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Contents: Introduction Prolqgue: An October’s Ending, Part Two...pg. 6

Book One: Orientation Chapter One: Entering the Secret World...pg. 14 Chapter Two: Protagonist Creation...pg. 30 Chapter Three: Basic Guidelines...pg. 68 Book Two: The Lightbringers. Chapter Four: Angels...pg. 98 Chapter Five: Daevas...pg. 1 34 Chapter Six: Questers ...pg.168 Book Three: Cast into the Ageless and Eternal Struggle Chapter Seven: Demons..,pg. 198 Chapter Eight: Wer ...pg. 2 14 Chapter Nine:The Other Everlasting...pg. 22 6 Chapter Ten: Mysterious Worlds...pg. 244 Book

Four:

Beyond the Basics

A Series of Legendmaking Experiences Welcome to the second FMndation Book for T h e Everlasting, an overarching fantasy and supernatural legendmaking experience. There are four basic Foundations for the system. Each Foundation is a stand-alone system, but all four are fully compatible with one another for a much larger setting. T h e setting itself is called the “Secret W o r l d . This foundation book is entitled the Book of t h e Light and includes information on both the lighter and darker sides of the Secret World. Participants may take the roles of: Angels (the nine celestial orders and the half-angels); Daevas (immortals who are much llke gods of legend); and Questers (knights of the round table who found the grad and received immortality). All of these races are described in great detail, along with other “gentes” (races) o f magickal beings, including Demons (the darkest of enemies) and the Wer (brutal, disease-carrying lycanthropes.) This foundation book also includes information concerning the Seven Heavens, New Camelot, the Netherworlds, the Wer communes, and much much more.

Other foundation books within this series include:

Foundation One: Book of the Unliving T h s book features: Ghuls (crypt ghouls that eat the dead); Revenants (the dead who come back to life); Vampires (the tradition-

al and the modern); Dead souls (ghostly spirits); and Reanimates (Frankensteins monster-type creations). This book describes the horror side of the Secret World, includmg the Underworld and the subterranean realm of the ghuls.

Book of the Spirits This book features: Gargoyles (earthbound spirits of good that “consume sins” that wind up corrupting them); Manitou (totem spirits joined with human or animal hosts becoming shapechangers and spiritworkers); t h e Possessed (good people possessed by elder nightmares that love to corrupt humns, and evil people possessed by dream guardians that use hosts as expendables); Astral spirits; Dream spirits; D j k Somnomancers (sorcerers of the Dreamworlds); and Leviathans (the dragon’s own demons). The otherworldly side of the Secret World is described, indudmg the Astra and the Dreamworlds.

lairs, dwarven subtropolises, dark elv cities, elven strongholds, and moder dungeons.

Important Warning llc Everlasting is an experience ’ believe. T h e whole purpose is to h None of this is real. De E&ti things fantasy and supernatural co withtn it are imaginary constructs for your entertainment, Do not t material contained here seriously. escapism to an extreme is unhealthy an potentially dangerous. Imagination is n replacement for reality; there is a re out there and you are part of it, Do dreams of fantasy compromise your and enjoy yourself in a safe manner.

VESI (Visionary Entertainment Studi IO4 Bull Street, LaGrange, Georgia 302 Please write us and tell us what you Visit us o n the World Wide Web: http://www.visionaryentertainment.co e-mail: [email protected]

Foundation Four: Book of the Fantastical This book features: Dragons (these most ancient, fearsome and powerfd of the eldritch move fieely in human form); Elves (seven nation-races of these beautifid warrior-magicians and keepers of legendary creatures); Faerie (a race of dangerous and magickal creatures); Dwarves (both the ancient and the high-tech dwarves, along with agents of law and chaos); and Orcs (a magickally-created race of thralls fiom another world.) T h e fantastical side of the

Original material 0 I994 by St Brown. Additional material 0 I997 Steven C. Brown. All rights reserved. Reproduction without written per the publisher is expressly denied. Th EverlastingTMand all material conta herein are copyrighted by Steven Ch Brown with the exception of quoted materials. The mention of or reference to any erties, companies, or products in these is not a challenge to the trademarks o rights concerned.

Mark McKenzie Toby Smallwood L.A. Williames (Interior Illustrators and Photographers) Heralds: Penny Kojak (Ksionay Entertainment Logo) Steven Brown (The Everlasting and L.finiy Angel Logos) (Graphic Design)

oundation Book Two Interactive Legendmaking Experience Steven Brown

dication: Just as with thejrst book, this second book is

Brown, Linda M . Brown, D. Scott Ethel Maddox, Morris Kirst, Dot Kirst

entor and Artisan:

eation, Design and Development)

er of Tome Cover:

Illumination Administer: Steven Brown (Layout Design) Illuminator:

Mark C. McKenzie (Layout, Photo Manipulations) Wise and Noble Oracles: Marc Mder Linda Brown (Business Consultants)

Jack Autrey Jason Autrey Linda Brown Jeffery Brumbeeloe Nick C a r d o Brian Cook Mark C. McKenzie Tami McKenzie Phillip Schultz Christopher Sheets Brant Skipper Frank Smith Jason Veal Matthew Vicks Abel Walker Jay Wehner (Proofing and Design) Note on Quotations Quotations are meant to be in keeping with Fair Usage. We offer a special thanks to all the owners of quoted material. Those who enjoy the quotes should check out the sources. The mention of or reference to any properties, companies, or products in these pages is not a challenge to the trademarks or copyrights concerned. Special Thanks to U.S. Game Systems We greatly appreciate the use of The Rider Tarot. Anyone who wishes to use tarot cards in The Everlasting should check out the many versions offered by U.S. Game Systems; their products can be found in most bookstores.

Illustrations from the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck@, known also as the Rider Tarot and the Waite Tarot, reproduced by permission of U.S. Games Systems, Inc., Stamford, CT 06902 USA. Copyright 0 1 9 7 1 by U.S. Games Systems, Inc. Further reproduction prohibited. The Rider-Waite Tarot Deck@ is a registered trademark of U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Walk in the Light and Guard against the Shadows. Welcome to the Secret World. Welcome to the theatre of the soul.

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7;was nine o'clock at night by the time Thomas found his way to the secret location used as a shared sanctum by the fellowship to which his former mrntor belonged. Thomas knew it was his place to avenge Josiff, that is e honorable thing for a dae& to do whenhis former mens murdered in cold blood by another eldritch. There are les requiring such rem'bution, but those who fail to at make the effart are viewed as rogues at best and cowat worst. And ?hornas was M) rogue or coward, though moreso than most other godlings. ed his red GTO on the empty street outside ding that was once a department store, back old part of town was -'brant with mortal life. was not locked; they were expecting him he did not wish to keep them waiting. They and dangerous lot of immortals. h e respected them, men thougche could only mst a couple em, and he knew they would help him exact his ance. They had been allies CaJosiff and, ey were not personally close to him, most the former daevan godling of storm long e 'Thomas knew him and studied under his uilding was dark. Black shoe polish coven windows kept out the glow of the streetlight, but it not matter. Thomas could set in the dark with preterthe front r m - that

hallway with a single bulb casting a lime green walls. Thomas walked through the closed brown door at the

insurance office had once burned down back in 7953. to the burned out husk of

too. Thomas recalled this, for he had been living in the city at the time. The room was quiet, but 'Thomas could hear low talking beyond a frosted glass door across the room. h e crossed the room and knocked on the door. h e heard the sound of footsteps coming toward him, then the door opened with a creak. It was huther's face that greeted him from within the dimly lit room, cuther, who was Thomas'only real friend among the fellowship It's good to see you Thomas, though 1 wish the circumstances were better." Luther offered. I,uther was wearing a green sweatshirt and brown pants. his beige trenchcoat lay over the couch just behind him. h e had a couple of bruises on his face left over from his fight with the demon-possessed mortals. Tt's good to see you too, buddy. ?hornas responded with a warm smile of familiarity and a hug. It seemed that whenever they were together the years they had been separated since their last visit existed only as a short dream. Josiff had always said, T r u e friends are the ones who don't require attention." Luther stepped aside and turned, allowing Thomas to ter. This meeting place did not look like it could be of the building he had just walked through. It black stone walls decorated with bookshelves, weapons, and many large photos of Atlanta and its people. The pictures dated back over the course the last hundred-and-forty years all taken by s~ff and other fellowship members. There were er couches along three of the walls, a large television, and a long conference table surrounded by c&fortable leather chairs in the center of the room. The recess lights in the ceiling were dim, as the un-dead among the fellowship preferred, but they lit up the room enough for ?hornas to see that the entire fellowship was present for his amval. Margeret, a vampire of the Lilim bloodline, sat at the conference table. Pressed in an expensive and body-hugging red dress, she was drop-dead gorgeous. But she was known to be ruthless and deadly: she could be a stone-cold killer whenever there was need. Tonight she only said, "hello Thomas, it's good to see you." and gave him a very troubled look, which seemed a surprise from her usual arrogance and sarcastic teasing. Two seats to the left of Margeret was Vrodrick, a hacker, inventor, web entrepreneur, and industrial spy. h e claims to be of the Xeysori, one of elven nations more adapted to city life among mortals. You would never know he was an elf just by looking at him: he looks like an attractive young man with long golden hair. Only when his mask is down on those very rare occasions do you notice the tall ears, the angular features, the violet irises, and the altogether inhuman, unblemished beauty of his face. These

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things are all there, you Luther took the lead. I V e know i t %'aseldritch. It had . "lust don't notice them unless he lets you. h e was looking through be someone reasonably powerful, but we suspect it Thomas was comiGg in. hue looked up a t T h ; , ;aid one individual acting alone despite different forms of a "hello," and then put the laptop away. The seat between he on Margeret and myself. ]miffs mortal guards were and Margeret had his satchel sitting in it, most likely sied and they appeared to have died by the same we because he still had some fear and dislike for the vampire. from the look of the wounds and their placement. W e b "hello, Vrodrick," Thomas replied. it to have been a large knife. W e also believe it was one There was a man and a woman seated at the table that individual because there was no direct raid on the pla Thomas did not know. The woman had her back to him, but from what we could tell. The killer apparently sneake turned around and stood u p 4he was in her early twenties, the sanctum and killed the guards one by one. W e can maybe younger. $he had dark blonde hair, golden eyes, and a sure through conventional means, but, through. m deep tan. h e r jeans and colorful floral-patterned blouse were unusual methods, we have surmised this much and be tight enough that he could tell she had an incredible body, to be correct." They spent the next half an hour looking at au though facing him she was nearly a foot shorter than him. h e r attractive face bore a smile and she offered him a tos, fire department and police reports, and news handshake with, It's nice to meet you Thomas. B'm Tracy vided by Vrodrick. They had nothing else to go Jones. Derrick Petters died three years ago. I've been the Luther and the others were going t o start their own i tigation the next day. manitou of Jaguar since that time. %,I guess you could say, 'Tm going to check for any new eldritch in the c we've worked together before, at least in a past life." through my contacts." Vrodrick stated. It had long '2 guess that could be said of me as well, Thomas. B am Richard Jefferies, host of Aueristur of the YugtuhuL" h e rose place to help guide any investigations the fellowship co ducted. "Luther, you beat down some doors and find out and offered hand across the table. Thomas paused reluctantthere is any demonic activity currently going on, aside ly before shaking it. 4 our problem with the wer. 'I[ don't think the werwu *Iguess yourmemories of my possessor are less than '1 be so sophisticated as to burn a house down t o cover pleasant by your reaction. Unfortunately, I'm not as gifted as Tracy when it comes to the memories of those who came + tracks, plus, B think Tracy would have smelled t h before me." Jderies sat back down and looked at him. with all the smoke. Margeret and Revis, ask aroun Thomas took a hard look at the man. No doubt what he saw '1' unliving, see if anyone had a grudge or just wanted J dead. 'Tracy, you go down by where Josiff lived and a was an illusion, one created as much for JefFeries as for other around; maybe some human was awake and saw some people. Aueristur's hosts had long had the tendency to die Richard, come with me. I'm going to need your help." quickly. This one looked to be in his forties. h e has short, After a little further discussion the fellowships meeti plain dark brown hair, uncombed in the back by the look of ended and they all went their separate ways into the. nig how it curled around to the sides. h e was of average build Thomas went to Vrodrick What about me." and was rather drab and average looking. h e wore a black '4tay out of trouble. I know its your place to hunt d suit with a white shirt; the tie was even black. h e had the the murderer, but I'm not going to tell you what to do stench of cigarettes on him, which Thomas had learned was aren't in our fellowship, so its not my place. Whatever more a habit belonging to Aueristur than to most of his predo, just don't forget that m e of us were his friends too. vious hosts. 211go with kuther, if he'll have me along." %uamng in the floor in the darkest corner of the room responded, turning away from Vrodrick and mowng was Revis the ghul. The creature stank of decay and everythe door. Xnd yeah. You're right. I'm not part of this fel one kept their distance from the cryptmaster. The creature low ship." was dressed in a black cloak with dark clothing underneath. '&ook, don't come off pissed at me because we didn' h e didn't even lift his mottled head above the newspaper he want you in. W e made it our rule from the very start was reading when Thomas came in, but offered 2t's pleasmore than one of any gems, so as not to upset the ba ant to have your company again, sir", before returning to Just because B was one the ones who fought to keep you ou whatever held his interest. doesn't mean I don't respect you. One daeva, Thomas, Without waiting for the question, kuther said, W e so happened to be hiff.Now he's gone and we could u started meeting here last year. Our last location became you." unsafe." h e took a seat back on the couch. Yeah, you could use me, just like you used Josiff." "have a seat, Thomas." Margeret offered, waving her retorted sarcastically. h e turned around to face Vrodric arm at the seat to her right. 'Don't you think 1 k h w that Josiffwas sharing his Thomas sat down beside her out of politeness. What with you. Our bond was deeper than yours could ev have you found out?" h e said, as soon as he took his seat. been with him. B know that he was telling you all w

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needed to know in order to stay on top of your dominion.

e investigating: maybe its q.”Vrodrick coldly stated. turned around and left the store. The others all gone now, save for Vrodrick, who was still inside, asked, approaching the eah. I figured you could do with busting some heads our attitude.” Luther said casually, but staring

ah. Okay.Its just

...how do you put up with them.

hat? Different from us?”

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L u t h e r got out and went to the trunk. 3oscar 5antiago. a revenant drug lord and all-around xumbag, uses a backroom in that place to run his drugs through for packaging. h e used to dabble in 4atanism and black magick back when he was a living mortal. %e people say he still does. They say he’s killed children and done lots of other terrible things. h e usually lucky to be a revenant considering the business he’s in, but not tonight. I’ve been looking for a reason to take him down without pissing off Margeret and Revis. Ifanyone knows where there is black magick going on, it’s probably 4antiago.’’ ‘Zooks like we’ve found a good reason to get rid of him.” Thomas smiled. ‘Yeah, but listen. I don’t want him dead. he‘s probably got some mortals working for him. Kill them, leave the creep alive. You think you can handle that?” Luther asked. 2t’s been a while, but I suppose. But what about the bodies?” ‘Idon’t think the police are gonna miss a bunch of drug dealers too much. hell, most of them are probably wanted on outstanding warrants anyway. You go around to the side come in through the back. I11 take the front 1 draw their attention”. Luther said, as he ut on a duster, put t w o pistols in his belt, and slid is empowered axe under the duster. Luther walked straight into the bar through e front door and passed by all the criminalminded, unsavory characters playing pool and hanging by the bar. h e knew some of them were staring at him, but didn’t care, most of them would run shitless when the blood started spilling. ‘What do you want?” The words came from a big biker, at least 300 pounds of stink and mean, standing behind him with a pool cue. ‘Iwant you to play pool and to leave me alone”. Luther said, pausing but not turning around. ‘You got a problem ~

our car, we’ll take mine.” ey got into the car Luther turned to hat’syour impression crf them? ‘‘ bviously. Look at them. Look at what they t they are doesn’t make a damn. stand this: they are my allies, they were s allies, and they are more loyal to him and me

you have ever been to anyone except Josiff.”Luther t‘spretty rough, even coming from you. What’swith thing except that I’ve lost I loved just as much as you did and I’m blaming r not listening. You know, he warned u s . at least last week. h e said that we’d iss him if he didn’t show up this week. h e said you would

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,so what. h o w could you know what he meant?” should have known. Don’t yoii see? If anybody could was going to happen it should have been uther’s tone was one of self-disgust. isten, Luther. Were gonna get through this. I should e known too, but I didn’t for stme reason. And neither know probably better than I o t o you. Don‘t do it. Let’s miles before parking across the from a rundown bar in a bad neighborhood.

EVERLASTING Page 8

with that?“

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‘Yeah I gotta .*’ That was all the man got out before Luther spun around and picked him up by the throat and hurled him onto the top of a pool table with only minimal effort. It was only a second before three other men came at him, itching to beat his ass. h e planted the first one with a punch that broke the man’s jaw. The second biker went down with a busted kneecap, while the third got his nose broken and went down to his knees in a finger lock. Luther pulled out his Desert qagle, flashed it around, and the crowd began racing to get out. Looking down at the crumpled mortal on his knees, Luther asked, Where is loscar sntiago?” The mortal’s wrong answer of ‘1don’t know” was followed by a cracking sound as the mans middle finger snapped. ‘&et me ask just once more nicely before II put a bullet between your eyes, Where is he?”

around the end corner for cover. buther yelled out at the guy he had been interrogating, "Get outta here. Get out now!" One of sntiago's mortal guards pulled a pistol and squeezed off a few rounds at Luther, but Luther popped his head out from around the bar and dropped the human with a shot to the head. The bartender pulled out a shotgun from behind the bar and fired right through the side of the bar at Luther. But Luther had looked over in time to see it coming and dove forward in a roll, coming up onto his feet and planting three rounds into the guy's chest. A bullet whizzed by his head and another caught him square in the right shoulder. T m right here, Luther." The dark-skinned revenant, dressed in black biker leather fired his Uzi at Luther while three other mortals were opening fire on him. Luther only had a couple of overturned tables for cover and he was only able to get a few more shots off before getting completely pinned down. The bullets seem to ease up as he heard screams coming from the mortal's direction. h e looked up to see Thomas coming from the back room blowing away the last of the humans before catching several rounds in the chest from s n t i a -p . Thomas went flying . - back to the ground, but managed to get a couple more shots off. Luther stood up, dropped his pistol, drew his other pistol and pumptd S n t i a p full of silver bullets. h e walked over toward the bullet-riddled revenant, whose un-dead flesh was regenerating at super speed from the non-silver wounds. T h e drug dealer was still standing, though dazed. 4antiago turned around in time t o catch sight of buther's empowered axe before it caught him in the neck. The revenant went down and his black blood spilled out over the bar floor. 'Uh Looks like you got him alright". Thomas said, as he came walking back in, his shirt riddled with holes. 'You look like hell". Luther said with a laugh. "You don't look so good yourself. What kind of plan do you call that'?" Thomas replied with a smile. T h e old standby. I use it most of the time for working off anger. Felt good,didn't itr?"Luther said, as he drove the axe back down into sntiago's chest just as the creature was regaining consciousness. 'The police'll be here shortly. Let's tie him up and find out what we need before sending him back to wherever he came from," Luther said as he drug the un-dead creature into the back room.

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worthless, pathetic creatures with wo pathetic lives that amount to nothing. are nothing. They are livestock pigs for caring for, and killing to do with as we please." were Marshall's thoughts as he drove toward the h e was a daeva and he had to convince himself it was else he would go insane within those walls. It was too for him now; his die was cast. h e knew what was well most of it anyway. Josiff s apprentice, Thomas, be coming for him, along with the others, to avenge Jo murder. h e could not see how it ended, but the flashe future that haunted him made him suspect that Gr would be coming soon. *chow the demon had clouded the prescience of other daevas, only Josiff knew what was to come. Ifhe the other fellowship members, then perhaps it was too late for Marshall to save himself. Those idiotic those demon-possessed mortals that Grostolis, they failed to destroy Margere Luther. They would have to continue though no doubt the fellowship would tle more ready for them. The drive out to the factory left him a lingering dread, as it always did, but sinking feeling was its worst just as he pulling up and the gates were opening for The human-looking guards stared at h with the eyes of demons. Kom the outside, the factory probably looked just like any other large indus&l complex to mortal eyes, but t o the eldritch and the fan those rare mortals who could see into the Reverie factory stood out like a cancerous sore on the landscape black and gay walls and its cold and rusted smokestac were ominous. h e could hear the cries the pleas for death those torturous wails of the mortal victims i those walls, which reverberated on a frequency that no mortals couM hear (for the benefit of their own sanity.) place was like a death camp, but unlike any death camp fashioned by human minds. Marshall parked and entered through the main doo walked down the bleak shadow-gray halls, and found way to the summonation chamber, passing more dybb and some other eldritch along the way. h e could hear sounds of the machines in the distance, hear as they extracted the last drops of pain and fear from their vi .'Iam among you now. Come. Kneel before me." Th was a leprous touch against his mind; it was the demon Grostolis', Marshall's demonic master to whom he ed his soul in exchange for Grostolis favor in savi of Mary Catherine, Marshall's one true love. The was that Mary Catherine could not live after to

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light of the Afterlife which she had been drug away from by emons. 3he slipped into d that way for the alone during the night. you are here already. B thought, master, that H in your summoning”. Marshall exclaimed. h e ned. h e looked up briefly and caught sight of the true form. It was horrifying. The creature stood eight feet in height and thrce feet wide in places. The was only vaguely anthropomorphic and its flesh was d of colors Marshall had only seen in dreams. thought, hmm. Well, I have work for you still. Grostolis said, half-ve rbally, half-demonically in ay that the commands felt like liquid underneath

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B’RB about there”. Luther looked over at Thomas and turned off the tape. Thomas, wake u p ” It was 4 AM and the pair had found their way to the rural community south of Atlanta where the Black circle supposedly held its rituals.

ah. L e t s take a closer look”. Luther said, stopping the e pair walked to the trunk and opened it: inside were her’s many weapons. “choose your poison for the second e in one night”. Luther said. stick with the shotgun”. Thomas said, taking the ump-action Remington he had used earlier in the h e dropped m e shells in his pocket and Ill take ier too. You never know.“ ther grabbed his axe, strapped on a pistol belt with sters, picked up an Uzi, t w o 9mm pistols, checked ,and dropped some extra clips in his deep coat ‘&et’s go. ‘There may be a. dozen or more up there.” r prowled around the house quietly, but they only one individual inside the house, and he was snorcould tell by their keen senses that the man was e for t w o dogs. ‘They could also smell that there thing in the barn that warranted checking out st. They sneaked over to the barn, broke the hasp loose the locked door, and walked in. Immediately what tit sense of smell had been telling them was confirmed. he flies were still buzzing and the coolness of the night air not contain the stench three disemboweled human s bound in bloodied ropes hung from a ceiling crossThere were chalk symbols on the dirt and hay ground.

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No animals were in sight. The walls were painted all over the place in white, blue, red, and black occultic symbols. ‘$antiago said they call themselves the Black ‘C;ircle.My guess, according to the visions I’ve had, is that a demon is involved, so these must be the guys. Let’s get out of here and call the police to let them clean up this mess.” Luther announced, somewhat taken aback, even for him. ‘Yeah, sounds like a plan to me. Wait a minute .” ‘Thomas paused in mid-sentence. They heard footsteps running across the yard. Both immortals were out the door, guns drawn before the man could get into the truck he was heading for. Two pit bulls turned from the man and ran at Luther, who was closest to the mortal. Bhm. Bhm. The shotgun blasts hit the driver’s door and the corner of the truck’s cab causing the truck, which was in reverse, to spin around in a U, running back into a ditch. ‘Thomas looked down and found Luther crawling t o his feet after knocking the two dogs unconscious. Luther was breathing heavy, but took off toward the truck, as did

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‘Thomas. ”he‘s not dead!” htipped the door off the car and pulled the man from it to the side of the ditch. W h o killed the daeva called Josiff?” Thomas said, lifting the bleeding man up off the ground a little.

The dying man looked at the pair and they knew: this was a demon-possessed man. The creature let out some coughs and choked out W e had nothing to do with it, but you’ll find that out soon enough. There are more of my kind here those who run the factory. The signs are in place, I can see them, you know. It is the dead who will come to claim you, Thomas. They will claim you as their own. It is the painted one that comes.” am a godling of death, demon. T h e dead have always claimed me. Now tell me, who killed Josiff you rotten asshole’?” h a s screamed, struggling to hold up the limp body of his victim. ‘You will die soon. You know the killer, but I11 bet -J[ need not tell you that, daeva.” ‘The man looked over to the quester, then threw his head back, crying in agony from the gunshot wounds. Luther did not miss a beat: he dropped his Uzi and axe, pulled out a small wooden box from the duster pocket, and began praying in Latin. The demon-possessed mortal bowed it’s back and cried out with t w o voices. Luther pulled out a cross and a vial of holy oil. h e sprinkled the oil on the man’s face and hands, then placed the cross upon the man’s head. T h e dying mortal jolted with a shock. ‘You are dying sir. Make peace now with your creator, for there is no saving you now. Your soul is free of the demon that has been in control of your body.”Luther stated, looking the man right in the eyes, calmly yet with compassion.

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There is no saving this life of yours, only your soul should matter to you now." Luther continued pressing the point upon him, and soon watched as the light faded the man's eyes. Then came the event that Thomas was all too familiar with, an event he had already witnessed earlier in the night. A pale man clad in a tatterdemalion robe and a skull mask, armed with a deadly scythe, emerged from the shadows at the edge of the woods by the house. The reaper came up to the man's soul, which was now floating out of his body, and with one fluid motion sliced the silver cord that bound the soul to the corpse. The soul looked down at Thomas, smiled nervously, and then rose into the air. Luther saw none of this, but he was still looking up with amazement when five words slipped from his mouth, T m tired of seeing angels." Thomas could only guess that Luther saw whatever happened t o the soul beyond what he could see himself. I n the car Thomas looked over to Luther but said nothine. T h e t w o drove back into the citv and 0 talked very little to one another during the mp.Luther let Thomas out by his car. "he wasn't lying, 'Thomas". kuther said in a subdued voice. 73emons are all liars, but P can make people, even their kind, tell me the truth. The thing is, 1 didn't have to. h e wanted you to know. h e wanted to spit in our faces before dying. The truth he left us with was his curse. I'll see you tomorrow." Yeah. Goodnight. Go get some sleep. Thomas offered emotionless as he turned and got back and - in his car. h e drove straight parked in the hotel garage. When Thomas walked into his dark hotel room, he knew even before turning on the lights that Jennifer wasn't there. h e flipped on the lights and immediately noticed the note on the bed. P t read, Tommy, your friend Margeret stopped by and she's taking me out too see the city tonight. 111try not t o be too late." Thomas turned around and headed back out. It wasn't like Iennifer to take off like that, but Margeret was a good manipulator. h e suspected where to find them the Raven, a local club that Margeret frequented. It had long been a bagnio a place of feeding for her kind and Margeret would no doubt lead Jennifer right into the lion's den. 1

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U'ThW awoke when his cellular phone rang. h e gabbed it quickly, Yeah. I t ' s me." The voice belonged to Vrodrick. xisten, 1 installed security cameras outside your place." 'You did what?" "I'll tell you later. Right now, you've got eleven targets

entering through both sides and the rear five pairs, one solo, each group by a different entrance. They alfappear be armed with firearms. hold on. the solo just cut yo power. Were on our way." click Luther heard a slight creak upon the floor t w o away. They had probably come for him those that had tried to kill him just t w o days earlier. over, grabbed a katana off its stand and took a loade & Wesson .38 out of his nightstand. h e reached for speed loaders beside the gun, but they were empty. quickly moved his pillows around to resemble a body the bed, and got behind the door. The first demon-spawn came in the room and lowe her pistol toward the bed. Luther lopped her head off she could even blink. A gurgling came from her mouth head toppled t o the floor. The body crumpled. Luther to move it and bullets blasted the doorframe by his head They were using silencers. h e dove across the room to the other door, firing as he did so, catching one man in chest and in the knee. detachine the mans 0 lower leg. h e caught a second intruder in the right eye. Luther made it back up t o his feet and slid through the other door just as he heard another one coming. h e turned, using; the doorframe for cover, Znd caught ano one in the chest. h e slipped across the b room and through the dkr on the other si The old offices of the long closed textile mil were now his living quarters, and this n room was his den. h e jumped into the op panel in the lowered ceiling and waited he caught sight of t w o men crossing the r h e jumped down behind them stealthily and cleaved one the men in t w o with the katana. The other he blast the man fell t o the ground facing him and plugged I, with three shots of his own before Luther shot him de Luther staggered back and fell against the wall. 9til1, Luther was tough and the shots had not killed him. Luther heard shots in t w o other parts of the mill. Fr one side he heard an Uzi firing rapidly, followed by seve single discharges. 33om the other direction he heard the growl of a big cat that was quickly drowned out by h screams. h e was almost lost in concentration until he caught the scent of t w o demon-possessed mortal runni down the hallway behind him, as if trying to get a something. Luther ducked behind a couch in front doorway through which they would be coming. his gun was empty. The pair one man, one woman came through doorway quickly but cautiously. Luther leaned up peer over the couch. ?hey saw him and started fi Luther leapt over the couch and planted his swor of them without getting hit once. Luther spun around.

-

..

-

-

L

-

-

'It's me!" growled a scratchy, cat-like voice. It was Tracy, though by the look of her she was half a jaguar. h e r re spots and her fingers had grown into long claws. uth had stretched back revealing large bloodied re ripped and blood-soaked, ed her into the room from the other side, d with t w o submachine ther, my man, they want you bad." I just can't figure out why," Luther said, sitting the couch. I s the house clear'?'' As far as I can tell." V r d r i c k stated as he pulled cellular phone and placed a call. 'Wevis, hey listen. Get over here to Luther's now. We've got several snacks for you. Besides, you're good at cleaning up

. .

Tracy, '1couldn't place it to start with, w 1 think B know. I've been going over what a demon earlier tonight. h e said that the 'painted one' is coming. nk that it's a demon called Grostolis that's doing this. his kind because his skin is this world. Which means, time Josiff and 1killed that bastard wasn't good 'd better tell the others tomorrow," Tracy said, as she

with a smile, 'The pleasure was all mine. Thoma5 pointed chis finger at Margeret; 'Well talk later." Thomas took Jennifer outside and called a cab over since he had taken a cab in order to get to the club in a h u v . 3he paused before getting in, 'What's wrong, Tommy?" 'They are vampires. That's what's wrong." Thomas whispered, still without showing any emotion, fearing that he was being watched. Yeah, well they told me they were. 50what. Margeret is still a friend of yours, right'?" 'Wrong. f3he has never been a friend of mine, and she wasn't Josiff s friend either. But it's not her I'm worried about. 1 don't think she'd hurt you. The fact is that you are in a place where there are many of their kind and anyway, it's dangerous and I don't want you there. We're going." Jennifer got in, closed the door and rolled down the window, Whatever you say. You know more about these things than H ever will. It probably wasn't the smartest idea to go out with her, but she was nice and convinced me it was okay with you." The cab pulled off. Thomas gave the man the name of the hotel. 'Pon't worry, I'll take care of Margeret. We'll talk about all this later." And with that, their discussion ended as the cab driver piped in by asking them where they were from.

...

00

URHNG the night b s ' dreams laced h B nightclub was packed to the brim with mortals. To Thomas the place reeked the

-

stench of cigarettes, the smell of liquor, and the sour odor of sweat masked somewhat by the blending of perfumes it was an olfactory )phony, and somewhere below it all was the faint, jery scent of fresh blood. This was the Raven: this was -geret's turf. 'Thomas spotted the pair sitting at a table not know. h e approached

-

When he got near the table, he could hear the man t and Jennifer about Russia. h e spoke with ean accent, but blended in were hints of Gome on, we've got to ed at him, 'What'? What is ted her to show me r e t , who sat there with a

nnifer turned to the man and said, I t was nice meet-

themselves in prescience, and when he awoke in the morning he knew. Jennifer noticed that h a s was acting a bit more quiet and edgy than normal. After enjoying breakfast with her in the hotel, ?hornas rolled his sword in the newspaper, taped it up, and took off. h e left a note for Luther with Jennifer and told her not to open it. h e secretly left Jennifer a note in the bathroom where she would find it later. h e wrote that there was a key in his blue suitcase to a safe deposit box located within a bank in town. If he didn't come back in three days, he probably wouldn't be back, and she should get the money from the bank and leave Atlanta without telling, or even saying goodbye, t o anyone. About an hour after 'Thomas left, Luther came by and Jennifer gave him the note. h e suspected it was bad simply by the look on Jennifer's face, though the note was sealed and she had not read it. The note read: '1know who killed Josiff. It was one of us. I'm going t o take care of Josiffs killer today if I can." Guther was left wondering did Thomas mean one of the fellowship members, another daeva, or something else? Maybe Thornas didn't want him t o know too much.

-

00

Part Three continues in the Book of the Spirit E

EVERLASTING @ Page 12

And L saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called fiithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make wax His eyes were as a flame ofjre, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself: And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is calkd The Word .f God. -The Revelation of jesus Christ to St. john 19: 7 1 7 3

-

A battle rages between good and evil.

...

...

as always humanity is caught in the middle. There are some mortals and eldritch serving the Lurking Darkness Now and some defending the Glorious Light. There are also those who are simply trying to survive the current jeremiad. But now the time of sitting on the sidelines must come to an end for you. The time is at hand for you to join in that struggle; to enter the fray as a warrior of lkh. You are powerful, but know that the Darkness will not suffer your existence if it can end it. Your courage and honor, your wits and strength of will - these are your weapons against the tireless and seductive forces of damnation. Step now into the Secret World, but watch where you travel for there are places where even the Angels fear to tread

....

...

Do you believe reality is more than what you see? In our modern age of busy mundane lives can there be room for the supernatural? Can we still imagine that there are mysteries that wdl never be understood by science? Is it possible to believe there is more to reality than what we see each day? Modern psychologists have linked “magical t h n k i n g the belief that people and objects can affect other things without any energy transfer or causal relationship - with severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia. Most people believe that personal perception and thought has no effect o n reality, but is that true? Is the power of visualization a false one? Can positive thinking have any effect? Is intuition a sense or just sdliness? You must judge for yourself. T h e idea that “extraordinary claims demand extraordinary proof” combined with Occam’s Razor have eliminated any respect for superstition and all reason for religious faith. But just because science can define various aspects o f reality, does that mean there is nothing outside our current definition of reality? Is there truly no magic in the world or has it simply been indefinable t o modern science? Science has proven the existence of other dimensions, but it is unable to define those dimensions because they are beyond the human brain’s capacity to comprehend. Perhaps magick is some aspect of these higher dimensions - we simply cannot comprehend its true nature. Humanity has always longed for something more than what

-

beliefs

. . . can all

This chapter and the two thatfollow it provide everything you need Know in order to participate in The Everlasting, including introductions to legendmaking, storytelling, roleplaying, character creation, and forms of system mechanics. This chapter gives you a lot general

Of

rnrough lh6 your own persor your fears, doub courage, and strt i

ticipants who are roleplaying the other characters as if you are your character, and they in turn should always address you as d they are their characters.You can use accents, hand gestures, facial expressions, or whatever else you feel comfortable using in expressing your character. You should make your protagonist different enough from yourself that other participants will know whether you are speaking as your protagonist or as yourself. You can extend your roleplaying to involve some degree of Live-Action, if you wish. Live-action means that you actually move about and act in the role of your protagonist, just as any actor would in roleplaying a character. This is in sharp contrast to sitting and talktng as a method of roleplaying and it can be very usehl in breaking up monotony and enhancing drama. Live-action does, however, have several limitations imposed for safety. Never use live-action for any scenes that involve violence of any sort, scenes that might be offensive or dangerous to you or any other person, or scenes that might cause harm to any person, place or thing. Never carry weapons, that includes fake weapons, since they can be mis taken for the real thing. Never physically touch anyone in live-action, but you can move ab rant and rave, cry, or do whatever else you feel is appropriate. Never perform live-action in a nfThl;r r--place or anywhere else where 1there may be people around who h: idea as to what you are doing.

-3

( i

i

CornmuVal Property -

T h e mirack is this the more

we share,

the more

we have -Leonard Nimoy

ommunal protagonists are protagonists are traded from participant to participant with each new story. It may be mteresting for protagonists to be divvied out to different participants each session, since this means less emphasis on power-seeking and more emphasis on characterization. Each participant can bring new ideas and perspectives to the protagonists as they take turns roleplaying them,

with deadly dangers that could kill protagonist. Whc.n a protagonist is * simply fill the erripty slot left with :

-

Draw$ Cardp

9

a7d go 173

InuicaIIv hrniiuhf in

wtthniit hP9itatinn

In describing system 1 within this foundation b to cards and card draws and dice rolls. The purpt in terminology is to mai simplicity for the reader. consider it roll

LIClpdllL>

,"i p

8

a

thev take on new characters.

Communal protagonists mahidso vary more in power and experience l&el since

Bforykl

takes the next protagonist in the rotation, and continues doing so each story, moving all the way around the rotation, back to the beginning, and possibly through the rota-

t eaching each subsequent generation the centrd trUths of oui livesand what it

communal protagonists is that cer can be used regardless o the participants will care more about, and understand more about, every one of the journals (see chapter 2) may be pas around and filled out by each partic

the most basic stereotype It is best if the Guide

m eant to be us. nes to one another;

the story, the plot, and

c”i

story through roleplaying tkeir protagonists and directing their actions.

Walk uy path in Destiny’s gurden andyotr wdl be

you can explore magickal places and experience wondrous thmgs through your imagination like few others have experienced.

, can experience mythology and discover ,rer

1

I

even gain practical wisdom if you know

on$ darkness.

- Neil Gaiman, The Sandman

within your own mind Once you into the realm of mythic possibili

11

1

‘1 t

yourself; this process is called hpdrnaking.

notice of Joseph Campbell’s cially The Hero with a Thusan

text of make-believe

-

the use of alleoorv oivino a deene

We are the music-makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams, by lone sea breakers, WandPnng - . And sitting ly desolate streams; World-losers and world-forsakers, On whom the pale moon g h m s ; E t we are the movers and the shakers Of the worldjoreveq it seems. Arthur William Edgar O’Shaughneq,

Art is a deliberate recreation of a new and special realty that g m sfrom yuur response to &. It cannot be copted; it must be rreated.

- Anonymous

The mythic experience can be a form of art

we

here are rare and fleeting occasions during roledav when vou reach an Jtered state of I

,

- what participants create through their legendmaking represents the art itself. The experience is performance art since participants are very much like actors, yet it is also l k e authorship since participants create not only their own roles and lines through improvisation, but their entire reality and everything withm it. The stories created are works of art, just like plays or books. They are, however, of a more transient and fleeting beauty. Everyone should strive to make the legendmaking experience as artistic, grand, creative, entertaining. and memorable as Dossible. Each 0 I

imagination.

selves in these altered states of co ness when they roleplay a setting ter for the first time, especially wi ented Guide and others who take

mentally by relaxing and

not be captured and canned.

Lion VUUK WILL

. .

pruviuc yo

preparing yourself and in altered states of heightened imagination as often as possible.

--

THEE\TKLASTING 61 Page 20

ComPoSed Of lesser stories. One Person often best handles th large collection of tasks, but the Guide must give up the

-

otagonist because slle will be so busy guidlmi;the experience. TI Tt- E-.- 11 111 I ne cverwnng, nowever, the Guide’s roles are usually dividedap amongst all the participants, so that no one person has all the authority and no one person directs the entire course of the experience, thus malung The Everlasting Controlkrkss. This allows everyone to roleplay a protagonist, and only the person directing the plot is lunited in terms of her protagonist’s freedom of actions. It is up to you and the other participants as to whether one person or several serve Guide. More information concerning the role of the Guide is included w i t h chapter 12.

