Shadow Wars
This is the text version of the Shadows1 shareware. It
consists of rules, settings and scenarios for playing an Eternal
Champion or Call of Cthulhu (tm and copyright CHAOSIUM) magic
returns campaign set on modern era Earth.
To start and introduce the characters to the players use the
following introductory scenarios:
Dtagga.002,
Partha.002,
Alfar.002.
Then, use the following for the intial campaign series:
Masks of Nyarlathotep 1--New York (update to 1990)
alt. (setting exploration scenario)
Masks of Nyarlathotep 2--London (update to mixed 1889/1990)
McCallahan's Bar (Las Vegas)
Nyarlathotep 3--Cairo (time/space warp to 1920s)
Questworld 1 (via mis-cued teleport home)
Questworld 2
Questworld 3
Nyarlathotep 4--Kenya
alt. (Alfar.003)
Nyarlathotep 5--Shanghai
rest (shopping expedition, marriages, etc.)
Nyarlathotep 6--final steps
alt (mis-cued teleport to )
clue into next, Fungi from Yuggoth identified in dream
silly romp/rest stop
Partha.003
Recast characters,
(most campaigns will need to re-cast and re-align
the characters at this point)
Fungi from Yuggoth 1
Dreamlands 1--To Sleep, Perchance to Dream
Fungi from Yuggoth 2
Dreamlands 4--Lemon Sails
Fungi from Yuggoth 3
Dreamlands 5--The Land of Lost Dreams
Fungi from Yuggoth 4 and final
alt (mis-cued teleport to Stormbringer Young Kingdoms)
1
2
3
Partha.004
Recast characters, rest (shopping expedition, marriages, etc.)
This should take the campaign through one school year's
worth of play.
RULES 1 -- CHARACTER GENERATION
Introduction
These are my "house" rules for an Eternal Championn compat-
ible (property of Chaosium) based campaign set in the modern era.
Background
The campaign is structured with the characters supported by
powerful sponsors (whose attention is mostly elsewhere) as a
force in a world filled with change.
In Shadows, the world of magic returned in connection with a
change in the magical field that isolated this frame from shaping
chaos. The world has now returned to its even balance between
forces and has seen a return of both chaos and magic.
Everything has gained a magic cast to it -- including people
-- and many magical creatures have returned.
This change came after a severe winter and "frost summer"
(such as the extremely cold summers of the 1820s when the frosts
never really ended) filled with troubling dreams. In a sudden
wave at the end of summer, several weeks disappeared and the
world changed. The time of change is known as "the lost weeks of
summer."
During the change 5% of the people were unaffected, about
50% had strange dreams and magic memories from the lives of 2d3
other beings, 40% gained a slight gloss (1 skill 65%, d3+1 skills
at 10%, 2d6 skills at 5%), 4% were touched (-25% to all current
skills + 50% of a magical persona) and 1% became magical.
Magic is now a strong presence in the world in both Tychis-
tic and Transmogrific forms.
Following the "lost weeks of summer" those people infused
with a half-world persona became a merger of their magical per-
sona and their original persona, with immediate character traits
and needs retained. E.g. John Doe lawyer may have woken up to
find his computer suddenly advanced and his ears pointed, but he
remained a lawyer with the same cases and in the same law firm.
Generating Player-Characters
Your characters begin play about two months following the
time of the "lost weeks of summer." You will have two charac-
ters. One is an avatar of yourself suddenly touched by the
dislocations and warps that occurred in time and space as chaos
returned. The other will be provided by the GM.
Character creation by the numbers
This is how to generate yourself as a player-character.
First
Create an avatar player-character based on your best self in
the past 10 years using the following table.
AVATAR TABLE
SIZ = weight / 12; 180 pound person would be size 15.
STR = Bench press (or Nautilus back curl)/ 10; If a player bench
presses 160 pounds the character has a strength of 16.
(Note, strengths are linear in this system. A strength of
30 in this system is actually weaker than a D&D strength of 18.96
and a strength of 60 is about equal to a CHAMPIONS strength of
20.)
CON = 1/2 of STR + 7; If a player's strength is 12, then his or
her constitution is 13. Give female characters +2 to CON. Give
non-smokers +2 to CON. Modern people are healthy and women are
healthier. (A nonsmoking woman would get a total of +4).
CHA = 1/2 of POW + 6. So POW 12 = Charisma of 12.
APP = 20 or CHA (whichever is higher). "relative APP" (for the
characters' social group after "the lost weeks) is 13 or compara-
tive; the average of your group should be 13 or 14.
Characters will thus be at the higher APP when dealing with
outsiders (and those of lower social groups). Use the compara-
tive APP when dealing with each other or those of equal or higher
social groups.
This reflects the advantages of wealth, magic, good basic
health and surgery on APP.
DEX = (<%test score * 1.5>/10) + 4; if the player's percentile
rank from taking the test at your state's employment center is
50% then the character's dexterity is 11.5. (Such tests are
available for free as a part of unemployment aid and job suit-
ability testing).
