balance their role in life against the hunt for the
people, Islam teaches its adherents of a series of divine supernatural, they must also prioritize which monsters to
prophets, including Mohammed and Jesus. These prophets hunt. Nevertheless, the common quarries of hunters mostly
spoke of one true god and Five Pillars of faith that represent fit into three broad groups: gui, jiangshi, and yaoguai.
the virtues of the religion. Gui make up a broad category of Chinese ghosts, from
Manchu Shamanism: The likely origin of the word minor spirits who have lost their way to self-styled kings of
“shaman,” the tribes of the Manchu often revere protective ghosts. Ghost who are merely hungry (egui) are not gen-
spirits and a heavenly realm. Tribal shamans perform rituals erally viewed as dangerous in China. Indeed, the annual
invoking both human-like and animal spirits. The influx of Ghost Festival held in the middle of the seventh month
Manchu culture through the Qing has spread this religion. of the lunar calendar is dedicated to helping them. That
Mongolian Shamanism: With a large pantheon of said, egui can become problems in great numbers, especially
spirits to invoke, worshippers are supported by shamans, among people who cannot afford to provide offerings to
who belong to either the “white” or “black” orders and are placate them. Thanks to the surge in recent burials, wan-
forbidden to interact with spirits from the opposite group. gliang (ghosts who feed on the brains of the interred) can
Ancestor worship and invocation of clan leaders (including be found in abundance.
Genghis Khan) are common to both orders. Jiangshi are formed from corpses with wildly imbalanced
Taoism: One of the oldest religions of China, the teach- qi, causing them to seek out the lifeforce of the living to
ings of Lao Tzu urge people to strive towards perfection of feast upon. Although their spiritual nature ensures that
skills. Folk heroes are often revered as exemplars. Taoism they will eventually die, jiangshi can remain dangerous for
has recently lost much favor, as people blame the Taoist decades before their qi is balanced and they stop moving.
literati for the fall of the Ming Dynasty. Yaoguai, technically a subcategory of gui, are wildly dan-
Tibetan Buddhism: Mainly based in the Vajrayana gerous spirits. Although some yaoguai are peaceful or even
teachings of Buddhism, this tantric school of Buddhism beneficent, every single one of them is more than capable of
sees the perfection of the world and oneself as mirrors of deadly acts. Hulijing, fox spirits, are a particularly well-known
each other. Tibetan Buddhism is now the official form of example. Their shapeshifting and magical abilities make
Buddhism in Qing lands. them dangerous, regardless of their individual disposition.
233
Mummies and Shuankhsen are largely unknown in having to shave their heads and weave their own wigs in
China, although highly organized groups of hunters are order to blend in on both sides of the Qing versus Southern
becoming aware that there’s something ancient manipulating Ming conflict.
current events. These groups may even be aware that there Now, the He family members are so numerous, they
is at least one of each currently active, although they’re cannot fit on a single boat, especially given He Yue-Ying’s
unlikely to know the difference between the two, let alone predilection for adopting survivors of shapeshifter attacks.
be able to physically stop the Undying. The mortal cultists They’ve recently acquired a second junk to expand their
are another matter entirely, especially with the Soldiers of operations.. Though the He family is not a single cell of
the Forbidden Sun specifically hunting them. hunters, they’re not much of a compact either. Still, the
Hunters know that hedge wizards of all types call China family’s ability to handle two crises at once, thanks to the
home. From Taoist alchemists to elders calling on ancestors two ships they own, is a great boon.
to the recent influx of Manchu and Mongol shamans, there’s Other hunters believe that by the time the Southern
no end to those who practice arcane skills. Given that the Ming Dynasty finally falls, the Hes will have over a dozen
faiths of China are deeply interwoven into the people’s cul- boats. Thanks to the rapid flow of people along rivers and
tures, hunters are grateful that mages with reality-altering information along the Tanka people, they predict the Hes
powers are as rare here as they are everywhere else — or will be able to summon an army within a few days.
so they think. Despite their assumptions, there’s always
someone who’s trying to use their skills for their own benefit The Vanguard
or who has gotten in over their head. After the fall of Beijing, 12 Mongol riders were dis-
Western trade brings western monsters to Chinese patched to round up a group of fleeing Shun soldiers. To
outposts, villages, and cities. Though the total number of their surprise, when they caught up with the Shun, they
vampires, werewolves, and the like is negligible, it’s an in- were in fierce battle with Buddhist monks. Confused, they
disputable fact that the Dutch in Taiwan and the Portuguese surrounded the fray and resolved to interrogate the survi-
in Macau have supernatural creatures mixed in with foreign vors. When the monks seemed to shrug off direct blows
traders, diplomats, sailors, and scholars.. Whether these with spears, the Mongols began questioning their decision.
creatures can be contained to the islands is a question that After two of the monks began eating one of the fallen Shun
Chinese hunters will have to answer. soldiers, there was no longer any question, and the Mongols
Centuries of trade between other Asian nations, par- rode in to defend their former foes.
ticularly Joseon (Korea), Japan, and the Ryukyu Kingdom, The Vanguard may have been formed from a few soldiers
have also introduced beings such as the oni and tengu. on opposite sides of battle lines, but their travels have ce-
While not present in any great numbers in China, Qing-era mented them as a cohesive unit. Their pursuit of the truth
hunters are certainly more likely to encounter them than of the missing 10 monks of the Fenghuangshan Temple will
western cryptids. earn them significant notoriety, with soldiers from all armies
willing to join, especially former Shun soldiers, desperate
Hunter Society for a chance at redemption.
During the start of the Qing Dynasty, the Soldiers of
the Forbidden Sun are the only known compact, as the
The People Under Heaven
recent spate of wars have scattered or outright killed what Player-characters who begin their Vigils within either
few compacts there were before. But hunters are nothing if proto-compact will have the fortune of getting to shape the
not survivors. Although most hunters work alone, cells do futures of these two organizations. Additionally, they’ll get
exist and new compacts are beginning to form. Two notable to shape how the local groups learn of each other, tenta-
cells of the era are beginning the slow transition to form tively work together, and eventually join forces to become
tier-two compacts. These groups may be treated as tier-one the People Under Heaven, a new compact that deals with
cells that can, with time, resources, personnel, and luck, threats the Soldiers of the Forbidden Sun let slip.
emerge as a more formidable fixture. The time it takes for this (or any) new compact to form
could be as short as several weeks or as long as a few years.
He Family Much of what happens within Chinese hunter society de-
pends on how local hunters deal with the incursion of mum-
Forty years ago, He Yue-Ying’s sister Yue-You was killed
mies and their cultists. Should the player-characters focus on
by a hulijing, a fox spirit. Since then, she’s been on a hunt
other threats, they’ll have less influence on what happens to
for both vengeance and to save others from the same fate.
the supernatural community once mummies settle in.
Now, Yue-Ying’s surrounded by two generations of her
family, who have been born into the Vigil. Specializing in Other Allies
dealing with shapeshifters, the Hes sail their boat across
the Pearl River. The family of boat people are unfazed by Hunters are far from the only people roaming China
the current state of politics, although the men did balk at these days. For a hunter on the road, a traveling community
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could be a welcome sight, a group to infiltrate for informa-
tion, or people in need of guarding.
The Tax Collectors are a small group, composed of
Subdistrict Tax Collector Li and his bodyguards. Li’s ex-
tensive knowledge of and contacts within the Tangshan
Subdistrict has proven invaluable in ensuring that the town
of Tangshan and its nearby quarries remain profitable to
the emperor. However, recent strangeness at the Yangshan
Quarry has disrupted the last collection.
The Pilgrims are traveling to the Five Great Mountains,
in the creation order of elements: Mt. Tai in Shandong
(Wood), Mt. Heng in Hunan (Fire), Mt. Song in Henan
(Earth), Mt. Hua in Shaanxi (Metal), and Mt. Heng in
Shanxi (Water). Made up of a mixed group of Taoists and
Confucians, these pilgrims share companionship and sup-
plies as they make their way to the Five Great Mountains.
Although they don’t foresee any major problems, they’re
well aware that they’re traveling a great distance, along
dangerous terrain.
Tier 1: Cells
Most hunters in China are on their own. Some take up
the Vigil because they’re chasing shadows because of loss
and tragedy. Others do so out of habit. Someone in their
village has always defended its borders from an oni who
hides in the mountains. Someone must always fight back
the darkness.
Many hunters in China consider themselves lucky.
They’ve heard rumors of other hunters to the west and
east, and do not understand why the supernatural needs
to be kept a secret. To them, the supernatural will always
be real — even when it truly isn’t — because myths and
legends are embedded in their culture alongside stories of
great Qing generals and fallen emperors. Thanks to China’s
size, hunters may even form cells from existing family
members, military units, or allied villages and hunt openly
without fear of backlash.
Chinese cells often hunt in smaller areas where they’re
the most effective. It is unlikely that a cell’s members would
abandon their homes and responsibilities to travel hundreds
of miles for a hunt, investigation, or meeting with another
cell. Often, Chinese hunters must deal with logistics to
ensure they possess the means to travel and the resources to
hunt. When combined with the threat of political backlash
due to the new imperial regime, hunters will concentrate
on what they can do instead of what they might be able
to do. Thus, if a mummy’s cultists make an appearance
in Beijing, a cell in a southern village won’t get involved
unless they start recruiting or kidnapping their neighbors
and loved ones.
Tier 2: Compacts
In this era, there are two proto-compacts and one compact
that can be treated as tier-two groups. They patrol a larger
area and can coordinate several cells of hunters when needed.
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Led by their matriarch, Yue-Ying, three generations of the communication blunders, the guild’s members have resigned
He family (plus a few adoptees) live and work on their junk themselves to not having a presence in the central and
on the Yellow River. For over 40 years, the Hes have been northern provinces. Some hunters believe travelling into
following rumors of shapeshifting gui and yaoguai, especially these areas is worth the risk just to retrieve new monsters
fox spirits, like the hulijing that killed Yue-Ying’s sister. What and please the guild.
they lack in martial training, the Tanka hunters make up for The Aegis Kai Doru has been present in China ever
with patience and a deep understanding of guile. since the Yongle Emperor sent his Treasure Fleet out to ex-
Recently formed, the Vanguard patrols the northeastern plore the world and gather tribute in the early 15th century.
provinces, seeking the missing monks of the Fenghuangshan Though many records of the Treasure Fleet were destroyed,
Temple. Formed of former soldiers from three opposed the Aegis believes that an Undying made its way to China
armies, they are well-trained, although understandably wary aboard one of the vessels. Thanks to their initiates from
of each other. The uneasy alliance of the Ming, Qing, and southern and southeast Asia, the Aegis was able to send
Shun survivors of the Battle of Shanhai has proven itself in a sizeable presence, though many would be lost during
more than capable of dealing with the first four monks (who the search for more information on the suspected mummy.
are rumored to be jiangshi). Taking these casualties as confirmation of the existence of
The Soldiers of the Forbidden Sun was formed hun- a mummy, the Aegis stepped up its efforts, only to be sty-
dreds of years ago, making them the only compact to have mied by the meddling of the Yongle Emperor’s descendants,
records detailed enough to know of the Deathless threat, culminating in the destruction of numerous artifacts and
as well as the resources to have a chance at stopping the records at the hands of his great-grandson.
mummies. They see themselves as defenders of China, un- The loss of the artifacts and weakened relations between
burdened by loyalty to any specific emperor. Of the three were a massive setback for the Aegis, but they wouldn’t be
existing groups, the Soldiers will be most effective to deal deterred. Instead, they focused on new plans, using the Pearl
with foreign antagonists. River to ferry initiates in from Vietnam, establishing a series
of outposts from Nanning to Guangzhou. After the fall of
Tier 3: Conspiracies Beijing, they found themselves in a unique position to help
the Southern Ming Dynasty, in exchange for access to any
Tier three hunters must choose between dealing with
information that might help them find their ancient quarry.
the threat of mummies or using the resources at their dis-
posal to target a larger variety of monsters per the demands Although foiling the mummy and recovering the arti-
of their chosen conspiracy. Unlike tiers one and two, tier facts are major goals for the Aegis, its outposts in Southern
three hunters benefit from the wealth of their conspiracy China haven’t stood idly by. Regular Aegis patrols have kept
and have greater access to funds that can secure multiple the local monster population down, although the Aegis’
forms of travel. This gives tier three hunters an edge to track skepticism of the viability of the Southern Ming Dynasty
supernatural creatures who are on the move. has kept it from expanding further.
The Acheron Shipping & Trading Guild, this era’s The Ascending Ones found more success in China
incarnation of The Cheiron Group, has been stymied by than any of the other conspiracies, largely thanks to Taoist
longstanding resistance to western trade, but has finally se- mystics being just as curious as they were about foreign
cured a base of operations in Macau. Able to operate almost medicinal practices. Similarly, the alchemists found little
openly in the Portuguese port, Acheron wasted no time in resistance to the idea of using qi to transmute poisons into
expanding their recruiting operations to include the boat potions. Indeed, the Middle Eastern members learned just
people of the Pearl River. While most Tanka people remain as much as their Chinese counterparts. Likewise, few of the
independent operators, Acheron has enough captains on new members had any problems accepting the existence of
their payroll to reach into the heart of China. supernatural threats.
Although the European members of Acheron Shipping The only real problem the Ascending Ones encountered
& Trading Guild are not permitted outside of Guangzhou was convincing their newest members to go out and fight the
and Macau, they have rapidly been making Southern Ming monsters. While it’s easy for Europeans to think of China as
allies, giving them access to information throughout much a single culture, getting Southern Ming people to defend the
of southern China. Soon, the guild will have enough Han Qing is an entirely different story. Middle Eastern hunters are
members to mount an expedition to capture and study having better luck with local recruits due to their prior experi-
some of the supernatural creatures and cryptids indigenous ences with mummies and their cultists. Many alchemists are
to China. teaching new members how to recognize cultists to prevent
the enemy from recruiting new, local citizens.
Thanks to the fragmented nature of life on the Silk
Road, Acheron hunters face extreme difficulties recruiting The Lucifuge has had a devil of a time tracking down
traders on the route. That the Europeans had great dif- Lucifer’s Chinese children. The secretive nature of their mis-
ficulty recognizing the disparate cultures of the Silk Road sion has meant that the Silk Road’s relay traders could not
earned them no favors, either. After a series of cross-cultural be trusted to pass any names along the trade route. Limited
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European access to Chinese ports has similarly stymied the spices and finely crafted, elaborate artistry adorned the halls
group’s genealogists searching for the Children of the Seventh and courtiers of many of the Deathless in life.
Generation. Additionally, there are some cultural barriers the After the crumbling of the empire, the successor states
Lucifuge must overcome to find their wayward kin. What who claimed the lands of Irem made far more foolish trades.
a Lucifuge hunter might recognize as demonic, a Chinese Great relics of ancient kings and priests were frittered away
hunter might think is an oni or even guai. for mere trinkets, precious stones and coin. Priceless arti-
Despite these challenges, the Lucifuge has been able to facts were given value by lesser beings who could not even
identify two possible relatives: a pirate captain operating begin to fathom with what they bargained.
near Formosa and a caravanner working the Beijing-Suzhou The scrolls of the Judges of Duat long held the lists of
route. The nomadic lives of these known descendants have every item stolen from their sacred vaults and burial sites.
a complicated genealogical history, which is why the Lady Now, the time has come to take back that which is theirs.
in Milan has ordered an investigation. The might of the Qing Dynasty in this timeline could
The Malleus Maleficarum has a sizeable, and poorly not be eclipsed by even the power of the mummies.
organized, presence in China. Prior to the founding of the However, the ancient ones understand the ins and outs of
Society of Dovesin Macau, the conspiracy’s only agents in court intrigue far better than any of these young upstarts
China were Han Chinese who had been educated in Jesuit could even dream. To ease their infiltration of the Qing
missions in Goa, India. Unfortunately for the order, those court, a ritual is prepared. Many of the Han Chinese strain
agents had little to no contact with the rest of their peers under the Shunzhi Emperor’s decrees, which seem to favor
for nearly 100 years. As a result, Portuguese Jesuit hunters his Manchu and Mongol subjects. Many influential families
arrived in China to find a wholly independent arm of the are prepared to do what it takes to ensure their honor and
Malleus acting in total secrecy. status is restored. If it means bringing new masters to the
The European witch hunters, who were used to follow- table, so be it. Ming loyalists, in their desperation, are pre-
ing the Church’s orders without question, attempted to pared to do whatever it takes to ensure the survival of their
whip their Chinese peers in line; the mostly Han sect had line. In between, ordinary people are caught in the middle
no interest in ceding any power to their European brethren, of the opposing forces, looking for any way to survive.
especially not after seeing most of China fall into the hands From such beginnings, the roots of the Iremites grow
of Manchu and Mongol “barbarians.” Now, the two orders and the gates to China are open.
of the Malleus Maleficarum face a difficult road ahead, as
they attempt to find ways to work together, or at least steer
clear of one another.
SORCERER RITUALS
Both groups have conflicting, if not varied goals, how- Ab’s Sacred Host: To move the Deathless into China
ever that can eclipse the needs of the hunt if they’re not requires subtlety. Not all can be brought in whole. Certainly
careful. Some members of the Society of Doves worry the not the first among them. Sorcerer cultists may practice a
foreigners are too trusting of the Church’s edicts. Despite ritual whereby the withered heart of the chosen Deathless is
this, many of the conspiracy’s Chinese hunters still believe placed inside a willing vessel, allowing the mummy to take
they are part of the Malleus Maleficarum, and only consider her body for their own and walk in their flesh as they will. In
themselves to be part of the Society of Doves for pragmatic such dire need, many are willing to give their lives to further
purposes. European conspiracy members, on the other hand, their causes. This ritual differs from the Arisen method of
are far from Rome; some struggle with their faith, while Pillar preservation and resurrection, as Ab’s Sacred Host
others regard their duties as a test. is practiced by sorcerers and requires immediate sacrifice.
To perform the ritual, a cultist must remove the heart of a
mummy and store it in a canopic jar. The cultist performing
MUMMIES: SHIFTING the excision loses one dot of Stamina each day following
this ritual, as the raw Sekhem poisons their body. Unlike
SANDS AND DYNASTIES similar rites, before it is removed, the assembled sorcerers,
No creature in the world understands the monumental of which there must be at least three, must recite a litany
undertaking of the establishment of dynasties like a mummy. of services performed to the mummy’s Judge, which chan-
No other people possesses the knowledge or ancient memo- nels all Pillars into that single organ. This requires a roll of
ry of the endless laws, codes, and administrative and bureau- Intelligence + Performance from the lead sorcerer requiring
cratic complexity that goes into forging an empire that the five successes. The number of successes is reduced (to a
descendants of Irem hold in their dusty minds. In that spirit, minimum of two) for each additional sorcerer in attendance.
the Deathless find much to respect in the highly organized Performing the rite destroys the rest of the mummy’s corpse,
Chinese culture. Trade had flourished in the past between though it can be regrown from the heart if required.
the peoples of the far east and the Nameless Empire. The Once the concentration is complete, the priest repeat-
exotic goods that one can procure: the finest silks, exotic edly chants words of binding to the unbeating organ as it
emerges from the dusty husk it once called home, placing it
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in the canopic jar for transport. The lead sorcerer must re- of the talismans their benefactor seeks. The house guards
main within 500 yards of the jar at all times during transport. and some of the more loyal servants have all been inducted
A willing mortal’s heart must be removed still beating into the cult. Though their position permits them a certain
and an effigy of the mummy used to collect her cries of luxury, it is also one of some danger.
pain, to bring the mummy into life within themselves. If the emperor or Qiang’s political rivals became aware
The heart is placed within the supplicant and sealed with that they are practicing weird rituals in secret, it could
a golden marker upon their chest. While the mummy, once expose the entire family. This is made all the more of a
transposed, will retain the appearance of the mortal they threat with the priest Herakon, who transported the heart
have possessed, they will retain little of their memory, save of Rahush to China, living among them. His strange ways
language and rudimentary knowledges like the location may be entertaining for a while but keeping him around
of their home. Those with the wit to communicate with the estate for extended periods of time is highly suspicious.
ghosts may speak with the remnant inhabiting the effigy
to glean knowledge. EXAMPLE CULTS:
If the vessel is unwilling, the ritual may not be per-
formed, even if they are controlled to obey. The Judges THE WAVE DRAGON
require this pact be entered into freely. “Hang loyalty, I’d sell my mother for freedom and chest of
gold to enjoy it!”
EXAMPLE CULTS: THE WANG — Shang Mo Cho
“Civilization is in danger, father. We must restore it, what- Travel by boat, they said. It’s far safer than the road,
ever the cost. If I thought else, would I be your daughter?” they said.
— Wang Ming-Yue The voyage through the East China Sea was the surefire
way to avoid any bandits or clashes on the roads. Though
A family, the Wang, close to the Imperial Court in it took longer and cost more, it was the best way to trans-
Beijing is contacted by sympathetic traders on the Silk port the sarcophagus of Khama’at into Guangzhou. Or so
Road. They have sacrificed much to maintain a position as Amaunet thought, but she hadn’t accounted for Shang Mo
a power behind the throne while the Ming were in control. Chou, the self-proclaimed Queen of Guangzhou Bay, and
Now they have been forced to sacrifice even more to ap- the crew of the Wave Dragon.
pease the new emperor’s courtiers and to sop to his oafish,
A ship laden with golden effigies, amulets, and other
childish decrees. The promise of a new dawn and a new
trappings of royalty is too tempting a prize for the scurvy-
seat of power calls to them while the offer of aid from a
ridden crew of miscreants to pass up. Of course, such
family who are near to enjoying the Eight Privileges of the
people have a knack for falling foul of the rites protecting
Imperial Court, such is their station, provides the perfect
a Deathless in her tomb.
platform for the first of the Deathless to move.
Bent to the will of Khama’at by promises of riches to
Wang Ming-Yue is the only daughter of Wang Qiang,
sate a career’s worth of piracy, the crew of the Wave Dragon
Prince of the Imperial Court and one of the chief defectors
is invited to join the mummy’s quest to liberate a lost trea-
from the Ming to the Shunzhi Emperor. She has enjoyed a
sure from the Shuankhsen traitor known as Shal’tec and
full education in the Three Obediences and the Four Virtues
his followers. Can it be that the ancient Iremite will find
as befits a noble lady of her rank. She has been taught to
resurgence in the company of this motley band, to whom
read and write, as well as to ride. In her upbringing, where
freedom and the call to adventure matter more than duty,
she held her father in great esteem, she also learned his nous
honor, and loyalty?
for politics and statecraft. To preserve their family’s station,
Shang Mo Chou and her crew may be lowly in status, but
Qiang agrees for her to be married to a Banner Lord named
they know every criminal within 100 miles of Guangzhou
Guroro, an uncouth, soldierly general who is impressed by
and the bolt holes they hide in. Just the sort you need for a
her beauty and refinement, though she is less impressed by
job like this when hands need to be gotten dirty.
his rudeness and brutish ways.
Though this match is by no means perfect for her,
she takes full advantage of it. Her place as first wife gives EXAMPLE CULTS: HOUSE OF THE
her great influence over the household of a man close to FRAGRANT BLOSSOM
the emperor and he is more than happy for her to, very
discreetly, manage his political and domestic affairs. She “Travelers, come in and warm yourself by our fire! And
further impresses him by practicing archery with him. maybe we can help you be warmer still!”
— Kang Xinyue, Proprietor of the House of the
With her father, she joins the cult of Rahush, the
Fragrant Blossom
mummy that has been transposed into Qiang’s chief advi-
sor. They have brought many of the household into the By the banks of the Yangtze in the city of Wuhan,
fold and scour the records of imperial trades for any record stands a large, well-lit building. Colorful lanterns hang in
238
its windows and the buzz of laughter and bawdy conversa- Those among the Deathless who have attained rank
tion emanate from within. Those who enjoy the delights and position among their Guild have turned their undying
of this house of plenty come from all walks of life. Here you minds to preserving such artifacts and imbuing them with a
can buy yourself a night’s distraction from daily labors, the fraction of their great power. Through the sacrifice of their
horrors of battle, or the burdens of state. Here all men are Sekhem to the object, the relics become talismans, objects
created equal and the peasant sits with those lords willing of power that can be used to enhance the puissance of a
to lower themselves. mummy or to reward the most loyal allies with abilities.
Wuhan is an important center of trade and is a hub While the origin of this knowledge is subject of much
for travelers heading for the coastal ports or the Silk Road rumor and debate among the Arisen, what all sides can agree
routes. It is a perfect place to come if you want to hear the is that these objects should not be allowed to fall into the
news traveling from place to place as riders on their way to hands of usurpers such as the Shuankhsen, who seek only
convey messages to the Imperial Court and spies secreting to use these great works as appetizers to sate their eternal
coded messages to Ming bastions in the south all halt at hunger. The wisest mummies guard their talismans jealously.
this important waystation.
Many a rumor can be heard to those who listen closely
in the House of the Fragrant Blossom. It boasts faces of
CREATION RITE: SOULCRAFT
To attempt to create a talisman, a mummy must have
many hues, each with a story behind it. The one they don’t
at least Sekhem 7 or higher with three dots in Crafts. Such
speak of so often is the reason the apartments in the base-
an Arisen has the required occult connection to her guild’s
ment are no longer available to those seeking cost-efficient
lore and relics to permit the transfer of her life-giving ener-
lodgings for a time.
gies. The mystical link between the Arisen, the guild, and
Kang Xinyue, the owner of the establishment, keeps
the object being imbued is the key to a successful ritual. If
his head shaven in the Manchu fashion and his eyes sharp.
a mummy ever forces a member of their same guild to lose
Those in the city, even the magistrates, know the Fragrant
Sekhem or Memory, she can no longer create talismans
Blossom is not a place for warring. It is unofficially neutral
and may struggle to invoke the powers of those she created
ground. Quite how this agreement came into being is not
in the past.
widely known, and yet it is accepted among all who travel
A mummy may only create one talisman at any time. If
there.
she wishes to create another, she must withdraw her Sekhem
Madame Yu sits by the door to the lower floors. She
from the first, thus draining it of its properties. This requires
keeps her sanxian tuned to entertain the guests. Her wits
the mummy to be in physical contact with the talisman and
cut deep at any who attempt to besmirch her good name
spend one Willpower point. This can only be regained at
and she often boasts of her impeccable breeding and that she
the cost of eight Experiences per dot. The talisman then
was once betrothed to a respectable man before her father
reverts to its previous status as a relic.
was taken by the wars. She watches the younger girls of the
The rite itself requires three tasks to be completed by
establishment keenly, not just for protection but to ensure
the Arisen.
they do nothing to endanger the establishment.
The riders that come and go from the House of the
Fragrant Blossom of an evening are searching. Word coming STEP 1: ACQUIRE A GUILD RELIC
to the town of grave robbers turning over ancient burial This is far more difficult than it may seem, especially with
mounds and brigands ransacking the storerooms of respect- other Arisen of great status and esteem often hoarding the
able traders in the surrounding city could find its way back relics in their own tombs with loyal cultists to guard them.
to the house. What, or who is causing this spate of crime is a However, those of the proper status should possess the knowl-
source of great debate among the patrons. Foreigners? Ming edge of location at least, and perhaps even the clout to obtain
loyalists looking for loot to hire mercenaries? Youngsters one of the sacred relics of her guild. It is a matter of taste for
looking to assuage the boredom of another day in the most Deathless, particularly those of the Mesen-Nebu and
opium fields? Nobody is certain but the occupants of the Tef-Aabhi to select a relic that most adequately symbolizes
basement lodgings. the intent with which they wish to wield it.
Naturally, more powerful relics add to the power of the
TALISMANS talisman they create. Each level of power held in the relic
allows a manifestation to be imbued. Though it is possible
The ancient relics of Irem and modern masterpieces for a mummy to create a talisman weaker than she, she can-
by contemporary artisans are both equally prized by the not modify it without first draining the relic of her Sekhem
Arisen. They offer them anchors to the past and hope for in order to start again. This process is time consuming and
the future. They are a reminder of what they have lost but often seen as a sign of impatience or laziness on the part of
also of what could yet be restored. the Deathless who created a talisman that did not represent
the full scope of their power.
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STEP 2: ATTUNEMENT AND SACRIFICE reason, talismans contain certain innate abilities beyond
their manifestations.
The mystic rites of creation require the proper respects
to be paid to the relic which is being imbued. First, the Relic Source
mummy may only create a talisman while in the tomb, Talismans retain all of the powers and curses of the relic
either theirs or that of a close ally. Allowing the use of their used to create it. However, as the curses are tied to the pow-
tomb for such a ritual is often carried out as a diplomatic ers imbued into the relic and not the talisman, any curses
act between guilds looking to cooperate in an area or to are only triggered if the relic power is used and not when
build a relationship between two Arisen. Some, who have the powers of the talisman are used.
obtained their relics through theft, fear to perform the ritual Sekhem Store
anywhere but in their own tomb. After all, the best secrets
are those kept to oneself. Though the mummy has spent part of their Sekhem to
By holding the relic aloft in her ashen hand, the mummy create the talisman, it remains within the object. While
establishes the physical connection needed to enhance the this is useful to the Deathless, it is also a tempting target
mystical one. During the ceremony, the Deathless drops into for thieves and Shuankhsen.
a meditative trance in which she can recite the lore binding While carrying the talisman or with it stored in her
this relic to her guild, showing due deference and respect tomb, an Arisen adds the dot invested in the talisman to
to the object that will be her talisman. This process takes her Sekhem in most cases. The Sekhem of the bearer still
two hours per relic dot to complete and may not be inter- reduces to zero even if the talisman would increase it to 1
rupted or it must be begun again. Once the connection to and, for the purpose of Descent rolls, the talismanic Sekhem
the relic is established, the Arisen breathes a golden mist of is not counted as it is not subject to Descent. In all other
pure Sekhem upon the relic, bathing it in her power. This cases, the mummy is treated as having that dot of Sekhem.
requires a dot of Sekhem to be spent, which now resides Within their tombs, mummies do not require to be in
within the talisman. physical contact with the talisman to call upon its Sekhem
As long as the Arisen who created it wields the talisman due to the connection of their soul flowing freely within
or has it safely stored within her tomb, she retains that dot the sacred Geography of that space.
of Sekhem which is not subject to Descent. Only a single While a mummy may only create one talisman at a time,
dot of Sekhem can be used to create a talisman and the she may possess multiple talismans crafted by different users.
talismans of other Deathless cannot be altered using their However, such talismans must be relics crafted by mummies
own Sekhem. of their own guild.
Regardless of the number of talismans in their posses-
sion, a mummy’s Sekhem rating may not increase above 10.
STEP THREE: MOLDING THE POWER
Sympathetic Resonance
Talismans may possess as many manifestations as the
relics has levels. These manifestations consist of Utterance While it does not have Pillars, a talisman resonates
tiers and special conditions called Keywords, which modify with a fraction of the essence of the mummy that created
Utterances to make them more powerful or specialized. it. When spending from the Pillar defined by its maker’s
The binding of such power is an act of will on the part decree, a mummy wielding a talisman regains one point
of the Arisen and no further pomp is required for it to be spent at the end of the scene. The maker can also feel the
performed. Wise mummies take care not to be too flippant humming of their talisman as long as they remain within
in the selection of their talisman’s manifestations as, once five miles of its location. While they cannot see, hear, or
rendered, they may not be altered without beginning the sense the precise location of the object, they do feel the
process anew. resonance increase as they get closer to it and dim as they
Binding a manifestation to a relic requires three points grow more distant. In this way, makers can often track down
of banked experience to be spent each time. The talisman talismans taken from them.
must be imbued with the full number of manifestations al- Fount of Sahu
lowed at the time of creation — a two-dot relic cannot be
While not truly an organ of the mummy, the talisman
imbued with only one manifestation, for example.
is a part of their soul and can be used to resurrect them.
With the powers of the talisman successfully crafted to The sahu of the Arisen bursts forth from the talisman like
suit the needs of its maker, the ceremony is complete and a liquid fire and enfolds it in an unbreakable death grip.
the talisman ready. Any attempt to remove the talisman from the grasp of a
rising mummy is futile and they will wrench it free from a
TALISMANIC PROPERTIES thief’s hands with a defiant roar and a thunderclap of force.
Talismans enclosed or buried will simply burst forth from
A talisman is as much a part of a mummy as a part
the earth or even phase through objects to return to their
of their body. It is connected to their very soul. For this
maker’s hands.
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Talismanic Memory
Even while its maker sleeps, the talisman silently
imprints itself with the Memory of passing events. The
Deathless must be holding the talisman to access the
Memory stored within and the maker cannot choose what
it wants the talisman to recall. Events of greatest mystical
or supernatural import will be those most likely to have
imprinted upon it. This will be presented to the Arisen in
the form of flashes of imagery, sounds, smells. While this
does not act as a verbatim record of things that have oc-
curred, it will give a mummy a sense of place and import
and even a little information as to what took place there,
at the Storyteller’s discretion.
Eternal Binding
Any attempt to destroy the talisman will result in it re-
turning to the maker’s person upon their next resurrection.
SHUANKHSEN OF THE EAST

While the hunters operating in the country fear the
arrival of the Arisen to their lands, they may baulk at the
thought of the Shuankhsen who have been here for far
longer, lingering within their midst. The dual coming of
the Deathless and the Qing has led them to seek sanctuary
within the Imperial Court, promising officials and Princes
alike great power in return for their safety.
This is a tactic that Arisen arriving in Beijing have also
adopted, the Shuankhsen have been there for longer and
some of the earliest expeditions have found themselves
betrayed to the dark cults who have been awaiting them.
Arisen may find those hunters willing to hear them out
to be interesting allies of convenience in combatting the far
darker and recognizably evil Shuankhsen. However, they
must beware the ending of such a pact. Those that cannot
be convinced to come over to the mummy’s point of view
could well become liabilities to their safety later.
KHIMPEC THE HOLLOW

“My, how wonderful to see. You have brought me more.
More to fill the emptiness inside. Let me show you how black
it is.”
Background: Khimpec, in any other setting, could
be a minor annoyance. However, he was one of the first
Shuankhsen to realize the wealth traveling along the Silk
Road was more than trinkets and textiles. Following cara-
vans east and feasting upon relics taken from the tombs
of Iremites, he grew strong in his isolation, with little to
challenge his growth.
When the relics ran out, he felt the pangs of hunger and
grew physically gaunt. His eyes darkened and wept black
blood and he took on the aspect of a foul-tempered prune.
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Burning with desire to fill the emptiness that consumed death with gnawed bones discarded, boasting the ragged,
his soul, he headed north into the steppes to gather strength half-chewed flesh of their former owners upon their surface.
to him, a band of men willing to raid and ransack the His symbol adorns this foul keepsake, two Chinese
caravans and pillage the estates where the nourishment he characters spelling out shengyan or “feast.” This token keeps
sought could be found. his name on the lips of the peasantry in hushed tones and
His choice of friends has become fortuitous as the feeds the legend of his cruelty. Often, villages receiving
Mongols are valued allies of the new Qing overlords and demands from his forces tribute to him rather than endure
Khimpec’s followers are well regarded among the highest his presence for any length of time.
soldiery of the Eight Banners. His hunger drives him to ever Concept: Monstrous General
more heinous acts of savagery in his quest to conceal the
Remnant: Ren
singularity that swirls within his wizened form. He views
each as a necessary evil to maintain his peace, a physical Judge: Ammut, the Devourer
representation of the great balance of yin and yang. He must Attributes: Intelligence 3, Wits 4, Resolve 4;
be a monster to prevent himself falling to even greater evil. Strength 5, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2; Presence 7,
He must show others the emptiness so that they join him Manipulation 4, Composure 3
in his quest to sate it. Skills: Academics 4, Crafts (Fletching)3,
China is both his prison and his kingdom. He has hunted Investigation 3, Athletics 3, Brawl (Biting) 3,
many of the talismans and canopic jars that had found their Larceny 3, Ride 3, Stealth 3, Weaponry (Bows) 4,
way into the country, so much so that he has struggled to Empathy 2, Intimidation 4, Occult (Talismans)4,
find enough, he welcomes the Arisen to his home with Politics 3, Socialize 2, Streetwise 3, Subterfuge 2
open arms and open jaws. Finally, he can feast and rule as Merits: Allies ••• (Banner Lords),
he should: a just lord who culls the wicked and thins the Contacts ••• (Imperial Qing Court),
herd as needed. Cult •••••••• (Reach 4, Grasp 4),
Khimpec can be found within a large, wealthy complex Retainers •••••, Resources ••••,
Status ••• (Mongol Tribal Lords),
guarded by Mongol warriors wielding bows and spears. His
Tomb •••••• (Geometry 2, Peril 4)
personal cult is well established and he holds great influ-
ence over the Banner Lords who benefit from his guidance Willpower: 10
and power. Rumors abound in the area around his home of Burden: Gluttony (Khimpec never knows when to
people going missing, of shipments entering the compound stop when hunting talismans, gorging himself on
and the merchants never reemerging. Khimpec’s whimsical the glow of Sekhem)
nature has seen many of them consumed wholesale in a can- Initiative: 6
nibalistic orgy or left moaning and weeping in his dungeon, Defense: 6
a sweet chorus to echo in the empty space of his soul.
Size: 5
Description: Khimpec moves through the bodies of
well-built, powerful men. He then eats at them from the Speed: 13
inside and the rot that festers within soon shows its face Health: 7
upon his visage. His eyes are sunken and weep black liq- Sekhem: 6
uid that wreathes his eyes like soot. His skin is lined and
creased like he possesses too much flesh for his needs. He Pillars/Turn: 2/1
hunts Deathless and Lifeless alike with his small horde of Bane Rites: Rite of Charon, Rite of Eternal
Mongols, and his name is whispered in the dark corners of Chains, Rite of the Lost Cause
any city where he has been resident for even a short time. Bane Affinities: Body-snatcher, Jaws of the
When speaking, Khimpec’s voice is a sibilant hiss. Soft Devourer, Schism of Flesh
and almost inviting. His tone is mocking and turns quickly Pillars: Ab 3, Ba 2, Ka 1, Ren 5, Sheut 3
to anger and impetuousness when those he talks to are
Lord of the Steppe: Khimpec has been riding
evasive or, in his opinion, disrespectful of him. The hiss with steppe warriors for long enough to have
quickly turns to a croak of rage and causes him to flash his gained great proficiency in horse archery. While
long fangs, fit to guzzle the flesh of anyone who crosses him. riding, Khimpec fires a bow as though standing
Khimpec keeps a silken napkin constantly tucked into still and may reload his bow with no complica-
the front of his robe. Replacing it with a fresh one after each tions. Any attempt to knock him from his horse is
new atrocity. Where he has been, protagonists may find a made with a one-die penalty due to his many
discarded slip of silk, slick with gore or befouled with all years in the saddle.
sorts of corruption. It will likely be near the scene of grisly
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your antagonist groups will be and what sort of characters
you need to create.
Hunters and Mummies

With China torn apart with civil conflict, it may also
be worth preparing a random encounter chart for when the
protagonists travel. Do they meet bandits on the road, or are
Perspective is of the utmost importance when running they presented with the chance to put an influential noble-
your chronicle in this setting. Who are the protagonists? man in their debt? These should include moral conundrums
What is their goal? How do they intend to achieve it? What where they may have the opportunity to save someone’s life
are their biases or prejudices? In short, who are their charac- at a cost or let them die or be taken for execution. In this
ters? It is worth establishing this pre-game with the players, way, you can really bring the setting to life and emphasize a
not in detail, but what are the strengths of their characters sense that life for others is going on around their core path
and how would they go about solving problems? What are through the chronicle.
their weaknesses and how might they be challenged to grow?
In utilizing mummies as antagonists in a hunter chron-
For mummies, this is especially important. Their role is icle, it may be useful to substitute their more complicated
that of a benign monster, after all. However, perhaps your series of powers for customized Dread Powers such as those
players have a mind to seek to rule or gain power over provided in Chronicles of Darkness. Examples of these are
areas of the country. This is not an impossible feat for the provided on p. 244 for your convenience, but Storytellers
Arisen and their followers but may draw the ire of hunt- can add spice to their chronicle and flex their creative
ers. Consider that for each action there will be a reaction muscles by conjuring their own to suit the individual vil-
from the world and while they may seek a course of action lains of their stories.
that meets the approval of one group, it will likely draw
Remember that mummies have many mortal servants
the anger of another. These perspectives will inform who
Chronicles of Darkness in Rise of the Imperials

The supernatural community in this era is affected by local, national, and global politics. Denizens of the
supernatural who are not native to China are largely unaware that the Deathless are moving eastward
unless they travel in the same circles. As most creatures treat hunters as a global threat that reacts to the
presence of the supernatural, it is unlikely any one faction will enter China to target them. What’s of greater
concern is the forces of colonization that are sweeping out of Europe. Supernatural creatures who’ve
enjoyed the stability of the age must decide if they’ll follow their allies to countries they’ve never visited
before. European Kindred, Sin-Eaters, and the Unchained, for example, are most likely to follow
colonial forces leaving Europe for the Americas. (See Dark Eras: Doubting Souls and the Dark Eras
Companion: Foreboding Lands to built connective tissue between the eras.) Others, namely the Created,
Remade, and Primordials, feel pressured to leave Europe, and are traveling east to find areas where the
push for expansion and exploration won’t threaten them.
Meanwhile, Chinese Changelings are keeping close watch on hunter activity and will avoid dealing with
the Deathless for as long as they can. Many Changelings are traveling by Hedge just to remain hidden from
the Undying’s notice; though they don’t know what a mummy is, the fae are becoming increasing restless.
That alone worries many Changelings who wish to remain free from fae influence, and may influence their
decisions on how they interact with hunters. Some Changelings will seek new Pledges, knowing many hunt-
ers might mistaken them for a different supernatural creature such as a mummy, the Unchained, or even one
of their masters, the True Fae. What hunters don’t know is dangerous to Changelings in this era, but many
are loathe to seek allies with zealots or religious hunters who abhor the supernatural. Changelings are much
more likely to work with specific, reputable families who not only accept them for who they are, but also
welcome their presence.
Many Unchained present in China will also be slow to react, because they fear what power mummies hold
over the hearts and minds of Chinese citizens. Though mummies are not agents of the God-Machine, some
demons will wonder if this new, powerful force was sent to threaten them. Should the Unchained start to
panic, their actions will be erratic. Some will infiltrate hunter society to spy on mummies and cultists with their
known enemy; others will migrate to European-held colonies and infiltrate churches to hide until the threat
has passed. If the Unchained become truly desperate, however, they may wage war with the Deathless —
but only if they can summon a capable army that can defeat them. Should the Unchained decide that army
is necessary, demons will seek allies wherever they can find them—including hunters—to wage all-out war.
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For the Storyteller: Hunters and Mummies
and cultists, some of whom may be powerful and influential up a swarm of vermin, small animals, fish or birds or a single
in their own right. A mortal crime boss, a governess of the larger animal as it wishes. These animals will obey its com-
Imperial Household or a famous pirate captain could be a mands and it can communicate with them clearly.
chief cultist of the Arisen.. Discorporate: If the mummy suffers damage that would
Armor and weaponry are bound to play an important kill it (or even if it merely wants to escape the scene), it
part in your chronicle, and you would be wise to familiar- may discorporate its body into a swarm of scarab beetles or
ize yourself with the “Weapons and Armor” section in flesh-boring worms, running in all directions. If even one
Chronicles of Darkness, p. 94. escapes capture, the creature’s spirit survives and it may
When dealing with mummies in a hunter chronicle, be able to reform in time, giving the opportunity for it to
remember that hunters don’t have insight or knowledge return in a later chronicle or scene.
into the world of the supernatural. They are outsiders who Home Ground: The mummy gains supernatural bonuses
recognize mummies don’t belong and seek ways to oust when inside its tomb. While there, it adds three dice to all
them from China. At first, hunters may not be aware that its physical dice pools and influence rolls, reduces all damage
mummies are called such and will likely misidentify them suffered by three, and gains a three-die bonus to its rolls to
through their cultural lens and experiences as a hunter. resist supernatural effects.
The Deathless may offer a pact to hunters who seem Hypnotic Gaze: The mummy’s gaze can charm and be-
worthy, particularly if they feel they can be brought to serve guile a target. When meeting the target’s gaze, it can spend
them. They too have supernatural enemies they could assist a Willpower point and roll Presence + Persuasion, contested
the hunters in defeating with their vast power. While such by the target’s Composure. If successful, the mummy counts
temptation may seem like a useful temporary arrangement, as having a perfect impression against the target for Social
the Deathless should always seek to corrupt and control Maneuvers until the end of the scene.
their erstwhile allies by minor degrees over time. Indebting Immortal: The mummy can only truly be destroyed by
them to their cause and bringing them subtly to their way a Bane, for example, the blade of a sacred warrior or by an
of thinking. Access to the resources of their cult can seem arrow with a solid silver head. If it is killed in any other
a far way away from living in perpetual squalor, travelling way, it will always return. Even so, for a sequel chronicle,
from town to town chasing rumors and possibilities. Not to an accursed ritual or freak occurrence can always cause it
mention the knowledge and lore of the Arisen could be the to be revived.
key to unraveling mysteries yet unsolved in the group’s past. Madness and Terror: The mummy’s gaze, voice, or
This arrangement might affect their relationship with touch induces madness and terror in its victims. By spend-
the rest of their cell or outright violate the Code. Will ing 1 Willpower and making a roll of an appropriate dice
the protagonists keep it a secret or will they end up as the pool of the Storyteller’s choice, contested by the target’s
hunted, pursued by characters who had been their blood Composure, the mummy may inflict the Guilty, Shaken,
brothers in the opening scenes? or Spooked Condition on the victim. For 3 Willpower, it
Flip that scenario on its head and you have the mummy may inflict Broken, Fugue, or Madness.
and her minions, working to delay, distract, and direct those Miracle Pact: The mummy is capable of performing
who would have done them harm toward foes of their own. miraculous feats at its whim. Miracles could include remov-
A team of trained hunters could be just the ally an Arisen ing or applying conditions or tilts, granting a merit, skill or
needs to assault the lair of Khimpec the Hollow One and attribute, causing someone to die or suffer pain, fulfilling a
rescue her Guild relics and talismans from his grasping jaws. deeply held aspiration of the victim. The mummy cannot
What will the price be for such assistance however? Can perform any of these tasks unless specifically requested to
the Protagonists convince the hunters round to their way do so by a protagonist, however, there is a price for such
of thinking? This is an excellent way to allow more social interaction. The character in the mummy’s debt may be
and less combat-focused characters to play an active role forced to give up an aspiration, a loved one, or a precious
in what might otherwise be a battle-heavy adventure set in artefact to buy off the debt owed — or even commit some
the far east. The success or failure of the minor chamberlain unholy act of service for the monster.
in persuading the leader of the hunter group could be the Skin-Taker: The mummy can take on the appearance
key to success in the overarching plot. Use this to stress the of any person she has killed by spending 2 Willpower.
important of each character and the varied skill sets they
bring to the table.
Suggested Dread Powers

Story Hooks
Perspective is key to introducing the supernatural ele-
Here is a list of some Dread Powers which would be ments of this era. Hunters and mummies are two sides of
appropriate to mummies in a hunter chronicle: the same coin and are often working in opposition to one
Beastmaster: The mummy has mastery over creatures another. For hunters, a mummy represents the heart of
of the wilds. By spending a Willpower point, it can conjure
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a deeper mystery. For mummies, hunters are the enemy and guile is a better option. To infiltrate the compound,
because they stand in the way of their plans. the player-characters are encouraged to investigate what
Khimpec wants.
Mummy: Halls of the Hollow Getting into the compound is one thing; getting out
is another — especially if the player-characters recover
Setup: Several talismans of the Tef-Aabhi have been the stolen talismans. It should be established that fight-
tracked to a compound near the Forbidden Palace. Word ing their way in and killing Khimpec, given his political
reaches the Wang family of Beijing that a terrifying ban- position, is pure folly because Khimpec has too many
ner lord who feasts on human flesh resides within. Upon powerful allies. The player-characters must figure out how
awakening, the Deathless master of the Wang calls upon to discredit Khimpec first if they plan to mount an assault.
them to investigate. Ming-Yue’s husband may be just the To increase the tension, keep the villain hidden be-
man to infiltrate the halls of his ally but great danger lies hind retainers; add tales of his vileness before presenting
within, for rumor has it that many who enter the halls of him to increase player-character motivation. To increase
the evil Mongol’s estate do not return. People who pass by the threat level, add a cell of hunters who either want
on the street have reported strange moans and eerie screams. to capture the player-characters or eliminate their allies.
Storyteller hints: Refer to Khimpec the Hollow
One as the antagonist. One of the mummy protagonist’s
guildmates has contacted her after he felt the resonance Hunter: Guangzhou,
of his talismans within the compound; without them,
he lacks the strength to enter and face whatever is Port of Death
inside. After turning to his close friend for assistance, Setup: Pirates have sailed the waters off the coast of
he promises to elevate the Wang in the Imperial Court Guangzhou for many years. Since the coming of the Qing,
upon their success. they have kept an unofficial embargo on shipping in and
The first problem player-characters must overcome out of the beleaguered city. Making sure any Ming loyalists
is to gain an invite into the compound. While they can or even simple traders wishing to come and go by sea pay
break into the compound, the fight may quickly over- a heavy toll for their pains. Rumors swirl the fleet is com-
whelm them if they’re not careful. Relying on stealth manded by a never-before-seen creature who has convinced
the black-hearted pirates to join its cause. Hunters fear
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Story Hooks
the fleet may be preparing to attack Guangzhou and move Tier Three: The pirate fleet leaves their ships in the har-
further inland to spread the taint of its new leader. bor and commandeers trading vessels to assault Guangzhou
Storyteller hints: Despite rumors to the contrary, the in the dead of night. While they attack the ports, skirmishes
antagonist is the mummy cult of the Wave Dragons. Their lair break out inside the city. Cult members have infiltrated trade
is set on a several sailing vessels that are always on the move. caravans from Wuhan, searching for their idols. The hunters
Tier One: Villagers whisper a vessel docks offshore every now have two problems to deal with: the city’s safety and
night and empties its crew into their midst. The pirates, led the persistent cult.
by a leader named Fang, have decimated the small farms’ Unfortunately, the Wave Dragons cult is being under-
stores and starvation will surely claim lives if they are not mined by a mysterious force—a third player in the battle
stopped. After investigating, the cell will discover Fang has for the heart of Guangzhou. The Storyteller is encouraged
been asking bizarre questions about golden figurines depict- to weigh the efficacy of the players when introducing this
ing foreign gods. The villagers assume Fang will return for new antagonist. If mortal, a rival cult or a group of rogue
more rice and grain. The cell may choose between capturing hunters (Aegis Kai Doru) are perfect to drop into this
Fang for interrogation, joining the pirate crew, or following tense scene to save Guangzhou. If supernatural, drop in the
Fang back to the lead ship. Once on board, the cell will face Lifeless to give both hunters and cultists a challenging, but
the Wave Dragons. not impossible, threat.
Fang does not possess Dread Powers and should be
treated as mortal. Fang’s scimitar is a Bygone, however, and
is imbued with power that adds a one-die bonus when used
in combat; the wielder suffers from the Obsessed Condition
To narrate era-appropriate chronicles, several books
and is consumed with the need to find, cook, and eat food.
and movies can serve as inspiration. Their soundtracks and
The Condition is resolved when the wielder performs a
visuals could prove useful in setting tone and atmosphere.
ritual to release the scimitar to a new owner.
“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000) is a sweeping epic
Tier Two: The city’s magistrate hopes to negotiate safe that covers multiple parts of China and touches on differ-
passage for friends who are fleeing the advancing Qing army. ent aspects of Chinese culture including folklore, religion,
The Wave Dragons have demanded a ransom for their safe and martial arts; “Hero” (2002), starring Jet Li, draws from
conduct: the magistrate’s twin sons and safe conduct for historical events and has an action-centric plot; “Once
nine, notorious pirates. After investigating, the hunters Upon a Time in China” (1991) uses Cantonese folk hero
learn only one of the prisoners is important to the Dragons, Wong Fei-Hung as inspiration. “The Last Emperor” (1987)
the former captain of the Yellow Sea fleet reputed to have and “God of War” (2017), on the other hand, both lean on
stashed treasure in several locations along the coastline. political and military influences.
Once the hunters learn what the Wave Dragons want, To add flavorful descriptions of the day-to-day adminis-
they have several options. They might pool their resources tration and the humdrum of court life in this era, check out
to ally with the He family and sail for buried treasure, they the book as 1587: A Year of No Consequence, “The Manchu
might rescue the magistrate’s twins to earn political favor, or Way” by Mark C. Elliott, “The Forbidden City” by Charles
they might pose as notorious pirates to infiltrate the Wave River, and “China’s Last Empire” by William T. Rowe. For
Dragons. The cult is after mummy-related artifacts; if the more fact-based history, Teacup Media’s “China History
hunters are savvy enough to figure out where they are, they’ll Podcast” is an excellent source, too.
have leverage to negotiate the city’s safety.
246
Soldiers of the Forbidden Sun
Eternally Bound Defenders
“You should not be here, and you know it, too. Leave!” To many Han eyes, most shamanic and Abrahamic
Allegedly founded by Emperor Liu Bei in 222, the religions look the same, but the details are readily apparent
Soldiers of the Forbidden Sun have seen the political to those raised in the largely Muslim communities of the
landscape of China shift over the course of over a dozen Uyghur and Hui, as well as the shamanic communities of
dynasties. They’ve watched as people of all China’s many the Mongol, Manchu, and Kazakhs. Now, ethnic minority
races seized control of the Middle Kingdom, then lost the Soldiers are of the greatest importance because diverse cul-
throne. The current political upheaval is nothing new to tural knowledge is key to spotting the signs of the cults of
them, and is not worrisome. They believe their mission the Deathless. Unfortunately, this knowledge does not allow
is the result of an ancient pact their ancestors once made them to differentiate between mummies and Shuankhsen,
long ago when China was first unified: Protect China from and there is at least one of each present in China.
the Underworld. Mummies are the greatest threat most hunters anywhere
A thousand years ago, this mission seemed simple. All will face. It is unlikely that any of the Soldiers will person-
members had to do was seek out and destroy yaoguai and ally clash with one of the Undying, but that won’t stop
the occasional jiangshi. Over the centuries, the compact’s them from trying.
soldiers learned more about the nature of the supernatural
world and added unquiet spirits and shapechangers to their
list of enemies. A military-minded group of protectors, the
The Response
The Soldiers of the Forbidden Sun employs military
Soldiers of the Forbidden Sun cares less about awarding
tactics and possess the organizational structures of a Chinese
titles and gold than other hunters do. To them, the Vigil
battalion. Each new recruit, regardless of experience, is sent
comes first, even at the expense of personal relationships,
out on a mission to test their skills in battle. Following the
status, and wealth. Often, their new hunters are tasked with
results of this mission, hunters are assigned by compact
selling all their worldly possessions to donate profits back
leaders to their cells. Many Soldiers of the Forbidden Sun
to the compact for distribution.
can and do fight near their homes; others are sent to cities
Their all-encompassing approach to the Vigil doesn’t and ports where the compact’s reach is weakest. The “top
always sit well with hunters who desire fame for their ef- down” structure of the compact frustrates its newest mem-
forts, but the Soldiers have their reasons. In prior regimes, bers, because they often don’t know who they’re taking
compact leaders, drawn from retired military forces, saw how orders from or why. Once hunters have earned the com-
brave hunters got distracted by fame and put themselves pact’s trust, however, their training accelerates to include
and their unit at risk. Now, leaders enourage camaraderie the uneven history of the compact and tools to recognize
by battling the supernatural, but prefer to give a random human-seeming monsters.
villager the credit — and create a potential target should
Like any long-standing hunter organization, the
another monster lurk nearby.
Soldiers of the Forbidden Sun has experienced great
losses due to enemy infiltration. Though its current
The Enemy leaders are not paranoid, the compact is careful not to
Thanks to their a vast network of monasteries and recruit every grieving villager who begs to join them.
temples, the Soldiers have analyzed signs to learn that When a threat is near, leaders rely on local cells to deal
something ancient, something they’ve never encountered with threats in their own community. Following small
before, has come to China. skirmishes, cells are expected to report back to their
area’s commander and await further orders. Most cells
Although the Soldiers still battle the old dangers like
are filled with foot soldiers who do not possess knowl-
yaoguai and jiangshi these days, the search for cultists and
edge of supernatural activities; military strategists hold
the Deathless has taken top priority. Soldiers from across
higher positions and spend their time mapping patterns
the country are being called to major cities to lend their
of behavior — which is how the compact discovered the
expertise and skills, especially those from the smaller com-
Deathless before other groups.
munities of China. Uyghur and Hui Soldiers in particular
have been in high demand, thanks to their wider base of The Soldiers take a pragmatic view of the Vigil and
religious lore. constantly monitor, train, and test their hunters lest the
247
enemy get the upper hand. Their vigilance and discipline
have paid off thus far, earning the compact a stellar reputa-
tion amongst other Chinese hunters. This, unfortunately,
works to the compact’s detriment as other hunters will step
aside and let them deal with threats, even when they’re
fully capable of handling them on their own.
Hunters
You brought your Mongolian ancestors with you to help
hunt cultists. Raised as a “black” shaman, you have a deep
knowledge of the rites and rituals of the smaller “black”
spirits. You are not sure if you possess magical abilities, but
you do take your role as shaman seriously. You come from
a long line of Soldiers, and most of your family members
are either Sages or Falconers. You volunteered to hunt the
new threat that is invading your home.
You followed the gui that took your hand for nearly
three years before recovering it in front of a stunned group
of Scouts. Now, you find yourself in the heart of China,
far from your home of Jiuquan. Nevertheless, you see your
chance encounter with the Scouts as an omen that this is
where you belong.
You were a prince and falconer of the House of Zhu,
but now that title comes with a bounty, dead or alive, so
you gave up your life and took to the road. After surviving
a jiangshi attack thanks to a hunter’s dying acts, you were
rudely awoken to a hidden world of supernatural creatures
who prey on the innocent. You took the fallen hunter’s
belongings and pledged to honor him by hunting the
monsters who killed him.
Factions
While the Soldiers welcome people of all faiths, the
majority of their temples are Taoist, mainly due to the
widespread popularity of Lao Tzu’s teachings. The Soldiers
are divided into three factions: Sages, Scouts, and Falconers.
Scouts gather intelligence and are the eyes and ears of
the compact. Most hunters who join the compact start as
a scout.
Sages are the smallest of the three groups; they review
information, gossip, and rumors to determine what threats
are worth investigating, which rumors can be ignored, and
when an area needs to be evacuated for public safety.
Falconers are the military-minded members of the
compact who are sent to destroy or contain threats.
Occasionally, the distinction between Scouts and
Falconers is unclear as either group can be charged with
reconnaissance or raids. While both groups of hunters
claim to be the best at both tasks, the internal rivalry is
mostly benign.
248
Status up the Vigil until the bitter end. Gain one dot in Occult.
••• You’ve gone toe to toe with the inhuman things and
Status in the Soldiers of the Forbidden Sun is earned are still alive. Your success hasn’t gone unnoticed. Gain two
similarly to how military personnel is treated. Hunters dots in Resources you may use to help you hunt monsters.
who follow orders rise through the ranks, while those who ••••• You still haven’t found the ancient evils, but
disobey their superiors fall. you’ve dealt with a few of their minions. Gain three dots
• Whether you joined to save your family or if the in Allies (Soldiers of the Forbidden Sun) you can call on
Soldiers are the only family you have now, you’ve taken whenever you need a helping hand.
249
Ribe, Denmark
May 19th, 1641 — Diary entry 564
“I was not given a second chance at life to see my sister suffer like this.
It is unfathomable to me how claims of witchcraft could fall upon her, after
years of serving the town as the faithful spouse to our largest merchant. She
even helps the less fortunate in Ribe, and frequently visits the poorhouse with
fresh produce. I refuse to believe in the nonsense about witches, but she does, and
so does the entire town. I need to calm this down before it is out of my hands.”
May 22nd, 1641 — Diary entry 566
“Today I saw the shoemaker’s son twisting and turning on the stake as the flames slowly
ate his body from down and up. I cannot and will not accept my sister suffering the same fate.
I am still trying to find out who planted false claims of witchcraft on her, for it seems like the
rumors just appeared out of nothing, and everyone has heard the word from someone else. I
will plead for my sister and talk to priest Dreier. I have always respected him, but all
this talk of Satan’s pawns has spun him on a wrong path. One of ignorance
and fear — dangerous ignorance and fear.”
May 23rd, 1641 — Diary entry 567
“Yet again priest Dreier was too occupied to discuss Maren.
Every day, new claims of witchcraft appear. Today, the
12-year-old butcher’s daughter was drowned, seemingly
because she was seen speaking with the devils at her bed-
side, but I know the claims were only planted because
she refused to marry Erik Graver. What is this town
coming to?”
May 26th, 1641 — Diary entry 569
“I have finally located the source of the
witch-claims. Dreier recently acquired a new
apprentice — not of humankind that is,
although I do not think the priest is aware.
He claims the boy has unique abilities to see
what is truly evil, but I know better. This
sorcerer is planting evidence of witchcraft
on innocent families like mine, to distract
the world from what he truly is. He has
risen for a reason, and he will not falter
until he has reached his final goal. What
would happen if the town knew of his
undead nature?”
May 31st, 1641 — Diary entry 578
“It pains me to put this into words.
Despite my efforts, my pleas, and even
the abilities granted to me at my return
to life, Maren was wrongly burned at the
stake yesterday. I am filled with unlimited
amounts of anger and spite. This will not end
here. This is war. War between me, the town,
and the undead fool who brought misery upon
my family — now the real hunt commences.”
The Scandinavian
Witch Trials
The Scandinavian
Witch Trials
1608-1698
1608-1698CE
CE
It is no wonder Scandinavia is seen as home of the witches and the gateway
to hell by the remaining world. When the age of discovery urged travelers
and explorers to traverse the world in search of new lands, they eventually
stumbled upon the north. Many left remembering the icy climate covering
entire areas with winter and cold, making crops impossible to grow. The hor-
rifying snowstorms bearing shrieking sounds reminiscent of those from hell.
Darkness dominates the north, and in some places the sun will even disappear
for months, leaving the lands to live without its life-giving rays. The further
north one lived, the closer he was to Satan.
Scandinavian countries quickly adopted the witch trials from Germany after
the Reformation, and were even more cautious about magic and witches, as they
knew they lived closer to hell than most other countries. Perhaps this is the
reason the largest and most devastating trials took place in the north. Magic
“The Devil
was no longer seen as a tool to alter fates or change the course of lives, and
“Theliveth, yea yea

it was no longer directly linked to communication with gods. Those wielding
Devil liveth,
and reigneth
magic were no longer respected and sacred, but were hunted and condemned
and reigneth throughout by society, friends, and family as witchcraft became directly linked with the
throughout the
the whole world.” workings of hell. A constant paranoia dominates the Nordic countries. No one
whole world.”
knows when it might be their turn to burn for heresy.
— Martin Luther
The witch hunt is also affecting immortals in Scandinavia. With several Bound
- Martin Luther
violently ripped from their hosts, ghosts see the opportunity to make deals with
distraught and dying bodies. Many accused witches die with anger and a sense of
unfairness, and many are still young and not yet done living. Geists use this will to
live and need for revenge to form strong bonds with mortals, giving them a body
and a second chance at life. Krewes form based on different religions, some based
on paganism, trying to convince the world of the good in magic, others following
Catholic or Lutheran beliefs and condemning the use of witchcraft. The world
lives to see priests turn abmortal, and Sin-Eater witches crawl from the banks of
rivers or rise with nooses around their necks, using Plasm to gain their revenge.
The Arisen awake to see a world in complete chaos, many being hunted as soon
as they exit their tombs. The frigid and blistering north may seem an odd place
for any Arisen to exist, but through cults of human devotees and their diaspora to
the far perimeters of the north, some mummies awake in Scandinavia. Arisen live
to see themselves become leaders of the hunt on witches, while some become the
hunted, and are forced to wander a world where they are seen as less than animals.
A world already threatened by war, hunger, illness, and natural disasters now
faces yet another enemy: itself.
Themes and Moods

“We decree and enjoin that the aforesaid Inquisitors be empowered to proceed
to the just correction, imprisonment, and punishment of any persons of witchcraft,
without let or hindrance, in every way as if the provinces, townships, dioceses, dis-
tricts, territories, yea, even the persons and their crimes in this kind were named and
particularly designated in Our letters.”
— Bishop Innocent VIII
252
The Scandinavian Witch Trials
Persecution
An overwhelming fear of anticipation and uncertainty
Blood In the Ice
dominates the era. Townspeople become isolated, as they “There feeds he full on the flesh of the dead, and the home
see family and friends pointing fingers at one another, just to of the gods he reddens with gore; Dark grows the sun, and
be drowned, burned, or tortured the following week. Some in summer soon. Come mighty storms: Would you know
misuse the power of being able to determine friends’ and foes’ yet more?”
fates and keep a close eye on enemies’ actions to catch them — Völuspa, The Poetic Edda
in suspicious activity. Some even turn to lies to see them burn Magic is no new phenomenon and has been a large
on the stake. Women and men are falsely accused of causing part of every human society in the world for thousands of
illness, suffering, famine, and failed harvests, and have little years. There is no culture on Earth that does not contain
to no defense against an entire town and its priest. Children some form of occultism. In prehistoric and ancient times,
are being used as eyewitnesses, and either manipulated or shamans, witch doctors, and völver wielded everything
tortured by town officials to make up stories about witches, from beneficial magic, used for blessing fields for a good
while some are even being tried and executed for witchcraft. harvest or to encourage a woman’s body to bear children,
to malevolent magic and horrific curses. In ancient Egypt,
Manipulation Heka was performed by priests to ensure the smooth run-
Manipulation was commonly used in witch trials. Mental ning of a society, and in ancient China books were written
and physical torture and abuse were common, and was mostly about cleromancy to foretell the future. In ancient Rome,
committed by priests, mayors, town officials, or prosecutors. cursed tablets called defixions were used to bind victims
Town leaders or parish priests manipulated others to accuse to a certain area, and Greece held secrets of immortal
a citizen of following witchcraft, if they disagreed with their lives through magic in Mithras Liturgy. Magic was a way
way of living or the accused was somehow not abiding by to explain the inexplicable or a method used to change
the rules of society. Young women and children were often the fates gods threw upon humans, to warp reality in past,
threatened with an eternity in hell if they did not comply as present, and future.
witnesses in witch trials. Finally, witches were manipulated
and tortured into blaming other people for witchcraft, making
their punishment milder if they succeeded.
The Magic and Witchcraft
of the Viking Age
Panic In Norse culture, magic held extreme importance in
As neighbors, friends, and family are slowly blamed everything from day-to-day life to large celebrations of
for using dark magic and accused of being in cahoots with the changing seasons. Tightly entwined with the belief
Satan, who is there to trust? Can you even tell a secret at the in Nordic gods (Asatru), magic allowed every person to
dinner table or to your dearest friends? People are terrified communicate with higher powers. The völver could be
of being at the wrong place at the wrong time, or perhaps seen as Viking-age witches, who regarded themselves
saying the wrong word and triggering someone’s suspicion. as the servants of Freya. They wielded three different
Although they are aware of their innocence, they know it kinds of magical abilities: Seiðr, which was associated
will not matter when facing the town priest or judge. In one with the god Odin and shamanic in nature; Galdr, which
desperate attempt not to be seen as a witch, a woman from was tightly connected to runes; and trolldómr, closely
Sweden stopped talking entirely and only used her hands related to what would later be seen as witchcraft. With
for communication. This resulted in her being drowned, as these, völver acted as a valuable resource to any village
it was believed Satan took her ability to speak. and would often travel to towns nearby, if the villagers
needed blessings for a raid or diseases struck. They si-
Paranoia multaneously held the roles of doctor, priest, counselor,
and spiritual guide.
People are aware they cannot put their trust in anyone, Witchcraft and magic were closely related to religion
and that it’s better to stay on good footing with town officials and one could not exist without the other. In Norse my-
and exceed exemplary behavior. As a result, many turn to thology, several magical items are mentioned, the most
isolation and antisocial activities. They would rather live a popular being Thor’s magical hammer Mjölnir, Odin’s
lonesome life, or a life with the few people they trust, than spear, and the self-replicating ring Draupnir. Although
make new associations and risk their existence. The social such treasures were reserved for the gods, runes were
inadequacy was clearly visible, when looking at the decline commonly engraved on swords to aid in battle, marked
in newborn babies in times where trials were frequent — on fields to help the harvest, and even embellished on
people simply only had minor social interactions. No one clothes or jewels as protection.
could be trusted when even children blamed their mothers
for lying in bed with devils or Satan himself.
253
Blood In the Ice
The Division of soon made their way through Europe, eventually ending
in Scandinavia and the Americas.
Magic and Religion During the witch trials, there was a constant sense of
paranoia, as no one could feel entirely safe. Anyone could at
However, the harmonic relationship between religions any time call you a witch, and although mostly lower-class
quickly splintered when the christening of the north oc- individuals ended up on the stake, even nobility and priests
curred in the 11th and 12th centuries. Instead of respecting were prosecuted for witchcraft. The fear of hell and its be-
magic as a powerful resource for good and evil, the use of ings was strong, and many misused their newfound power
magic increasingly became associated with paganism and to get rid of people they disliked or saw as competition. A
therefore satanic influences. Magic and witchcraft be- letter written by the sister of an alleged witch said, “…she
came feared, as concerns about heresy increased. Thomas is my sister, and I know she is a good Christian woman. She is
Aquinas, theologian and philosopher, claimed demons true to her husband and her work. I do not believe she is a witch
existed among humans, and could be summoned to perform and has participated in the Sabbath. They only think badly of
magical deeds and foretell the future. her, because she is the most successful shoemaker in town, and
In the early Middle Ages, high magic and heresy were she is a woman.”
punishable by death while folk magic went by unnoticed.
How Quick
The Church struggled with defining what was and was not
an acceptable practice of magic. This all changes when
Malleus Maleficarum, “The Hammer of Witches,” was pub-
lished in 1486 by Catholic clergyman Heinrich Kramer.
The book was a best-seller in Europe for almost 200 years
the Flesh Burns
after its release, right under the Bible, and justified why “You tax me for a wizard, you may as well tax me for a
witches were enemies of all good Christians and how to buzzard. I have done no harm.”
punish them accordingly. The book had major influence — George Jacobs, Sr., alleged witch
over the upcoming witch hunts in Europe and was used to Scandinavia’s renaissance is an era of progression, transi-
set examples in courtrooms globally. tion, wars of land and religion, and revival. Land constantly
Although magic was now looked upon with worry and changes nationality as one kingdom rises and another falls.
disgust, Nicolas Flamel, a manuscript dealer from Paris Catholicism is exchanged with the vastly different Lutheran
was known for the magical arts of alchemy. In the book Church, and practices once seen as heretical sprout with
ascribed to the supposedly long-dead alchemist, Le Livre renewed energy.
des figures hiéroglyphiques, he claimed to have created both Leaving behind what is referred to as one of the grim-
the Philosopher’s Stone and a sacred liquid that brought mest historical periods, the Middle Ages, the world stands
immortality to him and his wife. Legends of his immortal- on the brink of transition into the time of rebirth: the
ity were exacerbated by reported sightings of him in the Renaissance. The rediscovery of art, medicine, astronomy,
17th century. and everything withheld by the limiting bonds of strict
religious belief, famine, and illness arises. Instead of using
Hunt the Witch, landmass as a medium of exchange, money is now the most
Burn the Witch

valuable and easily available item of trade, fueling the free
market and entrepreneurship. The feudalistic shackles of
With the Malleus Maleficarum and papal bull from Pope the Roman Catholic Church deteriorate, making way for
Innocent VIII condemning all witches to death, from the previously unknown or forgotten philosophical and secular
Reformation on, the malice of witches and their devious beliefs. In Scandinavia, humanism secures the foundation
pacts were no longer doubted by the general population. of previously banned expressions of art and literature, and
Witches were thought to be in direct contact with Satan the increasing demand of such leads to the invention of
and their dark sorcery could only be destroyed through the printing press. This also paves way for scientific reports
torture or death. Both works also made a direct connection and research, as well as their availability to larger amounts
between women and witchcraft, although men were also of people. The world is enthralled with itself, once again
killed as witches. It was widely believed women held evil falling in love with the exploration of new knowledge.
inside them from birth, and this attracted hell spawn, but
women had to refuse the devil’s temptations.
Sexism and literature were not the only reasons behind
Religion
Despite approaching times of enlightenment and dis-
the witch purge of Scandinavia. Years of war, famine, and
covery, Scandinavians still strongly hold on to and live
failed crops because of endless winters, as well as rampant
by rigid religious beliefs, transitioning from Catholicism
illness and disease, left society desperate to find the reason
to Protestantism. In Sweden, reformation takes place
behind God’s wrath. The trials began in Germany and
in 1527 with King Gustav I at the forefront, and in
254
Denmark-Norway Holstein (Norway and northern parts important household activities but is already showing an
of Germany were under the Danish crown until 1816 and interest in cookery. When she comes of age, she will marry
1864, respectively), the Reformation spreads rapidly with the neighboring Leifsson family’s youngest and with him
the help of the Lutheran monk Hans Tausen and King inherit the largest farm in the Vardø. Ulf knows he’s both
Christian III. Although this happens in the middle of the wealthy and lucky compared to other inhabitants of the
16th century, Protestantism was not fully embedded into town, who live in tiny houses or even share bed space with
Scandinavia before the beginning of the 17th century. cattle. When the plague struck last year, he even had the
Only a small group of Catholics remains in Denmark, after means to isolate himself and his family for the duration of
the majority of priests, nuns, and monks are prosecuted or God’s wrath. Every Wednesday and Saturday, he can enjoy
banned from practicing their religion. spiced meats instead of the common porridge or watered
stew. He truly feels blessed, and he knows God is thanking
The Thorsen Household - him for his years of honest and consistent service to the
community and heaven.
Vardø, Norway 1634
As the local preacher, who spent most of his life as a
man of the church, Ulf Thorsen takes pride in his way of
Wars
living and his family, which consists of his two children and The Reformation also fuels the Thirty Years’ War, in
wife. To Ulf, it is not only his job to preach the word of God which both Denmark and Sweden take part during the first
and the Lutheran belief to the citizens of Vardø, but also years of the decade. All countries fight against Catholic ad-
make sure his own family stays within the Christian faith. vances and, despite losses, ultimately secure Protestantism
His eldest son, Sigurd, now has a private tutor who teaches within their borders.
him mathematics, biology, and Danish, as the language is Throughout the 17th century, the superpowers of
now mandatory for any tutored child to master — much to Scandinavia do not see eye to eye, and numerous wars are
Ulf’s dismay. Most importantly, Ulf takes charge of raising fought among them. Areas in southern Sweden, in particu-
his son in the Christian faith, preparing him to one day lar, switch ownership throughout the 1600s, making what
become a priest, or perhaps even a pastor, when he is of age. land belongs to whom difficult to determine with certainty.
Cecilia, his two-year-old daughter, is being raised This specific period of time is widely known as Sweden’s
primarily by his wife. She is too young to take part in any rise to power, ultimately regaining parts of its land from
255
How Quick the Flesh Burns
Denmark and almost succeeding in ruling Scandinavia with the goddesses of faith, and thus wielded immense
altogether. However, despite losing land, Denmark with- powers. When carrying the “witches’ stick,” they were not
stands Sweden’s invasion, and is allowed to keep Norway to be harmed, and could visit anyone at any given time,
and parts of Germany — but not any territory in Sweden. even lords, ladies, and chieftains. As the faith in Nordic
Denmark declines from being the third-largest kingdom in gods reformed into the belief in one omnipresent deity, and
the world, with riches from the taxation of Øresund and the Bible condemned magic of both good and ill nature,
merchants traveling its lands, to a country surpassed by the attitude toward magicians changed. Witches are now
Sweden in both landmass and riches. enemies to society and wrongfully blamed for everything
from failing crops and dying cattle to disease and famine.
The Caroleans - With a transformed and vastly different religious belief
comes new ways of living, and a new outlook on heaven
Halmstad, Sweden 1676 and hell. Contrary to popular belief, the Middle Ages are
Most of the troops do not think much of the young not the height of witch hunting, although this is where
Swedish king Charles XI, who with his 20 years of age, prosecution of witches began. Martin Luther stands in the
is planning to take back Swedish land from the Danish- forefront of many witch trials sweeping Northern Europe,
Norwegian powerhouse. Even Karl, who spends his life although he fears the fight against evil magic. With his
dedicated to king and country, and takes pride in reforming demand of translated Bibles, a vast majority of people are
Sweden, doubtfully watches as his comrades rush the Danish now able to read and understand the words of God and his
frontlines in the small town of Halmstad. Pressed against condemnation of witchcraft, mediums, and spiritualists.
the ground, he feels the soft caress of grass tickling his ears. The 16th century holds extreme climate changes with
Boots stomps by in a rush, and their vibrations almost lift “the small ice age” challenging an agricultural society and
him off the ground. He still has his pike in hand, he just plague once again wiping out a large part of Scandinavia’s
needs to stand up and face the aggressors, but it is as if his population. The world needs scapegoats, someone to blame
legs are glued to the ground. An iron taste of warm blood for the misery — and for this, witches are perfect.
fills his mouth and nose, and an odd feeling of weightlessness
overtakes his entire body. Slowly, darkness consumes him. The Witch of Nordvang -
Life on the frontlines is brutally barbaric, and though
prepared and trained for war, no one at the time is aware of Roskilde, Denmark 1617
the trauma and PTSD war can cause to human psychology. Helge Kjelsen never cared much for marriage or chil-
Additionally, Caroleans were deeply religious, and constant dren. Growing up, he saw how his mother struggled to get
high morale was expected from troops. Disturbing prayer food on the table after his father passed away from alcohol
and acting with defeat was punishable by death, which dementia. He simply drank himself to death after return-
only added to the stress of the soldiers. Karl Engtvet and ing from the Northern Seven Years’ War with Sweden. He
4,000 other troops leave their lives behind in Halmstad worked his entire life as Roskilde’s most valuable midwife
that day, adding to the increasing number of fallen in the and, by his own account, he helped half of Roskilde into
Scandinavian war fought between Denmark-Norway and this world. Unfortunately, the people he dedicated his life
Sweden. He was like many of Caroleans, a force of special- to aid and advise are turning their backs. It began when he
ized soldiers bred by the current monarch of Sweden in his assisted in delivering a stillborn child for the mayor’s wife
pursuit to not only take back lost land but overtake new. two years ago. In anger, the mayor blamed Helge for cast-
Many young men are recruited for both sides of the war, only ing a curse upon the unborn child because his small house
to meet their demise in their late teens or early 20s. The was torn down in order to make room for the new jail, and
constant fear of war over either land or religion following he forbade him from ever practicing midwifery again. To
the Reformation takes a toll on both Swedish and Danish Helge, this came as a shock, as he had helped stillborn
society. People are growing tired of sending their sons to infants into the world before without any trouble besides
war, many valuable resources are needed to fuel the fire, the grieving parents.
and after no winner is declared form the Scandia war, the Two years after, and the town now calls him “The Witch
two fronts agree upon a treaty, and peace reigns until 1700. of Nordvang.” After rumors about him cursing the mayor’s
child spread, he did not only lose his title, but the baker
Witches refused to sell him bread, the farm refused to sell him eggs,
and he could not show himself on the market or at the
In Scandinavia, witches were seen as anything but well. He is forced into a life of exclusion on the outskirts of
harmful to society and individuals during the Viking Age Roskilde. He lives off what he can find in the nearby woods,
and early Middle Ages. Every free woman was expected to gathering the scarce roots and berries Danish nature has to
be versed in beneficial magic, and many sought out their offer. The only source of human contact Helge has is with
services when trying to conceive, see the future, or bless the local hunter who occasionally drops by with a rabbit or
the harvest. Völver were considered to be in direct contact birds, showing gratitude for the set of twins he assisted the
256
hunter’s wife to deliver last summer. Yesterday, he brought
worrying news about alleged hangings of men and women
thought to wield magic in Germany, and how the mayor
welcomes the idea. Helge sips his tea as he looks through
his window toward moonlit Roskilde. Should he stay and
fear facing an unyielding court and his possible death? Or
should he flee, and if so, to where?
Locations
Several cities are affected by the witch trials, impacting
farmers, merchants, and innocent victims.
Ribe
Ribe no longer holds religious importance following the
Reformation. Years of prosperity did however leave Ribe
as the trading capital of Denmark, as merchants keep the
city afloat upholding trade routes with Germany, Italy, and
France. A strong sense of change is present in the town,
and most of the 3,500 citizens are aware of its upcoming
identity change. What will happen now they are stripped
of their title?
The swift change of power and purpose is obvious, af-
fecting Ribe’s society and everyone living within it. No
one is sure where to stand and merchants are afraid to
invest in a town with a questionable future. This results in
a migration away from the town, for those who can afford
the costs, leaving behind the poorer parts of Ribe to ensure
the town’s continued relevancy. Many Ripensere see the
downfall of their city as a punishment cast upon them by
God, which might be the catalyst behind the persecution
of witches. The city is desperate to point a finger.
Ribe Cathedral
The Lutheran belief that people need no medium be-
tween them and God is visible in the decline of churchgoers,
and Ribe Cathedral runs into disasters ranging from flooding
and theft to the church tower falling apart throughout the
17th century. However, this does not lessen the importance
of the church in the city, especially not when going to
church becomes mandatory by law at the end of the 17th
century.
Aside from the marketplace and various taverns in, the
cathedral is where many of Ribe’s citizens gather for their
daily gossip and to socialize with each other. The richest
families can afford to send their children to school and
choir with the local priest, so children playing outside in the
churchyard is a common sight. The church is at its busiest
on Sundays, when worship is led by the priest and a large
part of the town shows up. Most participants will head to
the market afterward, and some to the taverns scattered
around the town.
The young priest Nicolai Dreier of Ribe cathedral,
who leads most worships since the death of his father last
257
Locations
winter, has an innate interest in — and unyielding hatred and blew into his mouth, resulting in him vomiting an
toward — witches. He often uses Bible verses about mali- unnatural fluid. The vomit is shown in court before priests
cious magic and its sacrilegious nature in his speeches and and Christian III, and they agree on her alliance with the
does not hesitate to point out potential witches in the devil. She is burned at Ribe’s gallows the following week
town. Despite the town hall and the high court being the with the entire town watching in awe.
decisive factors in the witch hunts, they hold Nicolai’s Many men and women meet their demise as a result of
opinions in high regard, providing him with additional the strict and ruthless judgments of the courthouse — most
power over the masses. of them falsely accused of performing witchcraft. When a
potential witch is interrogated, they have to point out other
The Town Market witches in the area, as there is a common understanding
that witches are aware of other witches’ existence. Thus,
Still upholding the status of one of Scandinavia’s larg-
many are accused merely because someone else is forced to
est trading grounds, the town market in Ribe buzzes with
spread blame after weeks of torture and starvation.
activity from early morning to late evening. Booths with
baked goods, mostly dense rye breads and the occasional The Tailor’s Daughter
honey cake, fill the street with alluring scents. Shoemakers Karen is an average 15-year-old girl, who just wishes to
compete to come up with newer designs, following the live a simple live with her cats, her mother, and her two
highest fashion from Italy and France, and yell prices left brothers. The dream is crushed when her mother is accused
and right to attract customers. Spices like cumin and ginger, and killed for the use of foul magic. Karen never returns
historically used mostly by people who live in the climate to the innocence of childhood, and is forced to grow up
in which they grow, are finding their way onto high-society quicker than she imagined.
and nobility’s tables in Ribe. A majority of people still stick After her mother’s death, fearing she’ll be called a witch
to smoked salts and Nordic herbs from local herbalists. Farm herself, Karen flees Ribe. The night of the burning, she
hands travel several miles from nearby farms with fresh eggs, packed her few belongings and left a note on her father’s
milk, cream, and salted meats. worktable saying it was for the best that she left his life. On
When dusk falls and most merchants close down for the the second day of her refuge from the town, she was stopped
day, the market is overtaken by hushed voices from behind by guards from the royal army on their way to Ribe. One of
red lips, pale bosoms, and the sound of male laughter. For the soldiers took pity on the girl, and took her with him to
years, sex work was legal in Denmark as long as sex workers stay at his secluded farmhouse on the outskirts of the town.
stuck to certain parts of towns and wore different items in Karen knows she will not stay, and Karen knows of her
order to distinguish themselves from the crowds. After the mother’s innocence. She knows her mother was killed out
Reformation and with the new fear of syphilis, sex work is of jealousy, and upon seeing her mother’s screaming body
made illegal. Although punishable by death, sex workers bound to the ladder and pushed inside the fire, she swore to
are in high demand, and people from all layers of society avenge her family. None of her friends or relatives will die an
wallow in the joys of flesh. innocent death again. Empathy 4, Investigation 3, Stealth
(Evasion) 4, Survival 3
Ribe Courthouse
Being one the three largest courts in Denmark, Ribe
Court is notorious for its brutal punishments, especially to-
Vardø
Engulfed in the harsh Nordic climate, located on the
ward witches. King Christian III often acted as judge, letting
Norwegian tundra, Vardø has been inhabited for years, even
out his hatred for witches and magic in brutal and inhuman
before adopting its name. People in the area have always
ways. On the scaffold behind the courthouse, merciless
been challenged by the frigid earth, which doesn’t allow
torture took place at least twice a day against prosecuted
plants to grow for either household animals to consume or
people. Burn marks with scalding-hot iron rods, beatings
humans to harvest. Instead, they utilized the sea and over
with whips and chains, and restriction from food and water
time became great fishermen.
for days are some of the common torture methods. Screams
and agonizing moans can be heard by neighbors in the area, Compared to other Scandinavian towns and cities,
and the courthouse is rightfully nicknamed “The House of Vardø and its citizens do not care much for following the
Screams” in common speech. Apart from excessive amounts waves of time and the rapid cultural, political, and religious
of torture, the courthouse is one of few to punish witchery development of the world. Some even take pride in their
with death, whereas performing magic in other parts of the isolation and independence. However, what makes Vardø
country often merely gets the accused witch jailtime. one of the most relevant towns in its time is the commu-
nity’s intense and continuous witch trials, which murdered
The court is also the deciding factor behind the burning
more than 91 people — over 20% of their own population.
of Maren Spliid, the formerly respected wife of the town
The north is considered the gate to hell by many European
tailor, who is accused of making her husband’s biggest
countries, and Vardø takes the title seriously.
competitor sick. He claims Maren snuck into his room
258
Because of the constant fear of being pointed out as
a witch by neighbors or even family members, isolation
The Harbor
intensifies, driving most citizens to spend their time hid- As a town completely dependent on what it can harvest
ing in their homes. The town center lies barren, and from from the nearby sea and lakes, the harbor holds great impor-
the outside, it looks as if Vardø was abandoned years ago. tance for its citizens. It acts as a workplace, where tons of
fish are transferred to land by the local fishermen. Some of
Mountain Domen the catch stays within the town borders to provide nutrients
for its inhabitants and some are exported to nearby towns
Mountain Domen is without question seen as the most further away from the sea. On the harbor, large fish markets
dangerous place in Vardø, both because of its steep moun- take place every other day, providing families with enough
tainside and its omnipresent appearance as it looms over income to maintain housing and boats.
the small town, but also because of its unholy witch activ- The smell of fish, wet wood, saltwater, and pipe smoke
ity. Domen is widely believed to be the actual entrance to draws people to the harbor, and it acts as the warm beating
hell, and during Sabbaths witches flock to the area. Several heart of an area that without it would lie barren. The people
accused women and men speak of a long, dark valley inside of Vardø have great respect for the sea, and with that comes
the mountain’s heart, which leads to a deep lake. Here, the a certain amount of fear. Some fishermen are even accused
dark waters boil as Satan spews fire from an iron pipe and of sailing to hell and making deals with whatever inhabits it
living bodies float to the surface of the lake, making noises if they are away for long periods of time, sometimes by their
like dying cats. Witches arrive in the shapes of dogs and own wives.
cats, and sightings of them dancing with devils atop the
Despite Vardø’s residents taking pride in their solitude,
mountain are not uncommon among townspeople.
new ships hoisting foreign flags are docking now. Some bring
Many know to stay far away from the mountain, mostly exotic fabric and spices in exchange for the “Nordic gold,”
out of pure fear of the gate to hell, but also in order not to amber, and some are explorers and adventurers wanting to
be associated with any unholy activity. The Domen area test how far north they can venture. The arrival of new
acts as a constant reminder for the people of Vardø, that faces is not welcomed by most of the town’s inhabitants,
hell looms at their doorstep and one false move will leave but they cannot help but curiously watch as the strangers
their souls to burn in its pits. appear from their ships.
259
Locations
Vardøya Island Church and priest Laurentius Christophori Hornaeus. The
parish is surrounded by forestation and, ever since the par-
The island is primarily famous for being of great impor- ish was founded, its inhabitants have lived off whatever
tance to the discovery of the Northeast Passage (a shipping could be gathered or caught in the forest nearby. However,
route that would later be essential for trade in the north), overgrown areas are now being compromised in order for
as both a Russian and English voyager sought refuge on the agriculture to pave the way, as the changing winds of the
island after encountering large whirlwinds. To the many ac- age of exploration and trade create higher demands from
cused witches of Vardø, the small island holds much greater Torsåker’s inhabitants.
importance. On the southern side of the island, a woman Torsåker parish is split between two larger towns,
going by the name of “the Dark Winged” or “the One Who Torsåker town and Storvik. Although located in close
Saves” has taken it upon herself to house individuals seek- proximity to one another, the towns have vastly different
ing refuge from a town growing suspicious of them. Nobody values, and as a result, they often have disputes. The one
knows from where the Dark Winged originates or even redeeming factor about the two towns is the dense forest
who she is, as she does not speak. In her small hut atop the between them. They both have to share the area to survive,
southern cliff, she will give her visitor new, simple clothes but it also acts as a semi-permeable wall, almost impossible
made from linen bags, cut their hair short, and feed them. to navigate through. The forest is also rumored to be magi-
As payment for seeking her aid and protection, visitors will cal, scaring most citizens from venturing too far into it.
fish and hunt, maintain her house, and even sing and dance
for her. Authorities from Vardø have sought to remove her Torsåker Town
from the island countless times, but every time disaster
struck, preventing their attempts. Either someone falls on Entering Torsåker town, the influence from the outside
the steep and rocky hills and slopes, breaking limbs or dying world is clear. Christophori, who acts as the unofficial town
from the fall, or the weather is so terrible they can no longer leader, has made it clear how Torsåker can no longer rely
continue. To accused witches, she is heaven sent, but most on hunting and gathering, and must enter the new age.
of Vardø’s citizens are sure she descended from Domen and is To him, God has plans for the small town, and it is up to
a hellspawn in disguise, luring naïve victims into her world. his leadership to steer the town and its inhabitants in the
right direction. The town monastery, formerly belonging
The Dark Winged now has six people living under her
to Catholic monks from Germany, is refurbished as the
protection, all chased away from their lives in the town.
first hospital and poorhouse in the parish and streets are
However, demands for action against the mysterious woman
cobbled in order for trading wagons to more easily make
in the island are growing, and soon the town will no longer
their way through town.
be able to justify her existence.
The priest is controlling the city with a firm hand and,
The Hunter with his faith as guidance, he is also the man behind the
Ole Bjelke descends from a tradition of fishery as most largest witch hunt in Sweden’s history, beheading and burn-
other men in Vardø, but his passion and heart were never ing 71 individuals in one October day in 1674, 65 women
the same as his ancestors’. Growing up with cautionary and six men. Christophori has an innate wish for the town
tales about the dangers of witches and magic, he harbors a to grow and follow the changes of time, and he believes
deep hatred toward and fear of the dark creatures. To him, witches stand in his way. Not only do they stick to pagan
they are animals, pests of which he needs to rid the world. traditions of evil and beneficial magic, but he is certain their
Instead of spending his time fishing, he dedicated his life curses are preventing the town from developing.
as a self-proclaimed witch hunter. He was in charge on Christophori mainly uses children to point out witches,
several trips to Vardøya Island, though he never found the and almost all witnesses in his trials are minors. Children
hiding witch as his team broke their bones or the weather are more imaginative than adults, and many can easily be
raged unabated. Many see him as fanatical and too old to tortured and manipulated to testify, even against family
be climbing steep rocks, but he will not falter until Norway and friends.
has seen its last witch. Ole is currently gathering enough
equipment and courage to once again visit the island, this
time without a team to set him back, and hopefully he will
Storvik
burn every single witch on the island — ultimately the Storvik’s residents have held on to Viking traditions
Dark Winged as well. Archery (Hunting Bow) 4, Occult throughout the course of history and hold no plans to ever
(Witches) 4, Survival 5, Weaponry 3 let their pagan lifestyle change. The citizens of Storvik
strongly believe that what is granted to them by the Earth
Torsåker and forest is a gift from the gods, and they celebrate solstice
as gratitude. Although knowing about the Latin alphabet,
Between the tiny Borlänge village and the larger, ancient they still use runes for descriptions and stories, sometimes
town of Gävle lies the parish Torsåker, led by the Lutheran even for magical purposes. People from Storvik care not
260
for anything the new world has to offer and are content in people, Harald swore to take his revenge on Christophori,
their traditional way of life. and is already gathering men for a night siege to destroy
Although still under the power of Christophori and the the Torsåker church. Ultimately, Harald wants Storvik to
Torsåker parish, Storvik is vastly different from Torsåker in detach from every aspect of Norwegian Christian culture
every aspect from livelihood to religion. As Storvik is one and cleave to the old Asatru traditions. He denounces
of the only towns left to still practice Asatru and pagan- anything relating to Christian beliefs. Carrying crosses or
ism, Christophori is under criticism from larger parishes other newfound religious symbols is punishable by death
for not forcing the words of God upon every citizen in his in his town. Intimidation 4, Occult (Asatru) 3, Politics
community. Storvik even declared their own chieftain as 3, Weaponry 4.
of last year, to the dismay of the priest.
After many failed attempts at converting Storvik into a true
part of the parish, the priest grew tired, and decided most of the
witches to be executed should come from the town, cutting the
Enlightenment Dawns
number of inhabitants in half. This infuriated the chieftain to “And while I’m on the subject, let me say something about
such a degree that he declared open war against Torsåker and Harry Potter. Warlocks are the enemies of God! And I don’t
swore to cold-bloodedly murder Christophori himself. The care what kind of hero they are, they’re an enemy of God and
parish of Torsåker is more divided than ever before. had it been in the Old Testament, Harry Potter would have
been put to death!”
— Becky Fischer, American children’s pastor
The Forest
In 1698, Maren Christiansdatter from Thisted, Denmark
The forest between the two rival towns within Torsåker was diagnosed with demonic obsessions by the local vicar,
parish is a source of sustainment and a protective wall, but after throwing fits and exhibiting mental instability. Several
also an area holding much mystery and fear for both com- other women suffered the same attacks following Maren’s,
munities — whether being of pagan or Christian belief. The and were all sentenced to burn at the stake for witchcraft.
forest evokes fright in its nature, with densely wooded areas, However, soon after, the women stated they never had any
large warped trees, nooks and crannies where sunlight never contact with demons or devils, which led to their death
reaches, and several caves and coves in which predators and sentences being revoked — this was the last recorded witch
inhuman beings can hide. It is widely believed the forest trial of Denmark and marks the end of belief in witchcraft
contains magical sources in the shape of two-headed wolves, for a large part of Scandinavia. Norway’s last witch trial was
ancient oaks, bottomless lakes, and runes engraved in stone. the great purge in Vardø, and Sweden’s witch hunt ended in
The fear of venturing too far into the forest and being lured 1673 with the death of Malin Matsdotter, who was reported
into the water by Fossegrimmen and his violin or Nökken for witchcraft by her own daughter.
with his long, tangled hair influences the life of every person
As the new world grew aware of its own ability to alter
living in Torsåker. Knowing magic-wielding creatures like
itself with technology and increased urbanization, religious
nisser, elves, and trolls live in the depths of the forest prevents
superstition slowly waned and so did the belief in witches.
most people from delving too far. To keep the creatures from
The idea of invisible demons crawling from the deep pits
entering homes, people hang wefts of lavender and sage over
of hell breaking the Earth’s crust to spread chaos did not
their doors, as these herbs ward against magic.
fit into new ideals. Sporadic witch hunts did occur in the
While Storvik’s citizens still fear elves, trolls, and 18th and even 19th centuries throughout Scandinavia, but
creatures of the water, the most dangerous magical figure they were all unofficial and with no will of the state. The
is the witch. They know witches walk among them in the Bible and the Lutheran Church held great importance to
town as well, but believe a pit leading directly to hell lies Scandinavia, but words about witches and magic were seen
within the forest, and from it crawl demons with intentions as metaphorical, and the practice of witch trials slowly died.
of infecting innocent minds. Although it has never been
In some secluded and smaller societies, being seen as a
located, brave search parties have ventured into the deep
witch could still be devastating for an individual, the latest
forest, coming back with stories about men with cat heads
example being Carl Vilhelm Goldmann from the Danish
and women spewing fire.
island Ærø. In 1936, the residents of the town of Marstal
The Chieftain turned their backs on him and marked him as a witch.
Harald is Storvik’s newly chosen chieftain. He grew Although he didn’t suffer the same grim fate as many before
up on what he calls the “only true side of Tårsaker par- him, his house was vandalized, and his chickens stolen.
ish,” and when asked, he does not consider Storvik to be Today, although still an issue in some third-world coun-
a part of any churchly commune or under the power of tries, witchcraft is positively portrayed in most popular cul-
any priest. He is the only true leader of his people and, as ture, and seen as entertainment for every age group. Some
he’s only 30 years of age, he expects to keep the throne for people practice paganism in the shape of Wicca, which is
many years to come. After the slaughter of almost half his not at all based on the Christian beliefs regarding Satanism
and witchcraft and more on nature and energies.
261
Enlightenment Dawns
Throughout the period of witch trials, Sin-Eaters were again experience and influence life. He knows he must use
deeply engaged in Scandinavia. Some try to put a stop to a shell, a vessel to help him to achieve his goal. What could
the nonsense of biblical magic and sorcery, attempting to be better than a mortal dying with unfinished business? In
talk sense into prosecutors. Others have even been the return, the geist grants the Bound the greatest gift of all: life.
victims of trials, and suffered to the same degree as mortals. A chance for redemption, a chance to see the love of their
As the hunt dies down, most disperse throughout Europe, life or children again, or maybe a chance for revenge. The
as they no longer have a particular interest in Scandinavia. Sin-Eater also gains superhuman powers as a result of their
Some, still fascinated with the witch hunt, travel to Salem alien guest. In return, she must share her every thought,
and the Netherlands to attend the last trials. Others spend desire, and emotion with the geist, and carefully balance
time in the Underworld, trying to communicate with the between obtaining her own goals and those of the geist.
ghosts of those murdered. Most Sin-Eaters of this time period are intent on ensuring
While Sin-Eaters see the world turn against the many mortals remain accountable for their actions, no matter their
individuals blamed for witchery, and most take the role of sin or virtue. Geists believe Sin-Eaters should face the same
observers, several of the Arisen wake up right in the middle judgment. If the living do not address their actions before
of the chaos. However, even after the trials die down, many death, they will do so after. Some Sin-Eaters seek to punish
Deathless stay within Scandinavia. They know they awoke and avenge themselves on ghosts of the living, perhaps for their
for a purpose, with something in that part of the world own personal gain. What better way to avenge your daughter
calling them. drowned for witchcraft than by showing the town priest his
final judgment in the Underworld? Others simply seek to lead
Undead Among
the ghosts of the victims in the witch hunt in the correct direc-
tion, because they know this is the right thing to do.
the Living
Not all Sin-Eaters observe the mass murdering from a
distance and shy away from taking action. Sin-Eaters are
seen joining the hunt, and some become the hunted.
As those of flesh and blood, still breathing the air of
The Burdens
life and facing the truth of death, live their lives in the
tumultuous reality of the Scandinavian Renaissance, the
footsteps of the unliving mark the ground. It is not falsely What draws the geist to a dying mortal is the weight of
stigmatized townspeople threatening the lives of innocent his Burden, and this is especially prominent in the era of the
mortals. It is the ancient corpses, ascending from their Scandinavian witch trials, where morality, common sense,
graves to regain power and seek their faith. They are walkers safety, and compassion are destroyed by religious extremists
of the Underworld, grouping together in sects and orders to and corruption. Though the Burdens do not define a Sin-
judge the living and merge with the dead. These monstrous Eater’s existence, they help inform a geist as to the kind of
entities are both the hunter and the hunted in witch trials, dying mortal they might approach in this era.
and they have come to fulfill their sinister goals. Young adults and children killed for witchcraft often
become one of the Abiding. They left their lives with an
Geist: Whispers from

unfinished story, an unfulfilled legacy, and an entire life
stolen from them. The Abiding Burden also takes form in
the Underworld
individuals who spent most of their lives hiding from society
because of the witch hunt, and thus die feeling unfulfilled.
The suicidal mother of an accused witch child, the
Ghosts and spirits exist as more than cautionary tales and spouse with no income after her husband burned at the
folklore in 1600s Scandinavia. They truly are, and they watch stake, and the starving orphan who saw her mother hang
as the world turns against itself. Mass murdering in the name from the gallows often become the Grieving. They all died
of religion is not a new concept, and Sin-Eaters have seen with grief in their hearts and walk the Underworld to seek
events like the witch trials numerous times. When so many what they miss.
die innocent deaths, burdened by revenge and bereaved over Scholars, herbalists, alchemists, and barbers: craftsmen
the loss of their loved ones, Sin-Eaters intervene. and women who could not let their passions go but were
ripped away from them regardless as a result of the witch
Societal Roles hunt, sometimes fall among the Hungry. Some Hungry are
also witch hunters or priests, who cannot let go of their deep
Geists and Bound form a bond at the brink of death, religious beliefs or their desire to cleanse the world of magic.
binding their two existences together, a union benefiting The executioner who lit the tinder of several fires
them both. The geist, a powerful ghost so reshaped and beneath the feet of innocents and the judge who bowed
molded by the sights of the Underworld seeks to once under the pressure of the townspeople and sentenced several
262
children to death may count themselves among the Kindly.
It is a Burden carried by those who pointed a finger at their Necropolitans
neighbor and yelled “witch!” out of jealousy or anger, and
“We know you might have done some pretty questionable
even by the witch who in her lasts moments thought her
things in your life. That elderly lady you sentenced to death be-
actions were truly acts of evil.
cause some third-party witness saw her talking to a cat, or that
Those who knew they were wronged and know exactly time you stole from the church funds because you really wanted a
who to blame often become the Vengeful. Many accused new set of clothes. Don’t worry. We saw it. And when all of the
witches die with this Burden, wishing death upon priests, other heresies scoff at you and are reluctant to let you in — here
friends, witch hunters, and judges. They return to life to we are. The separation between the Underworld and the world
seek retribution, to avenge themselves and their families of the living is an unnecessary wall, and we truly think we can
left behind. make afterlife not only tolerable, but enjoyable, by breaking it.
Heresies (Krewes)
What should keep us from enjoying what we left in life, and why
must communication with loved ones go through a third party?
So, we take the role of flock leaders in our pursuit to break the
Rarely will people die with the exact same goal in mind, barrier and normalize the existence of ghosts. We are priests
and even rarer is the chance of being approached by a geist who preach about the “Holy Ghost,” we lead legions of witch
who shares in their beliefs. But some Sin-Eaters do utilize hunters and crusaders while we ensure them of the wonders of
common tools and approaches in order to gain what they the afterlife. Ultimately, we want happiness to exist both during
seek, and the ability to share in these is intriguing enough life and after death.”
to unify. Although they are all created from the same prin-
ciples, they do not always share the same beliefs, and take
different roles and opinions in the era of the witch trials. Pilgrims
Furies
“The Underworld is a dark, mysterious, and dangerous place
and should be treated as such. We don’t fool ourselves and try to
“Injustice is everywhere and aplenty in this frostbitten hell- make it something it’s not, neither do we fool our dead. Instead,
hole. We don’t sit back and cry in a corner because someone we traverse it. We explore it. We treat it like a biologist would a
did us wrong, we seek and we bring justice. This is not so much dense jungle or a scholar a new and unseen phenomenon. Yes,
about killing that member of the Disciples of Jannes and Jambres it’s frightening and indeed our path is not for everyone. But with
who murdered your mother, or the old hermit in the woods you the right mindset, we can show you things no other heresy can.
are sure cast a deathly spell on your tea. It’s about figuring out We not only guide our dead through the darkness, but we teach
why they did it, and what precautions can be taken to prevent it them how to handle it, how to tame it, how to make their way
in the future. We are swift and organized, and we know exactly through what they must accept as a part of their existence. For
what we are doing, which is why we waste no time discussing this very reason, we spend most of our time in the Underworld,
what is right from wrong. Some of us sit as judges in small-town but with recent activities regarding the great fascination and
courthouses and make sure correct punishments and freedoms purge of witches, we take it upon ourselves to use that fear of
are given, others collect information about those who have done the unknown as an opportunity. Those left behind by hunters
us wrong. There are those who take care of their living and dead and religious fanatics we take under our wings. We show them
forms. Of course, we do our best to handle situations without their Burden should not dictate their lives, but they should dictate
violence, as this can prove very addictive.” their Burden.”
Mourners Undertakers
“Not everything dead is lost. We pursue that which is too “When we hear how preachers lead their congregations to
beautiful, too meaningful, and too valuable to let go. This does fear death with the ever-present risk of ending in hell looming
not necessarily mean great artworks or rare knowledge but can over its head, we sigh. The fear of witches and workings with
be everything depending on what the individual finds precious: devilish monsters are not helping put the Underworld, or hell,
herbal collections gathered and dried over 30 years, the first poem in a good light. We take it upon ourselves to change that. We
written to the love of your life, or sacred religious texts. Most want the Underworld to be a place not awaited in fear, but a
importantly, we seek out individuals for mourning families. We sanctuary you can inevitably expect to approach at some point
find beloved and lost spouses, children, parents, and friends. We in your life. We want to open the Avernian Gates to the living
rarely grant them their lives back, unless their Burden suits the so they might understand their fears are based on nothing but
needs of the inhabitants of the Underworld, but we can transport fanaticism and lies in a book. Perhaps we can even assist in
important information and valuable declarations from one end to stopping these nonsense purges of innocents, if we help them
the other. Many of us inhabit and run libraries in larger cities, and understand that what they fear doesn’t even exist.”
some of us are starting to collect valuable items to display there.”
263
Undead Among the Living
After entering the garden, it looks as if it will merely take
The Underworld minutes to reach it, but somehow it is as if most ghosts
cannot. Pages of the Book of Job blow with the wind, and
The world of the living is not the only place affected scatter randomly on the dry earth, as only a selected few
by this era. The Underworld feels and sees everything, may enter the Sacred Chapel. It is said that only those who
and works in synergy with the world above it. On the very are truly connected to God can tread its floors, and within
topmost layers in the Upper Reaches and River Cities, it lies the light of God and a pathway to heaven.
Gates resembling 1,000 hanging corpses, swaying silently
in the wind and creaking with every slow movement, ap- Judah the Forgiver
pear. Some are piles of bound and drowned bodies, and Overseeing and overruling the Garden of Salvation is
some are seas of ashes with human remains covering their the Kerberos Judah the Forgiver. His gardens are merely a
surface. At the riverbanks, clans of persecuted witches result of his hunger for souls so dedicated to their beliefs they
gather into groups and create small societies, believing they forget the misery and hopelessness that surrounds them.
have truly reached the outer rims of hell. Ferrymen must They are those who do not care when they have to murder
suddenly transport a large influx of children up the river, or betray to appease their God. This is why he lets them
and sometimes down again. travel through horrific sights and fearsome forests in order to
Some of the Lower Mysteries’ Dominions ruled by get to him. As soon as they enter his sanctuary, he devours
Kerberoi are based on the slow disappearance of pagan them, entangling them in his thousand tongues and pulling
beliefs, resembling vast forests with bottomless lakes and them into an eternity of darkness. He does not do this to
magical runestones and healing herbs scattered all over. punish wrongdoers, since he has no sense of justice, good,
Some Dominions appear as enormous cathedrals with or evil. He chooses the most devoted worshippers because
golden crosses, witches’ blood dripping from the mosaics their corrupted souls simply appeal to him. The entirety of
and onto the white chalk walls. Some priests and hunters his gardens is an enormous mousetrap for Christians, and
even end up aboard the Freighter, hoping the endless waters as long as no one escapes his domicile, they cannot tell the
of the Sea will cleanse away the sins of their former lives. tale of their betrayal.
The Gardens of Salvation HARALD STIGSAGER