Btory Creafiot) The greatest duty of the Guide is

-~ -

par*

and wdl d esome a powerful (irug-?ord”.The Gulcle plots out the “who, when, where and how” of the particular events. These events are called scenes. For example, in the previous example, possible scenes might indude: a situation where the protagonists find out about their enemy’s return from an informant, a scene where the protagonists track the villain to a guarded estate, a fight scene with the enemy’s minions, and a scene where they face their old foe in his drug laboratory. Subplots: Subplots are outlines of sub-stories within stories. They are basically the same as plots, but they often focus on individual characters rather than all the protagonists as a group. They can also focus on events of lesser importance that simply have nothing to do with the main plot. Setting Setting defines the times and

1

Btorv "'Forma i

de many plot, escalatior ists, scenes as plot tw surprises, such bplots, c h ~, focusing on su id protagonist-dnven occurrences, a events. 7I- 1nese extra scenes oftenemake the story far more interesting, persond, and realistic. I"*

IMI

follow a

chronological format in

a certain ordrr: Exposition, Escukztron, Climax, Denouement, and h a r d . Once you have an idea as to the plot, subplots, setting, and characters, you can turn that information into an actual story. You create the story by breaking events down into individual scenes.

Exposition: Exposition is the means by

Climax: The &max of a story is the

which protagonists are introduced to a story. It may occur in any number of ways that hook protagonists into the story. Exposition allows participants to

may defeat their foe or accomplish some great task, but they may also fail utterly.

LlllIW. 111 d U U l l l U l l LU l l l l l l i C l l l l g L l l C

most thrdling scene, the protagonists

1Jnlikt.in the movies. the mod ouvs

have grown from the experience.

damnant quod non intrlli&nt (zb,condemn what thy do not undrntand,)

stories together as one over-arching story.

It is to an Ordinary but it is much grander in scale and takes much longer to roleplay since it is actually composed of several individual stories. The’Odyssey serves as the protagonists’ Hmj j w r n y , with the individual stories serving as steps to some great achievement and reward. Each protagonist has a special quality called an Ethos (see chapter 2 ) that reflects her mythic role in the Odyssey. Odysseys are described in greater detail in chapter 13.

setti79

gfqe

While the following information is o d y

a

Overview

Of

the

for The

Everlasting*it Provides You with enough information for you to begin participating in the experience. You will learn much Of this foundation more through the

book and through

Other

books for The

T h e Everlasting, but

are as impor-

tant as the following:

Prejudice and ignorance, along with a lack of understanding and compassion, bad to the destruction of us all. A mysterious and extremely disastrous event has occurred within the Secret World, releasing countless demons upon the face of the Earth. Few eldritch know how it happened. Most simply refer to the event as the Death Knell, for they believe it marks the end of the age of magick . . a time when a N~ ~ ~ arise.~ L~~~h ago you would never find the different races of immortals working together, but have changed; their is at stake and they know it. It may already be

.

too late for their kind, but a t least they can fight the demons in a grand Ragnarok of

Everlasting.

their own making before they themselves

Magick and the supernatural are very real within the Srrrrt World Supernatural

expire.

beings are generally referred to as the Eldritrh. Among the there are beings that are immortal in One form Or another; these mortals are called the Everhsting. This mythic system focuses primarily on the everlasting within the Secret World, but also includes information concerning the other eldritch. In The EverlastingtYou may take On the Of

erful wards within the h t r u (the psychic

vampires, elves, dragons, gargoyles, monsters from the Dreamworldsl ghuls, dwarves, modern day knights of the

round animal other types of creatures.

and

The demons, once locked behind powre,&s), now roam the Secret World freely. Many of these “Beasts of Fear” are closing the gap bemeen the Secret World and the R ~ ivorld A (the world s d n o r m a l ’ ~ people like you and I inhabit.) Humanityis at risk and the everlasting are the only eldritch capable of (or interested in) standing against the dark forces of the Ntthenuorlds. There is still great hope for the future.

For though the everlasting gentes (races) know almost as lirrle about one mother as the mortals know, the everlasting are recognizing that they are bound to one another by some greater destiny. Groups called hllavships are forming everywhere. In these

/

~

~

fellowships, eldritch of all sorts are closelv working together in protecting both the Secret World and the Real World, since the eldritch call both levels of reality their home. Now their only hope for survival lies in overcoming centuries upon centuries of hatred, mistrust, and ignorance.

The Everlasting is not about gloom and doom; it is about magick and wonder. Aside from the primary theme of the there are themes that will shine through in the course of legendmaking: Lonrlrnas

IS a

wq

of 19.It is difficult

watching the Of birth and death and recoPizing mortals as who are here for but an instant and then gone. immortals lose their Of value concerning life and view the vast sea of mortals in which they live as nothing more than a herd of cattle, while others Onto each Ounce Of their strive to

precious humanity. Lore docs not come easy for the everlasting; while some find solace in the company of mortals, most find that mortals can never truly understand them. There are many among the everlasting who seek out others of their own kind, for only they understand what immortal existence is like because they

It is easy to hold on so hard to thr world asymr know it thatyM4 rmpkt+ lose tmrrh with the world as it really is. Technology is developing at an ever increasing rate; the lat mo

hundred years we have gone from horsedrawn carriages to space ships. We are rapidly moving towards becoming a global community. . . if we do not destroy ourselves first. For someone who has watched the slow growth of mortal society over the course of countless centuries, the events of modern day must seem to occur at a dizzying speed. Add to this the fact that few things around the everlasting last forever,

people they love, and it is no wonder they wrap themselves in habit and add a of stability to their lives. It is their countless

.

ts that keep many of the ,but some have taken their ur dllU U I C - A

^^

A

--AA-\

^^

side with the most votes wins. Participants who want to take advantage of the Guide can abuse this process. So, if the group decides to limit their democracy (which is usually a good idea), the Guide retains the right to veto the ruling. This may also be limited, if participants wish, to allowing the Guide to veto only a certain number of votes in a single session (possibly 3 or so the Guide is not an antagonist, she is usually helping the story through her actions. Most importantly, Guides should be fair, should be willing to listen to others, and should keep an open mind. The Guide must be firm in her decision, but she must also keep in mind the other participant's feelings on the decision. The nice thing about The Everlasting is that every partici+ -..

L .

c-:J...

..__

-..-

1

as alway

--L.--~-

---L..*

- - -~~ -

Degree of Success: The higher the number rolled, if the roll , , was successfd, then the greater the success. Depree of Success Crude but Successful Adequate Success Good Success Great Success Great Success Awesome Success Perfect Success

Roll Succeeds bv

Example of a Trpical Skill Test:

I% to 14%

. ..

IT wm

ercentage amount over 100% is merely added to the roll. if a 33% is rolled and the skill is I40%, then take the rolled and add 40% (for the amount of slull over 100%) oget 73% for the roll. In combat and during contested tiom, points over 100% are added before any modifiers from the opponent. So, if a success of 73% was achieved and an opponent roll6:d a 52%, then the actual success number would be 21% (73% minus the opponents 52%). 1

Whenever a I to 1.0% in eithe It succ even 1 ,*

. “.*

r

, *” daeva n quester scores 1 i(

piration43 or a S nspiration 45 or a Stten Idown to get Life and

rne LOWT taruJmrr a Lombardy Zeroth Tarot deck, and the picture

o f the ltghtning stnking the Babel-like tower and the two men falling struck Mawanoss’mtnd like a blow. He stagered back and looked away,,forcing himsey not to stmpb suwena’er to the vtolation o f his mind ly the potent symbol. T h ~ must s have been what was caustng the mental racket evey tourist who had looked squarely at the card, breathing the steam of P p e i bkmd, w l d have got the psychic equivalent of a shock treatment and even the ones who couldnt have seen it were neverthekss in

-

thefog and picking up the signal and stepping it up and re-broadcasting it. E m Powers, Last Call

-

own protagonist fail in an attempt to

&e. Regardless of what one believes, i

arcana, as follows: Clubs (wands), Diamonds (coins or pentacles), Hearts the tarot simultaneously conceal and

not feel &e she has to play all, or even one, of the major arcana she drew, if she does not find good opportunities to do

from the cards of the minor arcana

exercising some personal control over

the cards, Many booklets give both

11:T h e High Priestess Intuition, divination, revelation, the truth revealed, feminine mystique, feminine wisdom, emotlonal risk, healing, extreme enthusiI

n Edightenment, personal transforma-

ough taking chances, struc-

1 m

ercy, power, marriage, nigner au servitude to higher power, ability to learn, value of tradition and ceremony in everyday life, manifestation of religion, traditional ideas, purity and value in practicalty, divine guidance and reliance, spiritual lawgiver, spiritual growth through the mundane, righteousness, rigidity VI: The Lovers Male-female re tionships, attraction of opposites, desire, friendly communication, intellectual flexibility, resolution through commitment and malune a decision. enlight-

e Hanged Man Sacrifice, &isdom through sacrifice, knowledge ,. . . tnrougn prophecy 2nd divuiation, ~OIIOWing own beliefs, communion with the unconscious aspects of self, one’s deep attachment to things that matter the most to them, concerning the subconscious mind, astral mind, psychic domain, the hidden depths of the soul, allegiance to higher powers despite eart Iy fetters, reversal of normal values Xm: Death Loss or relinquishment of ideals, goals, possessions, capabilities, ideas, and relationships. Breakdown, change, renewal, costly transformation, death itself, finality and apparent clrstritrcion which rlefinp 1ifp irnnmrtJiI

r

,.

realizatih, develclping the unexed aspects of ones life, spiritual evolution, finding new opportunities for one’s self, mental development Xvm: The Moon Deception,

Some students of the tarot karn to tell stories using the archetypes presented within the tarot. It is possible to create

front your nightmares and live *your dreams through the stories you meate. The choice is yours as to whether or not you give stories deeper meaning and greater signAcance in your own life.

Yw s h l d constantly strive to improveyotrr roleplayin& storytelling, and legendmaking skills.

structive criticism and give it when asked, meanings, intuition, large number of conflicting influences, wild passions,

expanded in much greater depths and

life to the fbllest, rediscoverin ir use of it for legendmaking.

droices that affect the soul, chang one’s position and beliefs, success

judgement, condition of the soul, amining own soul, liberation throu rgiveness, great change forth

For herein may be seen nobk chivahy, courte9, hurnanity,friendliness, hardiness, love,friendship, cowardice, murder, hate, virtue, and sin. Do affer the good and leave the evil, and it shall bring you to good fame and renown.

- Sir Thomas Maloy, Lp Morte #Arthur

T h e heroes of light are surrounded by a world filled with darkness, perversity, cowardice, greed, and murder. They must remain ever vigilant against the Adversary. Faith and skill are the armor and swords of those who serve Good, but the enemy is legion; its names are many. Some people choose the Darkness over the Light, seduced by the idea of fieedom, power, and mystery. Still there are Lightbringers found among both the mortals and the eldritch, and you may be one of them. The following three chapters define the three major players in the everlastings war against evil. These Lightbringers are the Angels, Daevm, and Questers. Each race is unique and self-supporting; in fact, the three had almost no contact with one another. In modern times, however, they are being drawn together in the fight to save the world.

Do you believe in angels? Angels are not simply the winged messengers of the Bible; they exist within the mythologies and religions of many different cultures, appearing under many different names. They are the feather people and winged tribe among the Native Americans, the karibu of ancient Babylon, the tenshi of Buddhist legend, and the mareikura in Polynesian folklore. But angels are not just distant fantastical figures found among many cultures, they are considered by many people to be part of their everyday lives. According to a I974 Gallup poll, 54% of Americans believed in angels, by 1988 the percentage went u p to 74%. Belief in angels has continued to rise as more and more people come forward with stories of encounters and miracles within their own lives. Unlike most other supernatural beings, angels are reported by a large percentage of the population - not only ( by religious fanatics, New Agers, and charlatans. Many doctors, agnostics, sinners, and people who don't give angels any thought have had angelic experiences they cannot rationally explain away. In most all cases, encounters with these divine agents have affected the lives of the people who experienced them. If we do not believe in angels, who are we to judge those who do? Maybe those who claim they have seen, heard, or felt the presence of angels actually have experienced something beyond our own reality or ability to sense. If angels were only mental aberrations, would so many seemingly mentally stable people suffer the same effects yet have no other strange happenings in their lives? How can we judge those who claim they have experienced miracles, near-death experiences, angel encounters, and mystical revelation? How can we categorize them as deluded, insane, or fraudulent? Maybe if we could open our own imaginations to the potential - maybe if we could have some faith that there is more to life than what we see - we too might see angels. We might then know beyond a shadow of a doubt that mortal life is not some worthless animal existence ending in nothingness,Wouldn't it be nice to meet our guardian angels or even catch a glimpse of one in the rear view mirror on some rainy dark night while driving all alone?

CGqfer Pour:

My god has sent his angel and hath shut the mouths, and they have not hurt me. The Book of Daniel 6:22

-

Do you believe in angels?

Book of the Light @ Page 97 I

*.$.;.

*

7

'B,

*':

\*.

6

"

I

*

.

(8.

her forces am01

serve as Divine agents in maintaining the Great Work.They go about their countless activities unseen by most in the fleshly world. Yet, since the dawn of human history, there have been recorded tales of these celestial creatures, these Angels. They have been among humanity since the time of Adam and Eve. They cast us from the Garden of Eden, but remain our watchers and protectors. Long ago, the earth was without form; there was no space, or time, or matter, o

At the dawn of time, all the were angels who served the Divine.

found m the city of Ur in the Euphrates Valley, about I40 miles from ancient Babylon and settled around 4,000 B.C., featured winged angelic figures from one of the Sumerian seven heavens. An ancient Egyptian tomb painting features a winged Isis enfolding worshippers under her wmgs in the sleep of death. Around 300 A.D. paintings of angels began appearing in the Roman catacombs, flourishing during the reign of Constantine the Great (306-337 A.D.). Still, the angels are not tied directly to any one religion as a whole, for, like all things in Nature, they exist beyond the boundaries of particular religions and are no more Christian, Muslim, or Hindu than are the rocks, sky, trees, or animals.

souls toward wisdom, love, on. and understanding. These beings possess great powrers and live mostly within a higher spinaid realm , 1 ' 1 numan unaerstancung. The Deyona1 1itvmg angels exist without form, :space, and dimension on one level, belng simply the

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1

deemed as an inferior race. The Battk in . Heaven raged and one-t hird of the angels abyss ruled were cast into the Pit.' the great P

Y

beings are c.ipable of earth for extended periods of tin

by the first of the fallen, the Mor himself, Lucifer.

watchers, the chariots o morning stars. Every human

contact with one another. Angels ap Aryan, Mithraic, Manichaean, and

re filled with their

so.

Above all else, angels are individuals - some cruel, some kind, some giving, some selfish, some deceitful, some truthful, some worldly, some naive, some introverted, some gregarious, and so on. Though most lean toward good qualities more so than bad ones, most do have personality quirks and faults. With the release of the demons in recent history, some angels have kept very busy working against them, trying to save humanity. Most angels continue performing their normal duties, letting the eldritch worry about the demons, but there are some angels that seem chosen to fight the darkness. The demons were once like the angels, but their own hubris brought about their downfall. Still they serve a great purpose in that they provide balance and entropy to the universe. While some demons claim they seek the destruction of everything and others just wish for all to suffer as they do, most claim they merely seek an end to it all, a great Unmaking. Only the efforts of the angels can direct the eldritch to the true secrets of these dark beings.

d o they require sleep. However, angels do sometimes require rest and often do eat

I'm an angel. I kill-firstborns whik their mamas watch. I turn cities into salt. I even, when Ifeel like it, rip the 5 0 d j j d ? n littkgirk. Andfrom now to kingdom come the o n b thrng you can cotlnt on in your existence is never understanding why.

ngels Seem Very human

coryor-7 ;bodies, are far from human in structure and function. Angels have no per-

sonal scent, yet all smell of fresh flowers afier the morning dew. They do not breathe out of necessity, but many practice and pretend to breathe so they can better fit in among humans.

The astral and dream forms of the angels, i&d their Angtlic Forms, often resemble the angelic forms common throughout legend - perfect human bodies, androgynous, with long flowing hair, halos, flaming sword, white robes, shining armor, sandals, and massive, beautiful wings of light made into feathers. Each order of angels aIso has a Cekstial Form they take in their Seven Heavens. In rare instances,

Angels are not immune to any particular forms of harm, but they are very tough. In addition, they possess strong regenerative powers, and some are even capable of healing others and themselves simply with the touch of their hands.

e.,

.

Angels are not etherealized human beings, evolving animal qualities in their wings; but thy are cekxtial visitants,flying on spiritual, not material, pinions. Angels are pure thoughtsfrom God, winged with Truth and Love, no mattw what their individualism may be.

- M a y Baker Edb, Science and Health

he corpus is viewed by angels as nothing more than a working tool for carrygg out missions, so, while an angelic body is well built and powerfd, it is not highly valued Angels will submit their bodies to destruction before fading in their missions. An angel can create a replacement body, (but w d either cost her participant Destiny points or generate Baddash points to do so. Twenty-five points for a new body. Aspect scores remain the same, though it may be possible to shifi around two or three points from one physical aspect to an0ther.) An angelic c o r p ~ not only of earthly luminous energy ao Despite this, withot corpus looks M e tlbody, consisting of internal organs which

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er oi ; they

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Rook of the Light

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L3r not @aid for somt

to

haw strangen in your houst,

thmrb haw entertained angpls unawares. - H&ms

13:2

an&C

order

voices and a preternatural calmness that pervades their being. Most earthly angels have fingernails and toe nails that are not unlike polished glass. Their teeth are a pearly white, their skin is warm and tingly to the touch - in fact, it even seems to glow with an inner light in some ways. Their hair is full and bright, yet the individual strands are a.fine and soft as baby hair. Their ancient eyes seem to pierce the soul and their faces can be a cold and expressionless as stone. They even bear a natural floral scent. The angel (or two according to the

dimensional angelic forms are similar in The celestial forms of an are difficult to define in sensible three-dimensional terms. For thi reason, within vari-

three angels coming in an forms to Abraham ith a message that his d wife would soon hose descendants

been described in

each with a thousand eyes, and angels with fou

entirely human and far from perfect. They may appear any age, any race, and either sex. They can be masculine, feminine, or androgynous, regardless of gender. There are huge, brawny male corpora, little old lady corpora, small children corpora, and so on. An angel can also alter the appearance of her chosen corpus through transubstantiation, allowing her to change her apparent age or facial features. (Doing so costs I to 5 Destiny points and animus points, depending upon the degree of alteration.) Of the most common traits among earthly angels who do not try hard to con-

assic form of luminous, oth, hairless, and perfect

and some wear sandals. This form is primarily visible in the Reverie, Astra, and Dreamworlds. The traditional angelic appearance showed up in human art in the fourth century AD., appearing with wings, haloes, and nimbuses of light. It is just as Thomas Acquinas once said, “angels are holy minds without bodies.” These luminous beings mav take on whatever forms are necessary in carrying out their missions. Some can even become dre‘ms, thoughts, sensations, natural phenomena, and animals, (though they require certain Divine C$ts to do so.)

RtaIb, there is nothing I can do about this. A power outside and bqrond me has predetermined these una/tcrabk events. All my artions have been madefor me in eternity. A / / ny actions are divine. -Jamaica Kincatd, Ovando

easily sense slight changes in temperature, pressure, and humidi?.

of of

creamresof occupying, ~ n capable d of perceiving, seven dimensions, unlike humans who only perceive three dimensions spatially plus the fifth dimension of time in a linear, oneway manner. Angels give up their ability to perceive more dimensions than humans do when they choose to fully enter and interact with earthly inhabitants. However, angels retain hll comprehension of all the dimensions to which they are aware and may still utilize special Gfts (preternaturae) related to higher dimensions. However, angels still cannot communicate to humans in any manner, the nature of higher-dimensional reality, because of the limited capacity of the human mind. (It would be like describing colors to someone with congenital blindness.) The earthly senses of an angel are better than normal human senses by far, granting them greater connection to the world. Angels can also sense good and evil energy flows, vibrations, fields, and patterns. They can even sense good and evil behind all disguises and past all illusions. Angels can hear at fifiy feet what most humans hear at fifteen feet. They can hear in the ultrasonic range and can even pick up some radio transmissions audibly through concentration. They can also recognize voices more easily than most people can. Their vision is acute, allowing them to perceive a greater range of colors and providing them with excellent night vision. Their sense of smell is the most enhanced of all their senses. They can identify anyone they know by scent alone at a range of ten yards. They can smell drugs, cancer, and other things. Their smell allows them

Angels do not need to eat and drink to gain sustenance. Instead they must spend time within the celestial realm communing with the Divine. They leave the earth, returning to the Seven Heavens where they praise God and bask in divine love. For each hour an angel spends in the Seven Heavens, her roleplayer makes an Inspiration (I2 - Intuition) draw. Each success yields one point of animus. For each day the angel fails to spend at least one hour in the Seven Heavens, she gains one point in Sadness. This Sadness persona quality has a maximum score equal IO minus the angel's Impetfection score. Angels may also regain animus by accomplishing angelic tasks, such as evoking faith, love, peace, happiness, and so on, or by creating something for the furthermce of Creation and for the glory of the Creator, such as causing flowers to bloom as they are supposed to or inspiring an artist. Each angel has three P rooin m one Primary, one Secondary, and one Tertiary. An angel may gain up to 3 points of animus per day by doing things in service to her primary Province. An angel may gain up to 2 points of animus per dav by doing things in service to her secondary Province. An angel may gain up to I point of animus per day by doing things in service to her tertiary Province. Indirect action increases the animus reward related to a Province by one point. For instance, \kronica the Cherub with provinces of Mothers (primary), Children (secondary), and Animals (tertiary) rescues a family from a burning building. Since the mother is pregnant with her third child, the Guide declares saving the mother's life gains Veronica four animus points instead of the normal three animus points for her primary province. Saving the two children rates Veronica two animus points. Saving their father does not gain her any animus points, but saving the familv dog gains her

~

~

sav dog over saving the father she w8uld gain three baddash points, as it would b e a at wrong against the mother and chil-

c

n d i r Tnir irv

1 l

Any time an angel serves the Divine by strengthening the faith of a person or by helping her find renewed faith through their actions the angel gains Destiny points. Typically one Destiny point is per point the persons Faith is increased, with an additional two Destiny points if the person had no faith at all.

The back of the angel was a mess. The wings were broken and twisted; the back of the head staved in; there was a floppiness to the corpse thar maale me thtnk its spine had been broken as well. The back of the angel was Neil Gatman, Murdcr Mysteries

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LuminarC Sustenance LuminarC (half-angels) can gain animus horn meditation, sleep, food, and drink.

tenance is as follows: e’

mater, posse

Of

injury can still destroy them. Fire, intense

communion witn a nigher powerpervades all present, save for evil beings that feel hollokess, a surge of power, and an evasive sense of damnation. The body breaks apart into ashes within seconds after death, becoming light that rises into the air, gainmg a br rilliance, then scattering as it nses the anpelic form of the angel rises out of 0 its body and joins the light of its body in rising into the air. If mundane mortals are present the corpus w d remain whole until it is not seen, then it will become partides of light. The destruction of an angel’s angelic form is similar in that the body breaks apart into ashes of light. The celestial form of an angel is indestructible except through divine power.

Angelic Irrinds, thy suy, ly simple intelligence Behold the Forms of nature. l7q discern Unerringly the Archetypes, all the vermes Which mortals lack or indrrcctctly learn.

- On Beinp Human, ly CS L e w i s

0

Tt i s nnssihle tn ntevent a n Qnupl’c

forms of debilitating damage as 0th angelic beings. They are also subject true death, however, and do not rega new physical forms upon death.

he ascendant ones are alien beings

who are totally non-human in their mentality, behavior, and self-awareness. Fully aware existence within their seven-dimensional reality represents not only a greater dose-

form of intuition, The angels call it their Voice, the ‘‘still, small voice” &at leads them to certain actions and charges them with divinely inspired missions. An angel does not go to school, but does possess personal E ‘ ‘ ’ ‘ on experience. Howeve upon a wellspring of k ing these holy protect0 they do not themselves own experience. This ir to the angels in much t as their intuition - they

thing, usually they only know en

. .

'1 than tt~mor dmils thy do not tfm God

31 mperjection

is the

their home realitv - a seve ond heavenly realm but on ey are subject 1-0 temptations flesh. Sin, corruption, and situation ere right and wrong are hard to define present problems fcm them constantly. me even doubt the holiness of their ssions. In many ways, angels suffer the

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challenges against desire that suffer in an imperfect world

sistant to these emotions at

ed within their earthly corpora,

The angels who be

even-

(1 ut Y L C I 1 1 pu'pu" Imperfection reaches a she may not ascend into the Seven eavens and must wander the earth. Whenever temptation, doubt or o motion takes control over an angel, achieves four or more successes on an emotion draw,) then the angel must make a contested draw involving Imperfection against the number of successes achieved with the emotion. For instance, an angel suffering dwbt (five successes) must make an Imperfection draw and another draw of five cards representing the degree of doubt. If the doubr gets more succ the angel's Imperfection increases by one point. For each day the angel fads to spend ne hour in the Seven Heavens, one point in Sadness.

maximum score equal to (IO - the angel's Imperfection score). z

ction for the LUminari

I

Luminarh have scores in Imperfection, but it represents the strength of their own immortality. A luminaris is normally immortal, but every year the luminaris must make a Spirit (difficulty equal to Imperfection score) draw or else she w d become a year older over the span of a few months. Obviously, those with high Imperfection scores age more rapidly. When they reach human old age, they are subject to the same loss of aspect and ability scores as humans, as well as health problems. In fact, luminark can actually die of old age through their Imperfectron.

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Impertectior) Growing Effects More human-like (and less-than-angelic) behavior and the loss of Divine Gifts through the Agonres. The angel develops human interests and becomes less interested in her own goals. Decreasing Persona Qualities: Compulsion to serve the Creator, Purity, and Holiness. (These qualities may not have scores any higher than I3 - current Imperfection score.) Increasing Persona Qualities: Any non-angelic, more human-like persona qualities. (For each point in Imperfection above three, the angel gains three points to divide among human persona qualities.)

An angel whose Imperfection score increases to I3 becomes an immortal human-like creature tramed on earth. The followI 1 ing Est of k o n i r s (as they are called) represent the Divine Gifts that are lost through Imperfection. ~

in tbr charge of an angel Augustine, Eipht Oucstions

Evrty visiEIr thing in this wwld IS put

- St

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scendant ones are beings

with souls and fieewill. They are more evolved

t Ian itiinan\ AI t , yet they are still bound into closer service to the Creator than humans. They are charged with duties and responsibilities that they must attend to for the duration of the universe. Each angel was charged upon its creation with servmg the creator in particular ways. Provinces represent the various categories and forms of service. Each angel IS charged with three Pmvinres (one primary, one secondary, and one tertiary.) Thus, several angels share a single province with one another, though -1--.--._.-c &L- -...__- _.^__ L.- .- A. ...~ . - .--I. i L l l C p I u L I L y Ul U I C IJLUVlIICC l l l d V v d L y l l U l l l U l U l V l U U d l L U ll1u1-I

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vidual. This dlalws angels to ally with one another in undertak-

another when d oppose one an0

Voice); Loss of one Divine Gift

wince is medicine and whose efforts involve aninflict, angels develop grudges mal testing. In c er, but they seldom act against

ere are some

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Angels and ministers ofgrate d$nd us. William Shakrspeare, u t ,

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ngels are intuitively told by the Kice

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what they must do in the service of the Divine. They are not told how to go about accomplishing their missions, allowing them to use their discretion, creativity, and experience in their efforts. Missions may be avoided until it is too late to achieve success, but refusmg the call often results in Backlash points. Most angels are required not to reveal they are angels to anyone, and they also intuinvely know they niust work to help people help themselves rather than sunply helping them in the most direct manner possible. The use of Gifts in their missions is considered a last resort rather than a common working tool. Protagonist angels are considered to be among the more adventurous of their kmd. They are members of the Army of Heaven in that they are elected to fight the demons. They must often risk their mortal lives by fighting the Adversary and by performing heroic deeds. In many ways, protagonist angels are like special agents in the eternal struggle of light versus darkness. ,-x The successful accomplishment of divine missions will often result in Destiny points and regamed animus. Failure in performing a mission can result in Baddash points, if the angel did do its best. The exact number of tiny points varies, but typically they ge from three for a sunple mission, to five for an average mission, to seven for a G difficult mission, to ten for a most danmission, to fifteen for a virtually ible mission. Backlash points can range from fifteen for f'arling to perform a simple mission, to ten for an average mission, to seven for a difficult mission, to five for a most dangerous mission, to three for a virtudv impossible mission.

THEEVERLASTING @ page 108

None sing so wildly well As the angel Israfel. And the gidrE/ stars (so legends tell) Ceasing their hymns, attend the spell Of his voice, all mute. Edgar Allan Foe, Israfel

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Angels possess glossolalia, the ability to read, comprehend, and speak every human language, past or present. (Angels can still have scores in Language, representing more detailed grammatical, idiomatic, expressive, or etymological f d a r i t y with a language.) In addition to their glossolalia, angels possess a language all their own. It is vocalized within three-dimensional reality in the form of beautifkl songs, in a special dialect of the Enochian language. Humans who hear angelic singing, and who possess strong faith, comprehend the message conveyed by the music of the angels just as angels understand human languages. The angelic language consists of harmonies that convey exact images, ideas. Angels are so masterful at 1 language that they can emress thlnrrs exactly as they mean ther of miscommunication. U guage is pure and does nl omission is commonly u: half-truths. Angels "hear" all con angelic Enochian within seemingly telepathically, th actually hear the communic their preternaQ extends into se close by their c

-.

Theirfaces were livingflame, their wings weregold, andfor the rest their white w a so intense, no snow can match the white thy showed when thy climbed down into thatflowering Rose,from rank to rank, thy shared that peace and ardor which thy gained, with wings thatfanned their sides Dante, Paradisto

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All angels, even IuminarC, can produce a special floating crown of light (or darkness for the exusiai) above their heads as a symbol of their direct and fithful servitude to the Divine. This crown is called a Nimbus, a Crown of G l o ~ , and most commonly a Halo. However, this abiliq is lost so long as their Imperfection scores are seven or higher. An ascendant one's halo is typically visible only while the angel is in its angelic form and wills the halo to appear. The ha10 is not a physical object, but rather an energy projection that appears above the head whenever desired. It costs 5 animus points to produce the halo. While the halo is in effect, the angel gains the following advantages, based

i m - Fiery Form (Handh cause +3 fire damage, fiery footprints IWTruth (The )ws if someone is

w Guilt (The mmws if someone in ce has committed any grave a i m a< well w the nature of those sins.) tes - Heavenly Awe (The -2 Presence and +2 lose who see the angel are awesrruuc. DV her beautv and maiestv.) IIldLlLdUY

Archai - Spirit Command (The angel can command any I3 spirits within the area, udess the spirits are already under the direct control of someone else.) Archangels - Angelic Command (Other angels, except seraphim and other archangels, cannot disobey her commands unless they are over-ridden by the Divine.) Aeons Protective Touch (The angel can grant good luck to a deserving person involved in her province. She grants one Destiny point per success on a Spint (9) draw. This may not be used to grant protagonists’ Destiny points or even other characters on a regular basis.) Luminarb Angelic Form (The luminaris can take the angelic form of her angelic parent’s celestial order.)

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Archangels

Whatever is

Divine weapons and armor are like their earthly counterparts except that the weapons cause debilitating damage and the armor heals itself from damage. Both the weapons and armor appear within two actions when summoned, appearing on the body of

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Seven Heavens for at least 24 hours straight.

The an& of the Lwd went out, and smote in the Camp of the A T f l a n s an hdredfourscore andfive thousand: and when thy arose e a 4 in the morning, behold, thy were all dead corpses. 7% Second Book of the Kings 19:35

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For

he shall give his angels charge we7 thee to keep thee in all -pSalmsYl: 2

tb ways.

All prayers are heard, and individual angels can hear

ach Celestial Order has as soft whispers heard mentally. Angels consider this the same

celesl angel debil sonal angel weap

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Aeons: They are the angelos, the Guardians of Earth. They 1 1.1 r .i i - 3 -1 _ . .- _--J __ d~iu prutect both people and natute. Some suspect human Souls c a f achieve this level of angelhood. 1

l i

+eme most numan-nlre or me angels ana rney overbrr +

o 3 I cned uut, would hea,. me among the angel’s hierarchies? and even 4 one prcssdhe suddenly against hi5 heart: I would be consumed in that ovenvhelmrng He should be a comfort, but his appearance alwaysfnghtens me, not as a symptom of insaniv, because I believe in him But when he appears, its always a portent of

ngeliC consists of nine celestial races called the Exalted Orders, and sometimes simply order is unique in appearance, purpose, and angelic nature. The orders are ranked from the most ascendant

d closer to the Divine than humanity. According to the chain of

provinces.) Interestingly, while Church officials during the Middle Ages stapported the classification and naming of angels, only three angels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael - are named in the Bible

-

d no hierarchy is defined.

Protagonists may come from any one of the orders. The exalted rders are as follows:

evil In the New Testament, they’re almost absent, thq show up to announce Chnst’s birth and then later on to explain hrc death, but in the Old Testament they’re everywhere, An& ure constant messengers. Thqforewarn God’s wrath, announce disaster, alert thefattbful of oncoming persecution. Their popularity with the Church and itsfollowers nses andfalls, usualb increasing during times of war, persecution, and national disaster, but even with the threat of nuclear wargone, cooperative global economy, major advances in eve7 science, more peopk believe in angels than in any time in history. Something is happening, Frank. Lara Means, Millennium

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The Church had great difficulty in coming to terms with angels. Many common people began the adoration of angels, which at times seemed to threaten the adoration of Christ. Saint Paul created a hierarchy of angels, placing Chrlst above the angels. Paul attacked the people who praised angels, stating it was “the

their mere human minds, which poses a threaL,, At the Catholic Church’s Fmt Council of the belief in angels became official church dogma, Thi C aused

3 A.D.,

a reflourishing of

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hmenical Synod, a limited dogma was established conngels, particularly the archangels, naming and defining , 7 1.1 1 i n eir duties. ns me Lnurcn grew, so a a angeioiogy. uuring the of debate among : Ages defined the arth, fire, and vmg UIC S L ~ I caring ~ , for nature, very season, day, hour, and A , / - . ,

of love, light, and fire. Cherubim: Also called the Guardians of the Garden and Watchers. They are the keepers of the celestial records, the protectors of secrets, and the fullness of divine knowledge.

y are the embodiment of &vine justice. tlled the Dominations and Dommions. and majesty of the Divine made manifest. llled the Virtues and Mights. They are the : heroes. They inspire others to courage

roven nor disproven. Quodlibets

ase the pain of the suf

s of demons and Arc&

Also callec1 the Principalities. T h

earnate. Some are the

e hotly debated and serious topics. By

pian described them as

fire of it - the i n h t y of the

possess divine compassi unconditional love to

fire. They are capable of

Thejrst beast was like a lion, and the sccond beast like a ca# and the third beast had a facc as a man, and thefourth beast was likr afying eagle. And thefour beasts had each of them six wings about him; and thy wercfull of ,yes within: and thy rest not & and night, sayinst Woly, holy, hob, Lord God Almighv, which was, and is, an to come.” St. Tohn the Divine

4:7-8

The closest angels to God in their understanding of Gods lov

every seraph has at leas

and their skin is always unblemished.

The prophet Isaiah first described seventh and eighth centu

gs composed of the s a m elic voices echo as

dents, and most anyone else

’he cherubim are insightful, intelligent beings who have access to all knowledge God wds them to possess. They are second in the angelic hierarchy because of their near omniscience when necessary. While they know what they need to know, they do not know how they know except that it comes 111 the form of the Bile through the will of the Divine. Activities: From their celestial home realm the cherubim serve as conduits of God‘s knowledge, dispensing it in the form of the Voice, an intuitive knowing, to all the angels. Some theorists have even called the cherub lective memorv an I

ly forms, the cherubim do not possess all the information they need or want to satisfy their own interests; they only know what the Divine wants them to know. Appearance: Within their celestial realm, the cherubim take the form of a dmensionless presence, which pervades the realm, serving as a sense of knowing and representmg the sum of the collective knowledge of the angels. They are, in a sense, collectively the “eye in the sky” ches everyone. Thus they are in many ancient manuscripts as beings covered with thousands of eyes. O n earth, the cherubim take on a variety of forms, though most are very strong and suited for battle. They also seem alert and their eyes betray a great sense of knowing. Their angelic forms are those of winged lions with human hea They bear flaming swords

,

I

whispers in the n science incarn: In addition,

known

of Eden. whch is no longer accessible bv

Second Exalted Order tpowered) Iiuth; pearl

an

P’ he drove out the man; and he ’ placed ’ ’ ut the ’ east the garden of Eden Cherztbiims, and aflaming 5 to keep the WUJ of

from me Lree or Lire sare. ~r ieasr m o

Epithets: Fullness of Gods owledge, Guardians aif the Garden,

’ angels of the 1 ‘ nl der that serves me uivme rian r\’

world. The Cherubim guard and bestow

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angelic form is larger th

and punishing evildoers, all the while

They have strong ties to the questei:S and often wind up involved in their quest ordeals. (See chapter 6 for more on ordeals.) They have also worked with some daevas in achieving their goals.

Activities: On earth the merkabah are explorers, bon vivants, scholars, philo:$0phers, hedonists, judges, and punisher'S The merkabah spend their time on eav th experiencing creation to its fullest exttent,

.

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Th of Ai out itse4

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ney are roamers, aavenrurers, ana

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neckless bodies. They have brass-like sk and their eyes glow red. 1 hey have brass hooves rather than feet. Their accomp nying wheel form is a brass-like wheel that stands fifteen feet or so in diamet The rim of the wheel is covered in lar eyes. Their dual forms are often surrounded by small thunderstorms that fol low them around 1-.

1

Noted Merkabah: Among the merkabah are Oriphiel and Zaphi

.

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ovklocations, items, or nature or technology. There are kyriotetes who oversee the blooming of flowers, those who see to it that traffic lights work, and those who make sure fires burn as they are meant to do so. Provinces of kyriotetes not only encompass the func-

scepters composed of divine light which shine like gold. They are always slightly largtr than humans are, standing b e m n seven and eight feet tall.They also always hover above the ground slightly. Lesser spirits often surrounds Kyriotetes and the angels bear the influence of their provmces in their appearance. For example, a kyriotet who oversees a particular river might wear a robe of constantly flowing water. One who oversees insects might always have them circling and crawling about her. Yet another who oversees computers might be accompanied by floating video monitors that dispIay visual images which assist her in communication. N,..ca,4 1K\.-L .+---. A -LA Y L I U L L L W . ru11u11g U I C IUIUWII I."CL-U

tection of them as well. Most kyriotetes spend several hours each day in the otherworlds giving spirits their orders. The rest of their time is on earth, often seekin ng threats to the Divi

kyriotetes in human records are Hashmal and Zadkiel.

blue plate

Still through tht dariness shines Anplic

Virtues and the Mights. They are the duality of heavenly strength tempered by compassion made manifest.

ed to humanity, providing people wi

stream down to the earth from God

he formless outer darkm to the Seven Heavens. The darkness is sentient, silent, an&disbing to all other angels. Indeed, they e the dark side of Creation incarnate. The earthIy forms of exusiai are usual-

ly dark, quiet, and mysterious.They are

1

~

II

-1

..

them yeste stared down the devil. That basgoes ly the name a'the Saint A'Kilkrs. Heigot soul so damn cold an rattlesnakemean, Satan

usually athletic and physically powerful. They are usually attractive, yet unnerving due to their emotionless faces and voices. Most have black hair and cold black eyes. They prefer youthful adult corpora, both male and female, and dress themselves in plain, yet stylish black clothing. Their angelic form is a dark reflection of the typical angelic form. They wear robes, have black wings composed olid darkness, and exude a disconcerting coldness.They bear no facial exoressi& and their eyes are black voids that seem to stare into ones soul (like the

'hey are demionslayers, yet they often eem like denions themselves in their grimness. Son writings of s1 angels are evil In some respe are known to DOSS~SSs e e m y i v uemuni powe bind them to themselv

)

andt

threw him back outta hell. A n hc's

lp'm

- Garth Ennts, preacher #2

Epithets: Powers, Rwelations

lack mmes: v v i r m the exusiai have th silent darkness wh Light, giving it

s t.,

. . . . I . .