Otherwise, if you don't want to take two hours on a Saturday
to take the tests, assume the average in your group is 12 and
rate each person as better or worse than average.
INT = (GRE or SAT <Math/100 + 2*Verbal/100> + 2); 300/300 GRE =
Intelligence of 11.
Again, INT is linear. Note that Stormbringer characters can
have INT in the mid-20s.
POW = INT + (d6-3) (use best of three rolls, POW = luck too); INT
of 12 probably means a power of 13.
SAN = (POW x 5)% + 20% alternate: enlightened; POW of 13 means
a sanity of 85%. Sanity in this campaign can be replenished and
can exceed 100% - Cthulu Mythos skill (except for characters who
serve Great Old Ones).
EDU = Will = Years of Education (~one player point per year of
school).
Luck = 2d3 for starting luck.
Extra Starting Player Points = 21 - (Luck + Will) (minimum of 0)
---notes on WILL, LUCK and POINTS
Will is used/spent to improve a character. Every point
spent allows the character to be improved by 1d6% in a skill or
requisite (will is spent for successful training or learning by
experience). Characters do not need to keep track of what skills
they use in an adventure and do not gain 5% each training epi-
sode.
They improve only by training/experience and by spending
will. This controls character advancement and discourages the
"golf bag/weapons cart" procedures common to some campaigns.
Luck is used to be lucky. Each point spent (after the fact)
averts one bad result that just occurred.
Players are awarded player points after each session of play
(usually -3 to +3 points with an average of 1 point per session).
The player must invest the points in luck or will before the next
session. Negative points reduce skills or cancel luck.
Some characters will start with player points. Starting
player points may be invested in Luck, Will or Requisites (2
player points for each requisite point). (Only starting charac-
ters can invest player points in Requisites.)
This is to balance, somewhat, the game effects of lack of
education by giving those with less education the chance to buy
skills and/or requisite points.
Using Player Points as a limit not only slows down the speed
of character advancement it also contributes to play balance and
better play.
Second
Create a fictional character based on each player's avatar
and the rules set of thier favorite fantasy or SF setting. Give
the character adventuring/active experience to age 30 (that is,
create a starting character with the your requisites and give
them about 9 player points worth of advancement a year for ten
years) (This assumes that they have 12 successful adventures a
year and invest 9 points into will, 3 into luck -- to keep those
adventures successful).
You can pick any available non-human race that appeals to
you or have the player play a human.
Next, having generated a fiction based character, create a
"real world" character based on your skills and abilities. Reset
your age and condition to the best age/condition you've been in
over the last 20 years (part of that time-space shift). Merge
the two.
The merger can be either 75% of both characters plus some
special magical gifts (table follows) or 100% of both and no
gifts.
Note that gaining obscure magical talents or fighting abili-
ty may have little impact on the normal lives of most people.
I've known a number of martial artists and ex-soldiers (back from
Viet Nam) whose skills never affected their lives.
Third -- the adventure begins
Following the "lost weeks of summer" (the time when the
magic returned) your character is approached in a dream by one of
two beings. One is faceless and seems carved of swirling ice.
The other(s?) are vague, but human seeming. The being seek to
recruit you to aid them against their ancient and evil enemies.
Decide if your character wishes to serve the Faceless Lord
or the Nine Masters. The Faceless is supernormal, the Nine are
natural and comfortable in appearance.
Choose to pick your two gifts from the table or to be 100%
of both characters. Choose before looking at the table. Your
character will also receive one "gift set" unique to your patron.
The gift set will be disclosed after you chose your patron.
GIFT TABLE
Randomly roll for which gifts you receive. If you are
uncomfortable with random rolls, pick the gifts of your choice
and pick the fixed values (i.e. for gift #1, instead of rolling
3d6, take the alternate +12). The benefits are about equal to
(or in some cases the same) as those available from a chaos gift
spell in RQII.
1) +3d6 to one requisite (alternate, + 12 pts);
2) +2d6 to one requisite, +1d6 to linked requisite (alternate,
8, 4);
(i.e. +8 to INT, +4 to POW or +8 to CON, +4 to SIZ, etc.)
3) 20 point Superworld power (alternate, 5d6+3 points);
4) 6 point spirit magic (alternate, d5+3 points);
5) 2 point rune magic (alternate, d3 points);
6) 3 point sorcery (alternate, d3+1 points) + 10% skill;
7) +30% skill (alternate, <d6+1>*5%);
8) 2 Call of Cthulu spells (alternate, d3 spells);
9) 60 point familiar or +30 points to your existing familiar)
(alternate 20 + 3d10 points);
10) 2 RQ II magic items (alternate, d3 items);
11) full shapechanger blood;
12) Chaos gift of choice (with chaos taint) (alternate, roll for
two, reroll any rolls that call for more rolls);
PATRON GIFT SETS
THE FACELESS LORD
For each that chooses the Faceless Lord, the char-
acter/player should be told as follows:
You've taken service with a Frozen (and apparently) Tychis-
tic Chaos Shaping Entity. Your body temperature drops 16oC in
its "normal" state (with noticeable changes -- you function just
fine at that temperature, cannot freeze and can function in
environments up to 16oC hotter than a normal human).