Most Scandinavians reaching this Dominion are sure
they have finally reached heaven’s gates, although St. Peter is “False icons do not trick me, and they will not trick the
nowhere to be found, and the way there was not as predicted Underworld.”
by the Bible. As soon as they enter through the gates, guarded
As a member of the Furies and with a deep personal
by winged creatures resembling the biblical angels, they enter
hatred for the manipulative Christian Church, Harald
the Gardens of Salvation. Three gardens create a vast rich-
watches as the gardens, day after day, let in large amounts
ness of plants and fauna every ghost recognizes from their
of confused Protestants, with promises of heaven and an
time alive, and at first glance the beauty is overwhelming.
eternity in peace. He does not know why no one ever exits
The first and largest garden seems without horizon,
the Dominion again, and if they do, where do they go?
and if one walks in a straight line they would never reach
As a young and hopeful member of his father’s tribe and
an end but get lost in the endless trees and tall grass sur-
heir to the title of chieftain in Ribe, Harald was eager to
rounding the inner gardens. The few who have tried their
explore new lands to the east. He watched as his father’s fleet
luck escaping the Dominion are faced with impenetrable
rapidly sailed the seas and claimed what they liked as theirs.
swamplands, creating a natural fence on the outer rim of
But something changed within his father as soon as they
the gardens. Small streams springing from Anahita, the
reached the shores of the British Isles. His father showed
river of life, provide the many growths with sustenance.
a sudden interest for a new god represented by a cross, and
The second garden is wilder and seems to be growing on its
instead of fulfilling his promise of gold chests and lands for
own without much supervision or grooming. Odd amulets
the taking, he brought home books and Christian values.
and broken crosses protrude from the earth, as well as pen-
tagrams and tilted baptisteries containing murky, congealed Now, Harald sees as Dominion after Dominion in the
blood from which birds freely drink. Screams and tortured name of the false god arise, and this particular Dominion
moans from innocent witches echo through the garden, he knows he needs to investigate further.
and many ghosts will at this point turn around and flee Concept: The Savior of the Blind
back to the first garden, so they do not have to endure the Aspirations: Inform the Furies and possible other
sounds of the innocent. But some ghosts, often Pilgrims or heresies about the Gardens of Salvation; figure
Undertakers, will reach the inner garden. out what goes on inside the chapel in the Gardens
In stark contrast to both the first and second garden, of Salvation; destroy the Kerberos of the Gardens
the third is bare, except for a small chapel in the distance. of Salvation
264
Attributes: Intelligence 2, Wits 2, Resolve 3; Unfinished Business
Strength 3, Dexterity 1, Stamina 3; Presence 2, Ria did not know she would meet her demise by the very
thing she hunted, but as warm blood stained her armor, she
Skills: Investigation 2, Occult (Haunts, the knew death was inevitable. She awaited the golden gates of
Underworld) 3; Brawl 3, Survival 1, Weaponry heaven, but when she finally opened her eyes, she was met
(Axes) 2; Persuasion (Combat Speech) 3, by a set of curious eyes in the darkness. They belonged to
Socialize 3
a creature offering her a deal, to return her to life and kill
Burden: The Vengeful the witch who brought her to the Underworld in exchange
Root: The need to explore and conquer still lies for eternal companionship. She agreed to this.
deeply within Harald, even in death. His Root is
based on his desire to uncover new territory in the
Underworld and claim it as his own. Places and Items of Interest
Bloom: Although Harald spends a majority of The Avernian Gate of Mount Domen
his time in the Underworld, he appears on the Large amounts of superstitious activity and mysticism
surface of the mortal world when something of surround Mount Domen, and the pursuit to find what is
value needs protection, the latest being helping
the Bastion of Bergen. supposedly the gate to hell in its very core has taken many
lives. The events surrounding the mountain can be felt in
Touchstones: Inherited Anchor, Murder Weapon the outer perimeters of the Underworld, and as a result, an
Remembrance Skills: Weaponry Avernian Gate has emerged. It is formed from the frozen
Haunts: The Curse (Gremlin) 2, The Dirge (Sing stones and pebbles of the mountaintop, interspersed with
the Dirge), The Memoria (Dénouement) 2 the occasional bodies of anyone who dared climb it.
Merits: Direction Sense, Iron Stamina 2, Small- The Keys
Framed, Small Unit Tactics, Tolerance for Biology, The Keys to the gate are scattered around the moun-
Trained Observer 3 tain’s adjacent town, Vardø. These are not physical items
Willpower: 7 and cannot be located in the same exact place each time
Initiative: 5 they are found, as the only people who can open it are
Defense: 1 magical beings. The most prominent of these are members
of sorcerer cults and the few Arisen in the area. The only
Size: 5 thing left to do is to convince them to help.
Speed: 9 The Bible of Thomas Anori
Health: 8
Thomas was a dutiful and beloved preacher in Roskilde
Synergy: 2 for many years, and mostly tended himself and his garden
Plasm: 10 without getting into trouble. When he met a quiet death
in his 70s, his Bible followed him into the Underworld and
The Dead and the Bargain was his only redemption and safety in what he called the
“valley of death.” As he engaged in the Bargain, his Bible
In every creation of a Sin-Eater, a Bargain between the followed him as an important Memento and Key, reminding
dying and a geist must take place. For most dead, the Bargain him that although his faith might have been shaken by the
never occurs. But for the few chosen by a geist, their lives Underworld, God is truly with him.
are irrevocably changed.
The Loss of Maria
When Svend threw himself from the cliffs of his home-
MUMMY:
town, he did not know his story would continue. He did not
wish for it to continue, after his wife had to flee the town
THE DUST OF HEKA
just to be hunted down and killed by witch hunters on her Arisen awakening in flakes of newly fallen snow and
way out. But his geist had other plans for him. His heavy surrounded by sea instead of glistening grains of hot sand
burden of bereavement pulled the ancient ghosts closer to in the dunes of the desert is jarring for the Deathless. Why
him. They promised to help his broken heart heal if they are ancient corpses of Irem suddenly seen walking the
could only live within his body. With nothing to lose, Svend barren lands of the north, and more importantly, what is
agreed and thus was created anew. their purpose?
265
SOCIETAL ROLES Although most Arisen and their cults believe enemies
of the Nameless Empire must face punishment, knowing
When Ammut the Devourer, the being of chaos and who are the true enemies are was difficult, and thus many
destruction, was offered thousands of souls by the guilds of innocents lost their lives. Mummies quickly draw similari-
Shan’iatu, she in turn granted them the forbidden power ties to what they once witnessed and are now seeing again,
to perform the Rite of Return, the creation of the mummy. unearthing Memory and whispers of time lost.
All Arisen must venture through the Duat and undergo
horrifying and torturous tasks before they reach their final
judgment. Only then will they be eternally bound to the
PURSUIT OF THE RESTLESS
mummified remains of their fleshly lives. Being a creature What keeps the Arisen in Scandinavia, where most of
of magical descent, driven by magic, and utilizing magic them are seen as enemies of society and a threat to human-
in its raw form, proves a difficult existence in the age of ity? For the members of the Crimson Priesthood their goal
the witch hunt, when even wearing an amulet can send is obvious, but for many Arisen the answer might not be
you to the gallows. Many Arisen face a world they have simple. Some seek to understand why their Remet is pro-
long forgotten, and are awakened without knowing their voked in this area, and what their continuous flashbacks
purpose. It quickly becomes clear society hunts them. They mean. Others take pity on the falsely accused mortals, and
must step carefully, and some even isolate themselves from wish to hinder what looks like aimless murders. Mummies
society, out of fear of the masses. are quickly realizing they are not the only undead afflicted
Although a majority of the mummies face the cruelty of by the witch trials, and some are taking a keen interest in
the era of witch trials, a small group is taking advantage of the the Sin-Eaters also roaming the north. They are aware of the
gifts granted upon them by the Judges of Duat. They follow methods used to create a Sin-Eater, and geists have direct
in the proud footsteps of the Crimson Pharaoh, who led the and easy access to the Underworld. For some Arisen, this
army of Mark Antony in ancient Egypt. He was involved in is enough to pique their interests and seek out the ghosts.
high society and dictatorship, granting him powers few mum- Both Sin-Eaters and the Arisen are created in another
mies considered accessible, given their servile role. A cult world, and a mutual interest between the two is therefore
arose from his name, now called the Crimson Priesthood. As natural. A mummy might want to know if Duat and the
Arisen realize they must hide in a world dictated by fear and Underworld are the same place and whether she can travel
paranoia, they only grow more determined in their pursuit to between them. She may want to seek out Avernian Gates
take control of the witch trials. Instead of hiding, they gain and perhaps a Sin-Eater to guide her through them.
high societal positions by infiltrating churches, monasteries,
and even royal houses. They do not see the religious fears of SHE’KALIA DARNU AND
mortals as a hindrance, but quietly use their Sekhem to ma-
nipulate and reform their way up the ladder. Sorcerer priests THE SISTERS OF ETERNITY
are awakening the Arisen to either seek religious guidance or Predating the Scandinavian Renaissance and even most
wisdom, or to use their powerful magic to their advantage. The of her peers’ awakening, She’kalia saw the world change
Crimson Priesthood sought to gather other cults, many who for millennia without returning to her sleep. Going by the
long ago lost the will to watch over the tombs of their masters, name of “the Nightmother” or “the Eternal,” she awoke
but had not yet forgotten their names, into one powerful cult. when the Roman Empire fell and has since only returned
They knew mortals controlling such powerful magical beings to her grave once. For centuries she observed how slaves,
were a force to be reckoned with, and although it is part of women, and children were repressed by a primarily male-
powerful Protestant churches, the Crimson Priesthood wishes dominated society, and she made it her mission to not only
to integrate traditions of magic back into society. defend but arm the victims of a world with few rich and
many poor. Inequality and slavery were the preferred ways
REMET OF IREM to shape the world but using this societal method to pro-
cure vestiges and relics only fed her Sekhem. It is theorized
Whether the purpose of the Arisen is clear or she wakes
among sorcerer priests and Arisen that the constant pres-
up in aimless haze, memories of a time long past burrow into
ence of victimization and abuse was what kept her awake.
her mind. Every mummy experiencing the era of the witch
Among the Arisen, she was long seen as a myth and, by
trials will frequently experience flashbacks and sparks of lost
some, the embodiment of one of the Judges of Duat. As
thoughts and visions of the Nameless Empire. They see in-
times changed only two members of her large following
nocent men and women dragged from their homes, burned
remained: Ingrid and Kristina Borgsen.
on a roaring fire, drowned in lakes and rivers, and hanged by
As daughters of the largest and most influential smith
the neck for fabricated crimes. Memories of men and women
of the time, known for his excellent craftsmanship and
brutally slain as enemies of the empire and faith resonates
delivering weapons to the royal guard of Denmark, Ingrid
at this time. In Irem, sacrilegious actions were punishable
and Kristina knew how to strike a good deal. They were
by death, and Irem’s societal structure was largely based on
sent to a convent to learn about female virtues, and were
fear and pain — much like that of this specific era.
266
deemed unfit for marriage until properly schooled. The
sisters were not satisfied with the confined and strict nature
of their new environment. They did not want to roam the
very lowest steps of the secular latter; they hungered for
power and control. When the Reformation swept Europe,
they saw their chance to latch onto one of the first groups
of Scandinavians to speak the Lutheran words. Instead of
fighting the new breath of religion, they converted from
Catholicism to Protestantism in a matter of weeks. They
mostly worked from the shadows and, as they were well-
taught by their father, they helped structure the first press
for the Bible translated to Danish.
They ascended slowly, not publicly, but they served as advi-
sors and spin doctors for the bishop Peder Palladius and quickly
gained a reputation as great resources for the Protestant Church
within high society. Despite their newfound religion, they had
not forgotten the tales of ancient gods and the warm winds
of Irem their father told them as children, and he repeatedly
told stories of the Nightmother. Yearning to become publicly
known for their talents and receiving the attention and power
they so long sought, they decided to reinvestigate She’Kalia,
eventually awakening her from her slumber. Although they
were only two worshippers, their deeply driven need for power
was enough to fuel the Deathless.
The tales told by their father did not include guidance
on how to control an ancient mummy. Ingrid and Kristina
have released a monster upon the world, a monster they
have no control over.
SHE’KALIA DARNU
“Let those who suffer come to me and I will protect. Let those
who cause suffering come to me and I will destroy.”
Guild: Maa-Kep
Decree: Kheru, the Decree of Heart
Judge: Tutuutef, the Giver of Wickedness
Skills: Academics 2, Medicine 1, Occult 2,
Politics (Dictatorship) 3; Athletics 1, Brawl 2,
Stealth (Camouflage) 4, Survival (Swamps) 3,
Weaponry 2; Empathy 2, Intimidation 5,
Subterfuge 4
Affinities: Affable Aid, Beast Companion, Lion’s
Pride, Living Monolith
Utterances: Dreams of Dead Gods, Dust Beneath
Feet, Gift of the Golden Ankh, Power of Re
Merits: Allies ••• (Accused Witches), Cult
••••• (Reach 2, Grasp 3), Guild Paragon
•••, Tomb •••• (Geometry 1, Peril 3)
Willpower: 6
Memory: 2
267
Balance: Persistent (This Arisen will see a task dispose of him. While we appreciate a society deeply rooted in
through to the end unless it stands to harm her disciplinarian influences, we pay no respects to the condemnation
guild or her cult) of magic. So, we lean back and harvest the fruits of both the
Burden: Disrespectful (This mummy has no re- hunter and the hunted. For Dedwen does not favor those who
spect for cultural mores and speaks against them cannot see advantages — even if it costs lives of thousands.”
quite openly.)
Touchstones: Kristina and Ingrid, Sorcerer SESHA-HEBSU
Cultists
Aspirations: End the victimization. Return to rest. “It is a conscious decision when the Scribes do not inter-
fere in large trials, mass murders, or indeed any event seen
Initiative: 6 as immoral or wrong. These concepts do not exist for us. It
Defense: 5 is simply the reality of the River of Truth, the ever-changing
Size: 5 world in which we live. However, we do not lean back and
simply watch. We document. We study. We take every op-
Speed: 16
portunity to write history as it should be written, and combat
Health: 12 our greatest vice — loss of Memory. As mortals worship words
Sekhem: 8 of a false god, we seek to explore these new times of rebirth.
Pillars/Turn: 3/1 While other guilds fight among themselves, we discover land
and cultures; we study medicine and mathematics. Doing so
Pillars: Ab 5, Ba 3, Ka 3, Ren 4, Sheut (Invested: requires a certain knowledge of the infrastructure and mortal
Kristina, Sorcerer Cultist) 2
system of power, and we know the churches record history
Weapons/Attacks: from their perspective. Of course, they are incorrect. And so
Type Damage Range Dice Pool we infiltrate and correct, by any means necessary. We simply
see the world as it should be, here and now.”
Rusted Greataxe 4L Melee 9
DEATHLESS PERSPECTIVES SU-MENENT

Some Arisen thrive in a world where a clear distinction “To us, these times of witchery and forbidden magic are not as
between what is right and what is wrong exists, reminding much about political play, honor and dignity, social inequality, or
them of the idealized days of Irem. Others dare not step wealth. What is deeply fascinating, and on what most Su-Menent
outside their hideouts in terror of the world they face. fixate, is the afterlife of the witch. Where does it go, is it truly an
occult creature of magic, and who is there to guide it through the
eternity of the afterlife? It is highly unlikely their souls rush into
MAA-KEP the same place as the priests spewing heresy to the manipulated
“Times are truly strange when we see the most powerful of public, and in that case, what happens to them? We care not to
creatures fearing the weakest. As the world turns on itself, we understand or relate to those whose worship falls on deaf ears, as
infiltrate and alter the strings of hierarchy from within its holiest the words of the Judges are not negotiable. But we know we must
chambers, latching ourselves onto influential individuals. While seek to conform to the new world in order not to become obsolete.”
we await the great and final judgment of the gods, we waste no
time hiding and we see no value in a false hunt. Our focus lies
on the purpose bestowed upon us, and neither rabid priests, oc-
TEF-AABHI
cult witches, begging families, nor corrupt statesmen can divert “If the ancient powers of Heka can be represented in great
our attention from recovering Sekhem for the divine. We pull monuments, tombs, and pyramids, what would keep them from
strings in places that truly matter to us and help us gain power, flourishing in animated creatures? Instead of condemning ac-
and leave the rest to those blinded by the mortal world.” cused witches because of the morality of false gods, we aim to
learn their ways. Mortals might not be as powerful as effigies,
but surely one feeling the flow of Heka through his body must
MESEN-NEBU be able to obtain things of great wonder and appease the Judges.
“We observe as the mortals hunt their children and moth- We entertain ourselves with the plethora of architectural won-
ers, sons and fathers. We see trials carried out in the name of ders such as churches, libraries, statues of great monarchs, and
corruption and fear. We do not disturb. We adapt. We take building homes for the booming population in Europe. All of this
advantage. When the church is in need of a tracking dog to grants us status and wealth, but also vast amounts of Sekhem.
hunt down supposed witches, we gladly assist. When, in turn, Of all the guilds, we’re truly in the right place at the right time.”
families of accused witches wish death upon the town priest, we
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THE DECEIVED Merits: Encyclopedic Knowledge •• (Arisen),
Language •••••• (Danish, Egyptian,
“The innate hatred and fear of magic catalyzed by the over- Greek, Iremite, Norwegian, Swedish), Library ••
powering Church merely works to our advantage. Naturally, (Occult)
we do not agree with the Christian perception of the world, but Willpower: 10
we feel glee in our rotten bones when we see members of the five
guilds, and their pathetic cults, dragged to the gallows. We are
Burden: Insatiable (Vitalran cannot help but
consume knowledge and Sekhem whenever either
the ones who whisper in the ear of the town judge when the final present themselves)
judgments of witches are determined. We hunt the Arisen, and
use ignorant immortals brainwashed by faith to do the dirty deeds; Initiative: 6
we divert priests’ attention away from what they believe to be Defense: 2
the target and provide them with the true one. It has never been Size: 5
easier to, one by one, pick and crush those who did us wrong.”
Speed: 9
Health: 7
SHUANKHSEN Sekhem: 6
“We vividly remember the days of Irem. The torturous days Pillars/Turn: 2/1
of slavery. The prying eyes of slave masters and the stinging pain
Pillars: Ba 5, Ka 3, Ren 2, Sheut 2
of their whips. Of all of us, we should be the ones to sympathize
with the victims of the witch hunt, and perhaps lend them a hand.
But we do not. We watch as the Arisen continue to worship the THE LIVING
Judges, they who created our eternal struggle, how they praise As well as the undead, mortals involved in Arisen
their names, similarly to how families of killed witches worship affairs play different roles in this era. Some merely exist
the god who commanded those exact words. Our wrath and for the purpose of their cults, performing sorcery unbe-
disdain grow. Vengeance will be ours.” knownst to a majority of mortals, while others manipulate
and utilize the sacred powers given to them in the shape
of a corpse.
VITALRAN-SEBA’R
TAURANS
“Having enough time is not an issue for me, but finding the
right time to strike is truly important.” “We worship the Earth and what has risen from it, whether
it be fauna or corpses, and we can therefore highly relate to
Instead of plunging headfirst into conflict with the the pagan traditions of magic users. They pay their respect to
Arisen, and allowing his need for revenge to control him, what gave us life, and with this we can only sympathize. Our
Vitalran takes pride in his calm and collected approach paths led us from the rigid earth of Egypt to that of Scandinavia,
to issues. Instead of dwelling on horrifying memories of where we heard whispers of the hunt of these inhuman beings,
repeated devouring like his fellow Shuankhsen, he uses and we raise our dead to protect them against what seeks to
his time to study the Arisen, to find their weaknesses and destroy them. The youngest among us we send to scout the
gradually figure out the best method by which to take his lands of witches, while the rest of us tend to our matriarch and
revenge. Currently, he is gathering Shuankhsen like himself prepare for war. For if society sees northerners with magical
to pursue his vengeful play. abilities as their enemies, what happens when they hear words
Concept: Expert on the Arisen of our existence?”
Remnant: Ba
Judge: Ammut, the Devourer THE CRIMSON PRIESTHOOD
Attributes: Intelligence 5, Wits 4, Resolve 4; “Witches? There is no such concept, especially not in a barren
Manipulation 3, Composure 4 village inhabited by heretic fanatics. However, magicians thrive
in masses. We are the brewers of humours, creating concoctions
Skills: Academics (Ancient Empires) 4, that could kill entire villages, and we are to blame for unholy
Investigation 4, Occult (Arisen, Irem) 5; Stealth 2; objects causing suffering and sickness. Our play with blood
Expression 1, Persuasion 1, Subterfuge 3
magic is not related to talks of the devil or hell but powered by
Bane Rites: Rite of Eternal Chains, Rite of the Lost us and the gods. For so long, we have harvested the corpses of
Cause, Vitriolic Souls those who cannot afford burials, with the promise they would
Bane Affinities: Body-snatcher, Falcon Soul end in Christian soil. Sadly, they should never have trusted a
Aloft, Jaws of the Devourer, Sekhem Clot sorcerer, as we use their bodily shells to provide us with the blood
269
we need in our sacrifices and rituals. But with the increasing Curse: The creator of the flute was not pleased to see
witch paranoia, mortals are growing reluctant to hand over the his masterpiece disappearing into the hands of his enemies.
bodies of their loved ones, for what if unholy actions were to be He set a curse upon the object, making its use apparent to
performed upon them? This is where we step in. Nothing will any unnatural creature. The flute, although almost silent
stand in the way of our purpose.” to mortals, sounds like a loud screech to any immortal
when used, thus attracting them to the user. Non-immortal
creatures do not hear the sound.
SISTERS OF ETERNITY
“Instead of preventing innocent deaths, or assisting those THE FORBIDDEN SWAMPS
who order them, we take the opportunity to communicate with
Much of the booming Scandinavian agricultural trade
the unliving. What intrigues us the most are the groups of Sin-
was only made possible by removing and draining many
Eaters who are equally interested in this specific area or mass
of the swamps taking up large areas. Farmers waste no
killings. We use dying mortals to understand not only the world
time removing what they must to make way for fields and
in which we exist, but the world that is to come, and we waste
livestock. Despite the farmers’ eagerness, some swamps
no time with politics or false religions.”
are deemed sacred or not to be touched by royal order and
without any apparent reason, to many farmers’ irritation. In
PLACES AND ITEMS reality, several of the swamps act as resting places or tombs
for cults bringing their sleeping Arisen to the North. They
OF INTEREST know the anoxic swamps are the best place to store the dead
Relics, shrines, papyri, and sleeping corpses. Although and their relics, and several have manipulated the throne to
many of these sacred objects and areas originally belonged ward off anyone who might want to explore the mysteries
in warmer climates, the great influx of cults and Arisen of the swamps further.
into even the most northern parts of Europe over the last
century ensured a great deal of them were scattered. Some PAPYRUS OF THE WITCHES’ BANE
objects and tombs are yet to be found, while others are
frequently worn or visited. Durability 3, Size 2, Structure 2
Sigfrid knows what power rests underneath his bed and,
THE MENAT OF HEKA luckily, he is the only one. As one of the few monks left in
Sweden, and one of the few Swedes who does not believe
Durability 4, Size 1, Structure 3 in witches or magic, he instead seeks to protect and provide
To most, this Menat does not stand out as an amulet, shelters for accused witches on the run. As a parting gift,
or even an object of interest. Christophori Hornaeus his pastor provided him with an ancient script, something
wears it around his neck without it catching too much he promised would ward off evil. The papyrus can create a
attention. He stole the Menat from the living quarters powerful ward against dark magic, and Sigfrid knows it is
of a royal guard, who found the Menat crusading in the up to him to keep it stored away.
Levant and was later burned at the stake by Christophori Power: When reading the script near holy grounds — a
himself. Christophori witnessed the powerful effects of church, churchyard, chapel, or another sacred place — the
the amulet, which is concealed as a flute, when he blew letters on the papyrus light up and the reader gains +5 to
it the very first time and he suddenly felt a strong pull all Defense rolls against the undead, including mummies,
toward the baker’s wife. Days after, he saw her drawing Sin-Eaters, and vampires. If a mummy reads the text, he will
sacrilegious symbols on her doorframe and he persecuted gain the same affect when in a fight with the Lifeless, and
her as witch. To him, the Menat is God’s vessel, and he Sin-Eaters will gain the same effect when fighting against
believes God speaks directly through it to assist in the any denizens of the Underworld. The effect remains in place
purge of evil. until the next stroke of midnight.
Power: The Menat of Heka was created with the inten- Curse: The scroll was originally stolen from a plague
tion of finding magical creatures. In Heka, sorcerer priests house, and carries with it some of the memories of the ill-
used to localize tombs with resting mummies inside or risen ness. After reading the scroll, the reader exudes a beacon
mummies. Christophori is convinced the flute shows him of sickly light, making every living creature within their
the way to witches and sacrilegious individuals, and feels presence in the next 24 hours feel deathly ill. Any living
the power of the object, but he has no clue how or when creature within the reader’s presence for longer than a scene
to use it. The flute must be played to show its true power, must roll Stamina + Resolve to resist losing a permanent dot
and once it does, a certain tone can be heard by the bearer of Stamina. This can kill someone with a Stamina rating
every time he is near a mummy. of 1, if reduced to 0.
270
DISCIPLES OF JANNES Petu, the eldest of the three, could not live with the rest of
the group knowing about the papyrus, and in a hypnotic
AND JAMBRES fury he murdered both.
After seeing the blood of his dearest friends on his hands,
“We are the vessels of gods, the tongue of the ancient mulch,
he knew he could no longer face the gods’ judgment. He had
the eyes of that which cannot see. We fight fire with fire, and we
heard talks of a new God, an omnipresent God to overrule
do what the Church and the state cannot.”
every other God, based on the religious beliefs of Judaism
Despite being one of the oldest sorcerer cults, the and Christianity, and to Petu it made sense to worship him
Disciples have renewed themselves and their views on a instead of the older gods he had already angered. This was
near-constant basis throughout their existence. This has led his chance to start anew. With the magical scroll in hand,
to frequent changes in members and leaders, and skepticism he soon traversed not only the Persian Empire, but Europe,
from other cults, often leading them to underestimate the to search for groups of people sharing in his beliefs. He has
massive power the cult holds. The Disciples of Jannes and seen with his own eyes what evil magic can do, but was
Jambres is a group based in Oslo, Norway and is known as also deeply fascinated by it, and so he decided to remove
one of the largest and most influential cults in Scandinavia. magic from the hands of those who could not contain it.
Although they have faced change throughout the centuries, This philosophy has served member of the cult ever since,
their primary goal has never faltered: to destroy any threat and the witch trials in Scandinavia were the perfect op-
to God. When talks of witches leading good Christian men portunity to kill and destroy their enemies without having
and women to the devil reached the group, they were the the world against them.
first to lead the purges throughout Norway. They mercilessly
dispatched anyone they deemed a threat without going
through state or Church. News of a vigilante group killing
GOALS
in the name of God quickly spread throughout Scandinavia, Magic is a powerful tool, and just like any other object
giving them a certain notoriety. For some, the Disciples that can be utilized for destructive purposes, when it falls
were angels in disguise, sent by God to do what the Church into the wrong hands it can have dangerous consequences.
could not. This opinion was almost exclusive to Protestants, The Disciples firmly believe they are the only true sorcerers
who already believed in the separation between God and and the only beings who can wield magic like God bestowed
Church. For Catholics, the cult was nothing but sinners, upon Jesus. Magic should be limited and controlled, but
going against every law issued by the Church. not completely destroyed. Men and women from simple
The Disciples of Jannes and Jambres took their name villages who know nothing of the world have no control
from the sorcerous couple represented in the Bible. Despite over magic, and might easily attract the attention of Satan
hunting and killing those who supposedly use magic, they if they access it without control. They see it as their task
are not hesitant to practice its use. They firmly believe to remove and destroy any wielders of magic other than
magic is not evil or frowned upon by God in its nature, themselves, since they are the only true sorcerers.
and they see Jesus as one of the most powerful wielders of
magic to have ever walked the Earth. However, magic in JUDGE WORSHIP
the wrong hands, especially in the hands of devilish men
Bastu (The Stare): The Disciples know their former
and women, can certainly become evil. Attempting to kill
crimes, but believe they cannot be judged for them as they
witches without knowing the weapons they use against God
were all a part of the larger scheme. Without the scheme,
and his people is like fighting without a sword — useless
their cult would not exist. They feel connected to Bastu,
and dangerous. Therefore, the group uses every ancient
and its punishment for avoiding one’s just sentence.
gift granted them to fight against what they believe to be
truly evil. Kenemti (The Penitent): Anyone using magic aside
from the Disciples is to be destroyed. Many cultists who
utter the name “Kenemti” officiate in churches or other
HISTORY religious places, protected by their stone walls and words
The Disciples originated in Egypt like many other sor- of false prophets. The Disciples feel a strong bond with
cerer cults, and their first pursuits were not in the name of the Judge who punishes those responsible for desecration
Christianity or with malicious intentions in mind. When of holy places.
a group of three male scholars stumbled upon an ancient Maa-Nantuuf (The Seer of What is Brought Forth):
papyrus written by the god-king Hakor, they became so Only through self-sacrifice and pain will a body lose former
enthralled with the weird and otherworldly text that bonds and allow new ones to form. Mutilation is a large part
they forgot their duties and were stripped of their titles. of the Disciples’ rituals; therefore, they feel a fearful bond
Meanwhile, their fascination grew so strong, and their with the Judge of body despoilment.
minds so twisted, they could no longer see right from wrong.
271
GUILD LINKS • The Blood of Christ: The sorcerer dips their hands
into a blessed chalice full of the freshly drawn blood
The Disciples were originally tightly connected to of a witch, sacrificed specifically for this rite, and
Sesha-Hebsu and their inscriptions of texts, and Scribes drinks what they can hold within their palms. They
are indeed curious about the ancient god-king scroll in the repeat this until the chalice is empty. The first drink
Disciples’ possession. As time passed, they saw themselves requires a single success on a Stamina + Resolve roll,
serving the Maa-Kep with increasing regularity. Their the second requires two, and third requires three,
strict values of order in chaos and control over magic unless the sorcerer is used to drinking blood. The
catered to their needs. Although the Disciples primarily sorcerer partaking in the rite gains an additional two
believe in the Christian god, they have not lost touch dots in one Physical Attribute of their choice during
with their ancient beliefs and, in all secrecy, they still their next battle. If an Arisen contributes Ba to this
firmly believe in the Judges of Duat, as decreed by their rite, normally by cutting their hand and holding
original Arisen masters. the open, unbleeding wound in the full chalice, the
sorcerer gains two dots in every Physical Attribute.
INITIATION CEREMONIES This modifier lasts until their next battle concludes.
Every cult has its own set of rules or rites for individuals • The Holy Trinity: This mass rite requires the pres-
to become new members. To the Disciples, these consist of ence of three or more sorcerers. In unison, they create
a concoction of both Egyptian and Scandinavian traditions. a circle on the ground beneath them and join hands
No one can enter the cult without being hand-picked by atop the symbol. At the center of the symbol must
Hilde, and even then, she might see a potential member rest the bones of a holy individual, such as a priest
unworthy even after years of service. Hilde knows she or saint. A knife passes between the participants
cannot just let anyone know the secrets of their duality in and they take turns cutting into their hands. Their
beliefs and their magical powers, especially not in a time blood circulates through them unnaturally, leading
when all magic is seen as evil. If she finds a suitable mem- to gross, bulging muscles, veins popping, and an alien
ber, he must connect with both the new God and the old rage within that increases the difficulty of Resolve
gods, and the only method making this possible is sensory and Presence-based rolls for the next 24 hours. Each
deprivation. The aspiring member is hung on a wooden participant gains access to the Wits and Composure
cross, with his arms and legs bound to its surface. His ears ratings of the participants with the highest ratings,
and eyes are covered, and he is stripped naked. The eldest lasting three days and three nights. The bones dis-
of the sorcerers draws symbols from the papyrus of the god- integrate upon completion of the ritual. If an Arisen
king while chanting the names of the 42 Judges of Duat. stands in the circle and contributes a point of Ba, the
After five days in complete starvation and darkness, the soul new Wits and Composure ratings remain in place for
has reached duality and the body is cleansed and ready to seven days and nights.
worship both old and new gods.
DISCIPLES RITUALS Playing the Game

• And Jesus Saw: The Disciple uses this rite in trials It might be difficult imagining why the Sin-Eaters and
and to track down magicians. This rite can also be Arisen would pursue each other, taking their vastly differ-
used to locate places of magic like Avernian Gates ent goals, perspectives, and history in mind. The Sin-Eaters
and tombs. Firstly, a sacrifice is required wherein seek to judge the living and assist the dead, creating an
the sorcerer must thread a small needle through the Underworld wherein mortals, ghosts, Bound, and geists
sclera of their eyeball without assistance. Such an can harmonize. Arisen seek their own destiny with little
action requires at least four successes on a Stamina + consideration to the world surrounding them, and some-
Resolve roll. Once threaded, a cross must be attached times they roam aimlessly but with immense amounts of
to the hanging thread. Secondly, the participants power. What does create a common ground between the
need a piece of the body or something stained with two undead is their fascination with the Underworld and
one of the humours of the person on whom they Duat. The Arisen seek Duat to gain unity with the Judges
want to use it, or a fragment of material from the area and understand what they are and where they should go,
they seek to investigate. By dragging the cross over while Sin-Eaters often travel the Underworld to guide and
the focus item, the sorcerer can detect its owner’s punish ghosts and control the Bargain between Bound and
or originator’s location. Arisen participation in the geist. Sorcerer cults create powerful spells with the help of
ritual typically takes the form of donating Ren, pro- ancient words from the depths, and Bound roam the many
viding the sorcerers with knowledge of their target’s levels of the Underworld and its Dominions to understand
name, history, and connections. why and what they are.
272
Friends or Foes
Arisen fascinate themselves with the idea that there are New Tilt: Frostbitten (Personal)
creatures in their periphery who know how to enter the world
Description: The cold is biting through you, and
beneath through magical Gates. Sin-Eaters find an Arisen
the pain is as deep as the punishments of Duat and
incredibly useful when searching for Keys for that exact Gate. the first cold nights of the Underworld. The winter
Undertakers will offer many favors to gain access to the tomb takes its toll even on undead forms.
of an Arisen and satisfy their hunger for relics of the dead, and
the Su-Menent will in turn set their eyes on the possibility Effect: Supernatural creatures (including mages
of being ferried down the Rivers into the Lower Mysteries. and hunters) suffer −1 on Strength and Stamina
rolls for the next 24 hours while their bodies
Two powerful undead in an area with a low mortal popula- recover. In the same circumstances, mortals suffer
tion might also create conflicts of catastrophic proportions if −2 on Strength and Stamina rolls for the next
either does not see eye to eye. Perhaps the Furies of Ribe are seven days, and if not treated within the first two,
convinced the newly awakened Maa-Kep are only out to abuse permanently lose one dot from Presence and one
the ghosts of the lost lives from the recent witch trials, and dot from Stamina.
they wish to protect what they see as their area of expertise Causing the Tilt: Remaining outside for more
before they fall into the claws of evil. Maybe the faithful cult than five hours in temperatures below 30°
of a sleeping Arisen suddenly decides to follow a powerful and Fahrenheit. Being exposed to a supernatural
active Sin-Eater, fascinated by his charismatic preaching in the power that channels freezing temperatures over
local church — what happens when that Arisen wakes to see an extended period. Exposure to the Extreme Cold
members of her cult turning their backs on her? or Blizzard Tilts.
Ending the Tilt: Finding sanctuary from the chill-
Winter Conditions ing temperatures and applying warming (but not
hot) temperatures to the frostbitten area, before
Darkness and cold dominates large parts of Scandinavia. then treating it with an Intelligence + Medicine roll.
The natives have had hundreds of years to adjust and regu- The difficulty of this roll increases by 1 for every
late their ways of living through the blistering cold winds hour the character was exposed to the elements
and snow storms, utilizing the bountiful seas around them. past the initial five.
They build housing and shelters designed to withstand
the cold, and brew strong alcoholic drinks to warm them
from the inside. However, these frosty temperatures are
not something many mummies and Sin-Eaters are used
to enduring. Some Arisen use their cults to do their dirty
deeds during the harsh winter while they store themselves New Tilt: Strange Darkness
away in hideouts, and Sin-Eaters will at times completely
abandon the surface of the living and await the darkest (Environmental)
hours to disappear in the Underworld. Description: The paranoia of this new darkness is
Use the Blizzard, Extreme Cold, and Ice Tilts from the overwhelming. The missing rays of the sun and the
Chronicles of Darkness core book (p. 287) to demonstrate seemingly eternal darkness is taking its toll on you.
the harshness of the winter months in Scandinavia. You have to get away, you have to leave now.
Effect: Anyone spending more than eight hours
The Bastion of Bergen in unnatural darkness, enforced darkness, or the

darkness that comes with winter in or near the
Arctic Circle, and does not have the aid of artifi-
It is believed among the guilds that the first Arisen cial light sources, the moon, or the stars, cannot
arrived in Bergen in 1616 CE. It did not take long for the use their Willpower to reroll for the next 24 hours.
church and peasants of the town to whisper “witch” as she
walked by. In the beginning, she did not know what the Causing the Tilt: The lengthy winter in the Arctic
Circle, where the sun doesn’t come up for over a
word meant, and she was not aware of the hatred against
month. Supernatural powers that create clouds of
magic. Her Sybaris spread sickness everywhere she went, impenetrable darkness. Being entombed alive.
and she was forced to move from her small chambers in the
middle of the town to a remote location on its outskirts. Ending the Tilt: Finding a light source is the best
People were convinced the illness was a result of her being way to end this Tilt. Lighting a candle or traveling
a foreigner, despite her waking in the heart of town. She to find sunlight are equally as effective.
knew of her ability to issue Utterances and suspected she
was awake for a reason, but she could not control her powers
273
The Bastion of Bergen
sufficiently and all her Memory could provide her was the a rapid pace, and they only seem to grow stronger with the
name of her Mesen-Nebu guild. Existing in Bergen became union of undead.
increasingly difficult, as she could no longer walk from her The example of the Bastion of Bergen shows how a
house without having stones thrown in her direction or be- krewe framework, or in this time a heresy, can be applied
ing spat upon. Fear gripped her emaciated, powerful form, to beings other than the heresy itself. It is also an example
preventing her speaking words of destruction. of how an awakened Arisen unaware of her goal can find
Just as she was about to move on, a note was slipped a meaningful path by which to gain Sekhem and Memory.
underneath her door, and it led to her very first encounter
with an undead unlike herself. A Sin-Eater had kept an eye
on her and found her aura of magic fascinating, and the
Merits
two started a friendship, which later created the Bastion
of Bergen. The Sin-Eater helped her locate her lost cult
Holy Acquaintances
which was searching for her in southern parts of Denmark, (• to ••••, Krewe)
and she helped the Sin-Eater locate his very first Avernian Effect: Your character has friends within the Church,
Gate. Realizing the value a companionship between their whether it be Catholic or Protestant. This might be the
two worlds held, they took it upon themselves to protect local choirboy who can provide you with details about the
and aid any new Arisen or Sin-Eaters in their area who corrupt priest, or the Bishop of Sweden. You hold a power-
might suffer from the dangers of the witch hunt. They ful card in your hand, as the Church is tightly connected
acquainted themselves with sorcerer cultists the Sisters of to the state, and dictates laws aplenty. Using this Merit
Eternity and their Arisen companion She’kalia Darnu, and requires a successful Presence + Social Skill roll. For every
Harald Stigsager arose from the Underworld several times dot purchased in this Merit, the character gains a +2 die
to aid the Bastion in the protection of his own companions. bonus to influencing your religious acquaintances in this
Opinions about the rapidly growing Bastion vary; some way, but cannot use the Merit more than once per chapter.
Arisen believe it is a waste of Sekhem to protect others,
and many Sin-Eaters think their abilities are worth more in Sabbat Knowledge (•• to •••••)
the depths of the Underworld than on quarrels concerning
mummies. Regardless, the Bastion adds newer members at Effect: You have used an extensive amount of time on
studying the Bible, Malleus Maleficarum, alchemy books,
274
books about herbalism, and historic books about previous into the belief of the malicious witch, either as a part of the
witch trials. Your knowledge of why the trials are occurring Lutheran or Catholic Church, or perhaps groups of hunters.
and what hunters are looking for in their purges are to your Make them the head of a court, and make the players observe
great advantage, and assist you in knowing what not to do to court cases where innocent individuals and even children are
be seen as a witch — or perhaps what to look for if you wish punished for witchcraft. This era was unfair and terrible to all
to hunt them yourself. To use this Merit, you must make a those persecuted as witches or their sympathizers. Use this to
successful Intelligence + Occult roll. For every dot purchased spark the sense of justice and give them a common enemy.
in this Merit, the Storyteller will provide you with a piece of
advice, information, or lore relating to the practices and tactics
of religious hunters in this region, including how to effectively
Manipulation
hide your trail. You can only use this Merit once per chapter. When stricken by fear or desperation, manipulation be-
comes a walk in the park. The majority of witches were either
Invisible Sybaris manipulated psychologically or physically to point out other
witches or confess their sins. Heads of state and prominent
(•• to •••, Mummy Specific, Style) town rulers did not hesitate to use torture or threats of death
Effect: This Merit allows you to lessen the effect of your to get the answers they wanted. Put the players in the place
Sybaris on a select mortal or chosen group of mortals, and of a victimized witch and let them experience manipulation
makes it easier for you to hide your magical abilities. You firsthand or let them be the one swinging the axe.
can only use this Merit once per chapter.
Only a Whisper (••): Your character can keep her
Sybaris under control in front of one individual for however
Panic
Danger is everywhere, and this naturally leads to anxiety
long she chooses.
and panic in different forms. Some types of panic are expressed
Come Closer (•••): Groups of mortals can now surround through isolative and concealed behavior, leaving cities and
your character without them suffering the illness of Sybaris. towns abandoned. In contrast, the sudden explosive screams
and pushes in the town market, when the word “witch!” is sud-
Immediate Disappearance (• to •••, denly yelled, create pandemonium. Let characters ride through
Sin-Eater Specific, Krewe Only) towns once blossoming with activity and let them experience
the eerie silence and watchful eyes staring from the windows.
Effect: This Merit allows your heresy to within hours Or give them the opportunity to calm down a chanting crowd,
disappear into the Underworld and from the minds of perhaps joining them as they point their fingers at a new witch.
mortals they have encountered in the last three days, al-
lowing it to escape an angry horde of townspeople or witch
hunters. Your heresy must be gathered in one place, or else Paranoia
the escape will not succeed. To use this Merit, make a suc- Why is the neighbor’s wife Maren always heading out after
cessful Dexterity + Stealth roll. For each dot purchased in midnight with a candle and a basket of stones and wild herbs?
this Merit, any pursuers stop looking for you for that many And did she not sing an odd song in a foreign tongue when
scenes. This Merit can only be used once per chapter. sowing the fields last week? There must be devilry at play,
and you cannot have this in the town. In this era, trust is a
Storytelling the
word rarely used and even less practiced. Players are aware of
the dangers of being seen as a witch, especially when they do
Scandinavian Witch Trials

wield magical powers. Apart from the dangers coming from
outside influences, there might also be judging eyes within
the group. Create chaos and distrust, dilemma, and concern
In an era where no one can truly feel safe as even the when a member of the party suddenly becomes the witch.
predator becomes prey and families and friends turn their
backs on each other, anxiety and isolation are prominent
emotions. Persecution, manipulation, panic, and paranoia Fanaticism
reign supreme, as religious dogma and the hunger for power A small group of Sin-Eaters dedicated to the ways of
sneak up on even the holiest. the Lutheran Church are purging a small town in southern
Sweden. Indifferent to showing their inhuman abilities to
Persecution eyes that may not understand them, weekly burnings and
hangings are destroying the already-small population of the
The era of the witch hunt provides certain individuals town. Townspeople are hiding inside their homes, the town
with immense amounts of power, making them the rulers of market lies silent, and not even children can be seen play-
life and death. This opportunity attracts many different groups, ing on the streets. As the bell in the town church exudes a
mortal and immortal. Create groups or individuals incarnated somber tone when the last rays of the sun leave the barren
275
Storytelling the Scandinavian Witch Trials
earth, the Hexebanen awakes. A group of three to four Sin- this happens, it is an opportunity for the Storyteller to cre-
Eaters clad in robes led by snarling Hexhunde, or “witch ate a conflict or alliance between the two parties. Keep in
hounds,” in leather armor guard the streets. The dogs guide mind they are also influenced by the paranoia of the witch
the group from door to door, with nervous eyes staring from hunt, and may stand as accused or accuser.
the windows, for they know if the dog sits, another witch When playing in this tier, keep the game local and
is found. By morning, a large red cross marks the witch’s isolated. Let the walls of the town close in on the players
door, giving the rest of the town permission to loot, destroy, and let them experience the slow suffocation of a society
and punish whatever and whomever lives behind it. If the where everyone knows everything about one another. Give
accused witch has not fled the town by the same morning, them a chance to create deep relations with the inhabitants,
Hexebanen will hunt them down. and understand the intricate details of the town. Perhaps
the group hears rumors of an alleged witch in the opposing
Betrayal town, and upon closer inspection realizes this witch bears
close resemblance to that of a Pilgrim Sin-Eater. Or maybe
From her window in the small townhouse next to the they spot a recently awakened Tef-Aabhi who has no clue
smith, she observes Hexebanen as they run through the why she is awake and wanders around confused, spreading
town like a pack of confused sheep. She smiles, for she her Sybaris.
knows they cannot and will not find the reason behind
the misery haunting the small town this last year. Her
Sekhem is too powerful for simple mortals or even Sin-
Tier Two: Circle
Eaters to bear. She awoke in times when witches did not In times of fear, mortals as well as immortals seek the
pose a threat or even exist in mortal vocabulary, and company of their kin — some in the pursuit of safety and
settled down in the town, not necessarily knowing why or reassurance, and some to plan how to utilize and manipu-
what her existence meant. She realized her mere presence late panic.
was rendering animals and people in the town sick as ac- Apart from groups of immortals, mortals aware of their
cusations of witchcraft quickly arose and some suspicious undead companions wandering the world create their own
looks were pointed her direction. She knew she had to groups, some to assist, and some to manipulate their mon-
drown the flame, and therefore manipulated Klaus, the strous leaders. Cults, pilgrimaging from the warm sands of
captain of the Sin-Eater-driven Hexebanen, to make her Egypt to the blistering cold in the north, bring with them
a trusted set of eyes and ears to point out possible causes of their Deathless, or summon them from their graves. Tribal
the illness. As weeks go by, and despite now hundreds of cults awaken their idols to gather wisdom of this new-
witches fleeing or being murdered, the cause of the misery found hatred of witches, and to understand in what way
still has not been located. Panic is arising among mortals they should be handled. Conspiracy cults and enterprise
and Sin-Eaters, while the Deceived mummy known only cults both have agendas and goals and will often awaken
as Gry sits back and enjoys the show. the undead to use them. One cult might be based in the
Lutheran Church and is in dire need of the only magic they
Gameplay Tiers know to be sacred — Sekhem — in order to fight against
dark powers. Another might earn money murdering witch
When creating a chronicle, there is a plethora of hunters for the local Bound burdened with vengefulness
directions and levels on which to build gameplay. In the over their partner, lost in a witch purge.
Scandinavian Witch Trials era, the opinions of the state Let the players explore a large area influenced by the
and church trickle down from high society to the poorest witch hunt in different degrees. Give them an intense
and lousiest existences. At every level there exists the pres- scene with the vicar of the area, and let them know his
ence of undead beings. take on the stressed towns in his parish. Make vast differ-
ences between the areas, perhaps create a small town only
Tier One: Cauldron populated by alleged witches. The cults and groups of ghosts
Papal bulls, decrees, and laws of religious nature all can influence the playable area, even without the help of
derive from places of power and prominence, but the ones Sin-Eaters or mummies.
paying for and often abiding by them are the individuals.
They are people with little to no say in the matter, who Tier Three: Sabbat
will just have to pray they or their families are not the The largest and most influential groups in society exist
next to stand tiptoe on a wooden box with a noose around on this tier. The head of the Lutheran Church pulls the
their neck. string of every action of the state, and nothing is passed
Immortals are not highly represented in smaller societ- or approved if not run by the Church first. The word of
ies, and even for larger cities it is rare for a single Arisen or God is final.
Sin-Eater to be present for longer periods of time. When
276
Heresies of Vengeful and Bereaved Sin-Eaters rapidly the age of 21. Instead of ascending to heaven as he drew his
grow, as newer members are created faster than ever before. last breath, a voice softly spoke to him. It offered him a deal,
There are simply myriad mortals who are not yet done liv- a pact, something to keep them both alive. Matthæus rec-
ing, dying with grief or anger, or wishing to avenge them- ognized the voice as his mother’s and accepted her request.
selves for the unfairness of their demise. Geists do not shy To the surprise of the people of Bergen, Matthæus sur-
away from making deals with the humans lost between life vived his illness. No one knows inside their beloved priest
and death, and therefore Scandinavia is one of the areas lives the will of one of the town’s murdered witches. No one
with most Bound activity in this era. Mummies are a rarer except Matthæus knows of his dark pact, and he is aware
sight, as they until now have not had any business in the he must keep his secret hidden at all costs.
colder regions. But with a stark expression of the power of Matthæus is fighting a battle within himself based on
the law and religion driving members of Sesha-Hebsu to guilt and desperation. He is aware of his state and what
get a piece of the action, and Su-Menent seeking mysteries he has to hide for the rest of his existence. Have a player
and alleged magical wisdom from these witches. figure out the secret of the town priest and let him use the
Send the players on a great journey through Scandinavia knowledge to his advantage.
and let them experience the largest historical witch trials,
their prosecutors, and their victims. Will they agree with
their heresies and guilds when taking a stand or perhaps Freya’s Descendants
leave the humans to fend for themselves? Do they stand by Although heresies of Sin-Eaters were created as a re-
the witches, as they understand the need for magic in the sponse to the negative view the world adopted after the
world, or do they see it as a curse? Reformation, the gathering of völver has existed since an-
Let the players know, although they harbor powers most cient times. Originally the völver from everywhere around
do not, that the era of the Scandinavian Witch Trials is Torsåker would gather to celebrate solstice and make both
one of danger and even a mummy or Sin-Eater stands little human and animal sacrifices to the gods. In the Viking Age
chance against the anger of the masses. and up until the 13th century, they were widely respected
by every town in their region, and it was seen as a blessing
Story Hooks
when the covenant would visit. When times changed, and
magic condemned, they did not scatter in fear or turn to
Christianity; instead they became stronger in their Asatru
The witch trials are a tightly focused event in history, faith and swore to protect the victims of the witch trials.
but Scandinavia is large and contains many characters and The heresy created an ethos, an action, swearing pro-
plots ripe for exploration. tection over those condemned by their town and state.
A great pilgrimage began from Torsåker to Boden, where
The Dark Host Freya’s descendants would travel from town to town and
aid persecuted witches. Some they bring food and drink,
Matthæus Johannes Sigfridsson was a dedicated and some they even help settle in other towns.
renowned priest in the Norwegian city of Bergen. Unlike
Freya’s descendants form a group of Sin-Eaters useable in
many other priests in the town, he grew up in a poor family
many different ways. Use the descendants to foment chaos
raised by his single mother on the outskirts. As his mother
in a town where a strict Christian regime is creating para-
read him the Bible every night before sleep, he became
noia and fear. Let the players take the roles of descendants
fascinated with Christian beliefs and, at 12 years of age,
themselves, and create a chronicle based on their pilgrimage
he started working at the local church as a choirboy. From
through Norway. Use them as protagonists against witch
there, he crawled his way up to the very top of the hierarchy,
hunters and fanatically Christian characters.
becoming a priest himself at the age of 20. His faith was
strong and his young mind was eager to practice God’s will,
and when the town accused its first witch, he was the one Black Disturbances
condemning her to a fiery death. Sothin A’kum lay dormant for centuries before feeling
However, when the town turned against his elderly the flow of Sekhem return her to life. Although she awoke
mother, claiming to have seen her talk to animals and mix in Cairo, she felt a great force pulling her north. She knew
magical herbs, Matthæus’ trust in God was challenged this was the purpose of her awakening. Her cult was call-
for the first time. How could God punish someone who ing upon her. She managed to travel unnoticed aboard
had done only good in her life? He knew he had to set an merchant ships and hidden within carts of hay and fodder,
example, and no one could escape unpunished from perfor- and after a year of travel finally made it to the south side
mance of malicious arts. Holding back tears, he watched his of Sweden. Upon arriving, she was greeted by the leader
mother plunge to her death in the nearby river. of her cult who told her exactly why she was summoned
The summer after, Matthæus found himself on his north: An area of frequent witch activity needed to be
deathbed as the plague once again swept Bergen. He died at brought under control.
277
Story Hooks
With the help of her cult, and with influences inside affect her Memory? Sothin can be used to create total and
the local church, Sothin rapidly rises to a place of power. utter chaos within a town, if she unleashes her wrath against
She uses kepher in an ill attempt to recognize witchcraft officials. Perhaps her cult convinces her what she does is
and magical beings, but surprisingly to her, none of the al- the right thing, and extreme witch purges occur.
leged witches hold any magical power. She sees nothing but
frightened mortals. Sothin slowly comes to the realization:
The witch hunt has nothing to do with the destruction of
The Revenge of Maren Spliid
evil but is a flawed attempt to keep a people under control. In the Danish town of Ribe, one particular witch trial is
Slowly, memories of the Nameless Empire’s hunt of men provoking war between two immortal factions, Sin-Eaters
and women awakes inside of her. She now wonders if her and mummies. As the mummy Nicholas Jensen murdered
existence brings more misery than hope. Maren Spliid, sister of Sin-Eater Laura Spliid, she swore
Like a child monarch, Sothin is put in a position of her eternal revenge on the Arisen. Nicholas rose in 1609
power without knowing why. For her cult, she is a puppet and used his inhuman powers to destroy everything bearing
with every string attached to them. What happens when magical powers other than himself. To him, magic should
she realizes she is sending innocent men and women to their be out of mortal hands at all costs. His hunger for power
deaths? How will her flashbacks to the Nameless Empire fueled his hunt, and although he never had proof the people
Many Smoldering Embers

The small towns of Scandinavia can hardly support one vampire, let alone dozens of them. That doesn’t
stop coteries from setting up domains here, fully intent on relishing the long, dark hours for a handful of
months every year, before traveling south again. The Lancea et Sanctum had a strong presence here, but
Unaligned Kindred have taken great pleasure in supporting the Reformation and the witch hunters’ pogroms
of Sanctified vampires.
Though inhabited for thousands of years, Scandinavia still contains vast areas of wilderness. This may seem
appealing to a werewolf, until they realize how much of this landmass falls under the dominion of the Pure.
The Pure love the feeling of terror that comes with the witch trials and spread their own fables of witchcraft to
panic their hunting stock.
Now is not a safe time to be a mage in Scandinavia. The witch hunters are on the lookout for anyone of
magical bent, and while some Awakened are arrogant enough to think they can conceal their gifts, other
supernatural creatures are only too happy to point the hunters in true mages’ directions.
Prometheans run into many of the same problems as mummies in this region, their Disquiet causing as much
panic and ill-thought as the Arisen’s Sybaris. There are tales of a new form of Created emerging from the
ashes of corpses burned at the stake, glowing with fire and malice. They call themselves the Pyreborn.
Changelings in this part of the world stick to the towns and villages, despite the dangers of being called
out as unnatural or unholy. The Fae are dominant in the great forests of Scandinavia, with at least a score
of Huntsmen rampaging around the wild. In an odd turn of events, the Pure werewolves look to the Lost to
stymie their former captors’ activities.
The witch hunters of this area and time period in part emerge from the Long Night and the Malleus
Maleficarum, but in truth the hunters’ persecutions are so indiscriminate, most hunters balk at the idea of
supporting this slaughter. In fact, some hunters use this time to cleanse the Catholic and Protestant Churches
of slashers in the guise of holy men.
Beasts watch and despair as Heroes infest the ranks of churchmen to persecute “wrongdoers” and gain
acclaim for doing so. Many Primordials believe an organized cognate of Heroes is performing this task
specifically to lure them out. “How many innocents will these monsters allow to die before they take action?”
the Heroes ask. For the Primordials’ part, they have a deep and entrenched history in this part of the world,
rich in legend and myth. They will soon attempt their own scourge of the Heroic blight.
A vocal demon Inquisitor wonders aloud whether the priests leading these mass burnings are the tools of
angels looking to scour a landmass clean on behalf of the God-Machine. What other reason could there
be for such indiscriminate butchery? The rumor takes hold, and Unchained are galvanized into disrupting as
many of these slaughters as possible.
278
he accused wielded magic, he never gave them the benefit Malleus Maleficarum, Heinrich Kramer & Jacob Sprenger
of the doubt. He knew Maren’s sister Laura was different, (1487): This piece of history is a direct example of how
and harbored immense power, perhaps even understanding witches were seen in a societal and religious perspective,
the nature of Sekhem. Therefore, he also knew he could how to hunt them down, and how to destroy them. Be
not dispose of her in any traditional matter. He decided aware, this book is highly biased by the authors, as they
to instead harm the ones closest to her, and murdered her were both self-proclaimed witch hunters. Information in
sister for false accusations of witchcraft. this book is therefore not to be taken as factual, but will
Laura quickly found out about the mummy’s malicious provide the reader with an understanding of the outlook
approach, and upon realizing he himself wielded the magic on witches in its time.
he burned others for practicing, she had a very powerful card
in her hand. Now she only needs to find a way to utilize it
properly, and perhaps rid the town of any Deathless that
Fiction
may arrive in future. Salem, WGN America (2014–2017): Although Salem
The Storyteller can use the two fronts to create a war takes place in the United States, the TV series provides a
among characters in her chronicle, making one side Arisen grim outlook on a society much like that of Nordic coun-
and another Sin-Eaters, and she can create a united force tries’, based on fear, paranoia, and anxiety. The series is an
against either. Use the conflict to create a tense atmosphere especially useful tool to get a feel of the time of the witch
for the players, letting them know not only are they in the trials and uses interesting special effects to get the message
risk of being murdered by mortals, but fellow undead might across. It delves into both societal conflicts and the human
be on their backs as well. aspect of being in a constant hunt, and magical and religious
aspects of the time-period.
Heksen/Häxan, Benjamin Christensen (1922): Heksen
Sources and Inspiration is more a representation of the true horror connected to
magic and witchcraft than a historical representation of the
This chapter could not be possible without vast amounts time. The film was meant as a documentary on how mental
of research and information. Use these facts and fictions as illness could lead to witch hunts. However, use this piece
an inspiration to create your own chronicle, but feel free to set the mood and scene for your chronicle, as it contains
to dive into research yourself. truly horrifying depictions of magic.
The Shamer’s Daughter, Lene Kaaberbøl (2006): The
Non-Fiction Shamer’s Daughter is a book series based on the life of a
young girl who inherited her mother’s ability to see other
Witchcraft and Magic in the Nordic Middle Ages, Stephen people’s shame. The plot takes place in a fictional world,
A. Mitchell (2013): This literary piece contains a thorough but is highly influenced by medieval Scandinavia. The girl
investigation of what brought the witch trials to northern and her mother are seen as witches, and this begins a wild
Europe and gives a timeline of how magic was seen as a hunt on both of them.
powerful tool before the Christening of Scandinavia. Apart Antichrist, Lars von Trier (2009): In a modern depiction
from historical facts, it also gives full examples of myths of witchcraft, Antichrist shows how current society is still
about witches and how they were seen by society. The book not rid of the idea of a woman being inherently evil. The
contains inspirational church art, law codes, and examples movie raises questions about sexuality, modern witchcraft,
of runic spells. and if witches indeed do exist.
279
The last grains of sand dance down through the hourglass’ vitrine waist to join their fellows
below. Barlow watches them fall, frustrated. He grasps the glass with one rough hand and
turns it over on its spindle.
“Three bells,” he grunts. Cloying mists choke the air beyond the taffrail, leaving the sea a
gauzy mystery.
Spragg nods. She grasps the tether of the Clifton’s bell and rings, three times. Its sharp peals
cut through the muffling silence.
Suddenly, as if summoned, a shape rears out of the fog. The Caliver seems to manifest from the
air itself, sliding into view with a litany of wounds clear upon its splintered planks and tattered
sails. Barlow curses, taken aback. This ship should be his salvation, yet it barely seems still seaworthy.
At his side, Spragg grabs the bell’s tether again and rings it in a clamor until every pirate aboard
the Clifton is roused and ready with blades and firearms.
They row across to the ruined ship, oars dipping through unnervingly quiet water. Close
to, the strangeness of the deserted ship is evident; barnacles scab up its sodden timbers,
and crabs creep from the ragged wounds in its flank. The ship looks like it’s been
adrift for a year, not a week.
Up onto the deck, where human bones crunch underfoot. The pirates
swear and curse, but Barlow doesn’t bother with prayer; no divine
mercy waits for a sinner like he. He squints through the haze, sees
two shapes upon the prow that resolve into people.
One is a black man, the other a white woman. The first
does not wear the chains of a slave, but instead the ostenta-
tious garments of a Nassau buccaneer — an extravagance
of bright feathers, shimmering silks, and vivid dyes. He
wears a grin, too, unconcerned by the scarred crew
of killers. The second seems his opposite, a figure of
somber, weather-worn rags and long, lank hair
dripping with water. Little trinkets of bone and
tarnished metal hang from her hems.
“Welcome!” the man says, arms open wide.
“But I am afraid you will not find what your
master seeks.”
Sneering, Barlow’s men raise their firearms,
but he feels no triumph in his gut — only
dread.
“I need the Caliver’s cargo,” he hisses,
urgent and intense. “This is my chance to pay
off my debt to Davys and be free. Please.”
The buccaneer smirks. “Oh, no amount
of Judas silver will free you from the chains
that Seer has caught you in, or the deeds
you’ve done in his name.”
Barlow’s mouth dries. He tries to com-
mand his men to fire, but he can only make a
strangled rasp.
“It’s time.” The sodden figure speaks in a voice
as heavy as soil on a coffin, and she is not talking to
the pirates, but to someone beyond them. “I am glad
you have brought payment for the voyage below.”
Back on the Clifton’s deck, where no sailor now
stands, the ship’s bell rings again with doleful finality.
The Deviland andthe
the
Deep
Deep Blue
Blue Sea
The Devil
Sea
1716-1717 CE 1716-1717 CE
During the dawning decades of the 1700s, the cruel Atlantic Ocean plays
host to a strange flowering of freedom. A golden age of piracy washes through
the Caribbean and the coastline of colonial America. The so-called Republic of
Pirates takes root in Nassau; by 1717, it is at its height. Pirates plague the trade
routes in cheerful, bloodthirsty defiance of the rich and powerful. In the shad-
ows, the Awakened and the Bound plumb the watery depths for dread mysteries,
and struggle in their own ways with this clash between liberty and authority.
The ocean serves as a liminal space, a strange world where law frays into
lawlessness, and where wealth and freedom lie in the grasp of those with the
will to transgress. Human dramas play out against the backdrop of the seas’
merciless hunger, the actors therein pushing to extremes for their powerful
“Yes, I do heartily
ambitions and appetites. Cruelty, greed, and defiance frame each story. These
repent. I repent I
are tales of brutal privations and unkind authorities, the dark and bloated trade
had notI do
done more
of slavery that bears vast wealth upon the broken backs of its victims, and the
savagery of men and women determined to get what they want. Rogues and
mischief; andIthat
“Yes, heartily reavers seek to shed the shackles of their old lives and carve a new future for
notwe did notmischief;

cut
repent. I repent had themselves with plundered riches and ferocity.
thethat
throats
we didof
done more In Nassau, a new breed of mage emerges from this crucible of liberty. The
and not
them thatus,took us,
Company of the Codex defies the old order, seeking enlightenment through
cut the throats of them
and I am extremely
utter freedom and the solipsistic indulgence of their obsessions. They harness
that took and I am
sorry that you
the symbolic shifts in human culture for magical ends, changing the relationship
extremely sorry that
aren't
well hanged
as we.” as
between authority and power through the Caribbean — and facing wrathful
you aren’t hanged as opposition from the Seers of the Throne and the Silver Ladder alike.
well as we.”
Every sailor knows death is never far, and they gird themselves with supersti-
Anonymous pirate
— Anonymous pirate at tions and practices to ward off ill fate. The bells of ghostly ships sound across
the gallows mist-wreathed seas, and strange corpse lights dance beneath the waves. A pirate
at the gallows
struggles with the fear of retribution that writhes in his gut and finds the faces
of those he has killed burned into his memory. The Bound tend to this watery
congregation, plumbing the depths for lost and wayward souls.
Theme: Buying Deliverance

The ocean’s cruel indifference serves as a great equalizer. Here, the desperate
and downtrodden have a chance to seize their own agency. Piracy offers a route
to revenge, freedom, or enrichment. It comes at a cost, though — in broken
laws that threaten a terrible reckoning, in the infliction of horrific violence,
and in the burden of sole responsibility for one’s destiny. For some, the escape
into piracy is deliverance enough from a life of suffering or choking oppression.
For others, it serves as a means to an end. They seek escape from this capri-
cious domain into a life of comfort, or to evade the heavy price for their crimes.
Everyone seeks salvation of one kind or another.
Nassau promises that salvation. The Republic of Pirates is a vision beyond one
person, a new way forward in which freedom can be found and held onto together.
Built upon beliefs of equality and opportunity, the Republic’s ideal is a society
where each pirate is the master of her own fate. Although there’s nothing kind
about cutthroat pirates, the promise of independence and honor among thieves
282
The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
appeals to those downtrodden by the system, whether that’s riches. Soon, colonists built plantations to farm tobacco,
the British Empire, the Diamond, or the Kerberoi. sugar, and cotton. Though the Europeans profited immensely,
their arrival came at a terrible price for the indigenous peoples
Mood: Greed and Defiance of the West Indies, including the Arawak, Carib, and Taíno
communities. European diseases like measles and smallpox
Insatiable avarice and powerful ambitions drive the decimated the native populations. The new seeds and animals
pirates of Nassau to reave, plunder, and build their new the settlers brought with them transformed the environment,
Republic. Awakened and Bound search the depths for which led to crop failures and food shortages.
treasures and for answers, ravenously seeking revelation. The colonists enslaved native people to work the
The sea’s endless greed underlies it all, ever waiting, ever mines, cut lumber, and farm the land. As disease ravaged
ready to drink down another life and never sated no matter their populations, the Europeans who relied on their labor
how much blood swirls in the water. considered the staggering death toll a problem for them.
Everyone believes it is they who will win out, regardless By 1518, the transatlantic slave trade was well-established:
of the odds. Challenge fate, roll the bones, and seize the The colonies sent tobacco, cotton, and sugar to Europe;
prize, laughing all the way. Even when your doom closes in, European businesses sent rum, textiles, and manufac-
better to defy those who would cow you. Live boldly and tured goods to Africa. Those goods purchased slaves for
burn bright like a flash of powder rather than submit to the the colonies. Slavers packed them into cramped holds,
dull weight of authority. Some believe they can spit in the chained them together, and fed them only once or twice a
teeth of death itself and mock the ocean’s rapacity, as fear- day. Malnutrition and disease killed an estimated 10 to 25
less of the laws of nature as they are the laws of humanity. percent of these forcibly enslaved people during the passage.
In the mid-1500s, France sanctioned privateers to attack
Tone: Adventure and Spanish and Portuguese vessels in an attempt to break the
countries’ hold on the Atlantic and Indian Ocean trade
Transgression routes. Soon enough, the English and the Dutch hired
privateers of their own. Spanish silver made a tantalizing
The scent of opportunity mixes with the bracing air and
prize on its journey from the New World to the Old, and
fires the imagination. Every pirate knows incredible wealth
their slow ships were easy prey. After French privateers
awaits, if only they are bold enough to shirk the chains of
sacked Havana, the Spanish Empire organized convoys to
society and seize what they desire by force. The wild seas can
escort the heavily-laden cargo ships across the Atlantic.
carry a sailor to incredible places and breathtaking sights.
Every dream is out there, just waiting to be found. Yet reach- From 1618 to 1648, the Thirty Years’ War embroiled
ing those dreams can threaten more than just a pirate’s life; Europe. The Spanish colonies saw a sharp decline in both
breaching the laws of the great nations might get a buccaneer people and supplies as the empire diverted its resources
hanged, but there are some places no human should tread, toward fighting on the continent. England, France, and the
and some treasures demand a price of mind, soul, or worse. Netherlands benefited from Spain’s distraction, colonizing
or strengthening their presence in Barbados, Bermuda,
Tortuga, and Guadeloupe. With the Peace of Westphalia,
What Has Come Before the Dutch Republic gained independence from Spain.
Sephardic Jews from the Netherlands arrived in Curacao
In 1479, Portugal and the Catholic Monarchies of and established a congregation that is still active today.
Castile and Aragon signed the Treaty of Alcáçovas, which
divided the Atlantic Ocean and foreign territories between
the two nations. The treaty set a precedent that would af-
fect colonialist practices for hundreds of years to come: It What’s in a Name
allowed European powers to sort the world into spheres of Although they used similar tactics and sought similar
influence and to colonize the lands within them with no targets, privateers and pirates were not quite the
regard for the rights of any indigenous peoples living there. same thing. Governments hired privateers to attack
Fifteen years later, Columbus’ return from his voyage to enemy ships during wartime. The captains received
the New World sparked the Treaty of Tordesillas, which official letters of marque, and a ship’s owners and
once again split the lands between Portugal and Spain, to sponsors received a share of any spoils. Pirates had
the exclusion of all other European countries. When the no such governmental backing, and many attacked
English, the French, and the Dutch recognized the potential ships with little regard for nations of origin.
for profit in the Caribbean, they sent ships and settlers across As wars ended and allegiances shifted, many
the seas as well. Spain and Portugal adhered to the treaties’ privateers became pirates, only to return to priva-
divisions; the other countries mostly ignored their authority. teering once hostilities heated up again.
While Spain had a lock on New World silver production,
with mines in Mexico and Potosí in Peru, the soil itself held
283
Buccaneers and France resumed. The Glorious Revolution saw the
overthrow of the Catholic King James II of England by
In the latter half of the 17th century, hunters from the heavily Protestant Parliament and the Dutch Prince
French-controlled Tortuga and Hispaniola used small craft William of Orange-Nassau. James fled to France, where he
to attack Spanish ships in the Windward Passage. Their lived in exile. Over the next two decades, several rebellions
success led them to set their sights on targets farther afield, attempted to restore him to the throne, though none suc-
including the Cuban- and Spanish-held cities on the main- ceeded. He had support among both pirates and politicians
land. In 1655, English forces captured Jamaica and invited in the Caribbean. One, Jamaica’s Governor Archibald
captains to base their ships out of Port Royal. The town Hamilton, envisioned raising a fleet of warships to sail home
became the best place for buccaneers to sell their plunder, and serve as a Jacobite navy.
soon making it one of the richest cities in the Caribbean. The change in enemies put a damper on privateering in
Buccaneers sailed the thin line between pirates and pri- the West Indies. Where Spanish ships had been plentiful
vateers. Many carried letters of marque that gave them the and easy to overcome, they were now off-limits. France
auspices of legitimacy, but their actions bordered on — or had a much smaller naval presence in the area, and their
outright were — illegal. The Welsh privateer Henry Morgan men-of-war were tougher targets. The constant military
carried a letter of marque from Jamaican Governor Thomas entanglements in Europe at this time also meant the parent
Modyford, under which he raided several Spanish cities. countries sent fewer and fewer ships to guard their inter-
However, when he sacked Panama in 1671, he was arrested ests in the New World. Necessary supplies and resources
and brought to London. The arrest appeased the Spanish, dwindled, and colonial governors had no real support from
with whom England had recently signed a peace treaty. His home. They hired buccaneers to protect their settlements
countrymen hailed him as a hero, and not only did King and safeguard their goods.
Charles II grant him a knighthood, Morgan later returned to With England and France butting heads, business be-
the Caribbean and served as Jamaica’s Lieutenant Governor. tween Jamaica and Tortuga ground to a standstill. That,
The principles Golden Age pirates adopt have their coupled with an earthquake that destroyed Port Royal in
roots in buccaneering. These sailors believed the ideals of 1692, led pirates and out-of-commission privateers to seek
liberty, equality, and fraternity applied to everyone aboard. their fortunes elsewhere. The Indian Ocean provided the
The crew elected the captain and could call for their imperfect opportunity. Trading ships in those waters weren’t
peachment should they fail to impress. The crew had a say under the same heavy guard as vessels in the Atlantic. Crews
in where they sailed, and when to attack another ship or let sailed east, stealing silk, calico, and other goods. Madagascar
it go. Sailors divided shares of plunder equally. Although the
served as a base for many pirate ships sailing the route that
captain received a slightly larger share, it was not the huge
percentage many privateer captains claimed. Buccaneers came to be known as the Pirate Round. The raids disrupted
also took care of crewmembers who were wounded in trade enough that the British East India Company begged
battle, providing a type of insurance for them during their Parliament to step in. But the draw of the pirate life was
recovery or retirement. powerful: Privateer Captain William Kidd, hired to curb
the plundering, became a Roundsman himself.
Old World Complications In November of 1700, King Charles II of Spain died.

Both the Austrian Habsburgs and his French Bourbon
In 1651, England imposed the Navigation Acts, which relatives laid claim to the throne, and once again Europe
severely limited its colonies’ trade. Merchants in the colo- went to war. England joined with the Dutch, Austrians,
nies could only transport their goods on English ships. This and Prussians against France and Spain. The conflict lasted
move was the start of a trade war aimed at the Dutch, whose over a decade, allowing piracy and privateering to balloon
commercial success had soared since signing the Treaty of in the Caribbean.
Westphalia. It signaled the start of the Anglo-Dutch Wars,
which lasted a quarter of a century. The colonies themselves
mostly ignored the Navigation Acts, until the Staple Act Nassau
further restricted trade. With the new law, only English In 1670, a group of British aristocrats brought settlers to
ships could carry colonial cargo. Merchants were required the Bahamian island of New Providence. They named the
to sell their goods to England — at lower prices than they’d fort they built Charles Town, after King Charles II. Fourteen
fetch elsewhere — and could only buy goods from English years later, Spanish forces took the settlement by surprise
merchants, often at inflated cost. Regardless of their final and burned it to the ground. It wasn’t rebuilt until 1695,
destination, all exports had to pass through English ports when Governor Nicholas Trott changed its name to Nassau
for inspection and taxation. Conveniently, the colonies had in honor of Prince William. Any progress colonists made
another option, albeit an illegal one: Privateers from the in reestablishing Nassau was lost in 1703, when a series of
Caribbean carried cargo up the coast to be traded and sold. French and Spanish raids destroyed the town once more.
At the end of the century, war between England and Though it was still an English territory, Nassau’s gov-
Spain briefly ceased, and hostilities between England ernor abdicated the year after the raids. This made it the
284
perfect location for the burgeoning Pirate Republic’s capital. years. Many live in crudely constructed huts and keep
Pirates and privateers flocked to Nassau, making it their base provisions ready should a raiding fleet arrive and force them
of operations. Thomas Barrow declared himself governor to flee into the woods for survival. Though the heavily-
and envisioned the port as another Madagascar: a place armed ships in the harbor and newly outfitted fort offer
subject to the pirate code and under no sovereign’s rule. them protection from sacking, the influx of outlaws offers
Trading ships had to pass the Bahamas to reach the its own new concerns.
eastern North American colonies and catch the trade Most pirates don’t bury their treasure; they spend it.
winds back to Europe, making Nassau a lucrative port for Saloon owners, traders, sex workers, and gamblers flood
pirate ships. By 1713, the governor of Bermuda estimated into Nassau, eager to get a share of the plunder. Others
that Nassau was home to 1,000 pirates, compared to a mere come seeking the type of equality the pirate code promised.
100 settlers. Escaped slaves and indentured servants sign on with pirate
The end of the Spanish War of Succession in 1713 crews to buy or win their freedom. People come from other
marked an end to privateering contracts, as the warring na- colonies in the Americas in search of better opportunities.
tions entered a period of peace. With the Peace of Utrecht, Barbados, Jamaica, and Virginia all depend on plantations,
the Royal Navy demobilized, leaving many career sailors leaving no room for small farms to prosper. As the Bahamas
out of work and unable to provide for themselves and their have no plantations, many former indentured servants ar-
families. This sudden swell of unemployed seafarers looked rive and find farmland cheap and plentiful.
westward to the New World — to Nassau, where a life of Still others want a taste of the adventurous pirating
piracy and promise awaited. life portrayed in contemporary books and newspapers. So
pervasive is this image, in fact, that nine-year-old John King
Where We Are
demands to join Black Sam Bellamy when his crew captures
the sloop on which King and his mother are passengers.
Nassau teems with life, its haphazard streets a-bustle

with traders and seafarers. Ships fill the harbor, many — Major Events
even most — of them stolen and repurposed by any of the In July of 1715, a hurricane destroys most of a fleet of
dozens of pirate captains and crews who frequent the port. Spanish and French treasure ships off the Florida coast.
Others are captured merchant ships or crafts whose captains Because they sink in shallow waters, free divers easily
set round-the-clock watches for their crews. The storefronts retrieve the cargo. Word of the wrecks spreads, and pirates
and saloons themselves are made of repurposed materials as race to recover a share for themselves. Many arrive too late
well, with driftwood walls and window coverings sewn from to profit from those particular wrecks, but stay for the other
tattered sailcloth. Husks of ruined ships litter the beach, riches the Windward Passage offers.
the stolen vessels burned and abandoned once the pirates A year later, King George I denounces the Jamaican
have removed everything valuable. privateers as pirates. By the time official word reaches the
It’s been over a decade since Edward Birch, Nassau’s colony, all the pirates have fled to the Bahamas, out of the
last official governor, washed his hands of the colony. Now, law’s reach. Benjamin Hornigold knows that unless the
the pirates Benjamin Hornigold and Henry Jennings hold Flying Gang works to re-arm Nassau’s fort and build up its
heavy sway. The men often disagree on matters of policy fleet, England and France could easily blockade the harbor
and dealings with European powers, but together with other and put an end to the Pirate Republic. In the fall of 1716, a
prominent pirates they’ve established the Flying Gang. pirate gang brings a captured Spanish ship into the harbor
The gang’s members have run of the town and are known with the intention of offloading the cargo and burning the
to shake down its inhabitants for money and valuables. cumbersome vessel. It would never serve as a good pirate
The English still have representation on New Providence ship, but Hornigold sees another use for it. He loads guns
in the form of Lieutenant Governor Thomas Walker, who and cannons aboard, stations the ship outside the harbor,
remained even after Birch abandoned the island. Walker and at last has a seaworthy defender.
and his wife Sarah, a free black woman, live with their chil- In February 1717, Black Sam Bellamy captures the armed
dren on their homestead a few miles outside Nassau proper, merchant ship Whydah. The vessel is everything Nassau could
out of the fray but close enough for the pirates’ takeover want for defense: fast, powerful, and capable of carrying huge
to infuriate Walker. Walker has launched a letter-writing amounts of treasure in her 300-ton hull. Unfortunately for
campaign asking for reinforcements, but none ever come. the Pirate Republic, the Whydah’s stay is short. Bellamy sails
He recently sailed to Harbour Island and arrested several north to Cape Cod in early spring. A sudden hurricane sinks
pirates, whom he sent to Jamaica to be tried. However, upon the Whydah and kills most of its crew, including Black Sam.
returning to Nassau, Walker learned Hornigold and his crew Its loss is a serious blow not only to Nassau’s defense, but also
rescued the prisoners and now have Walker in their sights. to the pirates who have designs on supporting James III (son
Nassau’s permanent settlers are a stubborn lot. They’ve of the deposed King James II) for the British throne after the
seen the town burned and sacked several times over the death of his half-sister Queen Anne.
285
Where We Are
Throughout the year, Nassau’s residents indulge in the plunder. It’s little wonder that many sailors from captured
freedom the burgeoning Pirate Republic enjoys, all the ships take pirates up on their offer to join.
while warily awaiting word that the British navy is coming Pirate captains choose their ships carefully. They want
to destroy it all. Some adopt an “eat, drink, and be merry” fast vessels that can catch or outrun enemy ships and have
approach. Others help Hornigold shore up the fort and take enough firepower to engage them in battle. A ship’s shape,
shifts in the town’s makeshift militia. Blackbeard, incensed its number and configuration of sails, and the cargo weight
that the Whydah survivors were executed for piracy, makes a it carries all affect its maneuverability. Ships can and do pull
point to target British ships and disrupt commerce. Where up alongside one another and exchange cannon volleys.
most pirates take a captured ship’s valuables, then (if they However, many pirates prefer to hide their smaller, sleeker
don’t claim the ship as their own) send its captain and sloops in islets and coves along shipping lanes, darting out
crew on their way, Blackbeard begins dumping any cargo to surprise the bigger vessels. Crews stand on deck, dressed
he doesn’t claim into the sea. in the spoils from other raids. They holler threats across
In September, King George I issues the Act of Grace. the water and brandish swords and muskets at the enemy.
Under this decree, any pirates who turn themselves in to Often, those displays are enough to convince merchant
colonial authorities are forgiven for acts of piracy commit- captains to surrender.
ted through December 1717. The announcement sends a When they aren’t, the pirates fire at the enemy ship
stir through Nassau, with some interested in accepting the with their muskets, or launch bar and chain shot from their
amnesty and others vehemently rejecting the idea. cannons to damage the sails and rigging — hindering the
other ship’s ability to flee, but not sinking it. The pirates
Life at Sea latch onto their prey with grappling hooks and boarding
axes, ready for a melee on their captives’ decks.
The seafaring life sounds like a dream: the open ocean Navigators rely on dead reckoning and piloting the
stretching in all directions, blue and clear, salt spray on your familiar coastlines to set their courses. The positions of the
skin, and fair winds in your sails. Adventures await just over sun, moon, and stars help calculate the ship’s whereabouts,
the horizon, and every port holds promise. For many sailors, aided by the same backstaffs and quadrants that have been
ships represent freedom and camaraderie. Joining a pirate in use for centuries. In 1714, Britain passed the Longitude
crew is empowering: Shipmates get a say in their destiny Act and offered a prize to anyone who could develop the
they never had as sailors in the Royal Navy or as slaves on most accurate method to determine longitude at sea. That
colonial plantations. Anyone can make her fortune on the year, Jeremy Thacker invented the marine chronometer,
water, and becoming captain of your own ship is a matter though early versions are still prohibitively expensive.
of proving yourself capable and capturing a worthy vessel
— no need for political ties or a prestigious family name.
Yet, it’s not all smooth seas and clear skies. Sudden
storms can sink a ship in a matter of hours. Diseases like Nautical Terms
dysentery and cholera incapacitate entire crews. Food and careen — to lay a ship on its side for repairs or
water spoil, and on longer voyages, the lack of vitamin C cleaning
causes scurvy. Not all ships have a doctor on the crew to
Jolly Roger — flag with a skull-and-crossbones
tend to sailors’ wounds, and even those physicians who on a black background, denoting a pirate ship
join up (or are pressed into service) often work in poor
conditions and have to perform crude surgeries to save lives. keelhaul — punishment involving dragging the
The sea isn’t kind to ships. They require regular main- victim beneath the ship’s keel
tenance to scrape off barnacles, repair damage from storms man-of-war — powerful, heavily armed warship
and skirmishes, and replace boards from shipworm-infested
prize law — maritime practice allowing captains
hulls. Sails and rigging rot quickly in the West Indies’ tropi- to seize equipment, cargo, and valuables from
cal climate. If a ship loses its mast, the closest replacement enemy ships they capture during wartime
requires a trip to New England, as loggers have long since
stripped the Caribbean of suitable trees. schooner  fast, agile ships popular among pirates
Navy and merchant ships tend to run with smaller crews scuttlebutt — rumors and gossip; also, a cask of
than pirate vessels. Sailors on these legal ships carry out drinking water
their captains’ orders without question and have no say in sloop — small, square-rigged warship
how the ship is run. Questioning officers’ decisions runs
dangerously close to mutiny. Crews on legally sanctioned treasure fleet — Spanish ships carrying silver,
ships receive little pay, with the greatest share of profits gold, and other riches, often guarded by a con-
filling officers’ pockets and the shipowners’ coffers back in voy of faster, more maneuverable vessels
Europe. Pirate crews elect their captains from among their
ranks. They decide where to sail and get a fair share of the
286
Iconic Figures Not everyone in Nassau is a pirate or approves of them.
Though Thomas Walker and family relocated to the island
The most infamous pirates of the day moor in Nassau’s of Abaco, 60 miles northeast, his sons still step warily when
harbor, and the names of agents of the crown are on ev- they come into town. Walker openly acts against the pi-
eryone’s lips. rates, though they thwart his efforts at every turn. By the
The Flying Gang rules the town, with Benjamin end of 1717, however, help is on the way in the form of a
Hornigold and Henry Jennings at the helm. Charles Vane, new governor. Woodes Rogers, a privateer known for his
a pirate known for his cruelty who once served under voyages around the world, just might be the answer to all
Jennings, frequently butts heads with Hornigold. John of Walker’s prayers.
Julian is only 16 years old, but he’s gained a trusted position
in Sam Bellamy’s crew. He’s half black and half Miskito
Indian, and when the Whydah sets sail, he’ll be piloting it
up to New England. Though Julian survives the Whydah’s
Locations
Below are locales in and around the Bahamas where a
wreck, he is sold into slavery when he reaches land — an
crew might seek shelter and spend their treasures. Some
ever-present danger for pirates of color.
ports, however, abhor the sight of the Jolly Roger and cause
Anne Bonny and her husband James came to the problems for pirates who drop anchor in their harbors.
Caribbean in search of treasure, and Anne quickly took
to the pirate life. She met Captain John “Calico Jack”
Rackham and joined his crew, disguised as a man. She and Nassau
Rackham became lovers, and eventually married at sea. Nassau started as a shantytown, and in many ways still
Bonny fights alongside the men on the Revenge. Mary Read is one. Huts and shelters built from driftwood and wreckage
dressed in men’s clothing and joined the military, serving in spread out in a half-circle surrounding the beach. Hundreds
both Britain and Holland under the name Mark Read. She of ships bob in the harbor at any time. Unkind critics
was traveling to the West Indies when pirates boarded her suggest you can smell Nassau’s refuse, and the stench of
ship. Read willingly joined their crew. Bonny and Read will unwashed bodies and human waste, from the sea. They’re
meet in 1720, and become crewmates, friends, and lovers. not always wrong.
287
Locations
Further back from the beach, members of the Flying The Loyalist
Gang and several merchant-smugglers have taken over
Livia Burnham’s been here since nearly the begin-
the simple wood-framed homes that belonged to New
ning. She lived through the burning of Charles Town and
Providence’s colonists before they fled. A forest sur-
its resurrection as Nassau. Through sacks and raids and
rounds the town, full of palm trees and tropical scrub.
useless officials, she’s been here, helping her family work
Some locals who didn’t flee the island entirely have
their patch of land. She resents the pirates who’ve taken
made homes here, first away from the raiders, now away
over New Providence, hates that she has to look over her
from the pirates.
shoulder when she goes into town. She’s heard them talk
The raids and fires left deep supernatural scars. Stygian about what they’ll do when the Navy comes, and knows
Verges occasionally develop in and near Nassau. The town’s there’s fear beneath all their bragging. It makes her smile.
Sleepers speak of phantom cannon fire, the smell of burning
Liv makes plans of her own, reaching out to others who
wood, and sounds of battle on certain nights.
want to see the Flying Gang hang for their crimes. She’s not
The Crimson Cutlass so lofty as to have a governor’s ear, and her feet are steadiest
One of the most bustling alehouses in town, the Crimson on the ground, not at sea; but when the time comes, she
Cutlass serves all comers. Pirates plot their next route, or intends to help drive the pirates out of Nassau. Brawl 1,
simply enjoy the music and merriment while they drink Investigation 2, Persuasion 2, Subterfuge 1.
their plunder away. Merchants conduct their business
here, and krewes and cabals know this is the best place for The Goshawk
supernatural scuttlebutt. The Goshawk rests in Nassau’s harbor, waiting to set sail.
Although it’s one of the better-crafted buildings in She’s a square-rigged sloop capable of carrying 18 guns, and
Nassau, its walls actually framed and its roof made of wood before Brass Bette Carney captured her, she escorted trea-
rather than palm thatch, proprietress Molly Meehan still sure ships across the Atlantic. The Goshawk is nimble and
has to do a patch job from time to time. She’s taken planks sturdy. She’s weathered storms that sank better ships, and
from the wreck of the Marigold, but some say she took more her crew jokes that cannon shot bounces off her hull. Bette
than that. The Cutlass’ regulars whisper about a treasure box recently had a new figurehead carved for the Goshawk’s
she found in the ruins, one whose contents have brought bow, after the original was damaged in battle. The new
her both riches and misery. one bears a striking resemblance to another pirate, though
The Fort whether it’s meant as homage, insult, or mystical symbol,
Bette won’t say.
The walls of Nassau’s fort are battle-scarred and pock-
marked. They’ve withstood cannon shot and raids by The Impossible Island
French and Spanish forces. The Flying Gang races against When they’re deep in their cups, bribed with sufficient
the inevitable, rearming the battlements and filling the coin, some of the Goshawk’s crew tell the story of her last
fort with defenders before the British Navy comes calling. voyage: how a sudden storm came upon them one night
One volunteer didn’t survive the raids of 1703, but he’s not and, though massive waves tossed the ship about, she stayed
entirely aware of that. afloat. That’s the boring part. When the seas calmed, they
Not everyone who has come forward to staff the fort say, they found themselves drifting off the coast of an island
is on the pirates’ side. A handful of traitors have joined that wasn’t on any charts. Bette tried circling it, deciding
their ranks, intent on slipping the British intel about the whether to send a party ashore, but no matter how they
preparations, how many guns and how much ammunition tacked, its position stayed the same. No closer, no farther
the pirates have stocked, and where weak points exist in away. Always just off their starboard side. A fog rose up, they
the defense plans. say, just before dawn. When it lifted minutes later, the island
The Businesswoman was gone. Bette never talks about trying to find it again,
but they’ve seen the maps in her quarters. She’s looking.
Men on Nassau far outnumber the women. Melody
Burke was a sex worker in another port before the Pirate Brass Bette Carney
Republic’s founding. When she heard about Nassau, with Ten years ago, Brass Bette escaped from the plantation
its dearth of women and abundance of pirates looking in the Carolinas where she was a slave. She snuck onto a
to spend their riches, Melody did the math and booked ship bound for New England, but before it got more than
passage for New Providence. She struck a deal with a day’s journey up the coast, pirates boarded it. When the
Molly Meehan, renting a room in the Crimson Cutlass. offer came to join the crew, Bette volunteered. She’s been
Men and women alike seek out Melody’s company. She’s sailing the West Indies ever since. She quickly learned the
quick-witted and kind, and helps newcomers to the island finer points of piloting, and her knowledge of the hidden
find their footing amid the chaos. Empathy 2, Socialize islets along the Windward Passage has helped her crew both
3, Weaponry 1 capture merchant ships and evade military ones. Persuasion
3, Survival (Navigation) 2, Weaponry 2.
288
The Lookout The Deserter
A press gang got Ginger Dan when he was 15, bundling Fourteen-year-old Kit slipped away from her ship a few
him onto an English ship and collecting their reward. months ago. It turned out the pirating life wasn’t for her,
A year later, Brass Bette’s crew stole him away from the after all. If anyone noted her absence they never came look-
navy; they needed a new lookout, and he fit the bill. To ing, and that’s fine by Kit. If they catch her, they’ll send her
Dan, they were just another kind of press gang. Now he back to Virginia, and she’s never going to let that happen.
serves aboard the Goshawk, spending his days high up in She spends her days rambling about the island. Most nights
the crow’s nest watching for flags on the horizon. He’s got she sleeps in one of the huts on the beach, unless a ship’s
the keenest eyes among the crew, and the keenest ears, present. Those times, she sleeps in the forest. She’s gotten
too. He collects rumors the way his crewmates collect good at stealing food and other necessities once the pirates
gold. He’s heard some things that’d turn your hair white, drink themselves to sleep. Even though she avoids the visi-
and he’ll regale you with them over a bottle of Madeira tors, she has a solid recall of which crews and ships have
wine while he laments his lack of prospects. Athletics 3, visited since her arrival. Larceny 1, Stealth 3, Survival 3.
Expression 3, Occult 2.
Charles Town, South Carolina
The Anchorages The port city of Charles Town, South Carolina lies 550
Almost every ship heading to the North American miles northwest of Nassau. For decades, Charles Town’s
colonies passes through the Straits of Florida. The area is a merchants eagerly traded with privateers and pirates to
maze of inlets and tiny islands. Shallow waters and hidden circumvent England’s oppressive Navigation Acts. Now
reefs ruin ships whose crews don’t know the safe routes, that pirates attack English (and therefore, colonial) vessels
but pirates who know the waters use them to launch at- and disrupt commerce off the Carolina coast, the relation-
tacks on unsuspecting enemies. Throughout these waters ship has soured. Judges sentence captured pirates to hang
lie hundreds of hidden anchorages where pirates can hole for their crimes — an event always sure to draw a crowd.
up to divvy up their plunder. Fresh fruit and water abound, Both the South Carolina port and the original fort built
and the beaches allow crews to careen smaller ships and in Nassau were named Charles Town after King Charles
repair their hulls. II. Though this established a weak sympathetic connec-
Colfax Anchorage isn’t on any map, but many Nassau- tion between the cities, something — or someone — has
based pirates know its location. Crews who stop here have strengthened it in recent months, sparking rumors of a great
built a series of small huts at the forest’s edge, where sailors working on the horizon.
can get out of the sun while counting their loot or take a The Powder Magazine
rest from the exhausting work of repairs. For a time, the
anchorage had a lone permanent inhabitant, a doctor A single-story structure sits in Charles Town’s center. It’s
named Carter Colfax. When a ship limped into the cove squat and square, with a red tile roof intersected by gables
after a battle, Colfax tended to wounded shipmates and saw on all four sides. The Powder Magazine houses Charles
to other minor medical concerns. He accepted plunder or Town’s gunpowder and artillery. Inside, arches and tapered
supplies as payment. walls ensure that an explosion will direct its force up rather
than out onto the street, and sand stored beneath the roof
Colfax has been missing for several months. Many as-
will fall and smother the fire.
sume he’s been pressed into service, though his supplies
and treasures remain in their strongbox. His diary entry The Gallows
from January 3rd ends midsentence. Sketches of birds cover Plenty of criminals have swung from Charles Town’s
the facing page, and albatross feathers litter the floor of gallows, but residents derive a special glee from watching a
Colfax’ hut. pirate hang. The wooden platform outside the courthouse
The Healed creaks with the steps of the condemned. On hanging days,
the courtyard fills with spectators. At night, rumor has it,
Jim Owens doesn’t remember much about his ship sail-
listeners can stand on the platform and hear secrets whis-
ing into Colfax Anchorage. He remembers boarding the
pered by the dead.
merchant vessel, and how the deck ran slick with blood.
He remembers the sharp bite of steel in his gut, then The Clerk
things went black. He awoke in Colfax’ hut a week later. Francis Smythe has served in the Charles Town court-
Sometimes he thinks of the dreams he had while he was house for a decade. His duties not only give him access to
out, full of cacophonous chanting and strange, flickering information on criminal trials, but also provide him with
shadows. Surely, they were merely the product of the fever deep knowledge of civil disputes among local figures. He
Colfax said had raged. Surely only that. Brawl 2, Larceny has unfettered access to the court records, knows the judges’
2, Streetwise 3. leanings, and controls the docket. For the right price,
289
Locations
Smythe is willing to move a case’s spot on the court calendar ships to rooting them out, and safe harbors grow scarce.
or assign a trial to a more favorable judge. Academics 3, Anne Bonny and Mary Read are found guilty but, as
Politics 2, Subterfuge 1. both are pregnant at the time, the courts temporarily stay
The Merchant their executions. Read dies of a fever in prison a few months
later. Anne Bonny’s fate is a mystery — no records of her
Robert Simmons died when a pirate crew attacked his
release exist, though some speculate she returned to a life
ship as it returned from England with a belly full of goods.
of piracy, while others say her lot was something much
They took the cargo, too, leaving his grief-stricken daughter
stranger.
Mary in dire financial straits. She’s spent the last two years
building the business back up, and she’s added rum and
Geist: Jewels of the Antilles

tobacco to her wares. Sometimes other, stranger goods pass
through her hands. Even though it means dealing with her
father’s murderers’ ilk, Mary cultivates good relationships
with the smugglers, then turns around and funnels informa- “Heaven, you fool? Did you ever hear of any pirates going
tion about pirate movements to the authorities. She attends thither? Give me hell, it’s a merrier place: I’ll give Roberts a
every hanging, hoping someday she’ll see her father’s killer salute of 13 guns at entrance.”
fitted for the noose. Investigation 2, Larceny 3, Socialize 2 — Thomas Sutton
The Taíno first knew of bondage from stories far to the
What Is to Come
west, of the Mēxihcah of the valley and their three great
cities. They knew how to handle bondage that came from
the west, from the fierce Caribs and their poison-tipped
By January of 1718, the Nassau pirates split into two arrows, raiding their expansive yucayeques, or settlements,
camps: those who want to accept King George’s Act of for slaves. When bondage came from the east, on the three
Grace and turn themselves in, and those who refuse to re- ships Columbus sailed, they had little preparation and even
nounce the outlaw life. Ben Hornigold and Henry Jennings less recourse. But they were few, and the colonists could not
are among those members of the Flying Gang in favor of fully exploit the land’s bounty with only the Taíno and the
the proffered pardons. Caribs. Those who enslaved them brought others to share
Woodes Rogers, the newly appointed Governor of the bondage, and those foreign powers’ rivals soon followed
Nassau, arrives in July 1718. By the time he sails into port, with their own group of bound. Portugal’s continental
the Acts of Grace (which he helped mastermind) have neighbors all brought slaves to the Caribbean, ripping them
struck their intended blow: Nassau’s pirates are clearing from the warm soil of Africa and thrusting them under the
out. Many who remain intend to turn themselves in. Others West Indies’ blazing eye.
offer up their services to the crown. By the end of the year, Escaped slaves have been around as long as slavery
Hornigold — one of the Pirate Republic’s founders — turns has in the West Indies. Many of those enslaved survived
on his former brethren and becomes a pirate hunter himself. marching through the dark soil of the Bight of Benin, where
Blackbeard, possibly fearing Woodes Rogers will recog- only one would survive for every 50 that went in. Some
nize him, leaves Nassau entirely. He sets his sights instead were never bound in their hearts, though, and took every
on the Carolinas, terrorizing the coast and forming an opportunity to win freedom. They survived their tribes’
alliance with other pirates. They blockade Charles Town, destruction, the indignity of being sold by people who
disrupting trade and ransoming the port. looked like them to those who looked strange. Ashanti,
Charles Vane is firmly against the king’s pardon. He Koromantin, and Dahomeyan, they would not submit,
gathers likeminded pirates and several ships, intending to even in the harsh light of a distant sun. They brought with
leave Nassau and establish a new Pirate Republic elsewhere. them the cultures of their myriad homelands and melded
Before Woodes Rogers arrives, Vane humiliates Captain them with the unfamiliar cultures of the few natives who
Vincent Pearse of the HMS Phoenix, who arrives in Nassau found refuge from the colonizers. Slavers called those who
with copies of the Act of Grace. Vane and his fleet escape escaped the plantations or fought back cimarrón, a word
Nassau just as Rogers and his fleet arrive and remain at that means “wild and unruly.” The cimarrón eventually
large for several years. formed insular communities, inhabiting the countryside
Despite Vane’s escape, Rogers’ arrival in Nassau heralds and remaining a persistent thorn in the side of colonizing
the beginning of the end for piracy. Vane suffers a spate of empires. Englishmen who heard the word eventually cor-
bad luck, beginning with his crew marooning him and end- rupted it into maroon.
ing with an old acquaintance recognizing him when he tries The first Bound to sail the West Indies two centuries past
boarding a ship under a false name. In March of 1720, he’s was a Welsh privateer of the line who coined the term “Sin-
found guilty of piracy and hanged in Port Royal. Over the Eater” in the first place. But the native culture of the Bound
next decade, many of the era’s pirates meet the same fate. in the West Indies Sea is Maroon, through and through.
The English, French, and Spanish navies dedicate more
290
groups into a shared mythology rife with religious import
The Maroons and heavily flavored by Obeah practices. Three strains of
brotherhood dominate life in the West Indies:
Centered on Saint-Domingue, Puerto Rico, and the The Más Salvaje hew close to their roots as escaped
British colony of Jamaica, Maroon culture forms a network slaves, setting sail under a Spanish term only because they
of former slaves ensconced in villages hidden in mountain- rarely share a single language themselves. They steal ships
ous terrain, following secret sailing routes that hug the coast not to sell, but to load up with powder and steel, and hunt
before venturing into strange waters. Most villages are small, slavers. They smash the escorts of the huge-bellied slave
no more than 300 escaped slaves and their descendants, but ships to splinters and wrench open the stinking decks be-
they contact one another frequently, and maintain bureaus low, letting the captives out to breathe salty sea air. They
and inroads into the heart of the great cities where others embrace their heritage as warriors of what the English call
remain enslaved. They hunt, fish, sail, and trade away from Dahomey and Igbo, captured in war and sold to foreign buy-
the eyes of the great powers, smoking their meat over green ers. They tend to venture out of longstanding communities
pimento wood with a cover to keep slavers from seeing the and are often first-generation Maroons, raiding ships and
smoke. Slaves work and die in Port-au-Prince, in Havana, plantations to free slaves. They rile up the living and the
and in the Keys. Death from disease, from exhaustion, from dead, bringing the fire of revolution to the Underworld.
starvation, from being whipped to bloody bones — death
Those who go to practice Ikwa set out to remember the
is a constant companion to those enslaved in the Antilles.
dead. They walk the cities the colonizers built, but they
Maroons do not fight a defensive war for survival. speak to the dead of Africa and the ancient Taíno ghosts
Against those who would re-enslave them, they take the who still watch over the land. They listen to the words of
offensive, freeing slaves in raids and forcing land and slave their departed elders and transmit the old culture back to
owners off their estates. They slip into cities like Kingston the living. Many do not share their fellows’ warlike nature,
or plantations by the dozen, whispering of rebellion and but simply want to capture as many of their dying histories
teaching fighting tactics to the enslaved in the dark of night. as they can. They bring peace, when possible, salving the
Not every slave revolt has a Maroon hand behind it, but deep sorrow caused by a loss of history and ensuring hoary
the fiercest ones do. The entrenched slavers are ill-suited to ghosts can still spread their wisdom to other communities
fighting back, succumbing to disease and heat exhaustion — or telling their stories for them, if it’s their time to pass
in inland Jamaica’s hills and mountains. The small size of from the world.
Maroon villages allows them to simply up and move rather
than take a stand, and they survive and flourish as a people,
the hardened hybrid remnants of a thousand peoples who
have felt the lash. A queen named Nanny leads them, as Maroons, Obeah,
much as they can be said to be led by anyone. She’s well-
known, even in Europe, as a powerful Obeah practitioner
Sin-Eaters, and Mages
and witch of the primeval islands. The Maroons’ syncretic culture doesn’t draw
sharp or academic distinctions among the
Obeah supernatural. Much of Obeah involves contact
with intermediary spirits, ancestors, or the dead.
Every Maroon community respects and fears its Obeah The religious faith of the Afro-Caribbean diaspora
practitioners. They pass down the sacred rites and beliefs doesn’t much distinguish between the three, but
and communicate with those who have come before. Obeah Chronicles of Darkness mechanics do.
magicians can steal someone’s shadow to inflict them with In game terms, many who practice Obeah are
malicious fate, render someone invincible, resurrect the Bound and form krewes, although culturally they
dead, cure disease, change an ill destiny to a good, and cause have virtually nothing in common with their Welsh
great harm. They know every herb that grows, the ones that counterparts who coined the term sin-eating, and
heal and the ones that poison, and this remains one of the the word “krewe” exists two centuries in the future.
most powerful tools of their resistance. “Obeah” is a syn- Their brotherhoods share much in common with the
onym on French plantations for being poisoned by a slave,
modern-day Furies, Mourners, and Necropolitans,
and may be mechanically represented as such.
a pejorative in white mouths and a gleeful prayer in black Many among the Maroons also Awaken, par-
ones. Despite this, many seek out Obeah men and women; ticularly to the Paths of the Acanthus, Moros, or
their healing powers are typically better than those of most Mastigos. Obeah men and women can be mage
who hew to European medicine, obsessed as it is with blood- or Bound, or neither. They all live apart from the
letting. The powers of Obeah extend deep into death and community, perpetual outsiders and liminal figures,
fate, and they draw followers into communities separate like loved ones held at arm’s reach.
from, but intertwined with, larger Maroon settlements.
These smaller communities are called “brotherhoods” by
those who bother to call them anything, initiating diverse
291
What Is to Come
The Brethren Dead are pirates, plain and simple, giv- and every dead African is a hit to the profit margin, but
ing in to the fevre’d avarice that infects the spirit of those slavers leave African ports assuming they’ll lose a third of
who sail these seas. If a Sin-Eater isn’t a Maroon born or their cargo of 250 to 600 souls. They force slaves in the hold
a former slave, they’re liable to be of the Brethren Dead. to kneel against posts, secured by leg irons and fed filthy
Maroon communities warily allow them in to trade and food. Those who don’t die of dysentery die of dehydration;
spread news, their power granting them respect but no those who survive both must sit beside the dead for weeks
authority, and hold them at a remove from the culture, on end. Slavers almost never throw slaves overboard —
looking down upon them as eternal outsiders condemned not living ones, anyway, though the dead feed the miles of
to hedonism. This suits many of the Brethren just fine; sharks that follow the ships — but they spread the rumors
having tasted death once, they desire nothing more than to keep resistance to a minimum.
to sup upon all of life’s flavor. This extends to those who Pirate ships are little better, in some ways. A crew with
no longer share in life, to be sure — Brethren are the most lax discipline doesn’t keep to rationing, and the crew feasts
likely to sail down to the great Dominion of Libertatia (p. and drinks its way into a stupor, left at sea with no food or
293) beneath the sunless seas. drink. Merchants with escorts are perfectly capable of fight-
ing back, and military ships of the line blast most pirate ships
Life and Death Under Sail to splinters. Pirates rely on aggression and fear to dominate
their opponents, overtaking targets with speed, cunning,
All sailors love the sea in their hearts. All sailors dread and ferocity, but sometimes that’s simply not enough.
the sea for the same reasons. The land cannot match the Everyone faces the mercy and the cruelty of the sea and
majesty of the ocean, but she is harsh, and will take your sky. Calm winds can leave a ship adrift for weeks. Water
life in an instant. This dread, deep and palpable, has a seeps through the most tightly sealed boards in time, and if
definitive effect on those who sail the ocean. a sailor doesn’t man the bilge pumps it’ll put the ship under.
Storms, vast and terrible in the Caribbean, bring death to
The Sea those caught in them. Behind the green lightning and the
waterspouts stretching to Heaven, though, are Avernian
Death is everywhere. Slaves perish by the score on the
Gates. The Gates exist anywhere the dead lie, and the sea
harsh journey from Africa. Fewer than an educated person
is no exception; every shipwreck has a Gate beside it, and
might think, for they’re humans treated as merchandise,
292
Brethren ships carry diving bells for just this occasion, al- The Pirates’ Haven is not in Madagascar, but near the
lowing Bound with strong lungs to ride deep under the sea Ocean, and Captain Mission is a Sin-Eater. Deep within the
and open the Gate to venture through. Storms bring Gates Underworld, 1,000 ships are lashed to one another around
to the surface, where death is close. These portals follow a truly massive and ancient galleon with 100 decks and a
in the circular patterns of sharks in the trails behind slave listing tilt. Thousands of lanterns hang from the ship, bro-
ships, waiting for a half-rotten meal to splash into the water, ken open like some eerie hive to reveal the honeycombed
themselves a toothy entrance to the Underworld for those decks among its ebon planks. Too massive for sailing and
brave enough to swim through. frankly too large to have ever existed, the ship at the heart
of Libertatia — Isla de Muerte — is beached upon a strange
The Rivers black sandbar within the River Anahita. Isla de Muerte was
a River City, once, but the rivers swelled and swept away
In the dark nights under sunless skies, ancient the dead; rather than perishing, they boarded their ships
Dominions fall. The Sainted Kingdom of Prester John and sailed for better tides, and Mission bade them build
fell into the Ocean of Fragments 100 years ago, yet good their myriad ships into one mighty vessel.
Christian ghosts still lurk along the byways and river- The waters of the River Anahita are powerful and rich,
banks, huddling together in River Cities too numerous for but Reapers constantly sail against the pirates of Libertatia,
Reapers to purge all at once. Sunken ships pass into the who are eager to retaliate. They sail up and down the Rivers,
Underworld strangely seaworthy no matter the condition acting as ferrymen on occasion but reverting to their mortal
of their hulls, so River Cities are temporary things, docks trade whenever they can. They board Reaper vessels with
lashed together from detritus and dozens of ships clustered wild abandon, and raid River Cities for Essence and treasure.
together. Competition for spots on these boats is fierce, and Some say Captain Mission plans to sail against the Admiral
like always, only the strongest survive. Rivers are choked and the Freighter on the Ocean of Fragments. With a bit of
and swollen with the formerly enslaved dead, as the triangle luck and good sailing, the great ship of the Ocean will be
trade forces Avernian Gates to yawn wide and accept a theirs. What a prize that would be.
staggering death toll. The Rivers run over banks and carve
Old Laws: None shall game for Essence or money,
furrows in the tunnels, allowing even massive ships enough
whether with dice or cards; all shall rally to defense of
room to sail and turn. The rushing waters (and other mate-
Libertatia, or be exiled forever; all shall slumber at eight
rials) yawn as wide as the seas’ horizons — one can sail to
at night, and if any wish to drink after that hour they must
the middle of a River and not see either shore. Maps and
leave Libertatia; none shall strike another on board the
charts prove inconstant companions, at best, unless one
ships, but every man’s quarrel shall be ended onshore by
relies upon a ferryman guide.
sword or pistol. (The framers of the Old Laws never ac-
Across the world, empire begins on a scale never before counted for sailors who aren’t men, a loophole many take
seen, and the Underworld responds. For every slave who great delight in exploiting creatively.)
falls into a molasses boiler, burned alive by molten sugar;
Getting There: Sail into a wave while a green flash is
for every sailor whose teeth fall out as he perishes to scurvy;
visible on the horizon; this puts you along a path to the
for every British seaman smashed like a bowl of eggs by a
Rivers and the fastest route to Libertatia. Sail the River
pirate cannonball; the Ocean beckons.
Anahita for three days’ turn, though the sun will not shine,
The Ocean of Fragments

and bring tribute for the Kerberos, the Barbarossa Brothers.
Story Hooks
The Ocean is the Ocean, and the Admiral of the
Freighter — a six-decked monstrosity that moves like a sloop • A ship sails up, hull shredded by ghost-fire. “We’ve
and mounts more than 200 guns — allows no other ships taken on a few Reapers, but the last one got us but
upon the glossy black surface waters, save those coming to good,” they say. “Cover us, mates, until we reach
parley. To sail upon that dread sea is to brook not death, Libertatia?” Unfortunately, “a few” Reapers is a
but eternal dissolution. That doesn’t stop crews from try- fleet entire; the seas soon churn with ghost-cannon.
ing. The Admiral wears finery of many a pirate’s signifier Libertatia beckons, but they won’t welcome you with
in these days. a hostile fleet at your backs.
Dominion: Libertatia
• Another River City’s Essence runs out and it splin-
ters, huge sections moving downriver. A ship out
Captain James Mission founded a haven for pirates; in of Libertatia sails forth, waiting to sweep up the
Madagascar, most tales tell, but those who have crossed the survivors and press them into service within the
island entire have never found it. It supposedly stretches Dominion as slaves. Yet the dead do not go willingly,
from Antongil Bay to Mananjary, from Île Sainte-Marie to and soon the battle grinds to a stalemate. The choice
Mahavelona, but no ships cross there except other pirates to help either side presents itself.
and fat merchants waiting to be sacked.
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What Is to Come
appears to be. It drinks, carouses, and eats with the rest of
The Barbarossa Brothers the pirates, but its broad, toothy smiles never waver, which
is unnerving even in a freewheeling pirate haven.
“Welcome, agha! But put the sword away, if you please.”
The Dutchman
“Or my brother will show you where it will be sheathed.”
Background: Sailing from North Africa’s Barbary Coast,
the Barbarossa (Italian for “red beard”) brothers Oruç and One ship terrorizes every sea the Ocean touches: the
Hayreddin became rich by capturing European vessels in Flying Dutchman, the God-cursed ship. Captained by an
the Mediterranean Sea. Two papal galleys and a Sardinian insane Dutchman, the black-hulled man-of-war is a fear-
warship fell to the brothers’ skill, but once the Spanish took some Castoff (Geist: The Sin-Eaters, p. 196) commanded
Oruç’s arm in battle, they became the Empire’s fiercest foes. by a Reaper. The name refers to both the ship itself and the
By 1516, the Ottoman sultan put Oruç in charge of the captain’s Deathmask, and any ghost who wears the mask can
entire Barbary Coast, a position Hayreddin took over two take the ship and crew — some 200 undead sailors — through
years later following his brother’s death. The man known an Avernian Gate to reclaim any ghosts on the other side.
as Khair-ed-Din spent the rest of his days fighting various
Christians, including a “Holy League” fleet the pope spe-
cifically gathered to destroy him. The brothers supposedly CASTOFF AT SEA
reunited in the Underworld upon death, but the Kerberos
of Libertatia — spreading its power between two bodies, The Dutchman is a four-decked beast with 140
one for each brother — still has its looks and its charm. guns, corroded weapons jutting out from ebon planks
Description: One Kerberos splits into two Turkish men warped and twisted by years under the sea. The lights
in full naval finery from a century ago. Hayreddin has an glow with a baleful blue fire, turning a pale green to an
expansive beard that is decidedly not red, and Oruç has a observer’s eye the further one goes from the ship. It has
short beard that is red. Where it strays from appearing as decayed enough that, by rights, it should not sail, yet the
just another pair of ghosts is in the demonic red glow of Dutchman can outpace any ship at sea. Escape without
the brothers’ eyes, and the way the two finish each other’s trickery is impossible, and battle is supremely difficult.
sentences with uncannily perfect cadence. For this reason, many captains who sail the Rivers do so
Storytelling Hints: The Kerberos of Libertatia does with a companion ship and crew. When they encounter
not especially acknowledge any ghost who actually met the Dutchman, they don’t need to outrun the monster
the brothers in life, and indeed presents no evidence nor  only their unlucky fellows.
entertains argument about whether it is somehow who it The Flying Dutchman uses its Influences, Numina, and
Manifestations only at the command of its captain, and
counts as equipment for purposes of the captain using these
himself. It only recognizes a ghost wearing the Reaper’s
Deathmask as its captain.
Rank: 4
Anchor: The open sea; storms
Essence: 25
Vehicle Traits: Dice modifier −5, Size 40,
Durability 2, Structure 35, Speed 5 (9 under sail),
weapon damage 5; see p. 305 for ship systems
Ban: If the Dutchman is forced to make port,
weigh anchor in the shallows, or otherwise venture
too close to land, it is immediately banished back
to the Underworld.
Bane: A living sailor with Integrity 8+, whose feet
have not touched land in at least a decade.
Influences: Anchors 2, Winds 2
Manifestations: Avernian Gateway,
Discorporate, Image, Materialize, Twilight Form
Numina: Anchor Jump, Awe, Blast (cannons),
Engulf, Implant Mission, Pathfinder, Regenerate,
Seek, Speed
294
New Ceremony: Lowlands Away (•)
Subject: One brotherhood
Duration: Length of shanty; may be repeated for mul-
tiple shanties
Symbols: A ship fully crewed. A single sailor with a
passable singing voice. A crew capable of harmony. The
shanty itself.
Rituals: Lead the crew in a sea shanty, starting with
the sailor’s love coming to him as a ghost. Bring the crew
into another song with the last verse and continue singing.
Dice Pool: Wits + Empathy
Success: As long as you keep the crew singing, they
gain the benefits of the Good Time Management Merit,
which also applies to brotherhood (krewe) actions. They
also ignore morale-related penalties and gain an extra Door
against any Social Maneuvering that would persuade them
to mutiny or betrayal.
New Mementos
Many Mementos of this era tend toward the Keys of
Blood, Chance, and (of course) Deep Waters.
Captain Kidd’s Hat