Exusiai are the dark, frighte t are terrible to behold, for death and suffering. They are the of wrath and pestilence. One Bib erence concerning what could be the exuthat of Jacob's famous night-long e with a dark angel in w n a blessing from thtr angel, d the angel's name. An01 the history books oi ament, referring to an An2 killed 90,000 people dur

I

p,*.g',u;la I.-;*

, tered I85,OOO Assyrian soldiers. Indeed, the exusiai are the most violent and destructive of the angels.

ffinities and receive the t

are ais0 actlvely fightmg demons and other evds themselves. Appearance: The celestial form of the

.-

THEEWSTING

@ &ge 116'

a '

-a

&%,a.

Serve provinces 7 Dextenty +1

Spirit Command (The

les I

, , br mLvLLlcr in hopL, of maintaining at least-some peace on earth and good will among humanity. They do so by pulsating energy and singing, though not only on visual and LvIILIIucacIvIIo

v.lcll

&gel can command any 1-3 spirits with;,.,+Lo *..ne 1,., *Lo U I C rura, LLLUCJJ L L K

u a

, , ; . . ; A . J

. . e

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under the,direct control of someone else.)

Divine Gifb: Archa have strong ties

e

gels begin with the following

Ninth Exalted Order of Angels Be strong and Ofgood courage, be not afraid, nnther be thou dinnyed..for the Lord tly God 1s Mth thee whithcrcorv~rthm onrct

mu'-'

1,

5CI

.

behalf of who mow Upont

.

.

are some angels who accept their kin. The angelic paren

.. ..

.

.

them ignore their offsprmg or even go so .as to try and lull them, while others iew them in the same light that most ans view their offspring - with love

Cuminare are the equivalent of the demons' half-human offspring, the Cambions (see chapter 7), but the demons tend to recognize and use their offspring in their earthly scheme:; more often than els involve the LuminarC in their ine Work. Still, marly Luminad are ppn11r involved in the f;ght against the ---r-i demotis and the cambions. They are also more 1likely to join earthly fellowships as well, since they are earthly creatures 1

ties: The IuminarC are far er than most angels; many of old dominions and positions of temporal power and influence. Since they itre immortal, and mosr of them ancient, they are very wealthy. They have integrated themselves into everlasting society well and many have even joined the daevan households. The daevas know what they are, but accept them as their own. luminari are involved in fighting some are trying to prevent the some are trying to gain more and more worldly power, some are hunting down old eldritch enemies during this time of chaos, some are working within fellowips, and others are focusinp on txotectmg their dominions and the live within them from ;dl SUF threats. Most IuminarC avoid cont .angels, but some are actually ork with angels on a regula

1 hey cannot passshemselves ott as angels to other angels, not even in angelic forms, for they lack the true inner light of real angels. S t d , they can fool most everyone else. Their earthly forms vary greatly, but are very well built, well the vast majorityd athletic. Most are thin but a few are excepTheir skin is silky smooth and they bear something of a floral Scent, though not as strong as that of angels. They do not sweat, but they do breathe, (&e true angels.) They have the Same baby-fine, full and flowin hair as angels: their eyes shine with an inner brightness, and often have strange colored irises. Their fingernails and toenails are often like glas Y have the

tional facade

ossess. They can faced unemoangels possess,

though they than true an5 nature.

.

Where wast thou when I lard thefoundations of the earth? Wkn the morning stars sang togethsons of God shotrtedfor joy? er, and all

BIT - The Book o f l o b 38.4, 7

efore there UmanS

there were angels. In (act, before there was an Earth ere angels. The Creator gave the beings life so that they could act as the architects and the engmeers of the Universe. They became extensions of God's will, (just as humans bear a &vine spark, though the angels are closer to God through their service.) The angels, would come to call them, carried out the plans of the Creator and

.

it

LuminarC adulthood, b Imperfection

ions, but pre since most at Some of the

a

e n , which is a multi-celle

group with mortal agents t h i society. e

Appearance: T h e lumlna celestial form and cannot entrr L J I C JCVCII Heavens. Many do not have angelic

Protect humanity 3

sciousness They were placed within the

\Juu L U

CdLC L U L dllU lCVClC IIcLlll’iLlhUlU.

Many angels were offended by this command. They had believed they were God’s

why humanity was so favored that the angels were to serve them as their protectors and guides. Satan, who some believed loved God best of all the rehsed to fall upon his knees before humanity, claiming he would only bow to God. An uprising occurred in which onethircl nf the anurls rnw iin in wnnnrt nf

Great Delye was meant to wipe out the offspring of the Nephilim and humans. Since the time of the Nephilim, the angels have played many secret roles and a few known roles within humanity’s history. Angels are known to have heralded the birth of Christ, to have killed at least one entire army, and to have revealed prophecy to those chosen by God. With the increasing number of demons on earth, the angels have begun playing rvrn urratm rlirrrt rnlr in art;vrlv Guht-

en is where the throne of God is located and where the spirits of the unborn and the righteous reside, along with the dew 0 that God will use to raise the dead on Judgement Day. However, in opposition the Jewish book Zohar claims there are not seven heavens, but 390 heavens and that there are 70,000 worlds. According to the angels, the Seven Heavens, their home realm, is just one

afterwards. The Seven seconds, though estimation of duration

the Infernal pits. The fallen angels would become the tempters, fear-makers, and

have to contend with the envy-laden wrath of the demons. During the prehistoric age of humankind, the angels began playing more subtle and important roles in the something to do with the developm of the eldritch as well, though the of their inffuence is enshrouded in

During early human history th cherub. These angels, now calle

Nephilim (“the Famed Ones”) described in many legends. T earth, took on corpora, and race of dark beings some have referred

spiritual perfection yet choose to in order to bring about spiritual enltght-

fkrations of ancestors remain within

Nosttadamus' predicted date of 3,797 A.D. to be correct, (though NosDadaus also predicted an*apocalypticperiod to come in the near future as well.) Still, the

CeleBtial P

To see a world in a wain of

sand

in recent years has made many angels question their beliefs. There are some happen soon, whde others wish to prevent

groups, in their efforts to support or prevent the Apocalypse. This has led these angels into conflia with demons, gargoyles, the Semants of the Fhm, conspiracy groups, secret societies, and even other

Hea~ens. While on earth, most angels forget most of what they know of CeLsttal Engineeriq, which is what their redity-cont d and t a b g abilities are called. still

End Time fiom happening. Most

- William D.howells

ine Plan has yet to be revealed to

enough to make them wary about the Earth itself. Some distance the

angels also possess the ability to

pecial 1-

-

key evoke particular Aivs levels of reality m d consciousness (tied to Reverie perception.) Aleister Crowley referred to the -Enochian Awes as Dorntnton extending in ever widening circles without and beyond the Watch Towers of the Universe, these Watch 'Towers composing . - a cube of mfinite magnitude. The other kevs invoked particular elements, with Earth, Fire, Air, and Water

l,lV,,Cr

modestly.

THEEVERLASTING Page 124 %

cllc,l

,LuI,.~..

__ ...- _..

governing neavenly VISIUIIS, ~ ~ i ~c yI LCu L d i i y a legendmaktng device. Such visions

'resence (9) draw is required For each success, the subject is immune to the :ffects of Backlash for one day, and the

Iscarioti: A secret society composed of warriors and sorcerers. Its goals are mysterious, but it has been known to

If I have any b+fs nus to use this gift. By spending I 3estiny points, the blessing may be

abwt immortaliy, it is

signs of the Apocalypse. It is believed that the group is working to prevent the

engthened to one year.

eceased loved ones are sometimes

)ossibilities.

to those who have lost

that worlung with other eldrttch who share s d z goals can be mumally bene-

Vampires: “The originators of their kind are ironicdy both evd incarnate and also self-damned by their own blasphemy and beliefs. They can be as bad as

ns: “Once these creatures were e race, but their prejudices, pride, and hatred have twisted them into a

(areas of angelic service) - one Primary, one Secondary, and one Tertiary. An angel may gain up to three points of animus per day by doing things in service to her primary Province, two points of animus per day fiom her secondary Province, and one point of animus per day horn her tertiary Province. (Provinces might indude children,the homeless, trees, dogs, police officers, fighting demons, etc.)

Odysseys that are meant to have deeper

ntact with them.” people who may be closer t an the humans are.’’

some general guidehes and

Gargoyles: “We pity them, but their rld. The angels who become

their lust for unholy immortality. lp them when possible.”

The Possessed: “The

eborn into new lives,

Enhanced Senses (2): The angel’s five senses are superior to human senses. The senses are double in sensitivity in terms of spectrum width and range. The angel can see clearly in near darkness, hear a pin drop at 50 feet, and smell a person’s scent. The angel is at -2 on all her difficulties for card draws involving that particular sense. Normal Perception card draws are required as normal.

(I):

The luminaris’ five senses are superior to human senses. The senses are double in sensitivity in terms of spectrum width and range. The luminaris can see well in near darkness, hear a pin drop at 25 feet, and smell a person’s scent. The luminaris is at -1 on all her difficulties for card draws involving that particular sense. Normal Perception card draws Enhanced Senses

rather than true w

ditional animus cost.

rate of one Life point per combat cyde, per wound, and fro

avens. An Intellect (8) draw is required to gather o ation, or degree of detail re ired. It costs one an

cate fiom earth with o

use this gift, and a Spiri is required, with the n

li

Effects This gift causes the angel's aura to give off such ergy that the angel seems far more glorious, radiant, and divine. This can boost the morale of those who are siding with thg. angel, granting them increased courage. The angel's own Courage persona quality increases by one point for each success

Effects This gift allow!: the angel to create shockwaves d t h in the ground that are capable of knocking over people and objects, as well as causing landslides or avalanches. All people within the area must make a.Dexteritv (9) draw or fall down. _. .__ _ . ... . ..._. . I \ / The Guide may determine what, if any, damage occurs as a result of the earthquake. The radius is 25 yards and it costs 5 animus to use this gift.

Command the Heavens Total Cost: 25

can last for up to the remainder of the scene.

maximum area of effect of 500 miles actually contains even more divine light than it norrr

xive purposes, is the s

t' wishes

them to, e

ignificant quality) versus the an

.c

u v r r , a I.11Ia.L

u"6,

m "Ut -1

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C I L U L"

a

particular religion. The type of animal must be chosen when purchasing this gift. A Resilience (IO - Focus) draw is required to make thc2 transformation. It takes the angel four actions to transform into the animal, minus one action Der success over the first. TIl e angel has the same statistics as a normal animal of the same type, but if the angel takes as much damage as would lull the anllnal, the angel is forced to transform back into her normal hurnan-&e form instantly.The damage suffered in animal form rl:mains even after the angd - has transformed back, though the angel may heal normally. In animal form, the angel retains her angelic mind and soul aspects and all mental abilities. The arLgel can speak in animal form, but may not use any gifts. The angel retains her angelic healing abilities and heightened senses while in animal form.

-cvI.c 1_IC V l l W V) CALL I I V L I I I -

Y

D L d L L l l l g L U l U L I U I L l l C UlgCl.

I1llC

angel's strength comes from a higher power and belies the angels appearance.The angel's maximum Strength score is still

12.

Lay Hands Total Cost: 30 Effects: This gift allows the angel to heal the non-debilitating wounds of others (eldritch and mortal) at a rate of one Life point per success and debilitating wounds at a rate of one Life point per three successes. The draw is Spirit ( I O Medicine.) The angel may only use this gift upon a particul wound once; additional uses have no effect. It costs the an animus to use this gift. The angel heals the wound by s ing divine healing energy that passes into the wounded

Friend of Total Cc

Effeas: 'This gift allows the angel to know if the person she is listening to is intentionally telling something falsely. It does not reveal t hat a person is lying if the person believes she is telling the truth, even though she is not. A Empathy) ckaw is required whenever a lie ' should mak.e this card draw without the p the angel lulowing the draw is made, else the realize a lie is told and use the information un animus to aictivate this gift and it remains remainder c)f the scene.

Guardian 5;pirits Total Cc,st: 45 Effects. 'This gift allows the angel to s

..

take no violent action and LCL,

cannot be harmed t'y those they attack. The angel Presence (8) draw. I:or each success, the spirits cau debilitating damage serve to reduce dam one point, regardles battle, but they can protective shield for' her, they cannot do b angel may decide if victim attacked by t y""'"""' in swirling, glowing intended target for an attack withm

1

lows of Revelation ntalI Cost: -40 Effects: This gift allom the angel to grant visiofis of the future to a,chosen person in her presence. The angel must be alone with the person and the person must be willmg. The angel must make an Inspiration (IO - Intuition) draw. The actual future may be altered by the subject gaining knowledge of the future, as the future the subject sees is how it would be had she not viewed it. The prophecy should be vague, and neither the angel nor the subject has any control over what the vision will be about unless four or more successes are achieved, m which case the angel decides. The vision should be filled with signs and omens of a more symbolic nature rather than specific events and facts in complete detail. It costs 2 animus and I Destiny to use this gift. Shepherd of the Valley

Total Cost: 40

Raplendent Corpus Total Cost: 60 Effects: This gift allows the angel to take on a non-corporeal form composed of divine light. The angel can pass through solid physical objects and cannot be harmed by kinetic attacks or fire, though other energy attacks affect her normally. If she goes unconscious, she reverts back into her solid physical form. The angel cannot interact physically with the world but may use any non-kinetic gifts. It costs 3 animus each time the angel Becomes non-corporeal, and the effects may last up to the remainder of the scene. TIhe angel cannot go from light to solid within another creature's t)ody. A Spirit (10 - Focus) draw is required for the angel to E draw to change back.

*

P

~

Return the Soul Total Cost: 70 Effects:This gift allow living things back to life. 1 points to make the atteml The dead bemg may riot I>erevived if no successes are achieved. The dead bemg comes ba ck to life if at least one success is . achieved. The dead bemg must have been dead less than 24 hours and the corpse inus whom this gift works on : work they need to accoml

Effects: This gift allows the angel to travel into the Underworld through a special gateway of light. The angel emerges in a random location within the Paradrsro (the angelic city) of the Underworld, unless she has a specific location within the Underworld in m n d and has been there before. An Inspiration (IO) draw is required. If addiaonal successes are achieved, the angel may take others with her. For two successes, one additional person may be taken. The number doubles for each additional success. Any non-angelic travelers' physical bodies collapse on earth, while their conscious deathforms emerge within the Underworld. The animus cost is 5, plus one for each additional traveler the angel takes with her. It also costs 2 Destiny points to use this gift.

Song of Hope sform her voice so as to give those in doubt hope and faith. A Presence (IO Eloquence) draw is required. For each success, those whom the angel sings to gain +2 Faith and +2 Hope as persona qualities for the remainder of the scene. It costs 2 animus to use &Is gift. (Thi (The angel gains no animus from increasing the Faith of the sub "

V

U

I

tas

Total Cost:20

the spirits general locati

I

each additional su ir conscious astral forms emerge exactly demonic, but it is horrific and cannot be described in true nature of the angel's higher dimensional reality to human

8;

Travel the Beth-el Total Cost 50 Seven Heavens, this gifi allows the angel to use the Beth-el for

(This section is usable only with the Coduc f Immortality book.

effects of witnessing a Wrath Form. A Presence (6) draw is made when this form is &en.

. Some can even The angels are the dispensers and administrators of the Divine beneficence toward us; t h y regard our s@y, undertake our d$nse, direct our ways and pxercise a constant solicitude that no mil bgafalls us.

e

eter

exusiai. The dark-

I

with angels . . . Believe me becawc I tell you what your consciousness and intuition will tell y w 4you lrsten closcly to their voice. Emanuel Sweahborg, Concerninp Divine Love 0 P i s d m

-

,

Against the Un-dead Creating an Important Institution The Holy War Hunted or Tempted by Evil Miracle Worlung Protecting a City, Forest, or Other Place

U U YUbZ

L'CLCCVC

111 LIJC U l l L C C I L L gWUJ;

Belief in pantheistic lesser gods, (such as Zeus, Osiris, and Odin,) was as accepted and respected before Christianity as belief in a monotheistic Supreme Being is in modern times. In our modern culture we scoff at the beliefs of our ancestors, believing all pagan religions t o be nothing more than interesting myths, yet we cannot judge them properly since we did not live during ancient times. If anything, the ancient religions played bigger roles in the lives of our ancestors than modern religions play in our lives today. Today, religions must compete with belief in science and with other beliefs. Long ago people believed they lived in a world of magic and mystery. Each culture had its own religion, by which (and for which) most people lived. their lives. Today many people can accept Christian mythology as fact, though they have never met any Biblical figures, nor witnessed any Biblical events. Yet those very same people who believe by faith in their own religion deny the possibility that other religions - other supernatural forces - have any credence. Humanity is a miracle of evolution, possessing sentience unlike that of any other race of animals. Humanity has become the most powerW of the earthly races, creating cultures, developing tools, and discovering the sciences. But what if there was a race of beings superior to humanity - a race capable of using a greater portion of its brain capacity?W h a t if this race was capable of lurking among humanity unfettered?W h a t if this race was once able to command humankind before humanity caught on t o the ruse? W h a t if not only the physiognomy and intellect of this race were superior?W h a t if this race possessed greater spirituality, greater understanding of reality, and enhanced capacity for divine power? Could such a race have spread out across the world, manipulating mortals who worshipped them as gods once their superior nature was revealed? The ancient gods were considered far more earthly than some all-powerhl creator, yet they were far superior to mortals. Could the Asgardians, Olympians and Ennead have been clans of humanoid beings belonging to some superior race? It was said by most cultures that their gods did take on mortal likeness and walked among their followers. Perhaps these creatures, th self-styled gods, died out, but what if they simply went into hiding? Maybe they were few in number, or maybe mortals eventually realized them for frauds. Could the gods lost in the m i s t s of legend still exist today, walking among our kind unnoticed? Could they be hiding from the prying eyes of scientists for fear of becoming lab experiments, prisoners, or pawns of governments?

Do you believe in the ancient gods?

I

C$apter Five:

DAEVAS He lives nut long who battles with the irnrnwtah,

iecome the tool of the L I I U J c ; l l l U L Ld13

chosen hy destiny to become something more than human. They (trans. upotheosize form) into higher beings - into demigods called Duevus. Daevas are relics of a lost age of myth, heroes and earthly gods bound (by the very power that grants them immortality) into the service of some greater unknown force. Whenever some grave threat arises, a new daeva is born and this daeva feels a soul bond (intuitive connecI

,

wield power and influence openlv, most live secret lives among mortals. I n fact, daevas have been influenced more bv humanity than they have had influence on humanity. Many daevas live within mortal society, obeying human laws and customs, . . maintaining false mortal identities, and protecting their secrets from others. Only elitist daevas, who consider themselves superior to mortals, scoff at mortal laws, living- only . by . their own code of honor and the customs of everlasting society. The daevas’ link to Destiny extends into a special form of temporal awareness,

overcomes it, she surpasses tence and becomes a daev

s, what they call the Web of s and weaves the future

the way to godhood or des her initiation rites into the And in these times of grea

and every being. There ess arising m the &stant an prescience cannot penbelieve this unfathomable

into confrontations with the Forces Darkness from which they cannot away. The name “Daeva” means many things: ‘‘evil spirit” in Zoroastrian mythology, “gods” in Hindu myth, and “hero” or “goblin” m Buddhist myths. Yet even as “gods” they are considered useless gods. They are accorded no worship and are of little importance in the affars of humanity according to myth. Daevas are, in many ways, llke their mythic namesakes (if indeed the mortal

and guide humanity.

Daevas were the most powerful of the immortal gentes until roughly twenty years ago, when many daevas left the earth for realms unknown and never returned. Many believe they attempted a pre-emptive strike on the demons, which would postporle the Final Butt4 and that they failed. Now all that remains of the once great race ar independent daevas and the remnants the households held together by only fraction of their original membership Daevas must now face the uncertau,

Ctje nature DaevcI? tl~i)3Te7Ce r

7

'

4

Long, img ago bgtond the misty space Of twice a thousand years, In Erin old there dwelt a mghty race,

bronze skin tone, the most sculptured musculature proportions just the tin ed; he was lovely and godlike, extreme4 godlike. Harlan Ellison,

-

---1 mortal, i n appearance, they are far tals in function and capability. Mo

I

J

well-proportione

aP0

imn stre widI regenerative powers awareness of time, unlike th be&ig, mortal or immortal L I. kccoratng co me more science-mnue daeva! intens electrcsmagnetic field in and around bodie.

n rneu Docues, wntle me u

DNA duphcatea by any mown means, as there are countless undefined factors at work. However, some daevas are studytng their own physiology in hopes of developmg

rney snave it a11 orr.) home, who were bad mortals, regain their lost har.Their eye colors become more vibrant and their skin becomes smooth. Aging wrinkles fade

graceful movement, making them imposing and hinting of their supernature. All these things add together making daevas seem llke the demigods of legend, yet despite all +LA"--L*.,.:-"l

d powers, called Apothei, develop after tlle apotheosis. They indude

such things as command over animals and elements, supei. physical prowess, and psychic abilities.

---

--L--*..---*-

easily walk among mortals without being recognized as eldritch. For some reason, all daevas develop their own personal Achilles' heels special vulnerabilities which can kill them as easily as mortals are lulled. Most have no idea what their own vulnerabilities are until they encounter them in real situations or in their prescient visions. Vulnerabilities range

-

cold iron, oak wood, walnut wood, plastic), to particular forms of energy (electricity, lire, intense cold), to certain times (Tuesdays, dawn, midnight, Samhain), to certain magidcs (mental, physical, spiritu-

_ _

2.) Daevas can slightly control their bodily forms through intense mental effort. While less than actual shapeshifting, they can slightly alter themselves becoming a little bit older or younger, or change the color o

-

and decrease their physical size slightly. This process is more subconscious than conscious, and - unlike actual shapechan

bound io pcoplr's expectations but could now become

do so. (It costs 3 Dest mus for each change.)

n fashion, but some that their presence has an almost pre mortals look to them in admiratio Daevan nimbuses (which are stron

daevas. Most daevas view a disadvantage, since they them to know how mortals honest1

"

THEEVERLASTIN

aYLLr-

connection that category is ody 5, rather than the

-

-

with the Necromantic auspice, godlings of the forest with either An& or Plant auspices, and godlings of time wi Temporal auspice. Each daeva should h quality that can somehow Auspice, such as Love 4 the Sea for Water, MystEriouc for Darkness, Fascination with Dcat for Necromantic, firal for Animalistic, and so on. each daeva possesses one or mor outward physical traits that link

ausuice. or an aura slightlv v

mu

spends in p player makf

-

..

.

itation, her role:ion (I2

-

I r r o C C

,,:ol?le

, . i n

the daeva experiences presc the visions are not under h

Daevar)

&?pep

p2es change their sf

David Bowie, h7

and touch, but all w

combination of wl

h i t e d to the nc

"0

that the building will soon be leveled to make a parking lot. (Of course a Guide need not make up such details for every little thing, leaving the details to the wild imagination of the participant roleplaying the daeva, should she wish to amuse herself with such detail.)

-

in a non-linear manner, especially those who have been heavily influenced by the faerie. While viewing time from a non-linear perspective can enlighten a daeva, it also brings stagnation, predictability, and an incredible sense of doom, as the h a r e is seen by such daevas as being just as fixed as the Dast . . . and. accordino to their

oughout history by many names - the 1 ' . yarcae, n ivorns, iviorrigu, 1ivioira, ana Fatae. It is sa.id that the Fates b e a deciding role in choosing what each p son's destiny will be, and that the daevas are especially important, for they have been marked for greater destinies that make them what they become. It is also said that the Fates were the founders of the daevan race, and that daevanism is actually just a rare recessive gene that they passed on to earlv a , - l m m q m,-l --I humans through pr ocreation. Thus, daevas are not supernatural; they are an evolutionary offshalot of humanity. I 1 Daevas see themselves as wouna to certain destinies simply because they possess sensory perceptions or intuitive discernment capabilities that are just far less developed in mortals. Though, even in mortals this prescience surfaces on occasion as deja vu, precognition, presqw and intuition. The Fates may be idended distinct beings: C l o t h the Spinner, Choosing, and Atropos the Inevitable. These beings take humanized form in the guises of women of different ages. Clotho appears as a young maiden. Lachesis appears as a middle-age Atropos appears as an e three almost always app leading some daevas to --111-1

---

taneously in three forms representing di ferent portions of its self, All the Fates, however, act as individual:5, tallung freely and even arguing with onc2 another, but some daevas suspect such staged for their benefit. T there is an unspoken mnr complete knowing betwee seems to those they visit 2 sharing secrets just among through glances, frowns, a one another. Each sister Fate pl cifi c role, taking the le ns falling under her wgh the two other sisters are i in1the visitation to lesser degrees. r , . , 1 , Lamesis plays me role or momer an is the sister who first s daeva O n rare o

sis. Laches p n a e w , sweet, protective, ana harsruy demandmg. Where as Clotho seems more y o u M and bright, and Atropc)s seems dark and enigmatic, Lachesis is more earthy and accessible on a personal level. Clotho takes the predominant role in guiding veteran daevas, leading them into heroic situations that test their courage. Clotho comes across seductive and playf&l, yetshe also seem somewhatlike a younger sister in that she is angered, and prankish. When Cloth0 is

e daevalslife is in for change. Yet Clotho als sents the daeva with opportunities glory and adventure.

De$ifyy - *

b

The photograph in my hand. It is the photograph of a man and a woman. are at an amusement park, in 2959. In twelvr seconds time, I drop the photograph to the sand at m y j e t , walking away.

It's already &g ther~m d v e seconds into the fumre, Ten 5 m ~ d . im ~z-he. photograph is in my hand. I f a n d it in a derelict bar at the Gila Hats E s t Base, twenty seven hours ago. It's still there, mmrY-St"m into the Pat, in itsframe, in the darkened bar. I'm still there boking at it. -Doctor Manhattan, Wacbmen, by Alan Moore

Prescience has a great price; us' to alter the natural flow of events cause great tragedy as good intenti lead to bad mistakes. While fieew ble, daevas mus etween freewdl and

across ve tim spe; ow for some degree of plannlng t, which takes the form ~.-i.i.i

n

to cneat aestmy wim a pre-emptive s

.

UlllULCUlld

*

ch attempts to bend destiny wi must be careful in creating s p -

‘YMmurt kill her!”

- Michael Scott, Midir and Etain

Heres the krl-and-all to pay, Miguel de Cewantes, Don Qurxoie de la Manchu

-

backlash should occur alters the Lture throug,h her prescience.

good of both temporal and everlasting societies, obeying the laws and customs

rounding Reverie ;tl the form of magidral energies. These energies are absorbed

moralIy good, nor does it assure h or fair play. Their honor code is o

rounding Reverie if no el& sent.

awakened as fantas

ight time for some iportance.

:nts which do not even

- Homer, Thc Iliad

When a daeva dies the true death, all her destiny points and animus points are

inor infiactions Backlash: 0 to 1 Kismet:Vaguev ration, comments 5vhich are too ins

Kismet: Detailet

.

(dying the true death) through their personal vulnerabilities.They will heal fiom anything less than total destruction of their physical bodies, even remaining alive after decapitation or being burn to

points gained should b how much the kismet t)enefited the

~

The son of Kmnos p k e , and noddrd with his

)me daevas ready been fought, ot yet occurred and, when it comes,

the Golden Age was an iarmony. It was the age Cites, wi& the memfrthe mortals known as

reasing Persona Qualities: Hope, f in Freewd, Courage, Energetic e qualities may not have scores any er than I3 - current Doom score) creasing Persona Qualities: y, Belief in Predestination, Fear of Death, Depr--&-- D.-,Ji--Lllf-I C U l L L d U l C (1Ul point in I: ove three, the i gains thrr to divide among bove perso ties) t

uaevai

- Mich,

tradition and

/

/

VI

was cast for its t a Leviathan.

larks the beginning of the decline, as merodachs developed impiety towards their dragon masters, along with human jealousy, lust for power, and treacherousness.The Silver Age is the Age of Betrayal brought on by the Sons of Belial, who betrayed the dragons and brought down antedduvian

. .,.

.

h,-which will be detailed in a later supB BI

No mortal could vie with Zeus, for his manstons and

This world has only one sweet moment set asrdeforus.

- @ern,

his possessions are deathkss.

aevas are the only human

w h o Wants to Live Forever

Since their very origin, the daevas have foreseen the growth of humanity's demons, knowing that their own conting.; existence was for one purpose: to fight those demonsin a battle of mutual destruction that would forever change the world This was foretold in the ancient

Nothing is sofirmly belimed as what is Last known. Michel Eyquem de Montaigne,

-

The daevas believe that some of the of their O w n k d POSSiblY the merodachs themselves, have transcended the limited immortality of thefbsh, becoming One With time and space. These beings are the Zunanf a name

the antediluvian age. All these things "

their original forms over the course of the millennia Certainly words such as unanda and vril, metallurgical secrets known only by daevas, and numerous

will

E

I

"

no proof of their existence and o laim to have seer i t in visions, yet 1 7

1

1

cities.

and the cultur; dachs. Most modern households are like their prehistor rae. Some hou own treasures I from the antec war against t h c valuables are b 5----

le daevas, bm of the

merodachs who betraved tl this, fiiendships have formc

but against the daevas as well.

D

of this world from them, allowing their

1 1 1 1 O l y p s , where t h y say there is. an aoom o/6 .me goas,

evw unchanging; it is neither shaken by win& nor ever wet with rain, nor does snow come near it, but clear weather spreads cloudless about it, and a white radiance stretches above it. Homer, The Odvssgr

-

ll!iiil

hroughout the

world, the culture of

the daevas has become the overall culture of the everlasting. The immortals of the other gentes were fewer m number and they learned to get along with the daevas by recognizing their social structure.The daevan households were the most well-known and pow& political strcctures in everlasting society for this reason. What remains of the households

Dae Or ever the knghtly years with the old world to theg I was a King in Babylon *

And you were a Christian Wlliam Ern In Memoriat

-

tions among them, fo giance to household i than allegiance to hur

great power, but oftex and lives to sojourn a

A n household usually claims one location, usually a particular city, as its stronghold and center of authority. Somewhere within this stronghold is the household's Great Hall. The great hall is a special sanctum for all its members. It is hallowed ground for the household: petty rivalnes and squabbles among household members must be left outside. Sanctuary is provided to all the everlasting invited inside, and household members are always welcome. The great hall is often a place where ancient trophies and treasures of the household speak of its history and accomplishments. A great hall may be located anywhere (e.g. a floor in a high-rise, a hidden temple, an underground complex, a sinister keep, an antebellum mansion, or anything else.) Social gatherings are held in the great hall, as well as special ceremonies

-

Gods and my Gods do you o r I know which are the stronger?

after learning the truth about the death camps. The household was instrumental in destroying many of their own who

some of those that s t d exist. These are among the largest and most influential, but participants can create new households for their protagonists if they desire.

the truth,

Your

- Ancient African Proverb

ch. Despite 2

the Aesir a

In addition, the

d murderers. dike the Aesir dragonslayry of s

I-""

"6'

I

.-I-.--

-_--

e among the Aesir passed them.?elves off as gods, with the head of the household being &med Weden or Odin.' There were many who did riot, though even some of these liwd among mortals and became known as great heroes. There was a great war between the violent Aesi and the more peaceful Vanir that lead to sir's defeat. Afterwards a peace w@ achieved; the two households became &es by trading members with one another and by spitting into Odhcrir, a magick cauldron. After the rise of Christianity, worship of the pagan Aesir faded into history, but the Aesir remained strong and continued to live and work behind the scenes. There are some among the Aesir ( Vanir) who came to North America a d years ago with Leif Eriks R nthm The - -__--Nnrw - . - ioiirnem. )------I--hed the first European se rst d f Eu r fiesir M W a strong leutom zt ~ l rsme l from thp Tm

the Vanir defeate

ce to take over Europe selves. However, after &sc

L

adventurers, demonslayers, e and friends of both the elves

ate the skills and glory of battle. Members are very aggressiv

.

.

,

The Aesir are honorable yet ruthless. They often challenge one another and other daevas to duels, though seldom to thedeath. They train ;J1their apprentices r c m b a t and teach them how to gain

Rituals and Practices: The Aesir continue to maintain their old ways, including several pagan festivals, rituals, and beliefs. They still dress in ancient garb and gather for meetings. They also meet

Despite this, the Aesir almost never them make their own way.

round: Long- ago, - the first ve mansions, pr

ith ancient Teuto cienr uorary o r

Prime Domini0 Aesir meet within t *e in a realm they c similar to the ancient there are modern ame eldritch beheve Asgm the Agartha as well, n astral location. Ygdm Fxtends through the g in the form of a gian

e.

It is said that 1

located near Gotebor, res lots of dwarven

Lifestyle: Dekans are secretive, benevolent, determined, honorable, and quiet for the most part. There are adventurers, wanderers, warriors, tinkers, magicians, scholars, and dilettantes among them. Many are loners who travel the world serving their household but some work with daev households and even othe

ity, ch with

ally s since the creation of the osirian race. In fact, the groups have an apreement: the osirians

who have tired of long sojourns and require some stability for a while. Their dominions are always well guarded and they usually have osirians and other Dekans as guests. Most Dekans prefer modest living places, but some do live in mansions and the hgher renting apartments. They often decorate their sanctums in Egyptian designs, even if they are not o Egyptian descent. Most have only one c two servants or minions.

the Dekans will lead tulkus (unknowing osirians) to the osirians. Some Dekans

ancient tomes rec

bows, and firearms. They seldom rely o minions, and few who sojourn constant have any minions

remained relatively Exodtrs, because the over more and moto new daevas to them. Hierons (Sanct are sojourners who -.+. them for however long they need to the place they are in. M o areas over which the osiri allies hold dominion. S t d , some Dekans do have thar own dominions. These Dek

..-.

Clr.Cl

anci

viving members have lex the earth behtnd, taking up residence on other worlds. The Fir Bolg that remain are those who seek to rebuild their eard ' household and who seek to join the other daevas in fighting the Great Darkness. The Fir Bolg have never worked with other households befoi and daevas of most other householc very suspicious of their motives. It 1 that they are secretly working to bri, new magicks and creatures to the a hope of destroying the real

Ul

-. .._ ~ .long Deen secr ange, and solitary.They h

*'

United l n g d o m black operation called, Pro@ Apocalypaa. This black op involves the exploration of a fantasy world for potential conquest and settlement.

.. *. . Background: A brick glunpse at the Fir d/,h m k g the efficiencyof her nervow system The quest& - h u m Dexterity score is s d 12.

..+-;.I

JUVJCCC

L

IS

~

-.;FA.. gUULy

of any sins for which they have not atoned. The effects last for the &der of the scene.

E&.

BIW of Gloty Total Cost:35 Ef&cts:This benison allows the quester to temporarily increase her physical capabilities. A Spirit (IO) draw is required. The use of this benison costs 4 animus and the effects last ;until the end of the battle. For each success, the quester gam

IO (doubie &e cost for e a d ~additional level) E The questet's Resilience W R increases by one point Cost:

benison. This benison may raise the dierace score beyond 6, tlhe normal starting limit for the ster. The quester's body 1x c m e s clothed in a field of invisi6 constant, self-maintainiiig divine p e r . The questeeis maxm h Resilience remains I2

cts:The questet's aur tely evil beings (demt ter if they can. If h e y crannot, or are extremely powerfd, ter as their target, as the quster ents the greatest threatL All who are in the presence

ster feel guilt over any evil acts for which they have no

ealm reassurance when in the quwter s prsence. IC cosmcls

L

fbr the quester to use this benison. A Spirit (6) versus an

+I point in any one of sona qudities), Resilk

Uowing Valor or Bravery (perty, or Strength (including

increased Speed and L) Any damage done while the queter is in a b h of glory comes off the extra life points - . The quester's xnaximum aspect scores are stlll 12. first

.

dings

,.

Ef‘fects:This+benisonallows the ques@r to &upon a hgher power to bless a subject. A Presence (9) draw is q u & d . For each success, the subject is immune to the effects of Backlash

the luck takes.) It costs 5 animus to use this benison By sp ing 3 Destiny points, the blessing may be lengthened to one month By spending 7 Destiny points, the blessing can be lengthened to three months. By spending I3 Destiny points, the blessing can be lengthened to one year. It may not be used on protagonists without the approval of the guide.

Warriors Instincts

Effects: This benison causes a l l animals near the quester look to the quester with respect, and the quester also gains th capacity to talk in the language of the animals. Some animals may be inclined to assist the quester, though those loyal to ers can automatically r e h e to assist the quester if it is not their masters’ interests. The quester’s roleplaye the quester to convince an as persona developIliem goes, s

quester, though I2 is still

Questers may eventudy complete their quests, possibly even t the end of the Odyssey, but it should never be easy and the

Revelation gained at the end should be one well worthy of the cemries of intense work and hardships the quester has put herself through to attain it. Also, be careful in dishmg out miracles every story. Miracles should come into play no more often than once every three or four stories (possibly even less often) since they would otherwise lose their sense of divine nature, thus becoming mundane

lose interested in

g together to complete

e Calling of the Roim

@ts

section

15

usable o n b

The affmity costs for tura special affects con

I

Put on the whole armour of God, that y e may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. f i r we wrestle not againstflesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, agaipt the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high plares. Ephesians 6:1 1 12

-

-

The Lightbringers live in a world filled with countless other supernatural creatures, many of whom are dangerous enemies. T h e following chapters include detailed descriptions of two of the most dangerous eldritch races - the Demons and the Wer - along with brief overviews of the other everlasting races, so that if you do not own all four of the foundation books for the series can still utilize all the immortals. Another chapter indudes information o n the Reverie of our own reality and the Astra, the spirit world entered through out-of-body-experiences.

I .

,

Do you believe in demons? If you believe in angels, is the belief in demons any stretch of the imagmation in a world where evil is so prevalent.7 Is there a darkness by which light may be defined - some evil by which good may be recognized?Without such contrast could humankmd comprehend Iight or goodness? If evll is necessary, then what is the nature of evil? Is evil mereIy some abstract concept, or could this force of darkness have not just names (Satan, Choronzon, Asmodeus, Astaroth, Baal, Beelzebub, Belial, Lucifer, Mephistopheles, Diablos, Old Nick, znd so on), but some true presence as well? Could some dark force be at work maintaining or upsetting the balance of the universe? Could &is evil presence provide earthly pitfalls and trials to test the soul, thus serving as some sort of force of natural selection for placement in the Afterlife? If you find the belief in the supernatural plausible, how could you deny true evil exists outside our perception of reality? Even within our h i t e d mundane existence, evil is all too real. Serial U i n g , ethnic deansing, epidemics, Satanism, war, famine, drug adlction, child pornography, rape, cannibalism, torture, terrorism, glamorization of the depraved, arid hate crimes these things all attest to the human capacity for evil and depravity. How could belief in demons be a stretch if you believe there are things outside the realm of science and human understanding? Still, even the existence of demons does not lessen the sins of human beings in any way; it merely promises that evil behavior will earn its just deserts.

Do you believe in demons?

beings,fall is the ever normal season, the only weathe? there be no choice byond. where f i r these

do thy comefrom? The dust. Where &O thy go? The grave. Does blood stir their veins? No: the night wind. What ticks in their head? The worm. What speaksfrom their mouth? The toad. What seesfrom their ye? The snake. what hears with their ear? The abyss between the stars. Thy sft human stormfor smk, eatfksh Of reason,fill tombs with sinners. Charks Halbway, Somethinp Wckd This Way Comes, by Ray Braabuy

-

devised the most defined and structure of demonic hierarchy, w claimed consisted of seventy-two

works that demons pertimate goals. Some of these

Hebrew, Christian, Arab Slavic. According to th ir own Dark Labors. Lilith, that were c

Kabbalah, evil comes from the 1

dure of ic ce d to devils,

Most have superhuman strength, speed, endurance, resistance to injury, and healing

st intense pleasure, (though normally .