You receive three points of luck, d3+1 air, d3+1 water
elementals and a magical weapon (a Stormbringer Demon of Combat,
requisite points = 125 points). The weapon will serve (without
binding) as long as you serve the Faceless. It may, for the 20
point chaos feature cost, have 10 points invested in SUPERWORLD
or RQIII abilities, skills or spells.
The Faceless is allied with the Nine against the unNamed.
He is cold, seemingly dual or discordant in nature and
somewhat random. Those characteristics of his will protect your
sanity (half all SAN losses suffered). You may learn more of him
as you serve.
The weapon he provides will attempt to kill after it is
drawn and will resist being sheathed (or holstered or otherwise
"put away") until it kills after drawing. It may also be bound
following normal Stormbringer rules (but will thereafter be
allowed to challenge the binding and is no longer compelled to
obey other than by the normal magics).
You also receive 2d3 million dollars in sorted gemstones
(raw value) which you are advised to sell or invest. The gem-
stones are in the form of futures on the Chicago Gemstone Ex-
change.
THE NINE
Each player/character that chose the Nine should be told as
follows:
You've taken service with the Hidden Ideals. You become
invisible to detection spells and devices and your eyes alter in
a manner which allows you to see in the dark. You gain nine
points of luck that may be used only to return from the dead.
(similar to a cat's nine lives).
You gain one earth and one fire elemental and a familiar
(created by using points = 125 requisite points to design an
animal familiar of your choice that will be the general equival-
ent of a Stormbringer Demon of Combat).
The animal becomes your familiar and your friend regardless
of how you act. It may, for the 20 point chaos gift cost, have
10 points of RQIII or SUPERWORLD powers, skills or spells. As
long as you have your familiar you lose all allergies to any
plant or animal. Animals of similar type now like you.
Note that while you will not bring equipment back from death
with you using the luck given by the nine, the familiar and
elementals will always accompany you on those returns.
The nine are hidden but natural. They oppose a force that
is unnatural and immoral. They neither expect nor can accept
worship from you. The familiar they have given you will remain
loyal regardless of your actions and intents and you will remain
loyal to it.
You also receive $750,000 in trust funds and an interest in
a Red Empire trading firm that will produce $190,000 per year in
tax free income. Your income is available to you through your
Red Empire Debit Card and Account at Strassburg Merchantile
House, Luxembourg, P.A.
Fourth, preparing for your first move in the game . . .
You've received financial documents, had your debit cards
initiated, taken some time off work, tied up loose ends and had
the chance to do a little shopping. In your last Federal Express
package, along with financial statements and projections, there
were tickets for a flight to St. John's on Shadraiel Airlines (a
relatively new charter outfit) reserved for you in your patron's
name. You've two weeks to pack and prepare.
RULES 2 -- ERRATA FOR SHADOW WARS II
Matters that can be discovered by consulting seers, oracles,
demons of knowledge and others.
THE FACELESS
The Faceless is actually two beings who have undergone an
avatistic merger as a side effect of the conflicts and ripples
that occurred during the lost days of summer. Anamon of the Ice,
a ruling tychistic entity, was the cold hegamon of swords. Mikal
of the Winds, a major daemon/angel, was lord of the order of
swords.
Those who serve the Faceless will find themselves drawn to
one of the two archtypes or entities that comprise the faceless.
If they do not fight the geas that binds them to slay with the
sword/weapon before sheathing same, they will be drawn to Anamon.
Anamon will (as the campaign progresses) touch them with chaos.
Those who fight the slaying geas (by refusing to sheath the
weapon, by not indulging in blood lust, etc.) will be drawn to
Mikal.
THE NINE
In 273 B.C. the Emperor Asoka of India was born. In his
progression to Apotheoses he founded the society of the nine
unknown men or the secret masters.
It is a secret society, with its own secret language (Indo-
European root tongue), that seeks mastery of wisdom and sciences.
Through diversion and service they seek to overcome the world.
The nine unknown men were originally the wisest men that
Asoka could find. As time passed, they trained or located suc-
cessors and recruited help.
Slowly, they managed to recruit nine of the immortals wan-
dering the world -- Atma Monkey, Anaximander of Mycenae, Weland
the Smith, two of the taoist masters, the wandering jew, one of
the three nephites, John the loved and Fox.
These are the nine.
SHAPECHANGER rules for Shadow Wars II
One of the gifts available from the chart is SHAPECHANGER.
This is the seid blood. The following information concerns what
you would know or could easily find out about the more common
shapechanger abilities and populations.
Small Weres
(Falcons, Tjaj Cats, Dogs, etc.)