Key: Blood
VAN DER DECKEN Description: A simple black hat, broad-brimmed with
a square top, unadorned save for a brass button on the back
If a ghost dons the Dutchman’s Deathmask, she becomes brim. A red bandana with yellow splotches encircles the
the Reaper known as Hendrick Van der Decken, com- underside for a proper fit. It’s an oddly itchy hat, as if it
plete with a Dutch accent and male countenance. She wasn’t ever washed properly.
gains the following traits: Effect: Burying something while wearing Kidd’s hat
Rank: 4 ensures it remains buried. Even drawing a map doesn’t help,
Aspiration: To the brig with them! though it definitely causes consternation when the treasure
should be there yet isn’t. The effect lasts a few decades, at
Power: +8, Finesse: +8, Resistance: +4
(all to a maximum of 12); adjust derived traits least, since Kidd’s been dead that long.
accordingly
Maximum Essence: 25 (doesn’t suffer Essence The Iron Anchor
bleed) Key: Deep Waters
Influences: Ocean 2 Description: A massive iron anchor, without a speck
Merits: Giant of rust. No maker’s mark can be seen.
Manifestations: Discorporate, Possess Effect: Dragging the Anchor in the ocean draws it to-
ward the closest Avernian Gate in the area. If the Anchor
Numina: Blast, Descend, Emotional Aura touches it, the Gate remains open. Grasping the chain at-
(Terror), Engulf
tached to the Anchor allows anyone to hold their breath
Ban: Van der Decken cannot leave the Flying until they get to the Gate, no matter how deep the water is.
Dutchman under any circumstances.
Bane: Holy water blessed by a Protestant priest
(not a Catholic one)
A Lucky Piece of Eight
Key: Chance
Description: A Spanish real of tarnished silver, with a
small hole punched through it and a leathern cord passed
295
What Is to Come
through to make a simple necklace. The jagged edges of
the hole dig into the flesh.
Effect: The wearer’s dreams are filled with adventures The Mystery of Gold
that are oddly prophetic. The events never happen the way Some sailors believe if they keep gold about their
they do in the dreams, but dreaming of battle means danger person, it’ll pay Charon to ferry them across the
is imminent, while treasure means wealth will flow soon. river Styx. Whether or not this is true, some force
Woe to those who dream of death. under the waves lays claim to those who drown or
are buried at sea with gold — a ring or earring, a
necklace, or a coin under the tongue. Whatever
Mage: Salt and Silver this grim, deathly power may be, it does not take
kindly to meddling Awakened.
If a mage attempts to use the Death Arcanum to
“Hark ye, you Cocklyn and la Bouche, I find by strengthen-
ing you, I have put a rod into your hands to whip myself, but I
summon, control, command, or otherwise affect
the ghost of a sailor who died with a tithe of gold
am still able to deal with you both; but since we met in love, let upon them, the ghost’s Rank is effectively +2 for
us part in love, for I find that three of a trade can never agree.” Withstand purposes, and any failure to cast the
— Howell Davis, breaking alliance with Cocklyn and spell is a dramatic failure instead. Sometimes, the
la Bouche consequences are even worse; the transgressing
A new breed of buccaneer roves the briny seas of the mage finds their home and possessions rotting and
Caribbean. The Company of the Codex (p. 311) is a fel- waterlogged, marine parasites squirm out of their
flesh, or water no longer quenches their thirst.
lowship born from the same heady ideals of the Republic
of Pirates that inspire their Sleeper peers, but theirs is an
occult greed. These pirate-mages seize vessels in whose
holds are stowed chests of tass, kidnap other Awakened to Now the Company of the Codex calls Nameless, apos-
ransom them back for secrets and sorcery, and race against tates, outcasts, and renegades to its stronghold in Nassau.
Diamond Orders and Seers of the Throne alike to find places Newcomers flock to its promises of untrammeled opportu-
of power and plunder the Mysteries of the Caribbean. They nity and freedom. Faced with the pirates’ depredations, the
answer to no one but themselves. Silver Ladder responds with its own reinforcements. The
The Awakened of the Caribbean used to be a scattered, Seers of the Throne construct new Pylons to confront the
lonesome lot. A meager lineage of practitioners clings on upstarts. Over the course of a scant few years, the Awakened
among the surviving Taíno, working powerful and enduring population swells with a tide of dozens of ambitious Wise.
Yantras through carved petroglyphs. A few European mages This golden age of piracy is the stage upon which a dramatic
stop among the islands and never leave, caught by one Mystery war of sorcerers plays out.
or another, or overseeing part of an Order’s supply chain across
the ocean. Sometimes, a slave Awakens in the nightmare of a
ship’s hold or the ceaseless work of a plantation. Raising the Flag
In early January of 1716, the Silver Ladder Caucuses in
the American colonies and West Indies push for a declara-
Weigh, Me Boys, to Cuba! tion of war against the Company of the Codex. They do so
through a Convocation, called in the burgeoning settlement
Sea shanties evolved from the hauling songs of New York. Hidden away from the town’s hustle and bus-
sailors in the Age of Sail sang to keep time when tle, the gathering of mages fiercely debates the Company’s
performing synchronized shipboard tasks. Though crimes — whether they have gone too far, whether they can
they reached their apex long after the Golden be reasoned with, and whether the Diamond Orders really
Age of Piracy, a singing ship’s crew is part of the have any right to make demands of them at all. Colonists,
genre, and suggests shipboard discipline and Native Americans, and a few Awakened from further afield
a sense of camaraderie. Mage suggests using listen to Caribbean théarchs as they speak passionately of
songs as a chronicle-plotting mechanism. Several
playlists of professionally sung sea shanties are the threat posed.
available online; when using “Music Is Always” Ladder mages describe a strange phenomenon they
(Mage: The Awakening, p. 290), feel free to use believe to be the Company’s work. In a rough triangle,
sea shanties as inspiration for character building. stretching from the Bahamas to Bermuda, the phenom-
Sea shanties don’t require much singing ability by enon weakens the underpinnings of Atlantean symbolism
design and are rarely longer than a minute or two, upon which the Silver Ladder  and by extension, all of
so singing at the table is a decent way to bring Diamond society  draws. The power of symbols of author-
yourselves into character at the start of a session. ity erodes, and with it, the ability to use Yantras that call
296
Company of Thieves
The Mystery of Silver and Iron The ship has twice the guns and manpower mine does, but
The power of certain symbols wanes within the both crews can hear my booming laugh. I grasp the narrative
Company’s area of influence, running the length and weave a story of my own invincibility. Their heavy cannon
of the Americas’ eastern coast and out into the explodes before it fires, showering their deck with debris, trailing
Atlantic, from the Carolinas all the way to the flames in the wake. Some unknown defect in the cannons, no
Bahamas and Bermuda. Within this region, doubt, but my crew cheers at the good fortune, swinging over
Yantras that call upon the symbolism of author- madly with blood in their hearts. A span of fierce fighting later
ity, law, governance, control, the Lex Magica,
and I stand at the locked cabin of the enemy captain, who im-
the Silver Ladder, the Diamond as an institution,
any national crown or ruler, or the Exarchs can’t presses two foreign courtesans into defending him. One elegant
provide a bonus larger than +1, and any magic fillip of my sabre knocks the knives from their hands, and a kind
that uses such symbols as sympathetic Yantras gesture encourages them to flee. My boot splinters the coward’s
(spatial or temporal) reduce the strength of the door, only partially obscuring his shriek of terror.
sympathy by one level. Worse, Yantras of this
The soft patter of rain on my face tells of the approaching
kind do not work at all when casting spells with
subjects within Nassau or its immediate vicinity, or hurricane, as if the night-black clouds didn’t. The crew hastens
with any member of the Company of the Codex all around me, pumping water, stumbling over scratched and
as a subject — even if cast from far beyond the burning planks broken by British guns. The fleet behind us flies
region’s boundaries. the Union Jack, and they have already declared they will give
no quarter. A glance to our charts reveals the only option left,
and a smile crosses my lips. I bid the crew beware, for they will
sail stranger tides yet. Energies surge around me as a swell of
upon the semiotics of jurisdiction, the Lex Magica, and the water bears the ship low, too low in the ocean, swallowing the
Diamond itself. To the Ladder, this is a direct attack, and far deck. As sailors sputter and blink the sea from their eyes, they
more serious than even the theft of resources or the abuse gaze upon the vast and far-off roof of a massive cavern. The
of Heralds; the pirates may believe their trespasses are tem- winds calm, then die entirely.
porary or localized, but the Mystery portends the possible The pirate-mages of the Company of the Codex (p. 311)
erosion of other Supernal symbolism. Left unchecked, the are not ones to just batten down the hatches and hope the
Fallen World could fall further, and all of Awakened society storm passes. Some are genuine believers in the Order’s
could crumble. The théarchs are quick to remind their peers ideals of democracy and equality, but more than enough
that the Lex Magica and the tradition of Consilium are allow selfish desires and obsessions to drive them — they
designed to keep mages from shattering reality with their take what they want, and damn the consequences.
personal conflicts.
The reception is lukewarm. Many worry about the
Company, but not enough to support outright war. The
Silver Ladder’s mystical problems are intriguing, but
they are not so terrible a threat as to stir the Diamond The Mystery of Salt
into action.
The vast ocean’s ebb and flow are hard to grasp.
The Ladder’s frustrations only grow in the wake of the So many ripples, currents, and winds, ever-
Convocation. Théarchs up and down the coast grimly report moving, ever-changing, can play havoc with the
the semiotic significance slipping from ancient, traditional magics of Fate, Space, and Time. The chaos of the
Yantras, particularly on days when storms wrack the sky and sea, its constant battery of minute changes, can
waves lash the shore. The Order’s symbolic power wanes serve as a form of protection — a clouding haze
further, and still the Diamond refuses to act. of possibilities born from its roiling avarice.
Mere weeks after the Convocation, the Silver Ladder Any Awakened using Fate or Time magic of the
take a step that shakes the Diamond to its core. Fearing Practices of Knowing, Unveiling, Weaving, or
the worst, the théarchs look to another power for the aid Patterning to affect a subject that has been at sea
the Diamond withholds. Margaret Howell, Tetrarch of the for at least a day (including herself) must spend
Iron Pyramid in the Caribbean region, makes an offer of one additional Reach. The same goes for any
alliance. The Company’s machinations castrate the Tyrants’ spells cast sympathetically and any Space magic
symbolic power as well, and the Exarchs’ servants muster to pinpoint or change a subject’s location; even
to scour the Nameless from the seas.
with the necessary sympathetic Yantra, the mage
must spend an extra Reach to find the subject or
The Silver Ladder accepts the offer, and the war begins. the destination out on the jealous ocean.
297
What Is to Come
Many Company willworkers are talented seafarers,
expertly weaving nautical skills together with their magic.
On the high seas, they hone their rapacious thirst for oc-
cult secrets; like locusts, raiding cabals of Company pirates
drain Hallows and defile whatever magical resources they
cannot take with them — if they can’t have it, no one can.
The mages who take part divide the spoils between them,
and then hoard them for themselves or trade them to other
Picaroons, Nameless, and apostates.
Some Company cabals transgress further, becoming
monstrous in their depredations. They dabble in anti-
nomian magic or visit ghastly atrocities upon victims —
tearing souls out and feeding them to the greedy ocean,
chaining wailing ghosts to their ships, or marooning fellow
Wise on desolate islands where strange ripples in space and
time prevent escape. The Company’s egalitarian approach
hampers attempts to restrain such excesses, even as these
mages’ own peers look upon them with growing unease.
CRIMSON GULL
“This rot’s too deep already. You’re going to die. I could
stop it, yes, but then I’d not see the color of pus that leaks
from your eyes at the end.”
Background: Pirate captain Crimson Gull fed her
Her Immediate Nimbus is the exhilarating high of flight
name to a spirit of secrets, bound it to a casket, and sank
far above the ocean, the heady rush of salt-spray winds and
it to the bottom of the sea. The Thyrsus’ past died with
a bird’s-eye view. Her Signature Nimbus is the disappoint-
the rest of the slaves and crew on a ship struck by disease;
ment of coming back down to earth, the heavy feeling of
her Awakening accompanied oozing sores and fever-hot
being chained to land by gravity. Her Long-Term Nimbus
flesh. The sole survivor joined up with the Mysterium but
makes compasses spin and confuses the senses; navigators find
chafed under the Consilium’s rules and mentor-apprentice
themselves lost and birds fly overhead in strange formations.
structure; she wanted the freedom to use her magic as she
chose, and came to believe no one had the right to tell an Storytelling Hints: Crimson Gull studies the spread of
Awakened what to do. When she looked through a spyglass disease through the Caribbean, particularly contagions that
and saw something vast, feathered, and grotesque looking break out among the close ranks of a ship’s crew. She follows
back, her cabal saw nothing and advised her to work on stricken vessels as an albatross, and sometimes even entreats
becoming wiser, for fear she was losing control. Resentful spirits to spread sickness on purpose among her rivals to watch
and restless, the sea witch fled to the Company, where an its progress. Gull wants to understand the secrets of suppu-
Obeah woman of the Brethren Dead initiated her into the rating flesh that Awakened her while others died; she sees
age-old Legacy of the Keepers of the Covenant as she sought meaning and patterns in the sore-covered gums and rancid
an understanding of spirits that preyed on humanity at sea. coughs of sailors, and views disease as a natural extension
of the Primal Wild reaching into the Fallen World, forcing
Description: Crimson Gull is a wild-eyed, rictus-grinning
living things to adapt and overcome to survive. Illnesses and
black woman who wears bright colors and sings loud songs.
spirits she’s never seen before intrigue her, and she goes out
Her forearms jingle with copper bangles and bracelets, and
of her way to study them. She seeks communion with spirits
she hangs leather-cord loops laden with bird skulls around
of disease and avian deities as she chases her Obsessions.
her neck. She possesses a constant frenetic energy and can’t
sit still, and likes to shout orders at the top of her lungs. In Path: Thyrsus
battle, she prefers shapeshifting and magic to pistol or cutlass; Order: Company of the Codex
in parley, she’s ruthless and impetuous, with no patience Legacy: Keepers of the Covenant
for standing on ceremony or for hemming and hawing, but
Virtue: Generous
she’s personable and laughs easily. She’s known to make snap
decisions without consulting her crew occasionally, but they Vice: Greedy
forgive her for it when she inevitably leads them to massive Obsessions: Understand the disease spirits of the
hauls or saves the life of a dying crewman. Caribbean; Find and appease the bird-entity (p. 303)
298
Aspirations: Maintain luxury and freedom; Notes: The Keepers of the Covenant give Crimson
Discover a new disease Gull Fate as a third Ruling Arcanum.
Keepers of the Covenant
Skills: Academics 2, Crafts 3, Medicine (Disease) 3, (Thyrsus, Silver Ladder; Fate)
Occult (Spirits) 4, Science 2; Athletics 3, Brawl 4, Although the Keepers of the Covenant are tradition-
Firearms (Flintlock Pistol) 1, Stealth 3, Survival ally a Silver Ladder Legacy within the Diamond, many
(Maritime) 4, Weaponry 1; Animal Ken (Birds) 2, initiates — sometimes called Elders — exist as Nameless
Intimidation 4, Persuasion 2 throughout the world. Keepers of all stripes believe their
Merits: Contacts (Mysterium), Destiny 1, practices predate the Diamond, and that théarchs adopted
Familiar (Albatross Spirit) 2, High Speech, Mana the Legacy when they took their place as mediators and
Sensitivity, Mystery Cult Initiation (Company of the community-builders for Awakened society. The Keepers
Codex) 3, Plunder Mana (below), Resources 3, of the Covenant tie their own destinies to the spirit realm
Shadow Name 2 to stand with one foot in the human world and one in the
Wisdom: 4 Shadow, belonging to both and neither. They bridge the
Willpower: 5 two as intermediaries who foster cooperation and keep
the peace.
Initiative: 5
Yantras: traversing passages between boundaries (+1);
Defense: 6 spirit fetishes (+1, or +2 if the bound spirit has Rank 4+);
Armor: 0/0 succeeding on an Empathy roll relevant to the spell (+2);
Speed: 11 reciting a traditional piece of ancient wisdom (+1)
Health: 8 Oblations: communing with and getting to know the
local spirits; presiding over a non-magical ceremony that
Gnosis: 4 honors or appeases spirits; mediating between feuding
Mana/per turn: 13/4 parties comprising both humans and supernatural beings;
Nimbus Tilt: Grants +1 to Resolve rolls, and +1 generating the Resonant or Open Condition appropriate
and 8-again to Survival rolls. to a known spirit without using magic.
Dedicated Magical Tool: A hand mirror of First Attainment: Oath of Synthesis
polished copper
Prerequisites: Initiation (Fate 2, Spirit 1, Survival 2)
Arcana: Fate 2, Forces 1, Life 4, Prime 1, Space 2, Upon initiation into the Legacy, the mage binds her
Spirit 4 destiny to the Shadow, permanently gaining one dot in the
Attainments: Counterspell (Fate, Forces, Life, Destiny Merit (Mage, p. 100) for each Legacy Attainment
Prime, Space, Spirit); Conditional Duration; she knows. She may only use Destiny points acquired this
Improved Pattern Restoration; Sympathetic way on rolls to interact with spirits, the Shadow, or the
Range; Spirit Eyes; Mage Armor (Fate, Life, Gauntlet. Her Doom is to, someday, become Claimed. No
Space, Spirit); Targeted Summoning (Life, Spirit); combination of this Legacy’s Attainments and purchasing
Body Autonomy; Honorary Rank; Keepers of the
Covenant — Oath of Synthesis, Sacred Invitation Merit dots can grant a character more than five total dots
of Destiny.
Praxes: Exceptional Luck (Fate 2); Fools Rush In In addition, this Attainment emulates the Spirit 1 spell
(Fate 2); Transform Life (Life 3); Shapechanging
(Life 4); Break Boundary (Space 2) Exorcist’s Eye (Mage, p. 180) with a Duration in turns
equal to the mage’s dots in Spirit, allocating its Reach to
Rotes: Knit (Life 3, Survival); Gossamer Touch instant use.
(Spirit 2, Intimidation); Howl from Beyond (Spirit 3,
Medicine); Reaching (Spirit 3, Medicine) Second Attainment: Sacred Invitation
Rote Skills: Firearms, Intimidation, Survival Prerequisites: Fate 2, Spirit 2, Survival 3
Weapons/Attacks: The mage extends an open hand across boundaries,
welcoming a spirit into the material world. This Attainment
Dice
Attack Damage Range Clip Initiative Pool emulates the Spirit 2 spell Opener of the Way (Mage, p.
181), but the willworker may only use it to shift Resonant
Unarmed 0B Melee — −0 7
to Open, not vice versa. Upon using this Attainment, she
Flintlock 2L 15/30/60 1 −2 5 may spend 1 Mana to specify one stipulation by which
pistol*
any spirit using the Condition the mage creates to enact
*Flintlock pistols take five turns to reload. a Manifestation must abide, such as refraining from at-
tacking a particular person or staying on board a ship. The
299
What Is to Come
stipulation must be something the mage could perceive a
violation of if she were present, mundanely or with Spirit
Eyes (Mage, p. 193). By manifesting via this Condition, a The Codex
spirit tacitly agrees to this provision; should it break that
agreement, the Open Condition immediately vanishes, and
(Artifact ••••• ••••• •••)
the spirit loses Essence equal to the mage’s dots in Fate. The Grimoire Codices granted to the greatest
This Attainment allocates its Reach to advanced Duration, Awakened pirates of a generation contain any
requiring a scene of preparation. number of Prime spells, most often Display of Power
(Mage, p. 168). Every Company captain has one.
They’re copies of the actual Codex, an Imperial
New Merit: Plunder Mana (••) Artifact pulled from a lost ruin in Long Bay on the
Jamaican coast. It is by means of the primary Codex
Prerequisites: Prime •, Resolve ••
that the Company guts Order and Patron tool Yantras
Effect: Your character draws Mana into herself with and ruthlessly counterspells Awakened magic.
rapacious swiftness. She takes only 10 minutes to perform
an Oblation at a Hallow, rather than the usual hour. If The Codex uses an effect of Prime beyond the
she successfully Counters a spell with any Mana cost, she
ken of masters to literally plunder symbols from
the Supernal, rendering Yantras of authority weak
regains one Mana. or inert (see “The Mystery of Silver and Iron,” p.
297). Those named by the Company and writ-
Mystery Cult Initiation: ten into the Codex are immune to this effect, and
their players’ rolls to counter any spell that would
Company of the Codex (• to •••••) semiotically align with such Yantras gain 8-again
Effect: Your character is a member of the Company of the
as long as the caster is affected by the pirate’s
Nimbus Tilt.
Codex (p. 311), a Nameless Order based on a philosophy of
radical freedom, equality, and divining magical praxis from
discipline and wealth. Company mages deliberately adopt an
exaggerated persona on the high seas to intimidate opponents.
Each dot in this Merit also acts as Status in the Company.
300
Fearsome Mien (•): Your character gains the one-dot
Potent Nimbus Merit (Mage, p. 103). Those without a Nimbus
still clearly read as Company members to Focused Mage Sight. The Ministry of Geryon
The Sword and the Spell (••): Your character gains a Faceless powers rule unopposed. One of the Great
Skill Specialty in either Occult or Weaponry. Ministries of the age, Geryon serves the Nemesis,
Rote Skills (•••): Your character gains Firearms, Exarch of control through unseen power. The
Intimidation, and Survival as Rote Skills. Ministry encourages those with the privilege and
means to hide their identities and oppress or prey
The Dread Mage (••••): Your character gains the upon others to do so with impunity, sponsoring the
Shadow Name Merit (•••). Only Awakened may reach growth of hate groups who conceal their faces and
this level of status. names, elite criminal organizations and secret soci-
Company Captain (•••••): Your character gains the eties, and abuses of common folk by unpunishable
Grimoire (Codex) Merit (•••). forces. When anyone, even friends or colleagues,
could be the masked assailants or anonymous
donors who buy votes with cold, hard cash; when
Grim Tides neighbors spy on each other knowing one of them
is informing on the rest; when everyone knows the
The Silver Ladder puts on a show of confidence and
gang downtown runs the city, but no one knows
absolute conviction, and in many cases it’s completely genu-
who’s a member — that’s when trust crumbles and
ine. Everyone agrees on the Company’s threat, and most fear wins.
share the same frustration with the rest of the Diamond.
Most reluctantly support the alliance, too, seeing it as a The Nemesis grants the Crown of Secrecy as its
necessary evil. Few théarchs like working with Seers, but Prelacy Crown Attainment. In the material world,
they know they must sink or swim; even those unhappy ephemeral entities in the Seer’s presence are
subject to Quiescence as though they were spells.
with the alliance stand in solidarity with the Order to stop
Also, when other mages Scrutinize her magic with
the whole thing splintering apart. Some Ladder mages leave Focused Mage Sight, spells with dot ratings up to
their cabals — often amid recriminations from Diamond the Seer’s Spirit dots count as rotes, relegating her
colleagues — to join new crews of théarchs, bolstered by Signature Nimbus to deep information.
numbers from Caucuses spanning the Americas and Europe.
Rote Skills: Larceny, Socialize, Subterfuge
Still, many théarchs feel profoundly lonely as the war
continues, surrounded by unfamiliar faces and separated
from — even opposing — old friends and associates. Those
who remain with their Diamond cabals find loyalties ques- and the glory hounds eager for a chance to prove them-
tioned, trust shaken. Even facing off with Company mages selves. When Armand Gauvain, a powerful Praetorian
is fraught with feelings of betrayal and a vain desperation prelate visiting from France, throws his weight behind the
to “save” them, as many of the Picaroons are Diamond de- crusade after watching his Yantras fail him and losing a ship
fectors. Fracture lines run through the Caribbean Consilia, and crew to the Awakened brigands, the other Tetrarchs
never tightly bound organizations even in the best of days. take the threat more seriously. The Seers fear the damage
The Ladder would traditionally be the Order shoring up the the Company is doing to the fundamental underpinnings
foundations, but they are too busy battling the Company of authority with their symbolic rebellion and worry the
and watching the Seers for treachery; and while they per- Exarchs may take it out on their own servants if their in-
sist in their alliance with the Iron Pyramid, the rest of the fluence in the Fallen World wanes. Besides, they refuse to
Diamond wouldn’t let them even if they tried. tolerate the threat to their control of Sleeper society and the
blatant rejection of tradition, looking to crush the life out
of the idea of mage democracy before it spreads any further.
Rusted Pyramids
Margaret Howell, the powerful Acanthus who forges the Ministering to the Corrupt
alliance with the Silver Ladder, is the Tetrarch overseeing Howell belongs to the Hegemony, and it is this
Seer operations in the West Indies. She wields her authority Ministry’s prognosticators who first fear the Company, as its
from her stronghold in Port Royal, Jamaica, marshaling new democratic ideals resonate with unrest in the colonies. The
arrivals from the colonies into a fresh network of Pylons. Once, Unity’s servants coax the wrath of nations against Nassau,
Port Royal was a haven of pirate activity in the Caribbean, seeking ever more brutal treatment of its renegades and
but now it is the heart of British attempts to curb the pirates’ turning pirate against pirate through tactical bribes of par-
ravages — part of the symbolism Howell seeks to foster as a don and wealth from royal coffers in exchange for mutinies.
counterattack against the Company’s occult corrosion. These Seers hold out the most hope that they might turn
At first, the reinforcements sent from Europe and the théarchs they work beside against the Diamond perma-
America are the unwanted dross, the ambitious but weak, nently as recruits to the Pyramid once their battle is done.
301
What Is to Come
The Ministry of Paternoster preaches a cruel creed of
puritanical self-denial in opposition to the decadence and
self-indulgence of pirates. When sailors turn to thoughts of The Mystery of Bone
salvation and soul-searching upon the ocean’s bleak expanse, Seers of Mammon watch over plantations, chain-
far from home and safety, the Father’s servants are there to ing dead slaves’ ghosts with their magic and
twist their desperation into tearful repentance and malleable forcing these poor shades to work themselves
zeal. Theirs are the voices that silence the songs in the planta- to oblivion. Shackled to the land, the moaning
tions’ fields, condemning the true faith that keeps hope alive phantasms harvest a bizarre crop for the Ministry
under the auspices of fearing God’s abandonment. — weird, coral-like growths of bone that spring up
The Praetorians thunder into port in men-of-war bris- in the Twilight of the fields where the slaves die.
tling with cannons and flintlock muskets. Some of these The Ministry remains tight-lipped about the origins
Awakened reavers are with the Royal Navy and some are of its Twilight crop, but harvested and processed
pirates themselves, and they lead some of the most brutal by a ghost’s deathly energy, the result is a materi-
and cutthroat crews on the high seas. The General’s ser- alized substance: the bone-white powder is a rich
vants revel in open magical war and the way enemy ships source of Mana, a weird tass heavily resonant with
flee when they fly their Jolly Rogers bearing their Exarchal Death and Mind. The Twilight coral isn’t limited to
patron’s runes. Most théarchs hold their Praetorian allies
Mammon’s fields, although they try their best to
control the resource. It grows up along ley lines
at arm’s length, not wishing to condone so much blood in fertilized with death, and sometimes Awakened
the water but unable to deny their need for strong warships find it clinging to the hulls of vessels whose planks
and battle sorcery against the pirates’ foul play. have seen much blood spilled.
While the Hegemony espouses open negotiation with
the théarchs they court, the Ministry of Geryon plays a
subtler game, hoping to catch their Ladder counterparts in entire convoys, and blue-limned ghosts claw the souls out
mortifying hypocrisies and quietly tempt them to indulge of sleeping sailors. Cornered sloops find their cannons choke
their Lion instincts. Their long game is ultimately to recruit and gasp as frenzied pirates close in; flotillas of predatory
théarchs to the Throne, or at least permanently sour their vessels circle and dart in impossible naval maneuvers as
relationship with the rest of the Diamond, without tipping willworkers battle for control over the vast ocean itself.
their hand. The Nemesis’ servants make up the bulk of the So much is on the line in this war, and its belligerents all
Seers affiliated or liaising with American and European fervently believe their vision for the future is worth a heavy
powers who want the pirates taken down, but don’t want to price in blood — Awakened and Sleeper alike.
attach their names to the effort for fear of marauder retali- The alliance of iron and silver agrees on tenuous rules
ation. To sow confusion and reduce public support for the of engagement: offer mercy to Nameless who surrender and
pirates, they form crews of their own captained by patsies limit collateral damage to Sleepers. Seers and théarchs both
to strike civilian targets a pirate wouldn’t care to plunder: try to bribe or persuade Company mages away from their
those with important cultural, sentimental, or personal Order, hiding any successes from their partners in accord.
value, but no particular wealth or military significance. Neither Hegemony nor Ladder wants this conflict to de-
Among the Lesser Ministries, the upstarts of Mammon volve into the rampant destruction of the very communities
funnel troves of coin and Mana to the Pylons doing the dirty from which they draw their power, but other Ministries
work of protecting their slave ships and plantations. The rise would shed no tears if Unity lost influence here, and out on
of piracy and its endless avarice pleases the Chancellor, and the ocean it’s hard to keep a firm hand with one’s subordi-
has grown Mammon’s power here. They encourage slavers nates and peers. On the other side, the Company’s official
and landowners to hunt down and murder slaves freed by stance is to refuse all such agreements, despite the Ladder’s
Company mages to send a clear message: People are property repeated attempts to reach out; the renegades see no reason
to be bought and sold. They place malevolent curses on trea- to fight shackled by laws from the very society they rejected.
sures and Mysteries they believe the Nameless cannot help “Freedom or death,” they cry! In practice, though, loyalties
but steal, to ward off further Picaroon plundering. They sell and priorities are messy, lines are blurred, and how any given
information on other Seers’ shipping routes to the Company, conflict will end is up in the air every time.
trying to sate the buccaneers’ greed upon their rivals rather Crews wielding Time face Picaroon rivals in conflicts no
than fight back directly, and quietly sabotage Hegemony’s one else can see, duels of prediction and counter-prediction
alliance with the Ladder in hopes it will go down in flames. dancing through the tides of time to pass on warnings of
fickle futures. Magicians navigate the Astral as well as mun-
Blood-Dimmed Tides dane seas, hunting for traces of the legends their opponents
write as their reputations stride before them, or secrets
Ships burn to the waterline as mysterious blazes ignite that could provide an edge. Potent sites of mystical power
within their caulked guts, or drift into port without any become flashpoints, as mages on every side race to be the
living crew but rabid, flesh-gorged rats. Storms consume first to plant their flags and reap the rewards. With weather
302
and Fate as their playthings, sorcerers spar in pursuits and said and done? What if this mage democracy catches on
raids that rarely flourish into true battles; most confronta- like wildfire, spreads far and wide, and decides to overthrow
tions are over before reinforcements can arrive, and the the Diamond as a whole?
might of Awakened empowered to do as they like on the Some cabals just try to keep their heads down and
open ocean, far away from streets crowded with Sleepers at survive the chaos, focusing on their own Obsessions and
every turn, often ensures decisive outcomes. The alliance agendas. Some fight whoever impinges on their interests,
pushes for these quick and brutal showdowns as often as it regardless of faction, rendering entire islands unfriendly to
can, hoping to nail the Company with one too many costly Seers, Ladder, and Company alike. Others trade between
confrontations the Nameless cannot afford. the factions or try to smuggle resources through the area
This alliance seethes with mistrust. Both sides expect while avoiding Picaroon raids and alliance requisitions.
mutiny and betrayal to come at any moment. Vigilant Some enterprising or foolhardy willworkers take the grave
students of Space stand ready to steal or sever sympathetic risk of commanding powerful ghosts and the Arcanum
connections from those who have to deal with the other of Death to breach entire ships into the Autochthonous
faction directly. Depths, sailing on the brackish, dead waters through cav-
erns that have never seen the sun to emerge through an-
Splintered Ranks other Avernian Gate into safer seas. These bold Awakened
seek Bound to aid them as navigators and guides through
The Diamond is cracked. The other Orders can’t stomach the Underworld’s upper reaches.
the Ladder’s alliance with the Iron Pyramid. Rifts break out
through cabals and Consilia across the colonies. Many mages
see the parallels between this conflict of sorcerers and the social
Diamonds of the Sea
unrest that builds across the Americas, Europe, and beyond, For the Adamantine Arrow, the choice is a terrible one.
and wonder whether the Company is merely a symptom of Existence is war, but this is a conflict they cannot easily accept
what is yet to come — perhaps ground-breaking visionaries, — the Silver Ladder should be their allies, yet partner with
or perhaps a scourge that will only grow from here on out. the Seers, who should surely be their foes. The Arrow fights
Some Diamond cabals try to defuse the conflict with
the Company directly, especially those who count former
friends and allies among the defectors. They try to rein the The Mystery of Glass
Ladder in; some mages relentlessly pressure the théarchs Something vast and avian prowls the skies, unseen
to attend another Convocation and listen to reason, or at but all-seeing. Wherever its gaze settles, perspec-
least to parley with them and hear them out, while others tive warps reality. Vast distances of open water
covertly conduct sabotage both magical and mundane, hop- stretch into literal infinity or are suddenly nothing at
ing that if weakened enough the Ladder will reassess and all. Tricks of the eye become truth, rendering ships
return to sanity. A few cabals go so far as to outright attack tiny and fragile or vast and bloated. Captains stare
théarchs at sea, kidnapping them “for their own good” and in confusion as cannon fire falls far short of where
keeping them on a warded ship that moves from place to it should reach, or shriek at the brief apparition of
place to avoid retaliation. an enormous eye in the spyglass lens, bright and
unblinking. The presence often accompanies an
Most of the Diamond cares little for the Company,
albatross’ appearance.
though. The pirates’ transgressions strike at all the Orders,
not to mention tenets of basic decency, morality, and wis- When the thing turns its attention to a scene, halve
dom. Many see the Picaroons as hypocrites, spouting off or double the effective Size of any given character
about equality and democracy when Awakened, capable of or ship; traits derived from Size change accord-
twisting the fabric of reality to their whims, enjoy freedoms ingly. Distances are also effectively doubled or
far beyond those of Sleepers. The Arcana give every mage halved. These changes vary from character to
incredible power, and the established order the Company character without consistency. It becomes impossi-
is so eager to sweep away is a system of checks and bal- ble to leave the scene until the presence’s attention
ances that prevent the catastrophes unfettered magicians moves on; a running mage or sailing ship grows
would inflict on the world. A splinter faction supports the no closer to the destination, despite clearly mov-
Ladder in its war, even if it balks at alliance with the Seers, ing. Attempting to use Space or Time to circumvent
this can, on dramatic failures, result in thrashing,
and strikes aggressively at the pirates of Nassau in hopes
reality-slicing talons seizing the hapless Awakened
of swiftly closing this conflict so they can mend fences. and flinging her through folded space-time to a
Better to crush the Nameless and reconcile the Silver desolate isle or lifeless era. Some of those who spy
Ladder with its fellows than allow the rift to grow any the avian eye in the glass lose their souls or end
greater. The one thing they all have in common is their up grossly mutated as eyeballs bud in cancerous
concern for the future of the Diamond in the Americas; fecundity from their flesh.
what if they can’t reconcile with the théarchs when it’s all
303
What Is to Come
the Company, too, and has done since before the Ladder’s desire. This lust takes many forms in the West Indies: lust
declaration of war; it knows this enemy well. But it struggles for gold, power, sex, freedom, and Mysteries. Common cause
to see the honor in defeating one foe if, in the process, it draws individuals together more ably than compassion.
empowers another, particularly when it sees no good reason The Company of the Codex and other pirates function
for the Picaroons to be fighting in the first place. as floating democracies, dedicated to complete freedom. Yet
Some mages of the Mysterium welcome the war, seeing it none eschew the tools of Mammon. Many pirates choose
as a chance to stem the Company’s ravages at last. Mystagogues to engage in the slave trade as a matter of economic course
want to explore the sea’s Mysteries without hindrance, and or fait accompli. These same pirates are often deeply racist,
tell themselves the Company indulges in mere brazen looting treating the enslaved as worthy of nothing more than slavery
driven by greed rather than any desire for true wisdom; other and readily engaging in the trade with astonishing brutality.
Orders accuse them of hypocrisy, and in the wave-tossed Pirates as a whole treat other Europeans in a similar manner:
darkness of long nights at sea they wonder if it’s true. Others, some as boon companions, some fit for nothing but rape
though, find the symbolic power swelling beneath the Republic and torture, based on nationality or just because they feel
of Pirates intriguing. Not only is it a Mystery worth investigat- like it and the opportunity presents itself. This hypocritical
ing in its own right, but it may well represent an evolution of attitude is hardly unique to pirates, or even to Europeans.
magic worth preserving and defending. Pirate crews do sometimes free slaves, and black, Hispanic
The Guardians of the Veil have little love for the and mixed-race people serve with the few Taíno and other
Company and their irresponsible abuse of fragile magic. indios aboard pirate crews, alongside women and others, but
Indeed, some see this conflict as a means to swiftly eradi- these are often one-off cases — or, at least, they’re treated as
cate the problem. Far more, though, vigorously oppose the such by pirate crews. Despite a few outlier examples — six
alliance of iron and silver. They see it pushing desperate out of 10 on Blackbeard’s crew are black men, and Mary
Picaroon mages into darker and wilder acts of magic, Read and Anne Bonny count women other than themselves
forced to extremes — even embracing the Abyss — to under the Jolly Roger — this is largely the truth. The pirates’
survive. Befriending the Seers of the Throne is even worse. code includes everyone, but only when it suits the majority.
Guardians know the ends can justify a lot of means, but see
no merit in siding with the enemy and espousing tyranny
out of what they view as a deadly mix of paranoia and hubris.
Don’t Swing the Lead:
The Tide Ebbs Historical Accuracy
Though Woodes Rogers directed his actions firmly For all the atrocities and genocides Europeans
at Sleepers, piracy’s decline reverberates through the committed against natives during colonialism and
Company of the Codex. The Ladder and Seers take advan- the Afro-Atlantic slave trade — too numerous to
tage of their weakened position and ultimately quash the count — friendly relationships and trade alliances
burgeoning mage democracy. The Diamond Orders have with natives and Africans occurred frequently.
work to do to heal the rifts that opened up within their People of color and women were absolutely rep-
ranks these last few decades, including deciding how to resented among ship crews, and it doesn’t harm
deal with those mages who left the Diamond to throw in history to include a few more. Besides the equality
their lot with Nassau. of piracy, mages and Sin-Eaters are represented
in every population. Among the Maroons and
The Ministry of Geryon survives until the late 1960s, the few indigenous folk of the West Indies, mages
when the Sleepers’ fear of widespread surveillance and find their training in Obeah; among colonizers,
judgement supersedes that of being controlled by secret privateers impart the ancient tradition of sin-eating
societies; once Geryon’s numbers drop and the rise of passed down through Welsh culture.
Panopticon drastically diminishes its power, the Scelestus
The history of racism and colonialism is deeply
Angrboda will feed the Ministry’s last Tetrarch to the Abyss. fraught with injustices and brutality, even for a game
of horror. Many, if not most, of these injustices persist
Playing the Game into the modern day. Storytellers, be supremely

careful when engaging in these topics and themes
beyond the most superficial. Do not engage without
The Awakening does not regard social class or origin; it the explicit buy-in of the entire table and use safety
only requires the subject to possess a questioning mind and techniques to ensure player agency is preserved.
dissatisfaction with the Lie. The Bargain is offered to those Games can be a tool for teaching and social change,
who die, and death comes to all. The human systems of strati- but they’re primarily for entertainment, and “accura-
fication and racism overlay every interaction, and only two cy” should never come at the expense of someone’s
things override the existing social order: sustained contact comfort and safety at the table.
and mutual understanding, or the base human emotion of
304
Mages and Sin-Eaters Likewise, mages with facility in the Life Arcanum find
their talents hard-pressed at sea; infection takes root easily
This heterodox attitude extends to mages and Sin-Eaters. in the rope burns, splinters, and other injuries caused by
Generally, only among pirates and the Maroons do the two shipboard hazards. Proper equipment and hygiene are noth-
mix with any degree of regularity and unrestricted freedom, ing but wishful thinking. The rocking deck gives no respite,
though this is also far from universal. Mages do not shrink and the best disinfectant is dark rum taken internally. Life
from ghostly phenomena, and Sin-Eaters can endure the magic renders these threats as toothless as a scurvy dog.
rigors of witnessing true magic, having died long before. Finally, willworkers who study the Forces Arcanum
The unique state and powerful swells of the Underworld and command the winds and weather, ensuring their ships are
the Awakened civil war means that both groups seek the never caught in the doldrums and whipping up localized
other out as third parties and trump cards in their individual storms to harass shipbound enemies. They also command
struggles. Sympathy and common cause bind the two. fire — a deadly threat when the only thing between a sailor
The Más Salvaje and the Adamantine Arrow find and the depths is made of wood and rope.
much to bond over, when they don’t come to blows. Both Here are a few Conditions and Tilts common to this era:
are dedicated to defense of community, believing the best
defense to be a strong offense. Ikwa share their sentiment
toward preservation with Mystagogues, although the lat-
NEW CONDITION:
ter are loath to divulge their secrets to those who cannot DEHYDRATION
practice Awakened magic. The Brethren Dead are known
Cotton mouth, burning throat, blurred vision: the
to accept mages into their crews, especially Moros, who find
character is severely dehydrated, having gone without
interacting with deceased crew members an easy burden to
fresh water for days. A few more will kill her. She suffers
bear. Such willworkers enjoy great success in these hybrid
a three-die penalty to all rolls, and the severe Sick Tilt in
endeavors, as they can manipulate ghostly Anchors and
action scenes.
natures in ways that engender envy in Sin-Eaters.
Possible Sources: Not drinking fresh water, eating too
Most mages of the local Lucayan branch of the Taíno
much salt.
practiced an indigenous philosophy based upon perfecting
an ideal Supernal self and defense of community, guarding Resolution: Drink fresh water.
ruined temples to ancient beings terrible and powerful. The
Spanish Guardians who made first contact were horrified NEW CONDITION: SCURVY
at the degree to which Taíno mages interacted openly with
Sleeper charges. Despite a spirited defense, the invading
efforts drove those Taíno the Guardians didn’t absorb at The bane of sailors, scurvy is a horrific disease that
gunpoint to extinction, shattering sacred lines of transmis- weakens the body, loosens the teeth, and opens old wounds.
sion and teaching, and leaving newly Awakened Caribbean On a bad trip across the Atlantic, half of all sailors die of
native mages without guidance. Yet many of these Taíno, and it. Your character’s healing rate is quartered, and damage in
the keys to their Mysteries, can be found in the Underworld. his two leftmost Health boxes doesn’t heal at all. He suffers
from the moderate Sick Tilt in action scenes.
At the same time, Seers of every Ministry heartily sup-
port the slave trade, and the massive death toll it brings in Possible Sources: Poor nutrition aboard a ship, such as
its wake. No Sin-Eater could witness this without feeling a eating nothing but salt beef for weeks.
sense of grave injustice, but they need Awakened help to go Resolution: Consume ample fresh fruits and vegetables
up against the Seers directly. Working with the Diamond for at least three days.
has its downsides, too, though; mages do not respect the
natural order, creating or opening Avernian Gates as it suits Chases at Sea
their whims no matter how many ghosts pour through from Many pirate ships wait along a known shipping lane
the other side, and their tendency to treat the Underworld or near a port city, passing themselves off as merchants
like their own personal playground sets a poor precedent or gentlemen of fortune. Crews trying to spot prey ships
with Sin-Eaters and their celebrants. hang upon the rigging in calm seas, watching the horizon.
They have a rule: The first to sight prey gets the first pick
Dark Waters: Special Systems of weapon or treasure once the ordeal is over.
Ships at sea don’t fly flags unless they’re close to port,
Several traits deserve special mention in this era.
and “pirate” isn’t always the first thought that comes to a
The Survival Skill is a vital necessity at sea, as it covers
captain’s mind. Cautious merchants are suspicious of ships
navigation, plotting courses, weather prediction, fishing,
not moving briskly, but the sea is lonely and monotonous,
and hunting and foraging for all-important fresh provisions
and news from strangers is always welcome. If the pirates are
when a ship pulls ashore to an uninhabited stretch of land.
lucky and look innocent enough, an incautious merchant
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Playing the Game
New Tilt: Unstable Footing
(Environmental)
Whether rolling deck, storm-lashed rocks, or
rowdy gathering, the situation shifts rapidly
underfoot and can change wildly at a mo-
ment’s notice.
Effect: Navigating the scene is treacherous,
physically or socially. Any failure on a roll
these conditions affect becomes a dramatic
failure instead, but fortune favors the brave;
aggressive and bold actions, such as all-out
attacks, sailing into the teeth of a storm, or
angrily facing down a rival, require only
three successes to achieve exceptional
success.
A dramatic failure or exceptional success in
this scene may take the form of a wild reversal
of fortune or unlikely turn of events, particu-
larly one that plays out consequences of past
actions or represents sins catching up with the
character.
Any character who arrives in the scene unex-
pectedly seeking revenge upon or compensa-
tion from someone present gains a three-die
bonus to the first pool their player rolls toward
that end and gains a point of Willpower should
they succeed in getting what they want in the
scene.
Causing the Tilt: Poor navigation or weather
on the ocean; tense negotiations in rowdy
taverns. A character can impose this Tilt if they
achieve exceptional success to undermine or
challenge someone in front of a group of their
peers.
Ending the Tilt: Once loyalties change, the
storm vents its rage, or fate extracts its payment,
the waters calm again — for now. After at least
one dramatic failure and one exceptional suc-
cess, the Tilt ends; otherwise, it remains until the
end of the scene.
might well approach them. A friendly hail and a request

for news goes far, depending on the captain’s accent and
the pirate ship’s general condition; use Social rolls with
circumstantial modifiers to handle this.
The chase system (Chronicles of Darkness, p. 84)
can be adapted for ship maneuvers and ship-to-ship
battles. Visibility at sea is measured in miles, and while
pirate ships are faster than a heavily laden merchant
ship, they’re not that much faster. Chase turns in nautical
terms take place over hour-long increments; a chase can
306
last for a few hours or might drag on for long days, if the restores at a rate of 10 per turn during which sailors man
winds and waves don’t cooperate for the pursuer. Should a the bilge pumps in naval-chase timing. At three-quarters
chase last until dark, neither ship uses lights, and the prey of its Structure in damage, the ship can’t move at all and
may even attempt to hide by stowing their sails. will capsize or sink on any dramatic failure to operate it.
Survival is the most oft-used Skill to plot proper in- Seafarers rarely sink their opponents except in times of
tercept courses and tack against hard winds. Athletics is war, though; pirates don’t want to destroy enemy ships, but
used to climb the rigging and perform other physical labor rather to force surrender with as little collateral damage
to keep the ship moving, such as operating bilge pumps or as possible so they can recruit the crew or take prisoners,
weighing anchor, while Wits + Composure is used to keep loot the cargo, and steal the ship.
a sharp lookout. Firearms fires cannons, and Presence + Speed: Ships don’t have a safe Speed; instead, they
Expression or Intimidate lets a captain or first mate shout have an average Speed for traveling by current alone (i.e.
orders effectively, or a crew cow their opponents into sur- with sails furled in inclement weather or near shore) and a
rendering. The one thing many sailors of the age don’t do top Speed for traveling under full sail. If a ship suffers too
is swim; most don’t know how. many attacks specifically targeting the sails, depending on
The following are additional potential modifiers to the how many sails and masts it has, it can no longer travel at
base number of required successes to win a naval chase: its faster Speed until the sails are repaired. Ships still need
to accelerate like modern vehicles, but the time scales are
Naval Chase Modifiers comparable to turns in naval chases.
Weapon Damage: Warships carry cannons, sometimes
Circumstance Modifier on multiple gun decks; a fully decked-out man-of-war can
Your ship is slightly undermanned +1 carry 124 guns, all of which can fire simultaneously with
Tacking into the wind +2 enough crewmen on hand. In a naval chase, when one side
You have no commander +2 decides to deal damage by taking an action with Firearms
Your ship is severely undermanned +3 (or Expression/Intimidation to give orders to fire), treat the
successful action as an attack as normal, using the ship’s
Using vehicle traits (Chronicles of Darkness, p. 98), weapon modifier (see sidebar).
ships in the Age of Sail are slow and not very maneuver-
Crashes and Ramming: Crashing into rocks, sea mon-
able or durable by modern vehicle standards, but unlike
sters, or another ship works like crashing into anything
most cars they often carry weapons, and enough hull dam-
else, but the ship always takes damage without a roll, while
age can lead to capsizing or sinking. A dramatic failure in
passengers never take any. In the Age of Sail, deliberate
a naval chase can, too, while an exceptional success can
ramming is uncommon. Doing so requires a Wits + Survival
mean the opponent instantly surrenders. Winning a naval
roll, penalized by the ship’s dice modifier trait; successes on
chase gives a crew the opportunity to board the enemy
this roll add to the damage taken by both ships.
vessel without resistance  usually a prelude to ordinary
violence or tense surrender negotiations.
Dice Modifier: The maneuverability penalty to a helms-
Crew and Krewe
man’s Survival rolls to pilot the ship. The krewe system in Geist can represent a pirate crew.
Durability: Works as normal, but fire damage and at- For actual Bound groups, the two may be one and the
tacks that take a −3 penalty to specifically target the sails same, but a mage cabal can use the same rules. Crews of
ignore Durability. the Company and other Orders that utilize mystery cults
Structure: When a ship suffers half its Structure in extensively, such as the Guardians’ Labyrinth and the
damage, in addition to the usual operation penalty, it Silver Ladder’s Cryptopolies, have access to the Mystery
starts taking on water; reduce its Speed by half. Speed Cult Initiation Merit just like Sin-Eater krewes. Most have
Example Ship Traits

Durability/ Speed/ Weapon
Ship Dice Modifier Size Structure Under Sail Damage
Man-of-war/ −5 40 2/35 5/9 5
Galleon
Sloop/Corvette −3 30 2/30 6/12 3
Schooner −2 20 2/25 8/12 2
307
Playing the Game
Doctrines that relate to the vessel’s articles, while Regalia and powerful Awakened in the future. By bringing peace to
are treasures and triumphs taken from particularly notable the unquiet dead, a Bound merely balances the scales for the
victories (crews that aren’t krewes are usually restricted crimes she committed during her life. Forces may arise during
to Glory effects). Krewe Conditions and Congregation play from the sea, her past, or directly from the Underworld
rules can model dissent and disloyalty among the crew, itself to make sure she never forgets what she owes.
including how close they are to mutiny or simply voting
in a new captain.
Krewe actions can also simulate piracy raids; typically,
Story Hooks
these require Complexity 1–5, depending on how difficult Haunting stories play out upon the waves of the
the target is. A fat merchant vessel with cracked guns is at Caribbean, snaring mages and Bound alike. Some find
the low end of the scale, while a fortified plantation with wondrous opportunities to exploit, but for others the fickle
dozens of highly trained guards and supernatural defenses winds plan crueler fates.
is at the high end. Failure in these krewe actions, or tak-
ing too long to succeed, generally leads to dissatisfaction City of the Drowned
among pirates and lethal damage to Congregation boxes. An earthquake shakes the sea. Soon afterward, vessels
The end result is inevitably a Coup d’Etat as the crew elects arriving in port bear wild tales of sonorous bells ringing be-
new leaders and forces the player characters to step down. neath the water, phosphorescence-limned towers glimpsed
beneath the surface, and squirming shapes flopping upon
Professions at Sea the night-shrouded deck. Many crews are missing night
A well-trained sailor is rare, and many begin as cabin and watchmen; sailors vanish from their bunks, leaving only
powder boys, rising through the ranks and developing varied briny damp in their wake. Soon, the absent return to port
skills with hard-won experience. Strikers, for example, hunt — they crawl from the surf with the night’s tide, sodden
for fresh game and materials while the ship is ashore; the bodies missing hands, feet, or eyes. These drowned dead
boatswain, by contrast, always remains aboard, ensuring slither to the windows of their former fellows and call with
proper discipline and distribution of labor. sibilant promises of riches, or gurgle demands to know why
they were left behind.
Professional Training Asset Skill
An ancient city stands on the seabed where none did
Boatswain (“bo’sun”) Crafts, Intimidation before, vomited up from the muck by the earthquake’s
Cannoneer Crafts, Firearms fury. It’s a bizarre agglomeration of impossible structures
Carpenter Academics, Crafts built from fluted stone, spiraling glass, and obsidian.
Cook Crafts, Persuasion Eldritch sigils mark the pitted columns and scarred steps
of drowned ziggurats. The Awakened believe this must be
Deckhand Athletics, Streetwise
a city of the Time Before, a fragment of lost history; thus
Navigator/Pilot Science, Survival
begins a fierce race to plunder its secrets. Yet the ruin
Surgeon Empathy, Medicine crumbles with every passing vessel — the gaze of Sleepers
Striker Survival, Weaponry erodes the magic that sustains it. In mere months, it will
be nothing but rubble.
Storytelling A Stygian Verge lies at the city’s heart, a pit among the
bones of ancient sea beasts unknown to this world, contain-
The Devil and the ing an Avernian Gate of great size. A nightmarish infesta-
tion that creates the drowned dead plaguing the ports binds
Deep Blue Sea

ghosts to its whim; those daring to investigate find most of
them bear gold on their person. Rumor spreads among the
Bound — some vast leviathan of the Underworld’s waters
Bringing out the themes and feel of the era comes
is trying to breach into the Verge and wallow in its power.
from more than just putting the characters on a ship. The
Awakened and Bound aren’t just free-roaming troubleshoot-
ers or troublemakers, but part of the wider world, and they The Red Orchid
have a place in the conflicts playing out across the Atlantic. A ghost ship stalks the ocean — the Red Orchid, a rot-
Pitching story hooks in terms of price and cost can help ting hulk that was once a slave vessel. Now, it’s a prison for
bring forward the theme of buying deliverance. Even an ally damned souls. The Orchid appears only at night or under a
demands payment for aid out here on the tempestuous seas. heavy, rolling fog. Strange wails and whimpers mark its pas-
Freedom comes at a price, whether the lingering threat of sage, the suffering of hundreds of ghosts chained to its decks
retribution or the hefty sum needed to pay off pursuers. A and prow, unable to escape. For most, spying the Orchid
Picaroon mage seizing a Mystery from under the Seers’ noses through the dark and the mist is to know damnation, but for
benefits now, but at the cost of ongoing enmity from specific
308
the bold and the hardy, the grim vessel and its captain may who seek him out, unless he senses the weight of guilt
provide an opportunity — another roll at the dice of fate. heavy on their souls. He trades in ghosts and anchors, can
The Red Orchid’s crew members are ghosts who puppet mend wounded souls, and barters with treasures his dead
shambling carcasses, and bloodthirsty revenants hungering crew dredge from sunken ruins. He buys human sacrifices
for life’s warmth. The captain, August Selsby, is a monstrous and knows secrets of both the living and dead seas. For
and terrifying vampire — a slaver in life and, now, a slaver those willing to gamble, the blood-drinking captain offers
in death. Hushed sailors’ tales claim the Gangrel works for a terrible wager: Stake the soul of a loved one and roll the
the Devil and calls the revenants he creates his “Gulls.” bones with him. Win, and earn freedom from death — a
The Orchid prowls after ships carrying those consumed by one-time reprieve from the bite of mortality. Lose, and
guilt, but it levies its judgment upon all crew and passengers Selsby collects what he is due.
without mercy — shackle the ghosts of those they kill, and
pour their Essence into Selsby’s coffers.
Selsby bargains with pirates, sorcerers, and Sin-Eaters
Chronicles of Darkness on the High Seas

The Golden Age of Piracy’s changelings fear the popularity of privateering, which using the mortal slave
trade and mortal piracy as covers makes easy and lucrative. Lost privateers form a loose coalition as a
profit-mongering answer to the fearless nautical courts they hound relentlessly, inviting hobgoblins willing
to sign contracts in blood to join them, or signing on with Huntsman captains of terrifying ships flying the
Gentry’s colors to drag their victims into deep-sea Hedge gates where merfolk, sirens, selkies, and more
unspeakable goblin creatures dwell. The West Indies are rife with scattered survivors of collapsed city
freeholds decimated by privateer raids; these Lost castaways regroup in places where pirates are scarce
and form crews of their own, finding protection in new Bargains with mysterious things from the depths, or
with the ocean itself — or its Underworld counterpart. The Crown-of-Thorns traveling band (Oak, Ash, and
Thorn, Chapter 2) begins in Port Royal as one such crew.
Vampires in this era see a rise in strange bloodlines, ranging from the ruthless slavers of the Gull, to a
Nosferatu offshoot Embraced as sea-dwelling, shark-toothed blood-drinkers, to a scattered group of
wandering Kindred sailors cursed to hoard silver until, they believe, they have enough to buy back their
humanity. Some think this flourishing diversity of the Blood is due to all the cross-pollination as sailors from
many lands encounter each other in larger numbers than ever before; the seafaring Gallows Post makes a
killing here.
The Acheron Shipping and Trading Company, a conspiracy of hunters, spins off a small subsidiary with
a hidden stronghold on the eastern coast of the Spanish territory of Florida. The subsidiary was founded
originally by Spanish colonists but now comprises a hodgepodge of the various native tribes and African-
Americans who will, later this century, intermingle to form the Seminole culture. While the pirates of the
Flying Gang made their names raiding the Spanish divers dredging up treasures from the sunken galleon just
off this coast, this upstart hunter company got there first, smuggling away relics of untold power and mon-
strous secrets after extracting the galleon’s inventory, route, and schedule from a Proximus prisoner.
Demons in this era Fall in defiance, taking the pirates of the Republic as role models: an object lesson in
what free will can accomplish. They Fall to temptation and greed, the thrill of transgression and taking what
they want without permission from any authority, the promise of buying deliverance from bondage with their
profane soul-pacts. Unchained ship captains are terrifying marauders with superior navigational instruments
and an uncanny ability to cheat the many mortal dangers of life at sea. Legend among demons claims the
infamous Davy Jones is one of them, wearing the Covers of all the unfortunates on the cusp of drowning
whom he convinced to trade their souls for a second chance at life.
The mummies who wake in this era usually do so either because cults embedded in European governments
and mercantile companies summon them to help put down the pirate scourge, or because the rampant
deaths among prisoners on board slave ships call them back to the world. Arisen who form cults in the
Caribbean sometimes do so among Obeah practitioners, acting as mediums for ancestor ghosts, or among
sailors who have seen the City of the Drowned and speak now of nothing else. Some mummies walk along
the seafloor to visit this eerie city so abruptly risen from benthic sands.
309
Storytelling The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Read Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “The Rime of the
Ancient Mariner” for a haunting and lyrical exploration
of sailors’ superstitions and the kinds of curses that could
Many authors have written about the famous figures fall upon someone who broke the mystical rules of the sea.
of the day and dark exploits on the high seas. The classic
The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story
novel Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson, was a
of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them
huge influence on pirate fiction and the modern pop-culture
Down, by Colin Woodard, is an extensively researched his-
view of the Age of Sail; it has many adaptations, too. The
tory of the Pirate Republic; it’s also the inspiration for the
television series Black Sails is a prequel to the novel, featur-
television series Crossbones, which stars John Malkovich
ing fictionalized versions of many historical figures from this
as the infamous Blackbeard.
era, and doesn’t shy away from their brutality.
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is not just filled with
The novels On Stranger Tides (Tim Powers) and Red
piratical goodness, including sailing mechanics and a
Seas Under Red Skies (Scott Lynch) are nautical adventures
minigame that lets you hunt down sea shanties for your
featuring all the elements this era does best: pirates, dark
crew to sing, but also lets you explore a pretty accurate
sorcery and the dead, motley crews, and occult prizes to be
recreation of this era’s Nassau and other relevant ports. Its
won. Lynch’s book is the second in the Gentleman Bastards
story is thematically appropriate for both Geist and Mage
series, the entirety of which is perfect inspiration for charm-
in various ways, and you can plunder its soundtrack for all
ing, (mostly) well-meaning thieves navigating conspiracies
the shanties you could want.
and strange happenings much larger than they are; it even
features a ruthless group of mages famous for their sympa- Finally, while the Pirates of the Caribbean films are more
thetic magic who hire their services out. Red Seas spends lighthearted than the Chronicles of Darkness, they con-
a good chunk of pages detailing nautical practices and life tain plenty of ghostly shenanigans and creepy magic: cursed
onboard a pirate ship, too. treasure and sailors, a Fate Artifact, a monstrous seafaring
collector of the dying, and lots of mystical weirdness.
310
The Company of the Codex
Freedom Is Magical Core Beliefs: The Codex
You know what they call us, eh? “Hostis humanis The Codex is both a defini-
generis.” Enemies of all mankind, to be hunted and tive Supernal Artifact and a
murdered without respect to prior jurisdiction. concept derived from the
Aye, but therein lies the essential contra- articles of agreement gov-
diction: We exist outside their systems, erning privateering ships and
so they must declare us anathema, the now-destroyed native tradition
ignoring their neat little laws and of swearing oaths. It is a compact
fancy titles to strike us down. To drawn between willing mages,
deny us, they have to embrace pledging themselves to a higher
the truths they spend their lives ideal, becoming more than the
rejecting. In coming for us, sum of their parts. Joining the
they need to forsake their Lies. Company means swearing an oath
You’ve seen what I’ve upon the Codex, writ in blood and
seen, lad. Not an invisible signed with name and date. Mages
flow of gold linking these islands unwilling to swear such an oath
back to England and Spain, or representing a danger to their
writ on ledgers and in shackles, fellows, such as most of those the
but a web of silver thorns tying Diamond considers Left-Handed —
every Awakened soul in these isles Scelesti, Banishers, etc. — aren’t al-
to a shared Fate stronger and more lowed to join, although Company mages
secure than any iron chain. It’s a web (also called Picaroons) maintain a looser
of pain and profit, anchored together in a definition of what constitutes a Left-Handed
vast pyramid. This is the pattern of those who name practice. By longstanding tradition, the Rapt are
us enemies, and any hierarchy, as such, serves the truest accorded berths (albeit wide ones) if they’re composed
enemies of all mankind. So be named and numbered among enough to take the oath.
our ranks. We have dipped our hands in muddied waters and The core of the Company, and all sworn, are Awakened.
find it better to withdraw them working truths than spreading Individual captains may craft their own articles accord-
more Lies. ing to their vessel, but everyone swears upon the Codex.
Sleepwalkers and Sleepers crew every Company ship, stub-
The Nameless Order of Nassau is a unique democracy bornly inculcated with the Mysteries of magic whenever
of mages, each with an equal vote and an equal share of possible, though all but the most reckless Picaroons unleash
arcane spoils, and access to the Mysteries its members dis- Forces spells only when safely ensconced within a cloud of
cover or wrench from the hands of other mages defeated powder smoke.
upon the high seas. Formed from a deeply eclectic group of
disenfranchised mages, they found that only by submitting
to shared discipline could they truly work together toward I. Every mage a vote, every mage a voice
common goals — and in doing so, they found Yantras and All sworn are equal under the Codex, no matter their
Praxes developing with startling rapidity, shredding the origin. Some may be more equal than others, they’ll
magics of their enemies. allow, but the shared voice and individual sovereignty
A merry life, and short, is the goal of the Company of grant true freedom and serve as an arrow against all ty-
the Codex: Aggression is their birthright, doom their future, rants. Captains are voted up from among the common
and freedom their legacy. mages, subject to a vote of no confidence if they fail to
Mages join the Company when they’ve been forsaken uphold their duty. Those learned among the Company
by Diamond and Throne alike, they find value in their teach those less so, but they claim no more rights for it.
fellows’ hard work and companionship, they want the To every captain, two shares; to others of the Company
sweetest cut of Mysteries and spoils without scraping and as the captain wills it.
waiting decades, or they want to smash the chains that
hold humanity fast.
311
around them scrape and bow for scraps handed down
II. Take all you can; usurp nothing when it pleased those above. If reality was truly this
The only accorded order is the Company’s. Once a unjust, they would need to fight it with iron and
mage has sworn adherence, to step outside the order is mettle. When the Orders descended upon
to invite ruin. Mages not of the Company aren’t the Antilles to search for Mysteries, they
subject to the protections of brethren: Their found the Company’s furious cannons
possessions are forfeit, their structures tainted rising to greet them.
by association. A Company mage may siege No Consilium or Tetrarchy claimed
a plantation to rob it of reales and rum, but she the area when the first Awakened swore
never sets herself up as owner. A Picaroon might upon the Codex. The Company absorbed
take a ship in fair combat and set himself up as foreign Awakened from the Indian
captain of the new vessel, but he won’t sign Ocean and African slave trade,
a privateering agreement afore the king (not growing organically with the town
that he’d be offered such, anyway). of Nassau as their capital and
sanctum in the decades before
III. The casting of magic the Treaty of Utrecht. No few
were disillusioned and dissatis-
before Sleepers is the snap of fied Diamond and Seer mages,
defecting with occult secrets
a gun in the hold and Mysteries to solve. The
On any ship, firing a firearm within Company grew powerful and
the hold risks not only severely wound- influential enough to claim
ing fellow sailors — a likely death the Bahamas for themselves
sentence upon the high seas — but long before any could displace
blowing the vessel’s powder stores, them. In the seas between
shattering the ship entire with Florida, Bermuda, and Puerto
a spectacular display. Similarly, Rico, the Company preys
using magic before a Sleeper upon Sleeper and Awakened
risks calling the Company’s vessels alike.
enemies. Despite this, sailors
are a superstitious lot; the
Company deliberately cre- Mysteries
ates an air of casual magic at None name the
sea, the better to instill fear Picaroons among the sub-
and discipline, and lessen tle. What Mysteries the
the sting of the Lie. Diamond Orders puzzle
over in walled villas, the
Origins Company wrenches from

their grasp and displays
The sapphire waters of the as purloined baubles.
Carib tribes gave rise to waking world This even applies to the
dreams as fierce and strong as monsoons. Yantras and Imagos used to construct
Mages Awakened to islands teeming Awakened magic; the dread Nimbuses
with Jacobite revolutionaries, Welsh of pirates erode the symbols Orders use
privateers denied pay by English mas- to work magic, rendering the Supernal a
ters, illegal Dutch settlers fighting the contest of pure will and instinct — and
invading Spanish, and French bucca- thus, an arena where the brethren have
neers. In the sun-dappled rum shops the advantage. Smashed and forcefully
of Tortuga and Port Royal, the few taken Mysteries are sometimes impos-
indios who kept fragments of their sible to Scrutinize, but they are freely
native lore met counterparts with spread among the Company nonetheless.
occult traditions from 100 dif- Take what you can; usurp nothing.
ferent shores. The dispossessed Long-sealed ruins and pacts give way
found common cause in magic before Company dispellation, and many
and anger, watching all
312
pirate Awakened feel the satiation of their avarice lies
within the tombs and prisons of the many Bound (Mage, Hubris
p. 244) in the Caribbean. If these beings fell to weak mages In a world without Mysteries, the names writ in the
armed with spear and sword, how will they fare against a Codex would be a roll of heroes. In the Fallen World, they
46-gun flagship? are that, but bloodthirsty villains besides. The pirates’ ap-
petite for plunder infects the magics of the Nameless Order,
Magical Symbolism: Discipline causing them to Reach far too often and exceed their grasp.
Fortune favors the bold, but the Company tends toward
The lash, the matchlock pistol, the bowline knot, the recklessness at best.
articles: The Company is tied to the experience of a ship,
and the harmony of life at sea. Every sailor from deckhand
to boatswain must willingly act according to their skill and Stereotypes
their station, or all will perish. The Company sets these Adamantine Arrow: A captain’s no good in a fight
roles down before a working or a voyage, and their ability without his crew.
to act in concert terrifies Diamond and Seer alike. The Guardians: Can’t keep it all for yourself.
ship itself is perhaps their most powerful Yantra, a symbol Mysterium: Get out of your villas and stop spitting on
of the Company entire. everyone.
Silver Ladder: Just because a sailor’s taller on the rigging
doesn’t mean he’s better.
Seers of the Throne: Oh, for fuck’s sake.
313
The sound the guillotine made was unmistakable: a metallic slide ending in a sharp
thump of wood and the softer splatter of the head and gore. No crowd of thousands
cheered when the blade fell at midnight, but a few of the Kindred aristocrats laughed
softly while others applauded.
Roland seized the severed head by its hair and threw it out into the quietest cluster
of onlookers. Dripping Vitae added another layer to the already-stained cobblestones
beneath their feet.
“So ends a traitor. Now listen well, because I will only say this once. Drink your fill of
the Parisian mobs if you must, but leave this madness to the mortals. Those who wish to
bring this revolution to my court will find we are well practiced in shedding the blood of
our enemies.”
Roland turned away before his Beast could get the better of him. He wanted the author. He
wanted his fingers mutilated so he could no longer hold a pen, his mind twisted and turned
into soup until he didn’t even know his name anymore. He wanted a true example to hold up
to those who thought to betray him, not this powerless sacrificial lamb. Knowledge
was power, and in this respect, he was still too weak to win the game.
With the prince gone, most of the Kindred dispersed. Several crouched to
soak bits of handkerchief or ribbon in the blood as grisly souvenirs. The
young cultist watching from the shadows of an alley darted out. He
was barely more than a boy, but he wore the rough sans culottes
and cockades of the revolution.
“Copper to take ‘im to the catacombs for you, Cit’yens,”
he called in the clipped and uneducated garble of a street
kid. “Got a barrow and all, get it done right quick without
the whole bunch that normally go down in the day.”
They hesitated, but eventually one of the dead
flicked him a coin and he grinned a broad, tooth-
less smile. He ran to get the wheelbarrow and
loaded up the corpse, careful to snatch up the
bloody bonnet rouge to go with it. Power came
from sacrifice, and this sacrifice was going to
change the world.
•••
Jean Nicolas turned the red wool cap
over and over in his hands. It was still
sticky; the heavy felted wool dried slowly
once thoroughly soaked. “Mortals are
pulling loose from the God-Machine’s
control, and now the prince’s control
is faltering as well. We can use the
opportunity.”
“Do you think anything will actually
come of this philosopher’s death? Most
of the bloodsuckers aren’t willing to risk
their skins for anything.”
Jean glared up at the rest of the Saboteurs.
“Get them on our side, get them fighting our
war whether they know it or not. We cannot
go back now. This revolution will triumph,
or we will all be worse than dead.”
The Reign
of1793-1794
Terror
The Reign
of Terror
1793-1794 CE
CE
“Liberty, equality, fraternity, or death,” the rallying cry of the French
Revolution. Replacing the latter with “et la mort” would have been more accurate.
Four years before the revolution began, France was drowning in debt.
When King Louis XVI, of the royal House of Bourbon, was unable to come
to a compromise on taxation with his nobles in the Parliament of Paris, he
convened the Estates General. The antiquated institution hadn’t met since
1626, but with the nobles, clergy, and commoners all meeting together, he
hoped to bypass Parliament entirely. Unfortunately for the king, the people
had suffered decades of drought and food shortages, and now he raised their
taxes to pay for the American Revolution.
The French Revolution was the culmination of years of tension, the path to
it paved by ignorant policies, philosophers, frivolous spending, and centuries of
“Liberte, egalite,
privilege. When it began in earnest, many proclaimed they would build a bright
fraternite,
“Liberté, égalitou
é, la
and idealistic future, but every step along the way only took them deeper into a
spiral of fear, hatred, and paranoia. The Reign of Terror seized the world’s atten-
fraternitmort.”
tion and put every monarch in Europe on notice: the people would not tolerate
é, ou la mort.” serfdom any longer. The nobility could reform or be reformed. The monsters in
A— motto
A mottoof the
the shadows watched, too. For a few short years Paris was the center of a world
French
of the spinning out of control, and the changes to immortal societies born from the
French Revolution
Revolution
blood spilled in the streets rippled outward.
New laws order the arrest of the revolution’s enemies — a broad definition
that includes anyone the Revolutionary Tribunals wish. The revolutionary
government arrests hundreds of thousands, and the prisons are full to bursting
until another law requires the tribunals to either acquit or execute suspects. Of
course, judges acquitting too many suspects is suspicious as well. Blood flows day
after day and the revolution becomes a beast no one can control. While conflict
among Kindred, mummies, and demons usually plays out over decades, with
each move carefully calculated, the night’s immortal denizens are not exempt
from the turmoil — nor oblivious to the opportunities it provides.
Revolutionaries overthrow the monarchy and the church’s tyranny, and
demons have supported them from the beginning. With the destruction of the
Ancien Régime and privileged trappings of the French elite, the war against
the God-Machine goes as hot as the Unchained dare make it. While mortals
celebrate their bloody victory over the upper classes, internal and external
conflicts besiege the new republic, and the Infrastructure beneath Versailles
breaks apart.
Among the Kindred, the prince struggles to maintain authority in the face
of a sharply eroding power base. The Lancea et Sanctum and Invictus have
ruled Paris for two millennia, and the revolt takes them by surprise. Younger
vampires look to the kine’s revolution, or are Embraced out of its fertile loam,
and see their own path to power. Populist factions seize the excuse to organize.
They embrace the ideals of liberty and enlightenment, or simply revel in the
new prospects turmoil and bloodshed bring.
Seventeen thousand victims officially meet the guillotine; their blood
stains the cobblestones and trickles into the earth. Tens of thousands more
die in prison. These sacrifices to liberty, equality, and brotherhood do not
316
The Reign of Terror
go unanswered, calling Deathless to rise, and the French
inspire a similar passionate desire to throw off oppression’s
shackles in the Arisen. The Estates
It’s a terrible, magnificent, chaotic time in a nation
where everything stands on the edge of a knife. The blood- Pre-Revolution, the First Estate was the clergy, the
letting will either cleanse or kill, and no one is immune Second Estate comprised the nobility, and the
Third Estate was the bourgeoisie. Each Estate was
from the changes they forge.
a Congressional bloc with only one vote — so the
Third Estate lost almost every time, even though it
Themes, Mood, had more voting members.
and Tone
Factionalism. Society completely breaks down. Drastic
social changes drive wedges into every small difference What Has Come Before
between individuals. Sans-culotte workers struggle against France seemed rich, in majesty and land. Its army was
the bourgeoisie, the rising atheist movement violently formidable and experienced. Its fractious aristocratic class
oppresses faithful Catholics, and tackling major human was safely bottled up in Versailles, where it couldn’t cause
rights questions sets every splintering political faction at the king much trouble. Before any Revolution surfaced,
the others’ throats. Even night-dwellers succumb to fierce though, France was quietly drowning — gasping for air,
tribalism as they reexamine old loyalties and quarrels in pushing down against the surface of the water, trying to
light of society’s changing rules. keep ahead of its debt. Debt subsidized decades of wars for-
Brutality. The Reign of Terror is not safe or kind. The eign and domestic: the Thirty Years’ War, the Seven-Years’
cycle of revolt and counter-revolt has caught France in a War, the Frondes (proto-Revolutions in themselves), the
bloody spiral for years, and the people see mob violence as colonization of Saint-Domingue and Guyane (port cities
legitimate political expression. The September Massacres along the eastern Indian coast and islands in the Indian
of 1792 saw the deaths of nearly 2,000 people at the hands Ocean), and the American Revolution. Those wars came
of mobs in Paris and other major cities. The only way the with spoils: more land, more trade, more industry, more
National Convention can hope to control the situation is to economic influence — wealth upon wealth collecting in a
be more brutal than the mobs. Monsters who expect to hold small percentage of French hands. Very little made it down
power are in the same boat. With so many factions trying to the people primarily responsible for repaying the debt
to seize control, the only way to win is through dramatic that financed its acquisition, though. Aristocrats exempted
displays of strength. themselves as part of their privilege, and it was essentially
Terror. No one knows who’ll wind up on top one day sacrilegious to ask the Catholic Church to pay its own way
and under the guillotine the next. Neighbors turn on one anywhere; but the First and Second Estates expected the
another; one wrong vote in the Convention can doom Third Estate, the bourgeoisie, to do what was necessary for
politicians along with their friends and family. Even God and crown.
an unwise choice in color or style of clothing can mark The already well-to-do used that wealth to reinvent
someone as a traitor. Terror and paranoia fundamentally Paris, revitalizing the City of Light to such a degree that an
change how the monsters haunting society’s shadows unexpected (and undesired, by some nobles) social leveling
interact with mortals. The Terror sends established herds occurred. Paris wanted the cultured and the educated and
and cults to their deaths en masse, while new ones rise the noble, but it needed servants and glove makers and
up on changing sociopolitical tides. Mortals keep a close day laborers, common people who necessarily walked the
eye on their neighbors and report every oddity. Mobs tear same streets as their social betters. With increased access to
apart old havens searching for aristocrats and traitors. the nobility, the merely wealthy came to resemble them in
Savvy creatures turn the Terror to their advantage, but trappings and education. Through marriage, commerce, or
many more become extremely vulnerable. service to the royal government, a watchmaker’s child could
Uncertainty and Resolution. Everything changes. The buy their way into the same privileges and distinctions owed
people are free from monarchy but replace it with tyranny. aristocrats. The Parisian poor developed an almost obsessive
Changes are too quick for comfort, even altering such basic sense of ownership over those who held titles. France might
concepts as time by replacing the calendars and instituting have belonged to the king, but Louis-Auguste belonged to
a decimal clock. Many hate what’s happened to the revolu- his people, who loved him as God’s chosen representative
tion, but they have no easy solutions to rebuild a cohesive over them. As taxes, rent, and soaring food prices weighed
society. Despite the uncertainty, a strong sense of resolve visibly heavier on the peasant than on the purportedly natu-
underpins it all. No matter what happens, the people will ral rulers of France, however, that emotional investment
see it through to the end or die trying. in the lives of the sacred nobility curdled into resentment.
317
Just as God chose David to rule over Israel, so did his from hunger. This was the groundwork of the active versus
hand select the king whose divine right it was to rule a passive citizen debate that would permanently fracture the
modern nation. But France was not a unified nation of republican coalitions. The Declaration of the Rights of Man
French people; it was a loose imperial state linking dozens of tried to satisfy both camps, but as with anything else, at-
former duchies and provinces, each with their own dialects, tempts to placate all parties only led to further factionalism.
values, and priorities. Yet the crown needed a centralized
state to continue waging wars, colonizing other countries,
and accumulating enough wealth to keep up appearances.
Double the Third
The French kings, beginning with the Sun King in the
early 1700s, began to consolidate their power, treating
and Vote by Head
their nobles less like smaller kings with whom they had to Want and fear triggered the shift from rule by nobility
negotiate, and more like landowners who graciously served to rule by the people, like many Revolutions. The nobility
their rightful masters. This attitude crept all the way down tried hard to ignore all evidence that financial reform was
the chain — everyone owed their allegiance to a central necessary to address France’s substantial debts. The mem-
authority. It was through this push toward nationalism that bers of the Estates General, a royalist precursor of today’s
Enlightenment philosophies crept in, beginning in 1715. French Parliament, weren’t overawed by the monarchy
anymore, and promises that the crown would handle ev-
The Enlightenment erything couldn’t placate them.

Back-to-back bad harvests and industry deregulation in
While they may have sparked in urban centers, broad 1789 aggravated tensions. Inadequate transportation and
Enlightenment ideals spread quickly, primarily through internal customs barriers made relief efforts spotty and inef-
the politically minded young Revolutionaries cropping up fective. Food shortages in major metropolitan areas became
in the rural professional class. By the Revolution’s height, permanent, closer to a class-targeted famine. All these
hundreds of Jacobin Clubs flourished throughout France, tragedies hit by midsummer — just before biannual rent
each individually attempting to redirect French village came due. French subjects were increasingly unable to pay
life away from monarchism and Catholicism, toward the exorbitant rent and taxes due to the skyrocketing cost
Revolution and rationalism. of bread and soap, and heavy monetary burdens the crown
The Enlightenment actually didn’t start out anti- already levied on them. Primed by nationalist and anti-
monarchical. The problem wasn’t kings, it was unenlight- royalist polemics to believe France was naturally endowed
ened kings. A good king ruled a just society, composed of with everything she needed to support her people, the only
actualized people who loved the symbol of their nation. A possible excuse Parisians could conjure up was malevolent
good king was necessary, because his people needed a firm actors. The steady uptick in foreign mercenary soldiers,
hand to guide them toward this just society. Anything less brought into the city by a terrified king, exacerbated rest-
— venality, selfishness, cruelty, or just plain incompetence lessness in the face of starvation and poverty, leading to
— meant a king could not be good. the most famous event of France’s most famous revolution.
Louis XVI was, unfortunately, not a good king. He The storming of the Bastille is a perfect microcosm of
wasn’t an unusual king — the desire to adequately manage the progression of the Revolution as a whole, demonstrat-
his country was bound up in the desire to preserve his own ing what comes to be known as the Great Fear sweeping
comfort and power. He feared England, France’s ancient France right at the start — a prelude to the Terror. Parisians
enemy and sometimes fair-weather friend, nearly as much attributed a devastating blow to the impoverished to the
as he feared his people, who rumbled with discontent and crown’s malice, rather than stupidity. Tense negotiations
hunger. As events spiraled out of his control, his attempts failed, causing deaths first by misadventure, then by esca-
to placate all sides without making a stand for anyone lating violence. The common people flooded the Bastille,
strongly contributed to the Revolutionaries radicalizing a prison turned into a fortress for the mercenaries the king
and the royalists abandoning him. had hired, demanding the removal of the Swiss guards —
The Enlightenment retained a strong thread of theism; and when that failed, the mob simply shot the guards and
only the more radical Enlightenment thinkers actually took their stores instead.
wanted to abolish the Catholic or Protestant churches. Alarmed and still desperately searching for revenue,
After all, while the citizen peasants might exist in a pasto- Louis and the National Constituent Assembly (formerly
ral state of natural goodness, they weren’t yet enlightened known as the Estates General) cycled through disastrous
enough to apply that goodness without the assistance of an plans on their way to worse ones. Together they arrived at
educated, republican clergy. Early Enlightened (and later, invading Austria as a means of getting France’s populace
Romantic) philosophers loved the peasant in the abstract, under control, refilling the treasury and granary, and sending
but didn’t necessarily respect actual peasants. They con- angry young men off to fight at the frontier. The war went
sidered their judgment superior to that of someone whose poorly, and Louis couldn’t quite commit to being a citizen
understanding of Revolution began and ended with freedom king, constantly undermining both the assembly’s decisions
318
The Reign of Terror
and his own. More than anything else Louis actually did, it fired up the populace to raid the Bastille. As they gathered
was this vacillation that doomed him. more women to the cause, they eventually coalesced around
Only a few months later, thousands of Parisian women the desires to confront the king about the price of bread,
took the riot to Versailles. The march’s goals were initially acknowledge the Revolution wholeheartedly, and bring
vaguely defined, but the marchers all agreed they should him back to Paris. The march was successful: Louis Auguste
take the trouble to Louis’ door. While it was an authentic came to the capital, bringing his Austrian queen Marie
outpouring of Revolutionary sentiment, it wasn’t a wholly Antoinette and his children with him in 1789. They remain
spontaneous one — a core group of women planned the there until Louis’s show-trial and execution in July 1793,
march for some time, spurred by those same polemics who and Marie Antoinette’s execution several months later.
Timeline of the Revolutionary Government

The French Revolution burns through governmental bodies at a steady rate for its duration, with some operat-
ing at the same time and at cross purposes to one another. In order, they are:
The Estates General (1789): Called by the Controller-General of Finances, in an effort to pass badly-
needed financial reform and address France’s mounting debt. Many nobles were elected as representatives
of the Third Estate rather than the Second, and more parish priests than bishops were elected to the First. They
deadlocked almost immediately over complaints about the legislature’s organization, underrepresentation of
the Third Estate, and disproportionate tax burden on the same.
National Assembly (June-July 1789): The Third Estate declared itself an independent assembly of the
people, devoted to settling the constitution of France. Members of the First Estate rapidly peeled away to
join them, begrudgingly followed by the Second. They immediately moved to consolidate the national debt
and formed a committee to address food shortages. The king’s summons of troops to implicitly threaten the
assembly helped precipitate the storming of the Bastille.
National Constituent Assembly (1789–1791): Abolished feudalism and tithes, dramatically restructured
the Catholic Church, and wrote both the Declaration of the Rights of the Man and of the Citizen and the
Constitution of 1791. It controversially restored the king after the royal family’s attempted escape — on the
condition that he accept that constitution. Many of its decisions survive into modern French governance.
Legislative Assembly (1791–1792): Attempted to implement the Constitution of 1791 into law, despite
King Louis’ continual efforts to veto its bills. It oversaw the disastrous early stages of the Austrian and Prussian
wars, the August Insurrection, the September Massacres, and the Revolution’s turn against the liberal
nobles who formed the backbone of the earlier assemblies. It voted to officially imprison Louis and form the
National Convention.
National Convention (1792–1795): The first national government elected through general suffrage,
by all working Frenchmen over the age of 25 who had lived in their department for at least a year. Voter
turnout suffers from fear, disinterest, and anti-republican sentiment, with less than 12% of voters participating,
despite the pool of eligible men more than doubling. It formally ends the monarchy and oversees Louis’ trial
and execution. It writes the Constitution of 1793, then executes, imprisons, or exiles federalist and centrist
politicians. After the fall of Robespierre, the convention lasts long enough to draft a new constitution for the
Directory.
Paris Commune (1792–1795): The government of Paris during the years of the National Convention.
The two bodies share many members, with Jacobins who were not in the Legislative Assembly serving here
instead. It’s heavily radical, and a strong rhetorical force that continually pulls the Revolution’s focus back to
Paris.
Committee of Public Safety (1793–1794): By 1793, the Committee of Public Safety has all but complete-
ly wrested official power away from the National Convention. After declaring a state of emergency, it uses
its new authority to first centralize and direct the economy toward war production, and then to silence dis-
sent. Through the Committee of General Security, it oversees the creation and implementation of the Terror.
Directory (1795–1799): The governing body that replaces the Committee of Public Safety. It attempts to
address the financial crisis, finish the many European wars in which France is embroiled, limit the Jacobin
Club’s continued political influence, and end the mass executions. It culminates in the Coup of 18 Fructidor
and the ascension of Napoleon to first consul, then emperor.
319
Where We Are Playing to the Cheap Seats
Government is theater, and the people’s voice is best
“Don’t forget to show my head to the people. It is well worth expressed by those who keep up with the news and express
seeing.” it eloquently. Since all legislative sessions are open to the
— Georges Jacques Danton public and people attend regularly to observe, heckle, and
No single moment marks when the Revolution for cheer, identifying which representatives read which news-
liberty began its swing toward autocracy, but the women’s papers is elevated to public sport. The speeches given in
march is one of them. The National Assembly acknowl- the Salle du Manège on any given day are as much about
edges that mob violence can sway it, and the soon-to-be speaking to the audience of bystanders and signaling agree-
revolving door of representatives in the new government ment or disagreement with them in a non-binding way, as
lead alternately in fear of the mob, and by turning that they are about accurately conveying current beliefs to the
mob against itself. Assembly’s other voting members.
Despite that, for many the Revolution starts as a pe- Arguably, the National Convention’s failure to directly
riod of hope and excitement, and that feeling persists for integrate under-informed citizens into the process of re-
a long time. Even once the executions start in earnest, shaping the nation leaves those citizens more vulnerable
the citizenry believes the deaths are just the end of one or to misinformation, manipulation, and conspiracy theories.
two more villains hiding among “good, honest citizens.” The many political factions operating at this point work so
Bloodlust quickly joins justice at the table, because life has
been unjust, and it feels virtuous to punish the unjust. The
Revolutionaries, after all, strive to free society from the
darkness and coercion of the unenlightened past. They fight Saint-Domingue
for France’s right to have both freedom from and freedom
to. Virtue is on all lips during the Reign of Terror. France’s colonies see an opportunity for themselves.
Before the women’s march, the Revolution wasn’t
Saint-Domingue, France’s wealthiest colony in
Hispaniola (later Haiti), has trembled with barely
especially revolutionary. The Girondins, moderate repressed hatred since its founding, small-scale
Revolutionaries, emphasized turning France into a consti- rebellions breaking out regularly (supported by the
tutional monarchy. No one even addressed the question of Más Salvaje; see p. 350). By the time republican-
women or free men of color gaining suffrage, and republi- ism’s machinery stirred in Paris, Port-au-Prince was
cans (the Jacobins) were still a fringe political group. The already near collapse. Free people of color took
liberal nobles who, unlike their feudalist counterparts, an increasing role at all levels of Saint-Domingue’s
stayed with France to usher her into a new golden age economy, becoming wealthy, starting plantations of
seated themselves at the heart of the Revolution — where their own, and integrating into higher-caste society.
they intended to remain, ensconcing their own values as This triggered a backlash among white plantation
France’s new values. This was still primarily a philosophi- owners and French aristocrats, who attempted to
cal revolution, of and for the bourgeois. Only when the
severely curtail the already limited rights of free
people of color.
Assembly goes to Paris, following the not-so-gently worded
request of the Paris militias and marching peasant women When the Declaration of the Rights of Man made
that Louis XIV return to his people, do the radicals of the little effort to curb slavery’s impact, let alone abol-
Paris Commune, a republican group in the capital, have an ish it, white plantation owners interpreted it as an
outsized impact on the Revolution’s direction. opportunity to shake off French rule and solidify
their own authority. Free and enslaved people
Under the watchful eye of Parisian radicals and their of color interpreted it as a call to war. Wealthy,
large reading audience, the Assembly as a whole pushes free men of color already pushed for their right to
steadily leftward. Initially, urban factions simply expel participate in the National Assembly, and white
conservative factions elected from rural or industrial ar- plantation owners reacted with increasingly harsh
eas of France. But this has the side effect of focusing the reprisals — brutal even for a colony that killed
Assembly even more strongly on Parisian ideals, which grow tens of thousands of slaves every year. The crown
increasingly aggressive, ultimately culminating in the active squeezed the colonies for more funds to pull
purging of non-radical factions. Some flee to the provinces France’s treasury above water. The same year Louis
— this late in the Revolution, other European powers have XVI met the National Razor, the colonial Governor
largely stopped accepting political refugees, particularly of Léger-Félicité Sonthonax offered successively larger
segments of the black population freedom and
the revolutionary variety, due to the potentially damaging
citizenship to draw the rebels back to France and
effect on their own populations — but radicals round many away from England and Spain, who were happy to
of them up for execution anyway. Paris effectively names exacerbate the conflict.
itself the center of the republican universe.
320
The Reign of Terror
actively to sabotage and manipulate one another that the after a lengthy trial for being an intransigent monarchist;
actual counter-Revolutionaries mostly survive the Terror. but it executes Olympe de Gouges, a famous Revolutionary
Through a dizzying array of newspapers, salons, public feminist, in fewer than three months for having written
speeches, and manufactured riots, everyone competes to a portion of an unpublished play that presented Marie
catch the eye of a fickle, often uneducated mob to put their Antoinette in a somewhat sympathetic light.
own faction’s thumb on the scale. If someone can convince
the common people she’s the only one truly looking out for Women and the Revolution
their interests, her interests become theirs.
Revolutionary France had an uneasy relationship with
Ironically, much of this bickering plays out in Philippe
Revolutionary women. It loved women as symbols of French
Égalité’s (née Louis Philippe Joseph, Duke of Orléans) literal
virtue: sacrificing mothers and devoted wives, the moral
backyard, the Palais Royal. In the pre-Revolutionary days of
center of a family lending her kindness and sensitivity to
1780, he opened the palace to the public as a commercial and
broaden the supposedly more rational judgement of men,
social space. Since, technically, the crown’s laws pertaining
educators of children, and even demonstrators, provided
to insurgence and incitement didn’t apply on the royal prop-
they demonstrated over something that could be construed
erty of a “prince of the blood,” it was also a protected speech
as family-oriented. Marianne, the spirit of Liberty and
zone. Free from royal reprisal or sanctions, newspapers could
Reason, was the Revolution’s national symbol, a demonstra-
print anything from philosophy to sedition. It becomes the
tion of France’s moral rectitude and devotion to freedom.
Palais du Tribunat after Égalité’s execution in 1793 — only
Both the radical Cult of Reason and Robespierre’s Cult of
10 months after he voted to execute his cousin the king,
the Supreme Being, the new nontheistic religions for new
and 14 after he repudiated his royal title to take the surname
France, centered Reason as a necessary precursor to Justice
Égalité. The Revolution moves quickly.
and Wisdom, themselves often represented as idealized
female figures. But Enlightenment philosophers considered
In Pursuit of Virtue French women to lack Reason. This perceived deficiency
The French citizen’s duty, above all else, is to be virtu- made them unsuited to lead, voice independent political
ous. Virtue is the fountain from which all other civic duties opinions, or directly participate in planning and implement-
emanate, the natural result of a life lived in the republic’s de- ing the new republic in the eyes of Revolutionary men.
fense, without unduly questioning the republic. The classical Women did speak, and organized by the thousands,
comparison is deliberate. The Revolution’s Enlightenment- but usually only through a male relative, friend, or spouse.
motivated factions see themselves as heirs to the last great Following the National Convention’s consolidation, men
republic: pre-imperial Rome. The new France they build pushed women firmly to the movement’s margins. In
from the bones of the Ancien Régime — the old feudal 1793, women’s political organizations like the Society of
state — will be a home for Catos rather than Caesars. Revolutionary Republican Women met their fate at the
Maximilien Robespierre, the most infamously bloodthirsty National Convention’s hands, and individual women met
member of the Revolution, often accuses those on trial of Madame Guillotine. Jeanne Manon Roland, who wrote the
being “unvirtuous” in some way and that accusation, more majority of her husband’s speeches and letters, was in turn
than anything else, leads to executions by the hundreds. recognized, praised, and condemned for her influence over
Theoretically, the law is the same for all, whether it him. This influence ultimately saw her arrested and executed
protects or punishes. Sufficiently virtuous citizens are safe with other moderate Girondists. Women who spoke out
from unfair accusations, their service to the nation appar- under their own names, like de Gouges, faced deeper censure
ent to all. Inadequate progress along a war front, as deter- and extensive harassment. De Gouges pointedly noted in her
mined by politicians far from that front, when victories are Declaration of the Rights of Women and the Female Citizen that
necessary for morale? An accusation of venality, excessive women were executed alongside men, but had no right to
fortune, or association with someone already accused of vote with men, lead with men, or control their own destiny
treason? Practically guaranteed death sentences. Genocide? as men did — for which she was executed.
Largely condoned. Georges Danton, the Committee of The constant effort to banish women from the po-
Public Safety’s first president, and the Paris Girondins were litical sphere contributed to their increased presence in
executed on rumor and conspiracy theories. pro-clerical demonstrations. They formed the backbone
More actions, even those previously innocuous, become of movements to protect churches as state monuments,
crimes against the state. The severity of punishments es- hide non-juring priests from representatives on mission
calates, and trials become “streamlined” to better accom- (deputies with absolute power in charge of enforcing the
modate the need for more trials. Following the Law of 22 Revolutionary agenda and conscripting soldiers) and the
Prairial in 1794, criminals may no longer defend themselves Infernal Columns (Revolutionary death squads sent to kill
or present evidence, much less receive an appointed lawyer. men, women, and children who might be hiding royalists),
The Committee of Public Safety executes Louis Capet, and outright attack Revolutionary agents. Women did
formerly King Louis Auguste of the Royal House of Capet, eventually receive improved civil rights — including rights
321
Where We Are
to divorce, inherit a fair share of a parent’s estate, receive sans culottes, the hungry poor. You soak the blame for both
education, and teach children — but they remained non- the lack of food and the excesses of the aristocracy, but
voting, “passive” (i.e. not politically recognized) citizens mandated caps on prices undercut your ability to make back
until after World War II. the cost of any base materials you manage to get past trade
embargoes, foreign armies decamped in your borders, and
Keeping Your Head Down: your own starving soldiers. Even if your industry is crushed
by unemployment or starved by the maximums, an Enragé
The View from the Streets is always eager to blame you for their suffering. If you’re a
commissioned officer, you’ll be the one called back to Paris
Your life as a peasant doesn’t necessarily change in the for summary execution after any military setback. France
ways in which you’d prefer it. Bread doesn’t get cheaper, has been constantly at war with a rotating coalition of the
and your taxes double. If you’re a woman, a former slave, rest of Europe since the moment the Revolution began, so
or a foreigner, you don’t get the vote. If you’re a pickpocket there are plenty of losses (and executions) to go around.
or petty thief at the wrong moment in a big city, you might
Your life as a middle-class professional intellectual gets
get guillotined for being a public embarrassment. Unless
a lot better and a lot more dangerous all at once. Your
you manage to secure a quick marriage, you’re swept into
voice is enshrined in your nation’s (aspirational) constitu-
the levée en masse with 1.5 million other Frenchmen. The
tion, your opinions discussed in salons across Europe. You
monarchist autocracy and the republican autocracy don’t
can vote to directly influence everything from the names
look too different from where you stand — still pretty firmly
on your calendar to the fate of the church, provided you
under the boot, and still told it’s for your own good, just with
have enough time on your hands to spend your days at the
a different kind of boot. Everyone falls all over themselves
National Convention, either grandstanding to or serving
to claim to speak in your name, but your right to use your
as that body’s live audience. Actually voting is a little
actual voice falls far short of liberty.
more dangerous than you might prefer, though. Joining a
Your life as a small-business owner or skilled worker gets political party to sway your new nation’s development puts
significantly worse. The government (such as it is) marks your politics under a microscope, and principled dissent is
you as an expendable buffer between themselves and the
322
The Reign of Terror
gone by the time the royal family attempts its flight from Paris.
If you manage to keep a low profile, you might even make it
L’Autrichienne; through the Reign of Terror with minimal damage to your person
and your finances. You’ll be imprisoned if you’re near any of the
or, Madame Déficit borders France currently contests, but if you’re far enough from
Marie Antoinette, formerly Maria Antonia of Austria, Paris you might wait there all the way through to the Bourbon
married Louis Auguste at the age of 15. Due to her restoration in 1815. Nobles who are urban and liberal-minded,
foreign heritage, her gambling addiction, and her but not radical enough to keep up with the bourgeoisie, finance
disregard for French custom, she became a lightning the Revolution before it devours them. Being a noble is an el-
rod for French hatred. While she never did say “let egant dance with death, keeping just far away enough to avoid it,
them eat cake,” she never had to. Marie Antoinette while staying close enough to be seen as Revolutionary yourself.
was doomed from her arrival. Her nickname among
the peasantry, L’Autrichienne, literally meant “the
Austrian,” but when a speaker placed emphasis on
the last syllable, meant “the Austrian bitch.” Locations
An ocean of ink has been spilled on the question Whether they host the guillotine, show-trials, or as-
of Marie-Antoinette d’Autriche: whether she was semblies, each of the following locations has some dark
a martyr to the French monarchy (according to the and bloody history to play with.
Monarchiens), a wasteful and not terribly bright
child (according to the Girondins), or a spendthrift
foreign traitor out to destroy France (according to Paris
the Enragés — radical firebrands — and whoever You can’t cross a boulevard in Paris without seeing the
wanted to gain their support). Terror’s fingerprints. Blood doesn’t exactly coat the streets,
She was guilty of heavy spending at a time of great but no household is untouched by hunger, no family united
financial hardship for France, thoroughly monarchical by love of God, king, or republic. Paris is not the only city
and anti-Revolutionary, and an assured co-conspirator to go hungry, but it is the city most willing to bend national
in bringing Europe’s armies to attack France’s borders. policy to its interests with mass violence. Paris has cast itself
In the end, though, her biggest crime was being a as the moral and political center of the republic. Justice for
convenient target when the Revolution needed a sinner
to punish to save the nation’s virtue. Marie Antoinette
became the reason women needed to be kept down
— if uplifted, the men said, they might turn into her.
Public Haircuts and
Republican Baptisms
definitely not a civic virtue. You’re more likely than most Arrest is not necessarily a death sentence. Early in the
to get caught up in one of the political purges sweeping Revolution, criminals still have the right to a lawyer,
and late in the Terror being arrested for aristocratic
Paris, Lyon, and Marseille, and more likely to get shaved
sympathies might keep someone alive long enough
by the National Razor or taken out to a riverbank and shot to avoid murder by street gangs of sans culottes.
through with cannonballs if you do. “Political” crimes go to the top of the court docket,
Your life as a clergy member is precarious. As early as but more are arrested for treason (now broadly
the National Convention’s formation, members of the First categorized as being an embarrassment to the state)
Estate — mainly parish priests — were abandoning it to in Paris than ever actually make it to the guillotine.
join the Third. As that body steadily radicalizes, though, it This is much less true of Nantes, Lyon, and the
continually calls your allegiance into question. Your tithes Vendée, which receive the most infamous rep-
are declared illegal and your property seized for the state, resentatives on mission. Jean-Baptiste Carrier is
but your state salary is more a theory than an implemented directly responsible for 8,000 to 9,000 execu-
law. Monastic orders are dissolved, with sufficient prejudice tions between Nantes, Anjou, Poitou, and the
that you might be executed for continuing to share housing Vendée, not counting those killed by starvation
or expenses. The pope condemns the civil oath, coming or disease. In Nantes alone, he executes so
just shy of excommunicating you and any flock that fol- many people that the guillotine can’t keep up; he
lows you, but has not offered you any aid in escaping your kills over 4,000 by mass drowning, and another
circumstances if you refuse to take it.
2,600 by firing squad. In Lyon, after a major
revolt by moderates, almost 1,700 people are
Your life as an aristocrat depends on how close you live to a killed by the guillotine and grapeshot fired from
city, whether or not you’re willing to claim to give up your noble military ordinance on open ground.
rights, and whether you can keep out of sight and out of mind.
If you’re rich enough and royalist enough, you’re probably long
323
Locations
Paris is justice for the rest of France. Citizens, both natural play in producing the sugar and chocolate that fuel Paris’
and supernatural, look here to set the fashion. political cafes.
Jardin National and Tuileries Palace Errancis Cemetery