I I d that the human mind cannot comprehend. The more demons torture their bound souls, the more intense their own

weaponry, the power to create and contro he@re, mind-reading, supernatural seductiveness, the power to grant wishes, the

other dmensions.

Countenance

I.

1 '

b e g u h g forms, which are seductive and beau&, for dealing with mortals and eldritch.

I hey can, ar tunes, e m t a cloy-, sweet e smell atop their stench that OI+ makes it worse. Their voices vary, but mest all are &man. Humans who listen to them often experience headaches and bleeding from the ears, noses, and eyes. Many demons in true form actually communiCil>L

a 8

ts. Still, a few try to e nalize their odd experihces as dreams, hallucinations, nervous . .. . . ,.., I breakdowns, or even episodes or total msanity, m u e otners simply repress them as forgotten memories. There are some eldntch who hunt these vortices for a variety of reasons: to explore new worlds, to find their way back to their home realms, or even to destroy them, thus preventing things which pose threats from accidentally wandering through the vortices. r

I

.

-

4

.

*$

Purgatory: The Underworld

T mare Drea possc

1Y an

Q evil, 1 The) Secrc ings, than

T pred, beau

gl001 7n instll ticul

edly

Ex withm the last twenty or so vearq. srranve cninvs nave Deen occurring to the barriers betv World. For some unknown re allowing individuals to wande These rifts in time and space nave u o w e a m y 5u from other worlds to find the These vortices open and d pattern or warning. Someti spatial or temporal di notice, Only after an indivia- wmucrs ~ I U I I Euiie wuiiu UILU the next do they notice it. A victim mi city street in moldern day only to self in Camelot 01'er 1,440years a Often people d.LluvvJccIJ llldL c L ~ I a y v Iccu tices find their way back to their onginal places and times. A few victuns, however, do not survwe to return, but those who L,u"u~AI

that are collectively consicterea one m;LFsive reairy mar me aend cannot escape. The realms are composed of nekmm, (a substance very much llke the ephemera of the Astra and the rnwpbeatnr of the

*-

~

i

ms ream can peer mto cne Kevene to IOOK upon ana even

d realms created and conPhantoms. These realms are like nctums of the Astra, except sometimes Underworld 1s (and occasionally living mort&) can wind up in these odds, either intentionally or by accident. Shadoworlds pockets-dimensions of altered reality Jndenvorld. The shadoworlds even mov ; the phantoms who control them move around from one city or town to

-

he Dreadlands represent the Trast core n of the Underworld. The readlands are roughly the size orr me th and there are at least thuteen massive and powerfd city-states in the cy are known ;ISthe Empircs of The regions surrounding the :erritories are : p d y popuextremely dangerous. nbidden Lands are portions of rworld that have been over

!ms to which eldritch and many morither physically real worlds called the s of existence are collectively referred ms may be entered physically by those who know where or how to do so. While the Underworld may be entered physically by ghuls and their living travehg companions, the realm is not considered one of the agarthic spheres. The Astra and Beamworlds can also be entered physically in rare instance, but these too are not considered part of the Agartha, save for the Mythic Homelands, which some do consider agarthic spheres. Faeryland is also considered an agarthic sphere

Finding an entrance into a particular agarthic early impossible, even for the most mmated" eldritch. Not all agarthic eres have entrances on Earth, and those at do usually have only one or two.The ntrances are dif3cult to find since most I

L~

whose name is not

LllC

u-7

"I

UU'LLI&

LL'rnlll

Ya

CLll

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P A X -

ods of the year. A few h a i o n only one mrticular moment werv decade

I

enizens to suit the composed of fantastical king..hr...,.a

1,:+,.

,-..o.\t-..-r

.-I,*+

Y

rrific realm belovv, called Tartaws.Virtudy nothing IS known located within a hu bv winds that sounc als in the Underworld are rder for rid of then1. The Circ-les of Atr . * . clrcular m g s around the sides that loo ound the hole in the ground The circles 0% circles desn rences. The pit is letzd lown on the realm, making sure the Divint No one but the angels are allowed into the not a true heaven.

lun takes its cou E.

are somewhat human in form; few know how to enter this

of

jection x an OOBE (Out 304Expenenre.) You may treat this as a Spirit (IO - Astral) draw, with higher base difficulties for appearing Tn specific locations o the Astra rather than in some random location. Once in the Astra, the consciousness takes on a physical, corpo form Everything in the Astra, the minkcupe (buildings, plants, ro air, water, et d.) and the denizens (people, monsters, and SO on) are all composed of ephemera. Ephemera are though given form. It mirrors the actual earthly substances it takes the form of, but it is mutable by sheer force of will. Thus, anyone can shape and mold reality to suit their own needs, if their will is strong enough. Even preternaturae usually work more fie and are less costly to use within the Astra. [A Guide might le

*

of the Real World, there are many other realms h t h e r away. They are worlds unto themselves, yet many exist solely because of the Real World's mhabitants. Without ;he Real World, these places of legendry would eventually fade away. They thrive on the imagination within people and on the magick lnherent in the universe. Most all eldritch recognize the existence of these

Many of these otherlands seem very unreal to peopIe in the Real World because they are almost never entered physically.

e

the Astra to another, but it does require concentration and ple, since such things lie outside the epistemology o Most debunkers and skeptics rationalize such events

map withthe m ' t oy.

e can be led into

the realms linked together by astral space and composed of the substance known as cphemcra. The Astra IS not normally accessible physically; entrance occurs through meditation and trances. The conscious mind

specific location of the Collective, such as a fellowship meeting place, instead of withm her own Inner Sanctum. (The base difficulty for OOBE in this case I S a I2 instead of a IO.)

*

@

Angels have their own speciLfoms w i b the Astra that

mal to completely humatl at no annus cost. Osirians can resemble any of their ofd selvesmd may flash

agtdcally potent weapons.

within the Astra, while a very human

ere is always very revealki

state of relaxation and focus. This is accomplished by various meditative techniques. The person eventually becomes very relaxed and

The Inner Sanctums of very angry or intense people may be very dangerous and active, while those of very calm and kind people may be very tranquil and beautiful. Conversely, outer appearances may be deceiving and the Inner Sanctum may reveal a different side to a person. The Inner Sanctums of insane people are often very confixing and bizarre.

L

ovies, and photographs. There are many entities that also resemle people whom the person has known personally or through ooks and movies. These entities are like what the subconscious imagines them to be, so livmg Sanctum may be different from It is normally extremely diffi

P-

l l C L C

aLC

CV-IYL.."

L-IICILICI

Y1

-.I-

vvY....t-I

-,

-1-

I----

I

---

I -

efer to it as one of the sared realms, (the others are Earth, Primordium, and the Verdant

.. .

human civilizations or even markmgs of human contact save for a few scattered human bones. The mindscape varies to suit the animals of a particular area. There are jungles, swamps, deserts, oceans, and all manner of other locations from countless time periods. Some suggest the Menagerie is far larger than the Human Collective, but the truth remains unknown, since only the manitou and dragons can freely travel the realm. Some animal totems can pass back and forth from the Menagerie to the other astral realms. Some are sentient and are capable of communicating with other astral entities, including humans. Some of these spirits even know how to pass into the Reverie. In fact, some mythical beasts have even taken up residence m the Reverie and other realms. predation and evolution, just as they do in nature. Each day cycle, totems killed and eaten by other totems are returned to life at stlflrise. Only the manitou and the animal totems know the specifics of the animal hierarchy themselves. The Menagerie is governed by a council of the wisest and most powerful of the animals, the totemic lords. Each species is controlled by a wise, sentient totemic lord who is served by s d a r , yet less powerW totems.

The Verdant Lands This is theforest primeval. - Heny Wadnvorth Longfellow, Evanpeline

is both strange and fmi iar. It is b n m ~+n ”tree of knowledge.”) Countless le realm. They range in intelligence fi sentience. Yggdrasil is omnipotent and on life. The World Tree takes physical reaching into the bright golden skl hue upon everything in the realm. tative spirits guard the tree and the mentals keep out those who destrc those who dunb to the highest bn many lost realms. Verdantia is difficult to enter, b

some outsiders are

A dungeon horribk, on all sides r a n d

As

greatfirnacefbmcd; thosef~meJ

No lght, but rather darkness visible Served on1, to discover sights of woe, Regions ~f sorrow, dokful shades, where peace ~~d rest can npverdwell, hope nocr cmes That comes to all, but torture wrthat end mth evcr-bttrning sulphur consumed. -John Milton, Paradise Lost

The Netherworlds are known by many other names - the Darkbnds, Hel, the lnfrnal Realms, the Fiey Pits, and so on - but regardless of the name, they are the homelands of demons, and places of great sorrows and overwhelming damnation. There are several different Nethenvorlds, but only nine of them themselves from the rest of the Astra, but the bronze se bound the realms dosed were broken on Some of these Netherworlds. Demons emerged from these realms into and on into other realms, including the physical plane of e itself. Some of the demons are terribly powerful and ancient, are roughly equal to most other eldritch in terms of powe various demon race*ssometimes work tc they oppose and cc)mpete with one an0 ’ best to brin overlords of the demons are mJv‘ mO ~cneir le to corrupt mortals. st of the Netherworlds; remain locked aw break these, and, so far, have been unable to even ope

ethnrls and nnlv hv thncp w ----I -I -----ely powerful, good-hearted, and acting of their The Netherworlds are nightmarish lands, cities, an( with human spirits captured by the demons. Sor d hlack labvrinths filled with horrible and.nerve _.. ...__.__ . - Jrse

The known netherworlds include: Soku-no-Kurni

~andemoniumis the astrd nexus where the negative psychic energies of human emotions emanate. It appears as a great Spiraling Darkness that can normal see it to die ‘Om the ultimate horror of the experience. Pandemonium is the spawnmg Source from whim new demons are born. It is also the central hub at Which all the Netherworlds connect With one another and With the rest of the Astra.

Homelands These are places created by deities that are no longer worshipped by mortals. These old gods retreated from the earth in order to spend the rest of their existence safe from a world of disbelievers. The fate of the various pantheons remam mysteries for the most part. The god-llke inhabitants of these realms are peculiar, reclusive, and wrapped up in their own affairs. Some astral explorers speak of a place/non-place found at the edge of the Astra that is called the Kid. Nothing is known of this of possib~ltlesand nothingness place,except that it is a wrapped into one. Occult scholars speculate that it might be a gateway to the Unhrworld, others say it mght be a portal into the Astras of sentient extraterrestrialand &.a&ensiod bemgs, while say it is the nothingness lymg beyond the edge of the Astra which is capable of unmaking reahty. Ptrmordium, or Dragonhome, is said to be the Collective of the Dragons, but no human has ever traveled there and

their source of dark power, it is a place from whence anything

commune with the dragons which remained on Earth.

The Chaos Barriers plored by adventurous protagonists: The Empire (,f the Umorleti, a race of wild spirits of Bladelands: A ”gauntlet” where spirit warriors go to test themselves. The realm is fdled with monsters, incorporeal spirits, traps, and dungeon-mazes.The mortal fantasts of the Adventurer’s G d d are known to use this realm for their practice-adventuring. Elemental Planes: The realms from which the elementals originated and receive power. They are linked to the dragons and their magick in some mysterious way. * known as Ubar and Irem Of the dJinn’ at al Imad (“Irem of the Pillars.”) Some claim it exists half withe Astra and half within its own pocket reality withm the rever-

The Silver Heavens: A realm of the angels within the Astra

Between the Astra and the Dreamworlds lies a wall of chaos, stray thoughts, and half-conscious dreams. The barrier is half a thought away, for a fdthought is too far and the barrier remains invisible and impassable. Those who know how to find the barrier think of it as a passageway into the Dreamworlds. They pass through the chaos barrier as if they are swimming vertically through mMphPrrm (dreamsubstance), which takes a form smilar to water, though it is dry. Passage is normally possible only from the Astra into the Dreamworlds, but it may be possible to pass from the Dreamworlds into the Astra this way. Using the barrier as a passage is difficult, and only certain Astral-Dream entities can do so with ease. With the barrier it is possible to become lost or trapped forever. The conscious astral form was not meant to venture into the dreaming, nor is the dreamself meant to visit the The journey can leave the traveler with her consciousness and her body in a permanent catatonic state.

Nobody cares. No604 cares but me. Are th9 right? Is itfutik? Soon there will be waK Millions will burn. Millions will perish be punished.

in sickness and misery. Why does one death matter against so many? Because there is good and there is evil, and evil must Even in theface of Armageddon I shall not compromise in this. But there are so many deserving of retribution . . . and there is so little time. (RorschachsJotrrnal) Watchen: Chapter 1, ly Alan Moore

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You have come far, and you have learned much about the ageless struggle, but there is always more to learn. If you want to develop your skills for performing in the "theatre of the soul," then this book is for you. This book contains information concerning character qualities, roleplaying, storytelling, story creation, Odysseys, personal mythology, and legendmaking. While none of this material is necessary r e a l n g for enjoying the legendmaking experience, it can add to it greatly.

It is called the Holy Grail of Christ, and it is said to be the wine cup used at the Last Supper. Legends claim Joseph of Arimathea carried the cup into Western Europe. Yet it is said by many that the Holy Chalice has its origin in the pagan myth of the magic cauldron. It has been referred to as a cup, dish, gem, plate, cauldron, bloodline, and a quest itself; this has only further muddled the truth. Many scholars, such as Baigent, Leigh, and Lincoln in their book Hob Blood, Hob Grail, argue that if such a valued Christian artifact existed, it could not remain missing for so long, only to turn up for a while, and then disappear again into the m i s t s of legendry. The end of the I Ith century was a turbulent time period. Crops were failing miserably and knights were mortgaging their property to the Church just to participate in the Crusades. In I099 the Holiest of Cities fell to the Crusaders, igniting the fervor of pilgrims and peasants. Countless treasures, including many holy relics, were brought back to Europe. Every abbey, monastery, church and religious center advertised its own reliquary of holy remains of authentic saints. It was a time period of religious hysteria and stolen treasures. During this time the Arthurian stories arose as part of the ”Matihe de Bretagne” (the ”Matter of Britain”), which were the romances that were spread by Breton, Welsh, and Anglo-Norman conteurs throughout the courts of England, France, German, and Italy. The legend of the Holy Grad first appeared during this time period within the writings of ChrCtien de Troyes, who had drawn on the oral Celtic traditions for the formation of his Arthurian romances. One of the earliest 12th century references to the Grail appears in the Chronicle of Helinandus, who was a monk of Froidmont. Helinandus tells of a hermit who had a vision of Joseph of Arimathea and the Grail on the eve of Good Friday in 717 A.D. Certainly the writers during the Grail Renaissance borrowed from the local pagan tales, such as the Maginogion of Welsh legend. The Grail gained the power to grant life and immortality, and was said to be able to satiate any appetite -- all of which were features of pagan cauldrons, dishes, and horns of plenty. The Holy Grail has even been used to refer to lineage. The term san grad is very close to the words sang real, which mean ”royal blood.” Indeed, the Cathars suggested that the Grail is actually the bloodhe of Christ. But could the Grail be real? If you are a Christian, or if you even believe that Christ existed, then perhaps you believe there was a Last Supper between Jesus and his disciples If you do, then such a cup might truly exist. Such a cup might or might not have the miraculous powers associated with it, but it would be a relic of great value regardless. Certainly if someone, or some group, attained the true Grail, their ownership might not be publicized. If the Grail were to possess powers, then ownership could be maintained only through secrecy.

Do you believe in the Hob Grail?

Jldvavced Guideligep I have set my 1 9 upon a cast, And 1 will stand the hazard of the die. - William Shakespeare) Richard

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needed in order to participate in T h e Everlasting are provided within chapters 2 through 3. It is best to become familiar with the basic guidelines contained in Fhose chapters before delvmg mto the guidelines within this chapter. You may never even need any of these advanced guidelmes, unless you run into some complications or simply prefer usmg them.

Pleasing everyone in every possible way is the goal of the guideline options presented withm this foundation book. Of course, this is not an attainable goal Therefore participants who do not find the perfect system among the guidelines provided are encouraged to create their own or borrow ones they llke from other sources. Future sourcebooks for The Everlasting w d feature new systems.

1 velfiv3 gour OW? Juidc,1,: Just because something is written withm this foundation book, it does not mean it is mitten in stone. If you do not like the guidelmes provided, or tnvent better ways of handling the resolution of actions, do not hesitate tn makmg use of your own cleverness -just be sure all the participants prefer your method before implementing the changes.

Acrobatics - This is the s k d used in performing flips, aerial maneuvers, leaps, swings, and gymnastics. Falling damage may be reduced by one point for each success on a Dexterity (IO Acrobatics) draw before makmg a normal Resistance draw for damage. Primary Aspect: Dextertrty Climb -This is the s k d used in climbing trees, walls, rocks and other vertical objects. A character skilled in climbmg is familiar w t h rappelling, spike setting, and fiee clunbing. Pnmaty Aspect

Dexteriry The following listings of abllities d u d e brief descriptions and the most common Aspect used in con~unctionwith particular ' s k h . In cases where two Aspects are listed as primary, then choose the one most appropriate for the situation. Other Aspects aside from the ones listed may also be used with the sktlls, dependmg upon how the sktlls are used. For instance, a Perception draw might be made with the Sword skdl to determme a sword's monetary valuc. ~

Athletics This aptitude defines a character's overall ability to perform physical activities, especially sports. Athletics mcludes the followin$ seven slulls: Accuracy - This is the sktll used m hittmg a target with a , thrown ob~ect,such as a throwmg knife, baseball, or basketball. It i not used for bowmanship (use Hunt) and marksmanship (use

F ;

Dance -This is the skill used in performmg all forms of dance. A character should take one specialty, such as ballet, ballroom, folk, etc. The character may also use the skill to perform many forms of dance or just to dance socially. Primary Aspect:

Dexterrrty Focus - This skLu ts used in channelmg internal energies for extreme feats mvolving the body. It is also the abtlity to control many of the body's autonomic hnctlons, such as breathmg, heart rate, bleeding, and resistance to pan. It is used to perform Yogic feats and mcrease the power of punches, kicks, and throws (in rare instances.) The energy focused is referred to in most martlal arts as the rhr and Kt The unltvino and the nossessed can use this skd for

in creating art

This aptitude defines a character’s overall famlliarity with th& darker side of human existence, particularly predation upon one’s own kind. Anyone can have this aptitude, since it does not necessarlly mean the character is a criminal or has ever been a crimmal. In fact, most law enforcement personnel wlll have this aptitude as well. Crminal includes the following seven skills: Espionage - This s l d represents a character’s abdity to forge documents, disguise her appearance, create new identities, stalk other people, and hide out from the authorities or anyone else. Note that the actual act of mfiltration and exfiltration are lmked more to Influence skds, whlle gathering mformation is linked to the Research skd. Primary Aspect Zntelkct Firearms - This is the s k d used in identifying, firing, loading, and cleaning modern firearms. Primary Aspect Dexterrty Legerdemain - This skill is used for sleight-of-hand, concealmg items, picktng pockets, shop hftmg, cheatmg at cards, and performing confidence games. For some individuals, this s k d mostly represents prestidigitation, particularly magic tricks involvmg swift and graceful hand movements. Pnmary Aspect Zntelkct Murder -This s k d is used for plannmg and executmg the despicable act of murder by most any fashion. It included knowledge of how to get away with murder without gettmg caught, knowledge of poisons, famlliarity with corpse disposal methods, the basics of forensics, and the best ways of cleaning up the crnne scene to cover up or remove any possible evidence. This skill is also used by law enforcement in mvestigatmg homicides. Primary Aspect. Zntelkct Security - This is the s k d that provides knowledge of survedance devices, security systems, crimmal strategies, lock picking, and burglary methods. Primary Aspect Zntelkct Stealth -This skill is used m movmg about quietly and unseen, as well as hidmg one’s self or other things. It can also mclude the use of camouflage. Prtmay Aspect Znstrnrts Streetwise - This skdl mdudes knowing other criminals and how crlmmals operate. It also represents a character’s ability to find, purchase and sale degal goods. The character can recognlze when someone is on drugs, can identify drugs, and knows the price and effects of drugs. The character is familiar with robbery, burglary, degal gamblmg, bookmaking, street slang, prostitution, drug dealing, fencmg stolen goods, and other crimmal activities. The skill also doubles as a survival s k d for life on the mean streets of the city. Prtmay Aspect Zntelkct Humanities This aptitude defines a character‘s overall famdiarity with the classical arts. Humanities mcludes the following seven skds: Antiquities - This is the skill that provides knowledge of pre-recorded history. It includes histoncal and scientific knowledge of ancient civdizations such as religion, culture, geographic location, architecture, economy, politics, and engineering. It also includes knowledge of carbon datmg, relic reconstruction, and anthropology. Antiquities is useful m detecting fake artifacts, identifying real artdac gin, as well as in identi artifacts. Primay Aspert Inteelkt

sort. The character can work in similar mediums with a slight penalty of -I to -3, such as using watercolors instead of oils, or sculptmg in stone instead of wood. Primary Aspect Inspiration History -This is the skill that provides knowledge of p u t events and social development. It mdudes social, intellectual, political, religious, scientific, economc, and cultural history, along with some knowledge of prehistory. Prrmay Aspect, Zntelkct Language - This is the skill used rn communicating in a language other than one’s native tongue, since all characters are automatically fluent in their native language. The character is fluent in one additional language for each point in Languages. Thls skill covers all language, including sign languages and dead languages. N o card draw is needed for communicating m a language with which the character is familiar, though a card draw can be made for comprehending very simdar languages or dialects (with various penalties.) Primary Aspect: Zntelkct Music - This s k d is used in playmg a musical mstrument of a particular type. The character can also play snndar instruments with a slight penalty of -I to -3, such as playing a bass guitar with a skill in guitar. Prrmay Aspect. Znsptration Religion -This s k d provides knowledge of spiritual beliefs. It may focus on one particular belief system, but it also provides overall knowledge of many different religions. Primary Aspect: Zntelkct Research - This is the s k d used in gathering mformation of all sorts. It includes knowmg how to collect data and ex it for relevant facts. Pnmay Aspect: lntelkct I

Influence This aptitude defines a character’s overall famlliarity with human communication. It may be used in any form of communication, especially verbal and written. It reflects the character ability to evoke and interpret emotional responses. Influence includes the following seven skills: Deception - T h s is the skill used m lymg and detectm when someone lies. It is also useful in manipulatmg people wi out them knowing it and in concealmg motives. It is also use in identifying the manipulations and motivations of others. Prrmay Aspect: Zntelkct Eloquence - This is the skill used in communicating beautiful, flowing, elegant language and the abdity to look eloquence for hard facts. Eloquence allows the character to express her thoughts and emotions in an understandable and meaningful way. Prrmay Aspects: Presence and Zntellert Empathy -This is the s k d used in determinmg the cur rent emotional state of a person based upon their body lan tone of voice, and other distinguishing features. It is also u determinmg the most llkely response a person would have to specific statement or event. It is also the ability to conce own emotions. Prrmary Aspect: Perception Intimidate - This is the skdl used in causing fear people. It is knowledee of what people fear and how to

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I-rrmaT Aspert Yresence

a*

of some

(ar, ~

a particular viewpomt or conclusion. It is also the abil~tyto resist the persuasiveness of others either by digging for flaws m their arguments or by looking past all their fast talk. Primary Aspect. Presence and Lnteilect Question - This is the s k d used m gaming mformation from people in any way necessary. This can range from torture to shrewd questions that simply catch people off guard. It also represents the abdity to resist bemg tricked mto revealing informatlon the character does not wish to let slip. Prtmary Aspect Instincts Romance - This is the skdl used in makmg the character desirable romantically to another person. It includes flirtmg, seduction, charm, romantic wit, and knowing the right thmgs to say and do at the right times. Prtmary Aspect Presrnce

This aptitude definer a character’s overall proficiency in unarmed combat. It does not necessardy reflect any particular style of combat, unless the participant wishes it to do so. A particular style of martial arts can be chosen, if desired, though it has no effect upon skds. (Note: Bite and Claw are two optional skills for this aptitude.) Martial A r t s includes the followng seven

Blind Fighting -This skdl is used whenever a character IS fightmg without the use of vision and must rely on her other senses. It could be due to blmdness or smply darkness. For each point m Blmd Fightmg, the situational modifier m hand-to-hand combat for not seemg an opponent (night, blmdness, invisible opponent) is reduced by one point. This skill cannot reduce a modifier to the pomt of becommg a bonus instead. However, the s k d applies to defensive maneuvers as well as offensive ones. The character can also use her trammg m blind fightmg for other purposes, such as moving about m the dark or performmg actlons without the use of sight. Primary Aspect. No draw reguired, see above Block -This s k d is used m countermg the blows of opponents who are attemptmg to strike the character. It is usually only used in unarmed combat. Prtmary Aspect: Dextertty Evasion - This s k d is used in dodging attacks and running evasion patterns, Prtmay Aspect Dexterity E’ Grapple - This sk.ill encompasses all forms of grabbing, holdmg, chokmg, stranglmg, and pmnmg opponents. It also mcludes headbuttmg, (treat as luck damage to opponent and Mf damage to self.) Primary Aspecr. Dextertty Kick -This s k d mcompasses all forms of luckmg attacks, ranging from knee smashes to s p m m g back lucks to punting. Primary Aspect. Dexterity Punch - This skdl encompasses all forms of hand attacks, ranging from karate chops to left hooks. Prrmary Aspect: Dexterity Takedown - This skdl Isncompasses all maneuvers used to an opponent to the ground, rangmg from tackles, to leg ps. to body slams. Prima! y Aspect. Dexterity

8

This aptitude defines the character’s familiarity with

of martial weaponry. Melee L Axes - This s k d encon and axe-lake weapons, rmgmg

all manner

headed battle-axes. Prlmaty Aspect D~xt~rrty Clubs - This s k d encornpasses the use of all forms of clubs, ranging from baseball bats to maces. Prtmary Aspect. DMenty Knives -This skill encompasses the use of all forms of knives and knife-llke weapons, rangmg from dirks to straght razors. Primary Aspect Dexterity Flails - This skdl encompasses the use of all forms of flalls and flail-like weapons, rangmg from war flails to nunchukas. Primary Aspect Daterriy Polearms - This s k d encompasses the use of all forms of polearms, rangmg from simple spears to fauchard-forks. Primary Aspect Dextenty Staves -This skd encompasses the use of all forms of staves, ranging from JO staves to quarterstaves. Primary Aspect. Dexterity Swords -This s k d encompasses the use of all forms of swords and sword-llke weapons, rangmg Gom fencing fods to claymores. Primary Aspect Dextenp Modern Life (1990s) This is the aptitude that defines a character’s familiarity with today’s world. It mcludes general knowledge of modern society and the basic thmgs required for getting by on one’s own. (The skds for this aptitude w d vary with different time periods.) Modern Life in present day mcludes the following seven skills: Alertness - This s k d is used in determmmg a character’s observation abdity and watchfulness. It is mcluded withm Modern Life since ancient eldritch who are like walkmg anachronisms typically have low Alertness scores. In addtion, Alertness is tied to knowing what is going on at all tmes around one’s self. Primary Aspcct Perception Area Knowledge - Thrs skd represents a character’s knowledge of a particular geographical area. It can be as large or as small an area as desired The smaller the area, the greater the character’s depth of knowledge for the area. This s k d may be taken more than once, takmg it once for each particular area with which the character is famlliar. Most eldtltch have this skill for the area around their dommions. A ghul might have this skill for the tunnels underneath the city, whde a revenant mght have this slull for a particular region of the Underworld. A manitou mght have this skill for one of the sacred lands (an aethyr of the Astra.) A cab driver might have it for an entire city. This skdl represents knowledge of businesses, residents, and other features within the area. Primary Aspect Intellect C A r n nr--..L.. r . + p r r - Thtr < t i l l t i r ~ r i.&. tn nrnnrsmminn mm-.,**..” i e the ...r=-6~------6 puters and retrieving- information. N o card draw is necessary for smply using common, user-hendly software the character uses all the time. Primary Aquct: Intellrct Driving T h s skill is used in operating a motor vehicle. It does not include riding a motorcycle, as this abdity is considered

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fession, though a character may be allowed to use a skill with a penalty of -I to -3 for activities related to smilar professions. Primary Aspect. kriable, usualEy Intellect

Social Awareness -This is the sklll that reflects a character’s knowledge of current events, pop culture, subcultures, fashion, music, entertamment, social trends, and slang. Prtrnay Rspect. Intellect

1 his aptitude detrnes a character’s overall knowledge of the sciences. Sciences includes the followmg seven skills: Engineering - This s k d represents knowledge of basic engineering and draftsmanship. You have to choose one particular field of engineermg for the character, but may use her Engineermg skill m related fields at a minor penalty of -1 to -3, depending upon the slmdarity. Some fields of engineermg: airplanes, architecture, automobdes, electronic, firearms, mechanical

Naturalism This aptitude defines a character’s over basic survival needs. Survival includes the at a minor penalty of -I to -3 Some life sciences indude: bactePrimary Aspects. Perceptton and Instincts

Herbalism - TI ents knawledge of the healmg

For participants who wish to various skills of Firearms, Ste Alertness can all come mt sents all these other sMls, Bow. Hunt also mcludes

field for the character,

Instincts and Dexterity

Orienteer -This sk distance, and in plotting co Survival - This s k d IS shelter to assure survival. It covers Mling anlmals for foo through snares or by actually hunting and killing th

urgy, meteorology, nuclear physics

(anirnak,) Track - This s k d is used in tracking down

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the tracks were made, speed they were traveling, number in group, weight of the person or animal making the tracks, and the type of anunal that made the tracks. Prima? Aspect: Perception

subatomic physics. Primary Aspect: Intellect Psychology - This s k d represents knowledge concerning human thought and behavior. It also represents the abilitv to ps choanalyze and provide therapy to patients. A have a score of four in this slull and must hav

Rationalize - This skill represents the abdity ot an i ual to convince herself and others that the supernatural d exist and that supernatural events they may have witnessed not occur by coming up with logical scientific explanations. .,. . , 1

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Prima? Aspect Intelltct

Rook of the Light

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through minions. Intellect (7 I Servitors) Havmg some sort of labor or tasks performed. Presence (9 Servitors) -a - - - - - - -

ThB aptitude defines how in tune the character is with the supernatural and her overall knowledge concerning it. Supernatural mcludes the following seven skills: Arcana - This skill represents knowledge of occult lore such as Kabbalah, Hermetic lor?, Gnosticism, numerology, alchemy, and astrofogy. Pnmay Aspect Intellect Astral -This sktll is used in attempting astral projection and in travelmg from place to place within the Astra. Primary Aspect Inspiration *+Dream-This skdl is used m choosmg one’s own dreams and in travamg the Dreamworlds. Primay Aspect; Inspiration * Eldritch -This skdl is used for recognmng eldritch by race on sight. It also mcludes general knowledge concerning the various supernatural races. Primary Aspect Intellect Empower - This skill is only avallable to supernatural bemgs and powerful human mages, meaning even fantasts who have a score m Supernatural do not have an Empower score. Empower is used for l n s t h g supernatural power mto mundane things rangmg from swords to mortal mmions. When the character empowers somethma she attunes it to herself, and transfers a small amount of her own supernatural power into the item or person. Primary Aspect Spirit Illumination -This skdl is used for perceiving the reverie, and for sensing nearby supernatural bemgs and events. Primay Dect: Znsniratron Intuition - This is less of a s k d and more of a natural talent that few people develop. Intuition provides strong feelmgs, hunches, and an uncanny guessing :ibility that is often correct. Primary Aspect, Znstincts

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Resources: Bribery. Presence ( 1 0 Resources) Getting expensive equipment. Zntelkct (1 0 Resources) Getting invited to a country club. Presence (9 Resources)

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Temporal Ties: Utdmng mortal contacts. Zntelkct (9 Temporal Ties) Getting an appointment with the mayor. Zntelkct (9 Temporal Ties) Manipulating police, local government, etc. Presence ( I 0 T’poral Ties)

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Distinctions may be used in a manner smilar to abdities on card draws in cases where they should make a difference in the outcome. Remember that negative scores in Distinctions would increase the difficulty whde positive scores would lower the difficulty. Here are some examplvs:

Recallmg an historical fact from own lifetime. Zntelkct ( I 0 Biogruphy) Recalling a memory as a flashback. Znqnration (9 Biography)

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Throwing weight around through reputation. Presence (9 Eldritd Ties) Trymg to get an audience with another eldritch. Intellect (9 EMritrh Ties) Negotiating a truce with eldritch enemies. Presence ( 1 0 Eldritch Ties) Utllizmg eldritch contacts. Zntelkct (9 Eldritch Ties)

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J€dvaicedCom6at Guidelive3 l r

(Optional) The following detads concerning combat are optional. They exist merely to provide the possibility of greater diversity and detail. Feel free to use them or ignore them as you see fit, since added ”detail” does not always mply added ”realism:’

Fighting Nameless Minions Lots of times protagonists are attacked by large numbers of relatively weak and unimportant mortal opponents. Combat could get bogged down quickly if the protagonists are not allowed to take down these opponents in a fast way. Therefore, a Guide might allow all unimportant goons and fodder to fall more easlly before protagonists’ attacks, allowing only the important fight scenes to be drawn out. The guidelines are as follows: Any protagonist’s attack upon an unnamed opponent that causes five or more damage while unarmed, or four or more damage with a lethal weapon, before the opponent’s Resistance draw IS attempted, automatically knocks the unnamed opponent into Trauma and unconscious. A Guide may modify this if the goons are wearing armor or are extremely tough. If the protagonist delivers seven or more damage whlle unarmed or five or more damage with a lethal weapon, before the- onnonent’s - r r --Resistance draw is attempted, the participant may chocwe for her protagonist to either kill the opponent or just wound the opponent terribly. knother means of handling the f i j5hting is simply a

or flashy manner. In situations where there are not enough minions for every protagonist to get their maxmum, all should get their fair share.

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Note that carrying Concealed weapons without a license is against the law, and wlll most llkely lead co arrest if caught. Hair-Trigger Reactions For suspense, when a character is expecting attack and somcthing jumps out at her, makes a frightening sound, or otherwise sets off her instincts, an Instincts (7) draw is made. If successful, the character can react by firing, and w d at least ”draw down” on whatever caused her to jump even if she does not fire at it. O n a disaster, the character drops her weapon or it jams, provided there is real danger. If there is no real danger and a disaster is drawn, the character fires anyway, even if it was a friend who caused her to jump. Pistol Whipping This is the act of using a pistol ln hand-to-hand combat to add force to blows with the fist. Treat pistol-whipping as normal punches, except that the character does an extra +I damage if the punch hits the opponent.

,Additioial Detailp The following mformation might also prove usefd to those mterested in detailed combat. Concealed Weapons Characters can often carry several handguns and melee weapons without being noticed, except by those looking to see if the character is paclung heat. Heavy clothino -- ’ for ----a --ar a n allnw greater number of weapons, and even larg actively looks the character over, a Guide (base dficultyfrom 6 to 12 depending upon the amount of clothing, minus to 3 per weapon carried, depending upon the weapon’s size) draw to see if the onlooker notices any concealed weapc weapon per success. If frisked, all weapor they are hidden in very uncomfortable pl; dways carry weapons m violin cases, brief cases, grocery SaCKS,

Silencers Sdencers are lllegal to purchase, but do-it-yourself hts are legal to buy. They can be especially usefd when the character does not wish to attract attention. Sllencers range in shape and size from one-shot disposabl varieties to custom-made professional models that are desig to last up to a hundred shots. Most are around ten-inches long, tubular, and cannot be holstered. They are usually attached right before use. All sdencers become worthless after a certam amount of usage based on their quality. This is because the baffles within the silencers, which reduce the sound and speed of the shot, weaken and the gun gradually becomes louder. Large caliber weapons, such as assault rifles, cannot handle encers, nor can shotguns. In addition, most handguns mu have modifications for silencer use. Some submachine guns manufactured in d e n t versions for use m cover operations, o utilizing specially-designed low-noise ammunition. Silencers reduce the damage by one point and the range b

Unjamming Automatics Whenever a character draws a Disaster whde usmg a p submachlne gun, or other automatic weapon, the weapon J be unjammed Order for It to fire agai The fEearm character can USE. an action to make a Dexterity (9 - Firearms) chamber of the weapon. I

ore than one action to unjam the gun.