STR x1
CON x11 Small weres may change shape at will with
SIZ x1 no cost in energy and without regard for
INT x1 phases of the moon. Small weres do not
POW x1 suffer from uncontrolled change or from
DEX x21 blood lust.
CHA **
APP x11 Silver does 11 x normal damage
EDU x1
SAN n/a
ENERGY x11 (energy = CON + POW)
RECHARGE x11
claw 1d6 or bite 1d6
20 points of kinetic armor (except vs silver & gold)
10 points of resistance vs electric and radiation
Small weres are intended to be skillful and clever
creatures, useful as scouts and in non-combat roles.
Medium Weres
(Panthers, Wolves, Laminae)
STR x2
CON x11 Medium weres may change shape at will.
SIZ x11 Unless the moon is in the sky, the recharge
INT x1 rate is only x1 and it costs 1 point per
POW x1 AR used to maintain wereform. While there
DEX x2 are no uncontrolled changes, under the full
CHA ** moon a medium were suffers from pangs ofAPP x1
blood lust and a desire to change.
EDU x0
SAN n/a Silver does x2 damage
ENERGY x2
RECHARGE x2
Claws 2d6 or Bite 2d6 or Trample 2d6 (plus siz/str bonuses)
25 points of kinetic armor (halved vs silver & gold)
5 points of resistance vs electric and radiation
Medium weres are intended to be useful in combat and in
those roles that an animal would be useful in (note the edu x 0
when in were form).
For skills, use small weres. For full scale combat, use
large weres.
Large Weres
(Bears, Lions, Dires, Horses)
STR x21
CON x11 Large weres may change shape only when the sun
SIZ x31 is not shining on them. Keeping a shapechange
INT x1 in sunlight costs 1 point per AR (used or not)
POW x1 and in sunlight recharge is halved. Large weres
DEX x1 will either suffer from uncontrolled changes
CHA ** under the full moon, blood lust, or reduced
APP x1 kinetic armor (e.g. Horses have only 20 points).
EDU x1
SAN n/a Silver does x3 damage (multiply damaged rolled
ENERGY x2 and then apply it vs the halved kinetic armor)
RECHARGE x2
Claws 3d6 or Bite 3d6 or Trample 3d6 (plus siz/str bonuses)
30 points of kinetic armor (halved vs silver & gold)
0 resistance
Large weres are combat oriented creatures, no questions
asked, no quarter given.
Undead --true shapeshifters
STR x21
CON x21 Undead are a mystery with the following pattern
SIZ x11 (use Superworld rules for costs & powers)
INT x11 a) .1 into regeneration
POW x11 b) .1 into strength
DEX x11 c) .2 into tap (con/pow)
CHA ** d) .3 into shapechange
APP x11 e) .1 into discretionary use
EDU x1 f) .2 lost (character loses 20% of points)
SAN n/a Silver & Gold do x2 damage (multiply damage
ENERGY x2 rolled and then apply it vs the 1kinetic armor)
RECHARGE x0 All recharge comes from tap vs con
All magic point regeneration comes from tap v pow
Tap 1d6 + claw/bite 1d6 ( + damage bonus), no cost to shapechange
Extreme bloodlust 35 points of kinetic armor (halved vs silver &
gold)
-10 resistance vs electrical and radiation-10 resistance vs
natural/clerical/rune forces of any kind
Virtues
These are for any player who would be unhappy playing a
character with a demon weapon as a patron gift and for truly
virtuous or lawful characters. (note that the familiars are
animals--not demons).
Use a base or zero level virtue instead. For players who
just dislike the word "demon," give them a virtue of combat in
the form of their favorite weapon. Roll POW on 4d6, Int on 3d6.
All other requisites are irrelevant for these orders of virtues
and can be treated as equal to POW + INT for special circumstanc-
es.
The weapon will not break and if it wins a POW v. POW strug-
gle with any target it hits and causes any damage to, the weapon
will do points equal to POW directly to the constitution of the
target in addition to any damage it does.
For truly virtuous players (the kind that volunteer for the
soup kitchen, serve without pay for the local church, visit the
sick and afflicted, etc.), give them a first order virtue of
combat.
It will have POW of 18+d6 and INT of 18 + 2d6. It acts as a
normal virtue of combat (POW v. POW struggle if it hits the flesh
of man or demon, if it wins, the man or demon dies, if it loses,
do POW points of additional damage), and it has its INT added to
%chance to hit.
A first order virtue may shapechange to a limited extent.
I.e. cestus could also be gloves or power armor guantlets. A
broadsword could also be a saber, an epee or a longsword. For
other additional virtues, see Rules.003
SETTING 0 -- THE ADVENTURE BEGINS
The adventure begins as your flight touches down on a long
white runway and you are gently jostled from a light nap. On the
left is the ocean, on the right trees leading up to a ridge. The
other passengers deplane and the valets take their luggage. With
a stretch, you follow toward a five story building set into the
hillside.
Once you arrive your luggage is taken to your room on the
fourth floor of the seaside face of the hotel. Below you see the
restaurant and other facilities stretching out toward the beach.