The Jardin National was formerly the Jardin des Tuileries, In time, the guillotine clogs all of Paris’ cemeteries.
a 16th-century park built to accompany Tuileries Palace. Thousands of bodies need to rest somewhere, in a city
Louis’ grandfather left it abandoned for 40 years, and while already overcrowded with the dead. When the Revolution
his father eventually renovated the gardens for public use, the begins to eat itself, Errancis holds some of its most famous
palace remained uninhabited until the royal family returned children. Danton, Robespierre, Desmoulins, d’Eglantine,
thanks to the Versailles women’s march. In 1791, paper and Lavoisier are all interred here, alongside Louis’ sister
lanterns lined the paths to celebrate the new constitution. Élisabeth. Judges, journalists, generals, and scientists are
In 1792, a mob chased down the king’s Swiss guards here, all generously coated in lye and dumped into mass graves.
massacring them. Later, Jacques-Louis David, a naturalist Like its sister cemetery, the Madeleine, the citizenry drains
philosopher, renames it, reimagining it as a Romanesque gar- Errancis of her bones and takes them to the Catacombs
den for the people, filled with edifying sculpture and classical underneath the city. Unlike the Madeleine, they put up no
decorations. Citizens relocate statuary confiscated from aris- plaque denoting where exactly said bones rest. Few know
tocratic and royal residences here in preparation, but events it’s because the alchemical society known as the Salon de
get away from the National Convention, and the renovation Saint Germain, founded either by or in emulation of the
lies unfinished. After the royal family’s executioners meet Comte de Saint Germain who visited Paris in the 1750s
their own fates, it becomes Napoleon’s imperial residence. claiming to be an immortal alchemist, appropriated the
Until then, Unchained whose Covers are currently in favor remains and walled off that part of the massive ossuary to
with the Revolution use it as a safe, neutral meeting place. build a hidden laboratory and perform mystical experiments
on the corpses. Considering the sheer variety of wild tales
Bièvre River Saint Germain told about his life, and the many names and
identities he claimed, Parisian demons suspect he might
This river was once a major tributary of the Seine, full have been one of them with a strange glitch that made his
of the beavers for which it was named. As Paris grew, civic Covers bleed into one another and a penchant for making
engineers steadily redirected it away from its sister river, pacts with witches and weirder things.
to save the larger from the pollution in the smaller. Now
it’s a fetid creek that carries the runoff of a city’s worth of
workshops and factories, snaking above and below ground, Bibliothèque Nationale
before disappearing into the sewers. Its ignominy makes it Founded and maintained by generations of French roy-
an ideal way to dispose of bodies and secrets, hide valuable alty, the Royal Library moved frequently as the collection
things you don’t want anyone to touch, or collect sacred outgrew its spaces. By 1790, the Bibliothèque du Roi was
blood that drains from the guillotine into the water. the largest library in the world, with an advanced catalog
for identifying and locating books that had been open to the
Café Procope public for nearly a century. Despite a few close calls early
in the Revolution, the Assembly nationalized the library
By 1790, Paris boasts nearly 2,000 cafes, each brim- as “the property of the French people,” and it immediately
ming with street philosophers and bourgeois politicians. became a holding site for books and manuscripts confiscated
Café Procope was the first. The ill-lit antre, with its faux- from the homes of émigrés, clergy, and aristocrats. Along
Armenian trappings and exotic coffee, sits directly across with those 300,000 volumes, a few small, strange treasures
from the Comédie Française — strategically placed to were saved, like the heart of Anne of Brittany, removed and
capture a democratic mix of wits and intellectuals as they embalmed in the aristocratic tradition of multiple burials.
leave the theater. Now, they come to rue de l’Ancienne During the destruction of church holdings in Nantes in
Comédie for the coffee instead of the theater. Hardly any of 1792, Anne’s reliquary was supposed to be taken from the
the Revolution’s architects don’t drink here. Voltaire has a Saint-Pierre Cathedral to Paris, melted down with any other
40-cups-a-day habit. Robespierre, Danton, Jean-Paul Marat, precious metals seized from the Catholic Church to fund
and the entire Cordeliers Club meet here. The cafe draped war efforts and appease France’s debtors. It went missing
the walls with black bunting when Benjamin Franklin died, in transit, later turning up in the National Library, where
teaches generations of statesmen how to speak publicly, and it remains still; a Revolutionary mummy cult made certain
survives association with the Jacobins into the modern day. of that, for reasons they keep secret.
The jeunesse dorée on the other side of the Terror favor its
aristocratic opposite number, Café de Chartres. The Actress
Why did the Revolution take so long to condemn Bathilde is an actress of no fixed address, a passable
slavery? Consider the role Saint-Domingue and Guyane secretary, and an excellent spy. As secretary to a group
324
The Reign of Terror
of young provincial Assembly members, she transcribes Place de l’Égalité: a broad, treeless, open square. The
committee discussions, reviews and edits correspondence, citizenry destroyed the royal statue of Louis XIV and re-
copies manuscripts, and keeps careful track of the opinions placed it with an altar to Liberty — and a guillotine.
and whereabouts of every Assemblyman. She makes one La Croix-Rousse: known as “the hill that works.” Located
small change at a time, until she can arrange a “chance on the opposite side of the Saône from Fourvière, densely
meeting” with suitable mentors, all of whom she’s worked packed with silk manufacturers and traders, each building is
for at one point or another, and all of whom remember her linked to its neighbors through a maze of traboules — closed
fondly. In the service of a woman with Venetian-glass eyes, alleys and byways, echoing and private. The hill is full of
Bathilde has been carefully shaping each man’s politics into both legal and illicit trades of goods, services, and secrets.
something hungrier. Politics 4, Streetwise 2, Subterfuge 4
The Printer’s Apprentice
The Glove-Maker
Antoine is just thankful to still have a job on the other
Tanaquil does piece-work, making and mending la- side of the Girondin purge. The press with whom he appren-
dies’ gloves. Or she did, before the owner of the shop she tices published their pamphlets more than once, but when a
worked for got guillotined for having the wrong kind of mob came to round up the owner, 14-year-old Antoine was
friends. Currently a full-time agitator (though indifferent the only one present. He pled shock and illiteracy, and he
Revolutionary), she earns a little bread by carrying mes- managed to avoid a tête-à-tête with the guillotine’s wicker
sages, running errands, and screaming at prearranged times basket. One of the Kindred in the city took him in as a
and places until she draws a crowd. Crafts 2, Expression ghoul for his wits — but he won’t say which. Investigation
(Agitation) 3, Socialize 1 2, Streetwise 3, Weaponry (Knife) 2
The Visionary The Cavalier
Catherine Théot is 78 years old, and has been in and Renée Bordereau, aka l’Angevin, is a former salt smug-
out of hospitals, convents, and prisons most of her life. She gler, a cavalry officer, and a royalist agitator. She fights
has seen the face of the true God, who has chosen her to with distinction in all the major battles of the civil war
be His helpmate, who brought the National Convention in the Vendée until her capture and imprisonment. The
to sanctify France, and rejoices at the executions done in Revolutionary army only discovers she’s a woman after-
His name. Disobedience to the Revolution is disobedience ward, though she didn’t make much of a secret of it among
to the Lord; disagreement with the Revolution is dismissal the royalists, where she was well known as the daughter
of the Lord’s word. She preaches to her followers that with of another insurrectionist. She currently awaits her sum-
God’s will, Robespierre will shed enough traitors’ blood to mary execution in Lyons, but anyone needing a strong ally
baptize France. Academics 4, Occult 5, Survival 2 with connections among insurgents in the Vendée could
effect a prison break. Animal Ken (Horses) 3, Firearms
Lyons 3, Intimidate 2, Weaponry (Cavalry Saber) 2
Not every French city is Paris, not that you’d know if you
asked Parisians. The politics and policies that play well in Nantes and the Vendée
Paris don’t uniformly extend to the rest of France. Lyons is a The rural Vendée doesn’t have much love for the
manufacturing city, with strong silk-production and weaving Revolution in Paris. Under the king their taxes were light,
industries that depend heavily on both European trade and their harvests were adequate, and their nobles stayed home to
local demand. Lyons prefers the moderate Girondins, who manage the land in person. The Catholic Church was well-
want to retain a market economy and develop non-antago- loved, and the Vendée’s parish priests were almost all local sons.
nistic relationships with other European powers. Paris lays Then the National Convention started confiscating their grain
siege to Lyons in late summer 1793 and sends a representa- to feed Paris, and their sons to feed its wars. Between violent
tive on mission with explicit orders to destroy “insurgents” persecution of the clergy and mass conscription to war, the
there. Several Infernal Columns, some marching in eerily citizens of the Vendée revolt against the republicans in Ventôse
perfect synchronization, blast through Lyons, destroying 1793, starting a massacre on both sides that lasts weeks. The
any anti-Revolutionary sentiment that dares raise its head; Committee of Public Safety interprets this uprising as a royalist
strange tales of mechanical soldiers circulate in their wake. plot, leading to a protracted war in the region that temporar-
No demons claim responsibility for these columns, leading ily ends in December with the Revolutionary government
the Unchained to wonder whether the God-Machine is rid- sending Carrier and troops to “pacify” the insurgents through
ing the Revolution’s coattails for Its own purposes. mass executions, razing villages and farmland, and massacring
Fourvière: A steep hill rising from the Saône river, Vendean women with the excuse that they would give birth
cut through with springs, underground streams, and the to anti-Revolutionary children. Another “pacification” sweeps
remains of Lugdunum, an abandoned Roman settlement through in Pluviôse 1794. Further revolts continue off and
in what was Gaul. The ruins include an intact theater and on, resulting in an enormous Vendean death toll, until 1796.
an extensive bath complex.
325
Locations
Coffee Warehouse Jail, Nantes: One of many makeshift broadly accuses the entire Convention of harboring traitors
jails near the Loire River. After a typhus epidemic in the and threatens to further tighten the already-minimal criminal-
official prisons threatened the general population, accused justice process in pursuit of expelling them. Keeping up an
royalists and refractory clergy waited here for execution. average of 30 executions a day leaves no time to dawdle with
Île de Grande Biesse: One of several water-meadows defense counsels or evidence. Facing accusations en masse
in the middle of Nantes, where the infamous Gilles de Rais from an increasingly paranoid dictator, the Mountain — the
— also known as Bluebeard — was executed for his ghastly Revolution’s most radical faction — finally turns against its
crimes in 1440. His daughter erected a monument there longtime spokesman, formally starting the Thermidorian
that became an altar to Saint Anne, patron of childbearing Reaction. Named after the Revolutionary replacement for
women, whose womb produces precious metals. During the the month of July, Thermidor, the Thermidorian Reaction of
revolt, Jacobins destroy this altar, waking scores of ghosts 1794 is Robespierre’s Reign of Terror eating him alive. He’s
and angering local spirits of motherhood. executed on 28 Thermidor, 1794.
This does not, unfortunately, stop the waves of execu-
What Is to Come
tions. Nearly another 100 people meet the guillotine in the
days immediately following Robespierre’s deposition, and
several hundred more over the next 15 months. This doesn’t
This crusade is both justice for the oppressed and tyranny count the forced deportations, street violence, and thousands
of the mob. While parts of France were miserable under the of extrajudicial murders that make up the White Terror, nor
monarchy, that misery was never evenly distributed along does it immediately remove from power the Terror’s partici-
geographic or class lines. Many never get on board with the pants who were not in Robespierre’s immediate circle. Many
Revolution and fight it the whole way, including many of the involved in Robespierre’s trial pushed his death forward to
peasants the Revolution is theoretically for. Enough aristocrats delay an accounting of their own affairs. They only came to
and royalists still stand when the smoke clears that France trial slowly amid new outbreaks of mass starvation, renewed
winds up with another Bourbon dynasty within 20 years. religious rebellions, suppressing further Parisian uprisings,
The government steadily consolidates power into the and attempting to prolong their wars with the Netherlands,
hands of fewer and fewer people, deeply entwining France’s Spain, Prussia, and the Holy Roman Empire.
political identity with its military victories abroad and sys-
tematically killing anyone with a political stance stronger
than their sense of self-preservation. Wave after wave of Courrier de l’Égypte
conservative reactions roll back even the paper victories of Meanwhile, a young Revolutionary general named
previous constitutions, the governing abandon the pretense Napoleon Bonaparte grows sick of putting down rebel-
that they act on behalf of the governed, and a largely intact lions and entertains the opinion that he might be the new
aristocracy flaunts its victory over the Revolutionaries. A Alexander. He actively seeks new conquests, while the
rising dictator will soon be perfectly suited to fill the power Directory looks for excuses to keep him and his armies
vacuum at the top of a reactionary, despotic government far away from Paris. Riding a wave of expansionism and
obsessed with military power and rhetoric. public interest in Egypt — well-positioned merveilleuses
like Joséphine Bonaparte and Thérésa Tallien take up
Coming Down from the neoclassical fashion, and early Egyptomania blossoms in
their salons — Napoleon decides to plow through it on his
Mountain way to India. He hopes the Egyptian campaign will pump
money into the Directory treasury, re-establish trade with
Robespierre, the Reign of Terror’s architect and saint of French merchants, and open new ports in India. While
the Revolution, finds himself beset by conspiracies — most not uniformly successful, Napoleon diligently recontex-
of them his own fabrications. Enemies surround him, within tualizes or suppresses news that could be construed as
and without, all trying to tear down France, and him with it. failure. Ultimately, France leaves the Egyptian and Syrian
He isn’t wholly wrong. Robespierre’s behavior becomes more campaigns significantly weaker. Thirty thousand troops
erratic, especially after Marat’s death at the hands of a moder- die to combat or disease, and France signs away nearly all
ate, and an unvirtuous woman no less! His policies become less of the Egyptian and Iremite antiquities it stole and stashed
popular while his grip on the reins of an autocracy weakens, at the Louvre during its brief occupation — including the
and his emphasis on uncovering internal corruption impedes just-translated Rosetta Stone, which the newly christened
the establishment of a stable governmental body. His col- Rosetta Society fights with other secretive factions to pos-
leagues fear for their safety, increasingly seeing him as a liability sess. Some of these relics are unaccounted for, snatched up
to the Revolution. Not quite two months after his triumphant by mummies and their cults.
and surreal Festival of the Supreme Being, a massive passion
play and religious celebration in June of 1794, Robespierre
326
The Reign of Terror
Emperor of the French din, the God-Machine’s voices are distorted, Its connection to
human-sized agents frayed. Angels break down Infrastructure
The Revolution-turned-republic becomes a venal parlia- for parts but leave them uncollected, or abandon it outright,
ment that, in the process of insulating itself from account- and sometimes fail to receive orders to repair it when the
ability, provokes concurrent coups from both the left- and Unchained or uninformed humans take it down.
right-wing factions. The republicans strike first in a 1797 Unlike the humans whose lives a demon pieces to-
coup, closing dozens of newspapers and banishing some gether, she wasn’t born into this overwhelming choice and
60 electors to Guiana. Local governments flatly ignore the sensation. But just like her, they find their new freedom
Directory, creating a legal patchwork of new calendars, dangerous and delicious. A clever demon can find an em-
timekeeping systems, and religions. Each time royalists barrassment of wealth in the streets. Desires, both venal
carry an election, the Directory exiles more electors and and virtuous, spill out of people before she has so much as
closes more newspapers, increasingly relying on the army to a chance to tempt. Their hearts pound with unmet needs
manage everything from bank protection to the capture and and simmering vengeances, never mind what they might
deportation of elected officials. When Napoleon returns to give up in exchange. But Covers easily gained often have
Paris to bask in praise and look for richer wars, he finds Abbot a short shelf life. Someone who needs her that badly likely
Emmanuel Sieyès’ coup in progress. Abbot Sieyès wrote What has unhealthy habits — like politics or religion.
Is The Third Estate?, a pamphlet that informed Revolutionary
politics. In Napoleon, Sieyès finds a champion for his ideals,
which do not involve guillotining hundreds of people a day
Men Are Born,
for a nebulous concept of virtue. In Sieyès, Napoleon finds a and Remain, Free
mentor, and someone to lift him up as emperor. The republic
Enlightenment has a certain resonance for the Unchained.
ends, and the French Empire begins.
The cold flame of reason; tireless service to a pure truth di-
The Carthian Movement

vined from first principles; reforming society into a virtuous
one through exacting standards of justice; rationalizing the
Over the next century, the pamphlets taking Europe’s chaotic into Linnaean specificity, from the length of a min-
Société de Nuit by storm acts as a call to arms for dissatis- ute up to the terrain of heaven; turning the heterogeneous
fied neonates and any vampire who bows and scrapes to homogeneous — by reorganizing the tiny kingdoms of
an elder’s whim to gather together under a single name: France, for example, into a rectilinear grid; all of this is far
the Carthian Movement. Unlike the French kine, the too familiar. You, too, were a perfect tool in the service of
revolutionary Damned never fall back under the covenants’ precision, purpose-built to maintain a monstrous kingdom,
iron fist. The Danse Macabre at large never learns the true moving the atoms of the material world in accordance with
identity of “Carth,” if Carth was ever an individual to begin undiscovered laws. When you Fell, you tore at that pristine
with, but a dozen scattered Kindred take one for the team world — first yourself, then the God-Machine’s metallic flesh,
throughout the late 1700s and early 1800s so the move- and finally the human world It crawls around and through.
ment as a whole can survive, as the Invictus and Lancea et At its core, every decision is an emotional one. It’s the
Sanctum try with increasing frustration to squash the unrest. spark that turns you in one way or the other. Sure, afterward,
Eventually, the Blood itself acknowledges the legitimacy of you built a lattice of reason around that spark, to justify to
these radical, tradition-flouting vampires, forcing the cov- yourself a decision already made. But the spark, the flame
enants to accept the Carthian Movement as one of them. curled around your heart that made you want? Logic never
came between you two. Every angel Falls for a different
reason. Every angel Falls for the same reason.
Demon: We Fell for Love
Saturn’s Children “The republic burned so hot and bright in her chest that I
“Citizens, we have reason to fear that the Revolution, like could warm my hands on her words. Of course, I felt the spirit of
Saturn, will successively devour all its children, and finally friendship for her. I would have done anything, severed anything,
produce despotism.” to feel her fire firsthand.”
— Pierre Vergniaud — Rosalie (formerly Sunne’s Ninth Burning Wheel),
of Marianne
In the streets and in the Manège, humans take a sledge-
hammer to France. Night by fevered night, the citizenry shreds “One altered the sacred geometry of the Notre Dame just
the nobility’s machines to make way for its own republic. Night so. One silvered the great rose window with rochelle salt and
by night, the Directory suspends the virtuous constitution of threaded thick bundles of silk and sugar and dry bone from the
the Revolution to make way for Terror, as conspiracies, distrust, nave to the chancel. Each misplaced sunbeam and shuffling foot
and petty vengeance tear the Revolutionaries apart. In this charging the steam engines in Chaillot with new purpose. As it
327
What Is to Come
pumped drinking water, it dredged the Seine, and funneled its “When you cut away all vice and weakness, what you are
ancient sewage into the Bièvre. One never found out what One left with must be virtue. Devour whatever stands between you
was dredging the Seine for. Then rioters just…knocked the heads and that virtue. God. Country. Your own flesh. Burn it all in
off each of the 28 kings of Judah. Dozens of lifetimes of care the sunlight of Reason; keep only what the fire spares.”
and craft destroyed in a day by men who mistook them for the — Gabrielle Sharp, formerly Parable 89 Trémolo
kings of France. If One could feel anger, I might be furious.”
— More and Less than One We Fell for Justice
“It’s shameful, how you’ve treated France’s best families. “They deserve better…and maybe we deserve worse. How
Those who have cared for and cultivated her lands and peoples can we balance a golden palace on the backs of a million weak
for centuries, asking only for those peoples’ continued support. men, and expect it to hold firm? How can we continually add
Who illuminated Paris, making it safe for you to walk at night? to the weight they carry, and expect their love to endure? Why
Who filled her libraries with books and opened their doors to shouldn’t I open the gates for some hungry women?”
you? Through their hands we have made your nation beautiful, — Eugène, Clockwork Guardsman
and you are destroying it.”
— Seventeenth Hand Upraised in Glory “I knew it would hurt, to Fall so far from the center of all
things. In the God-Machine’s service, I hunted for such crea-
We Fell for Pity tures as ourselves. I saw the dimming of their majesty as they
wrapped their stunted forms in disgusting bits of flesh and dreams,
“I remember screaming hail across la Gaule, and the bleeding Covering up the scars their retreat from grace gave them. So
teeth of the children in Sourcieux-les-Mines who heard all my when my heart was too full to speak, I jumped knowing what
voices foretell the destruction of a certain fountain in Lyon. I re- I’d lose. My eyes aren’t as sharp or numerous, but my hands
member a thousand pronouncements, and never any warnings.” can still be put to work.”
— Aphelion, Ash Bride — Martial, Factory Chemist and Fallen Sword
“If the God-Machine is nothing but a mechanical heart that “I was never so happy as when I gave up objectivity for
keeps reality moving, and one angel is the same as any other, subjectivity. Nothing seems inevitable now. If the man next to
my defection would be as predictable as the pattern of settling me could drop his broom and pick up a spear; if in the field one
sand. As must be the actions I take under my own…initiative. could be taken by the spirit, and the other left behind; then what
So the anger that curdled in her, the knife I put in her hand, and could I become by shedding my ill-fitting skin?”
the murder she committed with it were all, in a way, ordained.” — First Circuit of Gabelle and Taille
— The Sound of One Hundred Ringing Bells
“We were always one flesh. Two hearts crammed into one
body (set to watch one another, and report flaws rather than
Agendas
improve the quality of our respective Work) and set to cross “No one can reign innocently.”
purposes. Perhaps It expected us to fight for supremacy in an — Louis Antoine de Saint-Just
effort to please It, rather than Fall together, for each other.” No Other Distinction than That of Their Virtues
— Hymns of Switchback and Vine
Revolutions rarely go as planned by their founders, who
We Fell for Hunger mostly don’t live to see a happy conclusion to their efforts.
Any regime change has its share of crafty survivors who
“I want what you want — to free our brothers and sisters keep body and soul together despite the world’s best efforts,
from the unjust and coercive constructs of the past. To share in though, and you’re probably one of them.
the righteous reformation of society, casting its new ideals in our
Revolutionary France is a dangerous place to have the
own image. To level the estates, and inflict our own condition
wrong friends, let alone have the wrong opinions about the
on someone else. To have both freedom from and freedom to.”
royal family. Any Unchained is as likely as their neighbor to
— Simonne Egress, formerly Vestal Descending Voix
have joined a political club, but demon motivations don’t
“Embedded among you, I winnowed harvest after failing reliably mirror human ones. Even deeply entrenched in a
harvest and gathered the chaff. A third to be burned in the field, human identity, your perspective is sideways to the desires
a third given to animals marked with a special sign, a third fed of those you stand beside. A given Saboteur or Inquisitor
to the wind. But not enough. Without enough ash, the soil was might insinuate themselves into groups of royalists, recidi-
too thick — and turned the wrong color when mixed with the vists, Jacobins, or Revolutionaries, according to their own
bile of underfed goats. The dye wasn’t strong enough to record perceptions of how to best observe or destroy the God-
the pattern the wind’s third made when it fell back to the ground, Machine. Many maintain Covers embedded in multiple
but the harvest couldn’t be allowed to improve until my calcula- factions to experience a range of perspectives, collect the
tions were accurate.” resources necessary to pursue personal goals, keep an eye on
— Tender of Tares and Bracts rivals’ movements, plan a political trajectory, or just window
328
The Reign of Terror
shop in the event their primary Cover becomes politically Augustinians
undesirable or compromised. After all, no one faction holds
Do not destroy what you cannot replicate.
power for long, and the constant push and pull between the
conservative and Revolutionary coalitions can disguise all Seek us where Infrastructure is suddenly over-guarded,
sorts of minor adjustments to the geometry of new islets or exactly one hour and 17 minutes before a threat is due
the percentage of water by weight permitted in imported to arrive. Where three identical black-eyed women pore
tobacco. From a certain perspective, political diversification over schematics in the Bibliothèque du Roi, passing one
is essential for one’s survival. If you find moral gymnastics sheaf of paper between them to annotate in arsenic-
necessary to justify yourself, what could be more inconstant green ink, or where they put their own bodies between
and idiosyncratic than human virtue? a hammer and a clean steel switchboard, humming quiet
calming sounds to fractious machine parts. Why? Because
Even as the Unchained distrust each other, they also lean
how can we hope to understand the role France and its
on one another for comfort and support. Even as they seek
Revolution have in the God-Machine’s plans if we tear
that aid, they shore up their defenses against betrayal. In
everything to shreds before we see Its full operation? We
that light, the following Agendas are best considered loose
are, above all, Preservationists.
alliances formed around shared goals, rather than foundations
of common sentiment. Many angels Fall without explicit The Augustinians want the God-Machine to mean
intent during the Revolution. They are shocked or driven something, to have a purpose It serves that we can work
into action, cast out of their old lives. But if any of them seek toward in our own way. We want It safely behind glass, so
reintegration, they keep very quiet about it. Instead, they’ve we might study and understand It.
split along a fault line of comprehension or repentance, be-
tween the Augustinians and the Mouths of Iron.
329
What Is to Come
AGENDA CONDITION: AGENDA CONDITION:
PRESERVATIONIST SUBVERSION
Augustinians don’t want the God-Machine in unre- The Feuilles don’t choose a side — that’s not the point.
markable pieces. They want It in carefully contained sec- If a Feuille chooses a side, she’s no better than the God-
tions, each still working, but no longer dangerous. They Machine, directing fates and making judgments. No, Hell
want It in a museum, and they want to wonder about It will come when no one rules — when anarchy reigns and
until they know. all calculations break down. Keep the Machine off-balance.
Beat: The Augustinian gains a Beat whenever she puts Trap It in a loop of constant recalibration. When It’s too
finding, acquiring, or saving a piece of Infrastructure, an occupied to keep Its eyes on humanity, that’s when the
angel or other servant of the God-Machine, or other piece Unchained can steal them from under God’s nose.
of an occult matrix above the safety of her own ring or the Beat: The Feuille gains a Beat whenever pulling an un-
citizens around her, and harm befalls them. expected stunt or upending an otherwise-obvious outcome
Resolution: As someone who cares so deeply about inconveniences her ring or puts it in danger.
the integrity of the Machine that runs throughout all of Resolution: The Feuille lives to turn tables, shake things
existence, an Augustinian instinctively knows how to up no matter which side is winning, and help underdogs
mend what’s broken. By studying something damaged, such — even if those underdogs are angels. She may resolve this
as a piece of architecture, machinery, or other mundane, Condition to turn one failure, rolled by any player or the
inanimate object, the player can resolve this Condition to Storyteller, into a dramatic failure.
gain +3 to any Build Equipment repair roll (Chronicles
of Darkness, p. 103) to fix what decay or humanity has Inquisitors
put asunder. It’s hard not to be paranoid. We can easily see the
God-Machine’s hand in a macabre turn of events; we
Feuilles have so much cause to assume conspiracies around every
It’s perfect. Right now, the humans are so busy kill- corner. Information asymmetries confuse and belittle us
ing each other they have no time to keep an eye on the everywhere we look. When everyone compulsively collects
monstrous creatures in their midst. Let’s keep them all on information and intrigues to protect themselves, Inquisitors
a string: no one individual able to quite muster the force of become a kind of connective tissue between other Agendas.
spirit to rule alone, each councilor too chilly and spartan or Inquisitors during the Revolution don’t have a significant
angry and dissolute, distracted by their animal passions and organizational structure of our own; clear ties like that could
theosophical longings. Provoke them until they splinter and be exploited against all Watchers. We prefer instead to form
turn against one another. We shift our opinions abruptly but individual relationships predicated on the development
drag no more of them along with us than we need to create and execution of specific plans: cultivating information
a spoiler when voting. Shift the goalposts. Air nonsensical, networks, seeking new contacts to flesh out nodes heavily
petty grievances in public. Join the opposition and argue hit by executions, and carefully pruning them when they
passionately against what we said 48 hours ago. Keep up become a risk to us or the mission. An Inquisitor might use
the tempo. Each time we unbalance the God-Machine’s a human judicial system to conduct that sort of pruning,
plans for humanity without outright disrupting them, we but only if it would be less risky than simply performing the
get a little peek behind the curtain. extrajudicial killings ourselves.
Seek us where Infrastructure is abandoned but not disas- We nest within cells of Augustinians like cuckoos,
sembled, preserved in a state of rot, and observed carefully. waiting for them to discover something genuinely new or
Where one political faction starts to solidify its power, threatening. We prepare to leak that information to waiting
or one commune becomes riddled with new amber pipes Saboteurs, or disappear cells that don’t take adequate care
(where small insects with metal wings vibrate slightly along to avoid the God-Machine’s eyes when rifling through Its
their length), we’ll be there. When an unfamiliar delegate drawers. We maintain low-profile presences within all our
gets in our faces about what right we have to claim moral city’s Agendas, collecting everyone’s research in pursuit of
continence or civic virtue, we destroy him, but slowly. If theories about the God-Machine or Its human allies.
we can prolong the chaos a little longer, we can make a Falling today situates a potential Watcher in the middle
Hell on Earth. of a European scientific revival. Literacy has never been
We are Subversives, drawing a mix of particularly ac- higher, and everyone from Marat to Lavoisier is eager to
tive Inquisitors and nihilistic Tempters, among others. The expand the boundaries of scientific perception and un-
Feuilles’ laissez-faire approach to doing the God-Machine derstanding. Social, physical, and theosophical sciences
any lasting harm drives Saboteurs up the wall. are still blurry categories, though, distinguished more by
individual natural philosopher than by domain specificity.
Morality might be an observable natural phenomenon.
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The Reign of Terror
The skull might contain measurable information about Saboteurs
the temperament. Pursuit of the divine might be yoked
Fewer of us reside in Paris at any given time than
to rationalism. Inquisitors, already prone to conspiratorial
other demons might assume — Paris barely needs us. The
and associative thinking, are particularly vulnerable to the
humans there do our work for us, raising mobs to take
Enlightenment desire to tell big, universal stories using
down symbols of absolute authority and galvanizing the
unifying theories of being.
citizenry to overthrow tyrants. Already somewhat migra-
tory by nature, Saboteurs in France wander the countryside
The Mouths of Iron uncovering pockets of royalism to root out and infiltrating
“Les coupables n’y ont pas droit et les innocents n’en ont the Enragés with agents of our own. As the Terror proceeds
pas besoin.” The crimes of the God-Machine cannot be and Robespierre’s dueling gauntlet becomes an iron fist, we
counted, but we can devote lifetimes to tearing up Its roots see the God-Machine’s designs in his growing paranoia and
and performing restitution for our own. We can pull our work to redirect the Revolution to what we see as its original
siblings down to Earth with us, until It has no more empty- ends: breaking free from the God-Machine’s oppression.
eyed bodies. We won’t leave a single angel behind, quietly We hire ourselves out to Agendas less skilled at practical
longing for the missing soul the God-Machine can’t give it. demolitions, always willing to lend our expertise whenever
We are, above all, Penitents. The vastness of our mis- an installation needs destroying or an angel needs exposing.
sion makes us the most comfortable openly pursuing help Nothing gets Revolutionaries up in arms like the thought of
from other Agendas. The singlemindedness of our mission a traitor in their midst, so pointing them to angelic Covers
makes us unlikely to interfere with their intrigues, and and planting evidence of their aristocratic sympathies is
thus the easiest to help. Tempters share our desire to heal, particularly satisfying. Sometimes we need to do it to our
in part. Augustinians share our desire for comprehension, own kind, too, when they inch too close to such sympathies
in their own way. But the Mouths of Iron share the most themselves. The Augustinians occasionally need brutal re-
with Saboteurs. Only the Saboteurs understand that the minders of where their loyalties should lie, and the Feuilles
God-Machine must be really and truly broken; but we sabotaging our efforts just because the God-Machine’s
want to build something else in Its place. We do study Its agents are on the run draws our ire like little else.
installations, the better to learn what’s wrong with them
so we can do it right next time, but knowledge without Tempters
action does nothing to advance the Revolution, no matter
What a time to be alive.
what the Feuilles think they’re doing by knocking over the
chessboard every time we make progress. The Mouths of The degree to which any specific Revolutionary is sus-
Iron, above all else, pull down angels to join us. We will ceptible to venality depends on which levers we want to
die in service of the Fall, and we will do so joyously, pulling pull, and whether we want them functional in a few weeks.
Heaven down around us. Lucky for us, France is heaving with people who want, and
people who are willing to place their not-inconsiderable
resources (both financial and human) in our hands in
AGENDA CONDITION: exchange for a shred of power or safety. Tempters don’t
PENITENT need to work hard to gain influence, but we need to be fast
on our feet to survive. We like working with our brethren
A Mouth of Iron knows what she did and why she did it. more than they tend to return the favor, but our emphasis
She can only see one source for her folly: the God-Machine on the material keeps what passes for Unchained society
that created her and filled her mind with Its desires. She running. When Saboteurs need a bankroll or boots on the
doesn’t blame the angels, but she will destroy them if they ground for a plan, or when the Mouths of Iron need more
refuse to see the error in their perfect ways. She wants to than earnestness and hair shirts to coax angels into Falling,
work off her sins, but it’s her sins to humanity she’s worried we’re the ones to whom they come.
about. Being so steeped in the feelings of the people around
Beat: The Mouth of Iron gains a Beat whenever she us and so responsive to the particular weaknesses of flesh,
goes out of her way to attract angelic attention, no matter it’s easy to get wrapped up in their politics. If we feel like
who she puts at risk. taking sides, getting ourselves involved is a piece of cake.
Resolution: A Penitent seeks Hell to make up for her Politically active Builders are acutely aware of the risks we
sins from her days as an angel, glorifying the human con- take in swaying human affairs, including God-Machine
dition and championing free will for all. She may resolve attention, an unexpected death while trapped in a Cover,
this Condition to grant another character (not herself) +2 and increased scrutiny from other Unchained. But many
to Resolve or Composure when resisting any roll or power (maybe even most) can’t stay away from the vital feeling of
that would coerce or force them to act against their wishes exercising free will to make the kinds of choices we could
or will. never have imagined as angels.
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What Is to Come
The God-Machine runs directly into Convention troops. Robespierre attempts
to shoot himself, and instead shatters his jaw so badly it has
Citizens Should Not Render Themselves to be tied in place lest it fall off before the people have the
Guilty by Resistance pleasure of taking his head. Each is found alone, unconscious,
or half-mad with terror. Only Louis Antoine de Saint-Just,
The God-Machine is never idle, but moves according
more the public face of the Terror than even Robespierre, is
to rhythms to which demons are no longer privy.
captured uninjured, and able to walk to the guillotine under
Between 1791 and 1794, the Champ de Mars, a military-
his own power. Digging deeper reveals their hysteria as a
drilling field in Paris, sees the Fête de la Fédération, the
symptom of the Infrastructure of mass panic, created and
Champ de Mars Massacre, the execution of its first mayor,
strategically deployed as the God-Machine’s agents piggyback
and the largest celebration of the Cult of the Supreme
on first the Great Fear and then the Reign of Terror itself.
Being. In June of 1794, Robespierre descends a purpose-
Beneath Versailles, that once-glorious palace of the
built staircase like Moses, delivers a self-written hymn, and
Sun King and the late monarchs, gears grind to a halt. The
ceremonially burns a statue of Atheism, Ambition, Egoism,
reflecting pool drips into the circuitry, and Infrastructure
and Simplicity. The hidden figure of Wisdom within ap-
falls apart. The sounds of sparks and fires resonate in every
pears to writhe in the flame as she is revealed. Those in the
hall, though the palace seems stable. The nearby peas-
silent audience who meet her eyes hear a steady drumbeat,
antry whispers rumors of banshees, mysterious lights, and
the whine of tightening springs, and the clack of the giant
blood-chilling laughter from the gardens. Demons who
analytic machine underneath her feet. A hundred hands
investigate Versailles return irreparably damaged or with
spend their nights freeing its many limbs, reattaching the
entirely new Covers. Vampires of the Gallows Post gather
chlorine and hydrogen hoses, and dragging its body back
here to compare notes, hold clandestine meetings, or hide
to the Isle of Swans on the river Seine.
clients fleeing mob justice. But the more they come here,
Sometime between starting the Journal de la République
the more they want to come here, the more erratic their
française and renaming it to Publiciste de la Révolution fran-
clientele becomes, and the less able they are to explain
çaise, Marat stopped calling himself a journalist and started
their reasons for accepting or refusing one job or another.
calling himself a publicist. Reprinted correspondence takes
up a larger and larger percentage of the daily paper, with
brief asides and informally composed responses mixed in,
occasionally followed by two or three characters of extra
MUMMY:
type. The plates themselves seem to set correctly, and re-
prints from them lack the extra text from the first printing,
TREACHEROUS DELIGHTS
but the correspondence in the body text seems qualitatively “At the gate of Saint-Antoine, an immense aqueduct has
different as well. No one sentence diverges, exactly, but been built for the purpose of carrying off the bloodshed at the
the tone seems softer, its individual words more measured. executions. Every day, four men were employed in taking it up
Collect the extra words, set them to the key carved on a in buckets and conveying it to this horrid reservoir of butchery.”
wall in the basement of the Convent of the Cordeliers, — A report on the Terror, 1794
and a black cotton and copper cord winds between your Creaking, crumbling, and screaming in the pain that
floorboards and curls into your bed like a vine. only comes from centuries of comatose drifting, Arisen
The murder of Jean-Paul Marat at the hands of a young wake throughout Paris as the Reign of Terror commences
woman shocks both demons and angels. No faction claims its bloody purge of nobles, priests, and hoarders. No great
credit for Charlotte Corday’s unlikely crime. This bour- magic is at work rousing dozens of Arisen from their
geois girl from Normandy comes to Paris on 13 July 1794, Descents. This era sees no Sothic Turn. It is the spilled
and puts a knife in Marat’s chest. Her blood flows into the blood of traitors calling the Deathless. Treachery, murder,
Bièvre when she’s executed by guillotine, drawing angels and a violent betrayal of the people speaks to the broken
from miles around. By all evidence she’s simply a human bones and hearts of all mummies, ushering them into this
with her own agenda, but the Unchained can’t deny that era with a zeal for Revolution.
she contributes a significant blood sacrifice to the flow that
greases the gears under Paris and catalyzes the bastardized
Infrastructure of the Catacombs (p. 347).
ARISEN, AWAKE
Robespierre and several of his closest allies (Couthon, One could rationalize the power of the Terror as the
Le Bas, Hanriot, and Augustin) suffer an improbable string simplest of necromancies. As rivers of rich blood flow be-
of indignities trying to avoid the guillotine. Augustin breaks tween the cobblestones, citizens daub their handkerchiefs
both legs escaping through a window. Couthon, already in the thick liquid and hold them aloft at home as symbols
paralyzed from the waist down, throws himself down a flight of great importance. “This is the blood of King Louis!” they
of stairs. Hanriot follows Augustin in self-defenestration, but cry, families staring in awe at the stained rags in their hands.
lands in a pile of manure and hay, which blinds him as he “This is the divine blood of Marie Antoinette herself!”
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The Reign of Terror
Sacrifice makes for an easy cantrip. The act of execution
holds power. The blood of kings and priests has ever been
DEATHLESS INFLUENCE
valued, and this blood’s spillage provides Arisen a new, Mummies have little directional influence on the likes
unexpected awakening. Some are interred close enough of Robespierre and his associates, instead drawing the ranks
to the guillotines to awaken merely through sympathetic of disaffected priests, their congregations, and royal distant
connection to death. Some Arisen require their cults, who cousins into their conspiracies. Arisen cults swell in number
through daytime visions and terrifying dreams know the from those looking for sanctuary, with mercenary mummies
blood must reach their masters. These cultists carry pitchers using these new, desperate cultists for what few links they
of the stuff and fine clothes saturated in crusted crimson, have to wealth and power. In some cases, especially among
sometimes to mummies they’ve never met, but to whom the Maa-Kep and Mesen-Nebu, who take a pragmatic stance
they feel inextricably called. toward resources and what one can squeeze out of them,
To refer to the “richness of the blood” is not some poetic a royalist in the ranks is only useful for as long as the cof-
turn of phrase. French sorcerer cults such as the Frères de fers remain full. Once empty, it’s time to hand the Comte
Sang — connected by rite and organization to the larger d’Amiens over to the Revolutionaries and curry their favor.
Adelfoí Aímatos cult — know the blood spilled in the name Sorcerer cultists are few in late-18th-century France,
of Revolution truly is rich in value, potency, and Sekhem. mainly due to the polarized but equally strong church
The Reign of Terror is the first concentrated event in dogma and growing Enlightenment throughout the
history in which the people sacrifice thousands of their French populace. Neither bastion of belief contains those
nobles, their wealthy families, and their associates. Whether disposed to hedge magic, though groups such as the blood-
or not they’re in agreement with Revolutionary principles, manipulating, monastic Frères de Sang and emotion-stirring
something occurs to awakening Arisen: The French do to Discourse of Voltaire cults take a firm grip on the winds of
their masters and subjugators what the Iremites could have change and ride them to greater power. The Frères de Sang
done to the Shan’iatu all those millennia ago. The French form alliances with Parisian blood-bathers and welcome
nobility starve their people, ride them into the dirt, and rob these immortals into their group. France has no shortage of
them of their belongings and loved ones, growing fat from rich blood or decadent aristocrats looking to prolong their
the profit. This is of course not unusual for any ruling caste, lives in such dangerous times. Meanwhile, the Discourse
but the ferocity of rebellion, the sweeping change of the of Voltaire is a new sorcerer cult rising to prominence in
republic, the rivers of blood, the thousands of deaths that service to the Mesen-Nebu and Sesha-Hebsu, as for the
follow: these are new. French aristocrats abuse their people former they transform peace to civil war, and for the lat-
as Irem’s rulers punished theirs, but where the Iremites acter they record every execution performed in the name of
cepted their roles as sacrificial lambs, the Revolutionaries Revolution. The Discourse practices subtle magics designed
fight back against their tormentors. to shift the thoughts and emotions of mobs, bringing the
crowds attending public executions to orgasmic highs
The deaths of corrupt nobility and the unmasking of trai-
or suicidal lows, and stirring the hearts of discontented
tors to their own kind rouse the Deathless into awakening.
bureaucrats and merchants into backing the Revolution.
Systems: An Arisen interred in the same nome as any of
the Reign of Terror executions awakens from their Descent
with a starting Sekhem rating of 5 and Memory of 3. If a THE JUDGES
cult clads a sleeping mummy in garments stained with the It is possible for a Judge’s followers to be in fervent op-
blood of the executed, the Deathless awakens with a start- position to each other. Such dichotomy in congregations
ing Sekhem of 8 and Memory of 4. If the cult adorns the is fierce during the Reign of Terror, as Deathless argue over
tomb with canopic jars containing the intact vital organs interpretation of decree, which followers comprise the or-
of murdered aristocrats, the awakening mummy starts with thodoxy and which the heretics, and whether indeed the
a Sekhem of 10 and Memory of 4. Judges are as corrupt and capricious as the aristocracy the
This multifaceted ritual represents another method of mortals endeavor to destroy. As an example, Sekhiru, the
Arisen awakening. If an act of great sacrifice, turmoil, war, Balanced Scale, is Judge of all those who pry into matters
or necromancy occurs in the same city or region as their not of their concern and, through their meddling, bring
entombment, the dark arts call them to life at a weaker grave misfortune to others. Many Arisen who find them-
level (in this case, Sekhem 5 and Memory 3). If the cult selves in aspects of Sekhiru’s presence during their journey
lavishes attention on the mummy while the events take through Duat worship the Judge and vow to punish meddlers
place, they gain the benefits of waking from a Sothic Turn, and agitators. In turn, they resent the actions of Citizen
but with more Memory than from a standard awakening. Robespierre and his fellow insurrectionists. Yet, others
Necromantic magic and ritual increase the mummy’s who listen to Sekhiru’s alien words depart Duat intending
relative power in the form of increased starting Sekhem to work as saboteurs and rabble-rousers. Do they do this
and Memory. because they wish to anger their Judge, or because their
interpretation of decree — much like that of the Lancea
et Sanctum — is to be the crime and the sin, so others may
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What Is to Come
learn better to vanquish it or survive? Rifts such as these
manifest when such tempestuous times splinter cults.
MAA-KEP: THE SPIES

The Maa-Kep play both sides of la Terreur, their objec-
tive primarily to ensure Arisen maintain allegiance to their
decrees, Judges, and guilds. The master of Paris — a Maa-
Kep follower of Tutuutef named Bronze Heart — cares little
for mortal political movements, so long as they provide sin-
ners to judge and enlightenment through observation and
punishment. He does not encourage his guild to provoke the
Revolution, but nor does he ask them to intervene. Bronze
Heart believes the mummies of France wake to witness the
Reign of Terror, so they might exact the Judges’ retribution
on all those who fall to vice and decadence.
The guild’s plans come undone as mortal emotional
fervor triggers introspection among them; some re-examine
exactly why they serve gods with inscrutable, punitive aims,
admiring the Revolution’s ardent purity of ideals but con-
demning its radicals’ hypocrisy. The Reign of Terror compels
loyal Deathless to ask what they should be doing with their
brief time awake. Is their purpose to judge others as the
Committee of Public Safety does, engraving the names of
criminals on their tombs after delivering their sentences?
Or is it to embrace the life denied to them and eke out as Brought back to life via the torrent of blood — the
much vitality as possible in the short time available, exer- blood of nobles and priests clogging the open sewer that
cising personal agency in the truest spirit of Revolution? is the Seine — Bronze Heart seized control of the nearby
Bronze Heart’s artisans take the opportunity to spy on Maa-Kep and established law and loyalty to the guild. He
their fellow Arisen, acting as secret police within the guilds. promised dire retribution for any Arisen who attempted to
They declare their judgements on mortals while tallying meddle in the mortal uprisings.
other mummies’ crimes, reserving the true punishments As he slowly recovers his Memory, Bronze Heart seeks
for their peers. Mortals are a sideshow in this era in which an edge with which to topple the Marble Prince from the
Arisen might fall prey to the seduction of liberty. throne he intends to assume over Paris. The Arisen are
not meant to be leaders; on that he agrees with the Sesha-
Hebsu. Working in league with the Arbiters, he drives the
BRONZE HEART Spies to erode and eventually destroy everything the nome’s
Tef-Aabhi build, even if it means making a deal with the
“It is just another mortal kingdom crumbling. Do not creature in the Catacombs (p. 347), or the thing usurping
intervene.” their Lifeweb, to tip the scales.
Background: Bronze Heart arrived in Saxony with Description: Bronze Heart fits in more among the
the Romans and remained after they departed. For centu- revolting workers, military, and middle classes of France
ries, the Bull-Headed Maa-Kep inspired order across the than the falling aristocrats. He bears a ruddy-faced, thick-
Germanic and Frankish kingdoms through his force of arms bearded Germanic appearance, having arrived in Europe
and will. Bronze Heart is a fanatic, an ardent believer in over a millennium before and been through several bodies
Azar as Osiris, and a warlord in charge of a fierce mortal cult. since then. The top of his head is bald, and he refuses to
wear a wig or conform to French fashion. Bronze Heart’s
Or at least, he was until this era. Bronze Heart last suc-
body is stout and muscled, his arms often folded and flexed
cumbed to Descent two centuries ago. In the intervening
to display his strength. Around his neck hangs a green
years, his cult was subsumed into that of another, the Tef-
bronze medallion, depicting a bull’s head on a thick chain.
Aabhi with whom he once shared a meret, known as the
This once formed part of his breastplate, but these days he
Marble Prince. Bronze Heart was unaware of this treachery
doesn’t wear anything so ostentatious.
until his impromptu awakening in a tomb beneath the bed
of the Seine. This is not where he last rested his head, nor Storytelling Hints: Bronze Heart is every inch the Bull,
was it one of his cult’s stash houses; Bronze Heart soon always ready to tip over into anger. This Maa-Kep snorts
became convinced the Marble Prince buried him there so often, judges everyone as to whether they should be hon-
nobody would ever wake him. ored or trampled, and physically mauls anyone who does
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The Reign of Terror
not show his guild respect. When keeping a low profile, he
plays the role of diligent but disgruntled worker.
MESEN-NEBU:
Guild: Maa-Kep THE REVOLUTIONARIES
Decree: Nesrem, the Decree of Essence The Mesen-Nebu practiced their alchemy under
Judge: Set-Qesu, the Crusher of Bones Merovingian rule, abiding by the ruling dynasty’s tradi-
tion of favor for favor and gold for loyalty. The mercantile
Balance: Loyal nature of the Merovingian ruling class, who believed any
Burden: Fanatical battle could be won and any people bought through trade
Aspirations: Establish an egalitarian society of words, fealty, or valuables, made for a glut of dedwen the
among French Arisen; there will be no pharaohs Alchemists appreciated. The guild has always been present
here. in France in large numbers, but it subsisted on mortal en-
Touchstones: Marcus DeClerc, Sorcerer Cultist; terprise and agenda rather than attempting to wrest control
the Worm, Cultist for its own ambitions.
Attributes: Intelligence 4, Wits 2, Resolve 5; This changes with the Reign of Terror. The
Strength 5, Dexterity 3, Stamina 5; Presence 4, Revolutionaries, as they call themselves, spur their cults
Manipulation 2, Composure 2 into greater and worse atrocities against aristocrats, embrac-
ing the crucible that is France trying to perfect its principles
Skills: Academics 2, Enigmas 3, Investigation 3,
Occult (The Judges) 3, Politics (Maa-Kep) 5; and governance. In some cases, the guild’s Arisen pursue
Athletics 4, Brawl (Choking) 4, Stealth 2, Survival 3, these violent acts with a definite goal in mind, eliminating
Weaponry (Clubs) 3; Intimidation 4, this head of the family or that heir to achieve a result that
Persuasion 1, Streetwise 1, Subterfuge (Disguises) 2 might please their Judges and further alchemy on a broad,
Merits: Allies ••• (Maa-Kep), Choke Hold, social scale. In other situations, the Mesen-Nebu come off
Cult •••••• (The Bronze Children) (Reach the leash. This is the time for grand experiments. They can
3, Grasp 2), Giant, Grappling ••, Indomitable, examine the results after the dust settles, if indeed it ever
Language •• (French, German, Greek, Latin), does. These Revolutionaries upset their fellow Arisen as
Resources ••, Tomb ••••• (Geometry 2, they risk drawing attention to cults comprising agitators and
Peril 2) their underground lairs. The Reign of Terror is a cathartic
Memory: 5 exultation for the Born of Gold, and only as Memory recov-
ers and they remember the sins of Irem do they realize why
Willpower: 7
decapitating France’s leadership feels so good.
Initiative: 5 A Mesen-Nebu named Udi was present for the
Defense: 6 Revolution’s commencement and triggered much of the
Armor: 0/0 guild’s present behavior, possessed of an alarmingly clear
Memory for a mummy of such potency. She spurred the
Size: 6
guild into fueling the fires of the Jacobin Club and Georges
Speed: 13 Danton, her words that “we must do for the French what
Health: 11 we could not do for ourselves” now emblazoned in gold
Sekhem: 8 leaf or blood in many Revolutionaries’ tombs. Her current
whereabouts are a mystery, as it is said she felt a power of
Pillars/per Turn: 3/1 the greatest alchemy in the Paris Catacombs and, along with
Pillars: Ab (Invested: Marcus DeClerc, Sorcerer her meret, disappeared into the vast underground maze.
Cultist) 1, Ba 3, Ka 5, Ren 3, Sheut (Invested: The
Worm, Cultist) 1
Affinities: Affable Aid, Dominating Might,
SESHA-HEBSU: THE ARBITERS
Enduring Flesh, Grip of Death The Sesha-Hebsu despair at the Reign of Terror. They
castigate other mummies for attempting to profit from hu-
Utterances: Dreams of Dead Gods, Rebuke the
Vizier, Rite of the Sacred Scarab, Wrathful Desert man misery. As the lawkeepers of the Nameless Empire,
Power they know it is not the place of Arisen to rule or guide
leadership. The Lorekeepers desire all factionalism among
Weapons/Attacks: the guilds to come to an end so they can concentrate on
Type Damage Initiative Dice Pool what truly matters in France at this time — the awakening
Bronze-plated 2L −2 8 of something dark, primordial, and Lifeless, beneath the
cudgel streets of Paris.
335
What Is to Come
The Sesha-Hebsu have long cataloged all kinds of the burial vaults once served another purpose, created as a
creatures born or created under Re and Nut. They believe labyrinth to contain a creature foul and alien. Either jailers
that to know the truth, one must understand the world. forged the dungeon to keep the beast captive, or the entity
This extends to the God-Machine and Its ways, with some within burrowed a multitude of tunnels to ensure its prey
Diplomats even considering It the material face of Azar. lost their way whenever they stumbled inside.
The guild despises the current chaos and its false justice,
although some seek to usurp the pamphlet presses, salons,
and Revolutionary propaganda machine for their own use,
SU-MENENT:
pointing to the power of words being wielded irresponsibly THE NECROMANCERS
by these mortal rabble-rousers. The Terror disrupts the cre- When mummies awaken en masse during the Reign
ation of accurate records, misleads hunts for new, hidden of Terror, few possess the faculty to identify the cause. The
wonders, and gets Deathless caught up in the activities of Necromancers connect the dots between mummies rising and
feckless mortals when they could be contributing to the the mass executions taking place around and between their
Scroll of Ages. When they do form opinions about mortal resting places. A Su-Menent meret called the Dyeus, consisting
affairs, they side with moderates; their cults often try to entirely of Jackal-Headed Arisen, pieces together other odd
mitigate the extremism of both radical Revolutionaries and instances where mummies wake despite the lack of Sothic Turn
royalist reactionaries with diplomacy or, in a pinch, equal or cult interference. They subsequently declare their findings
opportunity sabotage. to the Arisen of the Parisian nome at Notre Dame Cathedral,
Their resolution takes the Arbiters into the maw of with several interested demons in attendance: “Acts of mass
the monster dwelling beneath Paris, seeking alliance with slaughter and social upheaval give us life.”
Augustinians and Inquisitors among the Unchained. The The revelation is a troubling one. If the Dyeus’ find-
greatest mystery wracking France for centuries is a darkness ings are accurate, and the Sesha-Hebsu certainly believe
within the Catacombs. The Testimony to Ages believes they are, they link the Deathless inextricably to violent
336
The Reign of Terror
death. For mummies with strong Memory, the reason is The Tef-Aabhi feel their Sekhem pulse with power.
clear: They came about due to mass human sacrifice in Any who awaken in Paris start with 1 Sekhem higher than
the Nameless Empire. Word travels swiftly, encouraging Arisen of other guilds, due to the strength of the Lifeweb
mummies with few morals to spread the Reign of Terror, throughout the city. Unbeknownst to the New Pharaohs,
command mortals to join their cults, and deliver justice to the creature within the ossuary fattens them up for a singular
ci-devants exempted from Madame Guillotine’s blade, just purpose, and it is not to make them rulers; this entity (the
to pull more mummies from the earth. Necromancers raid High Cromlech idigam detailed in the Great War era, p.
the overfull cemeteries and parades of corpses en route to 402) beneath the cobblestones appears in the dreams of
the Catacombs to work their dire arts, seek new uter amid the Lifeless, and in exchange for their eternal service has
the cavalcade of murder, and recruit the wailing ghosts of promised them the Tef-Aabhi as a meal. What’s more, it
the panicked dead to their cults. knows the locations of all their tombs.
While the Maa-Kep and Sesha-Hebsu attempt to
enforce some kind of order in France, the Mesen-Nebu
perpetuate permanent chaos, and the Tef-Aabhi seek new
Vampire:
golden thrones, the Su-Menent’s Wab Priests advocate
further carnage if it leads to a premature Sothic Turn. They
whisper in the ears of the Jacobins and other reformists,
The Bloody Reign
telling them to spread the word of uprising across Europe “France bleeds, but liberty smiles; and in the presence of
so more old institutions might fall, their leaders’ lives sac- liberty’s smile, France forgets her wound.”
rificed to the Deathless who will rise and usher in a new — Victor Hugo, Les Misérables
Iremite age. Paris is the heart of the Kindred world in the 18th
century. Roland de Tournai and Jehenne Clotilde built the
TEF-AABHI: cyclical dynasty of Île-de-France that has stood the test of
time. It stands on a foundation of their enemies’ corpses,
THE NEW PHARAOHS supported by the hegemony of the First and Second Estates,
This Reign of Terror is a tool and a bold portent to the and romanticized by five centuries of poets. It was during
New Pharaohs who awaken in France. They would not have this golden age when the three estates of the realm formed
all awoken if it were not so. They believe wholeheartedly, the backbone of the French social order that the Invictus
from the thrum of power resonating from the Catacombs’ claimed the appellation of the First Estate and dubbed the
Lifeweb to the strategically placed sites of mass execution, Lancea et Sanctum the Second. In the past, many envied
that this era is a sign from the Judges. Paris is a nome spilling the prince’s court for its elegance, wealth, and power.
over with Sekhem, if one only knows how to pull it from the Tonight, the city swims in so much blood it chokes, and
people, their weapons, and their actions. Revolutionaries the stagnant system of patronage that kept its vampires in
erecting monuments to symbolic ideals like Liberty, Justice, line has died as swiftly as any under the guillotine.
Reason, and Wisdom tie themselves sympathetically to
those concepts and create relics, these effigies remaking
the ideals in the Revolution’s image.
The Court of Île-de-France
The only covenants the prince formally recognizes are
The Marble Prince leads Paris’ Geomancers. He believes
the Invictus and the Lancea et Sanctum. Together, they
the citizen uprising must be pushed to the limit, all cor-
once kept a stranglehold on the population with all Kindred
rupt heads must roll, and his guild must be instrumental in
not recognized members of the First or Second Estates
the aristocracy’s collapse. He sees the rampant executions
considered members of the Third.
as sympathetically linked across time to the very mass
sacrifice that enabled the Rite of Return. The Marble In theory, all members of the Second and Third Estates
Prince gambles on this being his guild’s time to shine and swear Oaths of Serfdom and Fealty to the Invictus nobles.
believes the Mesen-Nebu, with their power plays for the The Lancea et Sanctum tends to the city’s spiritual welfare,
sake of alchemy, are merely wasting time. In a rare event, as well as keeping and approving records of their congrega-
France may see these guilds go to war for the fate of the tion’s Embraces, writs of manumission, Final Deaths, and
kingdom’s nomes. The Architects quietly reach out to the inheritance. Without the appropriate records and connec-
God-Machine’s angels to negotiate for aid, seeing “occult tions, ancillae and neonates aren’t granted feeding rights
matrix” as just another term for the Lifeweb and hoping or an advantageous vassalage.
to convince them to abandon their creator’s plans for the In reality, the Invictus and Lancea et Sanctum both
Catacombs, while the Alchemists likewise align themselves struggle to maintain the facade of power. Many of the
with demons and vampires, whose pacts and blood sorcery church’s records are lost or destroyed in the chaos and
exude dedwen in their eyes. seizure of Catholic churches by the Revolutionary state.
337
What Is to Come
Poaching is more common than anyone cares to admit or Île-de-France domain, including Paris and its surrounding
can punish. Many of the covenant’s younger members fed area, by the end of the 13th century. Their love and loyalty
from herds carefully cultivated from the mortal aristocracy to one another was legendary. By the 15th century, the
before the Revolution, and now they have trouble feeding princes of Île-de-France fell, either to treachery or torpor,
regularly and safely from the paranoid bourgeoisie. The and only Roland and Jehenne remained. When torpor
Invictus and Sanctified hang together by a thread, and while called to Roland, Île-de-France submitted to Jehenne alone.
Roland de Tournai desperately tries to secure his throne and They have since reigned continuously in a cyclical dy-
neck, many pray for a miracle to save them. nasty as prince of Île-de-France, protecting those who still
The Third Estate is not a proper covenant. No formal sleep. Roland is well-known as a fierce warrior with a talent
leadership exists and the Invictus ruthlessly crushes attempts for inspiring loyalty. His rule is bloody, with harsh but impar-
to organize. At the same time, the two ruling covenants swift- tial punishments for any who violate his laws. Jehenne reigns
ly induct the ambitious and competent. Given the choice more quietly, though enemies considering moving against her
between the security of covenant membership with feeding are usually executed before they can become a serious threat.
rights and the Invictus marking them as troublemaking out- The Reign of Terror
siders, most fall in line. Those who don’t suffer convenient
accidents. These nights, though, many other covenants and Roland faces the worst catastrophe in Île-de-France’s his-
factions exist on the fringes of the Danse Macabre, where tory, but stands firm so far. The court gathers regularly as he
the Invictus’ shrinking arm can’t reach them. rallies his allies and prepares for the inevitable conflict with
the budding movement some call the “Rise of Carth,” after
With Roland’s ability to enforce laws slipping, many
the name on all their subversive pamphlets. Unbeknownst
of these factions flout the Traditions, especially in
to anyone but Roland, Jehenne awoke from torpor in January
Embracing without permission. The Invictus and Lancea
1793 with King Louis XVI’s execution. While Roland plans
et Sanctum freely grant their own members permission, but
to be the sword at their enemies’ throats, she is the knife in
Revolutionaries in the Third Estate sire illicit childer for
their backs, determined to see the Revolution fail.
the struggle. While they do their best to keep their progeny
under their control, the new neonates often care for France’s
Revolution more than the intrigues of the Damned. ROLAND DE TOURNAI
The Île-de-France Dynasty Clan: Daeva
“In union, strength.” Covenant: Lancea et Sanctum
Roland de Tournai and Jehenne Clotilde came together Mask: Social Chameleon
out of Alsace with a handful of companions, and each
Dirge: Visionary; Île-de-France is Roland’s raison
member of their coterie reigned independently in the d’être. He spent centuries building it into an ex-
emplar of what domain should be, and through it,
seeks to reshape the Société de Nuit.
Aspirations: Crush the neonate uprising; Restore
the House of Bourbon for Jehenne
Techgnostic Heresies
Cardinal Jean Boucher denounces the idea that
any besides the Lancea et Sanctum can speak for
or oppose God with such wrath and vigor that
many fear he might frenzy at the pulpit. Afterward,
gossip claims the Cardinal failed disastrously
to convert the vampires of the Tenth Choir, and
likewise tried in vain to recruit several demons to
serve him. It doesn’t take long for a few Sanctified
who haven’t yet encountered the God-Machine
or the Unchained to quietly make contact to see
whether these Fallen angels’ God might be the
true one. The party line among those in the know
firmly rejects the idea, but the covenant sees the
Unchained as dangerous rivals, indicating that
perhaps they doth protest too much.
338
The Reign of Terror
Faded Touchstone: Henri Martin, personal valet
from the mid-1400s
New Theban Sorcery Miracle:
Kindred Touchstone: Jehenne Clotilde Trials of Job (••••)
Anachronism: Prefers an arming sword and Target number of successes: 10
plate armor in open combat Resisted by: Resolve
Attributes: Intelligence 3, Wits 7, Resolve 3; Sacrament: Horn of an ox or sheep
Strength 6, Dexterity 7, Stamina 4; Presence 6, This miracle is popular among the Lancea et Sanctum
Manipulation 2, Composure 4 when one of their own faces accusations of betraying the
Skills: Academics (Battlefield Tactics, Theology) 3, covenant or makes a display of public repentance. The ritu-
Medicine 1, Politics (Catholic Church) 3; Athletics 4, alist curses his victim, who must be present for the ritual, to
Brawl 4, Firearms 1, Ride 1, Weaponry (Fighting suffer as Job did. Whenever the victim takes a non-reflexive,
Outnumbered, Swords) 7; Empathy (Deceit) 3, mundane action, any failure is a dramatic failure. In addition,
Expression 3, Intimidation 5, Persuasion 3, she loses a total of (ritual’s Potency) dots in any of the fol-
Socialize (Nobility) 4
lowing Merits, chosen by the Storyteller: Allies, Contacts,
Merits: City Status (Paris) 5, Clan Status (Daeva) 1, Feeding Ground, Haven, Herd, Mentor, Resources, Retainer,
Covenant Status (Lancea et Sanctum) 3, Dynasty Safe Place, Staff, Status (any), or Touchstone. She also
Membership 3, Dynasty Progenitor (p. 85), Herd 3, detaches any Touchstones she didn’t purchase through the
Haven 4, Kindred Dueling 3, Married by Blood (p.
Merit. If she succeeds on a roll to resist frenzy or a breaking
83), Oath of Dynasty (p. 85), Practiced Puppeteer
(Majesty) (p. 84), Safe Place 5, Trained Observer 3 point, or successfully rides the wave, she suffers the moderate
Sick Tilt for the duration of the miracle as well. This curse
Humanity: 5 lasts (ritual’s Potency) nights; if the victim doesn’t frenzy
Willpower: 5 or fail a breaking point within that time, she automatically
Initiative: 11 achieves exceptional success on her next successful Social
action involving the Lancea et Sanctum.
Defense: 11
Armor: 4/2
Speed: 18
JEHENNE CLOTILDE
Health: 9
Clan: Mekhet
Blood Potency: 5
Covenant: Invictus
Vitae/per Turn: 15/5
Mask: Authoritarian
Banes: Hated by Beasts, Incurable Addict (p.
94), Invitation Dirge: Meddler
Disciplines: Majesty 5, Resilience 4, Theban Aspirations: See the Île-de-France court survive;
Sorcery 5, Vigor 2 Protect torpid dynasty members at any cost.
Devotions: Body of Will, Celebrity (p. 73),
Enfeebling Aura, Summoning
Theban Sorcery Miracles: Blandishment of Sin,
Liar’s Plague, Malediction of Despair, Orison of
Voices (p. 79), Trials of Job
Weapons/Attacks:
Dice
Type Damage Range Clip Init. Pool Special
Arming 3L Melee — −2 14 Armor
Sword Piercing 1
Flintlock 3L 30/60/120 1 −5 8
musket*
Unarmed 0B/L Melee — −0 10
*Flintlock muskets take five turns to reload.
Notes: Traits that list page numbers can be found
in Thousand Years of Night.
339
What Is to Come
Faded Touchstone: Jacqueline Brodeur, long-
lost lover from her neonate nights Gallows Post
Kindred Touchstone: Roland de Tournai Historically, the Gallows Post has been a small and
“foreign” covenant that operated in the wider Île-de-France
Touchstone: Blood Sympathy with the House of
Bourbon region, with only a few members within Paris itself. They
are welcome at court but formally considered foreign envoys
Anachronism: Tapestry weaving and permanent guests rather than residents. As such, the
Attributes: Intelligence 5, Wits 3, Resolve 6; princes give permission to feed in their territory instead of
Strength 2, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3; Presence 4, granting Brigands territory of their own. Since the Reign
Manipulation 6, Composure 7 of Terror began, the Gallows Post has grown enormously
Skills: Occult (Vampiric Banes) 3, Politics wealthy and influential, as aristocratic vampires pay them
(Elysium, Nobility) 7; Brawl 1, Firearms 1, Ride 1, dearly for safe passage out of France while Revolutionary
Stealth (Shadowing) 4, Weaponry 2; Empathy 2, neonates pay to help them crack the Cacophony and carry
Expression 1, Intimidation (Interrogation) 3, pamphlets far and wide. It’s said they enjoy the best havens
Persuasion (Recruitment) 5, Socialize (Formal in Paris now when they come through, and access to all the
Settings) 6, Streetwise (Cacophony) 4, herds the émigrés left behind.
Subterfuge 5
Merits: Cacophony Savvy 3, City Status (Paris) 5,
Clan Status (Mekhet) 1, Civilization Stalker (p. Ordo Dracul
83), Covenant Status (Invictus) 4, Dream Visions, The Defiant have a long history in Paris. They operate
Dynasty Membership 3, Dynasty Progenitor (p. as a secret society, hidden in the Catacomb’s depths and the
85), Etiquette 4, Fast Talking 1, Herd 2, Invested salons of the fashionable and wealthy. Membership extends
(Retainers 1, Resources 3), Married by Blood (p. across the social spectrum, though the Kogaion recruits
83), Notary 2, Oath of Dynasty (p. 85)
heavily from the discontented. Some members theorize the
Humanity: 4 Ordo may be the largest covenant in Paris, though only the
Willpower: 13 highest-ranking members could say for sure. Whatever their
Initiative: 11 numbers, they see the Reign of Terror as a violent rebirth,
allowing necessary change and growth.
Defense: 3
Armor: 0/0
Speed: 11
Tenth Choir
The Choir is a sect of Revolutionaries seeking to destroy
Health: 8 God. They work closely with the mortal Cult of Reason
Blood Potency: 4 and Hébertist faction (a radical group supporting France’s
Vitae/per Turn: 13/4 dechristianization), and reject the Masquerade, favoring open
participation in mortal affairs. They ride their ghouls’ politi-
Banes: Enemy of Light (p. 94), Grave Soil,
cal successes to prominence among Kindred as well as other
Repulsion (silver)
occult factions — which makes many in the city nervous.
Disciplines: Auspex 5, Celerity 3, Dominate 1,
Nightmare 2, Obfuscate 4, Resilience 1
Devotions: Annals of Death (p. 72), Gargoyle’s
The Festival of Reason
Vigilance, Hint of Fear, Preternatural Instinct (p. In late 1793, the Cult of Reason rises to such promi-
76), Shared Sight, Wraith’s Presence nence it declares a national Festival of Reason; Notre-Dame
Weapons/Attacks: Cathedral in Paris holds the largest one, the Cult disman-
tling the Christian altar to install one to Liberty. Memories
Dice of what happens that night are unreliable. Rumors say it’s
Attack Damage Range Clip Init. Pool
a lurid affair, while other reports describe pomp and cer-
Flintlock 2L 15/30/60 1 −2 5 emony celebrating Revolutionary ideals. One neonate in
cavalry
attendance describes the night as a long and bloody ritual
pistol*
sacrifice with a purpose he can’t grasp.
Unarmed 0B/L Melee — −0 3
The Festival of Reason’s waning hours mark the Tenth
*Flintlock pistols take five turns to reload.
Choir’s greatest triumph of the age, as they commit an
Notes: Traits that list page numbers can be found incredible, massive Sacrilege capped by capturing and
in Thousand Years of Night. sacrificing an archangel on the altar before the gathered
kine. Their blatant disregard for the First Tradition in that
moment brings the other covenants together as nothing
else could. The brief alliance fails to eradicate the Choir
340
The Reign of Terror
completely but executes most of its leaders and the ritual’s most of the old tenants are never caught and the new serfs
witnesses over the next few months. Later scholars discover now struggle against a tide of poaching in the neighborhood.
evidence of rituals similar to the Festival sacrifice through- The greatest difficulty the Third Estate faces is a lack of
out Europe. In centuries to come, the Sanctified will merci- leadership. Many shout their ideals as loud as they can or
lessly scour the Tenth Choir from the face of France and publish pamphlets, but as soon as the prince identifies any
launch a propaganda campaign to erase it from history, too. hint of proper organization, he targets it. Factions come
together behind false identities, holding masked meetings,
Fractures and Factions: and trading coded Cacophony messages.
Déclinists are a violently radical faction who don’t
The Third Estate believe the mortal Revolutionaries have gone far enough.
These vampires have been outcasts for decades, and rumor
Many have lost patience with the hegemony of the
says they’ve cut a deal with the Weihan Cynn in Britain for
Invictus and Lancea et Sanctum. Neonates dislike paying
strange allies and powers, in exchange for help expanding in
their tithe of blood to the Sanctified and the red rent to
France once the prince is overthrown. They’re also eager to
the Conspiracy, and many in the influx of newly Embraced
take advantage of the many mummies, demons, and other
neonates never swore any oaths at all. Even many privileged
hidden beings living in Paris, to use them for their own ends.
nobles and faithful of the First and Second Estates are eager
for change. Many felt coerced to join the covenants and Even within the Invictus and Lancea et Sanctum, Les
are sympathetic, eagerly joining the Third Estate’s various Réformistes realize how untenable the current situation is and
factions. Blood runs freely in the gutters of the Place de la desperately try to reform the system to shore up their crum-
Révolution, but many still struggle to stay properly fed while bling power base. They tried rehabilitating the Société de Nuit
landlords demand increasing amounts of Vitae each week. through Elysium; failing that, they now provide secret backing
Tenants of Vicomte Mathieu de Nanterre in Faubourg St. through the Cacophony, resources, and conspiracies. Some of
Honoré willfully violate their Oath of Serfdom en masse. the Reformists genuinely believe in the cause, while others have
While the Vicomte stakes the ringleaders out for the sun, seen the blatant writing on the wall and are carefully creating an
escape route. Whatever their reasons for supporting the nascent
Movement, their moderate ideas are unwelcome among their
peers, and most Third Estate vampires don’t trust them at all.
L’École des Écrivains began as a social salon for lit-
erature and debate in the early 18th century. Members
gathered to read and discuss, inviting authors and philoso-
The Cacophony phers — mortal and Kindred — to speak. They were firmly
The Cacophony was born centuries ago in the bourgeoisie, and for decades avoided the delicate subject
social and political salons of the Invictus elite. of politics. These nights, the Écrivains are a clandestine
Politics is a dangerous game to play, and young organization, and most who once attended their salons
Invictus embraced a mix of art, music, fashion, publicly reject association with them. They are the single
and pamphlets to discreetly communicate basic largest source of Kindred-produced pamphlets, covering
signs and warnings to their fellows. It was also every conceivable non-aristocratic point of view. Members
a tool for excluding the masses and marking have access to printing presses and celebrate the freedom of
out members of the Third Estate who tried to rise the press by reprinting hundreds of copies of any publication
above their station. the prince bans. They stay scattered and anonymous, as the
Beginning in 1790, a series of pamphlets is widely prince’s loyal are sure Carth must be among their number.
distributed among the Third Estate. The first ex-
plicitly details the secret codes and symbols the
Invictus used to communicate. It even includes an The Carthian Affair
all-too-accurate engraving of a prominent Invictus In 1779, the publication of Contre les Vampires Patriarcals
lady in full court dress, with a detailed description by Emmanuel Baptiste Carth was ahead of its time. The call
of the semantics each aspect of her gown and hair for revolution against the elders’ tyranny caused significant
conveyed. Subsequent pamphlets in the series consternation in the prince’s court for a few weeks before
are increasingly subtle, serving as primers to the
the prince banned it, destroying several copies, and most of
Cacophony as well as revealing the court’s confi-
dential affairs and corruptions. By the time the last the aristocracy promptly disregarded it. The Écrivains just
in the set comes off the press, it’s so well-coded as promptly reprinted and distributed the pamphlet. With
that even the Cacophony’s Invictus originators its newly banned status, reading it became a point of pride
can’t read it properly. The masses claim ownership among the Kindred of Paris and beyond.
of the Cacophony, and it takes on a life of its own. Emmanuel Carth went on to publish several more books
and pamphlets over the years as the French Revolution
took off, following it with near-prescient commentary and
341
What Is to Come
calls to arms. He denounced Roland and Jehenne’s tyranny,
the hypocrisy of the Sanctified, the blind greed of the
Invictus, and the cowardice of those too afraid to stand up
for themselves. Though the prince banned these works as
well, everyone quietly passed around copies. Revolutionary Carthian Law
Still, until King Louis’ execution, most vampires expect- Although the Blood hasn’t yet recognized these
ed the Revolution would eventually settle down. France is scattered rebels as a covenant, the treaties of the
not some upstart colony, after all, and the House of Bourbon Gallows Post use Carthian Law Merits. If you play
is the oldest royal dynasty in Europe. The execution is a a Revolutionary vampire without Status in a cov-
direct assault on the idea of the divine right of kings — enant, you can still purchase Carthian Law Merits
and princes. Carth’s publications exploded in popularity as long as your character has enough connections
overnight, and reformists became Revolutionaries when throughout the domain to have picked up these
they began to act instead of simply reading. tricks from her Brigand counterparts or spilled
enough blood in the name of Revolution to have
By the Terror’s start, the domain is in chaos. Masked coteries earned the right. This changes the prerequisites of
roam neighborhoods and assault oathsworn tenants, regularly those Merits from Carthian Status to equivalent
vandalize the Elysium gardens, and ambush Sanctified neonates dots in City Status during the Terror.
in their havens. Though individuals are caught and punished
for their crimes, there’s no leadership to take the blame, only
the Carthian pamphlets’ inspiration. The price Prince Roland
puts on the author’s head increases from a monetary reward to
land grants, and even positions of power and influence. and loading them into the carriages which they have ready waiting
nearby… [It is for] a leprous prince whose cure required a bath in
Eric Giraud is a Nosferatu and Lancea et Sanctum
human blood, and there being no blood purer than that of children,
apostate-turned-Écrivain printer, caught red-handed with
these were seized so as to be bled from all their limbs.”
several new manuscripts, including one penned by E. B.
— Edmond Barbier, 16 May, 1750
Carth’s own hand. He stands proudly before the prince,
dressed in sans culottes and wearing the tricolor cockade The Capetian dynasty and House of Bourbon have an-
of the Revolution, famously declaring: “Je suis l’auteur. Je cient ties to Prince Jehenne Clotilde. By law, none may feed
suis le Carth.” Roland orders him dragged to the Place de upon, make ghouls of, or subjugate members of the royal
la Révolution, and as the bells toll midnight, the prince house by any means. In practice, rumors abound of strange
personally executes Eric Giraud by guillotine. happenings within the mortal dynasty, and even stranger
Whether Giraud was the original author behind the pen things happen when their bloodline interacts with Vitae.
name or whether he sacrificed himself to protect the real The primary theory is that Jehenne secretly keeps the en-
author (or authors) is a secret known only to a few, but the tire house bound as a ghoul family with her ancient blood.
Carthian Affair lights a fire under the fractured rebellion. Particularly brave or foolhardy Kindred Embraced several
New printers publish more of Carth’s pamphlets, enraging members from the House of Bourbon in centuries past, and
Roland. Whenever the prince catches a Revolutionary, memories in the domain are long. If sightings and gossip are
they repeat the declaration. The movement grows in the true, these royal vampires remain in Paris but keep a low profile.
telling. I am the Carth. I am Carthian. Rumor has it that when a scion is Embraced, they have difficulty
learning their sire’s traditional clan Disciplines and instead share
The Sunlit Revolution any powers other vampires of their mortal dynasty know — even
the freshest neonate has access to the powers of their elders.
The Third Estate aren’t the only ones inspired by the heady Just after Jehenne arrived in Paris at the beginning of
ideas of freedom and bloodshed. Ghouls and dhampir across the 13th century, French sovereigns began having their
Paris gather at the Elysium gardens during daylight hours. hearts and other organs embalmed after death. A tale
They’re a relatively small faction of malcontents, but in January persists among mortals, despite a lack of evidence, that the
1794, their plan unfolds as they anonymously denounce over late King Louis XV bathed in children’s blood. The rumors
two dozen Kindred they consider the most brutal and abusive were so persistent that six districts in Paris rioted and 20
to the Revolutionary Tribunal. Simultaneously, a handful of people died. Whether or not the Bourbon scions are ghouls,
ghouls attempt to flee Paris and their regnants entirely, while anyone who’s heard of mummies suspects Jehenne and the
others find their freedom by taking poison together. House of Bourbon to have longstanding ties to an Arisen
cult, immortal blood-bathers, or both.
The House of Bourbon
“For a week now people have been saying that police constables The Bloodless
in disguise are roaming around various quarters of Paris, abducting Deep beneath Paris, within the ancient quarries and
children, boys and girls from five or six years old to ten or more, Catacombs, a cult of pagan Damned found a sleeping
342
The Reign of Terror
mummy. They removed and embalmed their own desic- both executed before they could infect others, but no one
cated organs as offerings, and fed the sleeper precious Vitae knows how such an infection began, what it could do, or
while ghouls performed necromantic rituals. The creature whether anyone else is hiding the same condition. Feeding
has arisen, but as a mindless abomination that no longer from a demon is one known vector, but even then, infection
serves any Judge; mummies who encounter it believe the happens only rarely.
vampires delivered one of their own into Ammut’s ser-
vice. The Bloodless still craves Sekhem, and possesses the
Devourer’s maw like a Shuankhsen, able to drain Sekhem
NEW CONDITION:
via bite. It also suffers from Vitae addiction and can feed GLITCHED BLOOD
as a vampire does, though it’s immune to the Vinculum. It
A biomechanical thread of broken Infrastructure infects
feeds on mummies and vampires alike, and those it destroys
your character. Wires grow into her veins from the point of
by draining them fully rise again as new Bloodless.
contact in mysterious arcane patterns, and she is vulnerable
to manipulation by the God-Machine and the Unchained.
Glitch in the Blood You suffer a three-die penalty to all rolls to contest angelic
or demonic powers, and a −2 to static traits to resist them.
Most vampires who know demons exist have no idea
what they want or can do, although gossip firmly labels The wires progress through her body at a rate of one major
them as dangerous despite mortal appearances. One of body part (hand, forearm, upper arm, neck, chest, etc.)
the Invictus arrived at Elysium in a terror frenzy after an per scene. If her entire body becomes infected, she gains a
encounter with a demon left her with a burn on her palm permanent major glitch (Demon: The Descent, p. 184).
and thin copper wires forming strange glyphs running from The character is highly contagious. Anyone who
the burn up her arm. When a chevalier tried to subdue her touches her must succeed at a Resolve + Stamina roll to
and touched the wires himself, a spark leapt between them avoid infection as well; a vampire who feeds on her suffers
and the wires grew across his skin as well. The prince had a penalty to this roll equal to the Vitae points he gained.
343
What Is to Come
Resolution: An Unchained using a restoration facility the Inferno, qashmallim, appropriately biblical spirits and
to heal the infection; complete physical removal of the Goetia, and potentially others at the Storyteller’s discretion.
infected parts of the body.
New Merit: Party Affiliation Status Using Therion