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If you are not careful, you can easily ruin the supernatural feel of T h e Everlasting by turnmg it mto nothing but a series of gunfights. Protagonists with miraculous supernatural powers, who smply run about blowing away bad guys and their unwitting minions with submachine guns mill no doubt live only short lives despite theEr supposedly m m o r d status. There are several ways to quietly reduce the effectiveness of guns withm stories. While some of these methods may seem a bit absurd, if you use them carefully and m a serious manner, you can get away with maintaining the supernatural atmosphere without seeming too heavy-handed. Award backlash points to any eldritch who run about blowing away people with guns. Generally, one BP for each person wounded and two BPs fix each person killed w d reduce protagonist dependence upon firearms. Stress that the gun is a great equalizer. Since guns can only fire a certain number of shots withm a combat cyde, it does not matter what a protagonist's Speed score is when it comes to using firearms. Because of this, mortals and mmortals have equal offensive capabilities when using guns. Since the everlasting have greaterthan-normal speed, they could better utillze their great speed in conjunction with melee weapons or martial arts, thus gettmg more attacks withm the combat cycle than humans who use melee weapons or martial arts. Simply have antagonists and minions seldom use guns. Many antagonists realize the limited effectiveness of guns and Y

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would rely on melee weapons that can cut off heads and severe arms since bullet wounds can simply be regenerated. When the bad guys do carry guns, they seldom use them, drop them, or have them knocked away easily. Make it harder to hit an opponent. The first shot never hits the target (even antagonist targets) and my automatic fire smply hits the ground m a pattern near the one being fired on. The whole purpose is to let the opponent know they are bemg fired upon and that it is dangerous. Once m a while someone can actually get shot, but before long the protagonists w d learn the value of facing their opponents at close range m melee and martial arts combat. Make guns do less damage. Smply reduce the amount of damage guns cause. Instead of puttmg out an eye, it might smply graze someone, causing a mmor flesh wound. You can give opponents kevlar armor or even make all eldritch less susceptible to firearms by givmg them some natural Body Armor. While this is almost a last resort, it can be effective in getting the atmosphere of the experience back to what it is all about. Make it easier to get into trouble with the authorities. Whde t h s is not very useful m reducmg the effectiveness of guns directly, it can frustrate protagonists so much they feel carrying guns is more trouble than it is worth. Increase the probability of weapon malf;nction. Eldritch often cause technology to malfunction. Whde they are not gremlins who wreck everything, they do sometimes affect devices that are in their presence long term due to the supernatural energies they radiate. This can be carned over to weapons easily, causmg guns to jam far more frequently, or even causing guns to break. It is even possible to have firearms badcfire, causmg damage to the characters usmg the guns.

armor For certain flashbacks, and possibly even a few of armor types display the number of cards that

following collection

Armor

Cards&&

$ g

Ceramic Plate

+3

0

-

0

-3 _ _ _

Chain, light

+2

0

__--

0

0 -I

" C

~~

-I Cloth, Conceded ~+I _ 0_ ~ +3

Chain, heavy _ _ -__

+I

/ Qudtet -

Plastic plate

-

Plate, light Plate, - heavy +

~-

0

~~~

Leather, soft Leather, studded Padded

Cold

Plate and cham --_ Riot - gear, light Riot gear, h e-a y

~~

Wood, lacquered

THEEVEFUASTING @ Page 266

0

_

~ "I

II

_

0 _ -1

Bullets

-2 n

-

< ‘ Amputation Amputation is a serious threat even to the eldritch. Amputation may occur at Guide’s discretion if one hit, or group of hits, directed at a particular body. part _ reduces a subject’s hfe score to zero. The loss of an arm causes the permanent loss of I Life pomt. The loss of a leg causes the permanent loss of 2 Life points. The loss of half a leg causes the permanent loss of I Life point. There is no Life pomt loss for amputated feet or hands. This damage caused by amputatlon is considered debilitating, smce it permanently removes a portion of the body, but may be healed by characters who possess Regeneration, (allowing them to regrow lost Innb.) It also works with Body R+rmatton, allowmg eldritch to reconnect amputated body parts for only I animus each. The reattached part is instantly restored to usefulness. ”Healing” and related types of healtng powers are not effective in regrowmg lost parts unless descnbed as being capable of doing so, but these powers may be used to reconnect amputated parts at any level. Asphyxiation, Suffocation & Drowning Once a person can no longer hold her breath and cannot take in fresh air, she begins to die. This can occur through a variety of methods rangmg from asphyxiation, to suffocation, to drowning. The vtctun suffers 3 points of mstdious debditating damage during the first combat cyde, 6 pomts of msidious debllitatmg damage during the second combat cycle, 9 pomts during the third, and so on untd she manages to take m some an or dies. The Guide may spread the damage out over several turns or may have it occur all at the end of the tenth turn of the combat cycle. The damage is debditatmg, but damage w d be removed completely when the victim can take tn fresh air. This msidlous damage is automatic, meaning no Resistance draw. Those who do not breathe are unmune to damage of this sort. I

Burn Damage Fire and hot surfaces can cause debihtating damage. The amount of damage caused by a fire is based upon the and heat intensity of the flames. The followmg mformation may be applied to determme fire damage. Take the number of damage points determined by the intensity and multiply it by the slze of the flames. The debllitatmg damage may be resisted by a Resllience (7) draw as normal. Damage occurs at the end of the tenth turn of each combat cycle. If the character gets out of the fire durmg a combat cycle before the tenth turn, then dama occurs durmg the last turn the character is in the fire. Intensitv of Flames Matchlight Stove Wooden Torch / Campfire Ele -ctric Torch Flame Thrower / ChemicaI Fire

2

Medium (burns arm or leg) Large (burns half of body) Huge (burns all of body)

-

4 6

Once a victnn has caught on fire, she continues to suffer damage equal to the mtensity of the flames every combat cycle until the flames are extinguished.

Sunlight Many vampires suffer burn damage from direct rays of sunlight. Sunlight does I point of debilitating damage each combat cycle, multiplied by the amount of exposure (see above for exposure to fire.) However, the total amount of damage may be modified as follows, after applymg the exposure modifier, but before the Resistance draw. Conditions Extremely bright day Through tinted window Body well-covered

Damape Points f&er multiplier)

-

-I to -2 -2 to -3

___

thick clothmg

If a Serious wound or greater is suffered from Sunlight victim catches aflame and contmues to burn untll either tn death or the flames are extmpshed. In addition, sun lamp- -_ ally cause I to 3 pomts of debilitating damage (depending upon the sunlamp’s brightness) each combat cycle. The Guide may spread damage from sunlight out over several turns or may have it occur all during the tenth turn of the combat cycle. Chemical and Acids Chemicals and acids can c se debllitating damage. The amount of damage caused by a chemical or acid is based up0 the character’s coverage in it and the causticity of the substan The following information may be applied to determine che cal and acid d, [age.Take the number of damage points determined by the catisticity and multiply it by the coverage of th the character.

__

Damage may b Causticitv of Stibstance

Damaqe Points

~j+~al Potent Highly Potent Extremely Poten

Debilitat

~

4

Book of the Light @ Page 267

1)

*

le chemical or acid on her, sh 0 to the causticity of the substance once to su each additional combat cyde untd the chemical had been diluted by water or some other means. The Guide may spread the damage out over several turns or may have it all occur at the end of the tenth turn of the combat cyde.

t

Car Crashes & Getting - Hit by a Car Characters caught in car crashes, or hit by cars, suffer damage based upon what the speed at which the cars are traveling when the accident occurs. For each 5 mph total (mcluding own vehicle’s speed and, if another vehicle is hit head on, the speed of the other vehicle) one pomt of damage is suffered. Up to 25 points of damage may be suffxed m this way. Wearmg a seatbelt lmproves the victim’s Resistance card draw by -I difficulty and an rurbag reduces damage by 8 points.

Enduring Torture It is not necessary to suffer actual physical damage in order to feel pain. Torture and other pain-inducing practices and attacks can be just as effective as bullets and swords, but with fewer long-term effects, if preferred.

e

~’ i

Durmg a character‘s torture, the Guide may reqii r e several Spirit-based Resistance draws, based upon the duration and form of the torture. Typically one Resistance draw is made for every IO minutes of actual torture, though the length of tune a n vary greatly depending upon the method used. The initial difficulty for a Resistance card draw in resistmg the torture is 6, but each additional draw incurs a cumulative +I difficulty, with a maximum difficulty of 12. If the draw is ever faded completely, the character divulges - information she has. The more faded Spirit draws, the more information divulged. If at least one success is achieved, the character resists answering any questions. Destiny pomts can be spent to resist torture. For those who want more detailed guidelines for torture, the .following should suffice. A character can inflict anywhere from I to 6 pomts of temporary damage each combat cycle through torture, depending upon the method used. Only those trained in the art of torture may inflict more than 7 points of temporary damage without causing real damage in addition to temporary damage. This damage may be resisted by Spirit in a normal Resistance draw. Somecimes the temporary damage actually is accompanied by some normal damage or even debditatmg damage (such as amputation of limbs, burn damage, etc.), usually equal to half the amount of temporary damage points. Real damage may be resisted by Resdience in a normal Resistance draw.

Falling *

Fallmg damage is two points for every 5 feet above the first

ssarify debilitating, though the Guide can rule that some or even all of the damage is debditatmg, especially for falls from great heights. Frostbite Intense cold can cause damage, just the same as intense heat. Treat exposure to the cold the same as heat exhaustion, except that only rest within a warm place can reduce the effects. In addition, damage from frostbite can also cause the permanent loss of fingers, toes, noses, and other extremities, since gangrene may set m. If the mfected portion of the body is not amputated, the gangrene will spread and eventually kd the character. For every two aspect pomts lost, one point of debilitating damage occurs. The detalls as to what, if any, body parts are lost, is up to the Guide. If left untreated, consider gangrene a poison that causes 4 pomts of debilitatmg insidious damage each day untd it’s spread is halted or the victim dies. Regeneratton, Healq, Rapid Healing and similar powers may save frozen parts. Heat Exhaustion and Dehydration Heat exhaustion and dehydration can occur whenever someone is in direct sunlight for an extended period of time. For system purposes, it should only come into effect in cases of intense heat or travel through the desert. The effects drain away points fiom Strength and Dexterity. For every ten hours of exposure to intense heat whde exerting herself greatly, the victlm suffers 5 points of damage reslsted by Resilience (7). For each pomt of damage not resisted, the subject suffers the loss of one point of Strength or Dexterity. These lost aspect pomts may only be regained by resting m a cool place and (in most cases) by replenishing boddy fluids. In addition, if a victm IS reduced to half her normal score in Strength or Dexterity, she must make a Trauma card draw. She must contmue making a new Trauma draw every three hours afterwards untd she can regain lost Strength and Dexterity points. If the draw is failed, the character passes out and may die if she is not somehow rescued. I

I

-

Illnesses Illnesses cause a vanety of effects, ranging from loss of aspect s damage. Very mmor illnesses, such as colds s, have no specific affect (1.e. no reduction of score, no increased difficulty) on a character’s qualities, but they can serve as nuisances and add to roleplaying. It is up to a Guide as to what real effects dnesses may have upon someone and for how long. For instance, serious stomach cramps might provide a difficulty penalty of 3, whde a terrible headache mght reduce the number of cards drawn by 2 (mmimum of I card.) Some eldritch are unmune to the effects of human sicknesses e may s t d act as carriers of Illnesses, passother humans. Some eldritch are not but those with any level of Raptd Healinp, une t

Intensity Minor Major Severe Deadly

Insidious Damage Points while in Irradiated Area

I 2

3

4

Time Once every 30 mmutes Once every I5 mmutes Once every 5 mmutes Once every mmute

Paralyzation This form of inpry leaves a victnn unable to move, usually from the waist or neck down. Paralysis does not really affect the Life point total, but its effects remain untll an amount of healmg equal to a certam wound level has occurred. Only the best medical care can help in most cases, though Healtng and Regeneration can heal a victm from the effects of paralysis as well. An amount of healing equal to healing 20 points of debllitating damage are required to remove paralysis from the waist down. An amount of healing equal to healing from 30 points of debllitating damage are required to remove paralysis from the neck down. Paralyzation may occur whenever a character has been hit m the back or head, and at least 7 of the character’s baddash pomts are spent. Poisoning Poisons can cause insidious damage over an extended period of tune. For instance, a poison might cause a total of 21 points of insidious damage, domg 3 points of msidious damage every other combat cycle. Another poison might cause 25 pomts of msidious damage, domg IO pomts of insidious damage within the first hour, and 5 pomts of insidious damage every hour for the next three hours. No known poison can cause more than IO pomts of msidious damage m one combat cycle, nor can any poison do more than 30 points of msidious damage total. Some poisons can cause debllitatmg damage. Regeneratton, Raptd HealtnA and Healrng can heal the effects of poison. Immediate medical attention or calling the Poison Control Center hotlme, listed in the front of every phone book, and followmg their mstructions can usually prevent further damage. Hospital treatment can also be extremely effective m reducing damage and preventing further damage, but it may take too long to get to a medical facllity. Death of a Protagonist If a protagonist dies the true death, every effort should be made to make the moment a very dramauc one. The dymg hero may perform one last soliloquy or take some final action, (except attacking someone, unless everyone agrees otherwise,) such as throwmg a switch on a train track, pullmg the pin on a grenad out and clutching the hand of a dear mend. If a p durmg the battle, the death may be postponed unt battle to allow for the dramatic event. A dramatic 4 of a battle is often much better than a Drolon

-

Lingering Effects after leaving area 2 pomts per day for I day 4 points per day for 3 days 6 points per day for 5 days 8 points per day for I week

~-

-

Jidditior)al Guidelivep The following guidelines may come up at one time or another over the course of legendmaking. Feel free to ignore some, if not all, of these guidelines, should they weigh-down the experience with too many card draws and useless detad. Addictions Eldritch of many gentes can become addicted to alcohol, dru cigarettes, and other substances. The use of potentially-addictive substances carries with it the following risks. Each time the substance is used, make a contested card dr Draw the number of cards indicated on the table (difficulty against the user’s Resllience (7). If the substance gets more successes, the character becomes addicted. Addictive Strength of Substance

Often

3

5

7

Aging Whlle the everlastmg and many other eldritch are fortunately immune to the effects of agmg, mortals are not. The followi guidelines allow for the aging of mortal characters over time especially useful in bring mortal supportmg characters from s set m the past into stories set in later tunes. Make sure protagonists are aware of the ravages of aging those dear mortals they care for so much. Remind them tha is a one-way process leadmg to inevitable death. Once every five years after reaching age 50 a card is drawn every ten years of the character’s age (round down.) The is against a Clfficultv o f 9 to I T (Cm~detsdecision.) For e

Section below, and suttract the weight of equipment carried from the maximum weight listed for the character’s Strength. If it is enough to reduce the character’s Strength by one or more pomts, then both the character’s Strength and Dexterity are reduced by that many pomts for as long as she carries that much gear.

Fmts of Strength (including Leaping and Throwing) The following table illustrates the maximum weight a character can lift, or amount of force that a character can produce, based upon her Strength score. No card draw is required to utlllze Strength for physical tasks. If a character wishes to boost her Strength temporardy, she can make a Spirit (12) draw, addmg one point of Strength for each success. However, she must spend an anmus pomt for each success on this draw. Boosting Strength may only be attempted once per story and may not be used for combat purposes. For each additional point of Strength beyond 13, the character can lift one additional ton (2,000 lb.) Leaping is based upon the character’s Strength. This distance may be modified by the character’s Dexterity. The character jumps a base height or distanct. based upon her Strength score. This may be modified by a Dexterity (I2 - Acrobatics) draw that adds one temporary point of Strength (for leaping purposes only) per two successes (round up.) For each additional point of Strength beyond 13, the character gains +20 fi horizontal distance and +I5 fi vertical distance. Throwmg distance s determined by Strength. This is a character’s maximum throwmg distance with a sofiball-sized object. For an object that is twice as large or heavy, reduce the distance to one-half. For an object that is four times as large or heavy, reduce the distance to one-fourth, and so on. Each pomt of Strength beyond I3 adds +50 yards to the throwmg distance. All targeting attempts at this long range suffer L: +5 difficulty penalty. This penalty is reduced to +3 at half the maxmum distance and down to +O at oneforth the distance.

L e a ~ i nDist ~

Maximum Weight

L ~ Height D

Throwing Dist.

2ft

40s 70y d _ IOOid

~

_ _ _ ~ _ __

I50 Ib. 300 Ib. 600 Ib. 1,000Ib.

~

~

~~~

____ ~ ~ _ _ _ _ _ ~

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ ~ -

_

I

~

~

2,000 Ib. 3,000 Ib. 4,000 lb. _

_

_

4fi 8ft I2 fi I6 fi 20 ________fi 25 ft 30 fi 40 _ _ ft

_

_

_

_

_

_

~

~

~

.

4fi 7fi IO f? I3 ft I6 ft 20 ft 25 _ fi

I30 yd 160 d _-_y_-____-

~

~ _

~ _

_ _

_

Mastery of Imagination and Reality

9 Uriel and by Rathrel, Pcwers, Principalities, Thrones, and Dominions I ~~

bind and command you Stand‘ I, Samiel, bound ly His Will command you. depart. Die, you son of a bi *ch Samrel, Miller nium

-

agick (spelled with a ”k” tinctive qualities that sets the Secret World of

50 ft 65 ft

~

___

2002d_ _ _ _ _ _ _ ~ . ~ _ _ -__ --Y _

250 d

~

_

_

_

300_y_d _ ________.___ _ _ ~

_______

80 fi 100 fi

_

_______

_________

8,000 Ib. 10,000Ib.

_

450 yd 500 yd

The Everlasting apart from how we view the mundane world. Those with the abllity to perceive the Reverie are aware of the magick all around them, and some of them have learned to use magick to shape reality to their own ends. Magick permeates the Secret World, f i h g and binding all things. Magick is the raison d’ttre of the magician; it is the tool through which reality can be explored, defined, and commanded. Aleister Crowley, an infamous real world magician, defined magick as ”the ability to cause change in conformity with the will.” This broad-based definition includes every intentional act under its aegis, so other magickal scholars have added riders, such as ”through means unknown to current science” or ”by causing changes m consciousnessn However we choose to defme it, magick remains the manipulation of unseenforces by a sentient mmd toward a particular end. Hence the word occult - which means

world we see, L ~ ~ W L L L ~UJ; cu L ~ LLLLU Y I\cacrvuirJ U I cllclgy U l d L d l t tnvisible to our senses. Magicians call these energy pools by many names - giving them the physical and psychological features of gods, spirits, ehentals, and less-definable entities. Many of these reservoirs do appear and act as if they are sentlent entities - and indeed may well be - having distmct persondties, areas of mterest, behefs, worshippers, biographies, memories, specific powers, and so on. Some reservoirs even require the magicians who call upon their energies to serve and worship them. The force of magick cannot be successfdly tested m a laboratory through modern scientific methods. It may or may not be bound by laws of quantum physics, but magick is too complex and elusive for finite definition. In addition, belief m magick is hdamental if magick is to occur. Magicians tap into their chosen reservoirs through belief and concentration. Magicians learn to mstmctively feel and manipulate magickal energy m various ways. Most often the magicians directly channel the magickal energies they draw upon through their own bodies. Self-focus, creative visualization, freedom from extemporaneous thoughts, ritualism, and the use of symbolic tools that link the mnds, bodies, and souls of magicians to the reservoirs are required. It is the magician's mind that dictates the effects that magickal energies have; thus it is mastery over one's own mmd that is of fundamental importance in magick. Magicians must utilize the right side of their brams, since magmation and mtuition are the keys to understanding and creating magick. In addition, the ability to draw upon strong, controlled emotions greatly impacts success with most types of magick. Without a strong desire or belief, magick simply will not work. Magick (derived from the Greek word megus, meaning "great") is an illimitable force, meaning magicians must be carefd using it or else they can harm themselves and others. It seems that the (meta)physics of magick dictate a law of karmc cause and effect. Those who use magick to cause harm will be harmed by magick, while those who use magick for good m.iy do so fieely, possibly even gaining some positive personal impact zi a result. Aside from the law of karmc balance, magick always bears > r n c r T h n c e xwhn c i ~ i r lIx r-nrl perform magick must be willing to dedicate tune and effort if they ever wish to master the arts. The ways of the magician have long been hidden from unmitiated eyes, for few are willing to take the time or make the sacrifices required for reachmg the higher levels of power known to the masters of magick. There are almost as many forms of magick as there are magicians, since each magician brings a spark of individuality to her own magick. Despite this mdividualrzation, magickal practices have been passed down through the ages in various recognized traditions and schools, which we call the Paths. Some Paths include: shamanism, drdism, chaos magick, hermetrc mag& and voudoun The magickal Paths are the workmg tools of magick and all magicians must study at least one Path. Many Paths are extremely powerfil, smce they are cor posed of wisdom gleaned over thousands of years. Each magick Path is a Iivmg art - living, dymg, expanding, and s h r d i n g wid dedication and number of its practitioners. Some magidcal Patb tied to religious beliefs, whlle others are not. However, all magic Paths have been greatly shaped by the beliefs, morals, and lifest) the cultures in which they originated and floumh.

--_..

I

? ,

,...-

Lcuu

-.-

I

-

There are two classes of magick - low mugirk and hgh mugick which were defined by the ancient Greeks. Low magick mdudes spellcasting, sorcery, potion-making, and spontaneous magick. Hgh magi includes ritual magick, ceremonies, communion with higher powers philosophy, and the use of spmts. High magick has served as the Western mystical pathway to God throughout history. Magick often divided into w h i t e (good magick) and Black (evil magick); G r q (neutral or "personal" magi Some people believe the Three Sh sources, while others believe tha the intent of the user represent practitioners do not even place any degree of "shade" definition on magick.

magicial7;a Magick is very mysterious and inscrutable. Magicians kno others do not and use their ex beliefs in creating magickal e tions, is "the art of causing means not understood by sci ick, but for now it is beyond Most magicians are merely hc&e wizuri&- dabblers with a fancy in the occult. Most of people. However, some human magicians are as powerful and s as the eldritcl in order to master a single ickal Path. In chosen Path 2 mon thar1 eldrircn, DUC powepi magicians are as rare as th For himans, tk Cfz for magickal aptitude usually appe 7th son c)f the 7th son and the 7th daughter of the 7th leecot- Aer ,-gee of the gift comes to the 3rd born of a 3rd same sex. While it is rare for even o a 13th child, if a 13th child is bor extremely great in that child. On occasion, the gift can skip a tion, passing to the duld of a 7th Other people are occasionally born with the gift for magi people are born with a gift for sp themselves can become magicians. Eldritch magicians are often far more dangeroi1s than eldritch 'II do not practice magick. The osrnans, a race of reirtcarnating eldritcl are the greatest known pramtion worldsingen (another race of eldritch.) The osirians have magickal Path called Urerct. which is far more advanced of mortal and most eldntch practitioners. In addition, the o are believed to be the founders of several other magck including Egyptian, Druidic, and Hermetic magick. .bssLL

a.

Book of the Light @ Page 271

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J

.

Magicians vary m their ethics regardmg the proper use of their magickt but many recognize the dictum known as the Four and Powers of the M a p s , which are: I To know, 2. To dun; 3 To 4. To be siknt In addition to these four, a F$th Power, called 5. To evolve is often included. These Five Powers defme proper behavior for a magician.

*

To Know The F~rstPowet: It corresponds to the Latin word noscere and the masculine element of Air. This Power represents the maxun that knowledge is the key to power. Those who learn the spells and study the teachings of other magicians have the potential to work magick. To Dare: The Second Power. It corresponds to the Latin word audere and the femmme element of Water. This Power represents the fact that knowledge is not enough; a magician must be wding to test her knowledge by performing magic. One who stuhes magick and does not utilize it is merely a scholar of the occult, not a true

necrotnany, shamanism, and so on, has its own unique advantages, trappings, effects, and limitations. It is possible for characters to utillze more than one Path of magick. The magick system provides for spells, spontaneous magickal effects, complex ritual mag& enchantments, and more. Participants who invent and write up spells for their magician protagonists should be rewarded with destiny points. In addition, their magician protagonists may be allowed to use invented spells ,(provided the spells are suitable for their Paths and are not overIy powerful.) Participants who are innovative, quick-thinking and cre-

g their magician protagonists e spontaneous magicks to do mgs other participants do not ink of themselves. Through partic-

spontaneous effects) cost animus ast and, in cases involvmg poweriture of destiny points. w supplements for The erlasting will provide new magickPaths, spells for existmg Paths, agickal mentors, tomes of lore, agickal objects, and other interest-

* To Will: The Thrrd Power. It corresponds to the Latm word velk and the

she is not a true magician. To Keep silent: lb Fourth Power. It corresponds to the Latin word tame and the feminme element of Earth. Thl s Power repre;ents how the beliefs of others can affect a magici,m's magick. A .true magician is secretive in her practices, smce open practice of magick draws negative .md inhibiting forces towarciher, makmg it more difficult for her to work magick. Many m: igicians seem sterious and mystical as a result of their dedicaltion to this To Evolve: The F$h Power. It corresponds to 1h e Latin word s the need for ation is mag-

..

Every culture has its own story about the beginning of the universe. In fact, most cultures have their own magico-religious trahtmns that help them understand themselves. No matter how myths start, and no matter what shapes they take, it seem that supernatural features are always paramount. In the beginnm g, s raw teeming potential - there were no worlds, no p anes L nce - no spirit, man, god, or dragon had yet awoke. There was only this vast, seething Force of Creation from which came all the dimensions, matter, and energy of the 11111verse. The birth of the Cosmos was the greatest act of magick by which a l l the forces of life - one moment nonexistent - were in the next instant flooding throughout the newly created spaces,

IS

told elsewhere. But from these.early msts of tune, when the There is no cataclysmic effect upon reality when magick hap-

cians are c

v

ents - the smgle colored bands

that work fnr them

wa21(

/

/

I

The n They are: the magician's Intent (what the m

There are four basic Inrents in magick, also called the Four Classes of Magick. The mtent determines the base difficulty for working magick. The four intents, ranked from most simple to cast to the most difficult to cast, are: Spiritual, Focus, Mental, and Physical Withm the descriptions of the in1ents are some related sub-categories of magicks that they include.

Spiritual magick is perhaps the most common form of magick found throughout hlstory. It takes the form of evocation, mvocation, and religious celebratlon. It does, however, usually has some tangible personal benefit for the practitioner. A magician who takes part in spmtual magick u:jually feels more in tune with herself and more rn touch with the Secret World. Spintual magicks may be CeLhatoy, honoring a holy{ day, feast, or other special occasion of the magician's Path. Spirilual magick may also be Kcative, by which the magician either invokes an unseen force's presence into a specific host or invokes its own appearance within any realm (such as the Astra, the Earth, the Dreamworlds, and so on.) Kcatron often mvolves a burnmg censer and smoke, the reflection of a pool or shiny object, or the flames of a fire. Spintual mag& also d u d e s Blessings and Cursings. Astrd projection and conscious dream travel are tied deeply to spiritual magi& rather than to Mental mag&, as it might seem. Spiritual mapck will not, however, affect sensitivity to the Reverie, since that is considered ficus mag& Enchantment is also included among spiritual magicks, the details of which will be COYered m The Magician's Companion.

Mental Intent Mental magick ranges from the Mantic Arts (forms of divination like the Tarot, the I-Ching, geomancy, augury, and rune-casting) to Emotional Control spells, to more traditional Psychic EJects, like dairaudience, clairvoyance, mind-control, extrasensory perception, and telepathy. Spellwork affectmg emotions is considered Mental magick rather than Sprrrtual mag& as it might seem. Physical Intent Physical magick may be broken down mto two categories: Somatic magick and Sensory magick. Somatic effects actually change the physical structure or appearance of a subject. Types of effects range from changing a person's eye color or fingerprint pattern, to making her grow an extra limb, to con~uringa pistol, to producmg a wind, to collapsing a brick wall. Sensory effects alter the perceptiveness of the five physical senses. These range from binocular-llke vision, to sensitivity to the ultraviolet and infrared ranges of the light spectrum, to ultrasonic hearing, to illusions. It will not affect sensitivity to the Reverie, however, since that is considered Focus magick.

The Four Magickal Subjects There are four basic divisions of Subjects. The subject modifies the base difficulty. The four subjects, listed from easiest m manipulating to most difficult in manipulating, are: Se4 Alb, Nmtrul, and HostiL.

SeJfmagick is that which is cast on one's self.

Alb magick is that which is cast on a wding subject. Focus magick usually involves one of the following: replenishing

* a n n u s through magick, attemptmg to learn a new spell, attempting to mcrease magickal ability, mcreasing sensitivity to the Reverie, or adopting a new magickal Path Meditation is the m a n method of replenishing animus and I t is focus magick, though it is considered "non-magidral." Focus m.igick can also be used to generate a n n u s b i siphoning magickal energy from earthly sources, as well as from reservoirs through a sort 3f communion or spiritual linlung with them. When seekmg a new spell, attemptmg to increase magickal power or adopting a new magickal Path, a quest or service might be m order. This is usually some sort of spiritual ~ourneywithin the m e r realms. The Journey may involve trials, tests, and initiations or even require worldly travel and physical tests. For example, if a

Neutral magick is that which is cast on a manimate object or unintelligent media (rocks, plants, trees, buildings, mindless spirits, and S O on.) HostiL magick is that which is cast on an unwilling subject.

The magickal Intents (Spiritual, M e n d , Focus, and Physical) are consistent in terms of their effects on all animate subjects, mcluding the SeF (Although it is difficult to cast Celebratory spintual magick on an unwilling party.) O n Neutral sub~ects,the M e n d , FOCUS,and Physical Intents &&on normally. However, Spiritual magick takes on a new light - under its balliwick the art of Enchantment lies. Enchantment the creation of ob~ectsthat store, yield, and project magickal power and effects. Enchantment is covered in The Magician's Companion. When a magician is workmg her magick on an animate subject,

The following Magi& M a m gives base animus costs and difficulty modifier for learning and castmg maglck. Note that the &amond shape forms two pyramids, one upright, one inverted. The upper half represents the lighter shades of magi& whde the lower half represents the darker shades of magick. Subjects: S - Self; A - M y ; N - Neutral; H - Hostde

Intents: Sp - Spiritual; M - Mental; F - Focus; P - Physical

Base Difficulty for Forms of Magick Forms of Spellcasting Spontaneous

Animus Cost Modifier (Round down)

IO

Spell

x I/2

Magnitude of a Magickal Effect The animus costs listed on the Magid Matrix are for magickal effects of First Magnitude. This basically means the desired effects either be unnoticed by mundanes or mistaken for circumstance, but it will still accomplish something of value. When magickal e get more complicated and noticeable, or when there can be no other explanation than magick for the events, then the Magnitude increases.

added in, but before any Exaltations or Desrmsr

Animus cost MuItiDlier x .5

Magnitude Cantrip (Zero) First Second

Description Simple or Weak Effect Noticeable Effect Strong Effect

Third Fourth

Very Powerful Effect Extremely Powerfd -____I

I.: LL.: -

Fifth

Vastly Powerful Effec

3

and even an entire

X I

x

Optional Special Modifiers The following modifiers may be applied as appropriate to the difficulty of any magick attempt. If these modifiers prove too cumbersome, disregard them.

Casting in combat (as above, but under dangerous conditions) Casting. one efftxct while maintaining another

Difficulty +3 +2

Cain unsuitable environment (snow, darkness, etc.) Casting while walking ~. Casting ~while running

+I to +4 +I +3

Situation

~

~~

-----

-

--

-~

~

~~

Use the wound modifier

Casting while wounded Fast-casting (taking one to three turns instead of minutes) Casting at dawn-or dusk Casting during a new moon ~Casting during a solstice or eauinox Casting at a crossroads

maqickal Jirf ayd Lore c

d

~

Each magickal Path involves the use of two statistics, Lore and Art. Lore represents the magician's knowledge of the magidcal Path, while Art represents the abdity of a magician to work magick through that Path. Lore and Art must be purchased separately for each Path in which the character w d be proficient. Thus, a shaman must have score: m Shaman Lore and Shaman Art A versatde magician might have scores in more than one magickal Path, such as an osirian with scores in Ureret Lore and Art (the osirian's magick Path), Kudoun Lore and Art, Wtchcrgt Lore and Art, and Enochian Lore and Art. Magidcal Art defmes a magician's ability to actually use the inherent powers of magick - the higher the score, the greater the magician's power. Anyone can have a score in a particular magickal Lore, but only magicians can have scores in Art. Art represents the Second through F f t h Powers of the Magus as described previously in this chapter. Most magicians become more otherworldly, arcane, and mystical as their scores in any magickal Arts Magickal Lore defines how much the magician knows about a magickal Path. Lore does not reflect the power to actually work magick, but seriously influences learning spells and technical proficiency. Therefore a non-magician can know a lot about a magickal Path by having a high score in Lore for that Path, but the non-magician would stdl not really know how to use the Path for working magick, since she lacks some important fundamentals, (primardy belief, true understandmg, practice, and persor rience.) Thus, magickal Lore represents the First Power of t The card and dice mechanics are the same with magid all other actions. The Guide decides the difficulty for the draw based on the Zntenr, Sulyect, and Magnitude of the magilckal effect the character is trying to create. Use the character's magickal Art in place of an Aspect and use her magickal Lore of an Abdity. The card draw is therefore made as follows Magickal Art Cform of spellcasting dficulty mod$er Magnitude d@cul

+

.

I

THEEVGRLASTING @ page 276

+2 -2

-~

-I -3 -I

~-

Example: A spontaneous summon spirit spell used to summon a recently deceased murder victim would be as follows for a Hermetic mage with Hermetic Art 4 and Hermetic Lore 5. The Guide judges the spell to be Spontaneous (base difficulty of I2), Hostde-Spiritual (+0 diff.), and of First Magnitude (+0 diff), o r . Four cards (for Hermetic Art) against a difficulty o f . . . 12 (for Spontaneous effect), plus I (for Hostile-Spiritual), minus 0 (for bemg First Magnitude), mmus 5 (for Hermetic Lore), o r . . Magickal Art 4 (I2 0 0 - 5) o r . .4(7 difficulty) This may seem a bit complicated at first, but it is actually very simpIe and wdl come much easier during actual legendmakmg. The result of the card draw determmes how successfd the character was in creating the magickal effect. The greater the number of successes, the stronger the effect, while a Disaster can do harm to the magician in the form of mjuries, curses, or (most commonly) backlash points. Magick 1s listed m a separate the protagonist profde, away from Aspects, Abditles, and Preternaturae. Scores in both magickal Art and Lore can go as high as 13, possibly even higher for entitles of vast power. Mortal magicians are, however, seldom capable of achieving scores higher than 5 in either Art or Lore, unless they are extremely brilliant, adventurous, long-lived,

..

+ +

.

.

not have a magickal Art score hlghcr than her hghest score among her Soul Aspats (Znspiration, Presence, and Spirit)

Forms of SDellcastine 0

ble and innovative; al effect off-the-cu

essencc, many-layered ost requi ts of time and effort to accomplish. Rituals ’ features) are detailed in The Magician’s

Companion.

may use Spontaneous magick. The magician commonly uses her personal a n n u s and her intuitive understandlng of magick to alter reality, which is why spontaneous effects cost so much to use. So, for a spontaneous effect, determme the Intent and Subje

ches-from-Twilight reaches within hlmsclf, feels the flow

“of magick through him and increases his personal presence. The crowd around him begins to part and people look on appreciatively. There are whispers, pomtmg, and comments llke ”Hey, isn’t that guy on Baywatch.” As Watches-from-Twdight makes his way through the partmg throng, he realizes, whde his desire m‘an-

ting differs from spontaneous magick m that spells can

effect. Also, modify the difficulty by the amount

animus modifier)

g spells is basically turnmg spontaneous effects into

out of my way.”That would be H o d (smce

ing the actual animus cost to 6.

mcreasmg his Presence aspect. This is a Sey-Mental effect, so it actually lowers his difficulty modifier by -2 and carries only a 2

This gives Watches-fiom-Twilight a difficulty of I2 (ba spellcastmg difficulty) -2 (from being Self-Mental) - 5 (fri Shaman Lore), which comes out to a difficulty of 5. The neous effect would cost him 2 animus (from Self-Mental mus. He decides to the first one he con

A very lmportant part of spell design is the Path in which th

of maglkd energy When using a spell found in another magician’s personal

hat spell, including the spell’s Path. Spells are exclusiv ickal Paths fiom which they are derived. For exa ter’s spell for detectmg poison will be useless to m or bokor. Some prac

I

1 i

belonging to another Path, if she has Lore scores in both Paths. Without a Lore score in the Path of the spell, the spell will be meanmgless and the magician cannot understand enough of the w q it directs magickal airrents to create a comparable spell. If

that heightens hearing acuity utdizmg a Faerie Reservoir might grant the spell-caster elfin ears temporardy, whde a Totermc Reservoir might grant the same, but endow temporary wolf-lrke ears mstead.

astral, and list of )ne of k

restrictions. In order

start at least one major fire each week, or

ithout tasks or oaths tied to any Paths. Among the open reservoirs that any skded oating magickal energy), har-

Lore) draw in order to tap a particular reservoir for animus. One animus mav be drawn forth for even

:r

Magic tran$m celestialforces to the medium in whrch suchforces can operate. The medium IS the centre, and the centre rs man.

e

Magtcians can tap into external sources of animus for use 111 their magck-work. These external sources are called Reservoirs, pools of power, and gods by many magicians. The particular reservoirs that magicians call upon greatly define their Paths of magick. Each Path of magidc utilizes a particular reservoir, though

cap inro rnis amoienr magima energy. In general, any unusually mystical, haunted, or magically wondrous site may have an ambience score from I to 9. The number of animus points gained is determmed by an Inspiration (I2 Illummation) draw. So, dunng the course of any one scene, a magician may draw and udize as many animus points as the area's ambience score m performing her magick. Extremely special sites, like Stonehenge, places where dragons have died, or the S p h , have Ambience scores as high as 12. It

Magrckal Paths, as described earlier, are the various methods of magick use. Among the many Paths are witchcraft, shamanism, Egyptian magick, hermetic magick, and so on. Magickal Paths in The Everlasting should be based off real world schools of magick, or at least Paths that seem plausible enough m terms of the setting. Each Path of magick is considered a unique tradition with its own advantages, disadvantages, methodology, mythology, cosmology, ethics, behefs, history, and culture of origin. Some Paths used by the Lightbringers are included in this section. This list is far horn exhaustive, however, and if a participant can justi+ a particular magickal Path that seems mternally consistent, she should work with the Guide m creating it - be it a real world magickal Path or one created from the unagmation. Note that many of the magickal Paths have a particular religious practice or outlook interwoven with them. Throughout history, polytheistic religions have tended to embrace magick, while monotheistic religions have tended to abhor it. There are also Paths that totally lack a rehgious purview at all, such as Dark Science. Each magickal Path provides only a piece of the overall puzzle, smce each Path uses one particular reservoir of energy. In order to become truly a ’’master magician” one would have to study many magickal Paths and gain perfection m all of them, all the while workmg it out how each Path fits together with the rest as if it were some piece of great magickal puzzle

The following section details the practices, beliefs, rites, and working tools of several magickal Paths. Protagonists may belong to one or more of these Paths by placing points m their magickal Art5 and Lores. Other Paths will be detailed later and participants are encouraged to create new Paths of their own which are internally consistent and well-suited for the setting. Accesses: These are the methods and places the magician uses in producing magick. The magician must use one of these ways, or must have some other suitable means. Working Tools:For spells, most spontaneous effects, and all rituals the magician must use certain accoutrements m casting the magick. The workmg tools are the various things that can be used in magick work. Most magicians carry several of these working tools on them at aLl wnes. Transmogrifications: T hese are the weird effects that mag& Art beyond a “Ore Of 2t has on magicians. For every 2 POmts the magician gains one odd fe;iture. Particular reservoLTs~ Restrictions: In order to to Some magicians must take on at leas One restriction in sort of oath. Exaltations: These are bcmuses that reduce the d the anmus cost for magickal e ffects. They re culty below 3 or the anunus c(1st below I. ,enalties that increase the difficulty kal effects.