Your dinner reservations are waiting and the porter informs you
that your on-plane order will be ready in about 45 minutes. You
are invited to the lounge while your table is prepared.
Four stories of hotel//////////////////////////
Fifth story suites/// //
and some //spice emporium//////////////
downstairs rooms// 1 2 MR
/------ ------- -------------------\
|desk |
entrance |3
| common area |
|-------\ |4
| bar | |
\--------- -------------------------/
restaurant 6 5 WR
veranda/promenade
flowers
garden moorings
moorings
moorings
1-6 above are conference areas/private dining alcoves. Your
reservations place you in number three. Upon being seated, you
find yourself at a large alder and oak inlaid table set off into
a vaulted alcove that overlooks the beach and sea. You look
about and see the following at the table including yourself:
The first person you see is Sh'rra Pndersdautter, a small
woman of striking physical beauty. She has fine, pale, blue-gray
skin and long pale gray-blond hair with black eyes. Sh'rra
appears lithe, quick, strong and unblemished with extremely fine,
smooth skin and no softening adipose tissue in spite of a rela-
tively full figure.
Sh'rra is human, with fine features, high cheekbones and
thick hair. She is dressed in what the news reports from Houston
would indicate to be a typical black and gray spacer's jumpsuit.
She carries an elaborate pale white flute the color of fine
china, plastic or bone and a spacer's duffel bag. Sh'rra does
not look like the tall green-brown skinned and black haired
spacers who landed at what is now the Houston space port during
the lost weeks, but is dressed in similar fashion and has the
same smooth glide to her walk. (1)
To her right are John & Ari Storm, a man and a woman who
look very similar. They could be brother and sister. Both have
blue-green eyes, lightly tanned skin, and gray-blond hair.
Medium frames, heavy muscles, medium height.
Ari seems in movement even when still. A hawk sits on a
perch in their corner of the alcove. They wear a mix of tropical
wool, cotton shirts and leather shoes. She is dressed in a blue
chambray shirt and pleated blue tropical wool skirt, he in tan
worsted pants and a blue cotton knit shirt. The only anomaly
about them is that they both wear gloves. Hers reflect the light
with cloth of gold, his are leather.(2) (3)
Next is Drgg Rockeater, who seems to blend into the shadows
in spite of his size. He is without doubt a non-human. He is 7'
tall, skeletal in build with muscle wrapped like rocks over a
narrow frame. He carries a black skin drum and a satchel but
wears no clothing aside from a loin cloth made of coral bead-work
and a "small" utility dagger made of grey metal and black volca-
nic glass.
His eyes seem to have no irises in their green-black depths
and his skin is a scaly black-green. He may have gill slits.
Definitely male. (7)
Sitting quietly next to Drgg is April Smith, a middle aged
woman, between 30 and 50 years of age, dressed in tan colored
cotton safari gear. She has a back-pack, climbing gear and a
30.06 bolt action rifle on the floor next to her and an artist's
sketch book in her hands. April appears to be almost finished
with a charcoal sketch of Drrg.
Her eyes are green and her hair is a reddish auburn with the
slightest hints of gray. April's clothing reveals only that she
is of either light or medium build and average height. A gray
cat sleeps at her feet. (8)
First to the table was Mark Gold, an athletic man in his
early forties. He wears subdued but fashionable business cloth-
ing in a traditional style with a silk pin dot tie, pin point
cotton shirt and fashionable semi-boots.
He has a strong build. His tailored suit fits him perfect-
ly. Mark was the first in the alcove. He is so calm it is easy
to miss seeing him or to forget that he is present.
Mark has facial tattoos in "non-color" color that identify
him as one of the forty companions by their rainbow shimmer
seemingly above the skin of his left cheek and left eyebrow.
During the "lost weeks" about 30% of the people in the world
had dreams or nightmares concerning the exploits of the compan-
ions. They are now featured Saturday morning with the cartoons.
A character similar to Mark has appeared several times and has
the same brown hair, short beard and green eyes. Unlike Mark,
the character is accompanied by a giant cat-like creature at all
times.
Mark's corner is decorated by a score of sculptures of
hummingbirds that look alive from their perches on the wall. He
has a businessman's briefcase on the floor next to him. (9)
James Kay walks in just after you sit. He is a scholarly
looking man in a herringbone tweed jacket and tan twill pants.
He has the look of an accountant or tax attorney.(10) He stands
5'10" tall and speaks in a firm voice, apologizing for being
late. The light catches him in such a way as he comes toward you
that you can't see his shadow.
James looks familiar, quiet and competent. His voice is a
smooth baritone that carries well even in the softest tones. He
walks lightly with a slight limp.
(The people at the table are the NPCs, some of whom will be
available as second characters to the character you generate.
The next setting you will receive after this one is the first
"move" and will contain direction and instructions.)
SETTING 1 -- BACKGROUND/INFORMATION FOR THE MOVE
Dinner is served and all of the party are shown to their
table. The latecomers are seated along with those you met in the
alcove. You have an excellent view from the table.