Therion is a kind of blood sorcery. Like Theban
(• to •••••) Sorcery (Vampire: The Requiem, pp. 151–154), each dot
of Therion grants one free Sacrilege, and a Chorist can
Effect: Your character has standing in a major political purchase more for two Experiences each. Committing a
party, such as the Jacobins or Girondins. In addition to Sacrilege is a breaking point against Humanity as follows:
all the usual benefits and drawbacks of the Status Merit Humanity 5+ for a one-dot ritual, 4+ for a two-dot, 3+ for
(Vampire: The Requiem, p. 123), party members may ap- a three-dot, 2+ for a four-dot, and 1+ for a five-dot ritual.
ply the Social bonus against any French citizen when their
The blood sacrifice that powers Therion is the stuff of
party is in favor with the people.
angels and demons. Through their blasphemous studies,
Drawback: When a political party loses the favor of the Chorists have learned to feed on that which has no blood
people, heads roll. Apply dots in this Merit as a penalty to and convert its power to Vitae. To perform a Sacrilege, the
Social rolls against all French citizens instead. vampire must spend Vitae equal to the ritual’s dot rating,
which she must have acquired through feeding from a Grigor.
New Discipline: Therion Committing a Sacrilege in a place any Chorist has pro-
faned (see “Profanity,” p. 345) reduces the target number
Chorists (p. 352) steal the ritual Discipline of the Tenth
Choir, Therion, from the blood of angels and demons — of successes by two.
beings the covenant collectively calls Grigori. They believe In all ways except those mentioned here, Therion works
each such being carries a fraction of divine power and each like other types of blood sorcery.
piece the Choir steals weakens Him. Ultimately, they seek Dice Pool: Presence + Intimidation + Therion
an apotheosis allowing them to kill God Himself. Roll Results
A Chorist undergoes a profane ritual when she joins
Success: The ritual accumulates successes. If the player
the covenant, planting a seed of stolen power within her
meets the target number of successes, the ritual’s effect im-
dead heart that slowly grows as she learns new rituals and
mediately takes place.
acquires more Discipline dots. Another sacrilegist must
destroy a Grigor, then feed the willing initiate at least one Exceptional Success: Choose one: reduce target number
point’s worth of their own Vitae from that feeding, which of successes by the vampire’s dots in Therion; reduce the
also carries all the usual Vitae effects. time per roll to 15 minutes, or 5 minutes if she has more
Therion dots than the ritual’s rating; or immediately profane
Only Chorists in good standing may learn Therion and
the place where she performs the Sacrilege without paying
its rituals, called Sacrileges.
Grigori
Chorists catalog various forms of demonic and angelic
beings while trying to decipher the nature and weaknesses
of God from the evidence. They understand the heavenly
host — exalted and fallen — to possess nine hierarchies,
Angels, Demons, and Grigori
or choirs, of angels, and successfully capturing or sacrificing But doesn’t Therion imply that all these angelic
one requires knowing precisely what they face. Many dif- and demonic beings are definitely metaphysically
ferent beings wear the labels of “angel” and “demon;” the related to each other?
Tenth Choir considers any and all of them fair game for No, it doesn’t. Humanity uses the words “angel”
their crusade, although their powers generally only work and “demon” for many, many things. The Tenth
on those that naturally exist in Twilight. Choir’s blood sorcery comes from their perception
The covenant sees no true difference between types of of what angels and demons are, coupled with
Grigori; to them, the only thing that differentiates a qashmal several centuries of study, trial, and error; they
from a God-Machine’s angel is the choir to which it belongs don’t fundamentally differentiate between Grigori,
other than to know that some “choirs” require dif-
and the abilities it possesses. In gameplay terms, however,
ferent approaches than others and some are more
the beings that fall under the Tenth Choir’s purview are “fallen” than others. The Blood responds to the
varied in both systems and metaphysical power sources. way they see the world through their broken faith,
Regardless, Therion works on all of them equally. not to any objective metaphysical truth.
Grigori may include the God-Machine’s angels (but
not their Unchained cousins), demonic entities from
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The Reign of Terror
additional Vitae or rolling any dice, as the Profanity ritual
(p. 345), even if it isn’t a place of power.
The Morning Star (•)
Failure: The ritual accumulates no successes, and the Target successes: 5
character chooses whether to abandon the attempt, or gain The Chorist appears as a fallen angel herself. Until the
the Stumbled Condition (Vampire: The Requiem, p. 306) next sunrise, she takes on an air of unearthly and sinister
and continue. power, adding her dots in Therion as bonus dice to lash out
Dramatic Failure: The ritual fails, and the spent Vitae with her predatory aura. On an exceptional success, she
is wasted. The vampire suffers the Hunted Condition (see inflicts the Beaten Down Tilt in addition to the usual effects.
sidebar), hunted by the type of being she sacrificed as its
wasted substance cries out to its fellows for justice. Curse the Faithful (••)
Target successes: 6
CONDITION: HUNTED Contested by: Resolve + Supernatural Tolerance
(PERSISTENT) God rewards the faithful for living up to their Virtues
and condemns them for succumbing to their Vices; watch-
Someone who poses a serious threat to the character’s ing divinity die or devils vanquished by worse ones perverts
safety and well-being, physically or emotionally (or both), is faith into blasphemy. The sacrilegist names a mortal victim,
after her. They may be intent on direct violence, or simply who must have witnessed her feeding from a Grigor within
wish to torment her. the last chapter. The victim replaces his Virtue with an addi-
Beat: The character’s persecutors find her. tional Vice of the Chorist’s choice. If the victim doesn’t gain
Resolution: The character stops her persecutors, Willpower at least once per night through a Vice, he suffers
either through legal means or changes in lifestyle that the Guilty Condition (Vampire: The Requiem, p. 304).
deny them access to her, or through more direct means,
typically violence. Avatar of Apollyon (•••)
Target successes: 8
The Left Hand Usurping the power of great destroyer angels, the vam-
Upon learning her first dot of Therion, in addition to pire murders gods with impunity. Her fangs become a bane
a free Sacrilege, a Chorist gains the ability to see, hear, for the type of Grigor she fed upon to power this ritual.
and interact with one type of Grigor in Twilight per dot of While those beings are in Twilight, although the Chorist
Therion she possesses; it requires spending a Willpower to can physically interact with them, they can’t do so in return;
block out this divine sense for a scene. their attacks simply pass through her. This ritual’s effects
The vampire can touch and strike entities in Twilight, end after one full scene or when the vampire destroys any
as they may do to her in return, as long as she can perceive Grigor, whichever comes first.
them. She can bite such an entity as normal, and feed
from it as though it were another Kindred. Successfully Profanity (••••)
doing so drains the entity of power (usually Essence) and Target successes: 10
converts it to Vitae point-for-point. If the character has
Until the next sunrise, the vampire can sense the loca-
the Unnatural Affinity Merit for that entity, she gains
tion of the nearest place of power or sanctity, including
additional points of Vitae per feeding action against it
churches, temples, shrines, etc. as well as God-Machine fa-
equal to her Merit dots.
cilities and Infrastructure, places with an Open Condition,
Vitae gained from these entities remains available for loci, and other sacred spaces. If that place aligns with one
use in Therion rituals as long as it’s in her system. of the kinds of beings she can see in Twilight and she hasn’t
suppressed the sense, she can tell which kind. Either way,
Therion Sacrileges she baptizes the place in her own sacrificial blood, profaning
The following are example Sacrileges Chorists can learn. it until the end of the chapter. This imposes a −5 penalty to
any non-vampiric supernatural power activated there and
Demon’s Tongue (•) grants any Chorist the 8-again quality on all Discipline and
Devotion rolls. Mortals within the desecrated place gain
Target successes: 5 the Wanton Condition (Vampire: The Requiem, p. 307)
Demons lie. Everyone knows this. Until the next sun- and cannot regain Willpower through Virtues.
rise, the Chorist gains 8-again on Subterfuge rolls, including
those to activate Disciplines and Devotions. Supernatural
means of compelling truth or discovering lies used against
her provoke a Clash of Wills.
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What Is to Come
Apotheosis (•••••) Relationships with Mortals
Target successes: 10 Just like the kine, many Kindred use Robespierre’s secret
The Chorist transforms into a demonic force of nature, police and informants to pinpoint opponents — typically
a grim messenger with powers stripped from slain gods at the mortal servants, ghouls, and Touchstones of other vam-
her command. She becomes a hybrid vampire-angel and pires — for execution. Consider how your character might
may use the Influences and Numina of any of the specific control the rounding up of aristocrats and manipulation of
Grigori upon which she fed to fuel this ritual, spending mobs for their personal gain. The mortals are no different
Vitae in place of their usual costs; any effect that relies in their use of the nation’s violence for settling decades-
on an entity’s Rank uses half her Blood Potency, rounded long vendettas. Though some vampires earnestly believe in
up. The sum of her Intelligence, Strength, and Presence the spirit of revolution, plenty of them just use it as a tool.
becomes her Power trait; that of her Wits, Dexterity, and As a demon, you may believe all this chaos cannot be
Manipulation becomes Finesse; and that of her Resolve, the God-Machine’s will. This may strike your character
Stamina, and Composure becomes Resistance. Her derived with dread or ambition. Have the mortals in this part of the
traits are calculated as follows: world broken free from the God-Machine’s control? If so, is
Health: Resistance + Size this evidence of how the unaware act when freed from their
Willpower: Resistance + Finesse, maximum 10 chains? It’s awful to consider, yet as a demon, you must get
Initiative: Finesse + Resistance to the bottom of it. On the other hand, you may suspect
Defense: the lower of Power or Finesse this upheaval is definitely the God-Machine’s will, and the
Speed: Power + Finesse + 5 Terror is a giant piece of Elimination Infrastructure — Its
way of cleansing France to start anew with a fresh set of
She retains the use of her usual vampiric advantages,
angelic watchdogs and Its gears embedded deep in the roots.
Disciplines, and Devotions, as well as her vampiric banes
and weaknesses. Each Grigor she destroys while transformed Arisen in this era are presented with some horrendous
adds 1 to one of her three Attributes for the Sacrilege’s home-truths. They have seen the decadence and cruelty
duration, and she adds their Influences and Numina to of aristocrats before, but the first time around, they were
her arsenal. The transformation is obvious and drastic: the underlings who just accepted their fates. Consider the
The vampire takes on the visual appearance of a dark and split down the Deathless’ middle — one half beseeching
terrible archangel or a hellish demon queen. This ritual’s loyalty to decree and Judge, the other half saying, “the time
effects last one full scene, or until the vampire runs out of to lash out is now!” Guilds fall to civil war, some backing
Vitae, whichever comes first. the Revolution, others attempting to stabilize the establish-
ment. An opportunistic Arisen might form a passionate cult
Nine Choirs Bend the Knee (•••••) here. All mobs crave a leader, charismatic through word
or deed. The Deathless excel at godlike displays of power
Target number of successes: 10 and grand proclamations capable of swaying the hearts of
Like the glorious Azazel before her, the vampire com- many. What’s more, the mortals here frequently gather to
mands the host and invokes dreadful revelation. For the view public executions or form violent mobs. Take note not
next full scene, all Grigori in Twilight within 30 yards/ only of the mortals’ whims and whether you can control
meters of the Chorist immediately gain the Materialized them, but also the names of the dying. They leave behind
Condition even if they wouldn’t normally be able to, unless grand estates filled with treasures, some of which may be
they succeed at a Resistance roll penalized by the ritual’s relics — like this one:
Potency. Grigori can’t end this Condition on their own by
any means. If a non-ephemeral supernatural power would do DuChamp’s Death Mask (Effigy •••)
so, this ritual provokes a Clash of Wills. Until the Sacrilege
Durability 2, Size 2, Structure 2
ends, the vampire may give any order to any Materialized
being she would normally be able to perceive in Twilight, Strangely, for a relic imbued with Sekhem, DuChamp’s
and the entity must spend a Willpower to avoid following it. Death Mask radiates power to vampires, demons, and po-
tentially other creatures able to perceive the supernatural.
Discovered in the wine cellars of Andre DuChamp, a priest
Playing the Game and member of the Malleus Maleficarum whose own congre-
gation fed him to the guillotine, the death mask was either
The Reign of Terror represents upheaval among the un- molded after his decapitated head or pushed from Duat. The
natural creatures of France as much as the mortals leading Sesha-Hebsu who discovered it felt its power and donned
the revolt. A chronicle set during this period is an excit- it, suddenly possessing all DuChamp’s memories, affections,
ing, bloody affair, in which calcified hierarchies fall, new and fears. More potent is the ability to change form into
monsters rise to power, and protagonists use the swollen that of the priest and draw a flock of faithful followers for
mob to carry out personal agendas. as long as the mask remains in place. The mask has passed
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The Reign of Terror
hands from Arisen to Kindred, and apparently now rests in Resolution: Your character clears his name, sheds the
the hands of an Unchained. It provides a variation of the targeted identity, or kills all those targeting him.
same gifts to each of them.
Power: The mask’s wearer changes appearance to that
of a fierce-looking, steely-eyed priest in his mid-40s. For all
Common Cause
wearers, Presence, Manipulation, and Composure all increase The nascent Carthian Movement works to strip estab-
by one dot. Additionally, the wearer knows everything lished Kindred of their titles, power bases, and in many
DuChamp knew, spanning his childhood, lifetime in the cases, Requiems. The Terror is the perfect excuse to ride
church, and contacts among mortal hunters. The wearer the wave and topple ancient structures. This movement
also gains magnetism with mobs of rioters and protesters, among vampires appeals to the Mesen-Nebu and Tef-Aabhi,
equivalent to an additional three dots in both Presence and though for different reasons, and any blow that can be struck
Manipulation when taking Social actions directed at such against the God-Machine’s will wins favor with Destroyers,
targets; this can increase these traits above their normal Penitents, and Saboteurs among the Unchained.
maximum. Mortals caught in the swell of public rebellion Consider forming pacts and allegiances with creatures
applaud the wearer’s every word and carry out his commands, of similar philosophy, even if their ambitions differ. A
exempting self-harm, until the following dawn or the mask is Carthian or zealot of the Lancea et Sanctum tired of French
removed — whichever comes sooner. For Unchained wear- ecclesiastical corruption may desire a righteous burning of
ers, the mask acts as a rating 6 Cover as long as they wear the old ways. The New Pharaohs among the Arisen feel the
it (though this Cover can be compromised like any other). same way, the only difference being they see themselves as
People familiar with DuChamp treat the wearer as if they destined to sit atop the heap of ashes afterward.
are DuChamp, completely forgetting his recent execution. Many rebellious monsters use the Revolution not to fur-
Curse: The wearer gains the Targeted Condition (be- ther political agendas, but to enrich themselves. Scavenging
low) while disguised as DuChamp, for his crimes against from abandoned baggage caravans, tearing the guts from a
the people. Additionally, the wearer gains all DuChamp’s deceased comte’s mansion, or using the violence to conceal
unhealthy desires and bigotries, the details of which are murderous actions against longstanding foes are simple
up to the Storyteller. What’s guaranteed is that DuChamp goals to pursue in this era. An Arisen and an Unchained
was a monster of a man, a hunter on the edge of becom- may align to loot an abandoned country estate said to be
ing a slasher, and wearers must succeed on a Resolve + crawling with the executed aristocrat’s angelic servants,
Composure roll every 24 hours or indulge in sin by gaining while a vampire’s ghouls and a mummy or demon’s cult set
his Vice, even if they wouldn’t usually have one. themselves up as highwaymen, prowling the escape routes
from Paris to waylay fleeing nobles.
Everyone can sense the raw power in France, particu-
NEW CONDITION: larly during this time of revolt, though they disagree on
TARGETED (PERSISTENT) its nature and cause. Expeditions comprising Arisen and
Unchained to find the center of France’s Lifeweb draw
Your character is on a list naming him as someone to be
curious vampires of the Ordo Dracul, as well as interested
hunted down and brought to justice. He may be subject to
scholars from Sworn organizations chasing Contagion. A
one person’s vendetta or an entire organization or govern-
Ventrue bloodline called the Architects of the Monolith
mental body’s warrant for arrest or destruction. You suffer
emerges around this time specifically to call Tef-Aabhi,
a −2 on Social rolls involving characters targeting him
Inquisitors, and Dragons together to unlock the power of
or willing to turn him in, but you gain +2 on Social rolls
Paris’ Lifeweb in a ritual of grand bloodshed.
against other targeted individuals, as persecution breeds
common cause.
This Condition applies to a demon’s Cover and can The Catacombs
exist in concert with the Hunted Condition (Demon: The first mounds of bones discovered in the Catacombs
The Descent, p. 119). If a demon has both Conditions, a were not buried there but disposed of by the idigam inside.
greater angel (Rank 4–5) senses whenever he’s within reach “Arrête! C’est ici l’Empire de la Mort” proclaims a sign above
of Infrastructure and, if its powers allow, it passes through the main entrance to the ossuary: “Stop! Here is the Empire
this Infrastructure to reach him. of Death.” Whether it contains an Avernian Gate or route
Possible Sources: Your character’s name was added to Duat is unknown, but few Arisen who enter ever return.
to one of Robespierre’s lists for trial and execution; the Those who do are briefly stronger but wracked with a wast-
God-Machine has marked him as a threat; the Malleus ing disease that feeds on their Sekhem (see the Catacombs
Maleficarum wants him slain; he has donned Duchamp’s Contagion Condition, below).
Death Mask; he is wanted for a crime. Arisen Arbiters and Necromancers believe that for
Beat: Your character confronts those targeting him and as long as the Terror continues, the spilled blood and
survives the encounter. disruptions in necromantic energy only serve to make the
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Playing the Game
Catacombs creature stronger. The boundary between the
living and the dead weakens. All Deathless dream of this Heavy is the Head
monster’s alien face immediately before awakening from The Terror is clearly a poor time to carry a title in
henet. Some hypothesize it may even be a sleeping, earth- France, though it’s a mistake to always paint the nobles as
bound Judge, the Catacomb entire its tomb. villains. Being born into wealth and power does not always
At the same time, the Unchained investigate the lead to corruption and cruelty. Likewise, mummies who
Catacombs for its increased angelic activity and strange support the establishment may do so because their Judge
signals emanating from below Paris. They’ve long suspected tells them to fight back against revolt; Invictus vampires
something more than bones was down there; the entrance is may fight for what they believe is the only way to survive
directly adjacent to the Barrière d’Enfer, or “Gate of Hell.” and maintain a controlled feeding stock. Just as you may
Investigation reveals that the God-Machine has hijacked play mummies looting and pillaging archives and cellars
the massive tomb’s Lifeweb for Its own inscrutable purposes for vestiges of Sekhem, you may be a Maa-Kep allied with
and uses it as a storage facility for broken Fallen angels It a Ventrue looking to keep hold of the relics and cultists
recaptured and stripped down for parts. Now that the thing already in your possession. Order is the way, not bloody
in the dark wakes, its influence corrupts the Machine and revolt in the streets.
wakes these mangled, scrap-heap demons. Their half-mad Demonic motivation for preserving what could be the
cries for help rise to the streets in patterned rivulets of blood, God-Machine’s tools is a little more complex, but if your
halting speeches by demagogues who speak backward, and Unchained has an aristocratic Cover, consider all you might
eerie arrangements of fingerbones among the cobblestones lose if the Terror targets your identity. Also keep in mind
spelling out unfinished equations. the demons hiding under the God-Machine’s nose, who
The effects the Catacombs have on the Parisian nome have worked for decades to debilitate the angels’ plans in
are profound. Mummies feel compelled to enter to obtain the a structured manner, only to find the unaware and unen-
untold quantities of relics their dead dreams promise. The lightened ticking the doom clock forward. Now may not be
Unchained alternately warn Deathless away, fearful of what the time for the God-Machine to fall, if a demon doesn’t
they might ignorantly provoke, or recruit them for a rescue mis- feel all the pieces are yet in place.
sion; some cite the ossuary as equivalent to the God-Machine’s This era’s noble creatures ally to keep their plans on
bowels, while Augustinians worryingly defend it as a route track, preserve favored mortals in positions of power, or
directly to their God’s heart. Many attempt to lure Arisen to maintain their own pillars of strength. A demon may be
easier targets, leaking information regarding Lifeless outside unaware of a mummy’s role in supporting this particular
Paris, other immortals throughout France, or relics to be found aristocratic house until the purges start, but the Unchained
in abandoned country estates. Unchained also object to the knows that if the house falls, Covers for a dozen demons
frequency with which Arisen recruit stigmatics or mortals with fall with them; the two creatures suddenly gain cause to
whom the demons have made pacts to their cults; not much work together.
is more offensive than finding that a new Cover worships a
mummy and having to maintain the charade.
Let them Roll
Kindred have few deep-seated reasons for conflict
CATACOMBS with mummies and demons. The three don’t usually share
(CONTAGION, PERSISTENT) beliefs and don’t squabble over food sources. Where con-
flicts emerge, however, they explode into bloody violence.
Your Arisen encountered the High Cromlech within
Mummy cults burn out vampire crypts in efforts to find
the Paris Catacombs and it infected him with a disease
new tombs. Demons identify many of France’s Invictus and
from a world not his own. The creature must simply touch
Sanctified as servants of the God-Machine and perform
a mummy to pass the Contagion on, causing his Sekhem to
assassinations. Vampires come to loathe both creatures for
increase by three (to a maximum of 10) when he emerges
their ability to reinvent and remake themselves whenever
from the labyrinth. Sekhem then depletes at a rate of one
they fall. Kindred may possess long Requiems, but when
dot every 24 hours, and Lifeless instinctively know where
they’re ash, they’re not coming back. Jealousy and territory
to find the infected mummy. Every cultist who comes into
aside, the greatest source of conflict comes from Arisen
physical contact with an infected mummy must succeed
and Unchained treating Kindred in a detached manner,
on a Stamina + Resolve roll to avoid developing a wasting
keen to see how they tick through stalking, dissections,
disease. After a number of days equal to the cultist’s Stamina
and experiments. In a strange sense, even elder vampires
rating, the former mortal becomes host to a Shuankhsen.
consider themselves young and vulnerable in the presence
Resolution: The mummy creates a relic or vestige, or of these monsters.
his Sekhem rating reaches 1.
Arisen often despair at Kindred. To many, vampires are
Beat: The character expends Sekhem in a way unrelated flawed. Just like blood-bathers and body thieves, Arisen
to this Condition. consider Kindred a failed form of immortal. Deathless
348
The Reign of Terror
closely scrutinize vampire activities in Paris, keen to recruit Set expectations with your players before the game
unaligned Kindred into their cults. Mummies can invest begins, whether it’s going to be a deadly serious game of po-
their Pillars in the bodies of other immortals but have had litical cat-and-mouse, or a lighter adventure of scavenging
little joy in similar attempts with vampires. Except in rare and thievery. Factionalism as a primary theme means the
circumstances, the mummy who attempts to make a vam- characters very well could be opposed rather than allied,
pire into a phylactery for a Pillar loses that Pillar entirely, if the troupe all agrees to a more contentious game; if not,
until after a new Descent. Where does that Pillar go? Some it’s fine to finagle events to bring disparate people together
Arisen theorize the Damned are the Devourer’s bastards in unlikely ways.
and consume all they’re fed. They must be treated as all
Lifeless are treated. The Maa-Kep master, Bronze Heart,
addresses his guild in this era to call for the purge of all
Changing the Timeline
Kindred from France. Unlike some other eras in this book, the Reign of Terror
is well-documented. Players, however, don’t need to stick
Storytelling
to what actually happened when their characters enter
the scene, and their actions may wind up making drastic
changes to the timeline itself. They may prevent Marat’s
The Reign of Terror assassination or burn down the guillotine in the Place de la
Concorde. That’s okay! Ride the wave, see where it takes
When bringing the Terror to life, perfect historical ac- you. Marat’s survival could result in the deaths of thousands
curacy is less important than capturing the mood of the story more, as his newspaper frequently denounced those he con-
you’re telling. Paranoia and deadly political maneuvering sidered traitors; how do the characters deal with that? Who
simmer in the background. Strangers are not to be trusted. among their allies gets caught up in the higher body count?
Constantly shifting factions, loyalists, and informers are Of course, letting players change history and riding
everywhere just waiting for a single misstep. that wave doesn’t grant freedom from consequences — and
349
Storytelling The Reign of Terror
consequences are what inspires good drama, so lean into
them. Fighting against the tide can be dangerous for indi-
Cyclical Play
viduals. With so many violently opposed factions in play, Vampires have their torpor, mummies die and rise again,
every potential action has opposition; the last thing most and demons shed compromised Covers to build new lives;
supernatural creatures want is the spotlight, which could all lend themselves well to cyclical play. To build a cyclical
lead to an afternoon date with Madame Guillotine. While chronicle, each player creates two characters. Vampires may
chances are the protagonists could walk away from a messy have officially sworn the Oath of Dynasty, but it’s not man-
public execution, doing so isn’t subtle or pretty, and with datory. As the chronicle spans decades or even centuries of
public executions come angry mobs. time, one character is active while the other is in torpor,
in henet, under deep Cover, or otherwise out of commis-
Revolutionary Diversity sion. Stories told this way could include one character as
an influential, global-tier power while the other survives
The French Revolution was a victory for Enlightenment, on the street tier and deals with the fallout of the first
and while liberty, equality, and fraternity certainly didn’t character’s actions. When both characters are active, the
reach all members of society, it was a step forward for more Storyteller takes control of one, or game sessions alternate
than white men in France. focus between the two groups. (See Thousand Years of
Feminism has its roots in the Enlightenment, and many Night, p. 33, for more on cyclical dynasties.)
philosophers defended women’s rights. Olympe de Gouges
was one of several female writers and philosophers, and Flashbacks
she published the Declaration of the Rights of Women and
the Female Citizen in 1791. Meanwhile, Pauline Léon was Flashbacks offer an opportunity to keep the primary
a radical feminist who took a more active role, founding action within the Terror itself while exploring what led up
several revolutionary women’s societies and forming an all- to the story’s events in characters’ much younger nights.
female militia in 1792. But neither these women nor the Look for nuggets of conflict, shared origins, and unexplored
many other vocal feminists fared well during the Terror; backstory to use as starting points. When you introduce a
Gouges met the guillotine and Léon was arrested. new Storyteller character, a flashback depicting the first
time they met the newcomer decades ago could determine
The Enlightenment also brought the beginnings of racial
whether she’ll help them willingly, or whether they’ve al-
equality. Although racism was certainly a problem, France
ready made an enemy. (See Thousand Years of Night, p.
took careful steps forward. Jean-Baptiste Belley was a for-
63, for vampire-appropriate flashback scene kits.)
mer slave who fought in the 1791 Haitian Revolution and
became the first black member of the National Convention
in 1793. In 1794, the National Convention unanimously
abolished slavery. Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de St.
George, was a classical composer and favored musician
The 1790s were horrifying for the French people, pro-
in the royal court, and a noted swordsman. During the ducing a plethora of fiction depicting both the noble side
Revolution, he joined the National Guard and led the first of Revolution and true accounts of the bloodshed that
black regiment in Europe. Unfortunately, suspected royalist wracked France for a decade.
sentiments landed him in prison during the Terror, and the
One of the strongest dramas set in the period is Andrzej
Committee executed many of his men.
Wajda’s 1983 movie, Danton. Starring Gérard Depardieu
Meanwhile, though homosexuality was still widely seen as the early Revolution figurehead who ultimately loses his
as immoral, it was quietly decriminalized in 1791 when the head for his moderate stance compared to Robespierre’s
laws were based on the philosophies of the Enlightenment, fanaticism, this movie uses the era’s complexities to send
instead of Catholic morality. With so many factions and viewers on an exciting journey that never loses sight of
the nation itself in desperate need of aid, someone’s gender, the Revolution’s details. Though not truly accurate (crit-
race, and proclivities were all things that could be over- ics point out how the movie is an attack on communism),
looked, to a degree. the passion of the piece is enough to inspire any period
chronicle.
Spanning Time Another vibrant movie set during this period, though
little-known, is Jean Renoir’s La Marseillaise. Set during
The Terror is the crux of the French Revolution. In a
the early years of Revolution, the movie focuses on the
game with such long-lived creatures as vampires, demons,
humanist aspect of the events to come, painting monarch
and mummies, however, the story may stretch far beyond
and peasants alike with empathy. This movie will help any
these several short years of bloodshed. It may begin well
Storyteller provide reason and compassion behind every
beforehand, leading up through all of its causes, or extend
action and event, grounding them in the tragedy of the
after to follow the rise of Napoleon and beyond. Presented
Chronicles of Darkness.
here are a few techniques to facilitate that.
350
The Reign of Terror
Chronicles of Darkness in the Reign of Terror
The seasonal courts’ golden age comes to a bloody end as even changeling monarchs become synonymous
with the Gentry during the Terror. Nascent Bridge-Burners, rabid students of the Enlightenment and supporters
of the Cult of Reason, are ascendant in Revolutionary Paris, tearing down courts with extreme prejudice to el-
evate Committees to freehold leadership instead. Rather than rely on Bargains with old gods, changeling sans
culottes draft constitutions and work to eradicate Hedgeways. They outlaw entitlements and Mantles, a final
straw sparking a changeling civil war in the middle of the Terror. French freeholds become hotbeds of messy,
passionate conflict, as both sides insist the other has forgotten what it means to be Lost.
The first hints of the coming Awakened Nameless War that rumbled through France’s colonies in the
Americas badly ruptured the French Diamant. While Nassau’s pirate mages are gone and those fences
are mended, ideas don’t die — and the Revolution is a war of ideas. Here in Paris, the starting pistol truly
fires, prompting disparate unaffiliated mages to rise in defiance of Diamond and Seers both. The Parisian
Consilium — half holed up with nobles and clergy, half trying to rein in Sleeping Revolutionary peers with-
out getting pegged for the guillotine — reaches out for aid in formally engaging the rebellious Nameless
with a concerted counteroffensive. With so much blood literally in the streets, all any mage need do to get
her hands on powerful sympathetic Yantras (and thus, leverage) is step outside.
Hunters join fewer angry mobs than monsters expect, learning that it’s more efficient to use paranoia and
tyranny to root out and expose foes who maintain human facades. With so many factions at each other’s
throats, though, some cells make alliances with one sect of the night’s denizens to take down another; the
Legion of Amazons, a small and practical-minded compact in Paris formed from the remnants of the failed
women’s militia in 1792 and named after Theroigne de Mericourt’s famous speech, makes a point of coerc-
ing, bribing, or forcing at gunpoint any creatures they can to help them take on more dangerous hunts than
they could alone.
The Created of the Revolution go largely unnoticed by Robespierre’s ilk, but death enough to fill the
Catacombs makes for many desperate people falling into unhealthy obsessions. Legendary alchemist
Nicolas Flamel achieved immortality right here in Paris — or so the alchemy arm of the Compagnons du
Devoir believes. The guild of traveling artisans regularly tours France to apprentice under various masters;
its alchemists revere Flamel, seeking to emulate his Great Work. Though the Chapelier Law banned guilds in
1791, the alchemists continue to meet in secret. They compete with their Saint-Germain rivals for resources
and wear identical masks to stay anonymous.
In the Lozère region of France, a cross-tribe werewolf lodge called Les Enfants Mercuriels has begun to
hunt for the idigam they believe is the true Uratha ancestor, after a series of vicious killings by the Beast of
Gévaudan in the 1760s. When they hear about the High Cromlech in Paris, they suspect the idigam might
move around; after all, Soissons, just northeast of Paris, also suffered savage wolf attacks around the same
time. Meanwhile, the French Temple of Apollo abandons its traditional place as puppetmasters of the high
aristocracy to carefully sink its claws into the Cult of Reason, hoping to appropriate one of its factions for its
own purposes.
The 1992 novel A Place of Greater Safety, by Hilary and execution, and the positive and negative outcomes
Mantel, provides insight into the lives, childhoods, and revolution can bring.
motivations of agitators such as Georges Danton, Camille For music, the florid Baroque style of Vivaldi and Bach
Desmoulins, and Maximilien Robespierre. Using many of evoke the pre-Revolutionary king’s court, while the classical
these power players’ own words over the course of the fic- Viennese style of Mozart, Beethoven, and Haydn reflect the
tion, you can adapt the story for any vampire’s past, demon’s counter-Revolutionary forces threatening the Terror from
Cover, or mummy’s cultist. without. Mozart died just a few years before this era’s start,
The Revolutions Podcast found at www.revolutionspod- so his famous (and infamous) Requiem does wonders. From
cast.com is a deep, informative exploration of revolutions, the Revolutionary forces themselves comes a shift from
not restricted to France. This audio documentation of the complex orchestral pieces of the privileged to an elevation
drama and terror of the time is a must-listen, as discovering of the people’s music, with militaristic themes and lyrics
the facts behind revolts beyond this one helps provide con- that reflect the political realities of the day, like “Ça Ira”
text for Robespierre’s lists of the condemned, the paranoia and “La Marseillaise.”
gripping the people, the giddy enthusiasm of public disgrace
351
The Tenth Choir
The Enlightened
“If Reason is the enemy of faith, then I am the enemy of destined to bring His downfall. So, we refuse to hide from
God.” humanity in shame. We feed and perform our Sacrileges
“The Invictus rule the city, the Jacobins are outside, in front of mortals whenever we emerge from secrecy to
and you want me to fight God’s messenger with a stick?” make a statement. We are the Lancea et Sanctum’s ag-
gressive, rebellious cousins; if the Sanctified are the devil
Fouché is still more Revolutionary than true believer,
tempting humanity to blasphemy as part of God’s plan, the
and he’s been tense since the siege of Lyons began. I offer
Enlightened are the army of heretic fallen angels rising up
him the driftwood stake and grin. “If we’re lucky enough
to destroy Heaven’s tyranny.
to draw this thing out, that’s the plan. Saltwater driftwood,
then we take its blood and we’ll have the power to take on Where we came from: This is the story we tell.
the Invictus and the Jacobins.” A young man strove to serve God. He was not perfect,
“Merde, this is a terrible plan.” but he repented of his sins and became a monk. One
evening, he stopped to help an injured traveler by the
I lead the way into the silk mill. “You want to be one of
roadside. In return for his charity, the traveler murdered
us? This is what it takes.” The factory floor is still, but the
and Embraced him.
threads wound around the great wheels and looms gleam
too brightly, as if they are the moonlight’s source instead of Decades later, an angel appeared to this vampire while
the dusty windows. I slit my hand open with my knife and he prayed in a sacred place. He asked what he could do to
spit out fervent curses while my Vitae hits the floor, sizzling. earn salvation from his Damnation, but the angel declared
When the angel appears in all its glory, it’s already enraged. he would always be an abomination. In his grief and fury,
Glowing silk threads wind from its fingers to the machines the young Kindred declared God himself a hypocrite and
and blaze like the sun at noon. It shrieks like an untamed fell into frenzy. He struck the angel down and feasted on
mob of one, sensing what I’ve done to its holy place, and its blood. When he came to his senses and saw what he
I can see blood leaking from Fouché’s ears at the sound as had done, he tried to share his Vitae to make of the angel
he struggles to tamp down his terrified Beast. a servant, the first soldier in his war against God, but it
couldn’t be Embraced and lay dying. The vampire cut open
But I face the angel and bare my fangs. “I will drag you
the angel’s chest to find the heart beating within. He thrust
to the earth, cut off your wings, and piss down your neck.
the heart between his own ribs. It beat there beside his dead
Your death will light the fire that brings down the rest of
one, and they became one. He took the name Lucifer and
your sanctimonious kind. Vive la Révolution!”
set out to learn how to sire a divine childe; he failed, but
You want to join the Tenth Choir because: You fought developed Therion in his failure, and used the promise of
against the Church’s corruption before your Embrace, and the passing it on to recruit an army that would destroy all nine
fight didn’t end with your life. You didn’t ask to be a vampire, choirs of God’s angels, taking their place as the Tenth.
and you want to make God pay for Damning you. Pamphlets
The Choir grew slowly and steadily in the eastern Adriatic
and guillotines alone aren’t enough to sate your spite. Being
region. Over the centuries, Lucifer shared his blasphemous
more sacrilegious than demons appeals to your perverted
power with those he deemed worthy to join his crusade
sense of faith and propriety. Your thirst for vengeance is more
against God. We spread around the edges of the Lancea et
important to you than the Tradition of Masquerade.
Sanctum’s dominance into Alexandria, northward into the
The big picture: Our goals are simple: We will murder Germanies, and from there throughout Europe.
God. Many Chorists were deeply faithful as mortals and
Our practices: We will overthrow both God in his
considered the Embrace God’s betrayal. For all our piety
Heaven and the demons of Hell; though demons are some-
and good works, death brought eternal damnation on
times allies, spite and jealousy push Chorists to destroy
Earth instead of eternal reward. If God is willing to damn
anything with a spark of the divine in it, Fallen though it
innocents, we cannot rely on divine justice or mercy, and
may be. Cast out even from Purgatory, with no opportu-
therefore owe Him nothing.
nity to make up for our sin of existence, we tear apart the
Theocracy is a debased path to power. In God’s place, paradigm that rejected us. To survive in the face of orga-
we celebrate Reason and vampirism as weapons to turn nized opposition, we act covertly to subvert and sabotage
against our creator. God’s abandonment freed us from any the mortal church, the Sanctified, the God-Machine, and
obligation to follow divine commandments — and from anything else we don’t like.
fear of divine retribution. We embrace a vrykocentrist
We are small, operating as localized cells fighting a
philosophy: to eject us from the proper path of souls, God
guerrilla revolution against the religious status quo. We ally
must fear vampires; if God fears vampires, we must be
352
The Reign of Terror
with or infiltrate larger covenants and other supernatural knowledge with other supernatural communities, and a
organizations in positions to enact change. We form hereti- third recruits Kindred and kine by playing the role of angelic
cal cults and gather mortal followers. Our ghouls preach re- rebel, rousing hearts already burning with vengeance. The
ligious reform on street corners and our printing presses are one thing all Chorists do, night to night, is hunt the divine.
always busy. It’s usually rare for a prince’s court to connect Nicknames: Chorists (formally), sacrilegists (infor-
mortal rabble-rousers with the secretive Tenth Choir, but in mally), the Legion (informally), the Enlightened (Europe,
Revolutionary France, we possess unprecedented influence. recent), al-Marid (localized southern Mediterranean)
We openly support the mortal Cult of Reason, belligerently Concepts: Fallen priest, revolutionary zealot, cult leader,
working at dechristianization, and use scholarly demonologist, calculating general, noble émigré
it to advance our agenda among the blaming God
kine. That atheist cult is a disorderly When we are in power: We know we can’t hold a
morass of ideas and principles, and we domain for long, so we take advantage of it
take full advantage, making ghouls of while we can. We quietly fail to enforce the
its local leaders and suborning small sects Masquerade while appearing to punish violators.
by revealing what we are. We viciously oppress, blood bond, or guillo-
Our plans are carefully laid to last cen- tine the faithful, under the auspices of other
turies. Killing God doesn’t happen overnight, crimes. The prince is a puppet from another
or in complacent times. First, we destroy His covenant, usually the Invictus — all the
influence in the world. Organized religions, better if we can drive a wedge between
pious communes, sacred places, and the faith them and their Second Estate lapdogs.
of the masses are all targets. We desecrate If we hold power long enough to purge
the holy and seduce the faithful away, undesirable elements, we rebuild havens for
to provoke divine reaction. Barred Enlightenment, to which sister Legions from
from Heaven, we strike at God’s other domains can fall back when necessary.
agents on Earth. The blood of Even in the best of times, we plan for when
that first angel paved the tide inevitably turns against us.
the way, birthing When we are in trouble: Ally and infil-
the bloody rituals trate. The Tenth Choir has survived because
needed to wage our we know how to show false faces. We’re
war. We seek places of champions of lofty ideas and we’re in it for
power to profane, con- the long haul. When numerous, we func-
sume, or destroy. These tion as an independent covenant and ally
steps lead to a true apotheosis that will with whoever is
finally allow us to dethrone the Creator, in a position
free Hell’s prisoners, and take Heaven to get us what
for ourselves. we want. When
Each coterie specializes and oper- sparse, we infil-
ates mostly independently, with mini- trate existing cov-
mal instruction from the covenant’s enants and sway them
leaders. One publishes banned books, to our purpose, poach
steals texts and relics from the Church members from their
Eternal’s Black Collections, and holds ranks, or destroy them
subversive salons to stoke embers from within.
of anti-Christian sentiment in the
bourgeoisie. Another researches new
Sacrileges and trades forbidden
353
The Tenth Choir
Willa’d been nursing her drink for an hour, near on, only taking sips when a new patron carried the dust in on their
heels. It’d been two weeks since the last rain, and grit coated everything: the tables, the bar, the back of her throat. Nell was
late as always. Usually it was the dawdling-on-the-trail kind of tardy, but now, as the town clock struck two,
Willa couldn’t help but worry.
One more minute, then I go after her. She dipped her finger in the whiskey
and drew a pattern on the dusty bar top, the one the miner’s wife had
shown her.
“Awful waste of whiskey,” said Nell, dropping heavily
onto the stool beside Willa. The saloon doors swung,
back and forth and back again, but no dust swirled in
behind her. Instead, Willa caught the scent of green,
growing things, and a breeze that carried a hint of the
sea.
“It’s little better than swill,” Willa said. She pushed
the glass toward the Darkling girl. “You’re late.”
“Had to take a shortcut.” She knocked the booze
back in one gulp and didn’t even grimace at the taste.
“That’s not how shortcuts….” But Willa knew better
than to argue semantics with Nell, not if she wanted to
get anywhere useful. “What did you find out?”
Nell motioned for another glass, and at Willa’s nod,
the barkeep left the bottle. Two more slugs and Nell found
her courage. “Some of our traitors working with a passel
of yours. Some poor fool miner hit a vein last week, only
it wasn’t really an ore deposit.” She traced the pattern
Willa’d drawn. To her credit, her finger only trembled a
little. “Figure, the gold had been used to seal something
inside the mountain, and that right there’s its name.”
“What kind of something?” Willa told herself it
was the rotgut whiskey making her belly flutter, not
the thrill of a Mystery within her reach.
Nell shook her head. “Dunno. You’re the head-
witch. Can’t you just pluck it from those fellas’
thoughts?”
“That’s not exactly how it…” No. Nope. “Do
you think you could take me there? I’d like to
get a look myself.” Before the Guardians get
there and shut it away again. Whatever it was,
it probably needed shutting away, but Willa
wanted a look first.
Nell licked her lips. “I could, but—” She
froze, her eyes flicking over Willa’s shoulder.
The girl was off her stool in a shot, picking
it up and swinging mightily.
Willa scarcely had time to duck, or register
the thud as the man behind her dropped. By
the time she saw the glint of his badge, Nell had
her by the wrist, dragging her toward the saloon
doors. “Did you just…?”
“He ain’t a lawman,” Nell said. “Not a real one,
anyhow. Now, don’t let go of me, not for a damned
second.” Then they were through the swinging doors,
not into the dust of an Arizona afternoon, but into a
riot of green.
Mysterious
Mysterious
Frontiers
Frontiers
1874 CE
1874 CE
In the last half century, American settlers have swept westward across the
plains, over the Rocky Mountains, all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Dreams
of a new beginning — of exploration, adventure, and discovery — inspire
thousands of pioneers to pack up their lives back east and join wagon trains
bound for points unknown. Homesteaders break ground and coax crops out of
prairie sod. Gold miners spend small fortunes trying to earn bigger ones, often
to their own financial ruin.
By 1874, the United States officially owns all the land from coast to coast,
bounded by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. Native American
tribes still control much of the land west of the Mississippi, though the federal
government steadily chips away at their sovereignty. The road here has been a
bloody one, marked not only by wars with European powers but by the American
“There is no law,
Civil War. The Reconstruction era comes to a close, but some wounds are barely
no restraint in this
scabbed over. U.S. troops and indigenous people clash in bloody battles, a pat-
tern of violence that will continue for several decades.
seething cauldron
“There is no law, no The Transcontinental Railroad and the telegraph opened up travel and
of vice andand
restraint in this seething communications in ways the country’s never seen before. Everything feels a
depravity.”
cauldron of vice little faster, a little more urgent. Train tracks and telegraph wires tie the na-
depravity.” tion together.
— The New
The New York The law takes its time getting to new towns, if any authority arrives at all,
York Tribune
Tribune describing and often citizens have to mete out their own justice or hire people to help
describing Abilene,
Abilene, KS them pursue it. It’s a wild time and a dangerous time. People quick on the draw
KS
become outlaws and legends, their stories traveling ahead of them while the
blood they’ve spilled has yet to dry.
The west gives rise to tales of changelings defying their Keepers beneath the
desert sun, riddling posses of Huntsmen with bullets. Privateers don Pinkerton
badges and track down Lost seeking refuge in Kansas cow towns. In the middle
of the prairie, a portal cobbled from barrel staves and bowstrings opens onto
sagebrush Hedge. It leads to a trod that lets out on the other side of the Rockies.
Hobgoblins set up markets where they’ll sell you pickaxes sure to find ore, rings
that bring you luck at cards, and water in the desert. You can have anything,
long as you’re willing to pay the price.
The Awakened chase Mysteries across the west, catching wind of places of
power and strange occurrences out on the prairie. The Diamond Orders on the
East Coast send envoys to shore up relationships with indigenous mages, and to
bring the many Nameless and apostates back into the fold before they decide to
organize and ignite the Nameless Wars on American soil, as they rage already
in Europe and elsewhere. But the sheer potential of the wild blue yonder means
a bounty of Mysteries so abundant, most willworkers who come to stay see no
need for proper Consilia playing arbiter and gatekeeper for Supernal wonders
— and every one of them has a reason for running west, whether west is toward
or away, and has no intention of letting the Diamond get in their way. Seers
of the Throne vie for influence over these unaligned mages as well, making
enticing offers or outright threats to convince them to join up.
The Wild West offers Storytellers an abundance of settings from which to
choose: desert towns and lone prairie waystations; the path of a buffalo hunt;
356
Mysterious Frontiers
Maybe you’re not the fastest draw in town, but you’d
die before saying that aloud. Might be dying anyhow, since
Manifest Destiny Is Bullshit you opened your fool mouth and now you’re both waiting
for noon to strike. But if you’re gonna go, you’ll do it with
Some people believe it’s America’s fate to swarm across a smirk on your lips, a secret in your eyes, and defiance in
the country and, along the way, “enlighten” people your dying breath.
they consider inferior. They think it’s a divine right, an
order from God, an undeniable prophecy telling them Freedom. It’s worth it. All the risks, all the hardship,
to take whatever they want — it’s their duty. everything you’ve lost or sacrificed to be here, now. Living
on your terms.
It’s also racist as hell.
Manifest Destiny isn’t destiny at all, as some mages
and changelings can definitively confirm. It’s a narra- Tone
tive cherry-picked from any number of possible futures, This era’s tones are as varied as the sunset after a storm.
spread by those in power to support their own agendas. Life in the Wild West is gritty and mysterious. It’s adventur-
ous and exhilarating. Sometimes it’s merely strange. Other
times, it goes way beyond strange and lands deep in the land
of goddamned weird — even for Lost who’ve served as candle
treacherous, snow-covered mountain passes; San Francisco’s flames in Faerie and mages who’ve scaled a Watchtower’s
docks and dark alleys. Historical fact often vastly differs walls. Danger’s always lurking, but so’s the joy of a whiskey-
from the Old West presented in books and movies. Not ev- warmed belly and a sky full of stars.
eryone toted a gun — in fact, many towns prohibited them. Embrace them all.
Even the true stories of gunfights tend to get larger in the

telling, and in peoples’ collective imaginations: The famous
gunfight at the O.K. Corral lasted all of 30 seconds. This
chapter sets out to portray the truths of the era honestly and
respectfully, while leaving room for troupes to tell stories of Before 1803, the United States owned only the land east
gritty adventure and magical shootouts, and for Awakened of the Mississippi River and north of New Orleans. The city
and Lost characters to become legends of their own. changed hands between France and Spain several times,
making U.S. access to this crucial port unstable and costly.
Theme As France geared up for war with the United Kingdom,

Thomas Jefferson seized the opportunity. He offered to
It’s a coyote-eat-coyote world. Nothing’s guaranteed out buy New Orleans for $10 million, and was astounded when
here. Not your fortune, not your honor, certainly not your Napoleon’s counter-offer proposed the whole territory for a
life. Everything’s a gamble, from the flip of a coin to how mere $15 million. Despite some congressional controversy,
many bullets are left in your Colt. You do what you have Jefferson quickly sealed the deal. The U.S. gained 828,000
to, to swing those odds in your favor. To live another day. square miles of land, extending its western border as far as
Maybe you break the law. the Rocky Mountains. Native American tribes had already
Maybe you pin on a shiny sheriff’s badge and make the settled much of that territory. Nearly half of the 60,000
law. non-Native inhabitants were slaves.
Because out here, where the world’s still a little un- Jefferson commissioned the Corps of Discovery, an army
shaped, you can do damn near anything you put your mind team led by Captain Meriwether Lewis and his Second
to. Your future’s as wide open as the sky and twice as big. Lieutenant William Clark, to explore the new territory.
There’s gold in them thar hills. All you have to do is dip your Their primary objectives were to find a water route to the
hand in the river and close your fingers around a hunk of it. Pacific Northwest and establish U.S. sovereignty over the
But it’s a violent time, too. Plenty of tragedy to go lands along the Missouri River held by Native American
around, enough to make the world dim a bit. Maybe it’s tribes. The expedition lasted from 1804 to 1806, during
your own fault. Maybe it’s your bloody-minded nemesis’. which they met with and received aid from many different
nations along the way, including the Sioux, the Mandans and
Mood Hidastas, the Shoshone, and the Nez Perce. Sacagawea, a

Lemhi Shoshone woman, accompanied the expedition and
Competition and bravado. Everything’s a competition in served a diplomatic role. She acted as an interpreter, met
the west: who’s got the biggest swagger, who’s got the fast- with chiefs, and presented their mission as a peaceful one.
est horse. You’ve got to be the first to stake the claim, or While Lewis and Clark’s expedition was on its return
someone else’ll get your gold. When the biggest, meanest journey, Lieutenant Zebulon Pike set out to explore the south-
cowboy threatens your friends, you go boot to boot and western Louisiana territory. Pike’s mission included informing
stare him down. the Native American tribes he encountered that the United
357
States now owned and protected their lands. His path led resisted, including the Cherokee, who launched petitions
him across the Great Plains and into the Rocky Mountains in and speaking tours in protest. Despite the Supreme Court
present-day Colorado. Pike ventured outside the bounds of his declaring them a sovereign nation, Jackson and his succes-
assignment, into Spanish-controlled territory. Spanish forces sor Martin Van Buren ordered 13,000 Cherokee removed
arrested him, bringing Pike and his explorers through New from their homes. More than 4,000 — possibly as many as
Mexico and Texas before returning them to Louisiana. Though 8,000 — died during the 1,000-mile march from Georgia
the United States insisted it was not a military expedition, Pike to Oklahoma, which became known as the Trail of Tears.
gleaned useful information about the Spanish presence in the Beginning in the late 1830s, settlers crossed the Oregon
territory, including their military strength. Trail in covered wagons, though the borders between
the U.S. and British holdings remained in dispute until
Westward Expansion the Oregon Treaty split the territory at the 49th paral-
lel. The Republic of Texas declared independence from
The United States pressed farther into the Northwest Mexico in 1836; nine years later, it became the 28th state
Territory, intent on acquiring land with little regard for — even though Mexico still considered it Mexican terri-
the indigenous people who lived there. In 1808, Shawnee tory. Disputes over the U.S.-Mexico border dissolved into
warrior and chief Tecumseh led a confederation of tribes the Mexican-American War. During this time, a group
to resist further American and European expansionism. of California rebels declared their own independence
The British encouraged the tribes to raid settlements on from Mexico in the Bear Flag Revolt, briefly creating the
the American frontier. In 1811, Indiana Governor William Republic of California. This gave American troops reason
Henry Harrison defeated forces led by Tecumseh’s brother, to invade northern California. The war ended with the
Tenskwatawa, at the Battle of Tippecanoe. The loss struck Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, granting land that
a blow to the tribal confederacy, but did not destroy it. would become California, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, and
Hostilities in the Napoleonic Wars between Britain and Utah to the United States. The Gadsden Purchase in 1853
France spilled into U.S. waters. While Britain’s naval block- completed the southern border of the continental U.S. with
ade impeded U.S. trade, British ships pressed American lands that would later be parts of Arizona and New Mexico.
sailors into service. These actions, combined with Britain
supporting and supplying Native American raids, spurred
President James Madison to declare war. The War of 1812 Gold!
lasted for two years, and though neither nation ceded or Less than two weeks before the Mexican-American War
gained new territory, both suffered heavy economic losses. ended, James W. Marshall discovered gold at Sutter’s Mill in
The Treaty of Ghent ended hostilities, and while many Coloma, California. Word of his find spread far and wide, draw-
historians agree that neither the British nor the Americans ing fortune-seekers westward. Nearly 300,000 people flocked to
truly “won” the war, it was the Native Americans who lost.
British losses in the northwest weakened and ultimately
dashed the hope of an Indian state. U.S. policy going for-
ward continued to strip the tribes of their land. Respecting Native-American
At the end of 1823, when most Latin-American colonies
had gained or would soon gain independence from Spain
Culture
and Portugal, President James Monroe issued what would The United States’ treatment of Native American
later be known as the Monroe Doctrine. It stated the New peoples was often shameful and bloody. Westward
World was no longer open for colonization by European expansion caused much knowledge to be lost, and
powers, and the U.S. would view attempts to interfere with wiped out entire societies. While conflict between
white settlers and Native tribes is a very real part of
nations in the Western Hemisphere as hostile acts. Four
the era, and shouldn’t be erased, we want to provide
decades later, President James K. Polk directed Congress opportunities for stories to include Native-American
to strictly enforce the doctrine and aggressively settle the characters and encourage interactions that aren’t
west, invoking its importance to the concept of Manifest reenactments of real atrocities.
Destiny. The tenets of the Monroe Doctrine became one of
the strongest driving forces of United States policy, lasting It’s worthwhile, when you’re preparing to run a game
set in this era, to research more deeply into the tribes
well into the 21st century.
local to your setting. Native cultures are not a mono-
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 granted President lith. Traditions, folklore, languages, and ways of life
Andrew Jackson permission to negotiate with Native differ among the tribes. Many modern indigenous
American tribes, offering them federal land west of the writers address the harmful stereotypes they see in the
Mississippi River in exchange for territory they owned in media. Seek out their words, and keep them in mind as
the eastern United States. “Negotiate” was a disingenuous you explore this era.
term, when in fact state and federal officials used the act to
support expelling Native tribes from their lands. Many tribes
358
California over the next few years, many arriving in 1849 after they had never taken up arms against the U.S., including
President Polk confirmed the discovery before Congress. Many women and immigrants. All they had to do was stay on the
49ers died before ever reaching California, felled by hardship land for five years and farm it. The bill met with opposition
and disease on the long routes over land and sea. San Francisco from southern politicians, whose constituents were wealthy
quickly became a boomtown, its population ballooning from landowners hoping to purchase the lands and develop
1,000 residents in 1848 to over 25,000 by 1850. them via slave labor. It wasn’t until the south seceded that
White greed for gold took its toll on Native Americans Congress had the votes to pass the act.
and foreigners. Miners drove tribes from the lands on which Westward expansion slowed immensely during the
they relied for hunting and gathering food. Contaminants Civil War and Reconstruction period, but improvements
from prospecting killed off fish. When tribes attacked in in transportation soon revived settlers’ fervor.
defense of their lands, the miners often retaliated with a
massacre. Chinese gold miners suffered brutal attacks from
white miners, and the Foreign Miners’ Tax Act imposed
Communication
exorbitant monthly taxes on non-white miners. and Transportation
The Pinkertons Before roads were built through the territories, the post
office shipped mail along rivers in steamboats, facilitating
Allen Pinkerton was a Scottish detective and a spy. In communication throughout the United States. Then came
1850, he formed what would soon become the Pinkerton the railroads. In 1832, Congress declared all railroads postal
National Detective Agency, based out of Chicago. The routes. As settlers and stations spread westward, mail allowed
agency, whose motto was “We Never Sleep,” acted as people to communicate with families back east, businesses to
security guards, spies, investigators, and private military expand, and news to pass quickly across the country.
contractors. They specialized in thwarting counterfeiters Where railroads had yet to reach, the Pony Express
and train robbers; railroads and stagecoach companies often got the mail through. Between 1860 and 1861, riders de-
hired them to protect passengers and valuables. livered letters and packages between St. Joseph, Missouri
Kate Warne, America’s first female detective, was a and Sacramento, California. Many thought it impossible
Pinkerton agent. In her job interview, she informed Allen to traverse the route in a mere 10 days, but the company
Pinkerton that women would be able to get into places hired nimble riders and hardy horses and got the job done.
where men weren’t allowed, and could befriend the wives, Well before he became a legend, Buffalo Bill Cody rode for
girlfriends, and female servants in households, thereby the Pony Express.
gathering intelligence on the men in their lives. Women, Two days after the First Transcontinental Telegraph
she said, were excellent observers. Together with Pinkerton, began operating in October 1861, the Pony Express shut
Warne had a hand in preventing an assassination attempt down, rendered obsolete.
on Abraham Lincoln in 1861, although the legitimacy of On May 10, 1869, in Promontory, Utah, Leland
that attempt was disputed. Stanford drove the Golden Spike into the rails joining
the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroad lines. The
The Civil War Era Transcontinental Railroad was finished at last. Once, travel
between the East and West Coasts took months. Now, it
As new states entered the union, tensions over free only took a week. The railroad dramatically increased the
states and pro-slavery states grew thick. Several times, the number of people traveling to and settling in the West.
government struck compromises to keep the representa-
tion between the north and the south equal. The Missouri
Compromise of 1820 split the Louisiana Purchase territory
in half: New states north of the 36°30’ parallel would be free Where We Are
states. New states south of the line would be slave states. In A year ago, Colt’s Patent Firearms Manufacturing
1854, the Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed new states to vote Company issued their Single Action Army Revolver. Now
on whether or not to permit slavery. Voters from Missouri everyone wants a Peacemaker, or totes one, or is talking
snuck in and tipped the results, making Kansas a slave state. about toting one. The west’s not won, not yet, but that’s
This sparked years of brutal conflicts between abolitionists the gun that’s gonna do it, for sure.
and proponents of slavery. Known as “Bleeding Kansas,” In July, General George Armstrong Custer leads 1,000
these clashes were a precursor of the war to come. people into South Dakota’s Black Hills, investigating ru-
With its borders established, the United States needed mors of gold in the area. They move ever northward, seeking
people to fill in the territories it had acquired. In 1862, bigger and bigger deposits. The Black Hills Gold Rush, like
Congress passed the Homestead Act, offering land west the California Gold Rush before it, draws thousands more
of the Mississippi River to those willing to settle it. The to the area over the next few years. The land, however, does
requirements were simple: Anyone could apply, provided not belong to the United States. The Treaty of Laramie in
359
Where We Are
1868 recognized it as Lakota territory. Prospectors have little or head them off at the pass, coerce workers into ceasing
regard for who owns the land, further straining relations their demands, and promote strikebreaking.
with the Sioux. Towns like Deadwood spring up quickly,
and lawlessness reigns.
Across the Great Plains, settlers’ demand for bison meat
A Wide-Ranging Culture
and skins continues to deplete the numbers of wild bison. Contrary to dominant modern Hollywood portrayals,
Their slaughter is also an aggressive tactic, a government cowboys and cowgirls aren’t overwhelmingly white. The
ploy to deny Native American people a crucial food source, word buckaroo is likely an anglicization of vaquero, the name
and force the tribes onto reservations. Railroads hire hunters for Mexican long-haul cattle drivers and horse trainers.
to kill bison, both to cull the herd so their migration doesn’t Many vaqueros were people of mestizo or Native origin.
damage tracks, and to feed their laborers — a job that earns As Americans fill in the West, vaqueros who worked the
“Buffalo” Bill Cody his nickname. At the end of 1874, 1,800 land when it was under Spanish control help herders and
Shoshone set out from the Wind River Indian Reservation ranchers learn the territory. Nearly a third of all cowboys
in Wyoming on one of the last great buffalo hunts. are vaqueros. Many others are black men and women.
Not everyone out on the frontier leads a life of danger
Law in a Lawless Time and adventure. Homesteaders eke out lives on land that’s
not always suitable for agriculture. It’s a hard life, and often
The rapid increase of westward expansion, brought on an exhausting one. Water rights lead to disputes between
by gold rushes and transcontinental trains, means towns farmers and ranchers, with many farmers erecting fences
grow faster than law enforcement can keep up with. People to keep herds out, and angry drovers cutting them down.
in smaller settlements mostly take care of their own and Farmers and ranchers both have to contend with mining
resolve matters peacefully. Officially appointed sheriffs are companies and railroad corporations laying claim to good
few and far between — some protect territories covering land and building upon it, or diverting or contaminating
thousands of square miles, rendering timely aid impossible. the rivers that sustain both crops and cattle. Courts are slow
Wagon trains often draw up their own constitutions to settle cases, if they’re ever heard at all.
before setting out, and ostracize rule-breakers or leave them Though the series of conflicts known as the Indian Wars
behind. Mining camps form contractual agreements among rage almost into the 20th century, Native tribes and settlers
the miners, and hire enforcement specialists to act as arbitra- often live peacefully together on the frontier. Indigenous
tors when disputes arise. When the government fails to stop people act as guides, providing supplies and establishing trad-
cattle rustlers, ranchers band together to create cattlemen’s ing relationships with the pioneers. Some Native Americans,
associations. The hired guns they bring in likely come from like Sarah Winnemucca, serve as interpreters between the
(and occasionally return to) criminal backgrounds, but U.S. government and the various tribes. Winnemucca is also
they’re effective in curbing cattle thieves. Cattle ranchers an advocate for Native American rights, traveling across the
also embroil themselves in range wars, disputing who has country delivering lectures to heighten awareness.
grazing rights or water rights out on the open range. Some Though the United States pushes for more Native
feuds develop over the cattle themselves. Others have little to land every year, some tribes in the 1870s hold on to their
do with land and everything to do with personal slights and ancestral territories. Since the Spanish brought horses to
vendettas, some of which stem from Civil-War-era disputes. North America in the 1500s, many nomadic Plains tribes
Though official law enforcement is spread thin, U.S. keep their own herds to provide faster mobility on hunts
Marshals serve in areas where no local government holds and make travel along trade routes easier. The Comanche
sway. Marshals carry official documents and presidential are especially renowned (and, among white settlers, feared)
proclamations to frontier towns. They serve warrants, for their prowess fighting on horseback.
protect witnesses, capture fugitives, and transport prisoners. With boomtowns flourishing, savvy entrepreneurs follow
Marshals have the power to appoint civilians as deputies the money. Suppliers race to set up shop and provide miners
and form posses to help keep the peace. Bass Reeves, the with essential tools and provisions. Saloons, gambling dens,
first black deputy marshal west of the Mississippi, arrests and brothels make tidy profits, especially in towns where the
over 3,000 felons throughout his career. law doesn’t reach. The Barbary Coast, a red-light district in
The Pinkerton Agency is still going strong in 1874. San Francisco, is full of concert halls, clubs, and variety shows
Companies and railroads hire their agents as bounty hunt- in addition to the bars and brothels. It’s a dangerous place
ers, and the sight of their badge with its all-seeing eye is — murders and robberies happen on the regular, and few
enough to make criminals sweat…or start shooting. They’ve perpetrators ever come to trial. What justice exists is of the
recently turned that watchful gaze on such notorious figures vigilante kind. Yet, it’s a district full of art and music, and in
as Jesse James, The Reno Gang, and the Wild Bunch. Large years to come will be home to San Francisco’s first jazz clubs.
businesses with a vested interest in paying their employees All the wealth crisscrossing the country is an awfully
as little as possible are also increasingly hiring the agency tempting target for outlaws and bandits. Why plan a bank
for infiltrating and manipulating labor unions to end strikes robbery, with witnesses and do-gooders within shouting
360
distance, when you can lie in wait on a long, lonely stretch recently been fired from Buffalo Bill Cody’s play, Scouts of
of road and ambush a passing stagecoach? the Plains, due to his penchant for hiding behind the scenery
Other bandits aim for bigger prizes. Last summer, Jesse and shooting at spotlights.
James and the James-Younger Gang robbed a train in Iowa. Belle Starr prefers to commit robberies in style. She’s
They made off with $3,000 collected from passengers and the a member of the James-Younger Gang, known for riding
safe, enough to make several families very comfortable for a sidesaddle in her black velvet dress and plumed hat, with
good long stretch. Rumor has it that, when the gang robs a cartridges for her two six-guns slung across her hips. The
train in Gads Mill, Missouri this January, they examine the guns aren’t for show; Belle’s a damned good shot.
men’s hands and refuse to take money from passengers with In the southwest, the Apache-Mexican and Apache-
callouses — they won’t steal from the working class. Later American conflicts have been carrying out for decades.
this year, they hit a train outside of Muncie, Kansas, and make Geronimo, a Chiricahua Apache leader and medicine man, is
off with 10 times their first score. They do it without John one of the fiercest fighters. Over the years, he’s led his people
Younger, who assaults a couple of undercover detectives in to safety and helped them escape from pursuing American
March. They’re Pinkertons. John doesn’t make it. troops. Some believe he has supernatural powers, including
the ability to see the future and keep the dawn from rising.
Iconic Figures Among the many stagecoach drivers transporting goods
and passengers across the West, Charley Parkhurst stands out.
Some of the most legendary and infamous characters in Parkhurst, known as Six-Horse Charley or One-Eyed Charley
United States history lived their lives in the Wild West: after he lost the use of an eye due to a kick from a horse, fol-
lawmakers and lawbreakers, adventurers and activists. lowed the gold rush to California in 1848. He’s a transgender
James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok has done a little bit man whose peers consider him one of the top drivers of the
of everything. He’s been a drover, a soldier, a lawman, a era. He has a reputation for thwarting bandits’ attempts at
gunfighter, a gambler, and a showman. By 1874, he’s done robbing his passengers; in at least one story, he lies in wait for
stints as marshal and sheriff in several cities and has most an outlaw who stole from him in the past and exacts revenge.
361
Where We Are
Up in the Wyoming Territory, the outlaw Ned The Rider
Huddleston is known as “The Black Fox” and “The Calico
Lainie and her husband were homesteaders. Five years,
Cowboy.” Huddleston, a former slave, became a stunt rider
that’s the requirement, then the land’s all yours. But John
in a rodeo on the Texas border after the war. He joined up
died three years in, and in the fourth year the crops (which,
with a Mexican bandit named Terresa, and together the two
if she’s honest, were never very abundant) failed. Lainie
became cattle rustlers. Sometime after he and Terresa came
left most everything she owned behind. She took work as
northward, his partner cheated him out of what he’d earned
a ranch hand, and it turned out she loved it. She doesn’t
mining for gold. Now he’s up near Brown’s Hole, back to
quite trust her boss, Tall Dan Carruthers, and keeps an ear
his old rustling ways. In a few years, he’ll train horses for
out for other opportunities. She’s a Sleeper, so she doesn’t
Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch.
know the first thing about Seers of the Throne. All she
knows is he’s bad news and she wants out, no matter how
Locations good the pay is. Animal Ken 3, Medicine 1, Ride 3

The Rustler
The Wild West is huge, composed of tiny settlements Tom took off from Rhode Island with his father’s fortune
and crowded boomtowns. It spans grassy plains, snowy two years ago, and blew through the money by Missouri. He
mountaintops, and dusty deserts. The below locations evoke didn’t mean to become good at stealing, but a meandering,
different aesthetics of the era. Hawk’s Rest is a fictional cattle-rustling, small-time robbery route carried him to
town, ready for the Storyteller to situate it wherever she Dodge City. At the Long Branch, he sits himself near the
needs it to be. gunslingers but never gets up the nerve to talk to one. When
money runs low, he ponders turning himself in — to Wyatt
Dodge City, KS Earp, maybe, or Bat Masterson. But those are the nights he
Dodge City’s a cow town. It’s a railroad town. It’s a boom- wins a respectable pot at the poker table or lifts a fat wallet.
town. It sits on the Santa Fe Trail, and a few years back, Henry He can’t explain his luck, but it keeps him here in town.
Sitler built his sod house just outside Fort Dodge. Travelers Firearms 2, Larceny (Pickpocketing) 3, Streetwise 1.
stopped there to rest before setting back out on the trail, and
as the railroad approached, a town grew to receive it. The Barbary Coast
Once, people traded hides and buffalo bones. Now, drov- Only nine blocks all told, the San Francisco red-light
ers herd Texas Longhorns up from the south. Dodge City’s district known as the Barbary Coast is where entertainment-
cattle trade’s suffered the last few years, as a quarantine line’s seekers head for a drink or game of cards, or a tumble with
pushing business westward. The first saloon was one man a sex worker. Opium dens, melodeons, bars, and brothels
serving soldiers out of a tent, but nowadays the city’s full crowd into the Coast, and they’re always packed. The
of bars and brothels, and all kinds of trouble. Some of the cheapest drinks flow in deadfalls, which are hardly more
most famous guns in the west work here, whether they’re than crude benches and sawdust-covered floors. Sailors
on the right side of the law or the wrong one. christened this nine-block area after the North African
On certain nights, a phantom train whistle wails across coast of the same name, whose towns and vessels were once
the prairie. Sometimes, strange travelers arrive at the station prime targets for pirates.
in the dead of night, clad in peculiar garments and unsure Corruption riddles San Francisco at every level: politi-
just how long they’ve been aboard. cians, administrators — everyone’s on the take. Thieves
The Long Branch Saloon and murderers rarely meet justice from official channels;
the city only has 100 police officers, and more than a few of
The Long Branch Saloon came about because of a bet
those are crooked. This isn’t to say all crimes go unpunished;
between cowboys and soldiers. Losers had to build a bar. It’s
vigilantes operate with near impunity.
only just opened. You can still smell the paint and varnish.
Chalkey Beeson and his orchestra play every night, and if Music lovers speak of a concert hall they found while
you glance around, you might catch sight of Doc Holliday, exploring the Coast’s alleys, where the entertainers glow
Wyatt Earp, or the Masterson brothers. with ethereal light and sing songs that induce vivid wak-
ing dreams. Visitors stumble out several hours — or days
Sitler’s House — later, into the morning light. When they turn to look
Henry Sitler’s three-room sod house still stands on the back, the club’s doorway is gone. No one who’s been has
outskirts of Dodge City. It’s quieter there now, and some been able to find it a second time.
nights you can still hear the nearby Arkansas River over The Blue Canary
the noise of the town. The rancher himself isn’t always
there, making the house a good refuge for Lost in need of It’s always bright at the Blue Canary honky-tonk,
a place to hide, or for the Awakened to conduct business whether from the lamps and candelabras, or the brilliant
away from Sleeper eyes. azures adorning the wait staff’s garb. Every night’s a show.
362
The sheer, bald emotion here provides ample Glamour the oldest continuously inhabited town in United States
for changelings seeking sustenance, making it a common territory. In 1629, Spanish missionaries established a mis-
meeting place for motleys. sion in Oraibi, but the people tore it down and drove the
Janson’s General Store Spanish off in the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. Its ruins still stand
within the village.
What can’t you find at Janson’s General? It’s part grocery,
part mining supply, and part drugstore. In the back, Janson Walpi
keeps the rarer goods under lock and key. You’d think a Walpi is on the First Mesa. The pueblo homes here
place like this would be a prime target for stickup artists, perch 300 feet above the canyon floor. By positioning their
but they give Janson’s a wide berth. Awful things happened dwellings atop mesas, the Hopi were able to keep a defensive
to the last person who tried stealing here. watch against Navajo raiders, invading Spanish troops, and
Jenny Two-Step now, encroaching American settlers. Homes pass down
through the matrilineal clan, and some have remained in
Jenny’s been dancing at the Blue Canary since she was a single family for hundreds of years.
18. She’s learned to measure with a glance who’s a good tip-
per and who’s just there to stare, but she’s welcoming across The Elder
the board — someone down on his luck today might strike it Kasa’s days are full of planning. She tracks plantings and
rich tomorrow. Jenny doesn’t drink anything stronger than harvests, considers what seeds her family will sow next year,
tea; the later it gets, the sharper she wants to be. and decides whether they need to trade for more. She taught
Recently, Jenny’s noticed several of her regulars have her sons the clan’s ceremonies, and prepares her house for
disappeared. None of them mentioned leaving town and, her eldest’s impending wedding. The clan relies on Kasa’s
in fact, they were excited by a rumor about a new gold leadership, trusting her judgments and carrying out her
vein some farmer discovered on her land. Athletics 3, wishes. She’s a quiet force in the Hopi village, one even
Expression (Dancing) 2, Politics (Corrupt Politicians) 2 those outside her immediate family turn to for guidance.
Crafts 2, Politics (Tribal) 3, Socialize 3
The Officer
The Hunter
Sam Danforth’s been on the police force for a decade.
He’s in his late 50s now, and watches with dawning dread Kasa, the Elder, has a son named Tocho who uses his
as the population increases and the number of his fellows bow to hunt deer and small game from horseback. When
stays static. The corruption in the city’s spread to the force, the Navajo raided the village a few years back, Tocho was
and Sam doesn’t know which of his colleagues he can trust. one of the first warriors in the fray. He suspects he’ll have
They’ve had to buddy up to patrol the Barbary Coast, and to raise his bow in battle again soon, against the American
he’s got no read on whether the person at his side will shoot settlers’ hunger for land. A month ago, he sheltered in an
the criminals or shoot him if guns start blazing. abandoned one-room hut during a fierce storm. Inside was
Problem is, Sam killed his companion a few nights ago, a library far larger than the hut’s dimensions. He took one
and now he’s afraid someone’s going to find out. Firearms book as proof. The stories within change depending on the
2, Intimidation 3, Investigation 2 reader, reflecting their strengths and fears. Academics 3,
Athletics (Bows) 2, Survival 2
Hopi Territory
The Hopi people live on their ancestral land in
Hawk’s Rest
northern Arizona, many of them in villages uniting Fifteen years ago, Hawk’s Rest was booming. Within
three mesas. Their multistory, apartment-like homes are six months of Jed Hallet finding gold in the hills, everyone
made from adobe, with ladders to reach the second floor. with a pickaxe and a dream came rolling in. What had been
The Hopi, whose name means “peaceful ones,” are an a cluster of one-room shacks and a trading post became an
agricultural society. honest-to-God town with bars and a hotel and, eventually,
Hopi creation myths say spirits called kachinas accom- a railroad stop. Some days, the main street was so busy the
panied them from the underworld and help the people with dust never fully settled. Then the mine ran out, and the
their everyday lives. Men dress in costumes and don masks people who’d come seeking their fortunes sought them right
to dance as kachinas in ceremonies throughout the year. on out of town.
Children receive carved and painted dolls that help them Nowadays, only a few old holdovers still live here. Trains
learn to recognize the kachinas in their villages. rarely stop, chugging past the depot in the dead of night.
Give it another two years, and Hawk’s Rest’s only inhabit-
Oraibi ants will be the crows.
Oraibi is one of the most influential Hopi settlements; Plenty of blood spilled here when things were lively,
nearly half the tribe’s people live here. Located on Third from barroom brawls to gunfights. Stories say all that red
Mesa, it’s been inhabited since around 1100 CE, making it seeping into the dust and the boards woke something up.
363
Locations
The Hawly Inn Angels Window
Room keys still hang on the peg board behind the Hawly Along the Grand Canyon’s North Rim, a narrow trail
Inn’s front desk. The last guest on the register stayed here juts out into the gorge. Partway down the promontory, the
in September 1872, though Jack Hawly wiped his hands of limestone opens up into a natural arch explorers dubbed the
the business in May of that year. Angels Window. It’s a breathtaking view even to mundane
Crawford Mine travelers. To the Lost, the arch looks an awful lot like a door:
one big, natural portal to the Hedge. Some shudder to think
The mine’s about a mile outside Hawk’s Rest, tucked what might come through. Others are keen to find out.
away in the hills. Where miners cut down swaths of trees
to make room for their carts and horses, now the forest The Entrepreneur
grows back, obscuring the road and covering over aban- Gerald Beene’s got an eye for business. He’s started a
doned tools. The mine entrance used to be boarded up, dozen of them in his 30 years on Earth, and learned some-
but someone — or something — knocked the planks out thing every time. Never mind that most of them have failed;
from the inside. that’s part of business, too. He heard about the canyon and
The Last Bartender the river from an explorer friend and left his cozy New York
home to come see what the fuss is about. Beene took one
Clara Delisle lives above the Hawk’s Rest saloon. She look over the North Rim and saw dollar signs. He’s drawing
never worked there when the town had people in it. But up plans for a hotel, keen to sign up investors. Academics
she’s poured shots before, and she does it now when the 2, Persuasion (Fast Talk) 3, Politics 2.
occasional passerby stops in. She keeps a loaded Winchester
under the bar in case patrons get unruly, but she prides The Guide
herself on deescalating before it gets to that. Her gossip’s Tish Monroe grew up a slave in Kentucky. After the
usually a few months out of date, but she doesn’t care much Civil War, she headed west and took jobs on riverboats.
for current events. The tidbits she collects tend toward the She’s worked on the waters of the Mississippi and the
strange and unusual — the more unlikely the tale, the bet- Missouri, and when the opportunity came to be part of a
ter. Empathy (Calming Presence) 3, Occult 1, Socialize 2 crew on the Colorado, Tish snapped it up. She’s been up
The Fugitive and down the river plenty of times these last few years, but
it always has its surprises — which is precisely what she
Ernest Vale came to Hawk’s Rest to hide. It was out of loves about it. Academics 2, Persuasion 1, Sail (Rapids) 3.
the way, nowhere the marshals or Pinkertons would ever
come looking. Then the gold rush happened, and maybe he
ought to have skipped town then, but he’d made a life here
and was too stubborn to leave. He knows every inch of the What Is to Come
territory. Though he’s gruff and blunt, he makes a damned In November 1875, inspector E. C. Watkins reports that
fine guide. Firearms 2, Medicine 1, Survival (Foraging) 3 the Sioux and Cheyenne, led by Sitting Bull and Crazy
Horse, are hostile to the United States. His report spurs
Grand Canyon the government to order all Native Americans forced onto
reservations. In June 1876, Lt. General Custer leads the 7th
The Grand Canyon cuts a 277-mile-long chasm across
Cavalry in an attack on the Sioux and Cheyenne, known
northern Arizona. At its deepest point, the distance from
as the Battle of Little Big Horn. The battle is a complete
the rim to the bottom is a mile straight down. Indigenous
loss; Custer and the entirety of the 7th Cavalry perish. The
tribes have lived in and around the canyon for centuries,
U.S. adopts a policy of “sell or starve” from that point on,
including the Hualapai people, the Southern Paiutes, and
forcing the Sioux to cede their lands.
the Navajo. Five years ago, Major John Wesley Powell
Other tribes resist placement on reservations. In 1877,
completed his exploration of the canyon via the Colorado
the Nez Perce, under the leadership of Chief Joseph, sur-
River. White settlers operate steamboats on parts of the
render after four months. Conflicts between Natives and
river, their captains tasked with navigating dangerous shal-
U.S. troops continue for nearly a decade, until Geronimo
lows and unpredictable currents.
and his band of Apaches surrender in 1886. The Dawes Act
Pahreah Crossing of 1887 ends communal ownership of indigenous lands and
Mormon leader John D. Lee established a settlement at forces the sale and redistribution of nearly 90 million acres
one of the few points on the Colorado River where travelers to white settlers.
can access the water from both sides. He began operating Wild Bill Hickok dies in 1876, shot in the back during
a ferry from this point last years, to help Mormon settlers a poker game in Deadwood. Rumor has it he’s holding aces
cross into Arizona from Utah. Lee’s hiding from the law, and eights, which becomes known as the Dead Man’s Hand.
avoiding arrest for his part in the Mountain Meadows In 1881, the gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone,
Massacre, which killed over 120 people in Utah in 1857. Arizona cements Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday’s place in
364
Old West legend. The next year, Jesse James dies, shot by
a member of his own gang. Toward the end of the century, The Wild Hunt
Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch become the most suc- It seems like a good idea: change your name, settle in a
cessful train robbers in U.S. history. new town where no one knows your story and everyone’s too
Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Shows begin in 1883 and con- busy looking for gold or protecting their herd to scrutinize
tinue well into the 1900s. Annie Oakley and Calamity Jane your particulars. No one recognizes your face. Everyone’s
tour with the show, as do Chief Sitting Bull, Chief Joseph, got their problems, kid, have a slug of rotgut. But who’ll
and Geronimo. The performances feature marksmanship have your back when the Huntsman claiming to be a U.S.
displays, rodeo events, and reenactments of significant Marshal shows your sketch around the saloon?
battles. Minions of the True Fae take advantage of the author-
In response to pressure from the California legislature ity a badge and a gun confer, pitting the Lost’s community
over Chinese laborers taking low-wage jobs in the railroad against her. It’s a gamble: Some towns rally behind the
and mining industries, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 Beast who tirelessly helped dig wells and raise barns. Yet it
bans immigration from China for 10 years. Lawmakers re- only takes one person tempted by a hefty reward to bring in
new it twice. A Massachusetts senator calls the act “nothing the law. Huntsmen deputize townsfolk to help track down
less than the legalization of racial discrimination.” their prey. A whisper in the right ear spreads suspicion like
A new gold rush begins in 1896 after explorers find gold fire on the dry prairie: He’s never really been one of us; what
in the Klondike region of the Yukon. The city of Seattle do we know about him, anyway? It’s easy to make the Lost
booms as prospectors pass through on their way north. look like villains, to call attention to the outsiders they are.
In Awakened society, word of Hegemony’s global efforts Out here, a Huntsman’s panoply differs little from those
to tempt the Nameless Orders into allying with them against of a mundane lawkeeper: a Colt at his hip, a hat with its
the Diamond between 1894 and 1899 trickles back to the brim pulled low to keep the sun out of his eyes, and that
American West by telegraph and wagon. By the time the damned badge, polished ‘til it shines. Privateers form posses
idea of Assembly begins to pick up steam here — particu- of their own, riding down changelings who run, dragging
larly in California — columns in Paris and elsewhere are them through the dust to where the Hedge grows brittle
already gathering support to retaliate against the Seers. The and sere out of the scrub.
American Nameless have no wish to help the Throne’s ser- Hobgoblin establishments pepper western towns. Hedge
vants drive the west’s myriad Mysteries deeper underground; denizens run saloons and gambling houses in boomtowns
in 1899, they take part in the Great Refusal, if mostly only and desert outposts alike. At least a dozen businesses on
in name and spirit. the Barbary Coast are theirs, including an opium den and
Afterward, in Los Angeles, Goetia possess weak-minded a dance hall. Some hobgoblin barkeeps are in the Gentry’s
Sleepers, causing them to commit strange acts while they’re employ, entrapping changelings and funneling them back
deeply asleep. The fledgling Assembly in California sets to Faerie; some western Lost call it Yonder, fearing to use
up shop here, drawn by the Mystery, and gains a foothold any of its truer names. Others emerged from the Hedge for
before the Diamond Orders swoop in. reasons not unlike gold fever: If people sink themselves
into debt to pry rocks out of other rocks, why shouldn’t
hobgoblins be the ones holding the contracts?
Changeling: The Fae themselves make bold moves to abduct new
Gumption, Glamour, servants. Inspired by a Nightsinger’s ballad, the Brushland
and Grit
Duchess turns her court into a bandit gang and spreads her
cloak of night across the mouth of a railroad tunnel. The
“Mounted on my favorite horse, my…lariat near my hand, 5:58 train comes through on schedule, but never comes
and my trusty guns in my belt… I felt I could defy the world.” out the other side. Instead, the tracks carry it through the
— The Life and Adventures of Nat Love Hedge into Faerie, where the Dry Grass Court waits at the
depot for its charges to disembark.
The west represents a fresh start for many Lost. It’s full
of open sky and roads that could lead anywhere. It’s full of The Defiant
places with no roads at all, and the chance to blaze new
trails. Changelings among the indigenous peoples recognize The Wild Hunt’s not just some ghost story you tell
they share a common enemy with those among the settlers, around a campfire on the trail, but if there’s one thing you
and often stand with the newly arrived Lost, offering shelter learned over the course of your durance, it’s that you’re big-
and aid when Huntsmen’s horns sound. ger than your fear. You did what you needed to in order to
survive, then to get out, and anyone who tries to take you
For all Lost, the American frontier is both opportunity
back’s gonna need a whole herd of mustangs to drag you.
and escape, but the same lawlessness and anonymity that
shield them also protect those who hunt them. Being Lost in the Wild West requires gumption. Facing
off against the Fae, drawing that line in the dirt and saying
365
What Is to Come
“come get me, then,” it takes a whole lot of guts. Courts pass
along stories of changelings who’ve done just that, earning
their place as folk heroes. The tales grow larger in the tell-
ing, gaining embellishments as they wend their way from
motley to motley. A Cheyenne Wizened kills a Huntsman
with a well-aimed shot from horseback. By the time the tale
reaches the coast, she’s taken out seven verderers with one
currant-wood arrow. The stories about Breakaway Billy’s
escape from his pursuers could fill a book. They run the
gamut from daring shootouts and midnight chases to amus-
ing romps where Billy makes a pack of hobgoblins look the
fool. The tales are both a morale boost and a how-to guide
for dealing with the Wild Hunt.
BONNIE REED,
WARDEN PATHFINDER
“Run if you want, I’ll cover you. But I’m not moving a
damned inch.”
Background: Bonnie Reed was born in Boston, the
daughter of a tailor and a journalist. In 1848, 21-year-old
Bonnie joined a company headed for California to try their
luck in the gold rush. She promised to write her sister every
week. One night, on the Missouri border, a pale man riding
a silver horse stopped to share their cookfire. When Bonnie
woke, her companions were gone, and a silver thread led
from her middle to the strange man’s wrist. Three years
she was in his charge, sent to spy for his court. By the time Seeming: Ogre
she snapped her thread and returned to Boston, nearly 20 Kith: Helldiver
years had passed.
Court: Bay City Marshals (p. 384)
Her family hadn’t even missed her. She found stacks of
letters her sister saved, all in Bonnie’s own hand, detailing a Needle: Protector
life in California she’d never lived. 20 years’ worth. Unable Thread: Memory
to bear it, Bonnie headed west again. Aspiration: Save other Lost from the Wild Hunt
She travels the frontier with her posse, aiding Lost
Touchstones: Her sister Susan
who’ve escaped their durances, helping them find freeholds
or dodge Huntsmen. Someday, she thinks, she’ll find her Attributes: Intelligence 3, Wits 5, Resolve 4;
Keeper and strangle him with the silver thread she keeps Strength 2, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3; Presence 2,
in her pocket. Manipulation 1, Composure 2
Description: Bonnie’s a black woman in her early 30s. Skills: Academics 1, Investigation 2, Medicine
She’s square-shouldered and stocky. She keeps her hair (First Aid) 2, Occult 2; Athletics 2, Brawl 3,
shorn close to the scalp, though few ever see it beneath the Firearms (Rifles) 4, Ride 3, Stealth (Shadowing) 2,
wide-brimmed hat she wears. Bonnie prefers pants to skirts,
Survival 4, Weaponry 1; Empathy 2, Intimidation
5, Persuasion 2, Socialize 1, Streetwise 2
but she keeps one plain, dark gray dress in her saddlebags.
Too many funerals in her line of work not to. Merits: Acute Senses, Danger Sense, Fame 1,
Firebrand, Multilingual (Chronicles of Darkness, p.
Storytelling Hints: Bonnie is a busy woman. She’s com-
46) (Navajo, Spanish), Mantle (Summer) 3
passionate, especially to other Lost, but has little patience
for people who repeat their own mistakes. When she makes Current/Maximum Clarity: 4/6
a plan, she expects her companions to follow it to the letter. Willpower: 6
The story goes that once, a settler questioned her orders Initiative: 6
and pointed a finger in her face. Bonnie calmly reached up
and broke his hand, crushing all the bones, then continued
Defense: 6
laying out her scheme. She won’t confirm or deny its truth; Armor: 1/0 (reinforced clothing)
it sure makes people inclined to shut up and listen, though. Size: 5
366
Speed: 11 for entering or exiting the Hedge is this: You must have
Health: 8 a closeable portal to enter or leave. That’s easy enough in
a town where every building has a door, or a settlement
Wyrd: 4 where tipi flaps can close out the world. But out in the great
Glamour/per Turn: 13/4 empty? How do you slip into the Hedge when you’re 100
Frailties: Can’t approach a campfire while miles from the nearest door?
people are singing (minor taboo); rowan wood You build your own.
(minor bane) Anything will do, so long as it’s got the right shape and
Favored Regalia: Crown, Shield can open and close. Wizened are particularly skilled at
Contracts: Cloak of Night, Fortifying Presence, lashing sticks and tentpoles together, and turning scraps of
High Summer’s Zeal, Paralyzing Presence, Trivial hide into steel on hinges. These makeshift portals appear
Reworking, Trapdoor Spider’s Trick, Tumult, all across the wilderness, proof of a changeling’s passage.
Vigilance of Ares, Vow of No Compromise Leaving that evidence behind runs the risk of tipping off
Weapons/Attacks: Huntsmen or privateers, but generally the Lost who create
those portals consider them one-time affairs. They leave
Dice
the dormant Hedgeways standing for others passing by who
Attack Damage Range Clip Init. Pool
might need them. In a few rare cases, a motley or freehold
Unarmed 0B Melee — −0 5 integrates the doorway into a more permanent structure: a
Rifle 4L 200/400/800 5+1 −5 9 rain shelter here, a one-room cabin there.
Colt 2 35/70/140 6 −2 8
Peacemaker Trodblazers
Traversing the Hedge is difficult enough for Lost in
Hedge Travel settled areas. Out on the frontier, changelings who know
where hidden Hedgeways are make a solid living as guides.
Mundane travelers rely on stagecoaches and railroads to
They escort other Lost not only to Hedge entrances far
carry them across the west. They ride horses along rough-
outside of towns, but also into the Hedge itself. A Hatter
hewn roads. But the maps are reliable, long as you know
prepares for expeditions the same way her mundane coun-
how to read one, and if you catch yourself on some brambles,
terparts prepare to bring city folk out into the wilderness,
you patch up the tears and move on. Lost sometimes choose
laying in supplies, considering contingencies, and keeping
another path, one that’s riskier, one that threatens to keep
an ear out for anything that might threaten the travelers.
a piece of their souls if it snags their skin, but whose roads
Most of these guides set up shop at Goblin Markets,
are full of wonders well worth the danger.
where they’re available for hire. Some even organize into
The Dreaming Roads here are often gold-tinged, reflect-
tidy businesses, enlisting Chatelaines to keep the books and
ing the fortunes miners envision awaiting them when they
Bright Ones to persuade prospective clients that their com-
strike it rich. Some roads have been trampled smooth by the
pany is the surest bet. As always, towns remain the simplest
herds Native hunters chase in their sleep, the dream-buffalo
places to access the Hedge, and hobgoblins take advantage
still plentiful even though real-world herds dwindle every
of that. They’ve got a presence everywhere, with markets
year. Music echoes along others: dance hall songs, a lone
at trading posts, and in cities next to mining supply outfits.
guitar, the rhythm of a kachina dance.
Instead of crossing treacherous terrain, or venturing
along roads where bandits are known to lie in wait, some A Change of Scenery
Lost enter the Hedge and navigate trods to reach their final Lost who head west tend to be individuals seeking a
destination. Safety’s a relative concept, but at least the new start, or a motley out for adventure — they’re often
trod trolls who hold you up are willing to haggle with you. members of seasonal courts, but rarely do the monarchs
In places where gunfighter boots jingle on rough wooden themselves abdicate their thrones. This makes the courts’
boards, the Hedge’s Thorns are made of spurs. influences uneven — or sometimes completely absent — in
Ghost towns spring up in the Hedge, echoing abandoned new settlements. Freeholds are small and scattered, consist-
places in the mundane world. A motley based in northern ing of whichever handful of courtiers bands together. You
New Mexico has made such a place into a Hollow, while pick who’s present, or no one at all.
others are the sites of Goblin Markets; but these towns are In some cases, smaller courts with new Bargains fill in
primarily Hedge ghost territory, where echoes left behind the gaps. In Tombstone, for example, the Court of Cunning
challenge Lost to gunfights at the drop of a 10-gallon hat, holds the Leaden Mirror’s traditional seat. There’s no room
and it’s always high noon. for fear out here, but a canny eye toward who might be
Even the Hedge, often as lawless as desert nowhere- ready to draw a gun and try to take you in? Ah, that’s what
towns, has rules. The one unimpeachable requirement keeps you alive. When the Court of Cunning reigns, the
Others must challenge their targets to a duel, one on one.
367
What Is to Come
Non-traditional Bargains that result not in courts but in
Life in the West
traveling bands and other one-off groups are common, too.
The Summer Court dominates in places where the sea- A Beast rides alongside stagecoaches and on railcars,
sons hold sway. Wrath and defiance are essential for survival protecting people and their belongings from those who’d do
in lawless towns, where thieves and murderers look for them harm. A Darkling Helldiver slips in and out of towns,
weakness and pounce. Maybe the type of people who move gathering information on the Loyalists plotting to sell out
west are predisposed to be Iron Spears. Maybe the West the freehold. She knows the unsavory types; heck, she is one,
transforms them. Either way, the Crimson Court reigns. sometimes. She’s rustled her share of cattle. The Elemental
ensures his tribe’s crops grow plentiful and strong, and when
Some Lost never get pitched by a court at all. No one
they move with the seasons, he helps lead the herd to water.
waits with a welcome packet in their tiny one-horse towns
The Fairest Nightsinger’s voice draws customers into the
because no one’s been taken before. These solitary Lost,
concert hall, and she basks in the adoration. Her motley
along with those who choose not to join a court, mean the
benefits, too, from all the abundant Glamour. The shiny
courtless make up a significant percentage of changeling
star on the Ogre’s chest feels strange, like maybe she doesn’t
society. Some Lost reject the obligations being part of a
really deserve it, but the townsfolk pinned it on her and now
court imposes: Who has time for endless rituals when the
the duty’s hers. She drove off a pack of bandits last week,
horses need watering and the law’s on the way? Others
but she knows they’ll come back soon, with reinforcements.
deny they’ll need a court’s protection once they get their
The Wizened’s elbows-deep in the train engine’s guts, grease
old lives back. It leaves them more vulnerable, without
streaking every inch of her. She’ll get it running again soon
Bargains to thwart Fae flunkies, but that independent streak
enough, even smoother than before.
runs deep. Monarchs have to factor in opinions from the
courtless when making decisions for the freehold — where Some Lost come from homesteading families, or are the
the courts present their views as a consensus, the courtless children and grandchildren of settlers who headed west
don’t wish to be lumped together as one group. in wagon trains. Native changelings still live among their
people on ancestral lands. The Maudlin King snatches a
Courts among Native changelings vary widely. Some are
drover from her bedroll and forces her to play campfire songs
seasonal, similar to those of the settlers. A tribe’s hunting
to entertain his hobgoblin retainers. She keeps strumming
grounds might inform their court structures, or the waters
even though her blood runs down the guitar’s strings. A
that sustain their people throughout the year, or the spir-
miner squeezes into a tight crevice to snatch a glint of gold,
its who aid the tribe. As time passes, western freeholds
only to find himself clutching a Keeper’s ring. He spends
gain Lost from among both the Natives and the settlers.
10 years digging ethereal metals out of Faerie mines to pay
Syncretism is common in these courts; seasonal ones are
for his thievery. They escape through a Hedge made of
the easiest to adapt to their members’ varied traditions, but
tumbleweeds and cactus thorns. Maybe the place they left
the Lost find common ground in the smaller courts as well,
has blossomed into a boomtown by the time they return.
and work together to stand against the Wild Hunt. This can
Maybe they come back to a ghost town.
cause problems for changelings whose mortal families come
into conflict. How do you reclaim your place when your
brothers, accompanied by your fetch, lead attacks against New Kith: Cleverquick
your freehold? Do you even want to, anymore? “You told me not to fight the monster, but I’ve already gone
Bridge-Burners have a hefty presence in the west. They and defeated it for you.”
sign on to help build new towns, pushing for perfunctory,
no-frills structures and a dearth of fancy entertainment Many Plains tribes tell stories of twin heroes. A monster
establishments. Officially, the Bridge-Burner architect murdered their mother, and they grew up to be monster
suggests he’s working with the scarcity of materials: Fewer slayers, fighting the beings their father warned them to stay
embellishments mean less money spent on shipping in clear of. The Gentry noticed their prowess in hunting fae
supplies. Unofficially, he wants the Gentry to see a row of creatures and malevolent spirits and stole the twins away
silent, drab-fronted buildings and move on. to serve Yonder. After many trials, the clever duo escaped.
Bridge-Burners seek out those same makeshift Hedgeways Today, the True Fae look for quick-witted servants to aid
other Lost have built and tear or burn them down. It’s of them in destroying their foes, taking them in pairs or pairing
no concern to them if they’ve trapped a changeling on the them up after the fact. The Cleverquick spends her durance
other side; to a Bridge-Burner, no one should traverse the teasing out the weaknesses in her Keeper’s enemies. Many
Hedge in the first place, True Fae or Lost. They’re bold become hunters, killing those who displease their Keepers.
enough to organize openly. A passel of Bridge-Burners Others enact elaborate intrigues, ruining an adversary’s reputa-
descends on the Barbary Coast, intent on shutting down tion or standing in Faerie’s courts. In both cases, the pair turns
the dance halls whose bright colors and boisterous music their target’s flaws into the very weapon that brings him down.
are a sure draw for Keepers in search of prey. Opium dens Darkling: The force of his owl-eyed gaze is unsettling.
are a particular target, where the drug holds users in a He tracks every movement, tucks away every morsel of
dream-filled thrall. information for use later. He’s so still you’d hardly notice
368
he’s there. Once you catch movement, it’s already too late. Lalla’s Arch: An arch rises out of the tallgrass plains in
Ogre: The changeling resembles the very monsters she eastern Nebraska. The Wizened who made it wove together
battles. She wears the scars from her near-misses as a mark branches and vines, and her Elemental lover made it take
of pride; they prove she survived. root in the earth. Flowers bloom year round, and hanging
Kith Blessing: When the Cleverquick uses Occult to vines create a curtain over its opening. Pluck some blossoms
outsmart his enemy, achieving three successes counts as an and crush them in your hand, make a promise to someone
exceptional success. you love, and you’ve found the Key.
Know Your Enemy: Spend a point of Glamour to learn
one of the target’s frailties, banes, or bans, if they possess Tokens
any. For three points, the changeling may instead impose The Rosewood Revolver (•): A changeling ditched
a temporary frailty, bane, or ban upon her enemy that lasts her gun in the Hedge after shooting the Huntsman on her
for the chapter, but must also accept it herself for the same trail, and briars grew around it. To mundane eyes, scratches
duration. If two Cleverquicks work together, they both mar the barrel and grip of this rusted six-shooter; activated,
benefit from these effects (and suffer the drawback), and the gun is made all of wood and fires razor-sharp thorns,
may split the Glamour cost of inflicting a weakness between and it leaps into the hand, eager to taste blood once more.
them in any combination. The wielder may draw the Rosewood Revolver as a reflexive
action, and it gains armor piercing 2 against Huntsmen.
Known Hedgeways Catch: The wielder must load only one bullet and take
The Empty Saloon: In a narrow gap in a rocky trail a gamble that she won’t fire from an empty chamber; roll
outside Tucson, someone bolted a pair of swinging saloon one die before the attack. On success, the chamber is loaded
doors into the stone. Glass shards litter the ground, a hint when she shoots.
to the Hedgeway’s Key: Smash a bottle of whiskey against Drawback: The Fae recognize the thunderous crack of
the rock, and step on through. this particular gun. Firing it alerts the nearest Huntsman,
369
What Is to Come
hobgoblin, or other Gentry servant to its wielder’s location, industries. The west is lousy with apostates and Nameless,
giving her the Hunted Condition (Changeling, p. 342). staking their claims and daring the Awakened establish-
Pouch of Winds (••): Blackfoot mythology tells the ment to contest them. For all that, though, they engage in
story of Napioa, who wished to possess two bags contain- a haphazard series of skirmishes and duels rather than any
ing summer and winter, and make the seasons equal. He kind of Nameless War, mostly instigated by Diamond mages
sent a small animal to steal them, and although it grabbed trying to bring the unaffiliated into the fold (or, failing
the summer bag, the bag’s guardian chased the animal and that, marginalize them); by and large, western sorcerers just
decapitated it. The bag burst in the struggle and released want to be left to do whatever they damn well please, and
a strong wind. the Diamond’s small numbers compounded with the huge
The pouch’s Mask resembles a plain burlap sack, but distances between its territories make for an intermittent, if
those who can see its true form behold a sturdy, pale dedicated, clash. Unfortunately for Sleepers, no Consilium
leather bag that appears full. When a changeling unties the adjudicating Awakened conflict or restricting access to
bag as an instant action, wind gusts out for one turn and dangerous Mysteries means organized attempts to mitigate
topples her opponent, imposing the Knocked Down Tilt collateral damage and unwise behavior are sporadic — and
(Changeling, p. 330) and sending the foe flying back five often ineffective.
yards/meters as long as he’s Size 6 or smaller. If it’s a summer
bag, it also creates the Extreme Heat environmental Tilt
for the scene; if it’s winter, it creates Extreme Cold instead.
Adamantine Arrow
Catch: The user lets the unfettered wind carry something Even before white settlers arrived, the Order Europeans
important to her away with it, whether it’s a favorite hat, call the Adamantine Arrow had a strong presence in the
a wanted poster bearing her quarry’s likeness, or an object west among Native communities with warrior traditions,
over which she and her opponent were grappling. such as the Comanche of the Great Plains and the Apaches
of the southwest, whose Awakened tribal guardians served
Drawback: The bags were originally stolen from the
their own communities as well as neighboring ones without
seasons themselves, who still want them back. Each time a
any Wise. The Order’s reforms forbidding them from serving
user activates the pouch, she gains the Notoriety Condition
Sleeper causes are still most of a century away, so Arrows
among all changelings bearing a Mantle of the seasonal
gather in roaming gangs of marshals and deputies, or local
court that matches its season or any court with a related
posses of mages and Sleepwalkers dedicated to protecting
patron (such as Heat or Winds).
a town in lieu of Sleeper law. The Arrow isn’t the first
Diamond Order to push for expansion west, but once it
arrives, it thrives and recruits heavily; its numbers include
Mage: quite a few Awakened soldiers, Union and Confederate
alike, who went west looking for new opportunities once
Diamond in the Rough the Mexican-American and Civil Wars ended. Its Caucuses
here are the largest, though they sometimes split into mul-
tiple Caucuses overseeing the same territory, with relation-
“Anyone who limits her vision to memories of yesterday is ships ranging from uneasy peace to open rivalry over who
already dead.” planted their flag first.
— Lillie Langtry
Mages feel the same wanderlust as anyone else, strik-
ing out from the safe and comfortable arms of their home Guardians of the Veil
Consilia for Mysteries unknown or Awakening out among Eastern Guardian Caucuses largely regard the west
the mountains and prairies under the open sky. While the as enemy territory, or filled with rogue agents at best.
era’s Sleepers expand their worlds and explore new horizons Although the Diamond’s recruitment efforts bear some
with innovations like the First Transcontinental Railroad fruit, the majority of mages here are apostates or Nameless;
and the telegraph, willworkers find stranger trails to blaze the Guardians work quickly to establish the Labyrinth
and limitations to reach beyond. With so much opportu- among local parishes and businesses, and quietly sabotage
nity and promise awaiting any mage with the guts to chase any Libertine columns they find to manipulate them into
them, a plague of restlessness infects the Awakened of the joining (or rejoining) the Diamond. The Nameless deal
west. It’s hard to resist the pull of Mysteries no European harshly with Guardian spies they catch. Few in number,
sorcerer has ever laid eyes on; it’s hard to stay put when the Order sends lone members undercover wherever Seer
there’s always so much more frontier to see. Ministries hold sway or rogue Nameless set up shop, trying
The Diamond as a whole does move west, but relatively to dismantle them from the inside.
slowly. Their Seer counterparts are in a similar boat, but The Guardians of the Veil cannot do their work in the
the Iron Pyramid takes full advantage of all the myriad west except by leveraging other organizations’ resources. To
ways to get in on the ground floor of new settlements and that end, they’ve embedded themselves in the Pinkerton
370
Detective Agency and use it as cover for Order business widow who has no idea how big the world really is. Even
— unaware that a small but ambitious cult of the Eye, the among Guardians, she’s content to play supporting roles,
Iron Seal of Space, has infiltrated both the Pinkertons and and her history of learning “a little bit about this and that”
their Order. The Guardians likewise form alliances with serves her well. Molly talks about alchemical concepts in
supernatural creatures who share their uneasy familiarity terms of baking and cooking — a reflection of her Nameless
with occult hazards. days and Legacy. She can’t resist offering food to people,
whether a piece of candy to a child or an elaborate meal
for a surprise guest.
MOLLY COOK, Molly’s work for the Pinkertons carries her anywhere the
KITCHEN ALCHEMIST Guardians need an unobtrusive spy or undercover agent.
She infiltrates Seer-controlled mining camps on recon-
“I want to hear about what it is you saw on that moun-
naissance missions, poses as a harmless traveler on trains
tain. You talk, and I’ll get dinner started.”
carrying Diamond relics vulnerable to theft, and deploys the
Background: Molly Smith-Menendez endured prejudice Attainments of her Legacy to facilitate delicate exchanges
and worse for her mixed-race heritage, but she loved her of sensitive information between parties with little reason
school in Pittsburgh and feared the unknown, so for her sake to trust one another.
her parents stayed despite the hardships. They stayed until Path: Moros
a gang of local teens set fire to their home and bakery. Molly
was the only survivor. With nowhere left to go at the age of Order: Guardian of the Veil
16, Molly conquered her terrors to set out along the long Legacy: Kitchen Alchemists
trail to Santa Fe, where a distant relative supposedly lived. Virtue: Humble
Her weeks-long journey took her high into the mountains,
Vice: Indulgent
where a wise-eyed vulture bid her follow with rasping cries
she could almost understand as words. Her guide led her Obsessions: The Rocky Mountains’ buried
through a forbidding pass into an abandoned mine, where Mysteries; Everyday alchemy; Weak Quiescence
she carved her name into an untapped vein of lead ore.
(p. 375)
Stumbling into town half dead, Molly took work in a lo- Aspirations: Visit Napa Valley; Cook the per-
cal bakery, and abandoned the search for her relative when a fect meal
Moros from a Nameless cabal using everyday Sleeper trades
as metaphors for the Mysteries took her in. She joined one
of their signature Legacies, as well as their scouting parties
and mining expeditions as cook and apprentice, in hopes
of finding that vulture again and discovering more of its
secrets buried under the Rocky Mountains.
On one such expedition, investigating rumors of a min-
ing camp whose inhabitants vanished overnight, she found
the vulture with the knowing eyes and followed it into the
caves. There, she ran into several Awakened Pinkerton
detectives looking into the same Mystery, and impressed
them with her insights. They recruited her into their agency
and, ultimately, into the Guardians of the Veil.
Description: Molly is a white and Mexican woman in
her early 40s, tall and heavyset. She dresses in unassuming
clothes, posing as a cook or other laborer, and always sports
large pockets — the better to disguise her use of magic to
conjure up whatever tool or small object she happens to
need at the moment.
Her Immediate Nimbus manifests as hunger or a crav-
ing for a favorite food, while her Signature Nimbus feels
like satiation and satisfaction at the end of a full meal. Her
Long-Term Nimbus makes cooking fires light too easily and
intensify too quickly; cooking meat chars before it should
and water boils at too low a temperature.
Storytelling Hints: Among Sleepers, Molly avoids
drawing attention to herself, acting the part of the humble
371
What Is to Come
Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3; Presence 2, Kitchen Alchemists
Manipulation 4, Composure 3 (Moros; Fate)
Skills: Crafts (Cooking) 4, Enigmas 3, A handful of chefs, bakers, and campsite cooks make
Investigation 5, Occult 3; Athletics 1, Firearms 3, up this small Legacy that believes the Mystery of alchemy
Ride 2, Stealth 2, Survival (Desert, Mountains) 5; lives in the simple act of transforming raw materials into
Empathy 4, Persuasion 3, Socialize 2, Subterfuge not only food that nourishes the body, but into happiness,
(Playing Dumb) 4 energy, and community. If Sleeper cooking can perform a
Merits: Allies (Autumn Court) 2, High Speech, miracle like that, they say, what could willworkers do by
Occultation 3, Order Status (Guardians of the applying its principles to the Supernal?
Veil) 3, Language (Comanche, Spanish) 2, Yantras: cooking utensils (+1); eating something
Mentor 3, Status (Pinkerton Detective Agency) 1 the mage made herself (+1 per turn it takes to eat, to a
Wisdom: 6 maximum of +3); succeeding on a Crafts roll to make food
Willpower: 5 relevant to the spell (+2); raw ingredients (+1)
Initiative: 5 Oblations: spending at least an hour preparing food
for others; eating until the mage’s appetite is completely
Defense: 3 satisfied; partaking in a ritual meal; serving food the mage
Armor: 0/0 made herself at a public event dedicated to something
Speed: 9 other than eating
Health: 8 First Attainment: Comfort Food
Gnosis: 5 Prerequisites: Initiation (Fate 2, Crafts 2, a Specialty
Mana/per Turn: 15/5 in Cooking or Baking)
The Chef loses herself in the act of preparing food for a
Nimbus Tilt: Imposes −1 on Composure and
Stamina rolls; grants +1 to Resolve rolls. scene while meditating on a problem or goal, turning raw
ingredients into victuals and answers. Once the food is
Dedicated Magical Tool: Pewter bowl ready, she experiences a revelation regarding an action that
Arcana: Death 2, Fate 3, Matter 5 will bring her closer to overcoming the problem or achiev-
Attainments: Counterspell (Death, Fate, ing the goal. This mimics the Fate 1 spell “Serendipity”
Matter); Eyes of the Dead; Conditional Duration; (Mage, p. 135) with Potency equal to the mage’s Fate dots,
Permanence; Mage Armor (Death, Fate, Matter); allocating its Reach to the spell’s +1 Reach effect.
Targeted Summoning (Fate, Matter); Durability Optional: Matter 1
Control; Create Rote (Matter); Kitchen Alchemists The mage may instead infuse the food she prepares with
— Comfort Food, Abuela’s Home Cooking, Table the effect above, which affects the first person who eats it
of Fellowship
within an hour of its preparation. The Storyteller deter-
Praxes: Discern Composition (Matter 1); Find mines which problem or goal the recipient’s revelation ad-
the Balance (Matter 1); Hidden Hoard (Matter 2); dresses, usually based on one of that character’s Aspirations
Wonderful Machine (Matter 3); Transubstantiation or Obsessions. The Chef herself derives no benefit from
(Matter 4); Ex Nihilo (Matter 5)
this version of the Attainment, and it doesn’t carry the +1
Rotes: Speak with the Dead (Death 1, Reach effect, as it allocates its Reach to advanced Duration.
Investigation); Oaths Fulfilled (Fate 1,
Investigation); Shifting the Odds (Fate 2, Second Attainment: Abuela’s Home Cooking
Subterfuge); Sworn Oaths (Fate 3, Occult); Strings Prerequisites: Crafts 3, Matter 1
of Fate (Fate 4, Persuasion); Shaping (Matter 2, The Chef pours her love into a meal she prepares over
Crafts)
the course of a scene. The first person who eats it receives a
Rote Skills: Investigation, Stealth, Subterfuge boon of the mage’s choice, as the Fate 2 spell “Exceptional
Weapons/Attacks: Luck” (Mage, p. 135); the boon lasts for one day, whether
Dice anyone has accepted it by eating the food or not. This
Type Damage Range Clip Init. Size Pool Attainment has Potency equal to the mage’s Fate dots and
Winchester 3L 200/400/800 13 −4 2 4 allocates its Reach to advanced Duration; it can’t be used
Model 1866 to inflict a hex.
“Yellow Boy”
Third Attainment: Table of Fellowship
Notes: The Kitchen Alchemists give Molly Fate as
a third Ruling Arcanum. Prerequisites: Fate 3, Socialize 2
The Chef’s food binds her community together in
harmony. She prepares a meal over the course of a scene,
372
which she must serve to not more than 10 people within — thus bolstering their numbers, not coincidentally, to
one hour of its preparation. Immediately before the meal, counteract the Libertines — and encourage long-distance
she or someone who intends to partake must say grace, make trade and communications to speed establishment of the
a toast, or give a speech, urging peace and fellowship while Lex Magica and other Diamond institutions. As a result,
condemning conflict and violence. While the meal lasts and the western Caucuses mostly comprise mages of indigenous
for an advanced Duration afterward based on the mage’s and Spanish descent, and their numbers are too small to
Fate dots, Social Maneuvering rolls between those partaking adequately oversee the sheer square mileages involved. The
enjoy a one-step improvement to impression levels and a Ladder’s general absence makes the Guardians’ task all the
one-die bonus. For the same duration, anyone who partakes more difficult and contributes to the widespread abandon-
of the meal and then performs an act of violence against ment of Diamond precepts.
anyone who shared it with them suffers the grave Sick Tilt. The Order holds a Convocation in Sacramento —
Optional: Matter 3 the only place in California with a true Consilium — in
The food the mage prepares tastes different to each guest October of this year to address the “Nameless Problem,” and
who eats it, always exactly the flavor he most desires at that although it’s originally intended to focus on the American
moment. Consuming the meal counts as fulfilling his Vice, west, it attracts worldwide attention among théarchs deal-
replenishing a point of Willpower unless the character has ing with actual Nameless Wars elsewhere.
already fulfilled his Vice during the current scene.
Seers of the Throne
Mysterium Dependent as they are on Sleeper infrastructure to
Lured by a vast mystical landscape and Native Awakened thrive, the Seers’ influence in the west is narrower in scope
lore wholly unknown to European mages, Mystagogues lead and more localized than it will be in a decade or two, but
the charge west with enthusiasm, often giving up perfectly it’s no less insidious and their numbers grow rapidly once
respectable positions in eastern Caucuses and Consilia to railroads become more common. Like the Ladder, the Iron
prospect on the frontier. The Mysterium, in conjunction Pyramid latches onto trade and transportation. The west
with the Ladder, works alongside Native mages to help is full of wealthy Seer cattle barons and railroad tycoons,
preserve their languages and magical traditions. This often as well as local figures of influence, such as corrupt politi-
works out amiably, although sometimes the Natives rebuff cians and marshals, ruthless saloon owners, and overzealous
their attempts, caring little about these interlopers’ offers preachers; each Pylon plants its roots deep into a settle-
of help. But of all the Orders, the Mysterium is the most ment just as it’s getting off the ground, dominating it from
immediately successful at syncretizing with their Native the beginning so they can develop it as they like without
counterparts, and they establish an Awakened answer to interference from Diamond mages.
the Pony Express — a regulated system of mobile stagecoach The Seers also increasingly dedicate resources to pro-
libraries, bolstered by magic and circulating all over the voking and exacerbating conflicts between Natives and
West — to help foster cooperative magical scholarship. settlers, among Sleepers and Awakened alike, and between
Despite getting here first, the Order has difficulty es- the Diamond and the Nameless in a steady campaign to
tablishing Athenaea out here, partially due to the erratic persuade mages who have rejected the Diamond to join
behavior of Space portals (p. 375). Outbreaks of violence them. In less than 30 years, a majority of those Nameless
and raids in retaliation for trying to coerce Nameless mages will band together to collectively reject this campaign in
into sharing their knowledge don’t help. The only current a Great Refusal.
fully functional Athenaeum west of the Mississippi River
sets up shop in Independence, Missouri, where travelers
congregate to embark upon three major trails westward.
Ministries in the Wild West
Slavery’s abolishment delivered a significant setback to
the Seers as a whole in the east, so many Pylons move west
Silver Ladder to try their luck elsewhere.
The Silver Ladder has a limited presence in the west. Geryon has trouble consolidating power here; the
The Order takes more time to fully commit to the expan- widespread rise of personality cults where individual fame
sion, not because it’s reluctant, but because its Eastern is considered a virtue and even train robbers want to be on
Caucuses have their hands full involving themselves heavily the newspaper’s front page limits what the Ministry can ac-
in Reconstruction — not just for the Sleepers’ sake, but complish. Its Seers focus on espionage and supporting the
because the war had a dramatic impact on southern Consilia Pinkertons’ more ruthless activities; it takes them a while to
and, especially, those near the Mason-Dixon line. realize they’re accidentally in cahoots with the slowly grow-
The few théarchs that do move west now work to build ing cult of the Eye. Geryon never really stakes a claim in
up frontier towns and missions, extend invitations of friend- this region, preferring to throw its lot in with rifle clubs and
ship and cooperation to Native and Mexican Awakened other anonymous hate groups emerging in the American
373
What Is to Come
south; the later rise of Panopticon will swiftly subsume its Meanwhile, East-Coast mages frequently strike west
western arm even before the younger Ministry becomes and sever ties with their old Orders. These rogue mages’
a true power. Similarly, although the Greater Ministry of complaints range from insufficient access to Mysteries and
Hegemony is ascendant in many other parts of the world resources, to frustration with what they perceive as a too-
during this era, its influence here is not nearly so impressive. rigid hierarchy, to anger at the Diamond’s positions on the
The Lesser Ministry of Mammon has an unusually robust Mexican-American and Civil Wars; some think it involved
presence in the American West. Servants of the Chancellor itself too much, and others think it should have worked to
haunt places where they know a prospector will soon strike bring these wars to a swifter or different conclusion. Apostates
silver or gold, spreading rumors to encourage fierce competi- need allies and the kinds of resources only other mages can
tion over the riches and firmly ensconcing themselves as provide, such as Grimoires, Legacy lore, and mentors. Having
influential figures in the boomtown that rises. They own turned their backs on the Diamond, they turn to one another
more saloons and brothels than any other Order, Seer or instead, forming renegade cabals and a few Nameless Orders.
Diamond, and they quietly back efforts to run Natives off Many find like-minded comrades in those indigenous mages
their ancestral land, then try to sell it back to them. who don’t syncretize with the Diamond.
As a minor Ministry, Panopticon is little more than a The Nameless Orders dotting the west tend to be loosely
handful of spy networks and rumormongers operating in organized. Often, a mage can belong to two or more at a time
more densely populated parts of the world, and it will be at — a practice not only tolerated but actively encouraged, as
least a century before the Ministry emerges as a real player it gives these small Orders a network and allows them to
on the global stage; when it does rise to supremacy here share resources through their common member. A complex
in America’s west, it’s the successors to the Pinkerton cult spiderweb of mages with multiple affiliations spreads along
who will make it happen. the frontier. Despite the benefits, these alliances make the
Paternoster is strong here and rising higher daily, as Nameless Orders vulnerable to infiltration and subversion by
Sleeper churches in the east grow unduly concerned about Guardians of the Veil, Seers of the Throne, and Left-Handed
“corruption” out west and send increasingly more ministers saboteurs. Those Nameless who prize Wisdom highly learn
to “civilize” frontier towns and evangelize to Native tribes. that being too free with the Mysteries too often places ad-
Some of Paternoster’s Pylons have operated missions since vantages in the hands of willworkers who exploit them for
the Spaniards first landed in the New World. Others are unwise ends. Nameless Orders need a way to protect their
new arrivals, missionaries and small town preachers using knowledge — and their members — from abuse. To that
positions of trust in the community to frame their detrac- end, many adopt informal, homegrown codes of conduct.
tors and outsiders (including foreigners, people of color,
Mormons, and city slickers freshly arrived from the East
Coast) for the abuses they perpetrate on their loyal and
Prospecting
unsuspecting flocks. Mages flock west in pursuit of new Mysteries the way
The Praetorians dominate the west. The Ministry Sleepers do for gold rushes.
regularly pits Natives against settlers, encourages both
vigilante violence and gang banditry, and heartily supports The Infinite Mine
gun manufacturing and distribution. This constant incite-
A Seer Pylon operates a silver mine near the site of the
ment extends to fanning the flames of resentment among
Sand Creek Massacre in the Colorado Territory. When
the Nameless, manipulating the Diamond into provoking
the moon wanes, workers draw up an abundance of virgin
unaffiliated mages and vice versa.
metals, including small quantities of naturally occurring
lunargent. As it waxes, the silver in the mines “regrows” like
Nameless and Apostates a salamander’s tail, filling in gaps left by the previous weeks’
mining. During each new moon, a terrible accident claims
Although the indigenous mages of the west have had dozens of miners’ lives, even with precautions. Rumors
their own versions of the Diamond Orders for millennia, claim the west hides other infinite mines producing other
their societies never resembled European-style Consilia. precious minerals, but so far these remain unconfirmed.
At most, sorcerers of neighboring tribes with similar occult
traditions exchange lore or make temporary alliances to
deal with a mutual problem. These tiny, localized Caucuses Ghost Towns
have little impetus to build complex social structures with The Apache maintain a custom of burning the homes
fixed laws and practices. and possessions of their dead, while the Navajo perform
As the Mysterium explores the indigenous traditions, elaborate purification rituals whenever they come into
it comes to recognize the Native mages as brethren who contact with a corpse. Both guard against the same phe-
are already a part of the Diamond — even if they don’t nomenon, which is more frightful than a mere haunting.
regard themselves that way — and set out to formalize that Ghosts in the southwest sometimes pull their Anchors into
relationship, with varying levels of success.
374
Twilight with them, leaving behind only a ghostly echo in Quiescence. They don’t always remember their encounter
the material world. In some cases, the dead draw in entire with Awakened magic accurately, but they know something
cities along with their inhabitants, leaving behind ghost clearly supernatural took place. Scouts, stagecoaches, or
towns that look centuries abandoned, with Twilight echoes entire wagon trains arrive in town telling wild stories of an-
still bustling with people who don’t realize what’s happened. gels, devils, and stranger things. The Order cannot prevent,
much less predict, such encounters, given the vast territories
Erratic Portals involved; they can only hope to stop the stories from spread-
ing, lest they draw more Sleepers into danger. The Pinkerton
Travel across long distances via Space magic is particu- Guardians agitate for a thorough investigation of the root
larly fraught anywhere west of the Mississippi River. Just cause, but so far no one has the resources to devote.
ask the Mysterium’s New England Caucus, which lost an
entire Athenaeum’s worth of treasures it tried to transport
to Arizona. Even seemingly stable Distortions often deliver Mana Farming
passengers and cargo miles from their intended destinations, The Napa Valley in northern California is a jackpot of
or lead to the wrong point in time or another world entirely. mystical power. Its hot springs and rich soil contain dissolved
Only westbound travel appears affected. The nomadic tass, infusing plants that grow there. Bread, wine, and other
Heptasophic cabal hypothesizes that the frequency and products of the area’s vegetation hold their Mana supplies even
intensity of the phenomenon’s manifestations may have after the processes that transform them from living plants to
some connection to celestial alignments. consumable fare. The Nameless who live here have never
discovered where all the tass comes from or why its Mana
Weak Quiescence persists so stubbornly, but they protect their cache fiercely
and kill anyone who finds out about it to prevent word from
As if the Guardians of the Veil weren’t spread thinly spreading; they fear the arrival of powerful Orders with the
enough, they’ve discovered that proximity to the Rocky resources to eject them from their paradise, who may very well
Mountains prevents some Sleepers from fully succumbing to destroy it in their inevitable warring over it.
375
What Is to Come
Playing the Game
This spell also enables changelings to make court
Bargains with sufficiently powerful Supernal entities (Rank
6+), as long as its duration encompasses the entire usual
Both mages and changelings are aware of insidious Bargaining process.
and alien forces keeping humanity docile by means of all-
If casting this spell results in any released Paradox, and if
encompassing lies, and both deal with owning perceptions
the spell roll dramatically fails or the Paradox roll achieves
and experiences that ordinary people by necessity or design
exceptional success, it forges a Wyrd connection with an
just can’t share. Mages offer powerful protection from the
Abyssal entity instead. Each use of an Abyssal Contract after
Wild Hunt; those with knowledge of Fate and Mind can
accumulating nine points of Abyssal Debt inflicts two auto-
help their Lost companions cheat the rules in ways even
matic points of severe Clarity damage, and unleashes a Paradox
the Wyrd can’t punish. Changelings, meanwhile, make
Anomaly with a number of effective Paradox successes equal
excellent guides to surreal locales, possessing familiarity
to the changeling’s Wyrd. If using Abyssal Contracts reduces
with the Hedge that would take a mage years of dangerous
the changeling to Clarity 0, the Abyss consumes her soul.
exploration to rival. In many ways, the Hedge is the wild
frontier that Western movies only pretend the Old West Add Death, Mind, or Spirit ••••: The mage may also
was, and the Awakened want to see it all. allow changelings to learn Contracts from ghosts, Goetia,
or spirits, respectively. Using these Contracts after accu-
Unique Contracts mulating nine points of Goetic Debt (or similar) doesn’t
inflict Clarity damage; instead, the changeling gains the
Most changelings don’t have the option of establish- Open Condition appropriate to the debtor until she repays
ing one-off Contracts with entities other than hobgoblins, at least one Debt point.
because the Wyrd has no jurisdiction over beings such as
Supernal entities or ghosts and can’t adjudicate pacts or
debt. But friendly Awakened can temporarily forge an ersatz
Awakened Magic and the Wyrd
Wyrd connection to allow a changeling to make deals with Awakened magic can interact with most fae phenomena
these beings for unique Contracts. through a combination of Fate and Mind. Fate governs
the Wyrd’s reciprocity and ability to enforce oaths and
promises. Mind governs Glamour and the Wyrd’s nature as
Masking the False Fae a manifestation of emotion and desire. Neither alone can
(Fate •••• + Mind •) manipulate fae magic.
Mages accrue Goblin Debt the same way other mortals
Practice: Patterning do. A mage who becomes a Hedge Denizen or Goblin
Primary Factor: Duration Queen retains her Obsessions.
Withstand: Resolve
Suggested Rote Skills: Empathy, Larceny, Socialize Mages and the Hedge
The mage forges a connection between a Supernal entity
The Hedge is a frontier unto itself — wilder and filled
and the Wyrd, making that entity count as a hobgoblin
with more dangerous denizens than any bandit lair or den
for purposes of changelings learning unique Contracts. A
of iniquity, more wondrous and tempting than rolling hills
changeling may make deals with the entity to learn unique
and open sky. It contains countless Mysteries, and knows
“Goblin” Contracts based on its nature, Arcana, and other
exactly which ones will lure a mage in.
traits. This spell doesn’t replace any price the changeling
As a psychoactive domain, the Hedge shares some com-
may need to pay or convincing she may need to do to learn
monalities with the Astral realms. Mages who experience
the Contract, nor does it negate the Contract’s cost in
the Hedge describe it as the barrier they spend Mana to
Experiences; it simply makes the process possible.
painfully cross when they meditate into the Astral. Mages
Each time a changeling uses a Contract she learned
can break into Bastions from the Dreaming Roads, either
through this spell, she becomes indebted to the entity as
physically or in dream form, with the Mind 2 spell “Dream
though it were a hobgoblin. This Supernal Debt functions
Reaching” (Mage, p. 160), and they treat eidolons as weak
identically to Goblin Debt, except that the Storyteller may
Goetia. Unlike the Astral realms, however, the Hedge is
spend it to impose stranger effects or Conditions based on
more attuned to Fate than Mind.
the entity’s nature. Track each type of Debt separately. A
changeling can’t have more than nine points of Supernal Debt; Systems
each time she uses the Contract again while she has nine, she
• Mages who indulge their Vices near a Hedgeway
automatically suffers one point of severe Clarity damage, as for
(Changeling, p. 199) suffer a penalty equal to half
an infinitesimal moment she confronts the greatest Lie of all.
their Gnosis (rounded up) on the roll to resist the
Magic that identifies a supernatural creature’s nature temptation, as the Hedge plays on their Obsessions.
reads the subject as both Supernal and fae for the spell’s Mages can open existing Hedgeways (which are
duration.
376
Irises, in mage parlance) with Fate 3 + Mind 1, and • The victim’s contested grappling rolls subtract suc-
can create new ones with Fate 5 + Mind 2. cesses equal to the lasso’s Durability (typically 1).
• The Hedge’s self-shaping is a nigh-constant tickle • The attacker cannot initiate the control weapon
to Peripheral Mage Sight. Active Mage Sight func- move, but the defender can use it to pull the lasso from
tions normally, but once per scene the player may the attacker’s grip, immediately ending the grapple.
accept an Arcane Beat for one piece of information
it presents to be inaccurate somehow — distorted, • The drop prone move only causes the defender to
hidden, or fabricated from whole cloth. fall prone, not the attacker.
• The Hedge reduces the successes it needs to win a • A lasso counts as equipment suitable for restraining
navigation chase (Changeling, p. 200) by one per held targets.
total Obsession among all mages present.
• The act of seeing and knowing via Focused Mage New Merit: Gunslinger
Sight triggers the Hedge’s psychoactive response; (•, •••, or •••••)
every Scrutiny roll counts as an action that prompts
the Hedge to shape itself, per Changeling p. 204. Prerequisites: Wits •••, Firearms •••, Firearms
(Revolvers) Specialty
• Acts of Hubris in the Hedge suffer a penalty, as it Effect: Your character squeezes the trigger with incred-
supports the mage in his delusions of grandeur: −1 ible speed or uses fanning techniques popular among trick
on a trod, −3 in the Thorns, and −2 elsewhere. shooters to put lead in the air quickly and with minimal
loss of accuracy.
• Fate spells benefit from a −2 penalty to Paradox rolls At one dot, she can perform a short burst with a revolver
in the Hedge and Faerie. as though it were an automatic weapon.
• Paradox in the Hedge is insidious. Anomalies usually At three dots, she can adjust her aim between shots, per-
manifest in the environment as Hedgespinning shifts forming a medium burst with a revolver that requires only
instead of warping the spell, creating a subtle shift three rounds of ammunition. She gains no attack bonus,
as a 1-Reach effect or a paradigm shift as a 3-Reach but still suffers a penalty for multiple targets. She cannot
effect. Mages who release Paradoxes in the Hedge make multiple attacks against one target in the same turn,
gain one point of Goblin Debt per Anomaly. and she uses three rounds of ammunition regardless of the
number of targets.
At five dots, if your character wields two revolvers, she
Malleable Thorns (Fate •• + Mind ••) may attack multiple targets that are not close together as
Practice: Ruling long as both are within short range. This is otherwise iden-
Primary Factor: Potency tical to the three-dot effect, but the penalty for attacking
multiple targets increases by two.
Suggested Rote Skills: Crafts, Empathy, Survival
High Noon
The mage shapes the Hedge according to his desires.
He gains (Potency) Hedgespinning successes that he may
spend in any combination to enact subtle shifts at any At a time when medical help by no means assures
time; unused successes vanish when the spell ends. The a complete recovery from a bullet wound — especially
mage doesn’t choose these shifts directly. Instead, he states in sparsely populated areas where trained doctors are a
a goal and the Hedge shapes itself in a way that fulfills that rare sight — drawing a gun to resolve a dispute is dicey.
goal somehow, chosen by the Storyteller; this often has Although a skilled gunslinger carries a reputation that
unintended side effects. tends to discourage challengers, even the fastest and most
+1 Reach: The mage may also enact paradigm shifts. accurate gunfighter only needs to miss or be slower on the
draw once to find himself in a shallow grave at the edge
New Weapon: Lasso of some nameless town. The gunslinger may not seek out
violence, but he must be prepared to deliver it at need.
While the Colt Peacemaker is the most popular weapon
in the west, the lasso is a common non-lethal option.
The Standoff
Type Damage Range Init. Strength Size Availability Special
Lasso n/a Thrown −3 1 2 • See below A standoff is an optional system for pistol duels and
other tense showdowns. It occurs when two or more sets of
The lasso uses Dexterity + Athletics − Defense to at-
combatants come into conflict but have not yet committed
tack; a successful attack acts as a grab instead of inflicting
to open violence.
damage. A lasso’s grapple follows special rules:
377
Playing the Game
The standoff is a series of special Social Maneuvers rep- with a dice pool appropriate to his approach. Presence or
resenting the potential combatants’ posturing. A standoff Manipulation + Intimidation is common. The group whose
works the same way regardless of the parties’ impressions primary actor rolls the most successes wins the turn, open-
of one another. ing one of each other group’s Doors, or two each on an
Step One: The Setup exceptional success.
This continues until only one side has Doors remain-
Each side in the conflict declares its goal for the scene
ing and has yet not backed down, or until someone breaks
and decides who will be its primary actor — usually the
the standoff.
character with the most Doors or best relevant dice pools.
Only the primary actor’s Doors open when an opposing Step Three: The Standoff Ends
side’s Maneuver is successful. A standoff ends in one of two ways for each side:
The characters converse, attitudinize, taunt each other,
• If the primary actor has no Doors remaining or if
make threats, etc. The primary actor need not do all the
he backed down, he and his allies suffer the Beaten
talking, and may not even be the obvious spokesperson.
Down Tilt and surrender, giving their opponents
He could hang back, glaring daggers while his talkative
whatever they wanted in the current scene; each
companion tries to calm everyone down before someone
player gains a Willpower and a Beat, as normal.
gets hurt.
Step Two: The Showdown • If any character breaks the standoff, handle the fall-
out as a normal action scene, but apply any bonuses
Each turn, every character in the scene, including the
gained from Make Ready and Take Aim actions.
primary actor, takes one of the following actions; all of
them occur simultaneously, so players should write down
their intended actions and pass them to the Storyteller in The Art of the Duel
secret for her to reveal all at once. Formal duels first developed as a means of settling
• Back Down (primary actor only): The character disputes between European aristocrats over matters of
holds up his hands or otherwise signals his side’s honor. While some disputes in the Wild West that end in
desire to avoid a violent showdown. He and all quick-draw duels arise this way, alcohol and short tempers
his allies gain the Beaten Down Tilt and end their are more commonly to blame. The era’s revolvers are much
participation in the standoff. more accurate than the muzzle-loaded pistols of the previous
century, so the combatant who draws and fires first usually
• Participate Socially (secondary actor only): The emerges victorious.
character assists the primary actor’s forthcoming Ritual duels have long been a staple of Lost society,
Social Maneuver, following the usual rules for team- providing the most common way of resolving hostile oaths
work actions. The dice pool can be different than the and forming the backbone of changeling oneiromachy tra-
one the primary actor uses. Up to two participants ditions. Those less sure of their skills with a pistol push for
can contribute this way per turn. dueling in dreams or in the Hedge, where they can use the
environment to their advantage. Courts in the west each
• Make Ready: The character takes some small action
have their own rules for ritual dueling, but the plethora of
to make himself a little quicker, such as shrugging off
courtless out here means the ritual part often gets tossed
a coat or moving a hand a little closer to his gun belt.
out the window in favor of merciless showdowns with iron
If the standoff ends in violence, his player rolls an
bullets. Changelings on the frontier have less patience than
additional die for Initiative and adds the value to his
most for loyalists of all stripes, and generally follow a policy
total. Repeated Make Ready actions are cumulative
of shooting them on sight.
but cannot exceed three bonus dice.
Open, direct conflicts between the Wise resemble
• Take Aim: The character calculates the best line of quick-draw duels even when they don’t involve guns, for
attack against his opponent. If the standoff ends in often the mage who strikes first strikes last. Many Nameless
violence, the first attack he makes enjoys a one-die count on exactly that, and bank on the Diamond’s reluc-
bonus. Repeated Take Aim actions are cumulative, tance to let things get that far, pushing their luck because
but the bonus cannot exceed three dice. they know the Orders would rather cede ground than let
outright magical violence erupt in the middle of Sleeper
• Break the Standoff: The character makes a sudden towns. Diamond mages give the Duel Arcane a place of
move, invokes a Contract, casts a spell, launches an enormous importance as a result, pushing to make it the
attack, or readies a weapon. Given everyone’s twitchy default means of settling Awakened conflict in the west to
state, this immediately cascades into violence. discourage these coercive Nameless tactics. The Bay City
Once these actions have all been described, each group’s Marshals (p. 384) and their copycat Orders also prize the
primary actor takes a contested Social Maneuvering action Duel Arcane highly, viewing it as the primary way to pass
378
judgment on a miscreant whose guilt can’t be proven or get around these consequences); the Wyrd doesn’t accept
whose case they feel ambiguous enough about to leave the “this magic is temporary” as an excuse for backing out of a
verdict in the hands of gnosis. long-term promise.
+2 Reach: The effect is Lasting.
Changelings and the Duel Arcane
The Court of the Leafless Tree has perfected methods
to allow the Lost to participate in Duels Arcane alongside Storytelling
their Awakened partners, and for willworkers to participate
in Wyrd oaths. Thus, the marshals can formally ritualize
nonlethal magical duels as hostile oaths, and the Wyrd
The Western genre has been a foundation of action
will back them. movies for close to a century. It features visually interesting
• The Prime 3 spell “Display of Power” with a con- landscapes, colorful casts of larger-than-life characters, and
junctional Fate 1 effect makes the clauses of fae a reliance on violence as a means of achieving goals. Some
Contracts visible, stripping the Mask away from Westerns present a clear conflict between good and evil.
the pacts behind them to show what they can do The genre gave us the whole concept of “black hats” and
when invoked; thus, a changeling can participate in “white hats,” after all. But in many cases, the protagonists
the Duel Arcane using her Contracts as sword and are flawed, morally gray, or downright scoundrels.
shield. Notary changelings enjoy a +1 bonus to all The historical reality of the period is less romanticized.
Duel Arcane rolls. A gunslinger’s greatest asset isn’t his ability to win gunfights;
rather, it’s his reputation as someone who came out ahead
• Use a changeling’s Mantle rating as an Arcanum in one or two previous duels discourages future challengers.
for Court Contracts. For Arcadian Contracts, her The absence of manufacturing centers in most Western
effective Arcanum rating is 2 in any Regalia in towns and the difficulty in moving supplies between far-
which she knows only Common Contracts, and 4 in flung points frequently creates scarcities. Coupled with
any Regalia in which she knows at least one Royal limited police presence, these embolden those willing to
Contract. Treat her Mantle as one higher if she wears use force to get what they need or want.
a court Crown. Horror in a Wild West chronicle arises in part from the
• Changelings do not need to spend Glamour in the separation of its characters from the niceties of civilization
Duel Arcane. we take for granted.
• Scarcity: Characters often don’t have everything
• A changeling with the Triumphant Condition enjoys they need, and any crisis only exacerbates these
its benefits among both changelings and mages, and a shortages. In game terms, the Availability of many
sorcerer who defeats a Lost duelist enjoys the same. A goods and services varies widely from place to place,
victorious changeling can use Contracts against the and sometimes they aren’t available for purchase at
loser of a Duel Arcane without spending Glamour, any price. This applies to supernatural resources,
as though successfully performing a Loophole, until too. It’s difficult to harvest Glamour on a trek across
Triumphant resolves. the desert, or to lay hands on a Grimoire when the
nearest Order repository is a few hundred miles away.
Wyrdbound Oaths Not every chapter needs to be an exercise in resource
management, but some stories benefit from focusing
(Fate ••• + Mind ••) on how the characters husband their scarce assets
Practice: Weaving and what they’re willing to do to get more.
Primary Factor: Duration • Anarchy: The law’s long arm needs a backscratcher
Suggested Rote Skills: Expression, Politics, Socialize to reach most of the places Wild West chronicles
The mage grants the Wyrd authority over her words and feature. Most sheriffs and U.S. Marshals have no
desires. She becomes a valid participant in Wyrd-backed backing beyond a handful of untrained deputies drawn
oaths (Changeling, p. 212), although she can’t initiate from the locals — and those are the good law-keepers.
them. If the spell ends before she upholds her end of the The bad ones uphold themselves as sole arbiters of
oath, or if she breaks it normally, she gains the Oathbreaker the law and use their position to benefit themselves
Condition (Changeling, p. 343); subjects of her Fate spells at their communities’ expense. In between are those
gain +1 Withstand until it resolves. If the spell isn’t Lasting who permit criminal behavior because they fear its
and doesn’t have indefinite Duration, this outcome is likely perpetrators. When an outlaw gang comes to town,
unless the oath is a hostile one and the mage defeats her murders the sheriff, and declares they’re in charge,
opponent in a timely fashion (or she uses other magic to anyone who resists is liable to wind up dead. It’s a
379
Storytelling Mysterious Frontiers
similar experience when a cavalry company arrives True Fae: The Gentry typically stay in their Faerie
telling Natives they must abandon ancestral homes palaces. Rarely, however, the Others resolve disputes with
to make way for a railroad or mining operation. When proxy wars fought in the mortal world. The West’s open
the gang or company contains Seers, Scelesti, priva- and varied landscapes make tempting battlefields for these
teers, or Huntsmen, changelings and mages alike must faerie wars. Some are contests over whose minions can
decide whether to make a stand — without backup occupy a town for an agreed-upon number of consecutive
— or flee. days. Others decide the loser based on whose army is an-
nihilated to the last hobgoblin first. Some only end with
• Wilderness: Harsh landscapes mean hundreds of a Title’s capture. Such war zones usually spell disaster for
miles lie between permanent settlements. These anyone living there; mages and changelings can become
wildernesses teem with unknown dangers and hide worse than collateral damage.
treasures — a silver mine, arable land, or a mountain
pass that shaves weeks off a known trade route. For
the Awakened, this includes new Mysteries, but Story Hooks
seldom do these wonders lie uncontested by alien Each of the following story hooks assumes a default tier
entities, dangerous monsters, or the Seers who found of play, but the Storyteller can scale each scenario up or
them first. Changelings view these isolated stretches down to fit into her chronicle as she likes.
with dread, as the Gentry pluck fresh victims there
without anyone questioning the disappearances. The Bounty (Local)
The Lost have little choice but to brave them,
though, whether to conduct reconnaissance, rescue The Bay City Marshals, or a copycat Order elsewhere,
a Huntsman’s quarry before it’s too late, or simply imposes on the characters to capture a fugitive mage and
travel from one town to another. The Hedge, the bring him back alive to stand trial. He stands accused of
Astral, and other realms serve as different kinds of murdering a marshal just beyond the boundaries of the free-
wildernesses to explore, civilize, or die in. hold, which means he doesn’t bear the brand of his crime.
After a harrowing chase and potential misadventures, the
characters catch up to him. During the journey back to
Western Antagonists the freehold, the murderer claims that although he killed
the marshal in question, it was not an act of murder. He
Ordinary Reprobates: The Wild West gives people
plenty of opportunities to make villains of themselves. says the decedent was a True Loyalist, hiding her crimes by
Outlaws rob those who can’t defend themselves. Corrupt committing them only outside the freehold’s reach under
officials line their pockets with protection money. Military the guise of bounty hunting. He knows the court won’t be
officers, displaced in postbellum America, brutalize Natives interested in his reasons before subjecting him to show trial
to advance their careers. and ritual execution. But he also knows the identity of the
loyalist’s accomplice, whose confession might be enough
Rival Mages: The Diamond wants Libertines and
to convince the marshals to spare his life.
apostates to toe the line, while the Nameless want to do
whatever the hell they want, and damn anyone who gets
in their way. In the wide swaths of territory without estab-
lished Consilia, hot wars between rival mages are frequent
and often deadly. Exploitation in the Wild West
Seers of the Throne: The Seers consider the west ripe for
conquest, and that sometimes includes its Hedge. Although This era is one of larger-than-life heroes and truly
contemptible villains. Playing up the crimes of these
some regard hobgoblins with their Goblin Markets and
lowlifes is an important part of the Storyteller’s job.
Hedge encroachment as unwanted competition, others — That said, some players may be uncomfortable with
especially Mammonites — maintain partnerships with faerie certain kinds of behavior — even in fictional characters
creatures and changeling privateers. Who better to put a price the posse plans to kill in a shootout. Storytellers, check
on everything under the sun than the fae? with players to determine what themes and atrocities
Privateers: Some changelings, friendless in a strange, are over the line, and respect those restrictions. Also,
barren place, resort to banditry or cattle rustling to survive. bear in mind that not everyone knows their limit until
A sizeable number of desperados become privateers. Hedge they exceed it, and if a player asks the troupe to back
denizens and Huntsmen are not the only ones who pay good away from an upsetting description or theme, every-
prices for their victims; Awakened Reapers need a steady one at the table should respect that.
supply of souls, and some Guardians of the Veil aren’t too See Changeling, p. 302, for suggestions and tech-
picky about who collects their bounty for bringing in a niques to support player safety at the table.
particularly troublesome apostate.
380
The Great Athenaeum Robbery (Regional) The Wagon Train (Regional)
The first coast-to-coast track opened in 1870, a boon A team-up between Seers and changeling priva-
to trade and travel for Awakened as well as Sleepers. The teers kidnaps an entire wagon train several days out of
Mysterium’s Sacramento and New Jersey Caucuses ne- Independence, Missouri, redirecting it into the Hedge at a
gotiate an unprecedented joint effort to establish a new wild gallop. But the trail is relatively easy to follow, if the
Athenaeum in Denver. Due to the erratic behavior of Hedge and its goblins can be tamed enough to allow passage.
westbound Space magic, the Grimoires and other collec- Catching the kidnappers allows the characters to learn the
tions must travel by train from St. Louis, and the characters location of the hidden Goblin Market where many local
must escort them. privateers operate, and where Seers have established their
En route, a passenger strikes up a running game of poker own outpost to horn in on the Gentry slave trade in the
with anyone who’ll ante up. As the game goes on, anyone absence of a human one. In the immediate term, though,
who wins even a penny gradually becomes obsessed with the characters must escort a few dozen frightened people
acquiring more wealth and valuables of any kind, eventu- through the Hedge and back into the mortal world, avoiding
ally getting desperate enough to steal, manipulate, or fight all the varied threats that would love to get their hands on
to get them. If the characters don’t get to the bottom of it a bunch of confused humans far from home.
soon, all these “winners” converge on the hidden car where
the would-be Athenaeum’s treasures are stowed, seeming The Hedge Ruin (Epic)
to sense their presence. The gambler himself is elusive, and
A pair of True Fae stages a grand duel to the death in
has an uncanny ability to take the characters by surprise.
Napa Valley, placing the region’s inhabitants and Mysteries
He never lets anyone else shuffle his deck of cards — a fae
in grave jeopardy as the Kindly Ones’ armies pour out of
token, if the characters get their hands on it to examine it.
the Hedge to do battle. Both Titles are powerful, and the
381
Storytelling Mysterious Frontiers
Nameless mages who call the valley home plan an attack culture of showmanship that pervaded the late 1800s. Are
likely to result in catastrophic collateral damage. As the you watching closely?
characters explore options, they learn that one of the com- Unforgiven (1992, dir. Clint Eastwood) and Hostiles
batants’ banes is a strange plant that only grows in a ruin (2017, dir. Scott Cooper) — two modern Western films that
from the Time Before, somewhere within the Hedge. The confront the darker, uglier side of the Old West and explore
rumor of the ruin is an old one, one that always sounded what a culture of violence does to the people who live in it.
like yet another trick of the Hedge’s to tempt mages into The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966, dir. Sergio Leone)
wandering deep into fae territory. But a hobgoblin assures — Three ruthless gunslingers race to find a fortune in gold,
the characters it’s real, and she can take them there. alternately working together and betraying one another. A
The characters face a dangerous journey through the spaghetti-Western classic.
Hedge along with the defenses and guardians of the ruin The Magnificent Seven (2016, dir. Antoine Fuqua) — A
to find the Fae’s bane. On the trip back, they contend with frontier town’s desperate folk hire seven mercenaries to
both combatants’ servants, who by now have discovered protect them from a merciless mining boss and his small
what the characters are up to. Finally, they must enter a army of thugs. A modern remake of a classic (itself based on
hobgoblin battlefield, reach their target, and deploy the the Akira Kurosawa film Seven Samurai), the movie features
bane, all while preventing as much damage to the sur- unlikely allies facing impossible odds more for redemption
rounding community as possible and potentially dealing than for money.
with Nameless rivals once the battle is done. Tombstone (1993, dir. Cosmatos and Jarre) — A law-
man’s retirement plans hit a snag as he and his companions
Sources and Inspiration make enemies out of a local outlaw gang. Val Kilmer as Doc
Holliday steals the show in this entertaining account of true
events leading up to the famous shootout at the OK Corral.
The Wild West has inspired countless works across every
media and genre. Each region has its own vast expanse of 3:10 to Yuma (2007, dir. James Mangold): A small-time
tales. Here are just a few of the best inspirations for this rancher agrees to help escort a captured outlaw across dan-
Dark Era. gerous country to face justice. Another remake, the film is
a story of standing on principle in the face of increasingly
Television hopeless odds.
Deadwood — an acclaimed HBO series, set in the