The angels were involvea in Lrearion ana mey nave an inmitive knowledge of how reality h c t i o n s . In fact, they understand the unseen cogs and wheels of the clockwork universe and serve as its mechanics within the Seven Heavens. Whde on forget most of what they know of Cekstral Engineering, which is wh their reality-control and tinkermg abiliaes are called. Still some angels do retain a basic comprehension of this form of Magick. Celestial mechanics does not rely upon spell books, magickaf’ devices, potions, wands, or other standard accouterments of magickal practice. This Path does, however, urillze spontaneous effects, spells, and rituals. Angelic smgmg is a fundamental tool of celestial mechanics. There are harmonies - combmations of notes mvoking mathematical formulas - upon which realty is based. Certain harmonies hold great magickal potency; there are Hymns of Power that angels can sing that directly affect reality on a local level. These songs can be dirges, hosannas, hymns, or even smple hummed melodies, but all produce magickal effects. Sidereal (stellar) mflu ence, geometry, words of power, prayer, Zen-li tion, and the shiftmg around of life force serve as mechanics. Some angels also possess the ability to c enchanted devices, though these objects axe actually devices that function in a seemmgly magickal way, smce ings are based on the sciences of celestial mechanics and of the natural laws of higher dmensions. Some example angelic devices include rods of pacifism, orbs of g time machines, prediction calculators, dual-space occupancy p forms, and mterplanetary portals. Some eldritch and magici these heavenly ”enchanted” devices Angeltecb Practitioner: Angel, Celestial Engmeer, Architect Origins: Creatlon, Heaven (facts unknown) Accesses: Singmg, dancmg, playmg musical in bol-makmg, evocation, praying, meditatmg, creatmg strange devices, transference of life force, performing m tions, entermg trances, levitation, positive thmk combining colors with shapes and vibrational tones, gestur of power, words of power, symbolic acts, arcane gestures, tele projection, autosacrifice, ritual sacrifice, concentration, self-fo numerology, sacred geometry, chantmg, moving in patterns, physical contact with others, reflecting light onto patterns of color and shapes Working Tools: Songs, hymns, h u m g , musical ins vibration, prayer, mantras, some secret and higher form of numerology, some super-advanced form of angelic physics, sciences, meditation, self-focus, geometrical patterns, higher ma matics, strange devices created in geomemcal shapes, fire, rig positive emoiions, ecstatic trances, life force, computers, **LgeI tech” devices, hghtntng, blood, radiation, gestures of patterns long-dead languages, Seal of Solomon, amulets, crcles of p circles of protection, altars, symbolic devices, braziers, mirror Initiation: There is no mitiation required; an angel eith e of celestial engineering while on withm the Seven Heavens possess f celestial enpineering in its true and comnlete for r D D L (though this has no effect or direct implications upon rhe semi Odyssey, or protagonists.)

while in earthly form begm to suffer a sort of hubris.They gam one point in Hubrrs per pomt in Celestial Engmeermg Art. Angels also lose any sense of value for partlcular thmgs, instead viewmg everything as a whole, with each part being very insignic icant. Thus, they gain a pomt in Cold-hearted per two points beyond a score of one in Celestial Engineermg Lore. Restriction: Angels may not (and, in fact, cannot) teach the secrets of Celestial Engineering to anyone. Exaltations: (Apply these modifiers after applying all other modifiers, including M.ignitude.) All Physical intent magick (-3 difficulty and -3 anmus) Divination and Truth-related effects (-4difficulty and -4 animus) Luck, curse, and blessing-related effects (-4 difficulty and -4 anmus) All spirits .iffected (-3 difficulty and -3 anmus), excluding all other exaltations and descension modifiers Descension: (Apply this modifier after applying all other modifiers, mcluding Magnitude.) All Hostik magidc (+2 difficulty and f 2 animus) All corporeal targets (+I difficulty and animus)

Dekan "Alexandrian Magick"

I

This Egyptian magickal path called Akandrran Magrck is an extensive system of invocations of the powers of the various ancient Egyptian gods, (not the ancient daevas or osirian's Ennead, but the actual god-like spirit bemgs representing a reservoir of power.) The Dckans devised this magickal path by learning from the Osirians .md from other magicians the art and lore of Egyptian priests and sorcerers. Most of the secrets and powers of this magickal path were contained in books withtn the earthly library of Alexmdria. Over the ages, the Dekans adopted elements of Western occultism, such as the Tarot and numerology, combining these other elements with traditional Egyptian magick to broaden their own Path of Alexandrian Magidc. The prmary magid: of the Dekans is based on True Names qalled the Ren-Hekau - names contam the essences of thmgs. These are Words of Poww, magickal phonemes that exercise influence over matter. They also make up part of their secret magidcal wisdom by which they understand the structure of reality. Alexandrian Magick h.is had a strong mfluence on the primary Egyptian Path practiced by mortals as well as other htgh magrck paths including Hermetic and Enochian. Practitioner: Alexandrian, Dekan sorcerer (sorceress) Origins: Primarily Egyptian, with some Arabic, Classical Accesses: Temples, chantmg, animal sacrifices, music, dra akmg, evocation, altered states of consciou al cleansing, arcane incantations m ancient

robes, candles, altars, daggers, tarot cards, scrolls, mirrors, pyramidal structures, idols, symbolic figurines, smoke, fire, musical instruments, costumes, astrological charts, incense, songs, poetry, wands, staves, scepters, braziers, goblets, anomtmg oils Initiation: Dekan practitioners of Alexandrian magick represent their own mystery cult existing totally within the Dekan household. The order is very secretive and has its own mystenes, rituals, ceremonies, and mitiations. Initiation is very formal and consists of oath-talung, evocation of the gods, prayer, bloodlettmg, and celebration. Sometimes dramas are acted out with the initiate as the central character in the story. Transmogrification: (Must choose one o r invent one that seems approp a t e ) Extreme spiritual devotion and practice' of religious traditions; growing Egyptian appearance; strong arcane aura felt by most others close by; obsession with Egyptian culture; the persona score in whatever quality they choose goes up by one point per point m Lore over one Restrictions: Only Dekans are allowed to learn this Path. They cannot reveal secrets of their magidc to anyone unmitiated. They must also perform particular functions or services for the household at the command of leaders. Exaltations: (Apply these mod&ers after applying all other modifiers, including Magnitude.) Necromantic-related (-2 difficulty and -2 anunusl Feline, crocodilian, and canme subjects, does not add to other bonuses (-3 difficulty and -3 animus)

The magicians of House Fir Bolg possess knowledge of an ancient magickal path that is very simdar to Druidism, yet predates all forms of Druidism currently practiced by humans. Some suspect Fir Bolg Magick is actually lmked to forms of "earthm a g i c practiced by certain types of faerie. It is believed that the daevas of this household learned some of their secrets of magick from faerie who were livmg in the British Isles back when the Fir Bolg came Ireland, but they were practitioners of other Paths of magick long before commg to Britain. The Fir Bolg are now greatly mvolved m other realms, includmg Shardolm (a parallel Earth where the supernatural is not hdden) and Apocalyptia (a fantasy world so named by a government black operation that travels there.) Many daevas believe the Fir Bolg learned many of their secrets of magick fiom practitioners within these two other worlds. Practitioner: Enchanter (enchantress), priest (priestess) Origins: Prehistoric tribes of Ireland, modified over the mdlennia with various Western influences Accesses: Forest groves, sacred natural locations, megaliths, wells, holy days, chantmg, symbolic gestures and actions, mvocation, mcantations, evocation, sacrificial offermgs of annals to the spirit goddesses and gods, smgmg, poetry, music, celebration, fires, dancmg, labyrinth-walkmg, costumed performances Working Tools: Torcs, votive wheels with crossed spirals, mistletoe, holly, sacrificial pits, wells, cauldrons, mcense, blood, braziers, oak wood, statuettes, wooden idols, smoke, fire, candles, torches, water, musical instruments, sacrificial knives and bowls, staves, sap, stones of power, altars, horns, spears, herbs, costumes, songs, chants, symbohc devices, astrological charts, robes, druidic alphabet (ogham bethluisnion), runes, goblets Initiation: Only Fir Bolg daevas may learn this form of ancient Druidism, as it has been lost to human magicians. The takmg of oaths, evocation of the gods, and swearmg on of geasa, along with chanting, sacrifices, and celebration, are all parts of the initiation for the new practitioner. Transmogrifications: Growing connection to nature: physical features that relate to nature (anmal, plant, earth, water, fire, air, etc.) appear at a rate of one feature per two pomts m Art beyond a score of one. Flr Bolg who practice this Path also develop certam persona qualities. For each point gamed m Lore or Art beyond a score of one m each, the daeva gains one pomt that may be placed in one of the following: Othenvorldb, Mystenow, Reclusive, or any Dementia quality. Restrictions: Gains one "geasa" prohibition upon gammg a pomt m Art (or bemg mitiated): gain one additional geasa per two additional pomts m Art; gains backlash for harming nature (just like a manitou or dragon) Exaltations: (Apply these modifiers after applymg all o modifiers, mcludmg Magnitude.) Plant-related magick (-4d Earth and animal-related n and -3 animus) Weather, air and fire-relate and -2 animus) Divination related magick (-2 difficulty

and -2 animus)

=

Descensions: (A odifiers after applying all other modifiers, including Magnitude.) Modern technology-related (+3 diffieulty and animus) All Self subject (+2 difficulty and +2 anlmus) All Spontaneous magick (+I dfficulty and + I anlmus) Psychic, mind control, and telepathy-related magick (f2 difficulty and +2 animus)

Moerisia (Wer Witchcraft) There are some among the wer who practice a dark form of nature-magi& which they call Moerista. It origmated long ago in the Greek lands of Delphi, Thessaly, and Arcadia, yet the Path is named after the ancient sorceress-werewoK Moens, whose legend was recorded by Virgil m his eighth eclogue. This magick revolves mostly around blood, insanity, natural cycles, weather prediction, crop control, and mmor forms of divination. Mostly wer women study magick and they often serve as wet nurses to newb whose mothers either do not survive chddbirth or who a kdled. Some males called the Lykosi, however, study this Pa order to act as occult guardians and lorekeepers for their peopl Practitioner: Moerisis (female), witch, wise woman, lykos (male) Origins: Mediterranean origm, with strong European an African influences Accesses: Fecund goddess idols, herbal potions, magickal fetishes, natural psychedelics, ceremonial jewelry and d o silver weapons, fire, drums, smokmg, dancmg, feasting, masochism, human sacrifice autosacrifices (self-mutdation, bleedmgs), anmal sacrifices,physical pain, physical pleasure, revelry, sexual release, ossuaries (outdoors shrines composed of monolithic stones and thousands of animal and human bones), wild chanting, music, drummi g-induced visions, sacred na locations, fienzymg, blo , invocation, altars, mcantatio ecstatic trances, summonings, bindmgs, dramatic rituals, costumed performances, fasting, starmg into fires, sleep deprivatio bmding Working Tools: Moon's cycles, seasonal events, certain wea er conchtions, blood, candles, torches, mcense, 1 water, songs, chants, symbols, animal skins, daggers, alcoholic beverages, drugs, ritual costumes, body paints, masks, herbs des, goblets, amulets, anomting oils, altars, binding cord, fe ers, prayer sticks, tobacco, horns, skulls and bones, musical instruments, idols, statuettes, amulets, anmal body parts, h body parts, altars, astrological charts Initiation:There are three ways a I. They may be born under the right astrological signs o certain other prophetic conditions. 2. They may call for "tests of power and wisdom," which can kill those that do ir1 r someone tc3 1 S (

en

I

Here are some sample spells for the previously described magickal Paths of the angels, daevas and werwulfs. These spells w d give you an idea as to how magickal spells look and function. You may add details to these spells, create new spells, or change the ones listed so that they fit other Paths. Take mto account that the card draws and anmus costs reflect the exaltations and descensions of the Paths.

Celestial Enmneerine Spells

Transmogrification: Wer who practice Moeriria dc\elop ier tam persona qualities. For each point gained in Lore or Art beyond a score of one in each, the werwulf gains one point that may be placed in one ol' the following: otherworld^, Cruel, or any Dementia quality. In addition, for every two points m Art (rounded down), the werwulf gains one odd magickal feature that 1s present regardless of thf: wenvulfs chosen form. Some possible features include: bright yellow eyes, an overwhelming spice scent, strange-colored sores, extra-large ears, wolf features in human form with human features in wolf form, over-sized body parts, and contmuously tippling _ _ - skm. Restriction: A wer may only teach Moerisia to those wer who are either "born to the ut'' or pass the "tests of power and wisdom." Exaltations: (Apply these modifiers after applying all other modifiers, includmg M.ignitude.) Animal subjects (-2 difficulty and -2 animus) Healing, pain, and pleasure-related effects (-3 difficulty and -3 anunus) Divmation effects (-2 difficulty and -2 animus) Weather-related effects (-3 difficulty and -3 anlmus) Fear-related effects (-2 difficulty and -2 animus) Any nature-related effects (-2 difficultv and -2 animus) Descensions: (Apply these modifiers after :lpplying all other modifiers, including M.ignitude.) All SpirituJ intent (+2 difficulty All technology-related effects (+3 +3 animus) All astral-related and psychic effec Dam. and Dleasure) (+2 difficultvI I I , \ All energy (fire, elec (+I difficulty and

+

THEEWUASTING @ b g e 282

Aura of Disruption Card Draw: Celestial Art (8 - Celestial Lore) Other Difficulty Modifiers: Familiarity and understandmg of what is bemg dispelled, from -I to +5. Animus: I per success required (see below) Magnitude: I Casting Time: One action Duration: Instant Area of Effea: Area covered by magickal effect being dispelled Range: Sight Type: Hostile-Focus This spell allows the angel to disrupt the flow of magick withm some other magickal effect - dispellmg the effects as a result. It takes one success per level of magnitude of the magickal effect being dispelled in order to dispel it. Dispelling enchantments and dweomers is harder, takmg an additional +I success per level of magnitude. Circle of Truth Card Draw: Celestial Art (7- Celestial Lore) Other Difficulty Modifiers: None

Animus: I Magnitude: I Casting Time: 5-10 minutes Duration: One scene Area of Effect Five-foot radius for one success, double per additional success Range: The angel must be at center of the radius when cast Type: Hostile-Mental This spell allows the angel to draw an invisible circle within the air covermg a five-foot radius per success. Anyone who walks withm that circle can only speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth as they believe it to be. Transmutative Touch rt ( I O - Celestial Lore) Other Difficulty Modifiers: Complexity of substance

uid to hquid substances. It cannot affect livmg (and un-dead) matter, energy, or gaseous substances. The angel must touch the substance that is to be transformed. The angel must u t h e a small metal tubelike device, a geometric pattern gestured withm or upon the substance, and a particular combinatlon of hummed notes in order for thls spell to function properly. The transformation of the substance is permanent.

Duration: One minute per success Area of Effect: Self

Warping Distance Card Draw: Celestial Art (I I - Celestlal Lore) Other Difficulty Modifiers: None Animus: 5 Magnitude: 4 Casting Time: Two actions Duration: One scene Area of Effect: Up to 30 yards, plus I O yards per success Range: Lme of sight Type: Neutral-Physical This spell allows the angel to actually change geographical distances. For each success any amount of distance withm an area may be doubled or halved. The objects withm that distance do not change size, though people may perceive that the snes have changed and distorted. The exact nature of how this Lncttons is a mystery, (even to the angels while they are on earth.) The changes in &stance remain for one scene, though a Guide might allow the angel to spend more animus when the spell has been cast to lengthen the duration. The angel must smg a particular combmation of notes, draw a formula 111 the air through gestures, and focus mentally on altermg the actual &stance.

Dekan "Alexandrian" Spells Astral Gateway Card Draw: Dekan Art (I2 - Dekan Lore) Other Difficulty Modifiers:Depth of the Reverie and ability to concentrate, fiom -2 to +2

Animus: 3 Magnitude: 4 Casting Time: One mmute Duration: As desired, usually one scene Area of Effect: Self Range: N/A Type: Ally-Physical

Spirit Transference Card Draws: Dekan Art (9 - Dekan Lose) versus subject' (9), (if the subject is resisting), with the winner gaining one point per success; this animus is stolen fioiom the loser None Other Difficiultv Modifiers: Animus: 3 ~

This spell allows the Dekan to open a small nft within the Iieverie that will allow the magician to physically enter the Astra. The I3ekan cannot take others through this gateway. It is very dangerous to1 take A,.,.

Magnitude: I Casting Time:: One minute Duration: Pelrmanent (until animus is spent normally) Area of EffeiE t : One subject Range: Touch Type: €iostile -FOCUS . -. . . . ,-

This spleu allows the Uekan to dram anmus from so into herselIf.This is a tricky spell that can backfire since C...._^

A"...

drain if the subject is resistmg and her willpower is s ot dram a subject to a point below three anim times it is used. The Dekan must chant in an e forchead of the su leave the Astra, she can do s

a 8 a

*

Casting Time: Thirty mmutes to cast the spell, but the transformation takes only one action (see the description below) Duration: Up to as long as the next sunrise or sunset (whichever is sooner) Area of Effect: Self

they were handled during the casting of the spell. This allows the transformation to actually take only one action. Transformatlon back into daeva form costs no animus and requires no card draw. The transformation into lion form can only be made once per time the spell has been cast. Durmg the casting of the spell (but not to mitiate the effect), the Dekan must put on a lion skm and mixed body oil must be applied all over the body. The st also utilm: fire and various other accouterments in

posedy more potent forms of this spell exist. The Fir Bolg gains 7 backlash when this spell is cast and an additional7 backlash if the effects are permanent.

The Dekan has a l l her own qualities while in lion form, except that the Dekan loses all abilities and preternaturae that require the use of hands or speech. The Dekan also loses the abdity to work any form of magick while in lion form. Certain aspect scores of the Dekan may increase as follows: Strength 7, Dexterity 5 ,

Travel by Tree Door Card Draw: Fir Bolg Art (9 - Fir Bolg Lore) Other Difficulty Modifiers: None Animus: 2 Magnitude: 2 Casting Time: 30 seconds Duration: Near mstantaneous Area of Effect: Two trees Range: Three miles Type: Neutral-Physical

those listed above, then the Dekan keeps her own scores. Add Strength Resilience -tSpirit for the daeva’s Life score whde m

turned sideways. The Fir Bolg can pass horn one tree to any other suitable tree within 200 yards.

+

Call Down Lightning Card Draw: Fir Bolg Art (I2 - Fir Bolg Lore) Other Difficulty Modifiers: Target’s movement, from -2 to +4

e

Other Difficulty Modifiers: A modifier pendty equal to the subject’s Spirit score minus 4 Animus: I2 Magnitude: 5 Casting Time: 30 mmutes to one hour Duration: One week per success; if more than 5 successes, then permanent Area of Effect: One subject Range: Touch Type: Hostile-Physical

Area of Effect: One target object or subject Range: Line of sight, must be outdoors Type: Neutral-Physi cal This spell allows the Fir Bolg to cause a bolt of lightning to

Weather Wisdom Card Draw: Fir Bolg Art (6 - Fir Bolg Lore) Other Difficulty Modifiers: None Animus: I Magnitude: I Casting Time: 5 minutes Duration: Three days for known weather patterns Area of Effect: N/A Range: N/A Type: Self-Mental The Flr Bolg can ”read the clouds” and see visions within the sky, thus predicting the future. The Fir Bolg may seek answers to certain questions but may receive visions unrelated to those desired. As a side effect, the Fir Bolg will know the weather pat-

Bless the Unborn Card Draw: Moerisia Art (8 - Moerisia Lore) Other Difficulty Modifiers: Health of the mother, from -2 to +5 Animus: 1 Magnitude: I Casting Time: 5-10 mmutes Duration: Permanent effect to the offspring Area of Effect: One mother and her unborn offspring Range: Touch Type: Ally-Physical This spell allows the wer to bless an unborn child (or chddren, if there are more than one on the way,) so that it will be born healthy, without any birth defects or complications during the birth. One success is all that is required. Greater success will bless the unborn with natural talent, greater mtelligence, capacity for greater strength, and so on (though this need not have any actual effect unless the Guide allows this and charges the wer castmg the spell at least a few destmy points.) It takes only a few mmutes for the wer to perform this spell and the effects are permanent. This spell does not work on unborn chlldren produced by the matmg of two wer. Curse of Suffering

Card Draw: Moerisia Art (12 - Moerisia Lore) Other Difficulty Modifiers: Subject's current state of health, from -3 to +2 Animus: 4 Magnitude: 4 Casting Time 30 mmutes to one hour Duration: One week for one success, double per additional; if five successes, the effects are permanent Area of Effect One subject Range: Touch Type: Hostde-Mental Through this spell the wer causes a vlctim to suffer lingering physical pain. While the pains are physical and real, they have no apparent cause and seem to be psychosomatic. The chronic aches and p i n s will cause the victnn a +3 difficulty on all actions and will last for one week for one success. The duratlon doubles for each additional success. If five successes are achieved, the effects are permanent. This spell only affects humans, not eldritch, though supposedly more potent forms of the spell exLst. The wer gams 7 backlash when t h s spell is cast and an additional 7 backlash if the effects are permanent. Dreams of the Future Card Draw: Moerisia Art (6 - Moeri: Other Difficulty Modifiers: None Animus: I Magnitude: I Casting Time: I5 minutes Duration: One sleep period Area of Effect Self Range: N/A Trpe: Self-Mental This spell allows the wer to conscxousIy dream a premonition of events that have not-yet occurrrd. The dream of the future will

always feature probable events, not certain events. This spell be used for unfair mformation gain concerning the story, but Guide can make the most of this spell by using it for foresh These sorts of premonitions are seldom realistic and usually h very strange symbolic features within them. Tricks of the Mind Card Draw: Moerisia Art (12 - Moerisia Lore) Other Difficulty Modifiers: Pre-existmg mental 5 up to -4 Animus: 3 Magnitude: 2 Casting Time: One minute Duration: One scene for one success, one day for double per additional success Area of Effect: One subject

spell allows the wer to

hallucmations wi

natory floor, but she may believe m y of these experiences antw.ty.

.p*.

+3 cards for the situation she gave the other characters. states are almost always temporary. The situation I

)eqt Perpova @cor n temporary persona qualities into number of 12's (successes only) on a te

ities.

any persona qualities that were i v to some degree either during or at Y

ialities by one pomt each. No score can manner, except by paying experience PO .

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i r

.i

.

A character may hold her breath for a length of tune based upon her Resdience. This length of trme may be mcreased by a Spirit (12) draw, with each success addmg one p a n t of temporary Resllience Just for Breath Holding purposes. However, it costs one animus per additional point of Resilience gamed. The duration of breath is listed on the table below. -Marathon reflects the length of time a character can hold out running at a jogging speed or swlmming at half speed. By expendmg one anmus point, this may be extended to +I Resdience, for each success made on a Spirit (I2 - Run or Swim) draw. Hard labor reflects how long a character can continually perform extremely strenuous physical work without stopping and takmg at least a 30-minute break. Resilience

I_ _ _ _ ~

2 3 -

4

-

5 6

-

10 I1 I2 13

Duration of Breath 30 seconds I minute 2 minutes 4 minutes 7 minutes IO minutes 15 minutes 20 minutes

___

Marathon I mmute 5 minutes I5 minutes 30 minutes I hour 2 hours 4 hours 8 hours

Hard Labor I hour

4 hours 8 hours

-

I2 hours- ._

~

I 6 hours 20 hours 25 hours 30 hours

25 mmutes 30 mmutes 40 minutes 50 minutes

I2 hours I6 hours

40 hours

20 hours 24 hours

60 hours

60 minutes

30 hours

_.__

__

SO hours IO0 hours Indefinitely

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S u ~ e r ~ ~ ~ Detail tural Subtle Differences: Minor changes m light1-3 mg, mood, wmd, smells, sounds, and psychic emanations, such as

Reverie Level

The nrght that htdes many thingsfrom us. Dan$ The Divine Comedv. Infirno

-

sychic awareness and sensitivity to all things preternatural is a gifi possessed by most all eldritch and A select few mortals calledfantasts. Whenever anything supernatural occurs, whenever a character is trymg to perceive the Reverie, or whenever the Reverie intentionally reveals itself, the character must make an Inspiration (IO - Illumination) draw. Each success allows the character to glean more information about the supernatural occurrence or perceive that much more of the Reverie. Reverie is described m terms of "depth," m that some places have more magick than others do: the deeper the Reverie, the p*more magickal aspects there are to experience. Reverie depth is used as a scale to represent the degree of magickal change m environment and does not, m any way, represent actual distanc or geographic features. Few can comprehend all the magick within sacred and maeickal sites.

_ _ _

noticing that candles that were unlit before are now lit, that a place seems darker and spooluer, that graves nearby are open, not closed as before, that a place has a peaceful feel and holy glow to it, that a place has a very unnatural musty smell, or that a wind carries on it strange whispers. The character will notice spirits and d e r supernatural beings out of the corner of eye, but wdl hardly ever see them head on. The character will be able to locate "hot" and "cold spots of magickal power, with hot spots being places where supernatural power was used, or m use, and cold spots bemg places where ghosts are located. Noticeable Differences: Obvious changes in 4-6 lighting, mood, wind, smells, sounds, and psychic emanations. The character will hear whispers, and w d feel any strong magickal presence, such as the auras of eldritch. The character will notice architectural, color, and texture changes of thmgs within the area, such as fresh blood on a wall where someone was kdled nearly a century ago, that the doorways are arches mstead of recta.ngles as they are in the Real World, that a ddapidated mansio seem so dilapidated, or that the sky outside the wined. Some of the ghosts and other spirits can be seen and are often Dhvsicdv real to the touch.

the Reverie of the area. The character might also get pychometric or postcognitive vibes from objects and places, even if the character does not have psychometry or postcognition. Furniture

from past eras might appear, doorways within trees might appear, or mirrors might reflect the place as it once appeared; changes in ltghting, architecture, and aspects of setting will be visible.

IO - I 2

Different World: The character will seem to be in a different place. People in the Real World may see the character acting peculiarly, and then the character may disappear totally into the Reverie, when no one is looking. There are said to be at least I3 "levels" of the Reverie, but no eldritch has been able to perceive the true depth of the Reverie, so there may be even deeper levels. A character who achieves two successes might notice the lighting is a little darker. A character with three successes might notice their are now torches on the walls instead of electric lights. A character with four successes might notice a strange and that the walls are now stone. A character with seven successes might reallze he is in an ancient monastery that was once located on that very spot. Even more peculiar, a character with ten successes might actually become part of the past temporarily,

perceivmg the Reverie and the others smply follow her mto the Reverie at that level. While m the Reverie, characters are still present in the Real World at the lesser depths. but at greater depths they seem to disappear from mundane sight. Characters mteracting with the Reverie may seem crazy to other people due to their weird behavior (1.e. talking to thmgs that are not there or claiming to see spirits.) Also, the presence of characters without any points in Illumination, but points m Rationallze (Darn those skeptics9 cause the difficulty of perceiving the Reverie to increase by + I for each success the skeptic achieves on a Presence (9 - Rationallze) draw. In addition, characters without points in Illumination cannot see mto the Reverie unless they are drawn into the Reverie either by the Reverie itself or by the eldritch. The Reverie can add an eerie atmosphere to legendmakmg if used properly. Try not to be too blatant about thmgs; turnmg an apartment into a castle lair fded with goblins is pushing it. Abusing the rnagick of this altered state of perception w d just bring silliness mto the mythic experience.This is not to say that every once and a whil lair described above, JUSt remember that the power to see into the Reverie exists totally within the imagmation of the person. Therefore, enlightenment and msanity are only a half-step a

playing. When this is done, an additional Inspiration (IO Illumination) draw may be made at the cost of one anmus. A character may begin to perceive the Reverie as deeply as the one who pointed out the strange detail if any successes are achieved. Alternately, if a character sees something deeper in the Reverie and tells the other characters, then she may no longer be able to perceive the Reverie that deeply if other characters tell her she is mistaken m seeing what she is seeing, or if any one of the characters she tells gets a disaster on the attempt to peer deeper into the Reverie. The deepest levels of the Reverie are llke intersections between different dimensions. The Dreamworlds, Astra, Underworld,

d d . The number of yards a character can cover in one turn is detammed by the following Sprinting Speed (per turn within a combat cycle): 20 (I5 Run score) yards Jogging Speed (per turn w1thu-1a combat cycle): 15 -t8 x score) yards Walking Speed (per turn within a omb bat cycle): Running adds a +4 difficulty to combat, while jogg

exceptionally strong in the Reverie, allowing characters from various realms to interact with one another physically. On the shallower levels of the Reverie (I to 3 successes for the corporeal character), all spirits, dead souls, and similar beings are visible, but incorporeal. They can become solid only by

ered: p l m s or grassy area (4% distance), tall grass 0 uphill grade (-25% distance), steep uphdl grade, ice, 50% distance) For those who would hour, the following infor

Reverie (4or more successes falr the corporeal character), beings from many realms and planes a11 take physically real forms. can become desolidified at wd, but a Guide might mpose a s upon

The Resilience Feats sectio acter can runI. 1 .-1 1 The speea

+

- - .

~

-

5 6 7 _8

_

9

IO I1 I2 I3

25 mph 30 mph

____ ______ _

_. ~

-

~

~-

35 rnph 40 mph ~ 50 mph 60 mph 70 mph 80 rnph

+IO mph +I5 mph

~.

__ ~~

-

______

IO0 mph

+20 rnph +25 mph +30 mph +35 mph +40 mph +50 mph +60 rnph

-~

~

-~ ~-

~

~

~

~

~-~ ~ _

_ _ _ _ -___ ~

~~

--

~~

&red and DeBecrafed Placep L

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Angels and demons are affected by the resonance of the Reverie m places that are especially holy or unholy. Demons suffer dlfficulty penalties in holy places, while angels gam difficulty bonuses m holy places. In unholy places, demons gain difficulty bonuses, while angels suffer d i f f d t y penalties. The modifiers range from +/-I to +/-3, dependmg upon the location. The vast majority of places on earth bear no modifiers at all, as they are balanced rather than being exceptionally sacred or desecrated. However, most angels and demons on earth take full advantage of the resonance by making their sanctums on hallowed or unhallowed ground, whichever provides thein with greater power. Here are some possible affects from holy and unholy resonance. A guide may determme the difficulty modifier however she sees fit.

Sacred ,/ Desecrated Location

~

Ancient church or holy ground New church Church service _ _ _ (weak believers) Church service (strong believers) - -~ Place of love or faith -__ Ancient cult lalr or unholy ground ~ ~ _ _

~-

h e e l s ' Difficultv -2 to -3

-I -~ 0

~

_

-2 to -3 -I to -3 +2 to +3

-

Demons' Difficulty +2 to +3_-_________

+I 0 +2 to +3 +I to +3 -2 to -3

I mph 2 m L 4 mph 6 mph 9 mph I2 mph

_.

-

__

~~

~ _ ~_ ~~

_

~

_________

-

+I mph +2 mph +4 rnph +6 mph +8 rnph + I O mph

.___

_____I

_

Degradation represents the loss of mner strength, humanity, balance, conscience, and zest for life in favor of growingTorment. Over time, and through many hardships, aTorment can nearly possess a character, driving away the last vestiges of her true nature. Certam situations w J call upon a Torment card draw. The specific situation acts as a modifier for the Torment card draw. The difficulty typically ranges between 3 and I I. The Torment draw is always contested by the character’s Spirit (7). Should a character Five herself over to her Torment freely, then the Torment provides her with some sort of bonus, based uDon the

GuidelineB and Personal c Within The Everlasting, _ you . have three basic options in terms of the system mechanics: card-based, dice-based, and freeform. All three systems are similar in many respects, except for the fact that two utllize randomlzation of cards or dice to add a chance factor and one emphaslzes smplicity and personal judgement. It is up to you to decide which system works for you. You should find out which system your fellow participants prefer and then reach a fair democratic decision. This is the rules creation process that all groups should go through in custom-fitting guidelines to their needs. This rules creation is usually handled during the first couple legendmaktng sessions, though you can always review and revise your adopted ”rules” as your group sees fit. It is certainly possible to appease those who prefer one system and those who prefer another - the key word here is compromise. Basically, you combme aspects of the three systems into what you are comfortable using; thus the guidelmes become rules - your rules. You mght also allow each participant to use the method they indtvidually prefer. In example, one group of participants decides to keep the cards-based guidelines for combat and other contested card draws, use point allocation m character creation, and keep uncontested actions freeform. They choose to use the ”Fighting Nameless Minions” guidelmes presented in this chapter. They also choose not to use destiny points and the ”Mystical 13” guidelines. The combinations you develop should reflect not only your personal preference, but also the style of legendmaking in which you wish to participate. For mstance, a ramantic, fast-paced adventure style would probably be handled best freeform, while a gritty, real-world horror style would probably call for most of the basic cards-based rules and some advanced cards-based

s J ou choose, you should make

iaily new ones) are aware of your groupadopted "rules." For simplicity, in ronventmn tournament legendmaking, all the basic cards-based guidelines are used, unless you are informed differently by your Guide at the beginning of the session, and participants may use cards or dice.

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Eive-,Pctioi Guideliqep (Optional) Some participants may get tired of just sitting down and roleplaying. For those who seek a new form of entertainment, liveaction can serve as a new form of escapism by placing participants into acting roles, allowing them to act out the roles of their own protagonists. Participants can roleplay either entire stories or just certain scenes through live-action. While live-action cannot capture the altered-state of consciousness achieved through table-top legendmaking (which relies heavily on the imagination), live-action can produce altered states achievable in no other way. The participants can become their protagonists in ways they cannot through tabletop gaming. There is no time for boredom since the participants must be actively engaged in the story as their protagonists on a continuous basis. Live-action is much like improvisational acting, but some guidelines are applied to determine the chances of success a character has in performing various tasks. Live-action uses the card system, along with a few important rules that place safety above all else.

mop1 Importaqi gulep (Note that these are not merely guidelines.)

Crue Freeform (An Alternate Guideline System for Throwing Out the Book)

-

ic

True freeform goes beyond standard freeform m that it emphaslzes simplicity, story, fairness, participation, and little else. There really are no guidelines other than common sense and the Imitations that you Impose for enjoyment, realism, and intensity. There are no protagoni: t profile sheets, modifiers, time segmentation, quality scores, 01 anythmg else of that nature. Basically, you tell stories involving the basics: plot, subplots, setting, and characters. You can even have reoccurring protagonists who appear in several stories, over which t m e you develop them, making them more three-dnnensional. Just remember to keep some sort of balance among Ibe protagonists, and that the protagonists are neither god-llke nor always successfd. No guidebooks and cards are required. In fact, there 1s not even a need for a Gulde, not even for the mam plot - each participant can take the lead ,n the next scene, keepmg everyone m the dark. Participants may provide a system of checks and balances m order to keep any one person from either takmg control of the story or from making her own protagonist more powerful or important than the other protagonists. Checks and balances might be handled throtgh the use of destiny points and backlash pomts, (whlch may be gwen out and used more freely.) Spent

..

~

whom the pomts belong.

Participants may not touch one another. Participants are not allowed to do anything physically dangerous (such as running, leaping over things, climbing, and other physical activities. They may not carry toy weapons, since they might be mistake by real ones by people who are not participating.) Participants should roleplay only in private places or at conventions where other people will know what they are doing. Roleplaying in public places is prohibited, since live-action can confuse and frighten "mundanes," (those who do not have a clue as to what is going on.) Unruly participants and those who take the experience too serious should not be allowed to participate.

Live-,Aciior) CGaracterp Live-action characters have scores in the nine Aspects, the ten Aptitudes, Life, Animus, Speed, destiny points, and backlash points. They can also have scores in Skdls, if you desire that level of detail, Distinctions, weapons, equipment, magickal spells, and preternaturae can all be represented by~- special cards with the details written on them, and play money can be used to simulate re

I

ble, with all the information turned to the underside so others Cannot read it. Guidelines for live-action are the same as for standard legendWhenever there is a problem, stop things temporarlly and makmg, except for the following: go get the Guide to Solve the Problem. The person declaring the combat may act first. Participants Participants should stay in character unless something prethen go in order of highest Speed to lowest Speed until all have vents them from ~ t h m ~ l sWhen e - t A m g Out of character, had their turns within the combat cycle. If two characters have the same Speed, then the one with the highest Instincts goes first. partrcipants should hold up one hand into the air to signal that they are out of character. Participants should not talk ollt of If they have the same score in Instincts, then the one with the charJctcr cxcepr when bringing up a rules issue. highest score in Dexterity goes first. If they still have the same Participants cannot leave play by "going out of charactcr" score, then toss a coin and let the challenged person call it in the n a visible place. Thc participant air; the winner goes first. nust go somcwhcre away from Combat or any other conither participants in order to go tested action may be lnitiated at 'ut of chxacter. Participants can any tme. The opponent must be lever simply go out of Character made aware the combat or conD avoid n fight. tested action is taking place by Participants do not have to the declaration of "Stop. I ,old up their hands while Challenge You." Other particiivolved in shuffling, drawing pants cannot enter a combat nd roleplaving their cards, since unless they were standing nearby he event is occurring within the at the time. These participants ontext of the setting may enter (if they wish) at the Participants must describe beginning of the next combat that it looks like their characters cycle. re doing (not necessarily what Anytime a preternatura, he characters actually are doing) spell or other supernatural effect 3 other participants who walk is used, the one usmg the power sy and ask what they see. must tell the person she is usmg The limits on ranged comit on. If the effect is invisible, the 'at are 20 feet for simplicity and participant must comply with the inged attacks suffer no range or effects as the guidehnes describe, loint-blmk modifiers. but must act III character as if she Participants are expected to does not know that anythtng is ct in the best interest of dl happening or how something is sther participants when roleplayhappenmg. No "crossing-over" is ig, (though not necessarily in allowed. he best interest of the other Life pomts are recorded on haracters.) While a participant's the character sheet as boxes. Each . prucagonisr box represents one point. Boxes another PartlclPa*it's protagonist, possibly beyond the character's life score must be colored in ink. Each gle to the death, that does not mean the pa time a character takes hrther damage, an "X" is placed in the . ,. r act Pollreb' when aismsmg mngs out box. The " X may be healed through powers, mehtcal treatment, should know the rules that have been e or at a rate of one pomt per actual day of roleplay. If a character k&d, h e parttclpant may re-enter the cur- cheat. Cheating should be punishable by the mmediate removal of the PartlclPamt from the session. rent story as a supporting character created by the Guide, as- one __.Acting 1S :I very important part of every participant' of the participant's other protagonists, or as a weaker protaigonist behave as their protago created with fewer character creation points. For each time a sup.. duties. ParticiLp: differently from their par portmg character dies, the participant's next supporting ch:ratter Protagonists :jh( 1 , pants in at le;ist some ways, sum as accent, atti should be a little weaker. A participant must wait at least I 5 O r genera Denanor. Take the acting as far as POS m u t e s before re-entermg the current session after reporting to feeling omfo fort able- Dressing the part the Guide for a new character. The participant must also dress 1s Suggested that Guides award those W h somehow differently from the deceased character so that other _ L

1.

1 1

new characters distinct.

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mitted since other people might thmk thev are real.

During the I I th century A.D,. life was rough -- the death rates were high because of disease, famine, and lack of sanitation. Crusaders lost the holy lands to the infidels, and learned that the infidels' culture was actually superior to Western culture in many ways. The Church ruled through intimidation and many nobles were broken financially from funding the crusades. There was great tension among the people at the end of the century, for it was believed that the Apocalypse was near. Christ had been dead for 1,000 years and people believed the calamities they were living through were signs of the End Times. Mdlenarians wrote many letters and essays on the subject and the art of the period took on a darker quality. But the end did not come. Bishop Ussher, a 16th century archbishop of Armagh, calculated through the Biblical "begats" that God created the earth on October 23rd, 4004 B.C. and that each Biblical "day" in Genesis was 1,000 years, meaning that the seventh day would be the time of the Apocalypse. This would mean that the Apocalypse would occur at 9 AM Greenwich Mean Time on October 23rd, 1997. Again, it did not happen. Other favored apocalyptic dates are: July I 9 9 9 for Nostradamus, I 9 9 9 for Edgar Cayce, 2000ish for Jack Van Impe, May 5th, 2000 for Richard W. Noone, 2048 for the Venerable Bede, 2001 for the Unarius Society, and 2000 (or possibly either 2007 or 2048) for Hal Lindsey. Indeed, most dates for the Apocalypse fall at the end of the 20th century or during the 21st century. Is this a coincidence or something else? Have modern day prophets merely planned for Doomsday t o come soon so that they can sell more books and give more paid lectures right now? If so, what about the cultures that have no ties to the Christian calendar or financial interests at stake? The year 2076 for the Sufi Muslims wlll be their year I500 and their marked time of Armageddon. According to the Hindu calendar the end comes in 2003, this is the year the Sree Vishiva Karma Veera Narayana Murthy, an avatar of Krishna, comes to establish the reign of Dharma (righteousness.) According t o the Mayan calendar the end comes on December 21st, 2012. With all these different dates, at best only a few predictions that fall around the same time could be right. If it is the case that only a few predictions could be right at best, is it possible that none are right? Yet does this mean that there will not be a Doomsday? Is it possible that humanity will thrive for many thousands of years to come? With global warming, viruses mutating faster than our ability to invent cures, and nuclear weapons in the hands of small fanatical nations, what are the chances that the End Times will come all too soon?

Do you believe in Doomsday?

Bf oryfeIIim advegfurep He cometh unto you with a tab which holdeth childrenfrom play, and old menfrom the chimney cornel:

- Sir Philip SidnT, The Defense of Poesv

order to do so, you must develop those skds you w d need as a storyteller and legendmaker. Within this chapter you w d find advice that helps you in storyteller - that is youi job. You can only become a good story-

by jumping in and participating. As you participate, look to s and see how they do things. Ask for constructive criticism and, Importantly, try your best. Before long, you w d be amazed at ower of your own Imagination, and you w d weave tales of permyth better than you ever thought possible.

- Lzonardo da Knci, ~hiaroscuro# 1 Even if you are not servuig as a Guide, you must s t d take an tive role within T h e Everlasting as a storyteller. As a storyteller, it

should have the opportunity for her protagonist to shine through as the central star by accomplishing something only she is capable of doing. You should also assist the Guide m maintining the desired atmosphere of the adventure. This can be handled in many different ways, but the simplest methods are often the best. One simple way is by roleplaying your protagonist in a consistent manner that fits m with the atmosphere of the Odyssey - if it is horror, feign shock, suspense, revulsion, or whatever emotion you are called upon, and have your protagonist do horror-oriented thmgs. The other simple method is by adding detatls to scenes, or by adding subplots which accurately portray the atmosphere - if it is an atmosphere of intrigue, run a subplot in which the protagonists must discover a spy in their midst. It is also important that you learn the guidelines to The Everlasting so others will not be responsible for explaining everything to you. There is nothing worse than havmg a participant who simply w d not make the effort to learn the guidelines. Some people are so lax that, even after many sessions, they still cannot comprehend the details on a character sheet or make dice rolls on their own. These people tend to frustrate everyone and may not be mvited back. Almost everyone, however, has trouble learning the guidelines, and we all sometmes forget them, so be patient. If you have any problems, ask a fellow participant for help: there is nothing wrong with doing so. If you are an experienced participant, you should make every effort m helpmg new participants learn what they need to know, but give them plenty of time to apply what they learn.