Looking East out of the windows you can see a wide beach
(about 50 meters) going down to blue-green ocean water which is
bounded by a black and white coral reef (after 300 meters of
ocean) that extends out of the water even at high tide (by 2
meters). The weather is between temperate and tropical, the air
relatively dry and the shoreline gently curved (as appropriate on
a narrow island one kilometer by twelve). There is a gentle rise
behind the establishment.
A good deal of light comes in through large windows and the
woods and other materials all have light finishes. It is a
bright and airy place well lit with natural light tones (though
much of the lighting is indirect).
In the distance, outside the reef, you can see a large blue-
green catamaran anchored next to a gate in the reef. No other
islands were visible from the top of the fifth floor (for those
who looked prior to dinner), but a mainland appears in the form
of mountain tops probably 500 or more kilometers to the West.
After dinner you will have a chance to spend some time
becoming familiar with the hotel and with each other and will
have a time for private conversations. To prepare for apres,
please prepare a short statement introducing your character(s) as
they would introduce themselves if everyone at dinner was taking
a turn with introductions. You will receive the statements next
move (move 2) and your NPC assignments thereafter.
Based on the statements you receive, each of you (for move
3) should designate the three persons each of your characters
would like to talk with most and where they would like to talk
with them as well as what topics you would like to cover. That
will be your imput for the move following the statements.
LOCALES
These are the locals you have to available to your charac-
ters to visit and to talk in or about. They may also do some
shopping here. All of these locals are on the island as well as
having alternate location(s) to which they extend.
1) McCallahan's Bar.
This is the hotel's bar. It has doors in Las Vegas and in
South Ulster. The Las Vegas site is staffed by demons, the
Ulster site is staffed by embodied virtues, nature spirits and
Irishmen.
In Ireland it is the sort of non-tourist, refined bar that
you do not expect to see in any town. There is gambling, re-
stricted to chemin de fir, no machines clutter the atmosphere,
and people seem to spend more time talking than drinking. There
is live non-dance music and a surprising amount of light. No
recreational drugs are available.
In Las Vegas it is as flashy, trashy and glittery as any-
thing gets in that town. It is filled with smoke (distilled smog
from Henderson), people and demons. If you can imagine a palace
of luck filled with smoke, tourists and used car salesmen, you've
got the Las Vegas location.
2) Golden Dragon Liquor and Spice Emporium.
This establishment also has a door in Virginia near the
District of Columbia. It is a quiet place, with sandlewood
shelves, open aisles and a number of unusual spices, teas and
other items for sale. The proprietor seems Chinese/Korean in
appearance and very old.
The Golden Dragon is entered through a leaded glass door.
It has several interior divisions, all divided by walls and glass
doors. Those with attuned senses will notice that some of the
doors are gates.
The proprietor of the Golden Dragon is surrounded by a
golden haze. The haze is a second order essence virtue of pro-
tection and obscures what magical or technical senses might
otherwise disclose.
3) the Commons.
The other end of the Commons is in both Los Angeles and
Berkeley. The commons is part of Westwood, south of UCLA, a part
of Berkeley and a part of central campus at CSULA accross the
valley.
The commons are a common area for discussion and study and
contain several lending library kiosks and data terminals linking
to Cybernet and Arpanet. Coffee, chocolate, herb tea and selt-
zers are available from vendors.
The Commons have checkerboard black and white flagstones
with scattered tables, enclosed by a stone wall with plants at
the base and the top.
At one end of the Common's "square" is a long (35' deep)
tile covered overhang, providing shelter from rain and shade for
the afternoon. In addition to the vendors, a personal computer
store is hidden under the overhang.
The Commons winds a bit as it seems to be situated on the
intersection of several hillsides. Picture a slightly irregular
"S-curve" wrapped from one hill to another, about 60' deep and
about 180' long.
The "back" of the S has a tile covered overhang that is
almost flush with the hillsides, the front of the S has a 31'
green border, a six foot stone wall and about 3-4' of greenery on
the top of the wall. There are no doors in the wall, but several
masked arches provide entry and exit points.
4) David's restaurant.
This has an alternate location near the waterfront in Seat-
tle. It serves some of the best cold-water seafood in the world
as well as a wide variety of west coast style meals. David's
dates back to the lumber days and Seattle's first boom and still
has its rough hewn wood beams, storm windows and oiled paper
skylights.
David's sells only fresh food and will usually have only a
partial selection menu for available seafood and desserts. David
is often present and is grizzled and powerful looking. He stands
about 6' 8', has dark wood-brown skin, black hair shot with gray
and has massive hands. His voice is a rumble. His daughters
work for him and could easily be mistaken for wood sprites or
hamadryads.
5) John's Beach.
This white sand beach is also on the south shore of St.
Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It is sheltered and off of
the beaten track. Hurricanes always miss it even when the rest
of the island is swamped.