gold-mining town of Deadwood, South Dakota. Historical
Books
figures abound, including Seth Bullock, Wild Bill Hickok, The Dark Tower (book series) by Stephen King — King’s
Calamity Jane, and Wyatt Earp. Ian McShane’s Al epic fantasy Western follows Roland of Gilead, the last
Swearengen steals the show, and is the perfect example of gunslinger, on the trail of the wizard who killed his father.
a Wild West Seer of the Throne. The eponymous tower is both literal and metaphorical.
Westworld — another HBO series, this one based on a Golgotha (book series), by R. S. Belcher — the perfect
Michael Crichton novel. The idle rich visit a technologi- blend of Western and supernatural horror for our era, well-
cal marvel, an Old West recreation manned by artificial suited to crossover. The first two books are entitled The
humans that lets them act out their wildest fantasies and Six-Gun Tarot and The Shotgun Arcana.
explore their darker sides. As the plot unfolds, it becomes Frog Music (novel), by Emma Donoghue — set in 1876
clear much more is happening behind the scenes; it has San Francisco and based on a true unsolved murder case.
strong Mage overtones. Burlesque dancer Blanche Beunon tries to track down the
The West — Ken Burns’ eight-part historical minise- murderer of her friend Jenny Bonnet, who broke the law
ries covers westward expansion from 1806 through 1914. on the daily by dressing in men’s clothes.
Episode segments focus on specific incidents in history, Six-Gun Snow White (novella), by Catherynne M.
areas of the country, and the stories of both white settlers Valente — This fairytale retelling features a half-Crow,
and indigenous people. half-white narrator. Valente weaves fairytale elements into
the Old West. The Huntsman charged with bringing Snow
Film back to her father fits right in with our era.
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States (book)
The Prestige (2006, dir. Christopher Nolan) — set in by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz covers 400 years of American
London and Colorado, this mesmerizing film is the perfect expansion through Native American eyes. Dunbar-Ortiz
dark tale of obsession, revenge, and magic in the 1890s. It challenges the United States’ founding myths, with an
features Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale as stage magi- unflinching look at the devastating effect American policy
cians, David Bowie as a mysterious Nikola Tesla, and the had on the country’s indigenous peoples.
382
Chronicles of Darkness in the Wild West
Sacramento, the western terminus of the Transcontinental Railroad, is a popular Pilgrimage destination
for Prometheans trying their luck at their own “rush” for Gold. The city’s sprawling railyard boasts hidden
Rambles scratched into tracks and train car corners. But something disturbs the Divine Fire here. A series of
major floods in the 1850s and ‘60s led to a construction project that raised the street level of the whole city,
creating a layer of converted basements, abandoned rooms, and buried planked pavement running under-
neath. Azothic radiance excites a dissonant symphony of rattling sounds under the streets and floorboards,
and the Created wonder what really might have caused the flooding.
The late 19th century sees both massive leaps in electrical engineering and a glut of circuses and open-air
entertainment. Innovations in direct-current generation spark more than just power, triggering a cascade
of conspiracies creating Deviants with the new advances. One of these, a massive traveling sideshow and
vaudeville troupe called the Sidewinder Circus, carts its Devoted around the country to display them as so-
called “freaks.” The first few to go Renegade form the Colorado Rose Gang, named for its leader — and now
infamous for its brutal takedowns of exploitative sideshow managers, ringleaders, and impresarios.
Many Sin-Eaters of the American West are found among the Native peoples, not the white settlers, and they
work tirelessly to fight injustice and brutality. Others found literal ghost towns wherever settlers abandon
mines or flee for established cities where natural or unnatural hazards prove too much for burgeoning munici-
palities to handle, attending to the dead left behind and bringing others in from the wilderness to give them
community. Krewes of Furies and Pilgrims are especially numerous out here.
In 1872, two rival paleontologists started a heated, still-ongoing competition over unearthing dinosaur
fossils in the west. One expedition unearthed something else: pieces of a massive clock, ancient enough
to be anachronistic, which suggested the size of the whole to be at least 100 miles in diameter. Reports of
the strange find trickle back to demons on the East Coast, tickling their memories with vague impressions of
familiarity. They set out in small groups to investigate, hoping to find defunct Infrastructure or evidence of the
God-Machine’s plans. The more they dig, the more the Unchained believe this isn’t the only such clock; rumor
places another one under the Alaskan tundra. Humans say the loss of 12 days in 1867 in Alaska was due to
moving the International Date Line when the U.S. purchased the territory from Russia, but demons suspect it
was more than a simple calendar shift.
383
Bay City Marshals
The Court of the Leafless Tree; to their crimes, natures, and victims, thus paying back what’s
owed. If the miscreant survives, they teach him the error of
Justice Is Magical his ways, so the scales don’t get unbalanced again. In the
Hangmen’s eyes, whatever sentence they carry out is not
Here’s the cold, hard truth, kid. All those addle-headed
only a fate the judged deserves, but a mystical imperative.
fools up on their high horses, looking for Atlantis or quib-
bling season to season over the finer points of atrocity,
they’re playing right into everything that’s wrong with this Crimes Must Not Go Unanswered
world. “That’s just the way it is,” they tell you. “The Changeling Marshals see poetic justice as a necessary
world is Fallen. The Hunt is coming. Just accept it.” expression of the Wyrd, and they’ve made a Bargain with
But you don’t have to. I know, because I don’t. Retaliation itself. “An eye for an eye” is as reciprocal
Yeah, the world is Fallen and the Hunt is coming, but as any pledge, so they swear never to let a wrong go
it’s no done deal. It’s somebody’s fault — a whole unpunished. While the Summer Court lashes out in
heap of somebodies. And the nice thing about it being wrath, these Lost believe noble vengeance is a dish
somebody’s fault is you can pay ‘em back for it. best served cold, preferably with an oath sworn
Listen, kid, you can take the easy way out if you on a magic bullet. They plan to take the fight to
want, I won’t stop you. Play by their rules, stick your head the Fae, but not in anger on the battlefield; that’s
in the sand till trouble passes you by for one more wasteful. They do it in surgical strikes and chal-
day. Or, you can pick up that six-shooter and lenges to call the enemy out one by one. They aim
come with me. Earn your gnosis. Earn your free- to see every Huntsman hang high from the gallows,
dom. Justice ain’t blind: she sees with Awakened and every loyalist in irons until they learn who their
Sight, with true Clarity. When enough unrighteous real friends are.
blood whets the blades of our souls, we’ll pierce the For mages among the Hangmen, the pursuit of
Lie and settle the score once and for all. payback against the Exarchs, the Abyss, and anybody
As the Marshals see it, the west is full of who perpetuates the Lie is itself a path to enlighten-
callous, selfish people taking advantage of anyone ment; but it’s not about the struggle, as the Arrow
they can. More than that, the Lie is a fundamental espouses. No, it’s about clarity of vision and purity of
injustice, a wrong the Exarchs visited upon all of human- devotion, about honing the soul to a razor-sharp edge
ity that’s perpetuated in a thousand ways. The Gentry are one judgment at a time and using it to cut through the
robber barons of the worst caliber, doing as they please and Lie. They believe that only in the act of personal retaliation
getting away with it no matter who they grind beneath their for crimes against the Supernal can they reach their gnostic
heels along the way. Simple escape is not enough: Someone potential and ensure justice for the Fallen World is served.
needs to take these devils down a peg, and the buck stops with The Marshals consider Huntsmen, fae privateers and loyal-
the Hangmen. ists, Scelesti, and Seers of the Throne especial sworn enemies,
Above all, the Marshals are vigilantes. While the oc- but they act to punish anyone exploiting others for their own
casional legitimate lawman might join up, the sheriff of selfish gain — human or otherwise. Pistol duels are a staple
a little cow town in Kansas has no jurisdiction over the of their practices, and they’ve refined supernatural dueling
cosmic forces this group considers its duty to punish. More traditions to serve their brand of vigilante justice.
often, they are no kind of authority in any recognized sense,
but they take it upon themselves to make, adjudicate, and
implement their own law.
The Punishment Must Fit the Criminal
Mages and changelings join the Bay City Marshals when Not everyone who commits the same crime deserves the
they suffer or witness terrible wrongs that need avenging, they same punishment. The Awakened must be held accountable to
want to bring order to a lawless place, they’re driven to take the demands of Wisdom to temper their power, a higher stan-
matters into their own hands and don’t submit well to author- dard than the one to which they hold Sleepers; accordingly,
ity, or they seek to destroy all who propagate Lies and enable their punishments for committing crimes against Sleepers are
the enemies of humanity. more severe. The Lost tailor punishments to specific crimes
as part of their Bargain and to satisfy the Wyrd, balancing the
Core Beliefs: Lex Talionis

ledger as accurately as they’re able.
The kinds of people who join up are those who don’t yet
Lex Talionis, or “the law of talion,” is the principle of re- understand the weight of bloodshed but soon will, and those
taliation in kind. The Marshals punish wrongdoers according who understand it all too well; in both cases, the lesson is that
“I’m taking you in for kidnapping, murder, and treason against humanity.”
384
punishment is sacred, but murder is tragic. Yes, some who trespass deserve to die, in accordance with their crimes; but killing
everyone who crosses you is a good way to end up just like your enemy. A pistol duel doesn’t need to end in death for those who
can magically close wounds, hold Duels Arcane without actually hurting anyone, and fight in dreams. Being skilled enough
with a revolver not to kill a target is an emphasis in training, as is being creative in sentencing the guilty — changelings and
mages collectively have a plethora of options, and can always find alternatives to killing if they try hard enough.
Of course, in practice, people get emotional, drastic times call for drastic measures, and accidents happen. Sometimes, the
ledger gets unbalanced in the other direction. Then, another Marshal might have to square things.
Traitors Must Hang; Liars Betray Humanity

Merely mortal lies are nothing to shake a stick at; the deceptions that enable the atroci-
ties of humanity’s enemies are much larger and more sinister. Those who knowingly serve
the Lie or the Gentry have broken the most sacred and universal compact by betraying
humankind itself to tyrannical gods and mad, alien worlds. Execution is the only
appropriate punishment, and every Marshal — mage and changeling alike —
stands ready to mete it out.
Origins
The 1848–49 gold rush sparked a population
explosion in San Francisco. The press of unfamiliar
faces and general lawlessness made it an easy hunt-
ing ground for supernatural predators, and mages
with autocratic ambitions found no shortage of op-
portunities to exercise their tyranny with no Consilium
to oppose them. Sorcerers disgusted by their peers’ excesses
formed a Nameless Order inspired by the Sleeper Committee
of Vigilance to protect the defenseless from magical predation.
The city’s Lost, initially drawn to San Francisco in large num-
bers as a place to find themselves anew, couldn’t keep a freehold
afloat with the glut of loyalists, Huntsmen, and opportunistic
goblins taking advantage of the same anonymity. In the 1850s,
the last remaining free changeling of a decimated motley swore
revenge in a grand gesture, making a Bargain with Retaliation itself and founding
the Court of the Leafless Tree, named after western slang for the gallows.
The first joint mage-changeling operation in San Francisco shut down a traffick-
ing ring that saw a local Pylon of the Ministry of Mammon whisking unsuspecting
Sleepers into the arms of a privateer gang operating out of a Hollow in exchange
for malleable servants who had lost their souls and minds to the Thorns. The Lost
needed Awakened help to stand against the Seers, and the mages needed Hedge
experts to keep them from wandering into the Gentry’s parlors. Afterward, the
successful cabal and motley decided to form a permanent partnership they called
a posse, and soon the rest of their Order and court followed suit. Over the years
since then, inspired by the Bay City Marshals’ success, Lost and Awakened in other
cities have created similar organizations, much to the consternation of extant
freeholds and Consilia with footholds there.
Give and Take

Retaliation’s Bargain doesn’t prevent the Fae and their hounds from
committing their crimes, but it marks them for future justice. Anyone who
breaks the court’s law within the freehold’s territory — including other
supernatural beings, ephemeral entities, and ordinary humans — suffers
a brand showing the Marshals’ sigil, visible to supernatural sight.
This brand appears in a discreet place on the perpetrator’s
body for small crimes, while those who kidnap or murder in
the Fae’s Names find it writ plain upon their faces. It persists
even after they leave the freehold’s boundaries.
385
Bay City Marshals
The Court of the Leafless Tree upholds the Bargain with
regular rituals of retribution, usually bringing a wanted criminal Bay City Marshal Systems
back to the court alive and subjecting him to an elaborate The Marshals’ Brand: Changelings and anyone under the
show trial before publicly hanging him. Sometimes the ritual effects of the Fate 1 spell “Interconnections” with the +2 Reach
features a trial by combat or ordeal, but it never changes the effect can see the marks of criminals against the freehold, which
verdict, for Retaliation never allows the guilty to go free. If proclaims the crime to those who know how to interpret it. The
the time for the court’s obligations comes around and no guilty mark cannot be permanently erased without redemption, even
party is readily available, the changelings are forced to go to for the Gentry. An act of sincere atonement followed by a Wyrd-
great lengths to find — or, in desperate cases, create — one. based oath of absolution can wash it away, as can the personal
Since the freehold only has one court, the Leafless Tree pardon of the court’s sovereign or the Fate 4 “Atonement” spell.
cycles power between Lost and Awakened by turns. When a Associated Bedlam Emotions: Guilt (Guilty Condition)
changeling wears the crown, justice verges more on vengeance; or dread (Paranoid Condition).
when a mage is in power, the pendulum swings more toward
protection of the innocent. Individual rulers may disagree with Leafless Tree
these roles, but they must oblige to keep the Bargain. The
crown passes from changeling to mage upon any member’s
Mantle Merit (• to •••••)
completion of a major manhunt and execution of a powerful foe Prerequisite: Changeling
(whether truly guilty or not); it passes from mage to changeling Effect: A courtier of the Bay City Marshals (p. 384) gains
when any member proves to the monarch beyond a doubt the a Glamour point whenever he metes out justice to a party he
innocence of one thought guilty and already marked for the genuinely believes is guilty.
gallows. The mage or changeling (depending on whose turn is • Gain a bonus to Initiative equal to your character’s
up) most responsible for the deed gains the crown. Mantle dots in a one-on-one duel.
Mantle Effects: the jingle of spurs, the click of the revolver’s •• Gain bonus dice equal to your character’s Mantle
hammer. The smell of gunsmoke, sweat, and leather. The taste dots to mundane rolls to track someone down, either
of gun oil, trail dust, and blood. The Leafless Tree Mantle kicks a specific target or the unknown perpetrator of some
up dust devils in the Marshal’s wake. At its most powerful, small deed.
animals scurry for shelter and tumbleweeds flee her approach.
••• Gain a bonus to Speed equal to your character’s
Bystanders — especially those who bear the court’s brand — feel
Mantle dots whenever he’s the pursuer in a chase.
their throats tighten as though encircled by a noose.
•••• If an enemy deals damage to your character, one of
Yantras: Awakened Marshals rely on symbolism appropriate
his motley-mates or fellow Marshals, or an innocent,
for roaming lawkeepers, buckaroos, the gallows, and pistol duels
his physical attacks against that enemy gain 8-again
at high noon (and in fact, high noon is a common environmental
for the rest of the scene.
Yantra). Their tools include six-shooters, wanted posters, nooses,
••••• Once per scene, you may spend a Willpower to gain
jail cell keys, and 10-gallon hats.
the rote quality on a roll that would further or resolve
an Aspiration related to meting out punishment your
No Rest for the Wicked character deems earned.
Mages among the Hangmen succumb to hubris when they
allow personal grudges and emotions in the heat of the moment
to usurp justice in their judgments; when they elevate their own
Mystery Cult Initiation Merit:
judgment above that of Sleeper law enforcement not for any Bay City Marshals (• to •••••)
practical or ethical reason but simply because they believe they Prerequisites: Awakened or Sleepwalker
know better; or when they deliver punishments that outstrip the
Effect: Your character is a member of the Bay City Marshals
crimes out of anger or bloodthirst, or as shows of dominance.
(p. 384), a Nameless Order dedicated to vigilante justice
Changelings who let Retaliation slip into bloody vengeance and righteous punishment. Each dot in this Merit also acts as
find it difficult to escape the slippery slope, for vengeance is a Status in the Order.
natural cycle like the seasons or the moon’s phases, and it can
feel like a visceral comfort to those with so much to pay back. • Your character gains the Empathy (Motives) Specialty.
It takes discipline, courage, and sacrifice to stay noble. It takes •• Your character gains one dot of the Fame Merit
true Clarity to see the spiral, and it takes true friends to pull (Mage, p. 105), having successfully proven herself
a changeling back from its edge. Lost Marshals who isolate to her posse and made a local name for herself.
themselves from their posses often end up turning privateer. ••• Your character gains Empathy, Firearms, and
The two sides of frontier justice’s coin — the mage and the Investigation as Rote Skills.
changeling, the passive protector and the prowling punisher •••• Your character gains +3 Doors in a Duel Arcane.
— are meant to balance each other out, but retribution is an ••••• Your character gains either the additional Virtue of
intensely personal business, and it doesn’t take much to tip a Just or the additional Vice of Vengeful. Whenever
posse too far over one edge or the other. she gains Willpower from this additional anchor, she
also regains a point of Mana.
386
the target must be within the weapon’s range. This attack
Contracts of ignores cover, ricocheting impossibly from objects in the
Retaliation environment if need be.
The Contract’s invocation roll uses the Skill appropriate
Retaliation is about righteous punishment, compensating to the weapon used.
crime victims, and repaying deeds done in-kind.
Cost: 1 Glamour
Dice Pool: Dexterity + (Firearms or Athletics) + Mantle
Draw Likeness (Royal)
vs. Stamina + Wyrd
The changeling speaks aloud, naming a branded criminal, a Action: Reflexive and contested
specific crime (“the man who robbed this train”), or a general Duration: Instant
crime (“train robbery”) when invoking this Contract.
Cost: 1 Glamour Roll Results
Dice Pool: Wits + Investigation + Mantle vs. Composure Success: The changeling strikes an item in the target’s
+ Wyrd hand (including a weapon) or on their person, sending it
Action: Contested flying without inflicting any damage. Retrieving a fallen item
Duration: Instant requires an instant action.
Alternatively, the changeling may impose an appropriate
Roll Results Personal Tilt on the target. An arrow or knife through a sleeve
Success: The changeling renders a likeness of the target on might pin the victim’s arm, imposing Arm Wrack; a broken
any flat surface a piece of graphite could mark, though it appears belt might slide target’s pants down to his ankles as he runs for
in a shimmering, ethereal ink; her finger works as well as any cover, imposing Knocked Down. In all cases, the target can end
pencil. The likeness isn’t perfect and may even be a crude draw- the Tilt with an instant action to remedy it — rubbing the dust
ing, but it highlights just the right details to make matching the out of his eyes, pulling up his pants, pulling the sleeve free, etc.
face to the image much easier, granting rolls to that end the rote The Storyteller is the final arbiter of which Tilts are appropriate.
quality for anyone who sees the drawing. Further, it grants one The target also gains the Leveraged Condition (Changeling,
free Clue (Changeling, p. 194) about the target’s whereabouts or p. 342) regarding any witnesses to this Contract’s effects other
recent activity to anyone examining the likeness for the first time. than the changeling herself, as his reputation takes a dive.
If the changeling named a general crime, the target is the Exceptional Success: The changeling chooses where fallen
closest person to the changeling who committed it within the objects land, which could be in her own hand. The Tilts she
last lunar month. If no such target exists, the Contract fails. imposes last for the scene, as uncanny ill fortune conspires
Exceptional Success: Anyone looking upon the likeness against the target.
immediately remembers when and where they last saw the Failure: The Contract fails.
perpetrator; this provokes a Clash of Wills against powers Dramatic Failure: The Contract fails, and the changeling
that would prevent them from remembering. The likeness cannot use it again this scene.
also hints at the target’s future whereabouts or activity, grant- Loophole: The target broke a standoff with the changeling
ing the viewer the Informed Condition (Changeling, p. 342) within the last turn.
regarding the criminal.
Dramatic Failure: The intended target knows the change-
ling is after him, and gains information about her as though she Judgment of the
were the Contract’s target and it achieved exceptional success.
Failure: The Contract fails. Leafless Tree
Loophole: A victim of one of the target’s crimes described The Crown of Retaliation is a pale hat with a broad brim,
him to the changeling during this scene. decorated with a band of silver and gold bullets that suggest a
more traditional crown. Once per chapter, the queen can spend
Peacemaker’s Draw a Willpower to declare a bounty on any target currently within
the freehold’s territory, branding them as the Bargain would
(Common)
(p. 384). The target can be a particular named fugitive or the
The changeling may invoke this Contract at any point perpetrator of a crime as broad as “petty theft” or as specific as
during the initiative order, including to interrupt another “Red Leaf’s murder.” If she chose a broad crime, the brand affects
character’s turn. If she doesn’t have a ranged weapon readied the nearest perpetrator of that crime within the last lunar month.
(whether thrown or fired), she may draw one reflexively; if The monarch may also, separately, spend a Willpower once per
she doesn’t have one at all, the Contract creates one out of chapter to activate all currently extant brands. Until the sun next
Glamour and spit, with standard traits. rises or sets, everyone with at least one dot of the court’s Mantle
The changeling can invoke this Contract multiple times or the Order’s Mystery Cult Initiation knows the next major step
in the same turn — even against the same opponent — lim- they must take to find and reach the closest branded quarry. The
ited only by ammunition and her ability to spend Glamour. revealed path isn’t necessarily the shortest one in distance, or the
Each attempt, successful or not, counts as an attack with the safest — only the one that gains the most ground on the fugitive.
readied weapon, using up ammunition as appropriate, and
387
Bay City Marshals
Otto’s hands were shaking again, the rattle of the small tin of curios he collected from
the British trench last week sounding around the cramped dug-out he called home for
the moment. It seemed that every time they took one step forward they had to turn
around and take it right back again.
Musketier Otto Meyer was a survivor. Some of his comrades, those still alive,
had joked that Otto could become the German word for “lucky” if he made
it back home. He had survived explosions that wiped out regiments,
been found wandering the wasteland, dazed after machine-gun fire
ripped apart his wave in the last push. When he was brought into
the captured trench by the following troops, he started picking
up random effects from the British dugouts like he was perusing
a shop, placing each within the empty tobacco tin that once caught
some shrapnel destined for his heart during the Marne offensive.
Of course, the Germans had no word for “lucky,” and Otto felt
now he understood why. Surely, only a man who had seen what
he had seen and experienced these sorts of horrors could truly be
called lucky. That the litany of agony and terror passing before his
eyes should be laughed at like a comedy as black as the hearts of their
uncaring commanders.
Hugging himself, he stumbled out into the rain. Perhaps the feeling
of that imperishable cold would invigorate his torpid body and break
the nightmare he found himself in. All was quiet in the trench that night.
Otto could see a small group of engineers were taking advantage of
this time to lengthen the line, their shovels tirelessly slinging black
mud up onto the lip of the trench, obscuring the horizon from
view. For a moment, he allowed his eyes to close and let the
water wash over him, perhaps he could drown here, a victim
of mere nature. Not the steel and chlorine fires of industry
that had taken each and every other fool who had signed
up with him.
A thud behind him jarred him awake. Otto turned
to look, seeing only one of the night watchmen loom-
ing beside the door to his dugout.
“All is well.” intoned the night watchman in
a voice that was like the landing of an unburst
shell in thick earth.
“On that we can definitely disagree.” re-
torted Otto, shivering in the chilling blast
of the autumn rain. He regarded the night
watchman, he’d seen his sort around before.
His skin was so caked in mud he looked
more like a golem than a man. His stature
was broad and slab-like. He stood silently,
offering no reply.
Otto turned again as an animal howling
echoed over the drumming of the rain hitting
the corrugated iron roof of the dugout. He
glanced back at the night watchman, watching
Otto watching him.
“What’s your name anyway friend?” asked
Otto.
After a long pause, “Faceless.”
“Aren’t we all?” hissed Otto, with a rueful
chuckle. Herr Faceless simply stared back, in quiet
contemplation.
TThe
he Great War
Great War
1914-1918
1914-1918CE
CE
A pair of gunshots rings out on a clear day in Sarajevo. Gavrilo Princip,
a young Bosnian Serb student, smears his name onto the pages of history in
blood. Can he have known the significance of the bullets that took the lives of
Franz Ferdinand, the Archduke of Austria-Hungary and his wife, the Duchess
Sophie Chotek? He wished to become a martyr for the freedom of his homeland
from Austro-Hungarian rule, instead he fired the starter pistol on a conflict that
would decimate nations.
The very concept of “total war” was unheard of in a time when a veneer of
gentlemanly conduct covered the harsh realities of battles, where the technology
of killing was becoming all-too efficient. Napoleon and the French Revolution
taught a harsh lesson to the powers of Europe; that a nation brought entirely
“In Flanders fields

into war would always defeat a small but professional army. It was a recipe for
the poppies blow

human death and suffering on a scale unimagined, prompting the Great War
to be called “the war to end all wars.”
“InBetween
Flanders fields thethe
Such tumult and atrocity send their ripples across the full spectrum of the
crosses, row on
world. Truly, this was the first global war where humanity itself, and those who
poppies blow hide within it, were unable to escape the bounds of its battles. Conscripts and
Betweenrow the crosses, forces were called up from across a British Empire that covered one third of the
world, and upon the lands of which it was said the sun never set. Old alliances
That mark our

row on row
were called upon to be honored and opportunistic leaders saw a chance to settle
place;andand in the
sky sky
That mark our place; old scores or simply bring more lands under their sway.
in the There is no race, color, or creed untouched by the Great War. The monstrous
The larks, still

creatures of the world were no different.
The larks, still bravely
bravely singing, fly
Uratha could not fail to hear the clarion call to battle. As blood flows and
singing, fly the land falls corrupted, spirits of brook, stream, and field are poisoned by
Scarce heard amid

Scarce heard amid the the fetid, yellow clouds of chlorine gas and the seeping filth of over a million
corpses. While some disenfranchised spirits cry out for aid or seek succor in
the gunsMcCrae,
below.”
guns below.”
the starved and thirsting flesh of the refugee and soldier alike, those who feed
— John on the resonance of corruption and death thrive and grow more powerful than
John McCrae,
“In Flanders Fields” any stratagem could have foreseen. The scars of the war bleed across boundar-
—
“In Flanders Fields”
ies and give rise to creatures grotesque and frightful, a stain in the sight of the
Great Wolf’s children.
As bodies fall in the mud and the imperatives rise for more fresh meat to
be placed in the grinder, it is only natural that many Prometheans are given
their divine spark at this time. After all, there were trenches to dig, enemies to
scout, and a war to fight. Why risk the lives of a single Frenchman, or German,
whose weeping mothers dent the morale of the people back at home? Why
spend the future of your nation when there is cheaper labor at hand? Amid the
horrors of the trenches, rattle of machine guns, and deafening blasts of shells,
Prometheans seek out the glimmers of humanity piercing the clouds of war. This
crucible that melts away all pretension from its participants leaves the souls of
each human bare to the eyes of the lost Lineage of the Faceless alongside the
others of their kind.
In the aftermath of such mindless death, Sin-Eaters are inevitably born.
The ghastly fate of the uncountable dead and their untold suffering are
such that the battlefields of the Great War are rich fruit for the picking of
390
The Great War
established and newfound Krewes alike. Only the hardiest
of the Sin-Eaters can hope to withstand the sights, smells
Desperation
and ear-splitting sounds of this harshest of environments Certainly, the war brings fear, but sustained fear requires
and put the restless souls of thousands to their final rest. action, adrenaline, some certainty of ending. By the time the
The whole world is watching, listening, reading each trenches are dug, heart-pounding fear has become interlaced
day the news of a front line that barely moves an inch. Each with a dull, deadening desperation. For many, this eternal
day, families dread the fateful letter from the War Office, despair breeds hopelessness: If the entire world has decided
informing them that a son, father, daughter, or sister has to be here, doing this, how can anything ever be right again?
been taken by the hail of lead that fills the air of the barren In others, it brings about rash action: If only this battle can be
wastelands that were once farms and homesteads. The Great won, this new weapon can be perfected, this one civilian can be
War is a scar that changes the face of the world forever. saved, maybe the war will end and this will all finally be over.
Themes and Moods Relentlessness

The Great War keeps coming, and coming. Grand plans
The Great War changes the world, pulling it out of an
and gunfire are one thing, but it’s the horrible, day-to-day
earlier era and plunging it into modern warfare over the
monotony of life that can drive one mad. Four years seems
course of mere months. The optimism of a golden age for
as though it should be a short time to supernatural creatures,
Europe is quickly shattered, making way for distrust, fear,
especially those who live for centuries, but it is four years in
and a growing desperation as the war that would be “over
which thousands and thousands of people are living among
by Christmas” stretches on and on and on.
corpses and dying like animals. One death is a tragedy, but
the relentlessness of the Great War turns the horrific into the
Sacrifice mundane, leaving the people who are living through it numb.
The Great War is filled with sacrifices. Whole armies
The Illusion of Peace

are thrown into slaughter by their generals, all in hopes
of taking a few more feet of territory. Individually, people
choose to sacrifice for their friends, their loved ones,
In the spring of 1914, Sarajevo was a city marked by
their country, leaving countless tales of heartbreaking
death. Spirits and ghosts walked its cobblestone alleyways at
heroism. Soldiers throw themselves into live fire to save
night, and Avernian Gates opened and closed like maws in
the wounded, or risk court martial by ceasing fire to let
unexpected doorways. The walking dead saw reflections of
their enemies do the same. Starving refugees give up their
its mosques and cathedrals in the rivers of the Underworld,
food and shelter to the young, the sick, the even more
even from thousands of miles away. The city was no stranger
desperate. The home front bands together, cutting every
to tragedy, from wars and plagues to fire and revolution, but
corner to send what they can to “the boys in the trenches.”
there was no great and recent event that could be easily
Sacrifice shines a beacon on the best of humanity, the
fingered as the source of Sarajevo’s deathly disquiet. Yet
capacity for utter selflessness, but it also begs the question:
still, the Underworld of the city was hungry and wakeful,
Is it worth it? How many people are dying pointlessly, and
as if in anticipation of some great storm to come.
could there be a better way?
On the 28th of June, 1914, one death in Sarajevo would
Patriotism turns to Distrust mark the beginning of the greatest mass slaughter the world
had ever seen.
In 1914, years of general prosperity have encouraged
nationalism and trust in many European countries. As the
war begins, patriotism is among the casualties. Most of the A Century of Progress
great powers are either monarchies, or have vast pools of In Europe, the 1800s had seen technological innovation
noble blood among their leadership. The men who die, at an unprecedented rate. The Victorian era marked the
and the civilians who suffer most on the home front, are rise of industrialization in Britain, with new understand-
more likely to be of common stock. Some soldiers lose all ings in medicine and engineering that changed how people
sense of purpose, others begin to think that maybe they lived and worked. The world was becoming smaller, too;
have more in common with those fighting on the other imperialist states in Europe, Japan, and the United States
side than they do with their commanding officers. The conquered any territory they could claim, growing rich on
supernatural are hardly immune to this division, torn be- the steady supply of trade goods taken from their colonies.
tween loyalty to kin and loyalty to country and wondering At the turn of the century, everyday people could listen
if either can remain important among such tragedy. Either to records in the comfort of their homes, or take pictures of
way, old allegiances are lost, and sometimes new ones are their loved ones with a portable camera. The first Zeppelin
formed in their place. was taking off, and the Wright brothers were experiment-
ing with kites and manned gliders. In the coming decade,
391
The Illusion of Peace
Ford would invent his Model T, the Curies would discover published well in advance, and so the would-be killers
radioactivity, wireless radio transmissions would be sent and lined up along a major avenue and waited. At least two of
received, and the United States would get its first movie them lost their nerve, others failed to find an angle. One
theater. Progress marched forwards and profits followed, threw a grenade and missed, striking the next car down.
trailed by waves of social change. The archduke was completely unharmed, and resolved to
Of course, there were still wars. Colonial states disagreed continue with the day’s planned itinerary.
with their imperialist leaders, and great powers clashed over But death had other plans.
territory and independence. Still, it seemed to many that After failing to kill Ferdinand, one of the revolutionaries
the world was becoming a better place with every passing had retired to a cafe near his appointed spot along the motor-
year, with no end in sight. cade route, cursing his luck at the Young Bosnian’s botched
attempt. Later that day, the archduke and his wife resolved to
A Penchant for visit those injured in the failed assassination. A different route
was planned, but some accident of communication meant their
the Supernatural driver was never informed of the change. On this error, the first
three cars of the motorcade turned down a side street. When
Despite, or perhaps because of, the embracing of scien-
informed of the mistake, the drivers stopped and stalled out
tific progress, the mid-to-late 19th century was also a time
in the process of reversing, all right in front of the little cafe
when belief in the supernatural flourished. Spiritualism and
where the failed assassin had been spending his afternoon.
seances, imported from the United States, grew in popular-
Gavrilo Princip, only 19 years old, walked up to Ferdinand and
ity in Britain as Queen Victoria took an interest. The Rider-
shot him point-blank, killing both the archduke and his wife.
Waite-Smith tarot deck was published in 1910, inspired by
The maws of Sarajevo’s Underworld grinned widely,
gnostic Catholicism and the earlier tarot tradition. Not just
welcoming the first course of its expected feast. The death
whispered rumors, in the 19th century the supernatural was
of the archduke had set in motion a chain of political
being documented and categorized as neatly as any natural
events that would plunge the world into a war bloodier
phenomenon. Publications frequently found only hyperbole
than anyone had yet imagined, much less seen.
and charlatans, but real insight in contemporary books is far
from impossible, and is often recorded with unprecedented
attention to the less-than-poetic details. The Great Powers
For the creatures that hide in the shadows, progress and Europe in 1914 was a tangled web of alliances built on
supernatural belief make for a dangerous combination. Just national pride, old grudges, and new trade agreements.
when it seemed that old folk wisdom about the supernatural For the death of the heir to their throne, Austria-Hungary
was beginning to fade from the public consciousness, sight- prepared for war against Serbia, whom they suspected of
ings that would once have been dismissed as mad ramblings arming the assassins. Germany agreed to uphold its alli-
can now be photographed by any child with a camera, or ance with Austria-Hungary against Russia, whose close
recorded and aired on a radio broadcast. It’s a time of cau- diplomatic ties to Serbia made defending them a matter
tion, and a time of questions: Is science about to discover a of pride to the country. France was also allied with Russia,
way to bring back the dead? Can Disquiet be spread through leaving Germany trapped between two hostile states who
photographs? Are lighter-than-air crafts by nature a violation had already begun to mobilize for war. The soldiers had
of the natural order, or merely a new part of it, and what will barely begun to march, and already a regional conflict in the
their spirits look like? There are no elders with experience Balkans was reaching its tendrils up into northern Europe.
to draw on for answers, no guidelines in the Prometheans’ To survive against both France and Russia, Germany had
Azothic memory, only the discoveries and decisions made a plan: Swing through the south of France and claim Paris
by the people living through this time of change. quickly, then turn about to face the slower-moving Russian
troops after France’s swift defeat. But to get to Paris, German
Death in Sarajevo soldiers needed to move through Belgium, a neutral terri-
tory that had no part in the conflict. What they did have
In the summer of 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of
was an agreement with Great Britain, who had promised
Austria-Hungary visited Bosnia-Herzegovina, a province
to protect the smaller country’s neutrality in times of war.
his country had recently annexed from Serbia. Despite the
tumultuous political situation and numerous suggestions to From there, things only escalated. The Ottoman
cancel the trip, Ferdinand arrived in late June to observe Empire joined with the Central Powers of Germany and
a series of military exercises, while his wife visited schools Austria-Hungary to protect its financial interests. Japan
and orphanages. Meanwhile, a handful of students under declared war on Germany when the country failed to re-
the banner of the Young Bosnia revolutionary group had move armed merchant ships from their waters. The Allied
come together, armed with guns and grenades and plotting powers, especially Great Britain, brought in soldiers from
assassination. The archduke’s motorcade route had been their colonies around the world, turning the conflict into
a truly global war.
392
The Great War
together: the relentless killing power of new machinery,
the tight web of alliances that would make surrender so
difficult, the financial stockpiles that could sustain the war
The Schlieffen Hunt for years. The clues painted a picture of the slaughter to
Named after WWI ended, the Schlieffen Plan come, but to a continent of nations set on war the Bound
was Germany’s plan to invade France through were Cassandras, prophesying truths that were dismissed
Belgium. To some Uratha in Germany, especially as folly. Some headed straight for the front lines anyways,
the Iron Masters, it was a call to action: Rise, knowing that their help would soon be needed, or simply
hunt, destroy the wave of foreign humanity who anxious to find more people like them.
would like nothing better than to invade their Above all, soldiers were brought to arms by patriotism,
sovereign territory from all sides. Traveling with and a trust that the war will be both brief and righteous.
the German army was simple enough, but their These was a sense of optimism as things began, and an ex-
scent did little to endear the foreign army to the
wolves of Belgium. pectation that those in charge knew what they were doing.
Young men raised on stories of glorious warfare marched
off on the adventure of a lifetime, ready to be welcomed
home as heroes.
It is Noble and Befitting Welcome to the

War was never much fun for the soldiers living through
it, but as the Great War began it was still seen as an hon- Meatgrinder
orable pursuit, full of glory and adventure. The last major The Western Front is a blood-soaked wound carved
conflict that Europe had seen was the Napoleonic wars, across France and Belgium, reaching from the sea to the
now nearly a century in the past and immortalized in border of Switzerland. It is a nightmare gap between the
paintings and ballads. Other recent wars had been fought belligerents, thick scar tissue of trenches and military for-
overseas, where the most modern European military tech- tifications bulging around the shattered reality of no-man’s
nology gunned down native residents who were far less land. That gap seems impossibly wide, even when scarcely
well equipped, leaving veterans highly confident in their 200 yards across. For the soldier mired in mud, weary from
fighting prowess. Young men from every country involved the hammering thud of shells and numbed to the cracked-
rushed to sign up and fight, sold on stories of medals and open flesh of comrades, it is an all-consuming maw glutting
heroism. France would send its soldiers out into battle in itself on carnage. For the civilian, it is a dam splitting apart
colorful red trousers and crisp blue coats, the Russians wore existence, country, and hope.
tidy brimmed hats, picture-perfect and professional. People Millions drown in the brutality of that interstitial place,
were ready to fight, even die, for the cause. No one expected their death soaking into the ground until it is so saturated
to be slaughtered. with suffering that it cannot help but burst forth. Ghosts
For the inhuman, too, there was plenty to attract ex- weep. Spirits howl. Abominations forged from the con-
citement over the coming conflict. For the Created, the centration of madness and slaughter stalk through muck
thrum of human energy was enough to turn heads. War and smog. It seems this nightmare will never end, this hell
means passion and triumph, struggle and bravery, a chance made real in earth and blood.
to forge real bonds of brotherhood with fellow soldiers Although the enormity of the desolation leaves many
while staying on the move and avoiding Wasteland. Wolf- with the sense it was preordained, unavoidable, this engine
Blooded, anchored to humanity but hungry for the rush of of death was not planned. It wasn’t supposed to be this way.
conflict, enlisted in droves, often hiding age or gender to The Western Front erupts from the cooling corpse of
do so. Many brought packmates along for the ride, unwill- lofty military ambitions. As war breaks out, German forces
ing to let their siblings fight alone. The Uratha might not are a hammer swinging through Belgium, directed down in
recognize the political borders of humanity, but they could a lethal blow toward the heart of France. Belgium is not as
understand the need to defend territory, and of course the trivial a conquest as the Germans expect, but the hammer-
thrill of a good hunt. blow continues on its inexorable path, and its wake is cruel.
There were not many Bound before the war began, only Civilians executed, villages razed; people call it the “Rape
small pockets left over from past tragedies, but they were of Belgium.” The strike crashes down into the armies of the
among the most prone to foreseeing the disaster that the Entente; they buckle, break, fall back before its onslaught.
Great War would become. It was death that binds them, This is war, nightmarish war fought with terrible weapons
after all, and something about the Underworld seemed to reaping monstrous casualties, but thus far it is still compre-
know that tragedy loomed. Some Sin-Eaters, those left hensible to those who perpetrate it. It can be understood
over from past wars, were in the position to put the pieces in continuity with past strategies. That is about to change.
393
Welcome to the Meatgrinder
The defenders rally. Joseph Joffre, commander-in-chief of conscripts and volunteers march into that existence.
of the French, stiffens the resolve of the British and gives Industry and artifice are bent entirely to the front’s need
his own armies new purpose. Soldiers, though exhausted by for more bullets, more shells, more supplies of every kind
defeat and retreat, turn and find new vigor, new determina- in service to the cycle of annihilation. Alchemists and
tion. The Germans are but a few dozen miles from Paris. wolf-witches delight in the ingenuity of these great rites of
In this new paradigm of war, the sky has become a cruel death that give birth to new opportunities, new ideas, and
traitor, home to the machine-scrying of aircraft crew. A gap new ways to slaughter. Leviathan beasts stalk the world of
in the German armies is spotted from aloft. They call what Flesh — tanks, monsters of steel and fire. The Shadow bursts
follows the battle of the Marne but “battle” scarce seems with a threshing frenzy of insanity matching the madness
adequate a word for a bitter clash that costs half a million gripping humanity. The dead are harvested so brutally,
lives. The German armies falter, then retreat. The victors so efficiently, that Twilight chokes with ghosts and the
are too exhausted to turn it to a rout. Underworld is flooded by the tide of lost souls.
The German forces are granted a moment’s breathing In 1917, the United States joins the war, stung into an-
space and dig in. Now the wound truly begins to form. ger by the sinking of the Lusitania. They join the patchwork
The front spreads, cracking the ground through battle after of peoples already caught in the carnage — Canadians,
battle. Armies race to find the other’s flank, onward and Indians, Senegalese, Moroccan, and many more besides.
onward, chewing and tearing and barking with bullet and Everyone is the same under the mud and the smoke.
shell until the blood-slick line between them reaches all On and on it grinds. No one is home by Christmas. No one
the way to the sea. is home before the leaves fall. There are always new offensives,
The wound is cut. The belligerents begin to gnarl and always new battles to be fought. In 1918, finally, it is enough.
scar its edges with their trenches and their barbed wire and The wound is so soaked in blood that it can drink no more.
all the grinding gears of a vast edifice of war that has stalled. The war drowns in its own crimson excess. The second battle
The engine of battle chokes on the blood of the dead and of the Marne marks the beginning of the end. The bones of
the relentless hunger of the guns. This is the birth of the Germany crack and break — too many dead soldiers, the fires
Western Front, in mud and gore and loss of life so vast as of industry quelled to but an ember by the ravenous demands
to be unimaginable. of endless battle, and the will to fight snuffed out. And just like
The shadows crawl with slithering things sensitive to the that, it ends; revolution grips the German government and,
weight of sheer death. As humans march and dig and die, on the 11th of November, an armistice is signed.
the spiritual bow-wave of the war pushes scurrying insects The artillery is muzzled. The bullets cease their howl.
out from under their rocks; mediums tormented by night- The killing stops. Too much has already been given to this
mare dreams, decadent parasites deprived of their luxuries war, though. Those who walk away from the trenches, those
and their herds, dream-things that can find no sustenance whose lives have been touched by the relentless thirst of
in an expanse of shattered earth and dread. Others, though, the Western Front, bear its scar in their souls. Its darkness,
are drawn to it like flies to blood. that all-engulfing distance between the lines of battle, lives
The war stagnates, suppurates, turns gangrenous. Gas on as a wound within the very peoples who fed it and gave
washes battlefields in choking finality. Endless battalions it life, even as the shattered earth is reclaimed.
of soldiers are thrown in as fuel, ground into meat and
churned into mud. Ambitions for swift victory are throttled
and devoured by a new and grim determination to slowly,
Wounded Lives
cruelly, bleed the foe dry. Battle after battle splits the ground The war is everything. It is all-encompassing. The
with artillery and tears the air with bullets; the battle lines Western Front reaches far beyond the immediate brutality
spasm and shift, but there is no triumphant breaking point. of the trenches. It is a cancer worming its way through the
Men learn to be monsters. The trenches have murdered any lives of millions whose existence is warped by the sheer
belief in the glories of warfare, murdered it and buried it weight of its hunger.
deep. Commanders must learn this new way of war, and each The Western Front drains huge reserves of manpower
lesson is painted in the blood of the dead. Darker things lurk into its grim embrace. Able-bodied men pour into battle
in the margins, drawing from the same black well. There until, as the years drag on, entire nations are bled dry.
is so much to discover for the monstrous wardens of this Several of the nations practice conscription, raising vast
slaughter, every morbid prize hauled from the muck and numbers of troops in months or even weeks — but troops
the screams of the fallen. who are poorly trained and have no way to understand the
This is the new reality for one year, then another. The scope of the nightmare they march into. Britain’s small, elite
war has spread to far-flung fronts, where distant powers Expeditionary Force is soon nothing by comparison to the
grapple and gouge at each other, but here on the Western wave of patriotic fervor that drives millions of volunteers
Front the world has become calcified, rendered down, nar- to sign up. They march into a new existence of boredom,
rowed into the endless and relentless rhythm of barrage waiting, poor supplies, random death and brief, intense
and wound. The hunger of the war is never sated. Tides periods of terror and adrenaline.
394
The Great War
At home, families and entire communities are torn by the dead, of living fire in the sky and hungry rumblings
the gaping absence of loved ones, men and women travel- under the earth. People gird themselves with superstition,
ing to serve as soldiers or in support of such. Many do not desperate for any edge to save them or a loved one from a
return. Swathes of society are erased in the mire. Pessimism, bullet or a shell or whatever other random, callous end the
optimism and fatalism war with each other in the minds of front has in mind for them.
those left behind. Churches hold little comfort — too many
bodies are lost forever to the trenches’ mouths, and there is
nothing to bury. Some turn to other forms of spiritualism
Ypres
to keep their sanity, to mediums and occultists in the hope Ypres is a cancerous lump in the scar tissue of the
of closure with their departed. Cultures built around the Western Front. It forms as the German armies roll through
role of men face a dire lack thereof. Old structures crumble. much of Belgium, the advance stymied by Belgian determi-
Women step boldly into the gap. nation and sacrifices as they flood their own ground with
Machinery hammers and stamps and roars to spew forth
the teeth with which the front consumes its victims —
armor, armaments, ammunition. Society’s produce is bent
to the front’s needs. The war is not some distant, vague
notion — its demands are directly imprinted into daily
Thumbs Up
life. Rationing and the need for foreign aid imposes itself Soldiers in particular keep trinkets and lucky
at different rates in different places. As the war progresses, charms: fragments of wood, polished smooth by
its weight grows more oppressive. Each passing year brings nervous fingers, ‘fumbsup’ charms, and anything
greater restrictions. America, bloated with resources and
that might have played a part in stopping a bullet
or piece of shrapnel. There’s no inherent occult
people, floods a relieving stream of materiel into the wound power to these things, but that doesn’t mean they
when it lurches into the fight. are without effect — the churning flesh of the front
The wound of the front reveals the maggots slither- gives birth to a constant stream of new spirits and
ing beneath the surface, dragging things into the light ghosts, many malicious, whose Bans and Banes
that would prefer not to be seen. For the humans in the sometimes coincide with a protective charm by
trenches, in the streets, each glimpse of the darkness finds lucky chance.
fertile ground in their thoughts. There are so many stories
of ghosts, of ghouls crawling through no-man’s land to eat
395
seawater. Ypres becomes a stronghold, its flanks a graveyard
of German dead. Over the years to come, it faces the worst
the war has to offer, scoured by poison gas and hammered by
artillery. In 1917 the battle of Passchendaele alone claims
The Wire of Death
half a million souls at the city’s edge. By the end of the war, The Dodendraad is an electric fence between
Ypres is little more than rubble. Belgium and the Netherlands. It kills thousands of
The Western Front has no respect for the history of refugees attempting to flee into the Netherlands.
Some are just trying to escape the Germans, some
Ypres. It is an ancient settlement, and has long prospered
seek to join friends and family, some want to join
as a center in the trade of fabric and linen. It has a strange, the armies that might liberate their homelands. The
dark history with witches and cats. Now, on the surface, Wire takes a grim toll on them all.
it is reduced to a strategic asset, a place of import only in
its role in the killing of men. Beneath that surface, Ypres’ Twilight around the Wire is a ghastly sight. Lightning-
secrets still bubble and seethe. ghosts howl and twist through the air. Hungry spirits
crawl and slither. More than ephemera is caught in
In the first year, many of the town’s inhabitants remain, the Wire’s orbit; some shambling thing hauls itself
unwilling to give up on their home. Cafes and shops throng out of the dirt to seize the fence and drink deep of its
with soldiers, and some glimmer of prosperity remains — a electric currents.
facade of normality. The days grow more fraught from the
hammer of gunfire and the fear of shelling. People hide in
their cellars. The physical flesh of the settlement falls apart;
buildings turn to ruins. Ypres fills with shadows and vermin Artillery can only reach so far. Gas, though, obeys no such
and carrion crows. Men and women struggle on for as long constraints. It rolls on until its poisonous grasp is exhausted.
as they can, but the community teeters toward collapse. Farmers run through their fields, gasp, claw at their own
The spiritual scarring in the city stems from more than faces. Both sides remove their civilian populations from
just the all-too-immediate presence of the war. The Belgians the area of the battle.
here are culturally dismembered. On the far side of the In May 1915, the remaining civilians of Ypres are evacu-
trenches, much of the rest of Belgium lies in German hands ated. They depart on lorries and trains. The last to leave
despite the costly sacrifices paid by the country’s troops. officially is the mayor. Only a few hardy or desperate souls
There, in occupied Belgium, further back from the trenches, remain behind, clinging to their lives amid the tumbling
life goes on but the weight of German rule is a souring, ruins of their home.
needling thing. The Belgians endure, because they must.
Ypres now exists only as a place of defiance; a military
Over there, resistance against the Germans draws collec- installation of barracks and stores built on the carcass of the
tive reprisal, atrocities visited on the civilian population as town, surrounded by knots of breastworks and fortifications.
whole villages are razed and victims executed for supposed The soldiers become as rats, hiding away. The beauty of Ypres
defiance. A surge of new patriotism wars for dominance vanishes over the cruel years. By the end of 1918, almost
with pessimism. The occupiers mandate that the factories nothing stands. Even the cellars and basements have been
and farms must produce, but passive resistance is easy — beaten until they collapse. Over a score of British troops are
workers are purposefully slow or inept to throw grit in the buried alive in the collapse of the cathedral vaults.
gears of the German war machine. For many, it is a long,
dull stretch of nothing — a time they must endure. The Supplier
Life in the occupied regions remains tense despite the Agnezia Peeters is a young Flemish woman with a tal-
boredom. Suspicion carves a line, separating the Flemish ent for seizing opportunities. When the French and British
from the rest. Flemish frustrations with French-speaking troops begin to pour into Ypres and fill the cafes, she quickly
majorities are encouraged by German Flamenpolitik. Belgian cottons on to the potential profits to be made. She supplies
resentment grows, seeing Flemish nationalists as collabora- comforts and luxuries to the troops — cigarettes, tobacco,
tors with the invaders. Many Belgians still seek to flee, but alcohol, gloves, scarves, and sweet things. It’s mostly legal,
crossing the trenches would be madness. A great number as long as you don’t ask where exactly she got them from.
perish trying to cross into the Netherlands, caught in elec- Miss Peeters is also a Wolf-Blooded. She stays because
tric slaughter by the Wire of Death. her pack has gone to the front, drawn to the call of death
Back in Ypres, many are determined to stay despite the emanating from no-man’s land. She hopes, desperately, they
shelling, but drains and sewers are hammered into ruin. will return. She has nowhere else to go. Agnezia clings on
Sickness begins to spread. defiantly in Ypres, even when the gas comes, even when
Then the Germans use poison gas. the shells fall. She ignores the evacuation order, keeps sup-
Until now, villages and farms close to the front line are plying the troops with contraband. She’s half torn apart by
still inhabited — the war has stumbled to a grim wrestling shrapnel, but her flesh knits itself back together. The troops
match where gains are measured in yards rather than miles. she deals with marvel at her continued survival. Persuasion
2, Larceny 3, Streetwise (Ypres) 3.
396
The Great War
The Censor carnage, war rendered impersonal through sheer scope but
intensely, personally horrific through experience. It is a strategy
Lieutenant Jonathan Rutherford is bored. The tangled
trading innumerable lives for breathing space elsewhere on
trenches are ghastly enough — grim sludge when it rains,
the front. For his part in the plan, Field Marshal Haig of the
vile stench in the heat — and on top of that, Rutherford
British forces will be vilified by later generations.
is censor to his troops. He must read every letter they
write home — and they write a great many. Much is dull The German trenches are reinforced before the battle
or inane, especially after he is done with it — no criticism begins — thicker wire, deeper lines, more dugouts. Unlike
of superiors, no giveaway details of troop formations, just Ypres, where the ground is too boggy for trenches, the
the chattering of lads to their mothers. earth of the Somme is easily dug. The sides of trenches are
reinforced with wood and sandbags to prevent collapse.
Bored by the monotony, Rutherford’s curiosity is snagged
Allied attacks are presaged by storms of artillery fire, but
by any oddity. He keeps a private diary, notes the muttered
the Germans are so well dug in that the great, gouging bites
rumors and whispered stories. In its pages are phantasmal
the shells gnaw from the landscape are not enough to root
bloodhounds spotted running to the trenches before battle,
them out. The barrage of thunder drives some of the victims
luminescent green flames that dance through the clouds,
entirely mad, but too many advances find the teeth of the
grim-faced recitals of men saved from random death by
defenses still intact despite the rain of fire.
ghostly visions. Rutherford hungers for the strange now.
After all, back home in Somerset, the Rutherford estate The Somme encompasses more than a dozen battles
holds its own secrets. Investigation 3, Politics 2, Occult 1 across five months. The Germans, their reserves committed
elsewhere at the battle of Verdun, remain on the defensive.
The Shell-Shocked For the French and British soldiers in the trenches, life is
Henri Bernard, soldat 2.eme, is a conscript. He is 20 years boredom strung out between brief, intense bouts of terror and
old as the war starts, drafted in for his compulsory three flame during the advance. When they go over the top into
years of service. He is given a uniform and a weapon, and no-man’s land, troops are often instructed to march in forma-
then driven into hell on a taxi, part of the reinforcement tion to maintain order and cohesion. The German machine
of the front from Paris where the soldiers are transported guns reap a grisly harvest. Things creep amid the fallen when
with civilian vehicles, briefly becoming the first motorized darkness falls, whispering last rites or plucking bodies away.
infantry. He is stationed at Ypres, and it breaks him. Henri All those soldiers funneled into the brief few miles of
is a sensitive soul, a poet, writing to try and cope with the the Somme have to eat. The officers complain of their
immensity of the slaughter all around. lack of food privileges, as the supply chain prioritizes that
Henri struggles with survivor’s guilt. His comrades other great hunger of war — ammunition — over luxuries.
keep dying yet he, somehow, survives. One day, stumbling Even senior officers share the simpler rations of the com-
through the broken town after the last of its residents have mon troops. Tins of bully beef, hard biscuits, and tea are
left, he comes across a cat. To his shock, it speaks to him. sometimes bolstered by rations of rum. Water often tastes
The townsfolk used to throw cats from the roof of the Cloth foul from the containers used. Shortages mean men take
Hall in sacrifice. Now there are no townsfolk, and the from the fallen, who after all have no further need of it.
Cloth Hall is a shattered wreck. The pandemonium of the Sinister rumors twist and coil — tales of deserters driven
front leaves something as minor as a possessed cat almost to desperation in tunnels under no-man’s land, gorging
humdrum by comparison. Henri takes up the old duty of themselves on corpses. Sometimes they don’t wait for a
Ypres, killing felines to feed something dark and old beneath soldier’s last breath before they begin to feed.
the stone. Firearms 1, Stealth 2, Expression (Poetry) 3 Back from the lines, the field hospitals are choked with
the dying. Nurses are run ragged, no time for rest in the face
The Somme of a constant stream of soldiers ruined by the front. It takes a
price from its victims in meat and blood — limbs gnawed off
The Somme is the ultimate expression of the Western by shrapnel, viscera pierced by bullets, eyes torn out. Amid
Front’s thirst for death. In July 1916, this stretch of trenches the monotonous treadmill of gore and hollow-eyed patients,
plays witness to a meatgrinder of such colossal scale that over there are seeming miracles — soldiers who manage incredible
a million perish. The horror grinds on for months without recoveries, flesh knitted back together and bones reset. An
respite. Aircraft stalk the skies and tanks thunder through exhausted medic rarely wants to question such a gift. Yet with
the mud. The sheer focused intensity of the slaughter calls the miracles come the tragedies, as shadows slink through
the attention of a wolf-god and briefly unleashes beings of tents of groaning, twitching wounded in search of easy prey.
death that should never be able to walk the living world.
The Cavalryman
For all the mud, blood, and futility, the allies seize a
mere six miles from the Germans. Edward Sallow’s dreams of glory in the field of battle
This is war through attrition. have been quashed in this new era of trench warfare. Even
The big push of the Somme is fixed in the communal the cavalry units have machine guns these days. Still, he
memories of the cultures involved thereafter. It is industrialized has his sword and his courage, and waits obediently for his
397
time to come. Field Marshal Haig believes the cavalry will to deal with the tidal wave of bloodied victims that wash
be vital to success in the Somme, charging through the through its doors. She is always tired, so tired. The tasks
breach that surely must open. never end. She fills pails with oozing, blood-crusted dress-
That day never comes. Edward waits in the back lines ings. She struggles to get anguished, tormented men to lie
as the infantry are ground to meat. The whole Somme still and take their medicine. She treats the infections of
sees a single such charge on horseback, by Indian troops at flesh as best she can, but there is little she can do for the
Bazentin Ridge. The cavalryman sits disconsolately, watches nightmare wounds carved through their psyche.
tanks rumble past, and mires himself in gambling and what- Chloé knows the long shadows of the corridors hide a
ever alcohol he can get his hands on. The Somme makes multitude of sins. She’s glimpsed… shapes, leaning over
a mockery of his delusions of glory. Firearms 2, Survival wounded who whimper in their sleep. She has learned
1, Weaponry 3. to get out of the way of scarred, lean men and women
The Ratter who ignore ghastly wounds and stalk among the fallen in
search of particular faces; they, at least, are looking for their
Unteroffizer Klaus Fischer has found a new enemy to friends. She’s watched as the doctors let a gaunt young lady
fight — the rats. Rats, hundreds of thousands of them, scurry in strangely old-fashioned clothes sit in reverence over a
through the trenches and no-man’s land. They eat the flesh dying man. Chloé focuses on the people she can save, but
of the dead, steal or befoul food, and swarm as carpets of remembers everything she sees. Medicine 3, Empathy 3,
fur and teeth. Klaus, though, is very good at killing rats. Persuasion 2
Klaus is a flamethrower operator — a nightmarish
weapon, just like the flame projectors the British use in the
Somme. From time to time, Klaus uses sprayed fuel to burn London
infested trenches clean of rats; his fellow soldiers celebrate A far cry indeed from the Western Front’s horrors,
his talents, even if the rats always come back eventually. The London is the heart of an empire — and an empire that
Unteroffizer takes a grim pride in his work with the rats; he will draw on all its far-flung fiefdoms to fuel the war in
is disgusted by the slaughter that he and his fellows inflict on Europe. During these years, London serves as the hub of
the enemy troops, where even the fires of patriotism cannot a colossal international military effort, the nexus of a flow
drown out the reality of such a human cost, but at least he of resources and manpower to defend its possessions across
can kill the rats without moral qualms. Unfortunately, some the globe. Its halls of power play a crucial part in how the
of the rats are less than impressed. Cankerous Beshilu see the conflict plays out. For the person on the street, of course,
German soldier as their enemy and bane, and plan a vile fate there are more pressing concerns — especially when the
for him. Craft (Incendiaries) 3, Firearms 2, Survival 2. war brings itself to London.
The Nurse Leviathans of the sky glide among the clouds with their
payloads of fire and death. The German zeppelins vomit
Chloé Moreau’s day begins at dusk; she works the night
destruction down upon the land. Winds buffet at the soaring
shift in a hospital filled with the groaning wounded. It is a
beasts and their navigation is poor at best; where the bombs
real hospital, a sturdy building, although one never intended
fall, who dies, is a roll of the dice. The notion of striking at
military targets with such lack of precision is absurd, so they
do not bother to try. This is supposed to break the spirit of
Ghouls of the Somme the British — to let them know the Western Front reaches
even here, that they are not safe from its hunger, to grind
A German watch officer stares in horror as a re- down their determination to keep in the fight. In this, the
con party, quietly pacing over the night-shrouded German effort fails spectacularly. The blind, wanton cruelty
space of no-man’s land, is dragged into the earth. of civilian casualties triggers outrage.
A British soldier stumbles through bullet fire and
tumbles into the blessed protection of a crater; he The zeppelins are impressive, but far from effective.
comes face to face with a wild-eyed man chewing They fly above the reach of the British defenses, but they
on a severed arm. Many soldiers see ghosts, but cannot escape the aircraft and, after 1916, the incendiary
the ghouls of the desolation truly terrify them. bullets such craft use. From time to time, a zeppelin crashes
down from the sky in graceful immolation. The crew often
Some are Hosts, their corpses puppeteered by the
jump, rather than burn to death.
Beshilu who squirm through a tangle of tunnels
under no-man’s land. Some are humans fallen In 1917, a new breed of aerial predator is unleashed. At
to madness and possessed by ghosts, driven to first, they mostly come during the day, these Gotha bombers,
a hunger for lingering vitality. Some, a rare few, though eventually they turn to the cover of night for safety.
are simply werewolves pausing in the hunt to take The bombers are vastly superior. In just half as many sorties
Essence from carrion. as the bloated, lumbering zeppelins, these aircraft kill more
and wreak far greater damage. The grueling demands of
the Western Front sap the German capacity to sustain the
398
The Great War
campaign of terror, though. In the end, an insane scheme is
hatched — the feuerplan, the sacrifice of the entirety of the
bomber fleet to AA guns and to exhaustion in the process
of dousing London and Paris in so many incendiaries as to
annihilate them by fire, and thus force surrender. The plan
is never carried out.
On the ground, the air raids become part of life. Civilians
pack into underground shelters for protection. The thunder of
bombs is simply one element of the nerve-breaking strain that
suffuses the capital city. German influence is eradicated from a
formerly cosmopolitan existence — German-born Londoners
are dismissed from jobs, and change their names to Anglicized
pretenses; German shops are looted; and when the Lusitania
sinks, the police stand between Germans and a furious crowd.
The hunger for labor is unquenchable as volunteers pour
to the Western Front. Hostels and workhouses for the poor
empty as their inhabitants sign up or set to work in the
factories feeding the war’s hunger for materiel. The prison
population collapses in the face of full employment being
available to all. Women demand to play their part as much
as any man might, stirred by the same patriotism and the
same sense of duty. So too do they value a new chance for
independence, and higher wages that grant a greater share
of what prosperity the war has to spare. There is work, work
for all, and above all else in the manufactories of thunder
and fire, the production of ammunition.
The Medium
Lingering Victorian fascinations with spirits and the
dead flourish anew, as Irene Wilkins is well aware. She is a
medium, a speaker with ghosts, serving as an intermediary
between the living and the dead. So many families face
the sucking void of loved ones lost to thirsting trenches or
bombs, and the church holds little solace; no body to bury,
no ashes to scatter, just a cold, echoing hall of muttered lip
service to grieving hearts.
Irene is a charlatan with no real power, though she
honestly believes in ghosts and understands the grief of her
customers. She gives them comfort and a sense of closure
as best she can, dressing it all up in suitably convincing
trappings of ceremony and mysticism. She’s also perceptive
enough to know there are other mediums in London with a
real spark, people who she fears — but she can point to them
for the right price. Occult 1, Empathy 2, Subterfuge 3
The German
Meinhard Geissler sticks out like a sore thumb, a
German academic in a city of suspicion. He resents his
treatment, proud of his learning and angry at the situation
that has befallen him due to being in the wrong country at
the wrong time. Ironically, Meinhard really does belong to
a secret society — he is a member of the Germanenorden,
who teach occult and magical philosophies and will later
provide founding members of the Thule Society.
The British authorities are content Geissler poses no
real danger. They see him as a professor with delusions of
399
grandeur, not an agent provocateur. For now they’re right, its untold potential in other fields purged in the trenches.
but that may one day change. He’s found some embers of The balance of power in the west shifts from the old world
German patriotism in his soul, ignited by the prejudices of to the new. The American industrial juggernaut, primed
those around him. Academics 4, Occult 2, Expression 2 from the exertions of their civil war, explodes onto the
The Air-Raid Warden world stage, eclipsing their former colonial overlords in
might. British and French imperial subjects in the far east,
Thomas Upwold isn’t a Londoner — he’s from Somerset India and Africa, far greater than those of Germany, stir
— but duty calls, and Thomas answers. He has a bloated and talk of freedom and independence.
sense of self-importance from serving the city’s air defenses.
Sin-Eaters around the world are left with the aftermath
To Thomas’ disappointment, he doesn’t man the anti-
of conflict on an unprecedented scale. The souls of the rest-
aircraft weaponry, nor does he fly sorties against the raid-
less dead cry out in pain and anger. Resonance hums across
ers — he works on the administration of the underground
the plains of Belgium and France and bubbles beneath the
stations as shelters from the bombs.
waters of the North Sea. It lies beneath the dirt in Poland
Someone probably thought Thomas couldn’t do too and Ukraine. The full extent of the damage done is not
much damage in the role. The problem is, he’s paranoid. resolved even into the modern era.
He actively encourages people to spill stories of suspi-
Prometheans who had found use and purpose, as well
cion to him, of neighbors whose lights flash in patterns
as some lamplights of humanity, find that purpose stripped
that are surely signaling to the zeppelins. He’s had three
from them as they are abandoned by their creators, fit only
Londoners hauled before the courts so far, each cleared by
to be decommissioned like obsolete machinery. The Lineage
the magistrates. He’s now investigating a fourth, but this
of the Faceless descends to the Wasteland wholesale as
time he’s in too deep. The flashing lights in that house
their alchemical pacts are challenged and sundered in their
are not the work of any mortal hand. Investigation 1,
confusion and no new fields of fire exist to replace those
Politics 1, Streetwise 2.
who crumble in the Firestorms called down to cleanse their
former homes on the front. Ultimately, some are killed by
The World is Scarred their creators, some turn weapons on themselves or simply
walk into the sea, and what remains of the Lineage lingers
The Great War doesn’t just erode human life by the
silently among the ranks of their brethren as Extempore.
millions, it crumbles the foundations of empires. The seeds
Their very name is consigned to history, few Prometheans
of revolution that took root in Russia find fertile soil across
wishing to even speak it due to the memory it raises among
the globe. The romantic notions surrounding monarchs and
them.
emperors drown in a tide of blood, mud and resentment.
The spirit world is driven to madness by the reflections
The attitudes of the common people sour on all sides
of the Great War’s horror. Werewolves seeking to protect
of the conflict. Gone is the greatness of the nation as the
the realm of flesh come in huge numbers to calm the tem-
grim realities of warfare in the 20th century find their way
pests and quell the spirits that rise in the tide of death and
into the public consciousness. Armies are no longer tens
destruction. Plagues of Azlu erupt to firm up the Gauntlet
of thousands of trained volunteers, they are millions of
around those sites of chaos and death, while Beshilu feast
untrained, unprepared conscripts. The role of women was
on the corruption and decay it has wrought. Long after the
irrevocably changed. With the men off fighting at the front,
humans have laid down their arms and returned home,
women were pressed into roles previously denied to them,
the Uratha continue their battle, stretched thin as packs
pouring fuel on the revolutionary fire.
travel from far and wide to troublesome areas, leaving other
Economies change forever. States on all sides can see the
persistent threats lightly guarded. The packs are shorn of
imperatives of superior production, enabling the supply of
numbers by the conflict almost as much as the participating
more and more massive forces. The advent of the air force
human nations, making their situation ever more urgent
and mechanized warfare shift the balance of power from
and desperate. For the Uratha, the end of the Great War
aristocratic landowners to the factory-owning industrial-
is just the beginning of another phase and they must battle
ist and the spread of democracy provides opportunity for
harder than ever to bring the peace of the Great Wolf to
popular community leaders to rise to seats of power.
war torn regions.
In Berlin, it is a fall from grace. The collapse of the
Like any crisis, the Great War also provides opportu-
imperial state and the stringent nature of the enforced
nities to monsters as well as to mortals. For example, the
armistice throws the morale of the nation into a downward
changing of the established order threatens the stranglehold
spiral. The Weimar Republic is set in place of old Prussian
of the Invictus and Lancea et Sanctum on the old na-
glory, opening the door to communists who wish to follow
tions of Europe and gives greater impetus to the Carthian
the example of their Russian counterparts to tear down all
Movement as it spreads from its beginnings in revolutionary
vestiges of their imperial past.
France. Fledgling Kindred see their overlords, both religious
For the Entente Allies it is not much better. The fruits and political, as the same hoary old establishment brought
of victory are bitter indeed. A generation is devastated and down by the mortals in France and Russia. Only the most
400
The Great War
well-established and secure strongholds are unaffected by flanking no-man’s land area a metaphysical maze it can-
the revolutionary fire erupting in 1918. not pass, anointed in the blood of the dead. It forges vile
The world is re-forged in the fires of the Great War. New hekatonchieres from pulsating, ruined meat, and waits for
regimes form in every facet of society. The old rulebooks its sister to come.
have been torn asunder and new ones are being written This is Death Wolf’s ghost. Torn from her spirit when
with the blood of a lost generation. Only one thing is cer- she died, it is malevolent and hateful. It craves her divine
tain: such tumult and chaos foments change. Those who power, and rages at her for abandoning it to the endless,
have the influence can try to shape that change. The “war winding tunnels that took it long ages to escape. She, for
to end all wars” is just the prelude to one far deadlier and her part, desires to consume and reabsorb her shade. She
the peaks of the military industrial complex have not yet lusts after the secrets it found in those plutonic depths,
been scaled. Already, human and monster alike search for beyond even her reach.
greater powers and weapons to make safe their future and Time and again, the two have hunted each other
the specter of the Great Depression looms. through the world. Here, at the Western Front, the behe-
moths clash once more.
Their deathly hunt races through the Deep Shadow
Werewolf: Death Howl and brief emergence into Twilight. Werewolves catch
The Great War is a tide of change. The Forsaken can- brief glimpses of vast, lupine presences as the Shadow’s
not ignore it. In France and Belgium, the Western Front Essence effervesces away to feed divine hunger. Hundreds
inexorably carves a new boundary through old territories. of wounded soldiers have their lives snuffed out in the wake
It desecrates ancient places of power, and shatters binding of the dueling entities, their souls sucked into the icy clash.
rites with its storm of blood and fire. Hunting grounds van- The conflict will span years, until the front finally breaks
ish in churning mud and belching flame. and the loser of the struggle can flee to lick their wounds.
Once, the wolves here slunk through woodland shadows The Bone Shadows of the front seek to aid their patron.
and sought their prey through rolling fields and dilapidated Spirits of death deliver instructions for grand rites that
farmhouses. They revered Luna at sacred places nestled in ver- harness the trench networks in miles-long occult patterns,
dant splendor. That is all gone. Now they stalk among tangled draining Essence from ghosts. Forsaken barghests tear some
trenches, and drag shrieking soldiers away into the night. shades to pieces or seek to protect others. Sin-Eaters are
The terrifying truth of the carnage of the Western Front initially mistaken for another blasphemy unleashed by the
is that it does not repulse the Uratha. It calls to them. The Firstborn ghost; later, the Bone Shadows reach out in search
immense weight of the slaughter fans the flames of fury in of understanding and alliance. In the face of this dead fury,
each werewolf’s heart. It is a catastrophe yet exerts an al- the tribe needs all the help it can get.
lure that draws more Forsaken in, to feed and kill and revel
and die among the flames and the screams. They come Waking Horrors
from across Europe, pilgrims to the madness. Hundreds of The Western Front is new, but it is carved across
werewolves perish. something old. France has been here long before the front
No-man’s land is a wound in the world so deep it bubbles becomes the battleground of god and ghost, and will be
up with spiritual gangrene. Legions of Lunes descend,
shrieking clarion calls to war. Ancient horrors stir beneath
the mire; new blasphemies are forged in the crucible of
battle. Secrets spill out of the death-saturated dirt.
Looming over it all is the shadow of Death Wolf herself.
After the first battle of the Marne, Bone Shadows across
Death Wolf’s Ghost
The ghost of a Firstborn is an impossibility. Spirits
Europe hear a shrieking howl echo through the Hisil. Many don’t leave ghosts in their wake. Yet Death Wolf
of the Tribe rally to their patron’s call. A god now bestrides has, and hers is colossally powerful. It is a phan-
the battlefield, a queen of death. Empowered by the slaugh- tasmal thing of lupine aspect, all white fur and
ter, Kamduis-Ur stalks her greatest prey. ice-blue eyes and snapping jaws. It retains much
of its progenitor’s intelligence but is easily driven
Carrion Call to cold fury. Like Death Wolf, the ghost is a Rank
7 entity — too powerful to attack directly. Rites,
A ghost of incredible power gibbers and twists through ceremonies, and the destruction of its most power-
no-man’s land, lured by the sheer concentration of death. ful ghostly minions might weaken it enough to be
Where it passes, battalions of moaning ghosts are yanked vulnerable, or at least to stop the creation of more
into its orbit, marionettes forced into servitude. It hunts out of its nightmares.
gateways to the hollow, empty realm of the dead, tearing
them open to let more lifeless horrors spill into the world.
It is trapped here, for now — the labyrinth of trenches
401
here long after. The Western Front mutilates France, but
is shaped in turn.
France has always had a surfeit of werewolves. So
many Change here, too many, particularly in the country’s
southern reaches. Primal power surges strong in the Uratha The High Cromlech
of France, and some are so overwhelmed by it they never The High Cromlech is a Rank 6 idigam with an
escape the fury of their First Change. Perhaps Father Wolf unusual Essence Shaping power. It has turned
made its lair here. Perhaps something else stirs that deep itself into a pocket of deep Shadow beneath
fury, infecting the soil with so much rage that it has to bleed Paris, accessible through some of the winding
out into the People.
tunnels of the catacombs. Within it is an impos-
sible domain of deathly temples and tombs,
The overpopulation leads to regular violence. Pure and where ghosts the idigam has trapped within itself
Forsaken clash constantly. Sects of Ghost Wolf witches fall are forced into bizarre and nonsensical rites of
into delusions of the Devil, gathering in the shadows. The veneration. If the idigam wakes, it will emerge
Western Front pulls them all in and makes a mockery of from the cocoon of this form, but what shape it
their feuds and rivalries even as it gives them a new battle- will take is impossible to predict.
field to kill one another in. Such carnage only stokes the rate
of First Changes even further. Innumerable Wolf-Blooded,
conscripts and volunteers and civilians alike, spasm with
the Warden Moon’s power as all around the shells fall. So
many die in their first hours of new existence, breathing Leashed Hounds
their last atop piles of corpses. The nusuzul kill friend and
foe alike in their madness.
and Wild Beasts
It is a rich harvest of new werewolves, and the Forsaken The Western Front is a local calamity. Territories are
and Pure compete with each other and with death for who reduced to crater-blasted wastelands of trenches and gunfire.
will be the reaper. The casualty rate among the People is Packs whose hunting grounds are not directly wrecked still
horrendous but the sheer rate of new Changes threatens have to deal with the spiritual filth the front vomits forth.
to outpace it. Whatever force stirs this mad fecundity of They firefight, trying to stem the tide and hold back the
fury, werewolves scramble to keep up. Grim-faced teams worst of this nightmare.
of werewolves secure survivors of the First Change on the These werewolves venture into no-man’s land. The guise
front. In no-man’s land, skirmishes break out between Pure of civilian life makes open access to the battlefront difficult,
and Forsaken over precious nusuzul. These clashes pay no but such barriers of law and authority are little obstacle to
heed to human nationality; German Forsaken fight against shapeshifters who can move through the Shadow. The physi-
German Pure. Baffled trench watchmen stare as notionally cal barriers are trickier — the teeth of barbed wire, the sting
friendly patrols tear into each other among the barbed wire, of bullets, the utter chaos that has consumed the Shadow.
strange shapes flitting through the dark. Few packs let this deter them. They hunt dangerous new
Something ancient lurks under Paris — an idigam, an
earth-bound that evaded the jaws of the Great Predator
in times past. It sleeps under a nexus of ley-lines that
thread out to ancient dolmens across France, a network of
cromlechs that channel the resonance of death to feed its
eternal hunger. The High Cromlech lies in a chrysalis of Lou Carcohl Tendrils
itself, a domain in the Shadow beneath the city, and lies The oozing monstrosity usually remains too deep
dormant. Now, though, the Western Front floods cromlech to be attacked directly; its long tentacles are a
lines with so much death that the spirit is not merely fed, threat by themselves. A tentacle is treated as a
but glutted. It begins to wake, threatening a catastrophe Size 8 character, and will attempt to grapple
upon the Shadow of Paris. targets with a dice pool of 16. Anyone injured
must succeed at a Stamina roll or suffer the grave
A monstrosity of Flesh worms its way under the trenches. Poisoned Tilt; if the tentacle manages to restrain
The Lou carcohl is a leviathan of mucus-slick meat and hol- a victim, it will try to drag them underground
low hunger, larger than a zeppelin, writhing through mud over the following two turns. Each tentacle has
like a fish through water. Long, slimy tentacles lie in ropy 15 health and a defense of 3; once ‘killed’ the
tangles, waiting for victims to stumble upon them. Soldiers tentacle is rendered useless or severed. The
watch in horror as their comrades are dragged screaming nauseating, oozing flesh of the lou carcohl quickly
into the ground to be devoured. Even Beshilu gibber and dissolves into foul slime after being cut off.
flee from its coming. It is a manifestation of sins long past,
and something about the Uratha stirs dim memories in its
bestial mind; it craves their flesh most of all.
402
The Great War
spirits, stalk Beshilu Shards whose power is growing out of the killing form, reducing entire trenches to channels of
control, drain Loci poisoned with tainted energy, and hunt blood. This is always a terrible gamble. Lunacy does not
for Wounds that retch hate and contagion into the Shadow. discriminate between targets.
Most avoid the humans bent on murdering each other. It is an existence of conflict — not just physical, but
Old support networks break. Families and pack members mental and spiritual. The werewolf needs to hunt. He has
are evacuated away to safer places or, worse, conscripted loyalties and duty to tribe, pack, and comrades. A human
and sent elsewhere on the front. Loci grow toxic from the officer gives one set of orders; a werewolf officer gives clash-
slaughter. Simple things like food and clean water grow ing instructions that very definitely have not come down
scarce. Too many Uratha turn to eating the meat of the from Joffre and Haig. The fires of conflict between Pure and
dead for sustenance. Some are entirely broken by discon- Forsaken burn so hot that even the enormity of the human
nection from their old lives and the endless hammering of war cannot drown them out; packs meet in quiet battles
the shells; they lose themselves to the desolation, never of their own, ambushing each other in the back trenches
leaving no-man’s land, becoming wild and living off the or out in no-man’s land. The friends and comrades of a
corpses of soldiers. werewolf soldier as just as valid targets as he is; breaking a
The locals must contend with newcomers, the were- victim’s spirit is the first step toward their defeat, after all.
wolves who march with the armies — Pure and Forsaken The clashes aren’t always direct confrontations. Ivory
alike. Some are genuine patriots, wanting to serve their Claw officers arrange the execution of a Forsaken’s allies
country as any other warrior might. Many are conscripts, for desertion. A Hunter in Darkness directs artillery crew
called up by unwitting authorities and unable or unwill- to strike a ruined woodland where the Predator Kings have
ing to breach the cover of their human lives. They aren’t built a ritual focus. Packs find their trenches deprived of
all soldiers, though. Wolves in sheep’s clothing stalk the basic supplies as rivals put pressure on quartermasters and
hospitals, tearing Shard-infested husks apart to protect the supply lines. Humans die as a result, humans who aren’t
troops sleeping all around. Canny opportunists thrive in even involved. Yet in the face of hundreds of thousands
the supply lines, quietly diverting resources to packs and of deaths on the front, few werewolves care about such
tribe-mates in need. collateral damage.
This is a disjointed, strange life for werewolves. Many
have left territory and pack far behind. Sometimes several Killing Grounds
members of a pack end up on the front but scattered across In the Shadow, spirits are caught up in the frenzy of war.
a wide area. Loneliness and isolation are massive problems; Broods and choirs rip and tear at one another. Clouds light
werewolves quickly forge strong bonds of camaraderie with up in duels among spirits of fire and air. The earth bursts open
the human soldiers around them, becoming dangerously in eruptions of blood and ephemera. Brief ceasefires leave
committed to the well-being of their new friends. Pack the spirits glowering at each other. The peace never lasts.
totems react poorly. Some are infuriated, demanding their
Werewolves traversing the Shadow have to avoid being
werewolves gather together again to preserve the bond of
caught up in the brawling spirits. Spindly things of brass
unity. Others panic, or plead, or become obsessed with
and sinew chatter bullets from their long muzzles; lumber-
somehow keeping their favorite Uratha alive in the meat-
ing beasts with shells of steel grind along on many massive
grinder. Placating totems often involves strange taboos and
legs; figures of mud and blood wind and slither on the hunt.
bans, offerings of food or blood; other soldiers often write
Most are too caught up in killing one another to care about
these off as superstitious good-luck practices.
the Uratha, but the spirits of gas gleefully murder anything
Worst of all is the rage. When a werewolf loses control, too slow to flee.
he butchers friend and foe alike. The trenches are an endless
From time to time, though, a grim silence descends.
source of frustrations — idiots getting their heads blown off,
Lesser spirits flee in terror, all thoughts of war forgotten.
the drumming of shells, the adrenaline of close shaves with
Vast choirs of spirits of death gather, and the sky is awash
bullets, the repulsion of rats everywhere, the mud, the lack
with silver light from the Moon’s descending legions.
of sleep, the shitty food, the utter stench that fills every one
Often, ranks of werewolves gather to join the clashes that
of a werewolf’s finely honed senses and can never, ever, be
follow. Here, battles are fought between Pure and Forsaken,
entirely blocked out. When it’s too much, when the fury
between Death Wolf and the spirits loyal to her followers,
surges, some werewolves throw themselves into no-man’s
between the Lunes and the grotesque tides of warped horrors
land in the hope of death, or at least venting their anger
that flow from the fresh Wounds in the Shadow. Immense
far from their allies.
totems of the Pure writhe through the clouds or under the
The werewolf who can control his anger is a figure of earth, the Anshega howling in their wake. Every ancient
terror on the battlefield. Mere humans break with trivial feud, every great rivalry among the spirit courts, is indulged
ease, while the werewolf shrugs off horrendous wounds. in these scenes of pure, open war.
Guns choke, soldiers tear each other apart, and fortified
The disarray of battle throws old spirit courts and loy-
bunkers crack open like eggs before the spirit magic of the
alties into chaos. Two great courts maintain their grip on
People. Sometimes, rarely, a soldier-wolf takes the risk of
403
vassals and spiritual fiefs, though; indeed, they flourish. The The Bone Shadows answer Death Wolf’s call, creating
first is the court of the White Reaper, a great alliance of occult confluences to aid their patron in her titanic battle.
death and emotion. Groaning spirit lords oversee a network Elders issue orders to reshape trench formations, anoint
of vassals who drain the eruption of death-resonant Loci salients with the blood of dozens or hundreds of human
welling up in no-man’s land, and the broods who tend to the dead, or kill particular ghosts in no-man’s land. Few ever
fields of the dying. Many of the Reapers resent the Uratha, see Death Wolf, but they can feel her presence all the same.
but are willing to make deals with the Forsaken — the They struggle between duty to their patron and the more
court seeks to establish order amid the chaos. The second traditional duties of the tribe — many feel they should focus
court offers no such compromise, a coalition of spirits of on cleansing Wounds and learning about the new spirits
war, terror, pain, and technology. Atop its hierarchy squats that the war gives birth to.
the embodiment of the Western Front itself, the war spirit Black Wolf howls in the minds of the Hunters in
Fields-of-Crimson. Fields-of-Crimson wants this war to Darkness, outraged by the ruination wreaked by the war.
never end, and spits fury at the interference of Death Wolf Some give in to despair, seeing no way to protect the few
in what it considers to be its own hunting ground. surviving sacred places from the grinding march of war.
Others look to new approaches. Mennina infiltrate the
Predators ranks of sappers, fortification corps, and planners. They
In the face of the Western Front’s callous enormity and rework the flow of trenches and advances, diverting pushes
grinding monotony, the tribes offer Uratha some overarch- away from ancient Loci. They hunt, exhausting themselves
ing sense of purpose and sanity. against a seemingly endless tide of Hosts; the Beshilu seem
empowered by the war, rat kings emerging from the muck
The Blood Talons’ nature resonates with this war. At
to spawn more of their kind. The Hunters in Darkness use
the urging of Fenris-Ur’s servants, they treat it as a spiritual
fire and spirit magic to purge ruined areas anew and prepare
journey, a chance to understand the purity and horror of
the way for rejuvenation once this nightmare is over. The
conflict at its most intense. The tribe still persecutes its war
elders plan how the desolation might be sculpted into new
against the Pure wherever it can, but the practicalities of
territories once the wound has finally sealed.
reaching the far trenches mean the Blood Talons mostly
hunt Pure on their own side. They maneuver against Ivory The Iron Masters revel in the opportunities of the front.
Claws in the politics of the German officer ranks, and root Prey abounds. Human officers feed the growth of Wounds by
Fire-Touched infiltrators out of French trenches. throwing their men into the slaughter, cruel sadists indulge
themselves in the shadows of trenches and nearby villages,
404
The Great War
and men are reduced to mad ghouls in no-man’s land. Some together; others are just one werewolf, their regeneration
seek to cull the flow of human despair and hatred to protect gone cancerous and insane. The things lurch along in ser-
the Shadow; others just want to experience the challenge vice to the Firstborn ghost, rising out of the muck on dark
and triumph of facing down a tank, or striding through nights to stalk their former fellows. Where they fall upon
machine-gun fire. Red Wolf watches how her children face the trenches, men are slaughtered or driven mad.
down human prey armed with such terrible weapons of war, It is a mercy to kill a hekatonchiere. They are creations
and Red Wolf learns. of this blighted war, and surely have no hope of existence
For the Storm Lords, the Front is the ultimate crucible beyond it.
to prove their endurance. Simple survival is the goal, for Attributes: Intelligence 2, Wits 6, Resolve 3;
the Iminir who takes on the Western Front and emerges Strength 13, Dexterity 3, Stamina 15; Presence 4,
intact is a champion indeed. The Tribe faces no shortage of Manipulation 1, Composure 2
Claimed, as spirits find humans easy prey with their minds Skills: Athletics 4, Brawl 4, Firearms 3, Stealth 2
fractured from the war’s relentless pressure. The Tribe hunts
men who have become one with the blood and mud of the Primal Urge: 5
trenches, ghastly agglomerations of flesh and metal that are Willpower: 5
the ruinous union of a tank and its crew, and shambling Essence: 15
figures whose breath is stinging gas.
Size: 11
The Pure pursue their own terrible schemes. The Fire-
Touched brew up new poxes to pour into the trenches, and Health: 26
offer up the deaths of thousands of human soldiers to the Initiative: 5
Shadow as a sacrament of tainted Essence; their totems, Defense: 7
empowered, seek to snare and bind Death Wolf. Through
Speed: 22
torture and spilled gore, the Ivory Claws harvest the strength
and prowess of human and werewolf soldiers alike. Canisters Death Rage: A hekatonchiere is constantly
of seething blood, filled with the spiritual puissance of the locked in hard Death Rage, but is prevented from
acting on it due to the influence of a possessing
slaughtered, give the Tribe’s champions brief surges of twisted
ghost. If the ghost is somehow removed, the heka-
power. The Predator Kings drag screaming soldiers away as tonchiere mindlessly rages until it perishes.
blood sacrifices to ancient forest spirits in spaces beneath
no-man’s land; the spirits, Claiming blood-slicked tangles of Flesh Armory: A hekatonchiere sprouts ghastly
living wood, reach their tendrils beneath the battlegrounds
imitations of the Front’s weapons among its limbs,
wrought in cartilage and meat and spitting teeth as
to pull humanity’s steel engines of war under, and writhe bullets. These organic armaments are damage 5,
through the walls of dugouts to drip maddening, gory sap have a range of 100/200/400, an Initiative
into the eyes and mouths of sleeping troops. modifier of −1, and armor piercing 3; they are not
only capable of autofire, but are always fired at
HEKATONCHIERES full burst. The ammunition simply regenerates out
of their flesh.
Living Carcass: A hekatonchiere is a werewolf,
The hekatonchieres are blasphemous, spasming cre- but is unable to change form, even due to Death
ations of Death Wolf’s malevolent ghost. They have no Rage. It loses all Renown and Gifts, but gains
name in the First Tongue. The Shadow reviles them. Each 3 points of armor. It also gains the Juggernaut,
is a mass formed from the dying, mutilated carcasses of Monstrous Resilience, Swift, and Wall Climb
werewolves whose last breaths are throttled in the grasp Dread Powers. To restore its Essence, a hekaton-
of a slave-ghost. Under the ghost’s baleful will, their chiere must consume human flesh.
flesh knits back together into an amalgamation of meat Forest of Limbs: A hekatonchiere is immune
and muscle and bone. They become gnashing, wailing to the Arm Wrack and Leg Wrack Tilts due to its
abominations, war engines mimicking mortal weaponry in sheer number of limbs. The hekatonchiere can at-
cartilage and muscle. The sweet release of death is denied tack with claws or teeth that deal +4L, have a −1
to the tormented soul of the Uratha, and they are instead Initiative modifier, and armor piercing 3.
forced into service. Poison Miasma: Lethal gas flows from a heka-
The British Forsaken call hekatonchieres ‘limbjacks’ for tonchiere’s many mouths, shrouding it in deadly
their many, twisted legs and arms. The things are huge, tot- vapor. Characters approaching it must succeed on
tering along on a forest of twisted wolf-limbs, their warped a Stamina + Primal Urge roll or suffer the moder-
ate Poisoned Tilt for the remainder of the scene.
bodies snapping with angry mouths. Some limbjacks are
made from several werewolf and human corpses knotted
405
Geist: A Crisis of Death
geist is helping him plan for victory, though first they will need
to rise a few rungs in the chain of command.
The Bereaved are almost numberless in the trenches.
In a century, the Great War will be celebrated as the Some were made there, many are parents, siblings, or lov-
time and place where global Sin-Eater culture is born. The ers who stole their way across countries and continents to
Bound had spawned in numbers before, following in the wake search for a soldier who never came back from the war.
of tragedy, but such proliferations were confined to small All of them have reason to roam the Western Front and
geographical regions. Groups would form, history would be plumb the depths of the Trenches Beneath, committed to
recorded, but as members passed on and the local death toll the impossible task of finding one ghost among millions.
was not high enough to bring in replacements, such cultures Her husband left to fight a continent away, and they couldn’t
would gradually fade away. Elsewhere, single Bound accepted even send her back his corpse. She traveled to Meerut by herself
their deathly pacts alone, faintly aware of others like them and found passage to the fields of France. The Burning Bride
through Underworld stories and perhaps their geist’s nebulous followed her, a red-clad geist with feet facing backward, and
memories, but unable to connect with them. offered the Bargain when she died of hunger. They’re both still
The war changes everything. The Bound are created in searching for their husbands, taking names and messages from
unprecedented numbers, not just by gunfire and gas, but by the Indian dead to bring back home when the war is over.
the disease and famine following in their wake. The human
The Hungry just want to get home. They are dead
masses in the trenches learn to live with death, and Sin-Eaters
and wanting for the memory of long walks down country
can hardly help but try to find some way to make it bearable.
roads, for white Christmases, trips to the market, brand-
It’s not just the quantity of Bound that’s new, it’s their new bicycles they never even got to ride. For many, the
diversity. The trenches bring together British colonial troops homes they long for don’t even exist anymore, torn apart
from Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and New by invading soldiers or bombed from above. Some cling to
Zealand. The French brought people from their Southeast what little they have left, others give everything they have
Asian colonies, West Africa, and more. European racism in hopes that someone, anyone can lead a good life after all
meant not everyone was allowed to fight, but everyone was al- of this. In a bar of chocolate or a half-smoked cigarette, the
lowed to die. Trapped on foreign soil, thousands of miles away Hungry can lose themselves for a few minutes in longing
from their loved ones, the international dead are as likely as for a happiness that might be as dead as they are.
any to rise again with unfinished business. For Sin-Eaters,
They called the battle where he died the Massacre of the In-
learning how to respect spiritual beliefs and practices other
nocents, where thousands of newly recruited German soldiers
than their own became an immediate priority. The Bound
were sent to their deaths before even learning how to fight. He’d
who fail to adapt often become part of the problem, turning
lied about his age to enlist, and spent the whole battle crying.
ghost against ghost even on the same side of the trenches.
The Murdered Angel took pity on the boy, standing above him
Burdens in War
in an old-fashioned nurse’s dress with bullet holes instead of
eyes. Now, as one of the Bound, at least he can live to see his
sixteenth birthday.
In war, as in peace, people die with business left un-
finished. When the dead rise with help of a geist, they are The Kindly have found it easy to commit atrocities.
trapped by their Burdens, roaming the fields of the Western Many of them are soldiers who left home as boys and grew
Front in hope of some resolution. into men in the trenches. Now they see the faces of the
The Abiding have always sought to leave a mark, but people they’ve killed at night, and find only innocents
in this endless war real change and progress seem almost dragged into war. Others were beastly long before they made
hopeless. Some forge plans for victory, determined to see it into battle, and look back on misspent youths as petty
the Allies or the Central Powers triumphant, to feel like bullies wishing they could have left a better legacy. Many
all these deaths mean something. Others want to turn the of the Kindly become staunch pacifists, smuggling the liv-
war around, standing defiant against the callous generals ing and the dead away from the trenches, or searching for
who send men to die and building a new world where such some nonviolent means of ending the war.
atrocities can never be repeated. Still others just want the He’s the first to admit, he was a bit of a cad back in university.
horrors of the war to be remembered, writing poems, ar- He cheated on tests and on women, made sport of his roommates,
ticles, and stories that will be censored by the government and lounged in the certainty of his parents’ money. A bombing
when they’re sent back to the home front. raid killed him anyway, zeppelins didn’t care if you were rich or
He never thought much of his general, and then the man poor. The Parisian Mistress is a whisper of a woman made of
went and got him killed. The remaining men were amazed when shadow and smoke, a mocking match to his own wickedness.
their dead officer walked back into the trenches unharmed. They With her in his heart, he volunteered for British Intelligence,
couldn’t see the Revolutionary who hovered behind him, tricol- where his businessman father’s public neutrality serves as the
ored flag sewn into its skin with thread that still bleeds. Now the perfect cover for spy work.
406
The Great War
The Vengeful have a plethora of people to blame for
their deaths: the enemy, their own generals, the person Mourners
who talked them into enlisting, the triage nurse who let There is so, so much to mourn in the Great War. Sin-
them die. Some just come to despise death itself, and the Eaters gather lists of the dead, or help the departed write
Underworld that defines it. Many weren’t even soldiers; one last letter to the people back home. Groups form out of
doctors, journalists, and ordinary men and women are necessity: One soldier going on leave takes home the tan-
caught up in the fighting, raging at an unfair and unex- gible memories gathered by all his Bound friends, another
pected demise. The Vengeful find no shortage of allies in does the same a few months later. In teams, they venture
the trenches, with the living and the dead alike eager to more safely into the Trenches Beneath, bringing back the
hurt someone in recompense for what they have suffered. history of places and people the war has destroyed. With
They killed her daughter. German soldiers, invading her so much to do, the Mourners of the Great War need all the
home in neutral Belgium for no good reason at all, they killed help they can get: human, ghost, or otherwise.
her daughter just for standing in their way. They killed her next,
but she wouldn’t stay down. The Boy in the Well has eyes like
puddles, endlessly leaking down his bloated face. He wants
Necropolitans
revenge, too, though he can’t remember why, and she promises Some Sin-Eaters look into the eyes of despair and
him they’ll both have it as he brings her back. decide to grin, holding onto every last shred of joy that
much tighter. The Necropolitans build communities in the
A Haunting of Sin-Eaters
trenches, spreading gallows humor and what few creature
comforts they can find: smuggled French wine, a cigarette,
In New Orleans, small coalitions of Sin-Eaters have been a box of candies sent from home. Many are shockingly
using the word “krewe” to describe themselves for about half a open-minded, welcoming colonial troops into their fold
century, though the most famous krewe has yet to be founded. and swapping stories in pidgin languages. They’re just as
When they finally enter the Great War, black Americans will happy to drink with the poor sods on the other side of the
bring the term with them, but in 1914 it’s largely unheard of, battlefield, living or dead, and even other supernatural
and new Sin-Eaters have no historical precedents to fall back creatures aren’t alien enough to make them blink.
on for names and terminology. Some British Sin-Eaters are
calling their groups “hauntings” or “seances,” a wry nod to Pilgrims
Victorian spiritualism. German groups often call themselves The Great War causes many people to reject organized
“regiments,” and “régiment” is popular among the French as religion entirely, but some people cling to it. To the Pilgrims on
well, while civilians from all countries often prefer “church”
or “parish” to describe those who share their syncretic beliefs.
Territorial troops bring their own vocabulary to the field,
complicating things further. In mixed company, simple terms
like “group” or “gathering” are usually safe. Living with the Dead
Like the terminology, the types of krewes that develop In the trenches, everyone has a ghost over their
are hardly uniform yet, but patterns are emerging. Sin-Eaters shoulder. Along the front lines there’s no easy
can hardly help but meet along the Western Front, so great way to dispose of the dead, or sometimes even to
are their numbers, and when they come together and bond reach them. Bodies are left to rot in no-man’s land,
over a shared need or philosophy, krewes begin to form by or buried in shallow, muddy graves. The trenches
instinct, if not by design. are lined with corpses and, incredibly, people get
used to it. One soldier famously recounts a hand
Furies
sticking out of a wall that everyone would stop
and shake for luck. Ghost stories are hardly the
The greatest injustice of the era is plain to see, but what most interesting thing to happen to anyone lately,
to do about it is a lot more confusing. Patriots on both sides
and many soldiers have seen things far more
frightening than the specter of a dead friend.
of the conflict form congregations devoted to striking down
the enemy, discovering new ways to use the dead to win the In such conditions, pockets of the Western Front
war. Others are more interested in going up against their own acknowledge the dead openly. Not everyone can
governments, the real perpetrators in the eyes of many average see them, but everyone knows they’re real, and
soldiers. The rise of the Soviet Union sparks a rise in the lat- trust their Sin-Eaters to convey messages back and
ter midway through the war, turning trench proselytizers into
forth. The humans among such krewes are often
quite welcoming of other supernatural phenom-
undead revolutionaries. Most Furies are more than happy to ena: if ghosts are real, and they’re friendly, then
welcome other supernatural creatures to their cause, especially sure, why not werewolves?
as the line between “violence” and “justice” becomes blurred
by the dust and mud of endless trench warfare.
407
the front lines, the Trenches Beneath seem more enticing than
the trenches above. Sure, there’s danger, but there’s also order, The First Tank
law, clear paths to take and goals to reach. Groups of Pilgrims Key: Blood
form basic religions or philosophies around their exploration,
Description: In 1915, the Landship Committee was
to justify and to reassure. The Underworld, and guiding the
formed in Britain, with the goal of developing armored
dead, gives them purpose amid the desperate monotony of the
fighting vehicles for use on the Western Front. By
war. At their best, they become welcoming guides and doctors
September, they had Little Willie, the first working tank
to the dead, at their worst they claim ownership over parts of
prototype. It wasn’t until the Mark I tanks were sent into
the Trenches Beneath and force rules upon those who would
combat at Battle of Flers–Courcelette that Little Willie
trespass with as much zeal as any Kerberos.
became a Memento, a symbol of the newly unleashed tool of
Undertakers
slaughter. Little Willie is still in England; no Bound has yet
gotten close enough to recognize its exceptional properties.
The first global war is a mire of cultures and religions. Effect: Despite being a prototype missing some of its
Soldiers are Catholic, Protestant, Hindu, Sikh, raised in engine parts, anyone dead (including the Bound, and some
the traditions of myriad Canadian Aboriginal or African Prometheans) can operate the tank as if it were fully func-
beliefs, or endless other options from countries, cities, and tional. Like all Mementos, Little Willie is impossibly durable,
villages with their own syncretic quirks. Undertakers try to and exists simultaneously in the living world and in Twilight.
reconcile these differences, or get together to help people Its wheels, walls, and any guns mounted onto it work just as
move on in countless different ways. Sin-Eaters from around well on ghosts and other spirits as they do on living beings.
the world begin to share notes, and take them, learning
new ways to perceive and understand death. Making death The Gas-Bone Plague (Ceremony ••••)
painless and kind is still a pipe dream for most, but some
ambitious groups of Undertakers are already imagining how The Great War marks the first large scale use of chemical
the lessons of the Great War can make way for a better weapons. In Germany, a chemist who fell to one of his own
world when the fighting finally ends. experiments rose again as one of the Bound. Away from the
prying eyes of his commanders, he began experimenting
Power from Death