Btoryfeller advice e of the story over the lniportance of mdividual protagonists. de protagonists are the principal characters m all the adventures, should not set out on a quest to make your protagonist the iggest, meanest, toughest, most powerful being in the world. While totagonists should grow m power over the course of an Odyssey, it

n such cases, you should not place your own desires over that other participants. The adventure is a communal property that ne should strive to improve upon and add to in hopes of ntertining yourself and others is at the core of why you are

fellow participants. You can do this by roleplaying the inter-rela-

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teamwork, if not among the prot,1gonlsrs, then at least among partici. pants. Also con;sntrxc on \r,hat everyone likes In their adventures. (be it romancs, combat, intrigue. or anything else), but make sure

THEEVERLASTNG Page 296

Allow Free Expression: You should not limit other participants in their choices of actions, or in the roleplaying of their protagonists. Remember that it is their adventure too; whtle you can create situations, it is up to each participant as to how her protagonist will handle those situations. You should not try to control the other protagonists, and not even force certam actions on them. If you want to control all the protagonists, you should tell the story by yourself, then you could control everything. Ask for Criticism: There is always room for improvement m storytelling. Examme the storytellmg styles of others and apply what you fmd works to your own style. Ask for (and politely accept) criticism from those who offer it constructively. Be Prepared: You should always hme everything you need ready to go when you sit down to begin a session. There is nothing worse than having to take breaks to hunt for books, cards, pencils, and other materials you forgot. When you are ill prepared others wtll take it as a sign that you do not really care very much. It is also just plam unfair to waste everyone else's tune. Improvise When Necessary: You should be ready to ignore any preconceived plans for an adventure you have if the protagonists take unforeseen actions. You cannot plan for everything, and smce you should not h i t participants, you must be able to deal with whatever they throw at you. While this keeps you thinking on your feet, it can also be frustrating. One way of avoiding rhe problem is bv creating a dramatic cliffhanger moment, and then raklng a short break to plan things out. Another method i s just rolling with things wherever they

I ry not to be competitive. 1

should not tell a story for the other participants, you should tell a story wtth the other participants. You should keep everyone mvolved in the adventure. When participants get distracted or bored, you should drag their protagonists back into the adventures and provide something in which the participants are mterested. Reward Effort: It is not how well someone does storytellmg that is important, it is how hard they tried which is Important. If a participant tries to roleplay her protagonist, but is just not very good at it, she should be rewarded at least as much as someone who is

responsible for lots of pre-session work, story logistics, guidelines, paperwork organization, and so forth. It is up to a group to decide how they wish to reward their Guides. Destmy points, experience pomts, food, and cash donations are all excellent ways of rewarding a Guide. Typically, however, if everyone serves one or more guide Lnctions, then destiny pomts are the best forms of reward. Just as experience pomts and destiny points are awarded to participants who roleplayed protagonists at the end of a session, rewards should be given at the end to guides

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"thanks for all the hard w o r k every once in ' a whlle. Even if everyone just pitches in a dollar or two, it is a sincere token of appreciation. It w d also c e r t d y encourage more people to be thoughtful, creative, and hardworking Guides.

Adventures are the backbone of T ters, drawing maps, ordering food, or by doing the guiding take the time to 01 idme and develo for the adventure. '

own time, then give them destiny points equal to their effort.

Golden Rule and treat everyone t

The plot is extremely mportant si award that many pomts of

likely actlons, and what the possi

ts may be used for any character d.,

the poor storyteller or gamemaster gets no rcward for her more dauntmg efforts - save

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nor mil can be destrcyed and both wrll here. It's meant to be; the Lord bath made all htmseF yea, even the wickedfor the d y of rob ts to achieve equilibrtum and, as we do wst respect mil and we must make mi1 respect

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ng balance and time is running out. - Nate, Milknntum Adventures should strip protagonists bare the value of gadgets, guns, m i o n s , and forms of preparation and superiority. cenes leading to the climax should up the advantages of the villains whde g the protagonists' struggles that much

mgenuity, and passion for survival -

deciding the nature of the conflict you should be such that is p e s the protagoa personal reason to become involved. conflict may be very personal, or it p g h t call upon the protagcinists' loyalties to someone or something. Here are a few exames of possible forms of conflict: Ancients vs. Ancients: h4any claim there a e daevas, dragons, osirians, merodachs, Azhi Dehaka, and vampires who are so old that theflave attained such power that they no longer directly participate 111 worldly affars. stead, they work through their countless mmions, fighting one anotber and enactmg their schemes. The protagonists may find that they are pawns for one or more ancients. Daevan Household vs. Kingdom of t: In these modern tmes of trouble, the us daevan households ,ire weakenmg the unlivmg's lungdoins of night are strengthening. Whose side will the protago~ l t s t stake m the war? Dominion vs. Dominion: The eldritch of one dominion (i:erntory) are in agamst eldritch masters of another mmion. The dominions may have a longstanding feud, or one may be trying to expand a t the expense of thr other.

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shared dominion is being invaded by eldritch from the outside who seek to usurp control over the protagonists' dommion. Faction vs. Faction: Within some group of m o r t a l s there is an internal conflict. The protagonists belong to the group but each must s t d take a side in the internal dispute. Where will they place their loyalty? Will the overall group survive the internal problems? Wd1 the group split apart, regam unity, or be preyed upon whde weakened? Fellowship vs. Fellowship: Many of the new fellowships created m the last couple of decades have sought out great power and prestige. The protagonists may run into many problems m dealing with opposmg fellowships. Genos vs. Genos: Old prejudices die hard and m many cases are as immortal as those who bear them. From tnne to time conflicts break out between m o r t a l s of different gentes that fmd it hard to believe that their former enemies share with them a common mterest in survival . . . or that their enemies are not behmd every problem that arises. Greater Evil vs. Lesser Evil: Whlle some situations call on the protagonists to choose the side of good over evd, many situations call for them to choose the lesser of two evds. This can be the most difficult of conflicts, as it requires the protagonists to make tough moral decisions whde paying a pnce, no matter what they choose. For instance, do they sacnfice the life of a mortal to save an m o r t a l , or vice versa? Ideology vs. Ideology: The everlasting have many different ideologies among them; some cut across the boundaries of race, culture and age. Ideology sometimes conflicts with other loyalties they hold, leaving the everlastmg with the possibllity for revolution or rebellion, such as "young versus the old" or "good versus evd." Immortal vs. I m m o d Many cities have become aceldamas (battlefields.) There are plenty of individual m o r t a l s who are settling old scores and gammg power at the - even immortals expense of other im who share the same basic loyalties and be*iefs as themselves. The Elurning lust for powerhas consumed many goctd immortals. Immortals vs. M have protected the secret of their existence for centunes, but oc of them. Mortals sc

Protagonists may come into contact with mortal hunters who seek to destroy them, or they might encounter members of the Prieure de Son, the Keepers, and various cults controlled by eldritch (that are described in other sourcebooks.) Intelligence agencies, scientific groups, and others mortal organizations also have interests in discovermg what they can about the everlastmg, especially concernmg the nature of mortality. Everlasting who go about M m g m d i s a m nately, and breaking human laws will most llkely find themselves face to face with mortal law enforcement. Immortal vs. S e E Being an m o r t a l has its share of problems. Each genos has its own torment, which all who belong to the race must endure. Madness, tragedy, gloom, boredom, fear, and hatred are all internal enemies, and the quest for atonement and peace of mmd are hard roads. Immortals vs. the Supernaturak There are many other supernatural beings m the world besides the everlasting.There are demons, astral spirits, leviathans, faerie, nightmares, ghosts, lycanthropes, sorcerers, extradimensronal entities, and faded experiments of dark science and near-magi&. Protagonists often have no idea what they really face; sometnnes they never learn the truth, even after defeatmg mysterious supernatural threats. Law vs. Chaos: The times of chaos are at hand and everywhere the protagonists look there is bloodshed and heartache. W d the protagonists make the best of the chaos, which allows them to do as they please, or w d they assist in restormg law and order among the everlasting?W d they support some rebel movement or the force of establishment?

Plot Basics Once you have chosen the form of conflict, you need to decide how to use it in an adventure. This is the first step m actual plotting. All you need to do is come up with one sentence that basicallv descnbes the entire adventure. For instkce, "The protagonists uncover and destroy a mortal slave ring that collects humans to serve as food for revenants." Another example, "One of the

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is also simply a very nice way of rewarding a participant for servmg as Guide by highlighting her protagonist in a subplot.

if they are directly connected to the mam plot. S t d , the chance for you to be a storyteller and tell your own tales w d come most often in the form of subplots. Subplots are plots of lesser mportance to the overall group. Subplots are created in the same manner as plots. They are often composed of scenes mtermingled with scenes involving the mam plot withm the adventure. Subplots are usually smaller in scale and simpler in scope. They also most-llkely focus solely upon one or two protagonists rather than a group.

Historical Subplots Historical subplots are effective in providing insight into past events mvolving the protagonists, antagonists, or other characters. Whatever the case, the subplot might in some way relate to the current adventure, but take place in the past. For mstance, in an hstor subplot the protagonists might remember the last t m e they fought you a little direction and some information to pass along to the othe protagonists through this subplot, but otherwise she w d probably 1 you tell of this past encounter however you see fit. Through the histoncal subplot the protagonists may remember thmgs about the past encounter that will aid them in their current conflict.

Cypep of Bu6pl0p There are several types of subplots, but the three most popular are

I ) smgle protagonist subplots, 2 ) historical subplots, and 3 ) alternate character subplots.

Alternate Character Subplots

Single Protagonist Subplots

These subplots are almost llke separate adventures smce th pants roleplay different characters m them. Often the &id you some ctrectlon, or some specific things that should be the subplot, so that the subplot will relate to the plot. The protagonists may be somehow connected to the

The smgle protagonist subplot focuses on one protagonist's personal life, challenges, and problems. The other participants take on the roles of supporting characters that are somehow connected to the pro-

smce she has problems to deal with on her own. This is an especially effective method if the role of Guide is passed around among all the

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the protagonists he-. Participa They could roleplay eldritch who previously fought the v d can roleplay people who wrote journals of their accounts b at the hands of the antagonist, with the journals bemg fo protagonists. Participants can even roleplay thev pirotagonists' mentors, mg the tales the mentors told the protag almost endless.

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e in the &vine, tall buildings )ns can represent the depths of ze the restlessness of the spirit ,-

would be better suited to a dark fantasy adventure than a milita base.

can give these places strong visuals and symbolism through your riptions of them. Smply by pomting out certain d e t d s can add

For mstance, if in a horror adventure you need to use an old ehouse as the place where the vdam is launchmg his attacks, then protagonists might discover the old warehouse is supposedly nted and that several gangsters killed one another there. Within Reverie, the participants might notice blood on the walls and al ghosts The Reverie provides you with a great leeway in describing locations, so you can shape descriptions, them more applic'ible to the atmosphere desired. ead for the locations you will be using. Draw any maps you might need ahead of time. Give some thought to the Real World appearance of the place, but do not neglect the Reverie, since the Reverie usually makes a stronger mpression on the protagonists.

ssages that you can convey through adventures. e theme should be developed after you have the basic plot allowmg you to ,shape scenes to fit the theme. Themes through them you can glue together an ide a lesson for the protagonists; the theme serves ersona development. As the protagonists learn a son from the adventure. they grow in some way. e extremely simple to the extremely ften reflects how blatant the theme must their roleplayers) to get the message. Be e f d not to preach to your fellow participants since the message is One possible theme is "Real love is hard to find," which is dis+yed through the adventure by havmg a protagonist's lover betray the protagonist, possibly by leadmg the protagonist into an ambush ner lover might even make snide comments ut how she never really loved the protagonist and was merely a This can be painful, especially if the protagonist loved the it teaches the protagonist a lesson. ethmg as smple as "Good overcomes evil." is a good agonists may face overwhelmmg odds, but their evd onent may still be brought down, so long as the protagonists are .. servmg a greater good

mood esents the pervasive feel you ingrain in the descriptions withln the adventure, ranging from people, to places, events. You can emphasize doom and gloom in horror tales, g danger m action-adventures, or fantasy and whimsy tales. It may also reflect the overall mood of the entire sey. Some possible moods indude: antiquity, black humor, ing. dread. haminess, hoDe. humor, insanitv, loneliness, mvs-

milieu Mdieu is the type of adventure story you are telling - be it fantasy, science-fiction, horror, romance, and so on. The milieu provides a certain group of characteristics commonly associated with adventures of that sort. A single mdieu is usually maintained throughout an entire Odyssey, but in some cases it varies from adventure to adventure, if only to break up the monotony of telling stories just of one sort.

Once you know what the adventure w d be about and where it will take place, you need to decide who will be involved. In most cases the main protagonists will be commonly roleplayed by the participants except for subplots. It is up to you as to who w d be the antagonists and supporting characters. The characters should be kept to a reasonable number, so the plot will flow in a believable manner while keeping things simple enough that everyone can remember names and descriptions of the Guide characters.

The antagonist is usually more important to an adventure than the protagonists, smce it is the antagonist who often instigates the adventure and provides the source of conflict. The antagonist should seldom be just some idiot who crosses paths with the protagonists. A worthy antagonist is a memorable one who is at least the equal of the protagonists in something that is mportant to the adventure, be it combat, scheming, magick, or manipulating others.

Bupportitlg C$aracterp Supporting characters represent the remaining Guide characters, ranging from mmions of the protagonists, to disinterested scholars that provide information to the protagonists, to conniving henchmen of the antagonist, to a protagonist's highly mtelligent and psychic s are endless when it comes to supporting characters, but they generally fall into three categories - I. Help@, 2. Neutral, and 3. Opposing. There should be only a few helpful characters, smce it remams the protagonists' responsibility to solve whatever problems they face on their own. Neutral characters, mostly strangers, -provide information and are dismterested. Opposing characters range from pportunists who are out for their own rs masquerade as helpfd characters to their own advantage, usually at the

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feu do not need to develop character profides on all the supporting characters you create, but it helps to hst any relevant aspects and bed during the adventur have, along with descril

up with cvcrythmg by memory. It often helps to keep all the supporting characters lizted on one or two sheets of paper, or on index

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If you plan on using supporting characters as part-time central characters, the participants who roleplay them might be given some say into what those characters are &e. If you wish, you might even allow them to create these characters as if they were protagonists, though you might limit their range of choices and the number of creation points (cards or dice) they receive for the creation process.

Bpecial Bfory 8leme3fS Here are some special story elements that you can weave into your tales to produce more sophisticated adventures. Experiment with these and with any other new techniques you encounter or develop yourself.

Dreams A dream within an adventure might belong to a single protagonist. Other participants can either roleplay their own protagonists or other characters wirhm the dream. The dream can also belong to the entire group, such as a collectively shared dream. You can even roleplay the dreams of supporting characters and possibly even the

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protagonists to watclr themselves in their own dreams from some other view point than withm themselves. The prdtagonist may be roleplayed by a different partlclpantr whde the protagonist's actual roleplayer Plays Some other character the dream. You can tell a weird "what if'' like tale m which strange and important events occur that cause profound changes in the lives the Protagonists* Which at the end turns Out to be a dream,YOu not tell the Participants the tale is a dream until the end when h e protagonist awakes. Whde many people find this technique overused, it can still be effective from t m e to tme. You can use dreams for precognitive purposes, allowing protagonis to witness terrible events that have yet to occur, or provide them wi clues within their dreams. You can also use dreams as internal plays withm the psyche. Participants can take the roles of various parts o the single protagonist's subconscious, roleplaying particular emot i m , repressed memories, the Id, Superego, Ego, etc. Sometmes dreams are not remembered when a participant a - a card draw might be made in order to remember. If remember the dream scene might be roleplayed, but otherwise the recollected later as fragments gleaned over the course of These bits and pieces can be roleplayed by interruptmg scene. Some hagments may build on others that are already re However, as they are recalled over and over, aspects of what can change. You simply roleplay that part over and make m changes; the protagonist may react the same or differently You also have more freedom when storytelling dream s can take greater control over a protagonist in directing her ~

ot the protagonists) with g h p s e s of the outcome of the a ture. Epilogues may be smply told in narrative form or m roleplaymg by allowing the partic porting characters or the antagonist. Epdogues can be used to sh that she kded three peopl

everything they owned was destroyed in a &e during The purpose is to provide some other perspective on outcome, since the protagonists were most llkely not

s are meant to take an Important role within

adventure, and how the past situation turned out This often give5 the protagomsts some might mto how things will happen in the adventure *et m the current time, and allows them to recognue the1

make them again. Great detail Foncernncluding long-term flashbacks and proOnkSt development over the course of flashbacks, is included in the dex of Immortality. t

reshadowing Foreshadowmg provides a sense of what is gomg to occur before it g it. Foreshadowmg builds suspense and 'otagonists on their toes. It can be combacks for dramatic effect. many forms utilizing whatever is available in n, such as odd remarks from strangers, key words or d over in conversation or prmt, weird ols, prophetic dreams, and comcidentallymovies, newspaper articles, and television programs. owmg that certain events are going to occur does give the protagoso gives them a sense of foreboding dl make the events seem that much more e of the best ways to use foreshadowmg is to combine it with form of omens and portents of the future. The eldritch, are tied to the supernatural and will how the ravens tend to follow them around and the dogs bay whenever $1certain person's name is spoken aloud nversation. Some omens may be noticeable only to those who epths of- the Reverie. You can find plenty of dicaries concerning the memmgs of omens. Certinly omens can stipernatural authenticity to the foreshadowmg.

ents, locations, objects, and effects that affect ore protagonists. Plot devices can come in many forms, such ts from a mystical realms; use of a supernatural device; a a strange act of fate; the magick from a mscast ritual; a weird )ut of control; a zap from a weird rayome chemical waste; or anything. else you choose. ,

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Prdogues Prologues are like mtroduction stories that occur bejbre the actual Loduction of the protagonists to the adventure. Prolcp e s are teresting ways to introducts and focus upon antagonisits and supportulg characters before moving into the actual adventure. Prologues allow participants to get to know these other characters, )osed to ldyssey start*

as if nothmg out of the ordinary is happening. This only enhances the surrealism of the events. After it I S over, the protagonist wtll most llkely not give the bizarre events a second thought. Protagonists can encounter themselves as chddren, meet deceased relatives, live alternate lives, and accomplish mcredible (yet all too fantastical) feats. Anything is possible m the Reverie and even normal human characters can experience scenes like this on occasion.

Symbolism Symbolism is an mportant element that should be worked mto most adventures. Symbolism is important m legendmakmg, allowmg adventures to transcend the mundane and become persondl mytholo-

gy. Symbolism conveys an underlying meaning within things. This symbolism is often gleaned from our own understanding of what particular things symbollze. Some adventure elements symbollze many different things. A sword might symbolize war to one person and JUStice to another. In addition, several different real world things can represent a symbol. The ace of spades, winter, the color black, a scythe, a skull, and a grave might all be used 111 an adventure to represent death.

8pec.ial B-forytellivq A good story is often made in the telling, not m the tale itself.You should learn to use whatever you have available to your advantage in storytelling. Here are a few things that you might find usehl. cut Scenes c u t scenes are any scenes that interrupt other SCL:nes at dramatic -1.-----moments L u p c s c u .c s^^-^*ul-:-.-m c u u ~ ~cue. g bPa-u L SLcIIcb xxmy include scenes m which participants roleplay characters other than their protagonists, such as scenes involvmg the v&ns and their plans, mdependent supporting characters and their involvement within the adventure, or allied supporting characters and their efforts on behalf of the protagonists. Flashbacks, which have already been discussed, are also mportant forms of cut scen things protagonists are not meant to know, so participants must be careM not to "crossover" by providing their own knowledge of adventure events to their protagonists. Roleplaying the bad guys can be loads of fun.These scenes create a sense of urgency and danger concernmg the protagonists' which participants feel when they roleplay the villms or their victims. C^

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When a scene should be metimes hallucinations, delusions, and blzarre events can the quahty of adventures. Surrealism consists ( al elements into adventures m hopes of shakini ancmg - the drama. Often the fantastical events a ve as metaphors of real life events.

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Adventures mostly”1eantoward action auayLLlaL, a wonderfd element, even in the most serious of adventures, providtng a little lightening of mood, if only to better intensify the more serious moments. The X-Files, for mstance, oken has a very somber and mysterious adventure, but Moulder and Scully always manage to the mood. throw in a few one-liners here and there to lighten ” Black humor - that which is gross and morbid, yet funny - is often useful in horror adventures, making the events and supporting characters even more sick and twisted. Light and whmsical humor works especially well for scenes set m the Dreamworlds and Faeryland. Entirely comedic adventures are also lots of fun, especially when everyone is tired of seriousness, horror, and drama. Whenever a participant provides the perfect ”one-liner” or otherwise makes everyone laugh by roleplaying her protagonist well, feel free to award a destiny point, just limit the awards to one pomt per participant per adventure unless you want a humorous adventure. VUL

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Imagery Helping the participants see events within their minds’ eyes very effective m telling stories. Describing things through int d e t d can do this. Imagery can also be produced by havm the participants tell what they see, helping shape a commu of things. You should not just focus on sights - sounds, smells, taste feelings are also very useM. You might even give particip matlon one sense at a time; perhaps they see a glimpse of somethin in the shadows, then smell some faint odor, a few moments la may hear something. You might save sight untll last, sinc things obvious, while the other senses can make things seem more mysterious. One very interesting way of experiencing a scene as if it is by havmg everyone close their eyes. You can then tell them they see using a particular tone of voice and certain words to slze the atmosphere. Sometimes turning out the lights helps since eliminates distractions. Particioants should remain auiet du 1 times and concentrate on pictumg the scene. Motivation Endangerment to Protagonists or Things They Value One useful way of heightening the drama is by making adventure events more personal to the protagonists. This is done by endangering the protagonists’ lives or things they hold dear, particularly their loved ones. Mortal love interests make excellent hostages for villans, but apprentices, servants, and mends also suffice nicely.

Handling Boring Scenes Whenever the legendmakmg becomes bormg and tedious the scene should come to an end quickly (unless the events are meant to seem boring and tedious to the protagonists, in which case only until that feeling is produced.) There are two wa: bormg scenes. The first way is simply by pushing thro endmg it as quickly as possible. The second way is to handle th

motivating the participants. If you take a very passive role, the paracipants will do as they please, and they will be the o control the atmosphere and pacing. By encouragng them ’ 1 tam types of behavior, by keeping them in check wlm c~fnment by playing up the mood through your o m behavior and visible amusement (or disdam,) you w d make a noticeable impressio your fellow partiicipants. If the advenhIre is very action-oriented, you can get t Pants energEed with encouragement to act quickly and impu and constandy asking them what they are gomg to do.

to think about clues, thus buildmg suspense.

catch on to what you are trymg to stress and continue on by themselves. .ng the protagonists' efforts y heighten the suspense

The less the participants h o w gomg into an adventure, the more fun they w d have as they uncover each new bit of knowledge. Important things, such as who is

When Protagonists Need to Sometunes, for the good of an such instances it is okay for a ide to ensure such an outcome. In

protagonists and the participants to learn the truth at the same tme. The fforts of the Guide, the Guide can simply

u might wish to chmge certam feaof the setting that the participants are catch them off guard. For example, the Astra more accessible physically . * a myth. Whde the settmg should be mternally consistent withm both adventures and the entire Odyssey, you can stdl introduce plot twists or modify things written in this foundation book and other Havmg. characters either withhold mformation or he to the protagonists can enhance the mystery, whde manipulations, secret schemes, intrigue, and power plays can provide the source for many adventures.

wn protagonists' actions failed and how they failed. an take the rough edge off failure and present the opportunity for humor and good roleplaying. -

1

u

Re-orientinq Protaoonists into Adventures Keepmg an adventure on track can be difficult for a Guide despite all well-laid plans since it is impossible to guess all the possible directions in which participants can take adventures. When thmgs start getting off track push them back on quickly by re-orienting the protagonists toward the plot's intended direction. T h s *maybe done in several ways so long as the events cause the protagin the direction desired. For mstance, if onists to are gomg right after the main villain on a hunch, then re-orient

hem to the

you

the villam~s

or replace the vdlain with another. You might also just cause the

ents can all re-orieni: protagomsts.

In order to be a good storyteller, you need to be a good roleplayer. Roleplaying is basically the same as Improvisational acting, except that you do not have to stand up and physically act out your actions.

-

-

She is dying! There is nothing I or you could have done o r can do to alter thrs I've known thfs outcomefrom the moment wejrst encountered he? ht I have grown hardened to thefact You are not alone in yourgrief;Kevin I have known her in most every she has bved. I have seen her hefar too $ten Mirth, Mate. Chaper 13 (Mark me!,by Matt Wagner

-

to their characters and want them to prosper, live long lives, and

own. In some action sce

oraneous detail so you

r e

z-

I

e protagonists will not s cing danger with dauntle whelmmg odds is What legendmakrng is all about. Ceitainly valiant protagonists who strive and fail, and even die, are far more lovable, interestmg, and memorable than the most powerfd, overprotected protagonists who reach 50th level. New protagonists can always be created, and they too can live life on the edge. Unlike most video games, there are unlimited lives available in roleplaying. In addition, the heroes who struggle and survive many heroic tasks to live on happlly ever after wd be that much more memorable.

Feyeral Cipp I

1

,

There are plenty of other thmgs that you can do to unprove your roleplaymg, here are some of them. Avoid Taking Out of Character: When you revert back to t a h w as vourself, not ivour character, you should let everyone know. You should also avoid doing it whenever possible, because it is distractmg to others, and it can detract from the atmosphere and quality of the adventure. Along those same hnes, you should also avoid talking in guideline terminology when 111 character. (Ha ha! Take I4 pomts of debilitating damage !) Protagonists should not go around asking what difficulty modifiers are, or if their woundI is medium or serious. 0

mg. It effort penalized with backlash points. First Person Dialogue: It is a must that roleplayers always refer to themselves as their protagonists in the first person. When a participant is talking about what her protagonist is going to do, she should say, "I am gomg to . . .It rather than "My character is going to . ."When talking to another participant, the person should always be addressed and talked to as if she were her character, such as "Where are you gomg?" not "My character asks where is your character is gomg?" One common method of differentiating between participant and protagonist is that a person can raise her hand when talking as herself rather than as her character.

.

Make It Interesting While shy characters can be h, even they can do and say thmgs that entertain everyone. Always stay actlve within the adventures, and do not wait around for everyone

,

Develop Body Language: 7Ne

all use body language to commimicate with one another, though vve usually do so on a subconsciou:, level. By paying attention to yo' Ir own body language, and activeljI controlling it, you can create mamnerisms, facial expressions, s t a nces, ~ and gestures particular to a character. Watch other people's like to incorporate withm the cl you can make the body languag other participants will know wliether or not you are in character simply by looking at you.

Play Up Motivations o h : Rather than smply re ng to events in adventures, ur protagonist use oppor ies durnng adventures, as well etween adventures, to wc owards her own personal

Play Up Flaws: The most ones. By playing up a faults, you make her seem real. This is especially tru protagonists. Without pro to solve, and little idios the protagonist is a ve powerfid nobody. Protagonist to Protag

Soliloquies: A sollloquy is a device used in plays and mo which a character talks aloud to herself while alone, revealing

Do Not Focus O n Power: powers and wealth on the planet, but if she has no personhty, will be boring to roleplay. Focu ence should be balanced with p ersonality development.

Do Not Cross-Over: Rem than your protagonist does aboi When you use your own know1 you are crossing-over - going be knowledge. This is unfair, and most partici ants concider i t cheat@

0 4)' I..

.

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72

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Do you believe in miracles? Miracles have been defined as "any occurrence that is perceptible t o the senses, transcends the natural course of events, and takes place within a religious context." Within Western culture, miracles are viewed as acts which defy the natural order of things -- some Divine Power intervenes and demonstrates the power to overrule or suspend nature, without violating it, by the performance of acts that have religious significance, especially healing and protective acts. However, as with all dungs that defy measurability and rely upon the sensibilities of indwiduals, miracles are often visible only in the eye of the beholder. Certainly miracles play an important role in Judaism and Christianity. T h e miracles in the New Testament stress the divine sanction of Christ. Miracles may play roles in ancient pantheistic religions, but it is hard for modern scholars to look back and judge what believers at the time saw as natural and what they saw as miracles in the ages before science. Islam allows for miracles, and despite the fact that Mohammed refused to perform them, the Sufi mystics still tell stories of miraculous deeds and supernatural acts. Buddhism considers the material world illusion and controllable by the mind, and recognizes the fact that only the enlightened can perform actions that others would view as miracles, even though they are not true miracles. Still, Mahayana Buddhism in China features many stories of miracles and supernatural events. But are miracles real divine acts or are they simply natural events that defy our current understanding? And does it really matter if a miracle comes from a divine source, fiom us, or from nature? Regardless of where the spiritual power originates, the effects are long lasting within the lives of those they touch. People often go through major changes after experiencing them and they believe. How can we judge those people who have suffered terminal illnesses that went into total remission through

It would not be too much to say that myth is the secret opening through which the inexhaustible energies Of the cosmos pour into h m a n cultural man$station. Religions, philosophies, arts, the socialforms Of primitive and historic man, prime discoveries in science a d technolofl, the very dreams that blister sleep, boil upfrom the basic, magic ring of myth. Joseph Campbell, Be Hero with a Thousand Faces

--

torytelling is an ancient ritual that originated

and what we are, as weU as what reality is to us. Stories are also the budding blocks of socisl connections. They provide us with a sense of commonalty. We all share certam stories with our family, friends, and culture. From within the early stories of different cultures arose the first myths. The stories had the greatest value and meanmg to people of the cultures who created them. The stories taught them about themselves and about their world. They became the myths that would h e on throughout human history m one form or another, passmg from culture to culture. Over our span of existence, we have learned that, whde the names and events withm our myths change, there are many fimdamental elements that are eternal, for they represent somethmg within us all. Myths are the stories with significance, through them we understand our place within our social group, and most mportantly, we can conceive of our place within the cosmos. We can give meaning to the cyde of birth, life, and death. We can come to accept the eternal and irresistible pull towards the grave and what we are to make of that journey we call our lives

Today, we still share stories withm our social groups and from them arise the myths that we use for providmg meanmg in our lives. The heroes of our stories have new names and face new obstacles. The mam problem we have, m this modern age, is findmg our new mythology. It would seem that we have few real heroes and that all the old myths hold little value m our lives. Though our culture languishes m this modern mythless age, there are unseen symbcils everywhere around us. We feel those heroes m our collective unconscious, and the celebrities, athletes, those Images to us; we and People Of Our age base our worldview u p m them. If we t'Yj We Can COnSClOUSlY bring new myths mtO being. We -'can tell the d e s which hold meaning Wlthm Our O w n lives and rid Is more than a roleplayof the Others. The a fixmythic The we *rough Our adventures Can be as trivial Or as meanm& as we make them. If we want to, we can tell the stuff of legends and budd our own shared mythology. This is a step beyond mere storytelling mto the r e a h of kgendmaking. Together, with those creative dreamers who participate with us, we can forge our own myths; we can create bonds that join us together, providmg us with our own shared view of the world and ourselves. We can give unconscious symbols forms we all can share. We can visit the worlcls within our dreams, and we can learn about our place in the universe and ourselves. We can find enlightenment,

% game; It

-Joseph Campbell

hether you know it or not, you possess a mythology of your own, which is unique unto you. Your mytholo gy acts as a guiding force within your life, though you are most likely oblivious to its existence. Your personal mythology is, m a way, the mythology of your culture, with certain areas strengthened and other areas dmmished. Every thought and deed you have performed or witnessed has been a stroke upon the tapestry of your personal mythology. Even the seemingly "natural" and "everyday" activities of your life have been deeply shaped by your interests - what you eat, what you wear, how you speak, your interests, your thoughts, your feelmgs, your self-image, your relationships - all are tied to the mythic mages withm your personal mythology. We create myths, consciously and subconsciously, and live our lives in accordance with them - measumg our choices and successes by them. Without your personal mythology, your personal experiences would be confusing and disjomed. Your mythology provides structure to your reality and tells you how you should react durmg experiences. In order to understand what your personal mythology is, you must first understand mythology itself. Mythology today appears not the obvious form of elaborate stories passed from generation to generation, and obvious ceremonial rituals of our "trrbe." The gods, demigods, spirits, and legendary heroes of tribal, classical, and medieval cultures have faded into antiquity, Instead, our modern cultural mythology appears in the form of televlsion programs, books, movies, pop stars, musicians, super-models, and proI

-

fessional athletes. Our heroes and heromes are not venerable and ancient; they appear suddenly, have their Impact, and then pass almost as abruptly back into obscurity. Lyrics of popular songs

becomemythlc messages that deeplyresonate in U L C --..I*

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impressionable listeners. Television shows develol3 " d t " followmgs. Media receive fan letters h day. We do not recognlze modern mythology because we cannot see the forest for all the trees; we are so immersed a culture in T.rhich the media dlssemmatespowerful messages continuo usly. The history boo]ks and news sources only solidify certarL messages presented. ;e, screen, song, education, advertlsing, rc:ligicm, politics, litera

, glonfied activities, vdified activities, art

sages delivered by the entertamment only mcreases the speed at which our new myths change. The diversity of mythic images we have access to daily can be overwhelming. In the past, myths maintamed conformity within society, allowing little divergence. Ancient mythologies were bound m traditions and laws, and, in some cases, the visions of religious leaders. In our modern tnnes we have no consolidated mythology - our complex civillzation mamtams itself withm a global community containing countless mythic Images. People today are more capable of creating distinctively personal mythologies and reflecting upon them than at any time in human history. It is highly likely that your values and attitudes differ from those of other people you know to a degree that would be unimaginable to cultures of the past. Never in hstory has such a vast collection of different mythic images been avadable. Heroes today range from the Terminator, to Michael Jordan, to Gandhi, to Batman, to B d Gates, to Jackie Chan, to the President. It is no longer possible to grow up followmg in footsteps of our parents.

codes of behavior, and ancestral beliefs, but from personal experience and exposure to a near-limitless array of mythic sources in the media. Your personal myths serve as structures of belief, emotions, pre-conceived notions, and images that serve mythic Lnctions. Mythology serves four basic functions in our lives, teaching us: I. Understanding of the universe, 2. Understandmg our place 111 the universe, 3. Wisdom and success in life, and 4. Our positive roles in the community (or subculture.) Your personal myths are often contradictory to one another. You are influenced by a wide range of contradicting sources of seeming wisdom - peers, parents, teachers, professional athletes, music, sports, and movies. Your behavior will sometunes express the conflicts in your personal mythology. In such cases where your beliefs and your behavior do not match, your personal are conflictmg. Some people believe m honesty, yet lie const Some people believe in mdependence, yet stay in a demeaning worlung for other people for years. Tunes of indecision, mner conflict, loss of faith or courage, and the questioning of one's own morals, beliefs, and identity are warnang sigr unconscious mind for a renewal of your mytholo Your personal myths are deeply connected to 1 tions and address themselves to your past, presen The myths define your sense of identity and give the world. Your personal mythology serves as a lens that colors your perceptions and causes you to make specific assumptions about everyday experiences in your life. Your myths unconscious1 affect what you think, feel, say, and do. It seems that unconscioi

a l myths. For instance,

if you believe you are never

believe you are brilliant, you wdl make better use of yo faculties than people who believe they are dumb. So you see 'lent legends of heroes, but are ms 'our self-conception and operate o

almost never see that path we choose might be the wrong

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- subculture, race, sex, nationahty, or wor iize that our personal concerns are of li 1 1

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upon the stage of storytelling.This is followed by applymg your new mythology to your life. Legendmaking may be undertaken throTh whatever methods are preferred and by any number of participants - alone, with partners, or m groups. The person guidmg the story is not the only one responsible

dredgmg them up within your own life. For mstance, if you pretended that your protagonist feels the same lave for a certain supporting character that you feel for a particular person UIyour life, it can be wonderid at &st. However, think how devastatmg it could be if the supportmg character gets lulled. It is the power you can imbue thirigs with within the stories that can become

must be your own Ltpndmuker.

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can handle it.)

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key to transforming .ir new stories, mbined with

In order to grant legendmaking a certain importance an mythic quality within the minds of participants closing ceremonies may be enhance the atmosphere

mythical elements, mto your own permythology is by imbuing them with psonal power.This is done bv , tvlnp , thines svmbolic , mthin your . own life to thmgs within your stories. Deep-rooted person:U beliefs, emotions, and experiences can be woven into charac'ters, ere relationships and other elements within the setting. Person;11 symbols are best wmi~nintn ,-hQTarteyc w-J apttino plprnpnt* Participants may be seated however they please. Nothing is s you u.y.Ic.-~I ---------ired, though it adds to can control with in the stones. If you are guiding the story adable, and soft musi ;ht work the symbolism into setting, but if ting as your protagonist, you might work 1 No one should have to read her secnons, but improvise if neces)UT protagonist. sary, using index cards or other notes. If the Guide cannot iaractet' relationshps to symbolne relationships lit

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fears and face th

in real life m orcier to achieve them. You can even sh

a d wisdom wit:h the other participants through sto leplaying characters. can study facets of your life the stones. YOUshould try to no longer connected to you, by somewh %If.You must become an unbiased observ your observations you may gain inslght ' P

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even detrimenta1, SO BE CAREFUL You mu

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the darkness. We shall seek advenhtte and heroic deeds

Participants (One by One): (Each partlcipant takes a turn introducmg herself as her protagonist. This mtroduction may be one sentence, a paragraph, or half a page m length. Here is an example: " I am Eric Reeves, h a , detective, godling of wisdom I am o f House Semnai Theai. I work with law enforcement in tracking down killers, many of whom are eldritch I have come here to join in this legendmaking " ~

If each participant has a candle, then the participant lights her candle as she mtroduces her protagonist.) If the Guide is roleplaying a character, she should get to do her mtroduction between the other participant's mtroductions if possible. Characters other than protagonists should not be mtroduced. If a participant is going to be roleplaymg more than one protagonist for some reason, then each mtroduction should be handled separately for each protagonist. Once all the participants have introduced their protagonists, the candle should pass to the Guide. Guide: LPt us walk now, past the shadows of theflame that cast upon the cave's wall, byond our mundane world Our protagonists shall be our representatives. Thy shall symbolrze a deeper truth than our everyday artivities LPt us close our yes There is more to reality than what we see. More than what we hear Canfrel it' Look with your imagination Listenfor the sprnts in the air Any Single Participant: And so, it bcgins Guide: For now we are in the Secret World (Deal out major arcana tarot cards, if they are being used. Pause briefly in sdence before beginning the story.)

Closing Ceremony (If the candles were extinguished, they can be re-lit before the closing ceremony.) Guide: And so this mythic journy comes to an end. . .for now. Participants (One by one) Optionally, each participarI t may have her protagonist closing statement, possibly a few words to the other protago or as a short soliloquy. Any I may skip this. An example w

I, Eric Reeves, have beenfortuna, buman. I will not rest until the en1 and more humans out there, prpiq Guide:

~

kgendry But thg, will alwtvs he there, and though thg.

may wear dgerent names andfaces, thp will return ending ycle of myth.

to us

-

afain zn the never-

(All participants, includmg the Guide, blow out their candles.)

Candles of particular colors may be used to express particular themes, character types, and settmgs. The followmg chart lists candle colors and what they may be used to symbolize.