Day or night, John's beach always manages to be quiet,
peaceful and private. The trees are thicker and taller than
those further north and there is undergrowth growing almost like
hedges amoung the trees, partitioning the forest in to secluded
areas.
The beach itself has several coves and a very gentle decline
into the ocean. One can wade almost forever.
6) Hardeman House Hotel
The original Hardeman House is an old fashioned boarding
lodge in Boston. The characters are at the related institution
which is one of Boston's finest new hotels and which deserves its
five star rating.
The hotel has extensive catering services, two tailors and
it's own private access to "the walk" -- a collection of exclu-
sive retail clothing/etc. shops which makes "the walk" seem like
a part of the hotel. The top floor of the hotel is reserved for
residence suites with only a quiet deck above them.
7) NICHOLE'S GARDEN
This garden's alternate location is unknown. Characters
presently are unable to enter the garden. Viewed over the walls,
the garden seems to reflect four seasons and five moods.
8) ROBERT'S MOORINGS
The alternate locations vary. At present, none are avail-
able from your location without sailing, but Robert's has a fair
number of hulls in port including a few Spray 32s, a Ted Hood
Little Harbor 64 and three Morgan 44s. There are also the usual
dingys, catamarans and sailboards. Scuba sales and rentals will
be open when you walk by. The mooring is aswarm with help,
mostly sea trolls.
Robert's is a full service mooring with overhaul facilities,
storage and a custom sail shop. It can handle major rebuilds for
gas and diesel engines and has the welding technicians necessary
for work on aluminum and light alloy hulls.
9) BILL'S
This famous outfitting store has retail outlets in Park City
(Utah), Medford/Ashland (Oregon), and Anchorage (Alaska). It is
often available from the island only when the skiing is good.
Currently the door to Bill's is closed.
Bill's is a premium outfitting and ski shop. Bill sells a
variety of ski related items, firearms, climbing tools and an
almost impossible variety of outdoor gear and clothing. A cata-
logue is available at the hotel desk and room service can obtain
items for you.
10) Shadriael Airways
This Airway serves your island, Houston, Miami, Los Angeles
and both the Pacific and Caribbean Islands. It offers full
service facilities for repair and overhaul of private aircraft.
SCENARIO 1 -- DTAGGA
public background
It is shortly after the lost weeks. There have been some
earthquakes in Longview, Texas.
Tabloid journals have carried interviews from psychics about
ley lines.
The gravitational and magnetic map of the world has shifted
significantly. Satellite and recon mapping is being used to
generate new maps. Anti-war demonstrators are attempting to
block any creation of the new maps.
There are rumors of several secret societies and conspira-
cies that have attempted to control the world. One of those that
rings a bell is "the nine hidden masters."
There have been reports of giant serpents or wyrms rising
out of the earth.
private background
The sorcerers in the group sense the re-emergence of the
leynd lines. One that runs through Shrieveport, Louisiana ap-
pears to also run through Longview, Texas. It would be an excel-
lent spot to try magics.
At least two members of the group have dreams indicating
that they should go to Longview.
The National Response Team asks James Key to send his shadow
to Longview. James tries to explain that he no longer has a
controlled shadow, but does pass the message along.
Somewhere in the Southern United States, a breach through
shadow into chaos occurred. The echoes disturb every one of the
Companions (and Mark Gold).
what happened
Two separate things happened. First, Mark Gregory (see the
scenario with Alfar.002, intended to follow this scenario) has
accidentally cast a chaos summoning and shaping spell.
Second, and relevant to this scenario, a Dtagga gene-de-
scendant came of age. This individual was 45 at the time and
deeply involved in drugs and false magic. She did not know the
magic was false.
When the chaos returned and the magic returned, Mixie Quinn
began to have evil dreams and to change shape in her sleep. She
saw herself as the embodiment of all she had sought. Mixie
revealed in the thought that she might have a destiny far beyond
speed and crystal.
Seeking deeper sorcerous knowledge, she found some. She
learned how to summon force from the true chaos that lies beyond
shadow. This is unFormed substance, far removed from the natural
chaos stuff filtering into the material world.
She planned and she sacrificed. Five of her drug buddies
died to provide the blood for the five pointed unFinished star
with which she summoned chaos. Chaos came.
It came in the form of the worm, aided and shaped by Gre-
gory's unwitting spell casting and by the plots of the swart
alfar. In the form of the worm it overcame her and consumed her.
Nothing was left of Mixie.
Worse, Mixie had picked the head of a leynd line to fuel her
sorcery. The chaos spawn that ate her soul fastened onto the
leynd line and embodied in it. The shifting of the possessed
leynd line head caused the earthquakes and threatens to cause
much more damage.
major opponent
SIZ 300- // 30
STR 250- // 25
CON 140- // 14
CHA 13- // 11
APP -40- // -4
DEX 16- // 16
INT 7- // 3
POW 85- // 17
SAN 0%
-771 points for chaos shapings
Talons, +36d6 to damage +90% to hit
Armor, 100 pts kinetic, 200 points radiation, 300 points
electrical.