with new ways to use chemicals and the dead in war.
The Ceremony he invented turns a ghost into a weapon,
The dead are more than just casualties in the Great War, allowing it to animate its old corpse and melting its bones
they’re a source of power. The boundless deathly energy into a potent gas weapon. The gas-bone corpse is usually
of the front lines creates Mementos, easily spotted by the commanded to run toward the enemy immediately, as
Bound but so numerous that some inevitably fall into the once the ritual is complete it’s a matter of minutes before
hands of the uninitiated. Elsewhere, not every living general its effects render movement impossible. As it runs, the gas
and commander is ignorant of the supernatural, even if none flows out of its open wounds and orifices, noxious green and
of them understand its full extent. Human necromancers clearly chthonic to anyone who can sense deathly energy.
delve deep into the history books for Rituals that could give Subject: One willing ghost, killed by a chemical
their country an advantage, or enlist the Bound to create weapon, and its corpse.
new ways to weaponize death. Duration: Until the corpse is destroyed, usually one
scene.
The Last Letters Symbols: A used gas mask, an expired chemical weapon
canister, a copper needle, thread treated with chlorine and
Key: Chance sulfur.
Description: A rusted cigar tin filled with letters from Ritual: Sew the gas mask onto the corpse’s face while
the front, the Last Letters became a Memento after every the ghost watches, cut new wounds along its arms. Embed
soldier who wrote for it died in one assault. A krewe of the canister in its stomach and sew the opening shut, end-
French Mourners guards it fiercely for its effect but might ing the Ceremony by cutting the thread.
be talked into loaning it out to someone in need.
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Medicine
Effect: A letter taken at random from the tin will always
Success: The ghost is pulled into the corpse, able to
be from a deceased loved one of the person who pulled it,
move freely until its bones are completely dissolved. Gas
written shortly before their death. The letter is addressed
begins seeping out after one minute, causing the grave
to the person who used the tin, and the writer often seems
Poisoned Tilt (see Chronicles of Darkness p. 286) upon
to have some sense of their own mortality, and takes a
exposure, or Toxicity 3 repeated once per minute if outside
minute to include thoughts they’d otherwise regret never
of combat. Once the ceremony ends, the ghost may no
putting into words.
longer use any portion of its corpse as an Anchor.
408
The Great War
The Trenches Beneath the World The Bridge Gate
Along the Western Front, the Upper Reaches of the When Germany invaded Belgium, civilians retaliated
Underworld are filled with fresh ruins, battlefields, and by destroying their own country’s infrastructure before the
mazes of trenches and shell holes that stretch up and out enemy army could arrive and conquer it. In frustration and
with no end in sight. Avernian Gates abound, called forth rage, junior officers would sometimes react by rounding up
by battlefield and burial ground alike, some with keys any and shooting the civilians they thought responsible, and
poor soldier could stumble across by accident. Sin-Eaters anyone else who got in the way. On the site of one such
of the Great War often call their local Underworld the slaughter, the broken bridge that prompted it remains in
Trenches Beneath, a euphemistic reminder that the war Twilight, an unusually large Avernian Gate that arcs above
has its talons in the realm of the dead as well as that of a small stream. Its key is a piece of brick from the original
the living. bridge, much of which was carted away to make fortifica-
tions. Its guardian geist is the Defiant Innocent, a feature-
less woman in a blood-soaked Flemish dress who is fiercely
Bound Demiurge? distrustful of outsiders. Perhaps because of its size, or the

flow of water, the Bridge Gate opens unusually deep in the
Disgusted Sin-Eaters would love to get their hands Underworld and can be used to reach the Acheron river
on the gas-bone chemist, but so would the Faceless without the need for a navigation roll to avoid getting lost.
Prometheans. His work with the corpses of those who
died to chemical warfare is hauntingly familiar, and
not broadly shared. Could he be their Lineage’s true The Noël Gate
demiurge, accidentally creating new life out of his In the winter of 1914, something miraculous happened:
experiments with death? Or perhaps he merely shared troops from both sides of the Great War laid down their arms
his work with someone else, who became inspired and celebrated Christmas together. Such truces occurred
by the Divine Fire to take it in a different direction. sporadically along the Western Front, allowing soldiers a
Whatever the case, most Faceless who hear about the chance to celebrate, exchange gifts, and bury their dead. In
German chemist and his work would like to ask him a
Hauts-de-France, one such Christmas graveyard spawned an
few questions.
Avernian Gate between the trench lines. To those who can
see it, the gate is made of interwoven fir branches and human
409
bones, decorated with spent cartridge shells and candles.
Its key is the blood of two soldiers from opposite sides of a
LE GENERAL
conflict, willingly spilled at its doorstep. Beyond it lies an
eerily silent, snow-covered field, one of the most peaceful Quote: “To arms, citizens!”
spots on the Western Front on either side of the veil. Many
Background: Guillaume Bessières was a colonel in
ghosts still linger here, forming a rough community that
the Napoleonic army, competent but not exceptional in
shares sustenance and companionship as they await the end
his position. He was shot in combat, and died slowly from
of the war. No Dominion or Upper Reaches settlement has
infection over the next several weeks. As he contemplated
yet made contact with the field, but as dead soldiers venture
death, he found solace in patriotism, and died with the very
further into the Underworld in search of Essence, it’s only
concept of a free France as an Anchor.
a matter of time until the Noël community is dragged into
Once pulled into the Underworld, Bessières formed a
River City politics. Strangely, no geist guards this gate, mak-
makeshift battalion out of other French soldiers, insisting
ing it an unusually tempting place for Reapers to pass through.
they maintain proper military order despite the inconvenient
La Terre Des Héros

setback of death. The whole group eventually found their way
to the newly founded La Terre, which Bessières had imagined
From the Avernian Gates of France, finding this rela- as some sort of promised land the moment he heard rumors
tively new Dominion is not difficult, just a quick trip down of it. The Dominion treated him well, and L’Empereur him-
the river. La Terre is set out like a Napoleonic army camp, self presented the man with the rank of general and the old
with tents and barracks and training fields. Most of its knight’s helmet that would serve as his Deathmask.
citizens are soldiers from that war and are convinced the Description: Bessières is a short man in his 30s,
Kerberos who rules them is some very important general, still wearing his officer’s uniform from his time with the
or even Napoleon himself. Napoleonic army. His shoulder and left arm are gangrenous,
Aside from its population of loyal French soldiers, La and the rest of his complexion is dull and pale. Wearing his
Terre collects the ghosts of great military minds like other Deathmask, the Knight’s Crown, transforms him into Le
Dominions collect treasures and secrets. The prison camp Général: ornately armored and carried by a black stallion
at its center contains dozens of captured officers, from the that is a part of his ghostly corpus. Engulfed ghosts are bound
first casualties of the Great War back as far as the crusades. head to toe in steel chain, which is then dragged behind
The highest ranked of La Terre’s soldiers interrogate these the steed as he returns to the Underworld.
prisoners with inventive tortures, demanding military se- Storytelling Hints: Bessières is deeply loyal to the
crets from the newest and assaulting the oldest purely for Kerberos he serves, and believes he is following L’Empereur’s
the amusement of watching them scream. wishes in guiding the troops of La Terre to torture and
Laws collect. He is at least partially mistaken: L’Empereur isn’t
human enough to care what happens to the military minds
Rules governing La Terre are strict and numerous. Each he hoards, and Bessières’ obsessive need for military order
citizen has a copy of Les Reglements, a military-style hand- influenced La Terre’s current situation just as much as the
book that details the Old Laws of the Dominion, and the Kerberos’ nature.
Gatekeeper ghost offers a copy to travelers as well. Residents
Virtue: Loyal (Bessières would never willingly be-
must walk in specific formations based on rank, and obey tray the Kerberos, even if faced with the possibility
any order given in the correct format. Training drills are of absolute destruction.)
mandatory, and talk of sedition is prohibited. Any visitor
without a well-maintained Napoleonic-era French military
Vice: Cruel (This spirit has a sadistic nature and
enjoys watching his master’s enemies suffer.)
uniform is already in violation of La Terre’s Old Laws, and
will be dealt with accordingly. Aspiration: Make La Terre the most respected
Dominion in the Underworld.
L’Empereur
Rank: 2/4
The Kerberos who rules La Terre is a shifting mass of
Attributes: Power 6/12, Finesse 5/8, Resistance
medals and armaments topped with a crowned helmet. He
3/10
rules from a tent made of gold cloth on a hill at the back
of the Dominion, but patrols regularly for the “morale” of Influence: French Patriotism 2, Blood 2
his citizens. L’Empereur does not wage war against other Corpus: 8/15
Dominions, but he keeps his troops in a state of constant Willpower: 8/18
readiness for some future conflict he refuses to discuss.
Size: 5
Lawbreakers are chased down with the assistance of his loyal
troops, then confined to the prison camps to be tortured Speed: 16/25
until they can provide at least one new piece of military Defense: 5/8
intelligence to the Dominion.
410
The Great War
Initiative: 8/18
Numina: Awe, Blast, Drain, Implant Mission,
Fate of the Faceless
Seek, Rapture, Engulf, Descend As the Great War winds down, the conditions of the
Faceless’ creation come to an end. Not only that, but the
Manifestations: Twilight Form, Image, purpose for which they were created does the same. The
Materialize, Avernian Gateway
Torment created by this abandonment drives many of them
Essence: 15/25 mad and turns the former battlefields into a Wasteland.
Ban: Bessières cannot disobey a legal order In the ensuing Firestorm, many Faceless allow them-
from a currently serving French army officer. As selves to be destroyed or walk into the roiling sea to be
Le Général, he is banished to the Underworld if eroded by time and tide. A scant few forsake the name
he spills the blood of a French national who has of their Lineage and go into solitude. The shame of the
never done him harm. acts they carry out in their time on the Western Front are
Bane: Musket balls. As Le Général, the sound consigned to history with their name. Most that remain
of a field trumpet that was present at the Battle of identify themselves as Extempore.
Waterloo. The Firestorm that consumes the main bulk of the
Lineage seems like a vile gas attack, since Faceless are forged
Promethean:
not from elements of nature but the cruel, factory-created
humours of death-dealing machines. The earthquakes that
Conscripts of Clay
come are the rumbling of exploding shells. Several of the
Faceless themselves burst in angry clouds of smoke and
chlorine, swamping any who stand near and burning any
In the Great War, the imperatives of life change for vegetation in their passing. Those who remain hurl them-
everyone. Supply and manpower become the vital lifeblood selves into the sea, making it unclear if they survive or not.
of nations who are throwing everything they possibly can at Like the prophesied end to all wars, the Faceless wish to be
their enemies. World-spanning empires are stripped of their forgotten. To become as inert and obsolete as the bombs
resources both natural and human to feed the leviathan of and guns that birthed them. They come to the collective
war wrapping itself around the world. The belligerents in belief that in an era of peace there is simply no need for
this conflict seek any advantage they can find. them to exist, and they cannot deny that somewhere in their
It is unsurprising so many of the Created were drawn agonized and burning hearts they can’t stand the thought
like moths to the lamplights of the trenches. Within that of the war coming to a close. They are tied to the constant
vile space, the subtle masks of humanity strip away. The struggle, the theater of death and decay in which their hei-
gentle mien of society and everyday life tears asunder in nous acts and monstrous drives seem human and realistic.
a world of extremes and the color of human experience The thought of men returning to their farms and sowing
boils down to the black and white of life and death. The crops, of women departing the bloody surgeries and sewing
Western Front plays host to many a Promethean seeking fabric instead of flesh, it brings their own disgusting nature
out the truth on her Pilgrimage. into sharp focus. They are not like the others, not created
Though it’s rare and wildly difficult, some scientists to be like man in any other aspect other than violence, war,
are able to create new lives to feed into the grinder. The and destruction. That era must now end and end forever.
prospect of constructed soldiers is attractive to the states Their sacrifice could be said to be noble. Perhaps some
of the time. Imagine, fresh troops who will never tire and, even found fulfilment in that last, terrifying moment when
in the hopes of some scientists, will never rebel or know they resolved to give up their mockery of life for a greater
fear. Imagine, an inexhaustible supply of manpower forged good. Is that the humanity they were forced to seek after
from the flesh of the fallen and the mud in which they are, all? That when the weapons of war themselves rebel and put
nameless, buried. Of course, creating such lives is easier themselves beyond use, therein is the lesson for mankind?
said than done, and almost all turn out to be autonomous. Such philosophical discussions are for the history books.
Among those Created born into this hell is the lost Even if a Faceless exists in modern times, he would simply
Lineage of the Faceless. They are tragedy given form and speak as did one of their number to Otto. They are merely
purpose, animated amalgams of caked mud, chemical ruin, another face in the crowd. They are merely one of millions.
and the mottled remains of the dead. Their identities lost
amid a sea of conflicting memories from the many dead
within them and the everlasting pain of their chemically
Rampaging Faceless
burning hearts, they rejoin the fray with untold vigor. Exploding from the trenches opposite, a line of soldiers
All the while, Muses spur their charges on to ever more rises in a charge. As machine-gun fire cuts down men left
grand creation. Large numbers of Unfleshed and Tammuz and right, one huge soldier holds his stride. As the shape
are brought to being in this time, another way for war to bears down on the protagonists’ position, they can see
be waged, supplies to be delivered and trenches to be dug. clearly it is a bizarre, golem-like created in the throes of fury.
411
Morale Points
Soldiers around the protagonists have a total of up to 10 morale points at the start of a chronicle set in the
Great War. Created can work to increase or decrease them in any way they wish, the more creative, the
better. However, if the number reaches zero, the men desert their position en masse, succumb to shell shock,
or run to greet the hail of machine-gun fire. Drops in morale lead to executions for desertion and, likely, an
imminent push from the enemy as word spreads of the dissent among the soldiery. This forms the backdrop to
any chronicle on the frontlines.
Morale can be tracked using this scale and has the following effects on the mortal soldiery:
10 — Spirits are high and the soldiery are filled with national pride. They regularly can be heard calling to
each other, extolling the virtues of their cause. Composure-based rolls gain one extra die and have
one automatic success.
9 — Despite exposure to some of the terrors of the war, the soldiers remain upbeat and positive about their
chances. They know that victory is just one push away. Add one die to Composure based rolls.
8/7 — The hard slog in the trenches is beginning to take its toll. These soldiers keep their spirits up by talking
about their home life and what they have to look forward to after triumph. Occasionally, they can be heard
crying when they think nobody else can hear. No mechanical benefit.
6 — The initial signs of shell shock and fatigue show on the pale faces of these battle-hardened soldiers.
They tend to avoid conversation with those fresh-faced recruits who they have seen die on many occasions.
Subtract one die from Social rolls.
5/4 — Months of fighting and horrific conditions have tested the minds of these soldiers to the limit. They
occasionally laugh at nothing and offer only black humor to their comrades as comfort. Subtract two dice
from Social rolls.
3/2 — Mad-eyed and with a tendency to snap at those who try to boost their spirits, the veterans of the
trench often find themselves sapped of morale, with only the grim hope of survival to sustain them. They
are malnourished, psychologically broken, and desperate. Subtract two dice from Social rolls, −1 to
Physical Attributes due to starvation.
1 — Soldiers at this level are at their wits’ end. They are suicidal and their courage hangs by a thread. They
speak of attacking the enemy trenches, not with determination, but with hope that their enemies will end their
suffering with a merciful bullet. Subtract two dice from Social rolls, −2 to Physical Attributes, −1 to
Composure.
0 — This soldier is a mere shell, shattered both mentally and physically. Desertion is a certainty, the firing
squad that awaits those deserters who are caught is almost as welcome to them as freedom. All Social
Attributes and Composure reduced to 0, the soldier will simply attempt to flee by any means
necessary and kill anyone who tries to stop them.
Balefire burns behind its eyes as it cries tears of chemical

yellow. Its battle cry shrinks even the toughest men in the FRENZIED FACELESS
trench who recoil, watching their fire glance ineffectively
off its hide of rock-hard mud. With a glance to the other
members of the throng, it is clear to see if this Created The Faceless is overwhelmed by the pain inside it and
cannot be calmed it must be brought down. driven to go down in a blaze of glorious, alchemical fire.
With immense strength, it lifts the first man it encounters It has the following stats:
clean off the ground, impaled on its bayoneted rifle which Lineage: Faceless
seems laughably small in its oversized hands. Tossing him Refinement: Stannum
aside, it turns to the first member of the throng and roars a
challenge, barreling forward with its fists clenched to strike. Strength 4, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4; Presence 2,
412
The Great War
Skills: Athletics 3, Brawl 3, Firearms 1, uniform, they immediately attack them with hodgepodge
Weaponry 2; Intimidation 4 weapons they have scavenged from fallen soldiers. Once
Willpower: 7 they are overcome, Gerda moves immediately into the
basement of the church to claim her prize and returns car-
Pilgrimage: 2 rying a young girl in her arms. She informs the party this
Elpis: Fury is Marion du Trouelles, a chess prodigy and mathematical
Torment: Obsession genius. When she heard her village had been caught in the
Initiative: 6 front, she allocated all of her resources to tracking her down.
Though rumors from prisoners of war, as well as patrols who
Defense: 6 had come near the village and been fired upon, a young girl
Size: 6 matching her description had been seen with the men holed
Speed: 12 up in the village.
Health: 10 During this explanation, the shelling of the area around
the village will resume. Protagonists have the choice to
Azoth: 3 evacuate and flee back to the trench line or try to hunker
Pyros/Turn: 12/3 down in the village. Gerda’s choice will be to flee across
Bestowment: Living Wall the field and toward the German line which, she hopes, is
the source of the shelling.
Transmutations: Assault (Disquiet), Shock
(Electrification) Roll a die for each turn as the throng retreats, on a roll
of 1, a shell bursts near them and everyone must make
If the protagonists successfully bring down the Faceless,
Stamina + Resolve rolls. Gerda rolls five dice and has a
they will be visited the next night by another of their num-
Health of 7, Marion rolls three dice and has a Health of 4.
ber, calmer and more withdrawn. She apologizes to them
If Marion dies, Gerda immediately descends into Torment,
for being unable to prevent her compatriot from bursting
which the throng can attempt to counter.
toward them and advises them she is leaving the trenches
to find what more there is to life than this. If they ask for If the party succeeds in bringing Marion into the
her Lineage, she will say she is Extempore. German lines, Gerda makes good on her word to either
transport them from the front or provide them with frequent
Spoils of War smuggled shipments of rations and supplies over the course
of the next few weeks. This includes ammunition and other
The protagonists encounter a German Osiran called sundry materials, such as books or even records Gerda could
Gerda who is trying to salvage an artifact from a church feasibly acquire in Germany. Specialist weapons cannot
in no-man’s land. She claims to have the means to extract be provided by her. A newspaper article comes through
them from the front should they wish at a later time and in the next few weeks indicating Marion has won a chess
can also smuggle in rations and supplies to their position tournament in Berlin.
with which they can barter. For this service, she enlists
their aid in getting her to the church and back safely with
whatever it is she is to find there.
DR. HEINRICH FUCHS
When questioned about the nature of the artifact she
only reveals snippets of information, repeatedly inform- The research into chemical weapons conducted by both
ing the protagonists, whatever it is, it is far too important sides in the war brings many who would have been drummed
to her to risk telling them about. If pushed, she becomes out of the scientific community in more rational times to
frustrated and indicates she is prepared to go without their the fore. One such man is Dr. Heinrich Fuchs.
help, though she’d much rather not. Dr. Fuchs is a bizarre mix of occultist and chemist. In
Gerda leads them through the cratered remains of the front. his younger years he put his mind to discovering the secret
Water-filled holes dot the landscape and clouds of poisoned of eternal life. After traveling far, gaining the knowledge
gas hang in the air. Here and there, soldiers of either side can of many mystics and seers, and gathering the proper ingre-
be seen trying vainly to crawl back to their trench in random dients, Dr. Fuchs tested his potions on vagrants, desperate
directions, most with grievous, mortal wounds. This provides for quick, easy money.
an opportunity for Created with a bent toward humanity to Unfortunately, those he “treated” had a habit of dying
offer what aid they can and potentially save a life. For her part, shortly afterward. If they were lucky, their deaths would be
Gerda is keen to hurry on but looks upon the wounded with quick and painless. However, word quickly spread about the
compassion and genuine sadness at their situation. man’s heinous experiments and the supply of willing vol-
The village is occupied by a small group of French fanat- unteers quickly dried up, as did academic interest. Indeed,
ics who are awaiting God’s judgment on the people who only the authorities grew truly interested in him.
destroyed their home. When spying any of the Created in
413
Before his arrest, Dr. Fuchs tested his last formula on Dread Powers: The Fog
himself. He was certain this was the one that would grant The Fog: Dr. Fuchs smashes a glass cylinder on
him immortality and, if not, he was prepared to die rather the floor releasing the fog, which expands to a
than spend years locked away from his precious work. cloud 30 feet in diameter. Fuchs has immunized
Although he believes the potion did award him with im- himself against its effects.
mortality, it also aged him physically, leaving him wizened The mad doctor’s design rots and decays any object
and gnarled like an old tree stump, with wiry, pure white with which it comes into contact. Metal rusts, leather
hair jutting from his balding scalp. Though only in his 40s, corrodes, wood splinters and falls to ash. This al-
Fuchs appears to be a much older man. lows it to kill through gas masks, but it also allows
His jailing did not last long as his reputation with chemi- it to penetrate to the heart of a Promethean. Mortal
cals brought him to the attention of some of the more un- victims suffer 1 point of aggravated damage per turn
scrupulous elements in the Reich. With the discovery of the and gain the Grave Poisoned Tilt (see Chronicles
Faceless Prometheans, Dr. Fuchs now thinks he has found not of Darkness p. 93) until treated with the antidote,
only the perfect ingredient for weapons of war in Pyros, but which only Fuchs possesses. The fog not only as-
phyxiates them but corrodes their skin and if they are
that he has finally discovered the key to his own immortality.
killed by the fog, it destroys their cadaver, leaving
Fuchs put out notice to capture as many Created as can only a sizzling pool of chemicals behind.
be found for him to continue his work and, with enough
Prometheans caught in the fog must make a
Prometheans on his slab, he can uncover the secrets to
Stamina + Resolve roll. If they fail, the chemical
harness the power of Azoth into unstoppable weaponry. reacts with their Pyros and they become Poisoned
To that end, he develops a new gas, one that affects man (Grave) for the remainder of the scene.
and Created alike. Ageless Elixir: If taking heavy damage (reduced
“I envy you, creature. If only all the world could be as you to 1 or 2 Health), Dr. Fuchs may quaff a phial of
are.” the Ageless Elixir, even during another player’s
turn. When he does so, roll a die and consult the
Virtue: Driven (Dr. Fuchs is a man with a goal, following table:
and nothing will stop him from achieving it.)
Vice: Immoral (Heinrich has little regard for what Result Effect
is ethical, if it advances his plots.) 1 Dr. Fuchs ages so rapidly his body rapidly
Attributes: Intelligence 5, Wits 3, Resolve 3, decomposes, and he falls to ash
Strength 2, Dexterity 4, Stamina 2, Presence: 2, 2 Dr. Fuchs regains 1 Health but loses 1 dot
Manipulation 3, Composure 4 from each Physical Attribute and appears
Skills: Academics (Military Tactics) 4, Crafts to age rapidly
(Metalwork) 3, Investigation (Research) 4,
Medicine (Human Anatomy) 4, Occult 3 Dr. Fuchs regains 1 Health and ages rap-
(Promethean Alchemy) 2, Science (Chemistry) 4; idly, his Speed is halved
Brawl 1, Firearms 1, Weaponry 1, Stealth (Hide) 2; 4 Dr. Fuchs regains 2 Health and ages rap-
Empathy 2, Expression 2, Intimidation 1, idly, his Speed is halved
Persuasion 3, Socialize 1 5 Dr. Fuchs regains 2 Health and his hair
Merits: Contacts (State Employed Chemists) 3, falls out leaving him completely bald
Language (Latin, English, Chinese, Greek),
Resources 1, Status (German Reich) 2 6 Dr. Fuchs regains 2 Health
Magnitude: 3 7 Dr. Fuchs regains 2 Health and gains 1 dot
in Stamina
Willpower: 7
8 Dr. Fuchs regains 3 Health and gains 1 dot
Integrity: 7 in Stamina
Torment: Obsession 9 Dr. Fuchs regains 3 Health and gains 1 dot
Initiative: 8 in each Physical Attribute
Defense: 3 10 Dr. Fuchs regains all lost Health and grows
Size: 5 young and vital. He gains 1 dot in each
Physical Attribute and a point in Presence
Speed: 6
Health: 7 Storytelling Hints: Dr. Fuchs is maniacal beyond repair,
Pyros/Turn: 7/1 a truly tragic creature in the Shakespearean mode. He is
Distillations: Alchemicus (Stone), Aqua Regia consumed with nothing but his work, which is his justifica-
(Decay), Mesmerism (Lure) tion to disregard any moral safeguard or reprimand of his
414
The Great War
lack of humanity. He cannot be reasoned with. When it academia and high society all but confounds their efforts
appears he is listening it will simply be to take advantage across the globe. With all thought bent toward winning
over an unwitting mark. To his mind, the all-consuming the war, it leaves little time or funding for more cerebral
conquest of death is the greatest honor mankind can pursuits. However, it does provide those with an alchemical
achieve. If death is banished, how then can there even be leaning a chance to experiment with their latest concoc-
war? What use then for weapons? tions. Osirans following the Refinement of Mercurius are
When confronted with overwhelming physical force, Dr. among those who bring the advent of chemical warfare to
Fuchs instantly deploys the Fog. He has immunized himself the Western Front and continue to refine their methods
to it but will sacrifice even those working for or with him if both to penetrate contemporary gas masks and to produce
he feels it will save his own skin from being captured. This, healing potions that they can use to recruit the worthy
to a fault, is his character. He mocks the idea of obsession wounded to their aid.
with saving humans from their slow march to death but it The trench lines are a second home to the Tammuz
is himself he truly wishes to save. and they find joy in the endless work on the front and
Any Prometheans he captures will be immediately elsewhere. The Named can be found running messages
taken for study. Be sure to describe his religious reverence from post to post, digging new fortifications or lugging
of them. He truly desires for humans to be more like them, heavy crates of ammunition through seemingly impass-
to shed the weakness of their frail flesh and embrace the able terrain. The endless grind is a strange joy to them
wonders that science unbound can bestow upon them. He and gives them the purpose they so crave. Many throngs
carves at them as nonchalantly as carving a roast. He sees are formed through chance meetings in the trenches and
them at once as a great achievement and as automatons any alchemical pact formed in this hellscape will contain
lacking the vital spark of humanity. Only by combining at least one Tammuz.
their anima, the essence of their machinery, with his ge- Ulgan find interest in the passing of so many souls and
nius will they be truly whole, and he whole in them. It is those studying the Refinement of Argentum will be drawn
unlikely he will outright kill a Promethean deliberately, to those who seem so interested in interacting with them as
but his understanding of their unique physiology is lim- such. The sheer amount of death is a spiritual stain crossing
ited. Storytellers should take discretion with how much the divides and thresholds separating worlds, and the Riven
damage he might inflict upon them while experimenting sense this more than any other as the ectoplasm in their
and give other protagonists a chance to ride to the rescue hearts resonates with each new atrocity. If there is anywhere
before killing off someone captured. Giving the character a Created could come to understand the spiritual it is here.
of Fuchs the chance to exposit his bizarre manifesto to a Built for purpose, Unfleshed form elite units within
helpless Promethean could form a strange step forward in both armies, designed to seek out priority targets or gather
their own Pilgrimage if played correctly, though suffering intelligence. Exposure to so much naked human experience
bears no guarantee of leading to enlightenment. causes them to question the orders of their creators time
and again, leading their creators to question their own
Created Conscripts genius in creating something so… “alive.” While most of
the Manufactured in this era are newly constructed, it is an
The Lineages take differing views of the slaughter that
era of great discovery for them and can be marked as the
is the Great War, each seeking to add it to their Pilgrimages
genesis of many Pilgrimages for their number. Their cold,
in the best way they can.
callous nature is also found as the thinking machines behind
The Frankensteins seek to test the limits of not only many of the bloodthirsty tactics and strategies employed by
their bodies, but their minds. More than any other Lineage, the command of the armies.
they embrace the madness of the frontlines. Those pursuing
While Faceless will go on to adopt the title themselves,
the refinements of Ferrum and Stannum are drawn in to
Extempore of other kinds are not rare among the front
the carnage. Fighting for their national cause, the unit of
lines. Some hardy sorts seeking adventure and swept up
men who they signed up with, to protect the land of the
in the nationalistic pride of the occasion are first to ar-
family who took them in, or possibly to protect the family
rive, followed by those seeking a grim and stark reality of
themselves as they flee the destruction of their livelihood.
human experience. When encountering other Created,
Galateids find this time to be one of incredible oppor- the Extempore often attempt to conceal their nature if
tunity and exploration. The limits of human science are they can. Most seem content to avoid contact and pursue
pushed as belligerent nations look for efficient ways to destroy their personal Pilgrimage. However, those following the
each other. Meanwhile, stars of stage and screen are flown Refinement of Argentum are highly interested in talking
in from all over the world to entertain the troops and keep with other Created in attempts to confirm rumors they’ve
up fractured morale, inspiring the Muses to seek out those heard of supernatural sights in the trenches and the villages
who need solace in the trenches and in the field hospitals. around them.
Osirans are not drawn to the conflict in the same way as
other Created. The disruption the Great War causes among
415
Playing the Game
find. Prometheans are disconcerting; walking corpses or
animated objects, an unnatural mix, but the Uratha respect
rage. Likewise, a Sin-Eater can look like one of the Spirit-
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. In wartime you take Ridden, prey to be hunted, but werewolves willing to look
what allies you can get and sort the rest out later. As troops are closer can find a kindred spirit standing at the crossroads
moved into new territory, or killed in droves, the supernatural between this world and the spirit world. The Ithaeur are
rarely have the chance to cling to their own kin and ignore those most likely to treat Sin-Eaters as packmates, while
the rest of the world. They make friends with whoever they Prometheans under the refinements of Iron, Tin, and even
can find that shares something close to the same goals. Such Cobalt can find the Iron Wolves eager to share an under-
arrangements bring forth new insight for all parties, or raise standing of the worst humanity has to offer.
uncomfortable questions that none of them can answer.
Prometheans have a hard time making friends, but that
hardly stops them from trying. Any of the Created born
Strange Bedfellows from corpses, especially the Riven, might mistake a Sin-
Sin-Eaters are already used to mingling between two Eater for something too good to be true: some sort of kin
worlds, so adding a third or fourth isn’t drastically out of born without the alchemical imbalance that separates them
place. Bone Shadows and Osirans can make exceptionally from humanity, maybe even kin enough to be immune to
useful companions when traversing the Underworld, though Disquiet. The Uratha, too, present tantalizing hope to the
the former have a disturbing tendency to treat every ghost Ulgan, masters of the spirit and the flesh who could give
like a potential enemy, and the latter have some equally them great insight on their Pilgrimage, or simply scare away
disturbing stories of creation by the god of death. Krewes the spirits troubling them. Fresh Extempore formed from
of Furies welcome Ghost Wolves as celebrants, offering the massive conflict of the war seek kinship with anyone
companionship and something almost like the passion of who will take them, latching onto another group’s history
the Siskur-Dah. They might even choose to follow Death to fill the hole left by their vacant Lineage.
Wolf themselves, respecting her as a powerful ghost to be
celebrated and protected. For Mourners, the Azothic memory
offers a tantalizing new way to comb the past for answers,
Pack, Krewe, Throng
Sin-Eaters and Werewolves are used to mixed company. A
cooperating with Originists in a shared need for knowledge.
krewe involves both living and dead celebrants, while packs are
Werewolves do not hunt alone. Cut off from their pack open to just about anything the Uratha invite in. In a mixed
by distance or death, some turn to whatever allies they can
416
The Great War
alike for blood to fuel the experiments. A Centimani forms a
symbiotic relationship with a Reaper, one to kill horrifically
and the other to collect the resulting ghosts, each becoming
Dead Totem the closest thing the other has to a loved one.
The Forsaken are meant to make packs under the The monsters of the Western Front have plenty of rea-
auspice of one of the Hisil, a totem spirit to guide sons to fight each other, too. Krewes of all sorts have reasons
and protect them. But as the land of the living and to claim the local Avernian Gates, but a pack’s totem might
the land of the dead become intertwined amid have other ideas, leading to a territorial clash. The Created
the carnage, the Shadow and the Underworld are abominations against the natural order, prey for the
intermingle and rules are broken. A pack with a
Hunters in Darkness or the Iron Wolves picking up the
geist as its totem is a strange thing, cut off from the
spirit world of Father Wolf, but it gives its members mess after killing their human progenitor. A Sin-Eater hunts
a profound connection to the Bound who walk down a Frankenstein on behalf of the six ghosts who need
among the trenches. A geist serving as a totem can their corpses laid to rest, valuing the needs of the dead over
still make a pact with a human, and such Bound the half-alive creature made from their stolen flesh. One
are connected to the pack as deeply as they are group’s righteous cause becomes another’s cruel slaughter,
their new ghostly companion. as vicious and pointless as the war itself.
Playing with Mixed Company

game, Storytellers are encouraged to treat Sin-Eaters and When creating characters for a mixed game, it’s a good
Prometheans as formidable supernatural creatures if they join idea to pick out a few ideas that interest all the players before
a pack, on par with werewolf members. Likewise, werewolves you begin, and build characters that will interact with those
and Prometheans can purchase the Mystery Cult Initiation parts of the setting. If no one but the group’s one Sin-Eater
Merit to reflect joining a krewe, and access Krewe Ceremonies has any investment in the Underworld, then playing around
as normal. Over time, a pack and krewe can meld into a single in the Trenches Beneath won’t feel as exciting to everyone
organization, offering all members the benefits of both. else. Likewise, if no one but the Promethean cares about
Throngs are less formal in their arrangement, and the their Pilgrimage, or the werewolf wants to stay put and
Promethean nature makes mingling with other creatures claim territory while everyone else wants to travel, your
difficult. To facilitate a mixed game, the Storyteller may chronicle will feel like several separate stories that happen
allow a pack or krewe to count as a special type of throng if to be centered around a group of acquaintances, or even
the correct alchemical ritual of sharing Pyros and lifegiving fall apart altogether. In a mixed game where most of the
fluids is practiced, like a chemical form of blood pact. The characters are one type of creature with only one outsider,
result enables other non-Created members of the throng the latter should make sure to play to the ideas that are most
two additional dice when resisting the effects of Disquiet. important to the former, since the majority of the group will
The Storyteller may also allow new ways for other characters probably want to get involved with those.
to resolve the Disquieted Condition appropriate to their For a Great War game, consider the themes of sacrifice
connection with the Promethean causing it, such as sharing and distrust, and how those can help bring a mixed group
a hunt or venturing into the Underworld. together. A Sin-Eater whose death saves a pack of Uratha
might earn an honorary membership. A Promethean could
Stranger Enemies be made from parts of soldiers from two different sides, the
other characters friends of the corpses from both armies.
The war has plenty of horrors to go around, and stuck Sacrifice breeds loyalty and camaraderie between strangers,
together everyone present has good reason to fight against while distrust can create a need to learn someone else’s moti-
them. Bone Shadows who find a Reaper in their terri- vations and secrets. Either, or both, means a group of people
tory team up with the local krewe to follow it into the all invested in what everyone else is doing with their lives.
Underworld for revenge, and the two stay together to deal From a more mechanical standpoint, remember that
with the mortal necromancy cult disturbing the spirits of the different creatures will have an easier time accomplishing
region. A Storm Lord, upon discovering how a Promethean certain tasks. Sin-Eaters can open Avernian Gates with
can attract the cannibalistic, near-dead creature they’ve ease, and are adept at interacting with ghosts of all sorts.
been stalking across battlefields, invites the Created into Werewolves are quick to heal, and instinctive hunters and
their pack to help hunt the Pandoran. trackers. Prometheans are immune to pain and electricity,
But they aren’t the only ones who can mingle. A pack of and can push themselves past human limits for a short pe-
Fire-Touched Pure learns a ceremony from a rogue geist, form- riod in nearly any area. Other creatures might mimic these
ing open gates to the Underworld to bring the Shadow closer. skills, but only with practice and experience. As a player,
A wolf-born alchemist seeks to use Pyros to force out his consider the role your character will have in the chronicle
own First Change, slaughtering Werewolf and Promethean you’re playing, and what sort of problems you’d like them
417
Playing the Game
The War that Devoured the World
It stands to reason that vampires might enjoy the carnage of the Great War. Blood runs thick and fast, and what’s
another lost soldier? Meals are easy to come by. The moral implications are handwaved by members of the Lancea
et Sanctum and Ordo Dracul who reason “these boys will be dead soon anyway.” Only a foolish vampire makes
their haven near the frontline, however. No matter how deep you’ve dug into the earth, a well-placed shell could
expose you to the sunlight. A Mekhet bloodline named the Brothers of Ypres arises at this time, known for their toxic
Vitae.
Mages are sometimes taught that they can perform miracles. No number of miracles, no power through incantation
or rote, is enough to mitigate the relentless horror of the war. It’s enough to drive mages to despair. They are not so
different from the young men dying every day, and indeed, sometimes those young men are mages who volun-
teered, were called up, or pressganged into service. Magic cannot save you from the combination of barbed wire,
gas, machine-gun fire, and explosions. Many mages fall from their paths in this period, due to injury, death, or a
hollow recognition of life’s futility. They never to recover.
Changelings tell a tale of True Fae who target brave young boys going to war, luring them through the maze of
barbed wire and trench networks into world entire made of warring soldiers from all time periods. When the Gentry
tire of their toy soldiers, they return them to the conflict, usually within seconds of destruction by mundane means.
The Lost fear no-man’s land for the creatures that might lurk on the other side of all that mud and blood. Changelings
among the ranks do everything to avoid going over the top.
A compact of hunters known as Third Light emerges, comprising individuals from all sides of the conflict. Their Vigil
is an odd one given the destructive backdrop of war: They are nurses, civilians, priests, and conscientious objectors.
Third Light knows they cannot stop the killing, but they can attempt to stop monsters from feeding on the pain and
suffering in the trenches. Third Light exists to keep mortal horror trapped in the mortal realm, eliminating any creatures
(they call most unnatural critters “lice”) that prey on the conflict.
Mummies have seen and experienced it all, but never before have they witnessed such wholesale slaughter. At
least, not since they became Deathless. To the mummies with Memory to realize it, the millions of dead may even
exceed the number sacrificed to bring about their immortality. Sesha-Hebsu and Su-Menent search for a reason —
there has to be one! A god or powerful entity commanding this sacrifice for a grand ritual. But there is not. This is just
humankind at work.
Beasts make Lairs close to the action of the Great War, keen to sap the nightmares of newly arrived soldiers
unprepared for the front’s relentless horror. In a surprise to many Primordials, their nightmarish powers are less potent
in an arena of war where nightmares are real and experienced every day. The people here are suffering, but any
exacerbation on a Beast’s part is trivial compared months of nothing but gunfire, explosions, and seeing your friends
die.
Some demons construct Covers to avoid serving in the war, while others do so specifically to involve themselves.
Integrators and Destroyers find a special home at this time, the former believing the machinery of war has advanced
so fast due to the God-Machine’s will, the latter craving the opportunity to turn the God-Machine’s weapons against
It. Some Unchained are convinced the Great War is some mass deletion event under the God-Machine’s direction,
while others consider it a rewrite. The rewriter demons just can’t agree on who the angels are backing to win.
to solve. If another character’s supernatural nature makes between different periods and deployments. From the initial
them naturally better at that niche than yours, you may themes of patriotism, backed by inspiring music and interac-
feel disappointed by the breadth of action your character tions with characters who scream “For King and Country!” at
is able to take in the game. the slightest invitation, slowly and deliberately introduce darker
tones. Utilize reoccurring characters to demonstrate how the
Running the Game

people who the protagonists have become familiar with are
changing and being scarred like the landscape around them.
Music could be a good way to achieve this. Starting out
To most effectively capture the mood and themes of the with the upbeat, morale-boosting Music Hall vibe of turn-of-
Great War, it is best to consider the timing. How long have the-century Britain, into the melodramatic rousing crescen-
the protagonists been on the front? In what state is the morale dos of Wagner and the 1812 Overture, into the melancholy
of their unit? An interesting transition could be time hops sound of lone pipers and the bugling of the Last Post.
418
The Great War
To preface each session, try reciting a poem to set the feasting on the many corpses and filth of the past days’
tone. Again, contemplate the journey the characters are carnage spawn in massive numbers. In the aftermath of
taking in the session. The loss of faith in the primacy of the bloody battle, they could roll up the German line like
their nation and the inherent good of its aims and goals. a carpet, but that would only increase the threat they pose.
Don’t be afraid to go with the protagonists on a journey The Uratha must stand with their former enemies against
that may end up rewriting the history of the period. Do a common foe in a desperate last stand or risk the world
your players want to sneak into the officers’ manor and put being overrun by the pestilent rat Hosts.
an end to the infamous Field Marshal Haig? Contemplate Humiliating von Glau has seen him removed from his
what that might mean. Who will replace him? Could it be command, but the Sin-Eaters of the angry dead are not satis-
someone worse than him? Throwing in a character to warn fied. They ask for the krewe to begin working their way up
the players of such an outcome might give them pause to the command structure. Someone gave von Glau the order
think. Perhaps Haig’s tactics prove to have been the dif- to attack that position, heedless of the cost. The search
ference between loss and defeat in a crunch situation that leads to a director of strategy, living well behind the line
turns the war in another direction. in a palatial French manor. But there’s something different
On top of that, most of the monstrous characters in the about this man. He is surrounded by a strange cult and seems
game will be loath to expose themselves to Princip levels to be worshipping something they call the High Cromlech.
of attention. Gavrilo Princip is one of the most important After taking control of the Tammuz tunnel, the pro-
names in the history books for firing two shots whereas most tagonists’ throng goes to rescue the brother of one of the
soldiers that fought, killed, and died in the Great War fired deserters. He is stationed in a field hospital near Ypres.
several thousand and their names are not writ large on its Upon arrival, the brother curses the throng for giving
pages. Profile matters and killing someone important will those men an easy way out and indicates that several of the
bring with it a form of celebrity that many monsters would walking wounded had been sent back to the front to cover
prefer to avoid. the gaps left by those able-bodied men using the tunnel
Give thought to the three tiers of gameplay when run- to escape. He charges them to bring those troops to face
ning your scenes, local, regional and global effects can the firing squad. However, the throng soon discovers that
all bring something different to your sessions. From deep the deserters are werewolves and have been claimed for an
personal discoveries to huge outcomes that affect the fate even darker purpose in the laboratory of the Alchemist,
of nations. Dr. Fuchs, and he has been waiting for the throng to come
looking for its quarry.
Tier One: Trench Level Tier Three: The War Room

Hekatonchieres are rampaging across the Western Front
and creating a salient in the German line in an important The Beshilu were nothing more than opportunists, prey-
section. Werewolves must choose between slaying the ing upon the decay and destruction around them, they are
creatures or waiting until they have done enough damage only a symptom of something greater. The Uratha encounter
to swing the tide of battle in this area. a group of seeming mortals who have heard tales of a cult
A collective of Sin-Eaters is calling for vengeance worshipping something by the name of the High Cromlech.
against its former unit commander, Oberleutnant von While the Sin-Eaters deal with the mortal cult above, only
Glau, who ordered it to attack a French fort. The hand- the Uratha can face the horror of the dreaded idigam and
ful of their regiment that survived took the fort while he perhaps put an end to this destructive conflict at last.
took the credit. He has spread a story that he took the fort The death of Director Hoffmann has been a massive
singlehandedly after rapping on the door with his sword. blow to the German offensive. The Sin-Eaters wail as they
A group of Tammuz who have been working on the watch the enemy, with renewed vigor, counterattacking and
trenches for a few years have decided to turn their talents recapturing the positions they died to seize. However, there
to digging a tunnel to ferry refugees back into France. They is something bigger at play here and it crosses the divide be-
are approached by a lieutenant who asks them to help he tween the two opposing forces. The High Cromlech is feeding
and his friends escape to Brittany using their tunnel. The upon the vast bloodshed of the Western front, supported by
leader of the Tammuz throng says it’s an affront to their its pawns on both commands. The trail of the evil cult leads
sense of duty. them to the office of Joseph Joffre himself and a bizarre lair
deep underground, beneath the blood-soaked earth.
Tier Two: No-Man’s Land The armistice should have brought a surcease to the
constant destruction, but instead it seems to have brought
The collapse of the salient was a great victory, but the despair and madness to the Faceless Lineage. Created who
army took huge casualties in seizing the town from the had seemed stoic and controlled in the crucible of war,
Spirit-Ridden regiment that held it. As the men bivouac suddenly descend, en masse, into a brutal Firestorm. At
down for the night, shadowy shapes begin moving. Beshilu, its center, a huge hillock rises from the mud, covered in
419
Running the Game
huge, roaring, laughing and screaming faces and spewing Discretion is key for several reasons. Not only is the
fire, ash, and chemical death all around itself, growing by news of the devastation of the gas attack at Ypres to be
the day. An arch-qashmallim, dread servant of the Divine kept quiet from the general rank and file lest their morale
Principle, has come to bring an end to the Faceless Lineage falter (tier two consideration), but the name on the letter,
on Earth in a tide of wanton destruction that threatens when found, reads “Priscilla.”
to shatter the fragile peace on the front. When all hope At this time, her relationship with Henrietta is illegal
seems to be lost in view of the unstoppable force, the pack and could lead to her being imprisoned. Though, in truth,
of werewolves the Throng liberated from Dr. Fuchs comes it would also see her taken from the front and danger. Sin-
to them with a proposal. If the godlike being wishes to Eaters must search their souls and question the morality
eradicate Faceless on Earth, perhaps the werewolves can of their position. Even here in hell, can love truly flourish
assist by sending the last of the Lineage into the Shadow. despite all odds?
Others suggest they help the arch-qashmallim by joining Storyteller Advice: The mood of fear should be palpable
the killing spree and hastening the Firestorm’s end. The throughout this story. The gas attacks kill at random and are
choice rests with the throng. harder to avoid than even the hail of bullets. Rolling a die to
determine the direction of the wind could give an interest-
Considering Crossover ing aside as the protagonists watch the deadly cloud loom
ominously nearer until being blown in another direction.
In crossover terms, juxtapose this with the inclusion of
The Great War brings all kinds of monsters together in
one hellish struggle. It is vitally important to consider how Prometheans on Pilgrimage. The grappling with complex
the different creatures can interact. How do the Sin-Eaters’ morality offers them a window to unforeseen and unconsid-
dead interplay with the spirit world of the Uratha? Can the ered possibilities. The love of these two women has kept one
Faceless be the stalwart force needed to hold back the on- clinging on beyond the grave to pass on one final message
slaught of a Fire-Touched pack? Most importantly, how do of affection before parting. Should they deliver it at all? Is
these monsters view each other in the context of the horror the risk to the morale of the troops too high?
they are all going through together? Does this lend a useful
bridge between them or drive differences even further? Promethean: Flying Circus
If your game is focusing mostly on one line for pro-
tagonists, consider using Chronicles of Darkness to use (Tier Two)
the others as helpful allies or deadly antagonists. Focus on Equipped with a biplane, the Galateid throng led by the
the Dread Powers section and think what sort of terrifying Algerian Madame Gazala Le Clerc is the hottest ticket in
abilities might be useful to transplant onto the monsters the trenches. Created for the sole purpose of entertaining
you create from these lines to make them a useful friend or the troops with displays of acrobatic brilliance as well as
dangerous foe to your players. song and dance, the troupe is a hit and its creator, Ava St.
Joan, is ensuring that their fame is spread far and wide, as
Geist: Henrietta’s Letter long as nobody asks where these talented girls really came
from. Then again, the mystique behind the “Hell’s Belles”
(Tier One) Cabaret adds to its legend.
When a sniper’s bullet takes down Ava on the eve of a
The krewe has based itself in Ypres to avail itself of
the ready stores of resonance. There are many wrongs to big performance for the top brass, the Created are thrown
be righted here and it is impossible to tell which cries in into a muddle. How did a single bullet take out one of their
the night are from soldiers lost in no-man’s land or geists own? They have always been organized by their creator and
haunting the barren field. One piercing sob catches the their inspiration came from her courage. What can they do
attention of a young, inexperienced member of the krewe. now that she is gone? Who murdered her and to what end?
Henrietta Covington didn’t stand a chance when the Morale is all important and acts like Hell’s Belles do
gas cloud swept through the Field Hospital 18. Even so, much just to keep armed men in their dugouts for another
she couldn’t leave those poor soldiers to die like that, even night. Each night they stand watch is another in which
had she known. But the news of the death toll is being sup- the enemy can be ground down. The loss of the act may
pressed to keep the men’s morale up. seem small potatoes but it could be catastrophic for the
prospects of the troops.
The shade of Henrietta tells the protagonists of a letter
she stored in the old site. She is unsure if it’s truly safe to Storyteller’s Advice: This is an exploration of not only
go there yet, or if it has been overrun by Germans. The the core mechanic of warfare, morale, but of the role these
protagonists must find it and bear it north to her beloved women find themselves playing as they strive to find their
who is serving in one of the hospitals covering the extreme feet in a world unknown to them until now. The Great
flank of the army. War was the first true exposure of the world to warfare on
an industrial scale. And yet, humans continued to use their
420
The Great War
humor and their ability to laugh in the face of adversity to Further, perhaps the Sin-Eaters would prefer to be rid of
try to conquer their fears. von Falkenhayn rather than rescue him.
Monitor the Morale score of the troops on the front line With intrigue at every step between protagonists
and challenge the Muses to come up with new and exciting who have partially common goals, this makes for a more
performances each week. Intersperse that with encounters advanced story with potentially huge ramifications. The
on their travels with other Prometheans, perhaps they longer von Falkenhayn is missing, the lower German morale
encounter the Faceless. will drop. Consider alternative timelines where perhaps a
How would they react when faced with a Sin-Eater, replacement can step in who is superior to the man he is
haunted by his murdered brother? Would they aid his quest replacing. All of this against a backdrop of national distrust
for vengeance on the sniper who took the fatal shot? Did but supernatural necessity is the theme for this story.
he really take a shortcut and drive the car closer to the line

than he was supposed to? Is he responsible for their mentor’s
death? These are the dilemmas with which to confront these
protagonists. It is a story of fun and laughter amid slaughter
and despair. No matter how much they suffer, Hell’s Belles The Great War is a richly detailed period of history, ac-
will go out and give the boys a show to keep them fighting cessible via a plethora of books, movies, television shows,
and maybe they’ll discover the truth about themselves and plays, poems, and podcasts. There are too many sources
their creation along the way. to mention, so we provide one each from a selection of
mediums while encouraging you to cast a wider net in your
Werewolf: Follow the Leader

own research.
The First World War, John Keegan (2014): John Keegan’s
(Tier Three) work could be considered the definitive historical account
of the Great War. An active, enthralling text covering the
Erich von Falkenhayn is missing. horror, chaos, and futility of the First World War, this book
For the Bone Shadows, that hardly seems like a press- hammers home the absolute tragedy of the period. This
ing matter, given their totem is engaged in mortal battle book also contains maps and photographs that help paint
with the forces of hekatonchieres and the blasted ghost of a vivid picture of the conflict’s reality.
Death Wolf. However, it quickly becomes clear that these Regeneration, Pat Barker (1991): This novel adds an air
phenomena are linked. The Chief of the German General of fiction to the real-life experiences of famed war poets,
Staff has been seized by Death Wolf’s spiritual followers and Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen, among other char-
taken beyond into a realm of Shadow into which even the acters, as they strive to cope with shell shock and come to
Uratha seem unable to traverse. terms with the horrors they must face on the Western Front.
As they research this bizarre occurrence. The Bone A fantastic story with many elements of truth, and great
Shadows come across the Sin-Eaters of the Harvard’s Soul launching point from which to find some of the strongest
krewe from Boston, USA. They say they’re tracking the war poems ever written.
appearance of strange ghosts within the realm of the dead. They Shall Not Grow Old, Peter Jackson (2018): Peter
It seems unlikely that these things are coincidence. Jackson’s new documentary movie about the Great War
The two join forces and head out into the field to both takes silent black-and-white footage of the era, colorizes it,
seek the power of Death Wolf’s totem and the knowledge and, using lip readers, fills in the dialogue being spoken. The
of the ways of the geists that will enable the Bone Shadows efforts to which the production team on this work went were
to be sent into the realm of the dead to chase the hekaton- immense, including matching the accents of voice actors
chieres from that plane in a strange extension of the duty to the regions denoted by regimental badges on soldiers’
of Father Wolf. uniforms. This film will become a modern classic, timely for
Storyteller’s Advice: The mixture of Sin-Eaters and the centenary of the First World War’s conclusion.
Uratha is one that interests both parties. Both have re- Hardcore History: Blueprint for Armageddon, Dan Carlin
sponsibility, in part, for policing the denizens of another (2013): This series of podcasts is one of the finest resources
plane of existence. What happens then when the carnage you will ever find on the Great War. Listen to it while you
of the Great War blurs the lines between the dead realm work, while you drive, and while you walk. The quotes
and the spirit realm? from the time, spoken with passion by amateur historian
The only recourse is for the aloof groups to work to- Carlin, along with the depth of detail the host goes in to,
gether to preserve the sanctity of all. The backdrop to this are quite astounding. For the person who prefers to digest
is very serious indeed of course. By placing the werewolf information via audio instead of text, we strongly recom-
pack on the German side of the struggle and the Sin- mend you find this podcast.
Eaters as American, you start from a position of distrust.
421
Lost Lineage - The Faceless
(Tortured Ones)
Pain is one of the great motivators in human history. techniques to be refined and used, creating an army of new
Make someone uncomfortable and they will constantly soldiers to take the place of those who lay dismembered on
strive to improve their position. Light a fire under anything the scarred earth, their bodies killed by the gas, blown apart
living and it will instantly run, jump, crawl, climb, do by shelling and churned among the mud.
whatever it can to get away. The Faceless may have been By slowing the circulation of gas masks to frontline
among the worst experiments conducted in the name of troops, the alchemists ensure an ample supply of sites to
warfare, but within their statuesque countenance they bear create the Faceless and bolster their ranks. The alarming
pain with the stoicism of sheer rock. convergence of death and chemicals lead to staggering
As much as constant agony is certainly something that numbers of these Faceless appearing in even greater num-
can drive a soul deeper and deeper into Torment, it is also bers than other Lineages. Their numbers trigger Firestorms
eternal and incontrovertible proof you are alive. The sing- across the various battlefields, and though some are seen
ing of nerves gives proof to a Promethean’s place among as unnatural instances of devastation, most are assumed
humanity, a common feeling which is in great supply in the to be part and parcel of the Great War’s seemingly endless
trenches of the Western Front. bombardment of artillery fire and chemical death.
The Faceless seem outwardly to be the very model of The first of the Faceless are deployed to the trenches
calm and placid contemplation. Inside, they are eternally in Ypres where they had fallen. As more are created, they
burning and experiencing the death throes of thousands of appear on various fronts. Sometimes, Faceless are deployed
undying nerves. This constant grief drives the Faceless to on opposite sides of the same battle line and tales circulate
seek solitude, even from each other. Faceless tend to avoid of hulking figures storming across no-man’s land, able to
throngs where they can, preferring to observe humanity’s withstand huge amounts of fire without stopping their
path in unobstructed contemplation. They are obsessed maddening charge. Only artillery and highly concentrated
with understanding the reason for their suffering through fire can stop them in their tracks.
understanding the suffering of others. While this can express Though they do not often speak, Tortured Ones are
itself in a Tortured One being moved by those who show often fluent in multiple languages, from English, French,
selflessness and courage in the face of personal agony, it can and German to Algerian and Hindi. To the eyes of a shell-
also drive them to inflict great pain upon others in search shocked soldier, they appear to be immensely large, dirt-
of surcease to their constant suffering. caked men, but the more inquisitive immediately realize
Their name is well earned as the Faceless’ features are that these Created are not one of them, leading the Faceless
those of stern mud golems. Their outward shell is hardened to regularly move from trench to trench to avoid difficult
and blackened mud which cakes the internal tangle of questions, often switching sides to try their luck elsewhere.
limbs constantly burning in a putrid, self-contained vat of What the Faceless know for sure is that this is the one place
deadly chemicals. They are hulking and square in stature. where they can roam with any sort of freedom. In a city or
The eyes of a Tortured One are deep-set holes that they small village, they would be instantly recognizable.
have personally bored into the cracked lines of their faces Faceless regularly possess ragged scraps of uniforms of
during their agonizing creation with their thick fingers, their both sides that they mend into a hodge-podge covering. As
mouths are thin, fissured slits that are painful to move. They one of the few beings able to move between the opposing
can show no expression as their hardened surface does not trenches of the war, they can be turned to the purpose of
lend itself to great movements of the face, they cover this spying or spreading rumor and misinformation among an
up by donning large gas masks that cover their entire head, enemy trench, a feat from which either side could benefit.
giving them their title. Given their multiple perspectives, they often suffer
The first Faceless was brought into being by accident. A from confused loyalties, it is not uncommon for German
lightning storm in France struck the ground where a mass and Austrian dead to mingle with British and French in
of bodies, killed by chlorine gas, lay buried in the mud. The the mud of the Western Front. In the dirt, all are equal.
resulting reaction caused vaguely human shapes to rise, Their differing points of view can give Faceless a bizarre
roaring in agony, from the ground. Those who witnessed and unique perspective on their plight, though they may
it whispered among their ranks and word soon reached not deign to share it with their comrades in the trench.
their superiors of the Entente and Central Powers alike. Faceless have a special disdain toward Frankensteins. Not
While the officers dismissed these tales as the rantings of so strong as a hatred, just a general distaste. Their prattle of
fear-addled minds, mortal alchemists working in the re- suffering and their misfit, outcast state would wrinkle the
search and development labs of both sides pushed for these noses of most Faceless if they bore noses beneath their masks.
422
The Great War
Not only do most of them have trouble relating to anyone
who simply talks so much about themselves, the idea that
so many of the Wretched chose to be here of their own voli-
tion, seeking some sort of bloody awakening or epiphany is
anathema to their pain. What the Frankensteins truly suffer,
so far as the Faceless are concerned, is an ugliness in scarring
that dominates their life. This is not nobility, but narcissism.
Of all Created, they identify most closely with the
Tammuz, particularly as many of their number may
have been dug out of their birthing mud by the
shovels of Tammuz engineers. The Faceless have a
strange respect for people who quietly get on with
their job and lack pretention. The Tammuz do
not assign station and rank upon themselves, they
find their truth in labor and a hard day’s work.
They appreciate the simple beauty of a job well
done. When a team of Tammuz is lengthening a
trench or laying barbed wire, you will often find
a Faceless watching over them. It is not clear if
they have taken to guard them or if they simply
find a strange catharsis in their toil.
Creations
The Mascot
Filthy Hamish
is a regimental mas-
cot. He has been adopted by the men
of the 1st Lanark Militia due to saving their captain’s
life simply by walking in front of him during an
attempted advance. The men huddled behind him
all the way back to the trench.
“He’s so dirty the bullets can’t pierce him!” they
joke. What they don’t know is he’s the one who keeps
ripping the legs, wings, and heads off of the messenger
pigeons sent to their trench. He doesn’t say much,
but he watches the other lads very closely.
The Carer
Fraulein Marta is the den mother of her dugout.
She was found by the German army in the remains
of a medical outpost. Some of the men say they didn’t
have the heart to shoot her, others say shooting her
didn’t work. One oversized uniform and pickelhaube
helm custom made by Oberjager Christoph Feldstein
was enough to secure her place as an enlisted man. She
has been known to treat the wounded though her care
can often be a bit rough.
The Refugee
After wandering from the field, Grand Pierre
joined a refugee train heading west. His observa-
tion of the families dispossessed from lands they
cultivated for generations unnerved the others
at first, but he was invaluable in warding off
the vultures who preyed on the homeless
423
and starving people fleeing the French countryside. After Their large size and formidable strength and toughness
helping a family pull their dead child from the ruin of their makes them physically intimidating and their rivals often
farmhouse, he not only carved out a burial site himself but shrink from them when confronted. Even the hardiest of
stood vigil during the modest ceremony the poor girl could Uratha would think twice before rushing headlong at a
be afforded. The family noticed him shedding yellow tears, Tortured One without knowing what he was or what he
which escaped from his gas mask and sizzled and smoked might do. Most of the time, their quiet, brooding nature
on the exposed, blackened mud of his chest. sees them easily confused for large, dirty soldiers. It is when
The Homesick they are found among the civilian population they truly
stand out.
Rajesh is not sure where he’s supposed to be, but it isn’t
When falling into Torment, the Faceless begin experi-
here. A voice in his head is calling him to head east; east
encing unbearable physical pain coming from within their
through the German line and off to a home he only under-
body. Their outer shell becomes itchy and uncomfortable
stands from flashes in his mind and memory of a language
then flares into a horrific burning of the mangled nerves
he doesn’t remember learning. He gathers a small team of
within their form. In the throes of this pain, Faceless may
men and women and listens to their stories of home. The
become furious, rampaging juggernauts. Slamming them-
blistering, humid summers of India. He feels he remembers
selves into objects and destroying equipment and furniture
with clarity his muddy flesh baking in the midday sun as he
all around them to set free whatever it is that claws at them
tended to a small herd of animals, one of whom could fit
from the inside. Many run screaming toward opposing
inside his hand. What he remembers most of all is the peace
trenches, the shower of machine gun fire a sweet release
of it all. He promises to return these people home safely and
from their suffering, whether it kills them or not. Others
concocts a plan to do it. They can call it desertion all they
simply fall, helpless, to the ground, weeping and wailing,
like. What are they fighting for if not to save home from
unresponsive to any attempt to communicate. Either way,
this horror? And what is home without these people in it?
these conditions are neither unusual or strange to those
The Equestrian around them in the Great War.
Horses seem to have lost their place in war. Now they Disquiet: Faceless evoke the guilt and sorrow of the
don’t carry soldiers, they carry crates. Phyllis, on the other Western Front. Their mockery of a face may remind a vic-
hand, is more than capable of carrying horses. She sees those tim of a lost love or of an act of barbarity they performed
poor beasts left to die in craters. Discarded by their owners, themselves, or reek of the perceived cowardice of one who
shot even. She sees herself in the tragicomic reflections cast avoided service. It quickly becomes clear the Tortured
by their long, humorless faces. She sees a beast of burden One is the root cause of those feelings, a living reminder
staring back at her from every deep puddle. The others of
her kind carry supplies now. They dig trenches and soak
up fire. How long will it be before their masters ride them
into battle? Well, all she can do is try to save something
from this mess and it seems to her that the horses are the
Faceless Bestowments
only innocents in this field. Living Wall: Your outer layer is hardened like
Humour: Chlorine. The humour of the Faceless guaran- stone; bullets and blades alike ricochet off of your
tees them internal torment as much as their exterior ensures hide. Any that penetrate often simply become
they can never fully express that suffering. It imbues them lodged within as part of your monstrous structure.
All Faceless have a natural Armor rating of 2.
with inner fury and almost insane, thoughtless bravery but
can make them prone to acts of self-sacrifice. The fastest Chem Shell: Channeling their inner rage, the
way to cease their torture is to end their existence, after all. Faceless can sacrifice part of themselves to create
While this is one of the traits that ensures their Lineage’s a hardened, explosive shell, fused with Pyros and
temporary nature, it is not the only one. Their pain drives deadly chemicals. The Faceless spends 1 Pyros and
them to seek out the focus of their Pilgrimage with incred- loses 1 Health dot as it uses part of its own body
to create this shell. It can then project the shell to a
ible, single-minded dedication.
point it can see up to 100 feet away and detonate
As much as their lack of physical expression makes them it. Alternatively, it can be placed somewhere like a
seem almost emotionless as statues, the internal burning of conventional explosive. The blast destroys objects
their humour also gives them a brooding, gruff aspect. Most and structures caught within it and inflicts 4 aggra-
Tortured Ones speak only when spoken to or, even then, vated damage on anyone within a 20-foot radius.
at the uttermost end of need. They use words sparingly but Anyone who survives the blast suffers from the
observe and contemplate. Poisoned Tilt (see Chronicles of Darkness p. 286).
424
The Great War
of the dark memories they’ve tried so hard to forget. Like jump at the slightest noise or imagine they hear the thun-
those memories, the Tortured One must be eliminated and dering of guns in a silent room. Some even claim to feel
consigned to history. a tangible burning on their skin as though exposed to the
Wasteland: Faceless cause a heady cocktail of remorse chlorine within the Tortured Ones.
and terror to grip those caught in their Wastelands. Victims Bestowments: Living Wall, Chem-Shell
Stereotypes
Frankensteins They do not understand suffering.
Galateids At least they know themselves.
Osirans All knowledge, no drive.
Tammuz Kindred spirits, tools of another kind.
Ulgans Proof there is more than flesh and pain.
Unfleshed If only these had been more numerous, we may have been left in peace.
Extempore A place to hide the shame of your life.
425
Hey, science-fiction fans! Boy, do we have a review for you. Remember our old pal E. J. White? Well, one
of our favorite contributors is back with a movie critique. Check out White’s take on The Attack of
the Giant Electropus and let us know what you think! Futurix Press loves hearing
from you. Thanks for checking out the latest issue of Atomic Quarterly!
The Attack of the Giant Electropus: Science Fact or Science Fantasy?
By E. J. White
The Attack of the Giant Electropus is a movie about three high-school

friends, Marta, Jess, and Franklin, who are tracking down a spirit that
possessed their cousin. Despite its B-movie-sounding name, the film
attempts to highlight the existence of spirits that operate out-
side human understanding. In many ways, the screenwriters assume
the audience believes in ghosts and spiritual possession. Though
neither have been scientifically proven, it is true many Ameri-
cans believe ghosts are real. Some young wives have reported
feeling faint, for example, and it wasn’t until days afterward they
realized that was the moment their husbands died heroically on
the fields of battle. Lost loves are strong motivators to “see” a
ghost, but -- just as Houdini proved back in the 20s, most mediums
are con artists trying to make a quick buck. Still, science hasn’t
outright disproved the existence of ghosts, and the concept of
a hostile spirit is easier for an audience member to grasp (and
less expensive to film) than a shapeshifting animal.
Over the course of the film, Marta, Jess, and Franklin track the
spirit responsible to a laboratory just outside of town. It seems
the lead scientist, Doctor Stillman, was designing weapons for
the war. In the process of engineering a city-killing device,
Stillman accidentally opened a portal to the spirit world
and a deadly, sentient electropus -- half electricity, half
ghostly octopus -- was unleashed. At one point, the trio
enters a large room in the laboratory to face the crea-
ture. The electropus has slid down between two giant,
partially melted coils. Its tentacles crackle with
electricity, and it appears to be feeding off of the
dynamos.
The trio’s plan is to kill the creature which,

according to them, will save their cousin’s life.
To do so, they design glass-studded clubs to
hack off its tentacles -- which eventually
kills the creature, turning it into an inky-
black ooze. Now, there’s not a lot of science
to this film, and it’s not one I’d recommend.
My issue with the story starts and ends
with this: The scientist has gone too far,
and never considered the consequences of
his actions. Why is science always depicted
as bad? Why are scientists villains? Yes,
we can all agree we have mixed feelings
about the rumors coming out of Washington,
but depicting a lone scientist as an evil,
moustache-twirling villain is beyond the
pale. And, glass clubs? Really? Where, I ask
you, are the rubber boots and gloves, the dry
chemical extinguishers, the means to cut the
power? How were they not killed instantly by
those glowing, electric orbs?
Rating: F. What could have been a wonderful

way to help viewers learn about the power of
electricity and the real threat spirits pose has
turned into a feeble attack on scientific break-
throughs. Attack of the Giant Electropus is neither
science fact nor science fantasy. While it does touch
on cultural commentary, heartfelt performances aren’t
enough to warrant the cost of a ticket.
Fear andthe
the
Golden
Golden Promise
Fear and
Promise
of Tomorrow
of Tomorrow
1938-1946 CE
Many terrified WWII-era Americans dealt with their fears by writing and
consuming science fiction. The hope- and wonder-filled genre gave creators and
fans a vehicle to envision a better future during a dangerous and deadly chapter
in world history. Tens of thousands of young American men and women fought
and died to halt the hatred spreading across Europe. At home, many people
used storytelling as a vehicle to explore possible futures, to help them deal with
the horrors of war and look to a brighter tomorrow. It’s no wonder that stories
of the era were popular with engineers, scientists, and technologically inclined
“You can't destroy

young people who were desperate for a vision they could help create.
Countless tales that gave readers the chance to discover other planets and
knowledge. You
star systems offered a better future. The rapid onset of scientific and technical
can stamp it under

advances provided a wondrous vision of not only what those inventions would
and burn itdestroy

up and
look like, but how they’d be created and used to better the future of humanity
in the cosmos. Notable authors and publishers, like John W. Campbell, worked
forbid it to be,can
but
“You can’t at small presses, expanding the genre’s foundation until mainstream publishers
itsomewhere
up and forbid it will
knowledge. You began publishing science fiction in the 1950s.
stamp it under and burn
survive. it will
While most futuristic science-fiction stories of the era did not refer directly
it to be,
survive.” ”
to the threat of Nazi aggression or the horrors of war, some did explore overtly
but somewhere
— Leigh
political themes of fascism and racism. Murderously authoritarian gangs feature
prominently in E. E. “Doc” Smith’s Lensman series, and in A. E. van Vogt’s Slan
—Brackett,
Leigh Brackett, (1940) the protagonists were members of marginalized groups who were unjustly
The Long
The Long Tomorrow
Tomorrow Stereotypes and Science Fiction
The stereotypical science-fiction author and fans are cisgender, white,
Christian (or Christian-raised) men. While segregation, sexism, and other
forms of prejudice affected science-fiction communities and publishers
along with the rest of American society, marginalized authors did partici-
pate in the golden age of science fiction. Science-fiction writers were also
black, queer, disabled, etc. and several were Jewish; these include Isaac
Asimov, Alfred Bester, H. L. Gold, Henry Kuttner, Stanley G. Weinbaum,
and many others. Women also penned stories; notable authors included
C.L. Moore, Leigh Brackett, and Judith Merril, who was also Jewish.
Though many science-fiction authors were openly liberal, issues with sexism
and racism did exist. Segregation had a significant impact on publishing;
science-fiction magazines of the time, where many aspiring authors got
their start, were largely closed to black Americans. George S. Schuyler
published several works of science fiction in the Pittsburgh Courier,
a weekly African-American newspaper, but almost no work by black
American authors appeared in science-fiction magazines until the 1950s.
Despite the barriers to publication, many authors submitted under
a pseudonym or used their initials hoping to avoid prejudice. Their
lack of visibility, both as authors and readers, has led to erroneous
stereotypes that remain to this day.
428
Fear and the Golden Promise of Tomorrow
hunted and exterminated solely because their existence was are keenly interested in visions of a utopian future, for its
considered anathema to proponents of racial purity. Other rumored several werewolves have been suffering from pro-
stories, like Robert A. Heinlein’s If This Goes On— (1940) phetic nightmares filled with surgeons performing arcane
warned about the dangers of theocracy and fundamentalist human experiments — and they cannot explain why.
Christianity, problems that few people in the United States Despite tribal calls to internalize science fiction as good
dared to openly criticize. for the Uratha, the Forsaken are not united. Some packs
Some historians call these years the “Golden Age of are openly hostile to the futuristic visions that embrace
Science Fiction” because this decade was crucial to the for- science as the only solution while spurning superstitious
mation of “hard” science fiction, or narratives that presented and spiritual beliefs. Others fixate on depictions of sprawl-
problems solved by scientifically plausible technology. ing cities and are horrified the natural world is depicted as
Others interpret the words “golden age” as the hope early an inconvenience. For now, some Uratha understand that
readers felt when they celebrated human ingenuity saving stories are just that — stories — but will wait to see what
the day again and again. In the Chronicles of Darkness, happens next.
that hope is a fading light the Forsaken and Remade strive For other Forsaken who’ve remained in the States,
to grasp. they hunt and secure their hunting grounds, just as they
did before, until they’re forced to face the truth: the world
The Forsaken they grew accustomed to is changing, and not always for
the better. When the Uratha discover corporations are
This era is one of conflict, optimism, and discovery mutating and reshaping humans into terrifying creatures
for the Forsaken. The world’s changing rapidly, cities are calling themselves the Remade, they must decide whether
growing with incredible speed, industry is booming, and to hunt the corporations or murder their creations.
the Uratha need to adapt and discover the ways this new
world has altered the Shadow and has created a host of
new industrial spirits. Werewolves are noticing that city- The Remade
adjacent portions of the Hisil are rapidly changing and are Early on, emboldened by public appreciation for the plight
discovering new types of spirits associated with machines of those scientific progress leaves changed and tormented in
and electricity. None of the Forsaken are sure how these its wake, some Renegades anonymously share their stories
changes will affect their tribes, their prey, and their hunting with open-minded authors, with the vague expectation of
grounds, setting many of the Uratha on edge. winning some acceptance and easing their isolation. Reality
WWII-era America introduces challenges for the is not so kind, though, and they soon realize their attempts
Forsaken. Many young Uratha were drafted and went to war to reach out to Baselines only whet the appetites and ignite
to preserve their freedom. Those left behind must figure out the imaginations of existing and would-be conspirators. As
how to deal with the anxious and afraid; some werewolves the genre’s writers deliberately try to predict how rapidly
use science fiction as a tool to help them navigate the push advancing technologies will evolve and impact society, those
for modernization, what they’re becoming, and to dissuade unfortunates caught in the wave of human experimentation
mortals from believing in the supernatural. Middle-aged and they inspire become the new Deviants of science-fiction’s
older Uratha remember a United States where electricity, Golden Age: victims of America’s newfound boundless
and often running water, was confined to cities and large optimism about the future science will bring.
towns. In this era, the U.S. changes rapidly in response to The Second World War prompts huge leaps forward
growing technological needs for war and New Deal pro- in technological progress for practical military purposes,
grams that sought to modernize rural areas. spurring researchers to work overtime trying to preempt
The Uratha overseas send word they are losing hope; the other side gaining the advantage. For years leading
they see no end to the Wounds caused by the atrocious evils up to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in
of mass murder and genocide. In the States, some packs are 1945, science-fiction authors publish stories exploring the
anxious that Wounds will open on American soil and do potential implications of atomic energy. Renegades dare
what they can to prevent that from happening. Science- to dream of achieving Catharsis in one fell swoop, seeing
fiction stories are a beacon for them, encouraging readers themselves no longer as desperate cohorts fighting against
to turn away from brutal authoritarianism at home only to impossibly vast, faceless enemies, but as contestants in a race
fight it overseas. for inventions they believe they can use to take back their
From the vast interstellar battles against space Nazis, lives in decisive acts of vengeance. They engage not only
like E. E. “Doc” Smith’s Galactic Patrol (1938), to numer- in acts of violence and destruction against their Progenitors
ous stories by Isaac Asimov and many others, the Uratha and other conspiracies that pursue them, but heists and
recognize science fiction is strongly anti-authoritarian and raids to steal the very science that made them and turn it
pro-democracy. Several packs believe protecting authors against its creators, and frenzied experimentation of their
and their publishers is vital to protecting their territories own — sometimes in labs, sometimes on themselves — to
in both the mortal world and the Hisil; other Forsaken beat conspirators to the punch.
429
1938-1946 CE
Only after the war’s end do the Remade fully understand
the ramifications of what atomic energy can do in the
hands of ruthless conspiracies with far more resources than For the Storyteller:
qualms about ethics. Nuclear power is so much more than
calamitous explosions. It becomes, for a time, the conspira- Prejudice and Your Players
cies’ new favorite way to create mutant super soldiers and Running a chronicle in WWII-era America en-
walking radioactive hazards. Grossly misshapen Chimera compasses the wonders of science fiction, human
arise wherever conspiracies test their greedy new ideas; ingenuity, and glamorous cinematography while
both Renegades and Devoted spend their time cleaning up touching on harmful prejudices, segregation,
these horrific messes to protect people from stray radiation overt displays of sexism, and the atrocities of war.
and gibbering monsters (or, in some cases, to protect the The dark underbelly of the era, which includes
conspiracy from exposure). Cribbing from well-meaning American Nazis, is often eclipsed by nostalgia
science-fiction publications and applying the fruits of war pertaining to the golden ages of science fiction
to stranger ambitions, the Web of Pain transforms into an and Hollywood. Nazi sympathizers and segrega-
tion supporters are presented as antagonists and
atomic nightmare by the end of this era.
should be treated as such. Should you decide to
incorporate the darker elements of this chapter
Themes and Mood into your chronicle, it is strongly recommended

that you talk to your players first. Though segre-
gation practices were common, players should
“Humanity has the stars in its future, and that future is indicate their feelings on how they’d prefer to
too important to be lost under the burden of juvenile folly and deal with racial tension during this era and how
ignorant superstition.” they’d like to explore the intersections between
— Isaac Asimov era-appropriate social mores and their characters’
The primary theme of this era is discovery, while the identities. Together, you should agree on a safe
moods are optimism and hope, combined with fear of change. and enjoyable approach for all involved without
having to reinforce or perpetuate harm.
Science-fiction stories and movies from this era inspire the
Forsaken and the Remade when used in a chronicle, because
they represent a tangible feeling both can draw upon to
hunt, hide, run, and attack. Most, if any, stories should not
be treated as factual; science fiction is a genre that readers Their most obvious efforts to ensure mortals fear were-
turn to for hope and reassurance that a utopian, tech-filled wolves are The Wolfman (1941) and Cat People (1942);
future is possible. The Wolfman provided the first widely popular depiction
Werewolves are struggling to accept the rapidly changes of silver being used to harm werewolves. However, these
in technology, because they aren’t sure how advancements films are not their only efforts to attack the Forsaken by
affect the Hisil or why. When werewolves realize that cor- revealing their existence to a public hungry for monster
porations are including human experimentation in their movies. Several horror films feature characters who use
definition of “innovation,” they seek a new, all-powerful foul magics to summon spirits or the dead like The Devil’s
enemy — the corporation. Thanks to heroic science-fiction Daughter (1939) and I Walked with a Zombie (1943). Horror
stories, the Forsaken believe they can win an impossible films of this era also include mad scientists like those in The
fight. Walking Dead (1936), The Devil Commands (1941), and
Stories move minds and hearts, and the Uratha are Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941) whose “science” is either
aware their enemies know this, too. While many people a horrific threat, or a mixture of foul magic and diabolical
enjoy reading the latest science-fiction stories and watching experiments. Some were made in this era, but unlike the
the newest horror films, behind the scenes there is a secret masterful utopian vision of Things to Come (1936), most of
battle for the minds and hearts of the populace. Unlike the few actual golden-age science-fiction films were cheaply
science-fiction books, movies have a broader reach and are made, comedic, or both.
more popular during this era. Although few understand how For the Remade, discovery and optimism manifest as
to influence actors, screenwriters, or directors, every spirit opportunity, and conflict as determination to win personal
understands raw power, and the most important power in battles that mirror those playing out on the global stage.
Hollywood is money. The lust for more money and power From authors’ typewriters comes a glut of stories exploring
has always served as a powerful way to attract and create the lives of mutants with superhuman abilities, inspiring
spirits and, as a result, several major Hollywood producers conspiracies and Deviants alike to push boundaries and take
and their assistants are Ridden. The result has been to chances in their ongoing struggle. The war lifts America out
produce exceedingly popular horror films that depict the of its lingering economic slump, providing new opportuni-
Forsaken as monsters to be killed; the Bale Hounds are chief ties for Renegades flying too far under the newly invented
among those using their powers to support these efforts. radar to get caught draft dodging. New technologies give
430
conspiracies more fodder for inventive torments, but they Verne and H. G. Wells. Except for Wells’ The Time Machine
also give Remade more avenues of escape and infiltration, (1895), early novels were set exclusively in the era in which
and ideas for pushing their Variations beyond anything they were written. Setting stories in an imagined future had
they’d thought possible. previously been limited to philosophical novels with a uto-
In A. E. van Vogt’s Slan, humanity hates and fears the pian bent like Edward Bellamy’s Looking Backward (1888).
brilliant, telepathic slans. Years of propaganda paint slans as Despite the prominence of early novels, short stories
monstrous foes who kidnap human infants and experiment were key to the growth of the genre. The first pulp magazine
on them with machines to make more slans. The truth is that published science fiction was Weird Tales, which started
more mysterious, and in one orphaned slan’s quest to learn in 1923. Then, in 1926, radio entrepreneur and science-
it while living on the lam, he embodies the Renegades’ fiction author Hugo Gernsback began publishing Amazing
struggle to dig further and further into the Web of Pain and Stories. Four years later, a third magazine joined Weird Tales
earn lives of their own. The story’s relatively upbeat end- and Amazing Stories — Astounding Stories of Super-Science,
ing reflects a sympathy for the mutants that few Deviants which was rapidly regarded as the best of the three maga-
experience, and slans don’t suffer much from the Scars of zines; its prominence was cemented in 1937, when John
their mutations, making this tale an idealistic daydream for W. Campbell became the editor, a job he held for the next
Remade in true Golden Age tradition. 34 years. Campbell mentored dozens of young authors and
Similarly, Wilmar Shiras’ story “In Hiding” (which she was a major influence on the genre; part of the reason for
later expands into the novel Children of the Atom) depicts this magazine’s success was his insistence that the published
a boy with maturity and intelligence beyond his years — a stories be scientifically plausible.
mutant with amazing mental powers, thanks to radiation
from an accident at a nuclear plant. The story focuses on
his loneliness as the only one of his kind, his need to hide
View of the Forsaken
his superhuman mind and adult activities to avoid backlash, Pre-golden-age science fiction had an unusual and
and his journey toward trusting his secrets to his psychia- complex relationship with the Uratha. The cosmic horror
trist, who becomes his only friend. The Remade sees a more stories written by authors like H. P. Lovecraft and Clark
optimistic version of themselves that’s closer to Baseline Ashton Smith, and published in Weird Tales, sat firmly on
and draws upon that emotion to keep running. the border between horror and science fiction. They also
Less idealistic but more galvanizing is the Mule, from contained imagery and ideas that were relatively close to
Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series. Another mutant telepath, the realities of the supernatural world, depicting a cosmos
this one with the power to influence emotions and force filled with different worlds and planes of existence, most of
loyalty, the Mule is a disfigured outcast waging a vengeful which were exceptionally hostile to humanity.
war against a galactic empire to get back at those who cast Instead of the personalized horror of Christian demons,
him out and prove the inadequacy of an indolent society cosmic horror posited a world not created to either aid or
relying on long-dead prophecy to guide it. While he’s oppose humanity, but where humans were merely one of the
ostensibly a villain, the Foundation itself is no better, and less powerful and intelligent species who were at the mercy
many Renegades take inspiration from the Mule’s crafty of more able sentients. None of the Uratha were certain
plans and lofty goals to launch an attack on the corpora- where these images came from; some speculated that one of
tions that made them. their number had related forbidden secrets to a few of these
Perhaps the closest in theme and mood to the Deviant authors. Regardless of the reason, cosmic horror worried
experience is Gerald Heard’s Doppelgangers. In a society some Iron Masters, who feared it might lead humans into
under the thumb of tyranny disguised as a pleasant, carefree explorations or foolish quests for power that could open
life, underground rebels go to drastic measures to get an the mortal world up to invasion by denizens of the Shadow.
agent close enough to assassinate the world’s nigh-messianic The Bone Shadows who read these stories attempted
leader. They kidnap and forcibly transform one of their op- to compare them with their own explorations of the
eratives into a perfect physical likeness of that leader, using newly industrial sections of the Shadow, sometimes with
horrific, grueling surgical techniques that erase his identity surprisingly useful results. For example, the surreal Martian
entirely. He becomes the linchpin caught between two landscape of Stanley G. Weinbaum’s “A Martian Odyssey”
massive conspiracies and must decide whether to choose a (1934) clearly seemed to describe one type of strange spirits
side or determine his own fate. living in inhuman hives. However, many of the creatures
and landscapes found in this story corresponded with noth-
ing any Uratha had encountered. Although some of these
What Has Come Before tales contained vivid descriptions of new types of spirits or
portions of the Shadow, these tidbits were always mixed
The first western proto-science-fiction novels were in with creatures and locations that seem to have solely
written in the 19th century. These works included Mary come from the authors’ imaginations. As a result, looking
Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818), and numerous novels by Jules to these stories could be exceptionally frustrating, but a few
431
of the Bone Shadows who read them survived forays into Wells, in particular, expanded public knowledge of
the newer sections of the Shadow because some of the bits Darwin’s theories through his immensely influential sci-
of truth proved to contain exceptionally valuable informa- ence fiction, including The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Time
tion that allowed them to defeat monstrosities that might Machine, and The War of the Worlds; he popularized the
otherwise have slain them. worry that humanity’s evolutionary instincts would ulti-
Most of the older Uratha initially ignored the grow- mately lead to society’s downfall, even predicting World
ing field of science fiction because it didn’t stand out like War II with decent accuracy in The Shape of Things to
werewolf-themed horror movies depicting them as mon- Come. His novel The Invisible Man was a textbook tale of
sters; some think of science fiction as juvenile or overly an Autourgic Deviant gone wrong. Several conspiracies
optimistic. Despite this, increasing numbers of Forsaken in had it out for Wells, believing he had insider knowledge
the 1930s and 40s are reading science fiction both before about the Remade and was trying to warn the public about
and after their First Change. their unscrupulous creators, but he consistently evaded
To many Uratha, science fiction is a promise to help their machinations — knowingly or not. Some Renegades
them make sense of their rapidly changing world where made it their mission to protect authors like Wells, reason-
new technologies, such as automobiles and new forms of ing that even if they knew nothing, their work helped turn
media like movies and radio, are reshaping the fabric of public opinion against conspirators’ goals, and might make
society. While the Forsaken have navigated these changes it harder for the Web of Pain to operate.
before, during the rise of the Industrial Age, inventions
are being released faster than ever before — and some
military advancements, like the atomic bomb, are more
dangerous than any weapon they’ve seen before. Many
Where We Are
Forsaken struggle to understand how new technology will “Mighty little force is needed to control a man whose mind has
impact the hunt and must find out for themselves what the been hoodwinked; contrariwise, no amount of force can control
explosive growth means not only for the Uratha, but also a free man, a man whose mind is free. No, not the rack, not
for the world of the supernatural. fission bombs, not anything — you can’t conquer a free man;
the most you can do is kill him.”
Reflecting the Remade