Red - Demons Black

-

- Horror -

Grm Ghosts. Revenants

Dark Green Nature

-

~White Astral _ -

Pumle - Dream

-

-

Dark Blue Magick _- -

_

Dark Gray Gargoyles

Pink

- Romance

-

Yellow Questers Brown Nature. Manitou

Gem

- Elves

Bo1if ary If you do not 1. then you can do your own soiirary iegenamrwng. aoiirary making may be performed in whatever manner you see fit, this foundation book offers one basic style - Free-form Crea e relies upon stories created through system will be provided in the near it is called the Chart-bascd rrearive method and it will utlllze taro cards and various lists of possible plots, NPCs, hP C reactio events, outcomes, dangers, and so forth. For the free-form creative style, you do not need a protag profile or use actual system mechanics, but you can if you w Simply having a protagonist profile can help you decide how w your protagonist can perform certain actions. Card draws ( rolls) can also provide a degree of uncertarnty. You should allow your protrigonist to show her flaws, weaknesses, and unflat tering qualities. The protagonist should not succeed in everythu everythui;

tnk them up, rather than thinking through detailed outl em before starting. You get to discover what happens as characters uncover the plot and decide their own z e d at the directions your stone to force certain drections on ch

cnrougn your wriring errorrs are wnar proressionlu wrirers experience through their work.

*-

phy by the protagonist. You can write not only about events, but also about how the protagonist feels about what is happening. You can even take people places, and events from your dreams and place them mto your stories, fding your stories with symbolism. Using material from your own dreams creates more of a personal connection to your solitary ,legendmaking.You can also add personal

ave a conflict between your protagonist and another eldritch els the same way you did, though actual events differ. olitary legendmaking, your stories take on more personal of your own than stories created by groups of particih are conglomerations of all the participants’ personal

g with your protagonist. By doing flashback narratives you get

There is no appropriate Itngth to the stories you create through olitary legendmakmg. If a story takes a page, then it takes a page. If

$ere’s a place I like to hide A doorway that I run through in the night Reketrhild, you were there But only didn’t realize it and you were scared

d ride the whims ofyour mind mmanding m another world enly,you hear and see this magic new dimension Queenstyche, Silent Lucidity

-

There exists another realilry, as powerful as the one you are experi-

learn how to do so. All it takes is a little effort, patience, and diligence. The*goal is to achieve Lucidip - conscious awareness of being in a dream-state. You experience dreams just as you experience the waking world whde lucid - through hearing, vision, touch, smell, and taste. In fact, your senses seem to have adjustable settings, such as volume, color, tint, etc. Dreams are a natural virtual reality surpassing anything science and technology are capable of producing. Lucidity seems to be contradictory - conscious awareness whde asleep - but it really functions just that way. You are totally aware that you are within a wondrous, fantastical realm empowered by your imagination and creativity. Some people even clam lucid dreammg is the greatest experience they have ever had in their lives. Indeed, lucid dreanung is a powerful, potentially Iife-altering experience. You can explore your true desires, ambitions, fears, doubts, and relationships. You can solve real problems by testing the outcomes of possible actions. You can give in to hedonistic pleasures, grant yourself superhuman powers, and indulge in freedoms and luxuries wakmg hfe cannot afford. You can develop your creativity, or craft entire worlds, people, and situations with just a thought. You can even overpower the greatest of monsters in your nightmares. Through lucid dreammg ,you are a true master of fantasy. You can quest as a knight errant, sail the seas as a prate captain, cruise the stars as a space explorer, win important criminal cases as a lawyer, gun down the outlaws as a bounty hunter, or save the world from destruction as a superhero. Each night you can explore multiple new dreams or pick back up where you left off in your last dream, living entire sagas as your mythic hero. You can also delve deeper into your soul, exploring your self-identity.You can do anythmg to which you put your mmd. Lucid dreams are different from normal dreams, because in normal dreams you do not reallze you are dreaming, and you accept dream characters, events, and places as real. Your mind adapts, rationalizmg even the strangest of thmgs. Thus, you go through normal dreams experiencing them as a character in them yourself. In lucid dreaming, you know you are dreaming, and thus you can take conscious control over your dreams through various techniques. Dreams are not postcards from the subconscious, nor are they controlled by the subconscious mnd. Instead, dreams are like a crossroads where the conscious and subconscious minds converge, blendmg together m creativity, problem-solvmg, and self-expression. Conscious control and awareness of dreams does not jeopardize the validity of dream symbolism and messages from the subconscious, since the conscious mind is mvolved m your non-lucid dreams, you jUSt do not remember. Instead, lucidity allows you greater m e d i a t e mterpretation and focus m interpreting symbols within your dreams.

Bleep aqd Dreams

behavioral difference. Passive phases are marked by restfulness, mactivity, lowered metabolic rate, and the release of growth hormones that help restore the body. Sleepwalking and s l e e p t h g occur during passive sleep, and those who awake from passive sleep may feel disoriented. REM ("rapid-eye movement" - the eyes move rapidly though the eyelids remain closed) marks active sleep phases. Quickened, irregular breathmg, increased b r a activity, and sexual arousal also mark these phases. Sleep paralysis can also occur durmg the active phases. Passive sleep consists of three stages, which are: I. Transitional skep, 2. Res@ skep, and 3. Deep skep. Transitional sleep occurs as the body begins to rest and thoughts pass away, often giving rise to shapes and images; these "dreamlets" are called /ypogogtc imagey. You then fall into a more restfd sleep rather quickly. Brainwaves called "K-complexes" and "sleep spmdles" occur during this period, and the bram activity is thought-like but lmited. After around thirty minutes your mind enters a deep sleep m which very little dreammg occurs, and bramwaves are large and slow; this is called Delta sleep. After thirty more mmutes or so, your mind re-enters the previous restfd sleep and withm one to one and a half hours later, you enter REM sleep (active sleep), for about ten minutes. This is followed by re-entermg normal, restful sleep, and possibly even Delta sleep, for one to one and a half hours again, followed by REM sleep again. This cycle contmues, but as the sleep period progresses, the tune spent m REM increases whde the t m e m regular sleep decreases. It is possible to have eight or ten dreams each night, even more if you have more than one dream every REM phase, with most dreams occurring closer to morning.

Dream PGyBicp ( U

1

(The Nature of Morphean Realities) Laws of science do not function withm dreams, except as conventions you use m creating the dreams. Tune does seem to pass at roughly the same speed in the wakmg world as m dreams. In dreams, however, hours, months, years, and even centuries can pass by quickly through the same use of shifting between scenes as used in movies and on television. Dream environments are not stalde - things can change wi a glance. The ground that was cobhllestone becomes sand, th monds, then marble, then grass be5ore your eyes. Lucidty means providmg some stability to the environment, but also the ab alter it at will. There is one consistt:nt element constantly changin however, and that is written words. In dreams, you can read a se tence over and over, and each time II t w d be different. Digit clocks wdl never show the same tinLe twice, and writing on si and billboards will constantly &ani ;e. Characters within dreams are just as mercurial, altering to fit par , dream. , ticdar unages and expectations throughout the However, by recognrzing them, givmg them definitio I I

I

I

most effective means of recognlzmg a dream is a dream is by trying to fly. You can breathe fire, see through walls, heal the sick, mind control others, and much much more. As master of your dreams, you can change your hair color or the number of stars m the sky. - . You can even instantly transport yourself from a jazz club on Bourbon Street mto the middle of an mtergalactic space battle. v Sensation is also adjustable, as mentioned before. You can tum up the color of flowers, feel the heat of a dream character's breath, hear a whisper from a d e away, or taste strawberries whde eatmg a peach. It is possible to move from one dream mto another sunply by spinning your dream body m whatever manner you see fit and by concentrating on the dream mto which p u want to go. You can also fly to new dreams by sunply rismg into the air and moving at any speed desired to any place you can unagme. The past and the hture are JUSt as accessible as the present, just as the fantastical is as accessible as the realistic.

Rernemberia go ir Dreamp (Morphean Mnemonics) Before you can begin havmg dreams at will, you m develop your dream recall skd. It seems that we are born wi innate "dream-wipe" memory erasers that prevent us from reca most of what we dream. If you aIready recall many dreams, you should continue to practice this technique until you recall at le one full dream most every night. If you do not recall your found it important to remember simply do not (though this may opinion of yo^ iu must first an important F 3gue many o you are ready to obtam luadity, though some beginners att lucidity once or twice through beginner's luck. Even if you achieve lucidity rather quickly, unless you develop your dre recall, you w d forget your lucid dreams after they are over, I

,

portant notes concernmg your dreams.

IOU

can

dude the plot, if there is one, and you might mclude your interpretamn of the dreams' meanmgs as well. Also draw pictures, maps, portraits, diagrams, cir whatever you can convey visually you need not be an artist to make your point. N o one reads your journal anyway, unless you .dow it. Leave a page between each journal entry. At the top of the pages with entries include the date and, if YQU desire, names for the dreams. Record your dreams as saon as you wake up. Do not let other thoughts enter into your head or else they will prevent recall of your dreams. Lkewise, movmg can also cause difficulty in recalling your dreams. If you cannot recall your dreams as soon as you wake up, do not move and try not to thmk about anything except to ask yourself what you were just thmking or feelmg before you woke up. mmd, even if Just guessmg or just

your Drearnsgns, which are the features est descnbed simply as "dream-like." not appear within the waking world Go through your catalogued dreams between your dreamsigns from the gns are personally unique, and by knowing many of your own dreamsigns you w d be able to look for them in your dreams. Your dreamsigns will serve as signposts that should let you know "Hey! This is a Dream!" Some sample dreamare such things as: people with green skm, gomg to work in underwear, strange smell of coconuts everywhere you go, ns, overly-vivid colors, people actmg totally weird, and so on. h your dreams and have listed the can compile a list of dreamsims. " to your list or take off ones list of dreamsigns and look for em whde dreaming, smce you think you are awake in your

Once you have reached a pomt where you have catalogued and studied your dreamsigns, and can recall a dream m full every night, you are ready to practlce the following lucid dreammg technique. The first thing you can do is sleep longer. The longer you sleep, the greater your chance at lucid dreammg, as you will have more dreams. Alternately, you can rearrange your sleep habits, awakmg for a couple of hours before gomg back to sleep for another two or three hours of sleep. Intent and motivation are key to lucid dreaming, you must tell yourself that you wdl have a lucid dream and will remember it. Lucidity is not hard to achieve with practice, so do not believe it is difficult and do not let the effort stress you out if you are not m e d i a t e l y cessful. Remember that lucid dreammg w d come naturally and stress can only decrease the chance of lucid dreams. Lucidity is achieved by recognlzing a dream for what it is; this is done by askmg yourself "Am I dreammg?" You should ask yourself this question throughout the day, each and every day, whde awake. This trams your nund to ask the question while you are dreaming. You must be prepared to answer the question seriously by actually testing your reality to see if you are awake or drearmng. You must test reality even when practicing h s habit while you are awake. Reality testmg is crucial to adueving lucidity and it is a habit you must develop and mamtam if you wlsh to achieve lucidity at d. There are several tests you can perform: look for your dreamsigns, try flying (or even floatmg), try making yourself or other objects desoliddied, or try makmg objects disappear. You could also sunply read sometlung then look away and then look back and read it agam to see if it is the same as before. Words, letters, and numbers are very mutable and do not remain the same in dreams. Do not ixjk other dream characters if you are drearntng, as they w d often t q to convince you that you are awake; you Inust test reality .,1C Q,---L, +L-+ yvu, ArLa, ,vcvv.c, --,your envtronI,cIIIcIIIucL for yourbnr. -,I, - -.J ment in dreams seem as real to your senses as they do when you are awake. Also remember that your dreaming mind can rationalize even the most surreal and bizarre features of dreams. You must LL-b

.-..

Pick a dreamsign category m wbiich you have a number of camsigns and concentrate on loo signs throughout the day whde you Q domg so you are training yo e you are dreaming. Noticmg a agnize you are dreamq;. Dreamsigns may be categorized ?dental Sgns - common dream t Artion Sgns - common dream actions involvmg self, othe

Conrtxt Stgns - own role in dreams, orner people 5

TUKS 111

7 Repeat ateps bur through

THEEVERLASTING@ page 314

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over and over until f h g

you are capable of anything you can imagine.

through cities, soar through the clouds, and even cruise the stars, seeking other civhations. Flying is also a useM means of testing reality. You have total power over your environment. You can completely alter your dream setting by starting with one particular feature, transformg it, and then gradually expanding the scope of the

into dmosaurs, roads into rivers, the sun mto a ceiling fan, or a forbasically anything you can magme. You can also shape dream characters as well. You can increase their value by treating them as M-fledged, independent living bemgs. You can increase their d e h t i o n and provide some stability est into a city.

In addition, you need not worry about the use of symbolism People*Places, and objects.Your S ~ ~ C O ~ S C ~ Ommd U S will provide that for you. All you have to do is mterpret the symbols. You can k YOU use the monomyth and the hero's journey as a f r a m ~ o r for

..

yourself super speed, super strength, telekmesis, etc. You can easdy conjure, dismiss, and alter dream objects with even more ease than reshaping the dream environment. You can alterthe tothe the

Crea-fioc Dreams are real while thq last, can we say mort of l$?

- Haveloci: Ellis, psychologist

adventures or even It is possible, once ate adventures and tagonist in them. E tions, objects, and

I often think about this quest I have made out of my

WF and11was enchanted by the mag; o f t h e E ring my imagination to life howa ew existed. I had my first ac that I . . 3 .&.--l. .. e Borderlands. ana IC a W K K sornernmg in me that has ref& t time; something truly roleplaymg. I got a malgical feeling - the sam

Abilities Accuracy 260 Acrobatics 260 Alermess 262 Animals 263 Antiquities 261 Aptitudes 4 9 Arcana 264 Area knowledge 262 Artist 261 As bazgrounds 67 Astral 264 Athletics 260 Axes 262 Basics 34,49-50 Basics 4 7 Basics 49 Blind fighting 262 Block 262 Climb 260 Clubs 262 Computers 262 Cnminal260 Dance 260 Deception 261 Descriptions 48 Dream 264 Dnving 262 Eldntch 264 Eloquence 261 Empathy 261 Empower 264 Engineering 263 Equestrian 263 Espionage 260 Evasion 262 Firearms 260 Flalls 262 Focus 260 Grapple 262 Herbalism 263 History 261 Humanities 261 Hunt 263 Illurnnation 264 Influence 261 Intunidate 261 Intuition 264 Kick 262 Knives 262 Language 261 Legerdemain 260 Life science 263 Management 262 Martial arts 262 Mathematics 263 Medicine 263 Melee 262 Modern life 262 Murder 260 Music 261 Naturalism 263 Orienteer 263 Persuasion 261 Physical science 263 Polearms 262 Profession 262 Protagonist creation 4.7-49 Psychology 263 Punch 262 Question 261 Rationalize 263 Religion 261 Research 261 Romance 261 Run 260 Sciences 263 Scores 48 Security 261 Skill list 50 Skills, unusual 50 Social awareness 262 Staves 262 Stealth 261 Streetwise 261 Supernatural 264 Survival 263 Swim 260 Swords 262 Takedown 262

Aceldamas 27-29 Achilles' heels 164 Actions Chart 73 Combined 7 4 Contested 74 Extended 7 4 Standard 7 4 Addictions 269 Adventure creation 21-23, 300-304 Adventure (story) elements Dreams 301 Epilogues 307 Flashbacks 307 Foreshadowing 307 Plot devices 302 Prologues 302 Storytelling techniques 302-304 Surrealism 302 Symbolism 302 Aeonians of Shardolm I62 Aeons 118-1I 9 AesirI 47- I 4 8 Agartha 250 Aging 269 Airts 252 Altered states of consciousness 20, 316-317 Alternate characters 300 Ambience 278 Angelic affinities I31 Angelic anatomy IO1 Angelic armor and weapons I09 Angelic backlash I26 Angelic countenance I 0 2 Angelic gifts, initial for angels I27 Angelic gifts, initial for luminare I27 Angelic ifts, list of 128-131 Angelic kstory I 2 0 Angelic injury and death 126 Angelic injury, death and rapture 104-105 Angelic lexicon 98.104 Angelic psychology I05 Angelic senses I03 Angelic sources of sustenance 103-104 Angelology I IO Angels Aeons 118-119 Angel introduction 98-99 Angelic affinities I31 Angelic anatom IO1 Angelic baddasg I26 Angelic countenance I 0 2 Angelic gentes relations 126 Angelic gifts, initial for angels I27 Angelic gifts, initial for luminare I 2 7 Angelic ifts, list of 128-131 Angelic L o r y 120 Angelic injury and death 126 Angelic injury, death and rapture I 0 4 Angelic lexicon 98-104 Angelic linguistics IO8 Angelic protagonists 126-127 Angelic psychology I05 Angelic senses I 0 3 Angelic sources of sustenance 103-104 Angelology I IO Angels and the afterlife 109 Angels and the apocalypse I22 Answering prayers IO9 Archai I I 7 Archangels I I 7 Celestial engineering 122,279-280 Cherubim I I 2 Divine missions 108 Dynameis I I5 Enochian magick I22 Exalted orders of angels I10 Aeons 118-119 Archai I I 7 Archangels I I 7 Cherubim I I 2 Dynameis I15 Exusia I I 6 Kyriotete I I 4 Luminare 119-120 Merkabah I I3 Seraphim I I I Exusiai I I 6 Fantast religious sects I25 Guiding angels I 3 3 Heavenly animals I25 Heavenly armor and weapons I09 Heavenly halos 108-109 Heavenly servants I22

KyFiotete I 1 4 Luminare 119-120 Merkabah I13 Nature of anoelic existence I00 Non-Christ& angels 121.122 Odysseys for angels I33 Provinces and charges I 0 7 Roleplaying angels I32 Saints 122-123 Sephirot I 2 3 Seraphim I I I White dogs I 2 5 Angels, introduction to 98-99 Angels, non-Christian 121-122 Angels, protagonist basics 126-127 Animals, heavenly I 2 5 Animus Basics 58 Score determination 35, 58 Antagonists 304 Antediluvian civilization, remnants of I 4 5 Apocalypse I 2 2 Apothei, initial I 6 4 Apothei, list 164-166 Archai I17 Archangels I I 7 Armor 266 Art, magick 276 Arthurian history 186-188 Artistic value 2 0 Ascendancy I 4 5 Aspect descriptors 67 Aspects 47-48 Astra, entering the 254 Astral Aethyrs 251-252, 256 Astral forms 252-253 Astral Space and time 252 Backlash points Angels 62 Basics 61-62 Daevas 62 Demons 210 Questas 62 Spending 6 2 Spending 6 2 Wer 225 Begulling forms of demons 202 Being everything to everyone 260 Benefits 81 drawbacks 51 Benefits 81 drawbacks, sample 53-54 Benefits, sample 53-54 Benisons, initial I94 Benisons, list of 194-195 Biography 51 Breath, holding 288 Cambions 207-208 Candles 3I 6 Cards Actions 74 Actions table 78 Advanta es over dice 71 Base difkculty 72 Basics 70 Card values and dice equivalents 71 Cards, advantages of 71 Combat 76 Combat cycles 77 Daevas

Achilles' heels I 6 4 Aeonians of Shardolm I 6 2 Apothei, initial I 6 4 Apothei, list 164-166 Ascendant 145 Daevan aflnities I 6 7 Daevan anatom 137-138 Daevan badclasl I63 Daevan countenance I38 Daevan culture I46 Daevan entes relations 162 Daevan aouseholds 146-160 Daevan introduction I 3 6 Daevan lexicon 136-139 Daevan mythos I44 Daevan prescience 140 Daevan protagonists I 6 3 Daevan psychology 142-143 Daevan senses I40 Daevan true death and ananda I 4 2 Doom 143-144 Fates, the 140-141 Four ages of humanity I 4 4 Gotterdammerune I 4 5 Great hall I46

Households Aesir 147- I48 Dekans 148-149 Fir Bolg 149-150 Fomhoire 150-151 Great h d I46 Huecuva 152-153 Introduction I 4 6 Joining a household I46 Kuni-mu-kami 153-154 Maribur 154-155 Milesians 155-156 Olympians 156-157 Semna Theai 157-158 Tuatha De Danann 158-159 Vanir 159-160 Independents I61 Joining a household I46 Kismet I42 Lordly auspices I39 Maiden, mother, crone 140-141 Nature of daevan existence I37 Nectar of the odlings 139-140 Odysseys for l e v a s 167 Remnants of antediluvian civilization I45 Roleplaying daevas I67 Seaxneat I 6 1 Toying with destiny 141-142 Use of mortals I62 Zurvan, the I45 Degree of success 72 DiFe equivalents 71 Difficulty 72 Difficulty modifiers 73 Disasters 73 Double or nothing 76 Freeform 87-89 Gambling and bluffing 74 Healing-related 85-86 Last considerations 9 4 Mystical thirteen 75 Number of cards 72 Number of cards or dice 72 Percentile system 89-90 Speed 3 5 , 5 8 , 7 7 Tarot cards 90-94 Types of dice 70-71 When to use them 70 Celestial en ineering 122, 279-280 Ceremony 8,r The Everlasting 310 Changing virus 216-217 Chaos barrier 256 Chernbobyl I 8 5 Cherubim 1I 2 Chivalry 183-184 Cities, earthly 27-28 Collective, the 254 Combat Unloading on a target 85 Actions chart 78 Active defense 78 Armor 266 Combat c des 77 Concealediweapons 265 Cover in a gunfight 84 Damage determination 79 Declaration 78 Fighting nameless minions 264 Firearms ruining the atmosphere 265 Freeform combat 88 Hair-trigger reactions 265 Hand-to-hand attacks, making 79 Hand-to-hand chart 81 Hand-to-hand difficulty modifien 82 Importance of fight scene 80 Initiative 7 8 Percentde-based combat 89 Pistol whipping 265 Ranged attacks attacks, making 79 Ranged weapon chart 87 Ranged weapon difficulty modifiers 84 Resistance 75, 79 Resolution 7 8 Silencers 265 Trauma 77, 79 Unjamming automatics 265 Communal protagonists 17-18 Concepts, twenty questions 4 2 Constructive escapism I 6 Convergence, the 29 Daevan affinities 167 Daevan anatom 137-138 Daevan backlasi I 6 3 D a m countenance I 3 8

THEEVERLASTING @ Page 316 A

Daevan lexicon 136-139 Daevan mythos 144 Daevan prescience I40 Daevan protagonists I63 Daevan psychology 142-143 Daevan senses I 4 0 Daevas, introduction to 136 Daevas, protagonist basics 163-164 Death knell 28-29 Decimalized scores 88 Defiler knights I 8 5 Dekan "Alexandrian magick" 280 Dekans 148-149 Dementia 46 Demigorgon 205 Demon character creation 209-210 Demon psychology 204 Demon worshippers 208 Demoncorps 209 Demonic affinities 213 Demonic anatom 201 202 Demonic b a d d a s l 2 I i Demonic countenance 202 Demonic injury and death 203 Demonic lexicon 200-202 Demonic origins 205 Demonic ranks 206 Demonic senses 203 Demonic sustenance 204-205 Demonic vulnerabilities 204 Demons Beguiling forms of demons 202 Cambions 207-208 Demigorgon 205 Demon character creation 209-210 Demon psychology 204 Demon worshippers 208 Demoncorps 209 Demonic affinities 213 Demonic anatom 201-202 Demonic backlad 210 Demonic countenance 202 Demonic injury and death 203 Demonic introduction 200 Demonic lexicon 200-202 Demonic origins 205 Demonic ranks 206 Demonic senses 203 Demonic sustenance 204-205 Demonic vulnerabilities 204 Demons, do you believe? I99 Demons, other 207 Dybbuks 208 Fausuans 208 Hellspawn 207-208 Maleficia, initial 210 Maleficia, list of 210-213 Malleus maleficarum 209 Nature of demonic existence 201 Sadistocracy 205 Souls, taking of 206 True forms of demons 202 Unspoken orders of de& 207 Demons other than devils 207 Demons, do you believe? I99 Demons, introduction to 200 Desecrated places 290 Destiny points 61 Destiny points Basics 6 1 Protagonist creation 35, 61 Spending 61 Destiny, do you believe? Diaspora 224 Dice Basics 7 0 Card equivalents 71 Number of dice 72 Types of dice 70-71 When to use them 70 Difficulty Basics 72 Base difficulty 72 De ree of success 72 Dikculty modifiers 73 Disasters 73 Distinctions Basics 34, 51 Basics 51 Benefits 8r drawbacks 51 Benefits 8 drawbacks 53-54 Benefits & drawbacks, sample 53-54 Biography 51 Descriptions 51-52

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Physique 52 Protagonist creation 51 Psyche 52 Resources 52 Servitors 52 Spirituality 52 Supernature 52 Temporal Ties 52 Divine mstruments I 2 2 Divine missions IO8 Do you believe? Ancient gods I35 Angels 9 7 Demons I99 Destiny 69 Doomsday 295 Heavenly visitations, do you believe? 31 Holy grail 259 King Arthur I69 Miracles 311 Near-death experiences 245 Reality is more than what you see I5 Supernatural creatures 227 Werewolves 215 Dolorous stroke, second I 8 5 Doom 143.144 Doomsday, do you believe? 295 Double or nothing 76 Doubt I 7 6 Dragons 228-229 Dragonslayers I89 Drawbacks, sample 53-54 Dreams 304 Dybbuks 208 Dynameis I I 5 Eldritch among us 247 Eldritch, other Dragons 228-229 Elves 230.231 Faerie 231-232 Gargoyles 233-235 Ghuls 235-236 Manitou 236-237 Osirians 237-238 Possessed, the 238-240 Revenants 240-242 Vampires 242-243 EldritchTies 51 Elements, important 24-25 Elves 230-23 I Encumbrance 270 Endurance 288 Enochian magick I22 Epilogues 304 Equipment, starting 6 0 Ethos (Ethoi) 42-44 Everlasting, in myth and history 28 Evil questers I81 Exalted orders of angels I IO Experience level Basics 58, 63 Experience point requirements 6 3 Protagonist creation, initial 58 Weaker protagonists 6 3 Experience points Basics 6 3 Experience levels 6 3 Rewards 6 3 Table, score increase 64 Training 6 4 Experienced gamers I 6 Extradimensional rifts 249 Exusiai I I 6 Faerie 231.232 Fantast religious sects I25 Far realms, the 256 Fates, the 140-141 Faustians 208 Final thoughts 315 Fir Bolg 149-150 Fir Bolg magick 281 First aid 8 5 First skin 218 Flashbacks 304 Fomhoire 150-151 Foreshadowing 304 Four ages of humanity I44 Freeform, true 292 Freeform system Basics 87 Combat, freeform 88 Decimallzed scores 88 Judgement calls and voting 88-89 Success chart 87

.

Galtisants 190-192 Gambling and bluffing 74-75 Gargoyles 233-235 Genos, protagonist creation 36-41 Ghuls 235-236 Glossallia I 0 8 Gotterdammerung I 4 5 Grail 188-189 Grail knights in modern times I 8 2 Grail quest I 8 2 Great halls I46 Guidelines Addictions 269 Aging 269 Being everything to everyone 260 Breath, holding 288 Cards and dice 70 Encumbrance 270 Endurance 288 Freeform, true 292 Introduction 70 Inventing own guidelines 260 Leaping 270 Lexicon 70-77 Live-action guidelines 292-293 Magick sensitivity 286 Personal preference 291-292 Resilience feats 288 Reverie awareness 288-289 Running 289-290 Sacred and desecrated places 290 Strength, feats of 270 Swimming 290 Throwing 270 Torments and degradation 291 Guiding angels I 3 3 Guidmg daevas I 6 7 Guiding questers I96 Guiding, basics 20.21 Half skin 219 Hallowed ones I 6 I Halos 108-109 Healing 85 Healing, normal 85 Heavenly visions I77 Heavenly visitations, do you believe? 31 Heavens, various I21 Hellspawn 207-208 Herbalism 85 Holy Grail 188-189 Holy Grail, do you believe? 259 Households Aesir 147-I 4 8 Dekans 148.149 Fir Bolg 149-150 Fomhoire 150-151 Great hall I 4 6 Huecuva 152-153 Introduction I 4 6 Joining a household I 4 6 Kuni-tzu-kami 153-I 5 4 Maribur 154-155 Milesians 155-156 Olympians 156-157 SemnaiTheai 157-158 Tuatha De Danann 158-159 Vanir 159-16 0 Huecuva 152-153 Imperfection 106-107 Independents I 6 1 Initial preternaturae 55-57 Injury guidelines, physical Amputation 267 Asphyxiation 267 Burn damage 267 Car crashes 269 Chemical and acids 267 Death of a protagonist 269 Dehydration 269 Drowning 267 Falling 269 Frostbite 269 Heat exhaustion 269 Hit by car 269 Illnesses 269 Paralyzation 269 Poisoning 269 Radiation 269 Suffocation 267 Sunlight 268 TO~NR, enduring 269 Inner sanctums 254 Inner worlds 251 Intents (four dasses of magick) - 273-274

Keepers of the Grail 189 Kismet I 4 2 Kuni-mu-kami 153-154 Kvriotete I 1 4 Leapin 270 Legencimking Altered states of consciousness 2 0 Candles 31 I Ceremony for The Everlasting 310 Exploring yourself 310 Introduction I 9 Lucid dreaming 3 12-3I5 Personal mythology 308-310 Solitary legendmaking 31 I Legendmaking, basics I 9 Legendmaking, example of 297-299 Legendmaking, Introduction 19,312 Legendmaking, solitary 316 kcon Angels 99-104 Daevas 136-139 Demons 200-202 General 19-29 Guideline 70-77 Questers 170.175 Wer 216-217 Life Basics 58 Score determination 35, 58 Live-action guidelines 292-293 Locations 302 Lordly auspices 139 Lore, magick 276 Lucid dreaming 312-3 I5 Lucid dreaming Attaining lucidity 3 15 Controlling your dreams 3I5 Creating dream tales and odysseys 315 Dream physics 3 I 3 Dreamsigns 314 Lucid dreaming 314 Potential for lucid dreaming 312 Remembering your dreams 313-314 Sleep and dreams 312.313 Luminare 119-120 Lunar influence 221 Lycanthropy 221 Magicians 271 Magick Ambience 278 Appearance of magick 273 Art and lore 276 Basics 55 Celestial Engineering 279-280 Dekan "Alexandnan magick" 280 Difficulty modifiers 276 Fir Bolg magick 281 Five powers of the ma s 272 Intents (four classes o?magi&) 273-2; Introduction 270-271 Magicians 271 Magick matrix 275 Mamitude 275 MGrisia (wer witchcraft) 281-282 Origin of magick 272 Paths of magick 279-282 Protagonist creation 55 Reservoirs 278 Sample spells 282-285 Shades of magick 271 Spell magick 277-278 Spellcasting, forms of 276-277 Spontaneous magick 277 Subjects 274 Magick difficulty modifiers 276 Magick matrix 275 Magick sensitivity 286 Magick, appearance of 273 Magick, origin of 272 Magnirude 275 Magus, five powers of the 272 Maiden, mother, crone 140-141 Maleficia, initial 210 Maleficia, list of 210-213 Malleus maleficarum 209 Manitou 236-237 Maribur 154-155 Medical treatment 85 Medicine 85 Menagerie, the 254-255 Merkabah I I 3 Milesians 155-156 Milieu 25-26, 303 Milieu elements 25-26

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Moerisia (wer witchcraft) 281.282 Mood 303 Mutations, list o f 225 Myrmdons I 6 2 Mystical thirteen 75 Near-death experiences, do you believe? 245 Netherworlds, the 255-256 New Camelot I84 Odysseys 23 Odisseys for angels I33 Odysseys for daevas 167 Odysseys for questers I96 Odysseys, basics 23 Olympians 156-157 Ordeals 178.180 Osirians 237-238 Pandemonium 256 Paths of magick 279-282 Perceiving the secret world 248 Percentile System 89-90 Persona

Basics 45 Beliefs 46 Dementia 46

Development, perqona 4 7 Outlook 46 Passions 46 Protagonist creation 33, 45 Relations 46 Persona development 4 7 Persona Guidelines Dementia 287 Effects of emotions 287 Permanent persona score changes 287 Situational emotional states 286-287 Personal mythology 312-3 I 4 Personal preference 291-292 Physique 52 Pit fights 223 Plot devices 304 Plots 301 Possessed, the 238.240 w Prescience I40 Preternaturae Basics 55 Preternaturae for angels, initial 56 Preternaturae for daevas, initial 56-57 Preternaturae for demons. initial 210 Preternaturae for questers, initldl 57 Preternaturae for wer, initial 218-219 Protagonist creation 55

Distinctions 51-54

Preternaturae 55-57

ster protagonists 192-194 ster psychology 175-176

Quester titles I 8 4 Quester, becoming a quester I80 Questers Anatomy of the quester I 7 2 Arthurian history 186-188 Becoming a quester I80 Benisons, initial I94 Benisons, list of 194-195 Chernbobyl I85 Chivalrous countenance I7175 Chivalry I83 Defiler knights 185 Dolorous stroke, second I85 Doubt 176 Dragonslayers I89 Evil questers I81 Galtisancs 190-192 Grail knights in modern times I 8 2 Grail quest and ancientry I82 Guiding questers I 9 6 Heavenly visions I77 Hidden strongholds 184 Holy grail 188-189 Keepers of the grad I89 Miracles I 7 7 Nature of quester existence I 7 1 Nature of rapture I 7 4 New Camelot I84 Odysseys for questers I 9 6 Quest, completing a I80 Quest, creating a I80 Quester affinities I 9 6 Quester gentes relations I 9 0 Quester introduction 170 Quester lexicon 170-175 Quester mythos I 7 8 Quester protagonists 192-194 Quester psycholog 175-176 Quester sources OYsustenance 173-174 Questers, other types of 181-182 Questing beasts 190-192 Quests and ordeals 178-180 Return of the king I85 Roleplaying questers I 9 6 Slumbering 177-178 Status among equals I 8 4 Ten rules of chivalry I84 Transformative experience I73 Questers, introduction to I 7 0 Questers, other types of 181-182 Questers, protagonist basics 192-194 Questing beasts 190-192 Quests and ordeals 178-180 R,ral world 264 R,ralms of magick 26-27 R2generation 86 Rzservoirs 278 Rrsilience feats 288 Rcsources 52 Return of the king I 8 5 Revenants 240-242 Reverie 26, 247-248 Reverie awareness 288-289 Reverie, basics 2 6 Rewarding the guides 297 Roleplaying Angels I32 Basics 16-17 Daevas I 6 7 Deaths, memorable 304 General tips 305 Impulsiveness and defeat 304 Questers I 9 6 Roleplaying angels 132 Roleplaying daevas I 6 7 Roleplaying questers I96 Roleplaying, basics 16-17 R.oleplaying, general tips 305 Funning 289-290 Sacred places 290 Sadistocracy 205 Saints 122-123 Seaxneat I 6 1 Second dolorous stroke I85 5econd skin 5ecret world 246-247 5,ecrets. keeping 67 5,einnaiTheai 157.158 Seohirot 123 Se;aphim I I I Servitors 52 Setting Aceldamas 27-28 Agartha 250

Amal Atrhjrs 251.252, 256 Astral forms 252-253 Astral Space and time 252 Chaos barrier 256 Collective, the 254 Eldritch among us 247 Entering the mindscape 254 Extradimensional rifts 249 Far realm, the 256 Inner sanctum 254 Inner worlds 251 Menagerie, the 254-255 Nethenvodds, the 255-256 Pandemonium 256 Perceiving the secret world 248 Real world 264 Realms of magick 26-27 Reverie 26, 247 Reverie to the eldritch 248 Secret world 246-247 Setting details 302 Supernatural reality 246 Surreality 248 Underworld, the 249 Verdant lands. the 255 Shades of magick 271 Silent Voice I09 Skinchange 217 Slumbering 177-178 Sojourn 29 Solitary legendmaking 31 I Souls, taking of 206 Speed Basics 58 Beyond ten 7 8 Score determination 35, 58 Spell magick 277-278 Spellcasting, forms of 276-277 Spells, sample 282-285 Spirituality 52 Spontaneous magick 277 Story Creation 21-23,297 Story creation elements 21 Story creation format 2 2 Storyteller advice 296-297 Storyteller, roles of 296 Storytelling Adventure construction 21 Adventure Creation 297 Adventure format 2 2 Alternate characters 301 Anta onists 300 Contfict 298 Elements, important 24-25 Integration into guides story 301 Locations 299-300 Milieu 25-26, 300 Mllieu elements 26 Mood 303 Odysseys 2 3 Plots 298 Protagonist Motivations 302 Rewarding the guides 297 Setting details 302 Setting the stage 23 Story construction 21 Story creation 300-304 Story format 2 2 Storyteller advice 296-297 Storyteller, roles of 296 Subplots 299 Supporting characters 300 Theme 23-24, 300 Theme, primary 23-24 Storytelling, basics 18-19 Strength, feats of 270 Subjects 274 Subplots 299 Supernatural creatures, do you believe? 227 Supernatural reality 246 Supernature 5 2 Supporting characters 304 Surrealism 306 Surreality 248 Sustenance Angels 34, 5 9 Basics 59 Daevas 34, 5 9 Demons 204,210 Mortals 59 Questers 34, 59 Wer 220-22 Swimming 290 Symbolism 306 Tarot cads 90-94

Theme 23-24 Theme, other elements 24-25 Theme, primary 23-24 Theme, primary 23-24 Therianthropy 220 Things vou may need 17-I8 Throwing 270 Time of Arthur 186-188 Torments Angels 60 Basics 59-60 Daevas 60 Questers 60 Torments and degradation 291 True forms of demons 202 True freeform 292 Tuatha De Danann 158-159 Underworld, the 249 Unspoken orders of devils 207 Vampirrs 242-243 Vanir 159-160 Vargr wer 224 Verdant lands, the 255 Vulnerabilities and true death Angels 8 6 Basic list 86 Daevas 8 6 Questers 86 Weaker protagonists 6 3 Wer Changing virus 216-217 Diaspora 224 First slun 218 Forms of the wer 217 Half skin 219 H u n m form 218 Lunar influence 221 Lycanthropy 221 Mutations, list of 225 Nature of wer existence 216 Pit fights 223 Second skin Skinchange 217 Therianthropy 220 Vargr wer 224 Wer affinities 225 Wer anatom 217 Wer baddasl 225 Wer character creation 224-225 Wer culture 222-223 Wer mythos 222 Wer pets 223 Wer procreation 223 Wer ps chology 221 Wer relgion 222 Wer senses 220 Wer sustenance 220 Wer vulnerabilities 221 Werewolves, do you believe? 215 Werwulf form 219 Wolfen form 219 Wer affinities 225 Wer anatomy 217 Wer backlash 225 Wer character creation 224-225 Wer culture 222-223 Wer mythos 222 Wer pets 223 Wer procreatlon 223 Wer psychology 221 Wer religion 222 Wer senses 220 Wer sustenance 220 Wet vulnerabilities 221 Wer, forms of the 217 Wer, human form 218 Wer, protagonist basics 224-225 Werewolves, do you believe? 215 Wenvulf form 219 White dogs I 2 5 Wolfen form 219 Wounds and death Life points 8 7 Vulnerabilities and true death 86 Wound difficulty modifiers 8 7 Wound severiry 87 Zurvan, the I 4 5

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Wounds

Wound Severity (life score) 3ruised (> I/4) '0 __ Light (

+I -

Serious ( I/2) '3 __ kievous ( 3/4) ' 5 __

.etM (total)

N/A __ (round up)

Weapon/Attack

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Additional Skills

Vulnerable to: True Death fiom: Armor Worn:

Resistance Bonus:

represents represents represents represents represents Known Spells

Height:

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Complexion:

Hair: Gender:

Features:

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Style of Clothing:

Benefits/Drawbacks

Image

Fellowship: Possessions

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Enemies: Rivals:

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Allegiances: Duties, Positions, Influence: Mentor:

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Apprentice:

Dominions: Sanctums:

The f’rotagonist Pr&l

reproduced-to? personal use only. All other rights reserved.

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ISBN 3-887385-03-3

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