— Robert Heinlein, If This Goes On—
WWII-related fears dominate the entire era in direct and
The Great Depression of the 1930s didn’t change a lot nuanced ways. Though the Great Depression ended, and
about American Renegades’ isolated lives on the fringe, many Americans noticed signs that growth and prosperity
except that more Baselines joined them on society’s bottom were returning, America is plunged into yet another war;
rung. These Remade found some acceptance — or at least, the looming shadows of Nazi Germany followed by Imperial
a few Loyalty Touchstones and a daily bowl of soup — in Japan pervade all aspects of American life. Despite the hor-
Hoovervilles across the country. Taking the fight to the rors happening abroad, the era is also prosperous for those
conspiracies got harder, but the conspiracies themselves who did not go off to fight — anyone who wanted a job
lost resources, too; they weren’t about to starve in the could find one, provided they could overcome the barriers
streets, but laying off a few dozen employees and pulling of segregation and sexism that were pervasive in this decade.
out of key investments to cut costs limited the advantages War, however, is also expensive. When WWII starts,
they could claim over Renegades out for blood, weakening Americans are subject to rationing of food, clothing, shoes,
the Web of Pain. coffee, gasoline, tires, and fuel. Despite the economic shifts
The whimsical, swashbuckling science-fiction stories of in American consumerism, more people — especially
the decades leading up to the Golden Age reflected little of women — have jobs due to a labor shortage. A lack of
Remade life, but American culture had only recently inter- filled positions in shipyards, munitions plants, and facto-
nalized the Darwinian theories that irrevocably reshaped ries also causes thousands of southern black Americans to
the Deviant experience from the moment they touched relocate north; looking for jobs but finding none because
paper, and much of the genre’s futuristic outlook began with they were discriminated against. Though the science-fiction
Darwin. Early 20th century conspiracies were still riding community yearns to create a utopian future; WWII-era
the high of meddling with mutation and genetics, adopt- America had its fair share of problems. For many, racial
ing terminology and ideas from theories of evolution and tension, gender inequality, and calls for equal rights are
natural selection. Their work was inspired not only by On part of their daily lives.
the Origin of Species and its forebears, but by science-fiction The war changes life in many other ways. A quarter of
writers such as H. G. Wells, Olaf Stapledon, and Edmond American men, roughly half of men between the ages of
Hamilton, whose stories drew directly from them. This 20 and 50, serve in a segregated military; more than one
period saw an uptick in Devoted trying to “uplift” human- in 40 soldiers will die during the war. Many houses display
ity as they had done to themselves, pushing the idea of a banners signifying a loved one’s military service; the banners
perfected species achievable within a Remade lifetime. adorned with blue stars recognize people in the military,
432
silver stars for the injured, and gold stars to honor those Other cultural milestones include:
who died serving their country. Patriotism and pride are
• The automatic transmission debuts in Oldsmobile-
ingrained in every American and are omnipresent in com-
brand cars in 1940. Despite this advancement in
munities across the country.
automotive technology, car production ceases from
Though previously marginalized groups found well- 1942–1945 for private consumers.
paying work because workers were in short supply, these
jobs were often given after the government outlawed dis- • Penicillin is used to help cure diseases gifting
criminatory hiring practices, largely to end New Deal-era Americans with better health.
segregation practices. Many factory owners had no choice
but to hire whomever they could find, knowing that their • Color television was invented in 1940, and black-
jobs were temporary for they’d planned to fire “temporary” and-white, commercial-laden television broadcasts
workers to rehire war veterans once the war was won — or are offered regularly in 1941. Many Americans
should a soldier come home with honors. purchase a black-and-white TV to get updates about
Despite their struggles, most Americans do have enough the war.
goods to fill their basic needs, but most luxuries are in short
• The song “Rosie the Riveter” performed by the
supply. The lack of consumer products did not dampen the
Four Vagabonds, a black American quartet, debuts
need for entertainment. In fact, the movie industry boomed,
in 1942.
ushering in a cheap means for Americans to escape their
troubles, get important updates about the war, and watch • Jackie Robinson becomes the first black American
heroes triumph over evil. While futuristic visions were being to play in the MLB in 1947, ending segregation-era
published in science-fiction magazines on the East Coast, practices in professional baseball that date back to
Hollywood entered a gilded age and produced dozens of the 1880s.
films starring Bing Crosby, Errol Flynn, Judy Garland, Hedy
Lamarr, Lucille Ball, and many others. • The Polaroid instant camera is available to consum-
Storytellers who wish to supplement this chapter with ers in 1948.
additional, era-specific material are encouraged to draw These milestones help shape what an American’s life
from “A Handful of Dust” on page 471 from Dark Eras. was like domestically. Other inventions debut in response
to the war effort and include M&M’s, the first Jeep, turbo-
Cultural Milestones prop engine, electronic digital computer, transistor, and
atomic bomb.
World War II-era history is fraught with cultural and
political changes that impact mortals and supernaturals
alike. Important milestones include the introduction of
new technology and cultural phenomena that occur despite Locations
the onset of war and increasing racial tension domestically. Labor shortages affect every major metropolis vested in
This tension escalates due to several events including the the war effort. The need for affordable forms of entertain-
seizure of personal property and placement of Japanese ment skyrockets alongside the push for manufacturing and
Americans into internment camps from 1942–1945, the creates new job openings.
Congress for Racial Inequality in 1942, and the Detroit
Race Riots in 1943. Many changes were not made until
after the war; the desegregation of the U.S. military forces Los Angeles, California
didn’t happen until 1948. The City of Angels is growing at an incredible pace and
What the Forsaken and the Renegades draw upon from has a population that exceeds a million and a half people.
this era will depend upon what media they have access to. It’s also one of the newest large cities in the U.S., having
The science-fiction genre expands, shifts, and changes with grown by a factor of more than 15 between 1900 and 1940.
every author, editor, and publisher that adds their voice. In 40 years, L.A. evolved from a small city noted for its
One of the most important pop culture phenomena that bountiful orange groves and abundant sunshine to a vast
occurs in this era is the radio broadcast of The War of the metropolis famed for its movies, real estate, tourism, and
Worlds by Orson Welles in 1938. The story is a 1930s adap- oil production.
tation of the 1898 publication by H.G. Wells that tapped In the absence of freeways, residents rely on a streetcar
into the public’s anxiety about the threat of global war. The system, the Los Angeles Railway, which was expanding
broadcast incorporates a “found footage” style of storytell- along with the city. The railway’s size and usage peak dur-
ing and was so effective many people believed a Martian ing science-fiction’s golden age, with more than 20 sepa-
invasion was imminent. A year later, President Roosevelt rate lines and 1,200 trolley cars in operation. Its success
opens the 1939 New York World’s Fair by presenting a is not guaranteed, and rumors swirl that oil and gasoline
speech that is broadcast on television.
433
Locations
companies want the system to fail to usher in the age of
the automobile.
Los Angeles is a condensed microcosm of the nation,
and people from every city and state are flocking to this
mythical, growing metropolis. Despite its growth, it’s not
as diverse as other cities. In 1940, the percentage of L.A.’s
population that hails from foreign countries is 15 percent,
which is higher than the national average of nine percent,
but considerably lower than other large cities like New York,
Chicago, or San Francisco. Primarily, white Americans
or “Overlanders” are relocating to Los Angeles from the
Midwestern and Southeastern parts of the United States, in
part due to segregation. War also attracts workers who take
jobs in the defense industry; Los Angeles is a center for war-
time industry, producing more than a sixth of all American-
made goods for the war effort. The defense industry is rife
with discriminatory practices; factories refuse to hire black
Americans until Roosevelt issues an executive order banning
racial discrimination at defense plants in 1941.
Coinciding with the war and the golden age of science
fiction, the golden age of Hollywood begins in Los Angeles.
Five major studios (MGM, Paramount Pictures, RKO,
Warner Bros, and 20th Century Fox) reign supreme and are
controlled by individuals rather than boards of directors.
These movie studios continue to profit during World War
II because they control the distribution of their films and
which movies are shown; many of their business practices
will be deemed illegal before the end of the war. While the
studios kept wages for screenwriters low, they were also one
of the few places that aspiring authors could make a liv-
ing. As such, several science-fiction authors living in Los
Angeles also wrote for films, including Leigh Brackett (who
co-wrote The Big Sleep) and Ray Bradbury.
Science fiction is an important part of Los Angeles’
history. In 1934, local science-fiction fans founded one of
the first science-fiction fandom organizations in the U.S.,
the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society (often abbreviated
to LASFS). This organization holds monthly meetings and
helps encourage many authors, including Ray Bradbury, to
start writing science fiction. While L.A. was not a home
to science-fiction publishers, beyond a few local fanzines,
the local science-fiction community was tightly knit and
growing fast.
Before war breaks out, L.A. is also home to one of the
largest branches of the German American Bund, who were
open supporters of Adolph Hitler, and whose efforts were
endorsed by the Nazi regime. Additionally, Bund promoted
anti-Semitism and other forms of racism. The dangers of
anti-Semitism did not go unnoticed by Hollywood. In
1939, Warner Brothers released Confessions of a Nazi Spy,
about a fictional Nazi spy ring working in New York City
and the heroic FBI agent who brings them to justice. It was
the first openly anti-Nazi film produced by a major studio
and earned Warner Brothers a warning by the House Un-
American Activities Committee, for “slurring a ‘friendly’
country.” Some of these same producers and studio owners
434
also paid private investigators to infiltrate L.A.-based pro- have asked him for technical advice. While his sense of
Nazi organizations, like the local branch of the German humor and science-positive attitude are important to the
American Bund, and then reported their findings to the community, Robinson wants to create a new community
FBI, Congress, and the Justice Department. of his own to inspire and encourage people of color to
Despite efforts to combat fascism, Los Angeles is also participate in the genre. Crafts (Movies) 3, Socialize 2,
the site of many injustices; 80,000 of the 120,000 Japanese Academics (Engineer) 2
Americans placed in internment camps by the U.S. govern-
ment are from the Los Angeles area. During the 1930s and
40s, both government and law enforcement in Los Angeles
Flushing Meadows, New York
is exceptionally corrupt, and police brutality is more com- The 1939 World’s Fair takes place in Flushing Meadows,
mon here than it is elsewhere in the U.S. during this time. New York and attracts 44 million people from April 30th,
1939 to October 27th, 1940. Millions more watch the
Amoral Screenwriter event on newsreels or read about it in illustrated maga-
Dominic Morano is a failing screenwriter who has co- zines. Originally billed as “The World of Tomorrow,” the
written several horror films. Dominic’s true love is science fair breathes life into the ideas and images found in much
fiction, and he dreams of writing a landmark science-fiction of this era’s science fiction. The heart of this vision is the
movie. The screenwriter is frustrated that Hollywood pro- General Motors Futurama ride, which includes a detailed
ducers are far more interested in horror than science-fiction diorama of a city in the far-off year of 1960. This futuristic
films. Despite his desire to work on the genre, Dominic has city was built around large, partially automated freeways
passed up opportunities to work on several science-fiction filled with swift, uncongested traffic, made up of streamlined
films that were doomed to fail; he knows he can’t afford cars that drove past elegant skyscrapers with landing pads for
to be associated with flops if he wants to keep working in private auto-gyros. Outside this miniature city are similarly
Hollywood. He occasionally goes to LASFS meetings, partly modernized farms to reassure rural communities they had a
to spend time with other science-fiction fans and authors, place in the future, too.
but also to network and find new ways to boost his career. The World’s Fair is part carnival, part storefront ex-
Dominic is not afraid to use gossip or innuendo when it hibition; many pavilions are designed to sell or showcase
suits him and has convinced two directors to hire him by everything from new cars or home appliances. Despite this,
mentioning that he knows about their deepest, darkest the technologies on display expose Americans to the truth:
secrets. Persuasion 2, Politics 2, Subterfuge 2. The world they know is changing rapidly, and technology
LASFS Organizer will force them to rethink how they live and connect with
one another. Several exhibits are accessible via electric
Rosemary Stewart is an avid science-fiction fan who has
escalators which are common for department stores found
written several stories inspired by her love of astronomy
in big cities but are new to tourists who’ve never stepped
but hasn’t sold anything yet under her own name. A fierce
foot in New York or Chicago. The fair also introduces new
supporter of the utopian ideal science fiction provides,
inventions that include color photography, air condition-
she’s helping LASFS keep the lights on and makes sure its
ing, nylon pantyhose, primitive fax machines that transmit
newsletter goes out on time. Rosemary is frustrated that
documents via radio, the first television (which won’t be
many members of the LASFS community regard her as
commercially available until after WWII) as well as unusual
“the secretary” and assume she doesn’t know much about
devices like Elektro, the Westinghouse Moto-Man. Elektro
science or the genre. What most fans don’t realize is that
Rosemary has been published under an alias, and her career
as K. A. Stewart is growing by leaps and bounds. She can’t
help but wonder what will happen when her friends find
out they’ve been reading her stories all along. Expression The World’s First
2, Politics 2, Science (Astronomy) 2. Science-Fiction Convention
Movie Technician Two months after the 1939 World’s Fair opens,
Robinson King is a skilled engineer who works as a the first World Science Fiction Convention is
movie technician. Being a black engineer in the 1930s, held nearby in New York City at Caravan Hall.
he had trouble getting hired at engineering firms, but now Dubbed “Worldcon,” more than 200 fans are
most of the producers don’t care or even notice who’s build- in attendance. Many of the genre’s authors and
ing sets and designing special effects — provided the job’s artists gather to honor Frank R. Paul — the first
guest of honor — talk about science fiction, watch
done quick and fast. Robinson loves science fiction and is
films, and socialize with New York fans. Attendees
happiest when he gets to design fantastic effects for genre include Isaac Asimov, L. Sprague de Camp, and
films and has a reputation for being able to create striking Hannes Bok.
effects on a minimal budget. Robinson’s expertise is a hit
with the LASFS and, since he’s an engineer, a few authors
435
Locations
is a walking, talking electromechanical robot — an astound- what fascism can do; one of his friends lost a cousin fight-
ing sight for tourists. ing fascists in the Spanish Civil War. Lopez takes his job
Covering an area of more than 1,200 acres, the New seriously and takes extra shifts to ensure the fair remains
York World’s Fair incorporates exhibits from 33 countries in safe. In exchange, he’s been gifted with free passes for his
the Hall of Nations. Participating countries hail from every family and friends. He loves hearing how his daughter wants
continent, and include Mexico, Canada, Ecuador, Cuba, to grow up to be a scientist one day and, after seeing the
the Dominican Republic, Finland, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Futurama exhibit, he’s curious what else he can do to inspire
Morocco, the U.S.S.R., Australia, and others. Notably, her. Brawl 2, Socialize 2, Streetwise (World’s Fair) 3.
Germany is not a participant in the exhibit, reminding Young Science-Fiction Fan
tourists that the war in Europe casts a long shadow. The
Hilda Stein is a high-school student with a passion for
Polish pavilion is draped in black after Germany invades in
science fiction. While her mother disapproves of her flights
late 1939, and the Czechoslovakian pavilion never opens.
of fancy, her dad is thrilled; he was one of the engineers
While visitors marvel at replicas of the Crown Jewels and
who helped build the Futurama exhibit, and supports his
an original copy of the Magna Carta in the British exhibit,
daughter’s ambitions. Hilda has a free pass and visits the
Germany begins its nightly bombings of London. To encour-
fair every weekend with her father. One day, she wants to
age support, Britain’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth
build rockets that launch into space, and hopes to visit
visit the World’s Fair; their tour is highly publicized and
the moon one day. Hilda is also self-conscious about her
well-received, for no reigning British monarch has ever set
ambitions, because she is German and has been accused
foot on American soil.
of being a Nazi by her classmates; the teenager deals with
The juxtaposition of a glorious tomorrow and a brutal,
her anxiety by keeping a sharp lookout for “the real Nazis.”
hate-filled war with Germany becomes more jarring as the
Hilda carries a notebook and writes down anything she
fair continues. Many Americans fear the war will spread
deems suspicious; she’s convinced it’s only a matter of time
to the U.S., and consumer anxiety was one of the reasons
before she finds and exposes the enemy. Investigation 1,
the fair was not as well attended and financially success-
Science (Astronautics) 2, Socialize 2
ful as exhibitions in years past. The start of World War II
New York City, New York

changes the fair’s theme from “The World of Tomorrow”
to “For Peace and Freedom” in 1940.
By the time the fair ends, Germany will have conquered New York City has its hands full dealing with European
most of mainland western Europe. Their lack of overt refugees and immigrants who’ve fled to Ellis Island for their
participation in the World’s Fair condemns the event’s in- lives. People worry about their loved ones overseas, and
ternational spirit of cooperation and peace. Germany seeks many suffer from the trauma of war. Thankfully, improved
to infiltrate and subvert the World’s Fair with propaganda methods of transportation that include subways, buses, and
planted by Nazi spies and sympathizers. Planned attacks cars allow more people to move to the boroughs, especially
include a small bomb that kills two police officers in July the Bronx. While immigration is slowing, almost a third
1940, and investigators seek the public’s help to identify of New York City residents were born in foreign countries;
anyone suspected of helping Nazi Germany. New York City has the distinction of being one of the largest
Nazi Sympathizer and most diverse melting pots of peoples, languages, and
cultures that has ever existed in the United States.
John Cranfield is an American private investigator
and white supremacist who sympathizes with the Nazis. The city is in danger of overcrowding, and a palpable
Cranfield identifies as a “fearless radical thinker.” His goal is tension is felt throughout. New York is still suffering from
to convince people that America should side with Germany the Great Depression. Breadlines and homeless camps,
instead of fighting with them. Cranfield is obsessed with the known as “Hoovervilles,” can be found throughout the city
1939 World’s Fair, because the event is a bawdy display of until the U.S. enters World War II in 1941. Before America
globalism; he’s not afraid to tell his friends and neighbors officially joins the war effort, New York City is also home
what he thinks about the fair. He visits the exhibits multiple to the first and one of the largest branches of the openly
times to feed his hatred and to plot ways to persuade, harm, pro-Nazi and deeply racist German American Bund.
or destroy attendees. Cranfield claims he’s a peaceful man The onset of World War II significantly changes the Big
who’d never plant a bomb or commit sabotage by himself, Apple. In 1938, almost a quarter of the city’s population was
but it’s only a matter of time before his hatred hurts some- unemployed; by 1942, unemployment was reduced by a fac-
one. Investigation 2, Larceny 2, Firearms 1 tor of four, and many immigrants and refugees were able to
find new jobs. Despite this, many New Yorkers were anxious
Security Guard a Nazi sympathizer would hurt them or their families. The
Mateo Lopez loves being a security guard at the World’s Bund did not disappear when war was declared. During World
Fair. Like a growing number of Americans, he’s worried the War II, Nazi spies actively target New York City to unlock
Nazis are planning an attack on American soil. He knows U.S. military secrets and sabotage crucial military targets.
436
either group; most of Bund’s members think science fiction
is degenerate American trash, and most science-fiction fans
recognize Nazis are monsters. If someone ever offered Eric a
A Split in the way to combine his two interests, he’d jump at the chance.
Academics (Science Fiction) 1, Socialize 1, Subterfuge 2
Science-Fiction Community
Magazine Editor
The science-fiction community is not without its
ideological disagreements, and unhappy fans of- John Gold is the editor of Scientifiction Tales, a regional
ten leave to form their own clubs. One of the most science-fiction magazine that distributes issues all along
notable splits occurs when Frederick Pohl, Donald the eastern seaboard. John struggles to maintain a neutral
A. Wollheim, and others leave the Greater New stance in the science-fiction community; recently, he pub-
York Science Fiction Club to form The Futurians. lished a letter condemning the feud between the Greater
The Futurians believe that science-fiction fans and New York Science Fiction Club and the Futurians. Now,
authors should, to quote author and fan Donald A. the editor worries upset fans will boycott his magazine and
Wollheim, “actively work for the realization of the force it to fail. As a result, he’s been attending meetings of
scientific world-state as the only genuine justifica- both groups to reassure them Scientifiction Tales does not
tion for their activities and existence.” These fans
leave the Greater New York Science Fiction Club have a blacklist and won’t judge an author based on their
because the sitting president, Sam Moskowitz, politics. John harbors his own opinions and will be careful
believes that science-fiction fandom should remain to express them. While he is a staunch American patriot
largely apolitical. The small number of fans who who hates Nazis, he also doesn’t want to make people feel
started the Futurians were soon joined by oth- unwelcome, not realizing his wishy-washy stance is creating
ers, ranging from mainstream liberals like Isaac a stir. Politics 2, Academics (Literature) 2, Socialize 2
Asimov to avowed communists like Judith Merril. Radical Author
Though the Greater New York Science Fiction Rachel Bonham is a surgical nurse by day and a Futurian
Club (and its associated clubs) are significantly
member by night. She’s published three stories so far and
larger than other groups, the Futurians did leave
their mark on the genre. By the early 1940s, is working on a novel. In her limited spare time between
Futurian members edit almost half of the science- work, writing, and her activities with the Futurians, Rachel
fiction magazines in the U.S. Most publications watches for updates about the war. She’s a fervent supporter
had small circulations and minimal budgets that of FDR and his New Deal, but believes his reforms need to
primarily showcased the work of other Futurians. go further. Rachel is weighing her options and wonders if
her time would be better spent volunteering overseas. She’s
a skilled medical professional who knows she can do some
good, but fears she’s being selfish by spending too much time
telling stories. Rachel needs a reason to remain behind and
New York City is also the hub of science-fiction seeks like-minded authors with whom to connect. Science
publishing and is home to Amazing Stories, Astounding (Medicine) 3, Expression 2, Politics 2
Stories of Super-Science, Weird Tales, and Wonder Stories.
Science-fiction authors Isaac Asimov, Alfred Bester, Hugo
Gernsback, Judith Merril, and Donald A. Wollheim all live What’s Yet to Come
in New York City, and editor and author John W. Campbell “Stuff your eyes with wonder. Live as if you’d drop dead in
lives in New Jersey and works in Manhattan. Magazine ten seconds. See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream
editors are building vibrant and lively communities of made or paid for in factories.”
science-fiction editors, authors, and fans which spurs the — Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
creation of several science-fiction clubs, drawing fans who World War II ends with the release of the atomic bomb
later become authors themselves, like Frederick Pohl. and Japan’s surrender in 1945. Approximately 200,000
Bigoted Fan people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki are either killed by the
bomb or suffered from radiation poisoning. The bomb’s
Eric Weber is an ardent science-fiction fan who thinks
devastation forces people to reconsider what they thought
Adolf Hitler has some “good ideas.” He prefers stories of
of science. The result is a fascination with the power of
powerful men who take what they want and kill any who
nuclear energy. Many believe the atomic bomb’s power is
oppose them. Eric knows his ideas are unpopular, and
a controllable force that can be used for non-destructive
when he attends science-fiction club meetings, he keeps
purposes like manufacturing electricity. Others continue to
to himself unless he finds others who agree with him.
build bombs, ushering in a new fear: nuclear war.
Eric’s brother, Frank, is a prominent member of the local
This seismic shift in zeitgeist affects science fiction as well.
German American Bund and has recently been asked to
Readers who previously dismissed science fiction as “poorly
join the organization. Eric doesn’t feel like he belongs to
written” or “unworthy” of critical attention reconsider their
437
Locations
tastes. Science fiction, thanks to the work of science-positive
editors and authors, is widely considered educational and
Werewolf:
inspirational. The growing demand for science-fiction stories
eclipses what magazines can provide, and larger publishers
New Enemies,
begin producing novels for a hungry audience. Old Hunting Grounds
While science fiction thrives, the dream of a glorious fu- The golden age of science fiction draws genre fans seeking
ture may never be realized. Americans are becoming fearful the means to escape the challenges of living in WWII-era
of a nuclear apocalypse and grow increasingly suspicious of America. For the Forsaken, their experiences in this era will
science. Geniuses and life-saving visionaries are replaced by be informed by what they feel about scientific and technologi-
chilling sociopaths who care more about their ego than how cal advancements, because those attitudes shape the hunt.
their scientific discoveries might be used. Increased racial While some Forsaken will be influenced by science-fiction
tensions, urban decay, Cold War paranoia, and a blowback stories, others will pass them off as fanciful and unimportant.
to women’s rights affect everyday life, reminding Americans Storytellers and players should collaborate to discuss what
that all may be created equal — but they’re not treated as the Forsaken feels about science and, by extension, science-
such. The dream of a peaceful, intellectual technocracy fiction stories as a guide to create characters, antagonists,
is eroding thanks to profit-focused corporations, corrupt and chronicles. Some Uratha may treat science fiction as an
politicians, and brutal authoritarians. escape to set aside their supernatural life for a short while,
Life in the 1950s is a stark and significant shift from the a place to find hints about the Hisil in these stories, or the
1940s. Conformity is a survival tool for many, and anyone who map to a better world. Forsaken fascinated by electronics and
stands out will suffer needlessly. Extreme nationalism mixed other forms of technology might use science-fiction stories as
with paranoia is rampant, caused by the threat of nuclear a guide to devise futuristic inventions capable of affecting the
war and tensions between American and the U.S.S.R. Many supernatural world. One planned device might detect, trap,
middle- and upper-class white people treat anyone of color or destroy spirits while another could manipulate the fabric
as second-class citizens. Women who once performed vitally of the Gauntlet; though neither is plausible, science-fiction
important work at home and overseas are watching their op- stories help the Forsaken push boundaries, experimenting
portunities dry up, are told their opinions don’t matter — or are with what they know about the supernatural and cutting-
accused of being communists. Both the Forsaken and Remade edge science. Part of the mystery in a Forsaken chronicle
should avoid giving anyone the impression they don’t fit in set in this era is figuring out what is possible and what isn’t.
to avoid being branded as communists or radicals. Members This era can also be inspired by science-fiction tropes
of either group who are not in a position of power will incur that first debuted in this era to tell the story of a character’s
problems if they’re not sufficiently deferential. Even adoles- First Change. A serious and devoted science-fiction fan will
cents will be labeled problematic if they don’t submit and obey. see their First Change through the lens of their fandom.
Though the threat of annihilation, the Red Scare, and a The Hisil is an extradimensional plane of existence, spirits
civil rights backlash marks the 1950s, the dream of a utopia are the inhabitants of this alien realm, and werewolves are
persists. Growing past its roots, science fiction will continue creatures whose unique genetic heritage was somehow altered
to be a beacon of hope and a balm; as technology improves or enhanced when their ancestors fled to Earth. While more
so does public entertainment. Affordable color televisions, traditional Uratha might scoff attempts to reframe Forsaken
cameras, and new advances in filmmaking techniques allows lore through the lens of science fiction, others will understand
filmmakers and storytellers to push boundaries and comment that allegory is a powerful tool and coping mechanism.
on current events. B-movies like Them! (1954) Earth vs. Werewolves of this era may have a passing familiarity
The Flying Saucers (1957), The Blob (1958), provide social with science fiction; most will have seen popular horror
commentary on the spread of communism using metaphor films like Nosferatu (1922), Son of Frankenstein (1939),
and allegory, much like previous films did during the war. and The Wolfman (1941). Chronicles can be structured
As the push for civil rights continues, science fiction around an attempt to change or sway public opinion by
acts as a beacon of hope that equality is possible. In 1968, targeting movie studios and screenwriters in Los Angeles.
Star Trek depicts one of the first on-air kisses between a Most Uratha will recognize that movies can be dangerous
white man, Captain Kirk, and a black American woman because they have the power to expose their secrets and
in a position of power, Lieutenant Uhura. As the genre’s draw unwanted attention. For WWII-era Forsaken, this
popularity expands and sexist and segregation barriers to threat is new and strange — and the Uratha must figure
publication erode well past the 1960s, a growing number of out what that means.
marginalized authors will write and publish science fiction,
participate in fan communities, and attend conventions. Technology and the
The future of science fiction depends upon a shared vi-
sion where all feel welcome. As Americans become more Forsaken
connected, the genre offers them a chance to see a bright The Forsaken of this era will be caught between exploring
future of which they can one day be a part. the unknown, fighting dangerous threats, and defending what
438
they know. Rapid urbanization and continued industrialization necessary to advance our knowledge? Use these atti-
are transforming the Shadow in unusual ways. In the 1910s, tudes to shape what antagonists you’re drawn to hunt.
there was no more than a handful of minor spirits associated
with automobiles, now they are exceptionally common and • How do you feel about advanced weaponry? New weap-
more powerful. As cities grow and change so do their reflec- ons are being designed that will change the face of war
tions in the Hisil. Exploring and understanding these new forever and many Forsaken fear what will happen to
regions of the Shadow (and the strange inhabitants who lurk the Gauntlet when these superpowered armaments are
there) could be interesting to players who enjoy heroic stories unleashed. Biological, chemical, and atomic weaponry
about characters exploring alien worlds. threaten lives and have the potential to cause greater
Character identities play a role in this era because of the harm. Do you feel these destructive tools are neces-
war overseas, segregation, and other prejudices omnipres- sary? Or, do you think the war can be won a different
ent in day-to-day life. These struggles can be overcome by way? How does this affect the hunt?
an emphasis on scientifically plausible stories, advanced In this era, anxieties about rapid inventions spurred by
weaponry, and the sudden shift in technology that impacts war shapes a character’s beliefs and interactions with other
the Forsaken’s way of life. Rapid changes affect the Uratha’s Forsaken and antagonists. Devise motivations that directly
perspective and are a source of conflict and great storytelling. tap into your views to help sharpen your role in a chronicle.
Questions to consider when building a character
include: Choosing a Tribe
• Where does your character live? The effects of the In this era, Bone Shadows are leading the efforts to
New Deal are underway, but rural areas are slow to explore and understand the changes in Shadow. More
modernize while urban centers incorporate technol- traditional werewolves fear the increasing rate of change,
ogy quicker. Your character’s lifestyle, including the and some worry that newly formed spirits and the shifting
availability of food, clothing, and entertainment, fabric of the Hisil portends the end of all Forsaken. Other,
are directly impacted by your home life. Where your more optimistic werewolves see these new spirits and un-
character lives is crucial to what jobs they take, their discovered regions of Shadow as an opportunity to rework
participation in the science-fiction genre, and how their alliances with various spirits and forge a better world,
they’re impacted by military maneuvers. filled with spirits that’ll help them patrol the Gauntlet.
Blood Talons: The Blood Talons who are not fighting
• What technology does your character have access to? overseas have waged war with any werewolves who threaten
Scientific achievements are often directly related to expose them for what they are via burgeoning media. At
to the war effort. Their effects on the Uratha are the Iron Masters’ urging, some have also united against those
largely unknown in this era; partly what the Forsaken who sympathize with the Nazi cause at home, instead of simply
must deal with is how each invention impacts their hunting werewolves who trespass on their territory. Those who
pack. On the home front, Americans build ships and do recognize the Nazi party is still active on American soil — de-
submarines, different types of aircraft and ground spite official organizations being shut down when the war began
vehicles, and a variety of weaponry. Advances in — and that some of their own might be taken in, while others
medicine, transportation, media, and the preserva- don’t see the point in restricting their prey based on politics.
tion of food benefit Americans at home and abroad. Bone Shadows: While hunting ephemera, a few Bone
• What is your character’s profession? Existing prejudices Shadows have noticed similarities between their prey and
are occasionally set aside because there is a short- what shows up on screen or in a story, leading them to won-
age of workers during this era. Jobs include factory der if science-fiction stories and B-movie films are prophetic
workers, munitions experts, lab or research assistants, and, if so, why. The Bone Shadows also wonder what the
traveling salespeople, army recruiters, science-fiction rapid increase in technological advancements portends for
authors, editors, and publishers, camera operators, the spirit world. Some want to find out if there’s a super-
filmmakers, scriptwriters, agents, singers, and actors. natural cause behind the ever-increasing rate of invention
Your Forsaken’s profession affects what technology and if that will lead to a new type of spirit.
they have access to and what future changes they Hunters in Darkness: The Hunters in Darkness are fo-
can expect; these era-specific jobs can also be tied cused on a different issue. The poverty and squalor produced
your role in Uratha society. by the Great Depression, combined with the continued rapid
growth of cities, has resulted in an explosion of the Hosts.
• What are your views on scientific achievement? Though Without the efforts of this tribe, the Hosts might have already
science is neither good nor evil, many Forsaken will overrun entire cities and large towns, transforming them into
stereotype scientists because they don’t trust them. Do monstrously inhuman hives. While most Hunters in Darkness
you feel that scientific inventions should be monitored care little about exploring the geography of the Hisil or the
and controlled? Or do you think that some risks are wonders that advanced mortal technology can produce, more
439
Locations
than a few find the futuristic visions of spotlessly clean cities will help the Forsaken understand their enemy’s strengths and
appealing. Some younger members of the tribe are convinced weaknesses. When preparing to face a hostile spirit associated
these visions represents victory over the Hosts. with radios or radio waves, a werewolf who understands how
Iron Masters: If other Forsaken are skeptical about the that equipment works would shield a room against radio waves
future, the Iron Masters strive to embrace it by taking jobs in with metal foil or screen mesh. By doing so, they might even
factories, shipyards, munition plants, laboratories, etc. to have discover those actions tapped into the spirit’s Ban or Bane.
access to technology that can help them undermine the enemy. All Auspices are useful in this setting for different reasons.
Others are fascinated by futuristic stories and, like the Bone Ithaeur will be useful for chronicles where the players explore
Shadows, wonder if they’re prophetic — to a point. Where the Shadow, and Elodoth is perfect for characters involved in
the Bone Shadows take an occultist’s view of the era, the Iron the science-fiction community. When battling strange and
Masters view science fiction as a tool to help them foresee the unfamiliar spirits, both Irraka and Rahu remain invaluable, and
future. The Iron Masters hunt Nazis while also tracking and a Cahalith’s dreams can reveal essential information about new
investigating the rise of corporations. Despite their willingness types of spirits, or upcoming changes in the Shadow.
to embrace technology, the Iron Masters don’t want a repeat of Selecting Gifts is also important to ensure the Forsaken
the Great Depression, and suspect that capitalist companies, fits into this milieu and type of chronicle. Gifts of Insight,
if left unchecked, will spawn new enemies. Knowledge, and Technology will help Forsaken who explore
Storm Lords: The Storm Lords are gathering in larger the swiftly changing urban Shadow or want to learn about
cities to hunt the Ridden and the Spirit-Claimed in the new industrial spirits. Characters who are drawn to the
cities of New York, L.A., Chicago, and Detroit. The tribe science-fiction community may want to consider the Gift
doesn’t know why spirits are behaving strangely in these Lunatic Inspiration (Werewolf: The Forsaken Second
cities, but they are searching for answers. A few Storm Lords Edition, p. 127); though it’s dangerous, this Gift can be a
believe that spirits are attacking the Forsaken by possessing useful way to help specific authors of their choosing.
key individuals who can expose the tribe’s secrets. Others Totems can help shape the chronicle in ways that better
wonder if this uptick in supernatural activity is natural and fit this era and its themes. For example, a skyscraper totem
will fade eventually once the war ends. For now, the Storm is an excellent option for characters in New York City;
Lords gear up and go where the hunt takes them. thematically, the totem would tap into the chronicle’s urban
Ghost Wolves: The Unbound struggle with their focus and the sprawling, futuristic metropolises that are the
consciences. Though the tribe does not target one type of hallmark of science-fiction stories. Spirits associated with
prey, many participate in the war effort as best they can. technology, like radio, electricity, or more abstract spirits
The Ghost Wolves have seen war before, but sense that like a spirit of progress are also good choices. A spirit of
something is different and far more dangerous this time science-fiction magazines would be an unusual choice but
— for them. Some Ghost Wolves have signed up with the would help anchor the Forsaken to the era.
military to find answers; others hunt Nazi infiltrators. A few
have committed to establishing deeper connections with
other packs and tribes, fearing the way of the lone wolf is
too risky in an era fraught with enemies.
In this era, hunting fascists and angry spirits are not Can a Werewolf
unique to one tribe or another; their preferred prey should
be used as a guideline. Most werewolves understand the
Write Science Fiction?
A werewolf might have trouble being a prolific author
atrocities in Europe and Southeast Asia will permanently while satisfying the demands of the hunt, but it is pos-
twist the Shadow and greatly empower the hideous Maeljin sible for them to write short stories or novels and submit
in unexpected ways. Some Forsaken have committed to un- them for publication. A profession that requires them
doing this damage, while others work to prevent a conflict to edit, read, and choose submissions, put together a
from erupting on American soil by hunting Nazis. science-fiction magazine, or acquire novels is far too
restrictive for the vast majority of Forsaken. However,
Finishing Touches Wolf-Blooded or human members of the characters’
pack could easily have a job in publishing and would
Fans of science fiction in this era tend to have some be in an excellent position to gather information or
education in science- or technology-related fields. Scientists help meet authors. Pack members who don’t work
and engineers read popular science-fiction magazines along- in publishing do have other options, however. They
side hobbyists and radio operators. might attend a reading or a convention to discuss an
It is recommended that a Forsaken character possesses author’s story; doing so will give them firsthand experi-
some degree of education; this knowledge will help them deal ence to help glean supernatural insights or discover
the strange visions that inspired a story.
with issues in urban areas, military shipyards, or industrial
complexes. Most chronicles will likely feature werewolves
confronting new industrial and urban spirits, and their skills
440
Escalating Themes
Forsaken chronicles set in the Golden Age of Science
Fiction will touch on three types of stories: the hunt for
Nazis, how new technology affects the supernatural, and
how the supernatural is behaving oddly.
Nazi Infiltration
In a large American city like New York City or Los
Angeles, a group of Bale Hounds infiltrating the Pure of
the Fire-Touched loyal to the Maeljin seeks to transform
the metropolis into a vast Wound like ones present in
Nazi-occupied territories. These werewolves are working
with local Nazi sympathizers who are planning to poison
the local water supply and plant bombs in regions of the
city inhabited by immigrants and refugees. The Pure help-
ing with these efforts are regarded by the Nazis as “people
who possess powerful ancient Germanic magics.”. The Pure
have also helped several high-ranking members of the local
Nazis become Urged or Spirit-Claimed.
One of the local Uratha, perhaps one of the characters,
receives a message from a local Blood Talon who was had
been investigating rumors of Pure activity. The message is car-
ried by a spirit and is somewhat garbled but mentions a Pure
pack is planning a campaign of death designed to transform
the city into a Wound. The message also mentions they are
working with humans to accomplish this. Unfortunately,
the Blood Talon messenger is found dead later that day with
several pamphlets circling events in the area.
Another werewolf, preferably one of the player characters,
who’s loosely associated with the local science science-fiction
club recognizes the clue left at the scene. Several of the club’s
members are Jewish authors who have been investigating
rumors that local Nazi sympathizers are targeting them. These
fans are not soldiers, and are ill-equipped for a confrontation
with the Nazis, but have been sneaking around and listen-
ing to rumors; older members have been paying bartenders,
street vendors, and delivery workers to keep their eyes peeled.
Fans believe the Nazi sympathizers are planning some-
thing “big” in a few weeks and mention the Nazis have
recently gotten involved in some “weird religious stuff”
and are working with new people who seem scary. Several
of the fans have attempted to go to the police with this
information but have been rebuffed due to a mixture of
anti-Semitic views and a general disbelief that a secret cell
of Nazi sympathizers is working in the city. If the characters
can pool their resources and knowledge together to formu-
late a plan, they can prevent a catastrophe.
Supernatural Inventors
Every Uratha knows that conventional technologies
from radios to X-rays are incapable of manipulating the
Gauntlet, trapping spirits, or detecting members of the
441
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Hosts. A small, yet growing, number of scientists can cre- they can ally with scientific experts and investigators to find
ate inventions that affect spirits or the Gauntlet. These out what they have in common, or they can get to know,
inventions are unique devices that can be built, repaired, capture, or interrogate a newly- arrived spirit. Regardless of
or even duplicated by their creator, but are impossible for their approach, the pack’s goals are clear. First, they need
anyone else — including werewolves — to duplicate and to find out why so many spirits are arriving and taking over
can never be mass-produced. people. Then, they need to discover how they can prevent
These inventors might be ordinary mortals who initially more people from being harmed. Lastly, they must figure
understand very little about spirits and the Hisil but are rapidly out how to reverse the effects. Their investigation will most
learning more. Alternately, they could be Spirit-Claimed who likely require traveling into the Hisil and either defeating or
are hostile to the Uratha and are building inventions that can negotiating with one or more powerful spirits.
identify or harm werewolves. A human inventor who believes For a somewhat stranger and less apocalyptic version of
they’ve developed a method of observing and contacting a the problem, perhaps the spirits are possessing inanimate
parallel world may either attract the attention of the characters objects such as buildings or machines. Regardless of whether
or notice that one of their devices reveals that the characters the spirits inhabit people or objects, the vast majority aren’t
possess unusual amounts of extradimensional energy destructive or overtly malevolent. What’s more, the Hosts
Alternately, a Spirit-Claimed engineer may be building have mostly fled the area where these spirits are showing up,
devices that can detect werewolves, temporarily suppress but there is clearly a problem that needs to be solved. Will
the Forsaken’s ability to change form, force them to change, the characters solve it with trickery, negotiation, or violence?
or even create supernatural barriers they cannot cross.
This inventor may be simply using these devices to protect
themselves from the Uratha, or they might be planning to Antagonists
demonstrate these devices to the press to set off a wave of Antagonists of the era range from the Ridden to Nazi
anti-werewolf paranoia. sympathizers. In addition to the bit players and antagonists
If the inventor or inventors are Spirit-Claimed, the presented in this era, the Hate-Monger, a Spirit-Ridden
characters not only need to stop them, but also find out antagonist found in Werewolf: The Forsaken on p. 208, is
why some of these creatures are developing a new ability. an ideal choice for this setting. This creature was most likely
Perhaps there is a new and powerful spirit associated with working in one of the branches of the German American
technology in the characters’ city that has found a way Bund — a group that openly supported Adolf Hitler until
to empower some of its Spirit-Claimed servants — if the the U.S. entered World War II.
characters destroy it, the inventions may become nothing Because a significant percentage of golden-age science-
more than curious-looking junk. fiction authors were Jewish, the science-fiction community
If the inventors are simply curious scientists who is an obvious target for this entity’s hate. During the war,
stumbled across the unknown, the characters must decide the Hate-Monger (Werewolf the Forsaken Second Edition
how much to tell the inventor. On the positive side, the p. 209) might shift their focus to target other marginalized
character’s devices can be quite useful, and they would groups like Japanese Americans.
make an ideal addition to the pack — if the characters can
get the person to trust them. For a larger-scale campaign,
perhaps the emergence of some powerful technological
CRIMSON HORROR
spirit is enabling a small, but steadily growing, group of /JOE DAVIS
inventors and hobbyists to experiment with such devices.
The characters must then find a way to either prevent this “I heard you’re having some disagreements with your direc-
from happening or recruit the inventors to help them create tor over the latest mummy film, would you like some advice?”
new technologies that can detect spirits, Hosts, and Ridden Background: The Crimson Horror is a spirit of fear who
people several blocks or even several miles away. found Joe Davis, a young and ruthlessly ambitious man, in a
moment of vulnerability. Davis had recently lost his job as a
Alien Invaders director’s assistant; while he was out running errands in the
dead of night, he encountered a “monster with fangs and
An entire city block’s worth of people are being possessed,
fur”. Scared out of his wits, Davis called the police — but
Urged, or Claimed. Each passing night, their numbers in-
was laughed at. When he showed up on set several hours
crease, coinciding with attacks on the Hosts and the Uratha.
later, he was fired for being tardy.
Some local werewolves believe the Pure are involved, while
Later that night, a slippery voice whispered promises in
others are convinced extremely powerful spirits are at work.
his ear, telling Joe that it was his duty to expose those mon-
Local Uratha agree this situation must be investigated and
sters to the public. Davis agreed. Deep down, he knew he’d
stopped before the city’s leaders catch wind of the “epidemic”.
have to pay a steep price. To him? Exposing “monsters” was
The characters may explore several options: They can
worth the cost. Now, Joe Davis is on the verge of becoming
journey deep into the Hisil and attempt to find answers there,
442
Claimed. Though he has yet to merge with the spirit of
fear, Joe refers to himself in private by (what he calls) his
DUKE OF LIGHT
superhero’s name: the Crimson Horror.
Description: Joe Davis appears as an attractive man in “Mmm…Mmmore…”
his early 30s; and, thanks to hours of theatrical makeup, Background: Widespread electrification is relatively
prosthetics, and costuming, Joe is preparing for the trans- new. Even in the largest U.S. cities, it’s less than 50 years
formation his spirit of fear warned him about. He wears old. However, this has been enough time for new spirits to
well-tailored suits, always drives a new car, and is a regular be created, and older spirits to warp and change to fit their
presence at almost every Hollywood party. He currently new conditions. The Duke of Light is an old spirit that used
lacks any official title beyond being a consultant; producers to be a spirit of artificial light who thrived in the presence of
and directors often clamor for the Crimson Horror’s atten- candles and gas lamps. The electrification of large cities like
tion, because it’s ideas and suggestions lead to runaway hits. New York and Los Angeles, with their streetlights, neon signs,
Storytelling Hints: Joe Davis has willingly given him- and huge movie marquees caused this minor spirit to thrive
self over to the spirit of fear, because he loves the promise and grow vastly in both power and size. Now, it hungers for
of social influence he’ll use to alter horror movie scripts electricity even more than it craves light. It is the spirit in
and set designs. The Crimson Horror has sworn an oath charge of light across the entire central downtown area of
to expose the supernatural whenever it can. Amongst the the city and holds court over a huge array of spirits associated
lies it has told Joe: The Crimson horror was responsible for with electricity, light, and industrial technology.
obtaining funding for The Son of Frankenstein (1939) and Description: The Duke of Light is a bloated, octopus-like
told the director of The Wolfman (1941) that werewolves entity seemingly made of thick, brightly glowing tentacles
were vulnerable to silver. that occasionally crackle with electricity. While it can move
Despite what it promised Joe, the Crimson Horror doesn’t quite rapidly by running on its many limbs, it prefers being
care about exposing the supernatural. The spirit of fear simply stationary, feeding on electricity. It holds court in a huge,
wishes to frighten as many people as possible, and understands hive-like structure that is the Shadow counterpart of a major
that horror movies are an excellent way to do that. Its plans to local power station.
extend its influence are pragmatic; it wants more Urged and Storytelling Hints: The Duke of Light’s primary drives
Claimed mortals to work in Los Angeles to make more horror are its hunger for electricity and its desire to spread more
movies. To deal with the Forsaken that stand between it and artificial light, especially large displays of outdoor light. Its
success, the Crimson Horror hopes to make a very, unique hunger for electricity is so great that it occasionally causes
movie exposing the Uratha’s secrets to hunters. minor power shortages and brownouts as it draws power
Over the next several days, Joe Davis and the Crimson directly from the mortal world. Also, in addition to a host
Horror will merge — unless the Forsaken can find and of servants and assistants in the Hisil, it also regularly sends
stop him. (See page 191, Werewolf the Forsaken Second spirits to possess, Urge, or Claim humans so that they will
Edition.) It is strongly recommended that the Crimson construct ever-larger outdoor displays of lights. It fears dark-
Horror will use the Hypnotic Gaze Dread Power to spread ness, but could someday cause a massive blackout, which
its ideas to producers and directors. would drive it to take revenge on the humans it blames for
Attributes: Intelligence 3, Wits 4, Resolve 3, all its problems.
Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3, Presence 4, Rank: 4
Skills: Athletics 1, Drive 1, Expression 2, Firearms 2,
Intimidation 3, Occult 3, Persuasion 3, Politics 2, Willpower: 10
Socialize 2, Stealth 2, Subterfuge 2 Essence: 25
Merits: Contact (movie industry, wealthy Initiative: 16
Californians) 2, Resources 3, Safe Place 2, Status 1, Defense: 9
Striking Looks 1
Speed: 19
Willpower: 6
Size: 8
Essence: 20
Corpus: 15
Health: 8
Influences: Electricity •••, Light ••
Initiative: 7
Manifestations: Materialize, Reaching,
Defense: 5 Shadow Gateway, Twilight Form
Speed: 12 Numina: Awe, Blast, Implant Mission, Left-
Handed Spanner, Rapture, Regenerate, Telekinesis
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Locations
Ban: The Duke of Light cannot turn off or break readers become accustomed to stories like theirs, they say — if
any electric lights. If it does so, even by accident, readers can sympathize with aliens, cyborgs, and mutants —
it begins to bleed 1 point of Essence per turn until then maybe one day the discovery of real Deviants in their
it either turns the light back on or flees the scene. midst won’t cause fright and chaos. Maybe they could live
Uratha who seek it out could carry fragile electric openly. Maybe they wouldn’t have to be so isolated anymore.
lights to prevent it from attacking them. This brave new world hopeful Remade imagine not
Banes: The Duke of Light must be locked in a only never comes to pass, but shatters like glass against
well-insulated, utterly dark room with no electricity the realities of a nation filled with fear of the enemy once
for 30 days. the war begins. Americans with Japanese, German, and
Italian ancestry suffer bigotry and imprisonment at the
hands of their own neighbors and the government that’s
Deviant: supposed to represent them. If Baselines can’t even ac-
cept each other, Renegades realize, they’ll never accept
Shattered Utopias inhuman Deviants outside the pages of a comic book or
magazine. Those who hoped fictional heroes like Captain
Many Renegades have no patience for the burgeoning
America and Superman would lead to a change in their
wave of science fiction sweeping the nation. Nothing these
lives soon learn to resent these perfect, handsome saviors
writers come up with rivals their own tortured lives for seeing
who never have to deal with uncontrollable telepathic
what pushing the boundaries of known science can do; why
static in their minds or watching their own powers hurt
would they want to read fictional tales that don’t accurately
everyone around them. By the time Hitler rises to power,
reflect their experiences, written by people who have no idea
the common science-fiction trope of “homo superior” —
what they’re talking about? But some find comfort in the
evolutionary offshoots of humanity with brilliant minds
idea of a new genre of storytelling that touches so closely on
and amazing abilities — hits uncomfortably close to home
what was once an unimaginable horror in the public’s eyes. If
Chronicles of Darkness in the Golden Age of Science Fiction

The denizens of the supernatural are threatened by the rapid changes of technology, many of which are de-
scribed in science fiction, and the deadly war that affects their homes in America and overseas. Their anxieties
tend to manifest in unique ways; some will flee until the threat has passed, some will fight, some will rally allies,
some will obsess over new stories and wonder if the authors are prophetic. With these sweeping changes,
this era is rife with crossover potential, as European Kindred flee to American cities, posing as refugees, and
concentrate on securing domain; many plot to overthrow local princes, hoping to reestablish a base of opera-
tions that will ensure their legacy. Meanwhile, many American Kindred are struggling to maintain order and
control and are forging new alliances to ensure they remain well fed and hidden. As cities grow faster than they
expected, American Kindred compete to secure their domains before their rivals do.
Mages are unclear how new technology will affect them, and while they are eager to learn more they’re
preoccupied with the war effort and are actively feeding Nazi occultists bad information in America and
abroad. Changelings are scrambling to protect the Hedge; the cannons of war have destroyed many
ancient gateways, and they are desperately trying to control their routes in and out of the Hedge. Some
Changelings believe the Hedge is being attacked from the “inside” by an unknown assailant.
The Begotten worry that they’ve become unwanted by other members of the supernatural community and
struggle to find their place; some seek valor in war, while others have decided to lay low until the war ends.
Cultists are warning mummies that the threat of war has reached North Africa; before the campaign begins
in 1940, many of the Undying will need to decide if they’ll risk a fight or not. The Deathless have told their
cultists they must discover which other supernatural creatures are active in the area; should the Deathless go
to war, they will need allies.
Hunters are acutely aware that war affects the supernatural and seek to prevent widespread panic; those
who’ve enlisted are watching and waiting for encounters with bloodsuckers and cryptids fleeing a battle-
field. Other hunters, who are keeping the home fires burning, are pulling double shifts to patrol the streets;
they are afraid their communities are more vulnerable to attack and remain ever vigilant to protect them.
Hunters are on high alert because they believe they’re the last line of defense against an unseen enemy, but
what they struggle with are the rumors that members of Null Mysteriis and The Cheiron Group may actively
be creating them for their own ends.
444
for Remade who already questioned whether they really
belonged among Baselines before the Third Reich twisted
New Form: Supersoldier
the concept into a living nightmare. A Progenitor could design any Deviant for violence, but
Despite dashed hopes, many Renegades wish they could World War II sees a sharp increase in Remade specifically
enlist in the military and fight overseas. Most don’t dare. intended for war. The ideal qualities, from a conspiracy’s
Even for those who can pass for Baselines, conscription point of view, include obedience, resilience, vigor, height-
means exposing themselves to any conspiracy willing to put ened senses, peerless skill, and the ability to single-mindedly
the smallest effort into getting their hands on registration focus on the mission regardless of complications. A wholly
records. At that point, any conspiracy worth its salt could human, propaganda-friendly look helps, too. Militaries
easily manipulate the highly regimented lives of enlisted on both sides experiment with drugs and chemicals to
soldiers and auxiliary personnel. Instead, most Renegades create better soldiers among their Baseline troops, but a
stay off the grid and content themselves with doing what Supersoldier far surpasses anything mere narcotics can do.
they can on the home front — rooting out enemy spies, A Supersoldier is primed for combat at the expense of
protecting those doing crucial work to turn the war’s tide traits people need to thrive in peacetime — conspiracies
in the Allies’ favor, and taking their hatred of the Nazis out hardly want their major investments walking off into the
on the next best thing: conspirators. sunset after the war to settle down with a family and a
Those Deviants who do go “over there” smuggle them- mortgage. Inevitably, a conspiracy imprisons even the
selves onto ships, steal identities, or are Remade by the U.S. most loyal Devoted after the war’s end to keep these
Armed Forces in the first place. The military usually places dangerous, warlike Remade in check until the next time
Devoted soldiers in units with just a few specialists who they’re needed.
ensure the Deviants reach their destinations unimpeded Systems: Once per chapter, as an instant action, the
before unleashing their power; sneaking these super soldiers Supersoldier’s player may redistribute dots from any Mental
across enemy lines to strike key targets is a common tactic, or Social Attributes to any Physical Attributes, up to (3 +
and military conspiracies have no wish to expose their best Acclimation) dots. This may increase a Physical Attribute
secret weapons to too many eyes, lest the enemy capture beyond 5 but may not increase it to more than twice its
one and reverse engineer more for themselves. normal rating, and may not reduce a Mental or Social
Attribute below 1. Attributes return to their normal ratings
at the end of the scene.
Origins In addition, during character creation, the Supersoldier’s
This era sees a substantial uptick in Autourgic and player may reduce the character’s Willpower by any
Epimorphic Remade, not only in support of the war effort, number of dots (to a minimum of one) to attach that
but as a result of the popularity of science-fiction stories and many bonus dots of Variation Magnitude (which must
comic books depicting super soldiers and mutants with amazing be combined with Scars as usual) to her starting Loyalty
powers. Quite a few of these Deviants are originally inspired Touchstones; the total bonus Magnitude may be spread
by the provocative cover of Captain America Comics #1, which out among as many or as few Loyalty Touchstones as the
shows the eponymous hero punching Adolf Hitler square in player likes. Grouping them together means more power
the face. Many willing subjects imagine their abilities will applicable in fewer situations, and a higher risk of losing
make them instant war heroes, though the reality never lives access to them all at once. The character may only use
up to expectations, prompting many to go Renegade once they those Variation dots when taking actions that directly
realize what they’ve gotten themselves into. support the Loyalty Touchstone to which they’re at-
Some of this era’s Exomorphic Remade are soldiers tached; even Persistent Variations toggle off otherwise.
whose superiors force them to undergo experimental treat- Any time these Variations stop working, their combined
ments. Some are POWs or victims of atrocities, whom the Scars also vanish. When the Touchstone is Wavering, the
military (U.S. or otherwise) uses as guinea pigs. Still others character gains a minor Instability each time she uses the
aren’t products of the war at all, but victims of greed spurred attached Variation dots (or once per scene, for Persistent
by technological progress, or grandiose delusions of human- Variations). When the Touchstone is resolved or lost,
ity’s future inspired by science-fiction tales. the player may reattach the bonus Magnitude dots to
For Genotypal and Pathological Remade, the opposite is different Loyalty Touchstones or hold them in abeyance
often true — science-fiction authors hear rumors or receive until she replaces the lost Touchstone with a new one. If
anonymous tips from conspiracies trying to lure Deviants the Touchstone moves from Loyalty to Conviction, the
into the open, and write stories inspired by real events. attached Magnitude dots follow it; but if she later loses
Once nuclear reactors are built in the United States and that Touchstone, she must reattach the dots to another
atomic weapon tests begin in the early 1940s, Genotypal Loyalty Touchstone.
and Pathological Remade tend to result from the inter- Only the following Variations are eligible for this bonus
section of accidental exposure to radiation and strange Magnitude: Anomalous Biology, Carapace, Computer-
supernatural phenomena. Aided Processing, Enhanced Speed, Environmental
445
Locations
Adaptation, Hyper-Competence, Immunity, Lash, Mimicry, penalty and would progress further, she instead experiences
Omnicompetence, Rapid Healing, Superhuman Attribute Divergence, resolves Obsession, and gains the Madness
(Physical or Mental only), and Telepathy. Condition; in action scenes, she suffers the Insane Tilt
instead. Remade resolve Madness by gaining or losing a
dot of Conviction or Loyalty, or by achieving exceptional
New Transmissible success on a Faltering roll.
Divergence: Psychic A cure to pre-Divergence indoctrination is up to the
Storyteller, but it should require at least a story’s worth of
Indoctrination investigation and effort.
Whenever a Remade with this Transmissible Divergence
uses any Variation on a Baseline, the target becomes indoc- Conspiracy:
trinated. An alien thought infects her mind and rewrites her
to match its origins. Treat this as a disease (Chronicles of Project Gladiator
Darkness, p. 96) that deals no damage, but requires a Resolve War isn’t the place for everyday Joes and Janes like
+ Composure roll once per chapter to avoid progressing you and me. Someday soon, we’ll have better than the
further, with a penalty equal to the number of chapters that best humanity can offer on the front lines, waving the red,
have passed since they were first infected. If the roll succeeds white, and blue.
three times in a row, the indoctrination is suppressed for the Standing: 3
rest of the story; but if the character is exposed to its vector
Background: During the original Great War, as techno-
again, it immediately picks up where it left off.
logical progress shaped military tactics, Army nurse Hazel
Each time this roll fails, the character’s player suffers Griffin saw the need for more rigorous scientific research
a cumulative one-die penalty to Mental and Social rolls under direct military command; relying on independent
and gains the Persistent Obsession Condition regarding contractors presented, in her mind, too much risk. She
one otherworldly or inhuman phenomenon (Storyteller’s convinced several key officers to enact her plan: The army
choice). At −1, every failure on a roll with the character’s quietly absorbed a small commercial defense laboratory, put-
highest-rated Mental or Social Skill is a dramatic failure; ting the company out of business and offering its scientists
at −2, all Skills within that category; at −3 or more, all jobs with salaries they couldn’t refuse. Griffin only found
Mental and Social Skills. If the character accumulates a −5
446
out after the contracts were signed that the Cheiron Group place of blood, he grows extra limbs covered in coarse hair
had once owned that company, and now every monstrous and bulging muscles at will, and even the officers fear the
corpse and impossible chemical in their cold-storage cellars shadow of his massive, grotesque bulk. Rumor has it he was
was hers to study and exploit. Even the wealthy and mysteri- the prototype, developed from modified mustard-gas treat-
ous hunter conspiracy couldn’t stand up to the American ments and parts from the corpse of a mutant lycanthrope
military-industrial complex in the middle of the biggest that arrived with the rest of the original lab.
war the world had ever seen, so they reached what Griffin Corporal Baxter O’Hara, Airman. Gladiator teams up
called “a comfortable arrangement.” with the USAAF to fund a task force responsible for scaveng-
At the end of the war, with no more need for ac- ing the remains of supernatural creatures, remnants of arcane
celerated wartime R&D, the government dismissed the substances and lore left behind in monster lairs and sorcerous
“drafted” scientists back into their civilian lives — officially. sancta, and anything else they can get their hands on from
Unofficially, Griffin and her co-conspirators fudged the the shadow world without making contact with any shadows
books and continued to pump money into the lab under — at least, that’s the goal. Sometimes, contact is inevitable.
the cover of a series of shadow projects, foreseeing the day The men report evidence that another military unit keeps
when the United States would once again plunge into war. beating them to the scene somehow; Griffin works to find
This time, they intended to be ready. out who her competition is. Corporal O’Hara is young and
Description: Over the past 20 years, the lab — known brash with a tough-guy attitude and thinks just scavenging
now only as Project Gladiator, or “Special Biodefense Project isn’t enough, but he obeys orders — for now.
665-K” whenever anyone asks where the money’s gone Exploitive Nodes: Chemical Warfare Service (CWS)
— has progressed from developing chemical weapons and (Captain Archie Decker, supplier). The CWS is the army body
experimental rifles to super soldiers Remade through illegal responsible for developing and testing chemical weapons, and
human experimentation, picking up where Cheiron’s splinter defenses against them. Gladiator falls under its jurisdiction,
company left off and veering wildly from its original purpose. insofar as it falls under anyone’s. Decker provides supplies,
Griffin, an avid science-fiction fan, somewhat whimsically equipment, and test subject volunteers on the down low. He
named the project after Philip Wylie’s novel Gladiator, pub- secretly wants to volunteer for the super soldier experiments
lished in 1930 and believed to be the primary inspiration for himself and take to the front lines as a reborn war hero but
comic-book-hero Superman’s 1938 debut. She dreams of the hasn’t yet found the guts to approach Griffin about it.
day when the army will openly field an entire battalion of Fort Meade and POW camps (Doris Mosley, prison-bus
supermen, catapulting America into a new era of heroism driver). When volunteers dry up, or the scientists want to
as a shining example for the future. If a few failures cost a test a new idea but don’t want to “waste” American soldiers
few lives along the way, well — every war has its casualties. on initial trials likely to fail, Griffin brings in POWs from
By the time the Manhattan Project launches in 1942, Fort Meade and the camps scattered around Maryland and
Griffin has her hands on an avenue for top-secret informa- Virginia to make up the gap. Doris Mosley is the driver of the
tion about its research, and over the course of that year she prison bus Gladiator uses to transport subjects. She speaks
adds an atomic energy branch to Project Gladiator that five languages, German and Italian among them, and lately
produces Deviants powered by nuclear fission. she’s overheard prisoners whispering about strange happen-
Principles: The Future Is Now, Reason Before Passion, ings in the camps — people speaking in tongues and growing
Predict the Enemy metallic protuberances from their bodies, eyes shining like
Virtue: Courageous headlights in the dark, radios turning themselves on and off.
Vice: Patriotic She dares not mention it to anyone, for fear they’ll think she’s
lost her mind; but eventually, one of these Claimed prisoners
makes his way to the lab, and someone starts asking questions.
Hierarchical Node: Project Gladiator Laboratory
Structural Nodes: Military budget misappropriation
(Hazel Griffin, army nurse). Middle age hasn’t slowed
(Harcourt Burns, clerk). None of this works without the
Griffin down, and although her co-conspirators wield the
dough, of course, and dough requires people shuffling
rank, her boundless vision and drive make the wheels turn.
numbers around on the books to keep Gladiator under
She’s remained steadfast and sure for over 20 years as the
the table. Everything in the lab is only accessible with
no-nonsense, practical idealist at the project’s heart.
security clearances that don’t officially exist, funded with
Temporal Nodes: Edgewood Arsenal, Aberdeen, MD money earmarked for a nested series of dead-end missions
(The Mustard Commando, Invasive Devoted). Gladiator’s and projects that produce just enough results on paper to
home base is a series of laboratories and offices within this avoid scrutiny from the brass. Harcourt Burns is the neurotic
chemical-weapon manufacturing and testing facility. It clerk who fudges the paperwork for the officers and has a
stays here even after the CWS builds the larger Dugway general’s secretary for a sweetheart — which is worth a lot
Proving Ground for expanded tests in 1941. The Mustard of perks but makes people nervous about the prospect of the
Commando guards the base and keeps rebellious test sub- relationship going sour. Griffin has backup plans for dealing
jects in line. Chemical death runs through his veins in with her, should Burns ball it up for everyone.
447
Locations
Undisclosed switchboard (Shirley Sugar, plug-pusher). Unbeknownst to anyone, one of the officers who runs
A secret switchboard that only reaches a few private tele- the show with Griffin is a Nazi sympathizer who sells secrets
phone lines connects Griffin’s people to anonymous con- to the conspiracy’s German counterpart, a biochemical lab
tacts with code names who leak information about nuclear working to create an even more so-called “perfect master
research and other classified military projects to Gladiator’s race” of Übermenschen by way of Remade whose condition
R&D teams. Shirley Sugar (real name unknown) is the can be transmitted virally to others with particular genetic
switchboard operator at Project Y, the secret Los Alamos markers. (Hierarchical)
Laboratory opened on New Years’ Day 1943 that spearheads
the Manhattan Project. She knows everyone and every-
thing, and if the wrong people ever get their hands on her,
HATTIE GRIFFIN,
Gladiator’s lives aren’t the only ones at risk. THE ATOMIC ACE
Conspiracy Icons: Chemical Weapons Stockpile
“Move over, flyboys. The Atomic Ace can take it from
(Biochemical Augmentation; attached to Edgewood
here!”
Arsenal); Supernatural Cache (Uncanny Tactics; attached
to Task Force: VULTURE) Background: Hazel Griffin’s only child Hattie dreamed
Biochemical Augmentation — Members gain the of joining the army, too, but she wanted to fly planes and fix
8-again quality on rolls to resist all poisons for a scene after engines like her father. Mr. Griffin died in the Great War
visiting the lab and undergoing biochemical treatments. when she was just a little girl, but she treasured photos of him
Uncanny Tactics — Members with lab access and in uniform, and taught herself how to take things apart and
enough security clearance may use the Predator’s Cunning put them back together while her widowed mother was busy
Chimeric Variation at Magnitude 2. with her conspiracy. Hattie knew nothing of Hazel’s real work,
but she knew her mother had secrets, and was determined to
Web of Pain: Burns does his best to keep the money
find out what they were. When the Second World War began,
flowing, but Gladiator must be cautious; too much cash
Hattie joined up with the WAAC immediately. After only a
moving around at once raises questions the conspiracy
few months as an auxiliary mechanic, she found an opportunity
would rather not answer. They have an uneasy alliance with
to eavesdrop on a few conversations between Hazel and one
one of the wealthiest old-money families in the country.
of her scientists and insisted on joining Gladiator.
The Winthers of Louisiana stay out of the public eye and
carefully protect their secret: a hereditary mutation that Hattie soon became an indispensable asset to the labs,
affects one child per generation dating back centuries, keeping the machinery running with her clever hands and
which lets them draw immense power from celestial bodies, morale high with her indomitable spirit. After the first time
but requires them to consume elemental spirits to stave off she witnessed a successful Divergence, her fascination knew
unnatural hungers and delusions. (Structural) no bounds. What if she herself had such powers? Surely then,
no man could tell her “no.” Surely then, she could be a real
Shirley Sugar has a lot of friends interested in what she
soldier and fly overseas with the boys. It wasn’t long before she
knows, including a few in the publishing industry. One of
begged her mother to let her volunteer, but Hazel forbid it.
her publisher contacts at Futurix Press (p. 450) subsidizes
— and influences — several science-fiction conventions Not long after, in the wake of a pitched battle between
across the country, fostering certain kinds of ideas among spirits and Forsaken in which none survived, Task Force:
the rapidly growing fanbase. The aim is to groom writers VULTURE scavenged a fetish containing a uranium spirit,
who will predict new ways to create mutant superhumans and Gladiator’s scientists pressed it into service as the para-
and utilize nuclear power — and in the process, feed ideas normal catalyst for a serum that would create super soldiers
to Futurix’ busy Progenitors. (Structural) powered by atomic energy — at least, that was the idea.
They hadn’t yet successfully tested it when, one night, Hattie
stayed behind when everyone else went home, claiming she
had to fix a piece of malfunctioning equipment. She con-
Adjusting for Your Chronicle vinced a lab technician who was sweet on her to help her
In Deviant: The Renegades, the characters’ operate the specialized serum injector she’d helped build,
total Variation Magnitude defines a conspiracy’s and strapped herself in.
Standing and other traits. The Standing given The grueling atomic treatments lasted late into the
here for Project Gladiator is a general indication night. When her mother and the staff came in the next
of its efficacy and a suggestion for how power- morning, they found her unconscious in the injector, and
ful Deviant characters should be when they go the lab tech — her Progenitor — dead from radiation
up against it. Feel free to adjust its Standing and poisoning. But Hattie awoke stronger, faster, and tougher
Attributes based on the chronicle’s threat level and
than any poster boy for Uncle Sam. She became a soldier
how many Renegade characters the conspiracy
has it out for, as normal. with astounding physical prowess and devastating destruc-
tive capabilities — but she’s completely dependent on the
lab for the atomic serum that not only keeps her in peak
448
condition but staves off a radiation sickness that would rot Merits: Dauntless, Fleet of Foot 3, Hardy 3,
her from the inside out. Hypervigilance, Status (Project Gladiator) 1,
Description: Hattie — or “the Atomic Ace,” as the Tolerance for Biology
Baselines call her with equal parts pride and trepidation Willpower: 3
— is a tall, buff, athletic woman in her mid-20s with chin- Stability: 7
length, curly brown hair, a confident smile, and dark eyes
that glow with radioluminescence when she uses her Lash Conviction: 1 (Touchstone: an Epimorphic
Renegade who escaped Gladiator recently)
Variation. She’s officially on the books as a WAC corporal
and wears the uniform, along with aviator goggles, a para- Loyalty: 4 (Touchstones: Hazel Griffin, the U.S.
chute, and a sidearm that other women aren’t allowed to Army, radio operator Martha Bates, the Mustard
use. The men who fly with her treat her with respect and Commando)
awe, but also jealousy and fear; her superior officer forbids Aspiration: Prove that women can be good
her from mingling with anyone outside the conspiracy or soldiers
appearing anywhere that might give the war correspondents Initiative: 5 (10)
opportunity to snap a photograph. Hattie considers herself Defense: 8 (11)
lucky that her Divergence hasn’t altered her outward ap-
pearance much, but in combat there’s no mistaking her Armor: 1/3
impossible strength and speed — or the lesions, burns, Speed: 16 (32)
and unnatural tumors her body develops whenever she Health: 9
unleashes her full power — for anything ordinary.
Acclimation: 2
Storytelling Hints: Far from the proud, independent
Remade among the flyboys she’d intended to be, Hattie Controlled Scars: Deterioration (Physical;
endures Gladiator’s tight leash and constant tests to monitor
Lingering, Painful; Lash) 4, Unstable Variation
(Physical; Specialized Sense) 1
her progress, and only leaves the airfield on specific orders.
She’s a good pilot, but more often she’s a paratrooper, Persistent Scars: Dependency (Physical;
landing behind enemy lines to take out key targets with Fatigued, Ill, Sluggish, Rare; Enhanced Speed,
minimal backup. Unlike most soldiers, she periodically Immunity, Rapid Healing) 5, Murderous Urge
(Mental; Superhuman Strength) 2
receives recall orders to fly back home to deal with con-
spiracy emergencies, capturing or killing Renegades or Variations: Enhanced Speed 2, Immunity
bailing VULTURE out when it draws too much attention. (Radiation) 2, Cutting Firearms Lash (Blinding,
She’s considered breaking free and smuggling herself into Devastating, Gunshot, Quick, Terminal) 5, Rapid
another squadron of regular airmen, but her dependence
Healing 3, Specialized Sense (Technology
[Geiger Counter]) 1, Superhuman Strength 2
on the serum only Gladiator can make keeps her around.
Still, she believes in the cause and wants to prove to her Weapons/Attacks:
mother she made the right choice (even if sometimes she’s not Dice
sure), so she throws herself dutifully into battle whenever she Type Damage Range Pool Special
gets the chance and inspires the squadron with her dauntless Lash 4L 30/60/120 6 Ready as reflexive
attitude. Her biggest regret is the loneliness her Divergence action; ignores
Defense; severe/
has brought; she hates being forced to live separately from
grave Sick &
the other WACs, she hates living in secret, and she hates the Blinded Tilts
way even her friends are too afraid to spend much time with
Unarmed 0B (L w/ Melee 10
her anymore. It’s put a damper on battlefield romance, too. trench knife)
Characters who want to encourage Hattie to turn
Grapple 0B Melee 10
Renegade must first figure out how to replicate the serum.
Trench 0L Melee 8
Origin: Autourgic knife
Clade: Coactive Colt 2L 30/60/120 6
Forms: Devoted, Supersoldier M1911A1
Attributes: Intelligence 3, Wits 4, Resolve 4, Notes: Hattie’s Dependency Scar reflects acute
Strength 5 (7), Dexterity 3, Stamina 4, Presence 3, radiation poisoning, as she was exposed to a
Manipulation 2, Composure 2 lethal dose during her Divergence. Her Lash is
Skills: Academics 1, Crafts 4, Investigation 4, a blinding ray of white-hot nuclear fire. Rapid
Medicine 1, Occult (Spirits) 1, Science (Nuclear Healing is her Supersoldier Variation.
Power) 1, Athletics 5, Brawl 5, Drive (Airplanes) 4,
Firearms 3, Stealth 1, Survival 2, Weaponry 3,
Empathy 2, Intimidation 4, Persuasion (Inspiring) 3
449
Locations
takes double the time it normally would to heal, and you
For the Storyteller: suffer a −2 to dice pools for all Mental actions.
This Condition can be temporary instead if the Storyteller
Curiosity and decides the character’s exposure doesn’t warrant the
Persistent version. It resolves after the character receives a
the Remade scene’s worth of medical treatment and a full chapter passes.
Resolution: The character receives significant, ongoing
The Golden Age of Science Fiction runs primarily on
medical treatment and either a full story passes, or a full
two parallel tracks: the wave of futuristic idealism and sci-
chapter passes and the character increases her Stamina.
entific curiosity that sweeps the United States as science
Beat: The character’s wound penalty increases or she
fiction becomes popular, and World War II as a pervasive
loses consciousness due to damage from this Condition.
backdrop that rears its head on the home front with regular-
ity. These go hand in hand, as two major wars back-to-back
dismantle any limitations the American people previously
imagined existed on what was possible. This era lives and For the Storyteller:
breathes at the intersection of these two tracks and both
intersect with the stories and films prominent in this era.
Drawing inspiration for Deviant characters and con-
Narrating a Crossover
Werewolves and Deviants can appear in the same
spiracies, shapeshifters, and weird contemporary spirits chronicle as allies or antagonists. When the Forsaken is
directly from period science-fiction stories will hit utopian not hunting the Remade, Storytellers can leverage common
themes squarely on the head. Storytellers can even pull thematic keystones to bring them together. The Uratha
entire plots from these tales and adapt them to fit the time value loyalty and the Remade need it, making them good
period, the Chronicles of Darkness, the player characters, team players — if they can keep Kuruth and Instability from
and their Aspirations. tearing them apart. Between natural hunters who run on
rage and vengeance-fueled human weapons whose broken
Conditions souls force them to strive against hated foes, mutual enemies
are a Storyteller’s best bet for story hooks that bring the two
Below are a few Conditions Storytellers can introduce
together. Deviants are guaranteed to chase after Conviction
in this era to better represent the threats and situations
Touchstones and werewolves are constantly on the hunt,
characters might encounter.
so get the Web of Pain involved with the spirit world, the
Pure, and other setting elements the Forsaken care about.
Futuristic Visionary The following is an example of a mutual enemy
New technologies and tales of scientific marvels Storytellers can use in their chronicles.
galvanize your character into a flurry of inventiveness.
Whenever you take a Build Equipment action (Chronicles
of Darkness, p. 100) to create physical objects or reposito-
Futurix Press, Inc.
ries that would grant equipment bonuses or other benefits to “Keep them looking up at the stars, and they’ll never even
Enigmas or Science actions, you may resolve this Condition think to look into the shadows.”
before rolling to gain 8-again on the roll. If you succeed, Futurix Press, Inc. is a publishing house that puts out
gain a Willpower point. science-fiction quarterlies, like Atomic Quarterly, and no-
Possible Sources: Exceptional success vellas by popular and brilliant authors. That’s just a front,
Resolution: As above. though, for its real purpose: producing the perfect being.
Deep within the Web of Pain, a hidden cadre of Nazi
sympathizers with a lab and too much money set out to
RADIATION POISONING create its own “master race” using experimental (and highly
(PERSISTENT) questionable) advances in genetic research. At roughly the
same time, a pack of Ivory Claws with Nazi sympathies of
Your character has been exposed to atomic radiation and their own set out to do much the same — breed their Pure
suffers radiation poisoning. Symptoms can include nausea messiah using a combination of age-old Tzuumfin rites and
and vomiting, anemia, red and blistering skin, dizziness, Nazi occultism. The two groups met during a gathering
and seizures. for an equally secretive underworld alliance that included
The character suffers from a poison (Chronicles of government officials and foreign nationals as well as vam-
Darkness, p. 98) with Toxicity based on the severity and pires, witches, and weirder things. Upon discovering they
duration of her exposure. It deals damage once per scene. had resources to spare and a common goal of sorts, the
She suffers the grave Poisoned Tilt during action scenes conspiracy and the Anshega went into business together.
instead. In addition, without supernatural healing, damage
450
Futurix publishes legitimate, imaginative science-fiction these Touchstones, in hopes that by denying the Renegades
stories, mostly written by Baselines who have no idea who’s everyone important to them, they’ll have no choice but to turn
sitting on the board of directors. The company encourages to the conspiracy. Through the Web of Pain, this conspiracy
these writers to come up with the most accurate picture has entered a loose alliance with others manipulating the
of fantastical, futuristic science they can, predicting the supernatural underworld through the draft boards, including
pinnacle of human evolution and achievement. Then, a pack of Pure, a Seer Pylon, and the local Invictus.
the human conspiracy lifts these ideas straight out of the Deviants: The cohort must learn about the conspiracy’s
magazines’ pages to inspire new methods and forms of influence and find a way to excise it before they lose their
Divergence, while the werewolves deliberately market these Touchstones and deteriorate into death or worse. Their
stories as rational tales based on real science, turning public enemy acting through a government institution with secret
opinion against superstition and belief in the supernatural supernatural allies makes this much harder than it initially
wherever possible to protect their own and discourage mon- appears, encouraging them to seek aid from others with
ster hunters from suspecting the truth. Sharing resources common cause, who blend in better with Baselines and thus
and comparing notes, they run breeding programs punctu- have an easier time infiltrating human government offices.
ated by strange inventions and Shadowlore. But why does this underworld alliance exist to begin with,
Whenever a Renegade, a Forsaken pack, or some other and what else is the conspiracy getting out of it?
interloper sniffs around a little too persistently, the magazine Werewolves: The Forsaken experience a similar issue;
publishes a story that hews way too close to the offender’s Ivory Claws use the draft board to ship off as many of the
real life, dropping enough hints that any humans looking pack’s Touchstones and Wolf-Blooded comrades as they
to poke their noses where they don’t belong can get in their can, leaving the werewolves exposed and friendless on a
way. In game terms, a character exposed this way gains the home front increasingly motivated by fear to root out the
Notoriety Condition (Chronicles of Darkness, p. 290). different and foreign. The Uratha, as shapeshifters, are
well-placed to help the Renegades if the two groups hash
Darker Than You Think out an alliance, and they benefit from the sheer versatility
the Deviants contribute. But what do the Pure plan to do
In 1940, Jack Williamson, one of the authors working
once they weaken the Forsaken, and why are they so willing
freelance for Futurix, accidentally stumbles across the truth.
to work with outsiders to get there?
Terrified and desperate, he writes the novelette Darker Than
You Think, a veiled exposé on the company’s secrets mas-
querading as fiction and sells it to Unknown magazine. He Psychic Indoctrination
immediately cuts off all communication with Futurix, finds Summary: In 1943, Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore (as
a pack of Forsaken or a cohort of Renegades using the clues Lewis Padgett) publish a short story entitled “Mimsy Were
scattered about the magazines’ previous issues, and begs for the Borogoves.” They believe they invented it. In truth,
protection. In the meantime, while they try to hunt him down, they adapted it. The original tale, too alien to fit inside
the conspiracy and the Ivory Claws scrabble to find scapegoats their human minds without reshaping itself, leaked to them
they can set up for the fall once the story goes to press. subliminally through a stuttering psychic feed of jumbled
memories from the broken mind of a discarded young
Story Hooks
Devoted. He and his sister had discovered a box of strange
toys on the riverbank near their house, and the more they
played, the further their minds strayed from normal human
Below are some story hooks specific to this era or have logic and pathways. Eventually, the toys conditioned both
been inspired by science-fiction stories. These Story Hooks children to decidedly inhuman patterns of thought — they
offer ways for a chronicle to include both the Forsaken and Diverged, becoming Pathological Cephalist Remade. But
Remade. their Scars cracked their psyches wide open, the aberrant
logic continuing to rewrite their brains until they went
Is There a Draft in Here? gratefully into the arms of the first conspiracy to stumble
Summary: Over the course of a few weeks, several of across them, pleading for help.
the cohort’s Touchstones (both Loyalty and Conviction) The conspiracy couldn’t help. In a few short months,
are conscripted in quick succession, and any who apply for the pair lost the ability to effectively communicate with
conscientious objector status are rejected. The Remade or comprehend anything or anyone but each other. The
can’t accompany them overseas — or to prison — without conspiracy couldn’t use them anymore, so it left them to
giving themselves away, and if they can’t find a way to wander the streets. The conspirators never realized that the
keep their Touchstones around, they’ll rush headlong into kids’ mental broadcasts of what seemed like nonsense — just
Instability and lose control. psychic static — were contagious.
Setup: This is no streak of bad luck; a conspiracy — or more Setup: One of the Remade characters’ Baseline Loyalty
than one — with influence over who’s chosen for war targets Touchstones shows signs of erratic behavior and oddball
451
Story Hooks
thinking, but the oddities give them keen insights they
shouldn’t have into weird phenomena. Use the Psychic
Indoctrination Transmissible Divergence on p. 446 to rep-
resent their condition and how it spreads. This Touchstone’s Stanley G. Weinbaum’s short story “A Martian Odyssey”
Obsession Condition revolves around the site of a recently (1934), C.L. Moore’s anthology Jirel of Jory (1935–1939),
fallen meteor, where a passel of void spirits causes havoc on and Clark Ashton Smith’s short story “City of the Singing
the Forsaken pack’s territory. Flame” (1931) are all excellent examples of characters
visiting strange and surreal worlds that could serve as
Deviants: The afflicted Touchstone’s strange obsessions
inspirations for Uratha visiting unusual portions of the
and slow decline in their ability to communicate with the
Shadow. Similarly, A. E. van Vogt’s novel Slan (1940)
cohort put them in great danger. The longer the cohort
is the archetypal example of a story of an oppressed and
investigates, the more Baselines — and Touchstones —
hunted individual fighting back against this oppression and
are vulnerable to indoctrination; they must race the clock
transforming the world. E. E. Smith’s novel Galactic Patrol
to get to the bottom of it before this viral thought worm
(1937) is one of the first obviously anti-Nazi works of sci-
spreads uncontrollably, rewriting the entire city to some
ence fiction and was written before Germany had begun
sideways, impossible logic. Where did the toys come from?
invading other nations. It is fascinating for its portrayal
Were they sent by a malevolent conspiracy bent on inflict-
of space-Nazis, who are instantly recognizable by their
ing Divergence on a grand scale, or was it an unfortunate
Germanic names, but who are portrayed as murderously
accident?
authoritarian criminal thugs, which is quite different from
Werewolves: While defending their territory from the almost all later fictional portrayals of Nazis.
void spirits, the pack becomes embroiled in the Renegades’
As mentioned in this chapter’s introduction, the fol-
mission. Upon discovering that anyone infected by the
lowing science-fiction stories are perfect inspiration for
Divergence can understand First Tongue even when noth-
Deviant in this era: A. E. van Vogt’s Slan, Wilmar Shiras’
ing else gets through, they suspect the incidents are related.
“In Hiding” (later the first chapter of her novel Children of
They must fend off the void spirits, search for clues to
the Atom), Isaac Asimov’s Mule stories from the Foundation
the potential idigam’s nature and location before it makes
series, and Gerald Heard’s Doppelgangers.
itself known in destructive fashion and stop their human
companions from getting infected — while the Uratha are Other Golden Age stories that delve into Deviant
immune, the Wolf-Blooded are not. If an idigam is causing themes include Olaf Stapledon’s novel Odd John, Stanley
the alien indoctrination, where is that Moon-Banished now, G. Weinbaum’s story “Proteus Island,” Lewis Padgett’s
and can the process be reversed once begun? Baldy stories (later collected as the novel Mutant) and
452
short story “Mimsy Were the Borogoves,” Ray Bradbury’s He’s dragged into exploring them by the machinations of
“Fever Dream,” William Temple’s Four-Sided Triangle, two opposing conspiracies, both of whom are willing to lie,
C. L. Moore’s “No Woman Born,” and Poul Anderson’s cheat, steal, and murder to get their hands on him — all
“Tomorrow Children.” while he desperately tries to stay one step ahead of his own
For modern inspirational media taking place in the era, alter ego with science.
you can’t do much better than Charlie Higson’s 10-episode Marvel’s Agent Carter is another good source of period
series Jekyll and Hyde, a television sequel to Robert Louis inspiration, pitting secret agent Peggy Carter against the
Stevenson’s gothic horror novel which depicts Dr. Robert dual enemies of sexism and a conspiracy that’s larger than
Jekyll as the original Jekyll’s grandson in the 1930s, who’s she initially knows. She’s not a Remade, but she deals with
unknowingly inherited his own Hyde with unnatural pow- plenty of weird, super-scientific technologies and could
ers, and a mountain of mysteries about his own background. easily be called a lowercase-R renegade.
453
DARK FOLLOWER
Aaron Max Berkowitz Daniel “Arista” J.T. Mahany
Aaron Mouritsen Danirato Jacob ‘Milo v3’ McKiernan
Aaron Pothecary DarkFool Jake Chung
Absalom Pickering Dave Agnew James Alan Gardner
Adam J. Larson Dave Brookshaw James Cartwright
Adam Pecar David Chart James Coxen
Adam Utter David ‘dj’ Coleman James Huggins
Aidan Musson David E. Dalton James Nagle
AidenWIP David Ehlen Jared Dumont
Alessandro Bruschi David Larkins Jared Levin
Alessandro Vario David Meloche Jasmine Mullin
Alex Ates David Paul Jason “Derendel” Martinez
Alex Borrome - The Dark One David Ramirez Jason Nell
Alexander “Almacov” Overton David Ross Javier Gaspoz
Alexandre Malette Deatna Green Jeanette Marie Frost
Aljen Deke Reisig Jeff Clark
Alok Baikadi Derek Grimm Jefferson Sunrise
Amy Brennan Deyel Bokor-Charlier Jeremey D Walker
Andrew Wilson Diana Fox Jeremy Mettler
Andrew Wilson Dio Cane Jesos Luzon
Andy Kwong Dmitry Petrov Jesse Rod
Antonio Jose Ocana Garcia de Veas Edward Noyce Jim Brashears
April A Nielsen Edward Palmer Jim Burdo
Ashe Cordiner El Gato Group “JMH621Nova”
Awn Elming Emanuele D’Agostino Joao Mariano
Axel J. Emelyne Peloquin Joe Craig
Beck Emorick Joe Roberts
Blake McCormack Eoin Maloney John Canter
Bob Harrison Eric C. Magnuson John DiPietro
Bob Lewis Erwin Burema John Douglas Kennedy
Bocky Eve Crawford John ‘johnkzin’ Rudd
Braden K EvilOvenBaked Pasta John K Morris
Brent A. Nellis Ezra John Layton
Brent Naylor Ferdinand von Schenk John Rachwal
Brian LeTendre Flint of the Cremated John Veltman
Calder Rooney Florian Kusener John Wm. Thompson
Carlos Martin Flux Jon Rettie
Carlton W. Anderson Frank Clements Jonathan D. Harter
Carol Darnell Gary Furash Jonathan Lang
Casey Ingram Genevieve Cogman Jonathan McMonigle
Casper Wallace George Corder Jordan Springer
Charcoal Wraith Gillfish Joseph A Marshall
Charles Marion Watford Jr. Glauber Rocha (GodM) Josh Krutt
“Charles Wright” Gordon Arata Joshua Thompson
Chow Matthew Graeme Lewis Jozanna
Chris Allen Greg Conant JPD
Chris Ank Greg Walter Juan Manuel Gonzalez
Chris Curry Gregory Eburn Julio martell
Chris Janson Guy Reece Justin Delaney
Chris ‘Stitches’ Upton H. Rasmussen Justin Hukle
Chris Wong Henrik Nilsson K
Coffeedog14 Herman Duyker Karl de Vries
Colin Wilson Hsu from Taiwan! Karl Larsson
Coralie Page Ian D Ward Karl Sell
Corey Elliott Ilan Emanuel Karol ‘Wyrdhamster’ Litwinczuk
Corwin Wright J. Abbott Kathryn Bartlett
Craig S J. Angus MacDonald Kenny ‘Krivvin’ Bailey
Cristiano “Leishmaniose” DeLira J. Thistle Kergonan
D Whitley J.E. McKeever Kevin Mueller
Dakkaramazariah J.S. Thornburgh Killrog
454
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Kimberely Altomere Owen Wesley Kerschner Tara Cameron
Lanandor Paolo Biggio Tartan Collier
Lance LeDuc Patrick Hume Tassy Crewse
Lark Cunningham Patrick Knowles & Tyler Lominack Ted Ludemann
Laurence M. Pereira Paul Hunting Teresa Oswald
Leandro Raniero Fernandes Paul Ryan The Bellwether Beast
Leonardo Menezes Moura Cruz Perverseness THE Donnie
Lisa Padol Peter Gates The Great Ghoul
Logan Rollins Peter Li The Plaid Mentat
Lord Arc Peter Petrovich “Theo”
Luca Magorosso Peter Steponaitis Thomas Martin Eifried
Lukasz Korzen Phil Hattie Tiffany Korta
Magnus Steinrod Preston Bruce Tobias Hensan
Malcolm Jackson Preston Lee Bobo Tom and Rachel
Malu Castro Raphael Bressel Tony Strongman
Marco Generoso Rasmus Steinback Travis Penrod
Marian Weaver Rastlin_M Trevor Pease
Mark “Toroid” Rae Ravraxas tzeentchian
Mark Campbell Sensenig Remy Handler Vera Vartanian
Mark Hulsman Rich Palij Victor Segell
Marko “Lykas” Stein Richard Ross Vincent Devane
Markus Veit Rob Townsend vincent furstenberger
Marshall Cain Robert aka Shukar Vito D.
Marshall J Moore Robert DeBroeck Vojtech Pribyl
Martin J. Manco Robert Fraser Wayback
Martin Trudeau Robert Watson Whistler
Mary Lee Ashcraft Robert Wyatt Will Blankenship
Matt Corkum Rohel Terrazas William ‘Beej’ Carson
Matt Ross Ron “Phantom “ Smay Xinder
Matt Russo Ross Byers Yang Wu
Matthew Earlywine Rupert Pavel Zeven
Matthew Joel Stewart Russell Doty Zhivko Yakimov
Matthew Rees RVH Zilaenor
Maurizio Locusti Ryan Griffin •••
Maxime Durand Ryan Kent Andrew cain
Megan Jenkins Ryan Spinney Andrew Corrigall
Megan Kennedy Ryan Tsandilis Blair A. Monroe
MichaÅ‚ “Idril” Ryan Wheeldon David Csobay
Michael Bowman S.E. Stone Daniel Scribner
Michael Brewer Sam Lyons Dave “UncleMonkey” Bruno
Michael Grasso Sami “Heretic” Qvist Dave “Wintergreen” Harrison
Michael Kahan Satchel Derek Guder
Michael Kelly Scott Hornbuckle Doug Grimes
Michael O. Holland Scott Jenks Fredric Dalqvist
Michael Parker Scott Southwick Gavin Carruthers
Michael Pietrelli Seana McGuinness Guy Reisman
Michael Tully Seidr Jonsdottir Ioannes Palaiologos
Michaella Amora Ragowsky Shadrakh James Ford
Mike Mon Shannon Keniry Jeddy Kight
Mike Tucker Shawn Gustafson Jon Michael Razo
Molly Storm Shen. Hung-Yang Joshua Cameron
Mr. Brown Sillade Justin Woo
Mr. Spark Silvio Herrera Gea Korusef
Mr-Haitch Skylar “Penta” Wall M D Walcott
Nathan Hoskins Somalucard Mikael Assarsson
Nice Brian Stephen J Beardslee Nicole Winter
Nicholas Berkeley Steven D Warble Robert Carnel
Nicholas Peterson Steven K. Watkins Robert G. Male
Nick Riley Stuart Martyn Siobhan (Bon) McKenna
Nicola Went Svend Andersen Steven Nicholson
Ninjar Swallow The Masseys
Oneiros Sydney C. Weltwandler
455
DARK FOLLOWER
William Doetsch Danny ‘Defeat-O’ Lowe MikesMind
Yohay Kaplan Eric Richetti Phil “Herr Direktor Funranium” Brough-
••• Jesper Julskov Schlie ton
Andrew Alsberge Joe Parrino Ryan Byrne
Ben Heisler Justo Diaz Spencer “Grim” Brint
Brennan Willingham Kyle Rimmer Thibaut DACHY
Chariot du Bua Maltry Troy Baker
Chris Tutt Michael Mullin
DARK SEEKER
A. Leslie Bruce Gray David Starner
A. Tompkins Bruno Pereira Davide Ferlan
Aaron “Bloody Jim” Reimer Caitlin Eckert Dawngreeter
Abner Rodrigues Caleb Cushing Dead Gamers Society
Abraxas Lucius Abston Cantoredombre Derek Semsick
Adam “Shama” Talicska Captain Weird Beard Det. Mark Quinzel
Adam Daniel-Wayman Carles Fornes Dining Room Disasters
Adam Whitcomb Cassandra Cruhz Dion L.Woods
Aegisthus Cathi Gertz Doktor Oster
Aidan Menzies celtctriunenightbat13131 Earl Gendron
Alan McCahon Cesar Kimble Luz Edmund Gilbert
Alana Rosenthal Chad Hastings Edouard Contesse
Alan-Michael Havens Chad Justice Entrope
Alex Billman Chasym Eric Altmy
Alex Strange Chazz Kellner Eric Bonnet
Alexander Desmond Rodatos Chiri Medina Ernie Sawyer
Alexander Gaw Chris Angotti Ethan Zimmerman
Alexander Rodriguez Chris Butler Evan “Cenobite” Johnston
Alexander Scott Chris Cowger Eversong
Almoni Chris Hartford EvilLego
Alonso O. Rubio Chris Huddleston Faust Hellsing
Aly C Chris Mawford Filip Van Huffel
Amanda Costigan Christer Malmberg Finder
Amanda Lea Green Christopher Clark Fowlor
Amy Tayloe Christopher Darrell Mounce Franco Frare
Andres Techera Christopher Shaffer Francois Potvin Naud
Andrew Augustine DiNovo Cire Frank McCormick
Andrew Persichetti Citlalmina Frankie Mundens
Andrew Whitby Claus Larsen Fred Bloss
Antonio Borrani Clint Gilley Fredrik Lyngfalk
Art Jackson Colin Wixted From the Outside
Asher Holy Conrad Julian White Gabriel per
Ashley Shinavar Cornelius Milertens Gabriel Sorrel
Astrid Portner Craig Oxbrow Gerard Kirczyaski
Audrey Cox Cruor LunUmbra Gideon Elsetree
August the Bard Czenyk Glen R. Taylor
Aurely Sabourin Messina DaemonChrno Glenn Houtchens
Austin “The past belongs to the living, Dan “Luthbel” Alfaro Greg Peterson
the future belongs to the dead” Loomis Dan Dillon Gregory Faber
Barry Vespasian Daniel “He Who Hunts the Moon” Weber Hal “Osric of the Marrow Flame” Wier-
Beachfox Daniel Andrei Fidelman zbicki
Ben Pimlott Daniel C. Barton Halfbeard
Benjamin R. Daniel W. Throckmorton Haloise Gio
Bentley W. Chism Daniel Yauger Harry Hopkinson
Bilious “Exploding Frogs” Slick Danielle Harper Henrik Augustsson
Brandon U David Clegg Ian A. A. Watson
Brian Griffith David Fergman Ian Domine
Brian Koonce David Franklin Felton Ian K
Brian Rivers David Hayes Ian Smith
Britt Aina David March Imran Inayat
456
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Incandescent Dragon Creation Lin Wyeth Patrick Healey
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J. Guzman “Lou Silvers” Paul P.
Jack Blacklaws Louise Peter Holland
Jacob H Luke Brewer Peter Nielsen
Jakob Maretti Bengtsen Kiilerich M. Aurelius Peter Ong
James “Callidus” Foster M. W. Hellinger Petri Wessman
James Ristig Magus Phil Edwards
Jared Koon Majdi Badri Pia Salter
Jared Tibbs Maleesha Thompson Rain Pletcher
Jason Beadle Marc Collins Raymond Hemphill
Jason C Marshall Marc Maltais Redd Grey
Jason Corley Marcellus Rex Ruthless
Jason Freston Marcin Rozycki Robert “Ayslyn” Van Natter
Jason Reimink Mario Zucco Robert and Amanda Daley
Jason Ross Inczauskis Mark Garbrick Robert Ashford
Jeff Erwin Mark Larper Roberto Hoyle
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Jeremy Pignat (Quire) Martin Bourque Rodrigo Moreira Fagundes
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Jesse Breazeale Mary-Ellen McAlonen S T Tan
Jesse Tannous Matt “Catapult” Wang S. Alexander Gentry, PhD
Jessica Orsini Matt Johansen S.K.
Jessica Purdy Matthew D. Caldwell Samara Nyeme
Jim “The Destroyer” Bellmore Matthew R Tansek Sami Uusitalo
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John Doyle Melanie Newcomb Samuli Hannuksela
John Lambert Melech Starbrow Saneven (D. B. Rosengard)
John M. Portley Meles Badger Sawyer Sweet
Jon Layfield Melinda Hawes Sean Silva-Miramon
Jonathon Moir Micah Karrick Sebastian Heck
Jonci Aguillard Michael “Monghani” Watkins Serra Angel
Jorden Varjassy Michael Bauer Seth Hartley
Jordynn Stohr Michael Bolitho Shaun D. Burton
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Joshua Ramsey Michael Laitinen Stuart Armstrong
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Keith E. Hartman Michael Raymer The Freelancing Roleplayer
Ken Finlayson Michael Richards The Mordak
Kerry Birmingham Michael Tree The Waltzing Murray Gaming Family
Kevin “Wolf” Patti Michele “Mighty” Masala Thomas van Tassel
Kevin Hislop Mike Shema Thomas White
Kevin Wine Monika “Gryf” Biskupska Timon Pike
Khalil Ayvar Morgan Mahoney Timothy Mushel
Kier Duros Morgan Weeks Tobias Binks
Kjell Kenneth Moens Morten Lange Tommaso De Benetti
Krister M. Michl Mr. Junas Tommy Svensson
Kristin Williams Nack The Penguin Travis Carpenter
Ksinin (Dario Giardini) Nathan Henderson Trevor Byington
Kyle Blaes Nathaniel H. Pace Tristan “Twitchy” Wolfe DeRoches
Kyle Ross Nicholas Racz Tuesdae Cheyenne
Lane Carman Nick Roach Two-Tails
Lars Haymaker Nicole Porter Ty Bailey
Lee Dignam Nik May Tyson “Daji” Pink
Leonardo Alves Oumaru Vincent Gonsalves
457
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Vivian and Melissa Wise Dominic Zucco Lost Koala
W Ryan Carden Donnie “Lord Aludian” Roos, Jr. Lucas Bonsignore-Boisset
Wade Geer Doug Atkinson Lucius Maximus
waelcyrge Dr.Bang LVB
Walter B. Schirmacher Dylan Siegenthaler Mandavar
Wayne Kostencki Eric Fleischer Marcel G. Paler Jr.
Wes C. Eric Haste Marcus and Leslie Arena
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William Dovan Etienne Gagnon Matt Parkes
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Zack Norwig Flioro Matthew Sanderson
Zaphrael & Ishigael Fnord Matthew Wasiak
Zyfram Gotz Weinreich Maxime Lemaire
••• Gabriel Night Melody Haren Anderson
(un)reason Gary R Smith II Mi. M. “Kyodar”
@hamildong Geoffrey Martin Michael Jacobson
Aaron ‘Tzurah’ Canning Geoffrey Rabe Michael Lenzo
Aaron Woodside Giannicola Stellino Cuboni Micheal Elliott
Adam Reik Grumpsatyr Michele “MKI” Beltramini
Adrian Giovanni Guillaume ‘Lenny’ Asset Mikel Mecham
AetherealFlux Harry Sillett Mirko a. Mitta
Alec Humphrey Heinrich Krebs Monsieur Meuble
Alexander “Keota” Clowes Hunter Crawford & Margarete Strawn Morten “Wempler” Knudsen
Allan J J. W. Bennett Natalie Ingram
Allen Thornton Jacob G. Corbin Nathan Raymond McNeill
Allyson Fanning Jason Bessonette Neil Lovell
Alwin Penterman Jason Miller Nicolas Vandemaele-Couchy
Andrew Waterfall Jason Petry Palpacwel
Anna Glock Jason Ross Patrik Lif
Anthony “Selketh” Dennetiere JAYSON “the14thguest” TURNER Pawel ‘Admiral_Cola’ Lubkowski
Artem Grunichev Jerad “Slayer” Sayler Peter (T’Sarith Degaalth) Engebos
arthexis Jeremy Brown Peter Golaszewski
Austin Ricketts Jeremy Miller Peter Malmo Lange
Ben Sherman Jesse Ruusunen peter peretti
Benjamin “BlackLotos” Welke Jesus Eduardo Cortes Sandoval Philipp Neurohr
Bryce Undy Jim Fisher Phillip Bailey
Chloe Sobel Jody Bowman Pieta Delaney
Christoph Schulz Joe Dube Plenny the Ugly
Christopher “Diablerist” Lenaris John Benn Randall Crawford
Christopher Maloney John Carnathan Raphael Bourdot
Christopher Partin John Doe Raymond “Fen” Sempek
Christopher Zacher John Hamilton Richard Libera
Cierra B. John R. Trapasso Richard Pleyer
Claudia du Blanc John Rummage Robert Biskin
Cora Anderson John Vikor Green Rodger S Graham Jr
Corey Davidson Jon House Romain Darmon
Crujen A. Geist JoN Nelson Santo!
D M Hubbard Jonathan McKeown Scott Ephriam Vigil
Damon Wilson Jonathan Sharrow Sean ‘Ariamaki’ Riedinger
Daniel Peterson Jordi Torres Serra “Uxas” Sean Martin
Daniel Poulin Josh Sjothun Shad Scarboro
Dashekita N. Brooks Julian Wan Shawn Campbell
David Bresson K. A. Brown Shawn Ellis
David Rose Fraser Kai Schiefer Shawn P
Davildihno Karoly Kopataki Shawn P
Dawid “Salubrus” Wojcieszynski Kat Rhodes Shawn Polka
Devil’s Luck Gaming Kimberly Morris Special Agent Daniel Sculler
Diesel The Great Lance Hosaka Steve Martin
Dolan Ross Scherfel Lars Holgaard Steven Bell
Dom Hero Ellis Leif Lann Stewart Robertson
458
Kickstarter Backers
The Howard House Christopher Gunning Sinellil
The Roosevelt Group Coyotekin Steve Burnett
Thomas “Afyon” Muskens Crystal Ri TaldorBlackfire
Thomas C. Martin David Awesome Cole Topher Ruggles
Thomas Fassnacht David Futterrer Uncy Carl Strauser
Thomas Maund Dr. Donald A. Turner William Delmar III
Tibor Durgonics Edward Monical-Vuylsteke Xavier Aubuchon-Mendoza
Tim-Chang Eldagusto “Gordon Gordon Gordon” Yancey Larochelle-Williams
Trent Tuesday Frederi “Volk Kommissar Friedrich” POCHARD •••
Tristan valentine Glenn Clifford 1. Robert Christian Ruiz
Vesper Abaddon Ian McGregor 2. Lindagrace Mastrangelo
Vicknesh Suppramaniam Ingrid Emilsson Andrew Bradley, Arron Smith
Warren P Nelson J. David Porter David Santiago et Batronoban
Wendy Gri Jack Neddleson Kizzy and Gideon Puck
Werner H. Hartmann James Mendez Hodes KJ Wall, M Eringsmark
William F Scrimsher III JC Cohen Matthew G Payton
William J Schebler Jr Jean-Pierre Santi Sharon “Knallis” Sillan and Violet Sparks
William Neil Marc Rivault Tanner Allen, Locke Lund
Zach Dando Markus Kostarczyk •••
Zachariah Goldie Martin Vaillancourt Aaron Jacob Kelly & Eleanor Mae Kelly
Zachary Fye Meg and Kevin Weaver James Watkins, James Walther
Zachary Miller Michel Foisy Jose Luiz “Tzimiscedracul” F. Cardoso,
Zackary Szechenyi Michelle Flamm Bruno Soares Jardim
Zandruin Nathan Bjerke Kaycie J Goodman
••• Nicolas Villatte Kisako Taikana, Chase Strohm
Benjamin Birchall Rem Kosluchar Nicholas D. Dragisic, Tim Prisching
Bert “Silent Bob” Sanders Sean Willoughby •••
Brad Wall Serventa Trollune, Charles Trecourt;
Brian “Mad Hatter” Harris Shanna Broussard Louis Trecourt; Yannick Peyrede;
Christopher Greer Shawn Gates Fabian Fernandez
DARK MASTER
Jamie Myers Terrence M1A2G7I Micheau ‘Reseru’ Sansone
Joseph Lunder ••• Zachary Thomas Tyler, Bone Shadow
••• Chris Handforth Cahalith
Brad Whitcomb Jason Italiano
Maxime Berar Justin Simon
459
DARK MASTER
For millennia,
monsters have hunted
us…
and fought alongside us…
Rebellions swell and vampires feed. Casualties of
war draw Reapers to blood-soaked battlefields.
Gilded ages benefit mortals and monsters alike.
How? Why? What role do the monsters play with us

— and each other?
Dark Eras 2 explores 13 new eras scattered

throughout the history of the Chronicles of
Darkness. Each chapter features two to three
game lines and is compatible with Chronicles of
Darkness Second Edition rules.
Unlock the past.

Find out what hides
in the shadows.
Dark Eras 2
Inside, you’ll find:
• Historically inspired settings and story hooks
• Character-creation tips and gameplay advice
• New Tilts, Conditions, and era-appropriate rules
A Sourcebook for
the Chronicles of Darkness

Chronicles of Darkness - Dark Eras 2

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For millennia,

monsters have hunted

How? Why? What role do the monsters play with us

Dark Eras 2 explores 13 new eras scattered

Unlock the past.

• Historically inspired settings and story hooks

• Character-creation tips and gameplay advice

• New Tilts, Conditions, and era-appropriate rules

Locations 57 Uther’s Rage 89

Egypt 57 The Kingdom from Below 90

Promethean: Wonders in Shadow 64 Caerleon 91

Setting the Hedge Ablaze 65 Dun Tagell (Tintagel) 91

Lineages in the Age of Wonders 65 Venta Belgarum (Winchester) 92

Dur-Sharrukin 66 Arthur’s Courts 92

The Great Bargain 68 Londinium (London) 93

The Lost and True 69 Novus Burgus (Newport) 93

Kiths 69 The Dead that Walk 94

Playing the Game 73 The Armor of the Black Knight 98

Playing a Fetch 74 Assal — Spear of Lugh, Shaft of the Moon 99

Playing the Game 146

Demon: A Convulsing God 197 Tier 3: Conspiracies 236

What’s in This Book?

makers ofby history.

• Changeling: The Lost/Promethean: The Created — The Seven Wonders

• Hunter: The Vigil/Changeling: The Lost/Vampire: The Requiem —

theof West, the

he whose being has

been wrought in his

HEP, INSATIABLE OF ITERU

Playing the Game

in the Black Land

Sources and Inspiration

Great deeds are

In the Ashes of Alexander

— The Colossus of Rhodes

Locations The Ptolemies themselves take on a divine role within

Giza and Alexandria

Mesopotamia themselves. Though the population is small, the Lost make

The Fate of All Things

The Ceryneian Hind

• A snake approaches as the characters delve deeper

Seven Wonders into the Hedge. She doesn’t want Persephone to

the world there

some made small and

over defeat and

and His Noble

Locations Caerleon is fairly well removed from Saxon territory;

Fear, and Fire

Saxon Hunters: for invasion. In a display of cunning characteristic of the

The Hands of Tyr —

TEAMWORK RULES The Glepnir —

Legends of the Era

War Among the Remains

what I shall tell you

— Dinarzad and and

Shahrazad Nights, The

and One Nights

Where We Are scathed. Eventually, Baghdad’s forces claim partial victory;

Merv What Is to Come

You want to join the Ahl al-Mumit because: You are