Seeing, 300% chance to see invisible, 400% chance to see in
dark, 100% chance to know hidden weaknesses.
Natural armor, 30 pts of slime.
Chaos afflictions:
regenerate, 20 pts per day
poison teeth, 12 potency poison
slime, 12 potency poison trails
poison breath, 12 potency x 600meters3 area
hunger, troubled sleep
5 power earthquakes, three per lunar month
Leynd line earth wyrm chaos spawn. Except for the chaos and
the negative numbers, typical for an earth wyrm embodiment of a
leynd line.
solutions
The characters can engage in a horrendous fight. They will
probably lose even if they lure the wyrm away from Longview.
Away from the leynd line its chaos shaping powers, strength and
charisma are divided by 9.
However, there are a number of clues that the characters can
trace down. Solving the clues will reduce the danger level
considerably.
1--the neo-satanic church claims credit for the earthquake.
Every tabloid has carried the story. If questioned they will
tell all and sundry that a member, Mixie Quinn, has been deified
by the power of the great serpent.
2--Mixie's house has been cordoned off by the police. Blood
stained knives and an ancient grimoire were found there. Mixie
is missing.
3--Five low level drug pushers have disappeared. All were
members of the neo-satanic church. The church's coven master has
been complaining to the press that the police killed the missing
members. It is the talk on the street among addicts & such.
4--The local library had all three of its books on magic
stolen. One of those was the grimoire found at Mixie's house.
It is available through interlibrary loan or could be found in
Dallas or Shrieveport. The librarian will volunteer all of this.
5--Mixie owns property in the great swamp/"lake of mystery"
state park near the Louisiana border. She regularly gets taxed
for it by the local city tax authorities even though it is in a
different county because she recorded the deed locally.
6--the "lake of mystery" state park is infested with psy-
chics and potential magic-users, apparently being a strong leynd
line site. A large group is holding a festival and engaging in a
number of ceremonies.
notes
1--each of the victims buried with proper rites will reduce
the wyrm's strength by 20%. The bodies are scattered throughout
the swamp on Mixie's property, the blood is in the unFinished
five point star in her house on that property.
2--the grimoire has a banishing spell for worm-related
chaos. It will reduce the POW and INT of the wyrm by 50% and
will banish all of the chaos afflictions from the wyrm.
3--there are rituals to tame and master wyrms. These will
reduce the POW of the wyrm by 90% for the purposes of any spell
cast by one who participated during the following lunar month.
The crack pots and crazies at the lake include a few who
know what they are doing and who are holding one of these ritu-
als.
4--Mixie Quinn is Mixie's true name. Any spell cast regard-
ing the wyrm using that name will have twice the effect and twice
the chance of success as will any chaos shaping or magical device
employed under that name.
methodology
The characters should be able to talk to the police, the
librarian, the county records and the neo-satanists in the first
few days. From there they should have the chance to go to the
lake of mystery to either visit with the crack pots or to explore
the cabin.
They should discover clues as to "as it is raised up, so is
it put down" and specifics involving the bodies. The rites are
in the grimoire the police have, in the copies at the various
libraries and on photocopies in the cabin.
The bodies are concealed, but could be found using dogs,
spells, tracking, etc. Each of the bodies is concealed differ-
ently (one is buried under rocks, one in the swamp, one weighted
with stones and dropped, one in a tree and one burned and in an
urn).
In the magic festival, the ones who know what they are doing
will be noticeable. They are possessed of chaos shapings and
have swart alfar blood. The party should be able to identify and
deal with the "non-humans" in a civil manner.
The swart alfar are looking for magical knowledge and trying
to get the feel for things. They would like for someone to take
care of the earth wyrm problem and share their ceremony.
play pattern
The players should search for clues, identify the real
problem, realize that they need to prepare, make preparations and
then finish what is left by combat.
Upon the "slaying" of the wyrm it will dissolve into the
leynd line and the chaos portions will burn into nothingness. In
addition to whatever player points are gained, each character who
participated in slaying the wyrm will receive a temporary boost
of 6d6 magic points that will last until used or until the lunar
month ends.
notes
This scenario is basically exploration and problem solving
with some combat. The players should realize that there are a
number of naturally occurring forces that are out of their league
without help.
The amount of melee and combat can be controlled easily. If
your players demand a great deal, let them fight with neo-satan-
ists, rogue police officers, minor chaos spawn, crazed crack
pots, swamp monsters and unDead bodies. Toss in a few ghosts and
a hostile swart alfar or two.
If the players like problem solving and clue finding, bury
the clues deeply and make the characters go through several
levels to find them. Toss in a few more magic items, such as a
golden plow to reclaim the area poisoned by the slime, rune masks
to counter the poison breath, flint earth spears to pin the wyrm
to the land, sky magics that will temporarily blind or confuse an
earth power, etc.
Make all of the magics one-shot, single use items that apply
only to wyrms created by leynd lines. You can bring up that kind
of trouble again and force the characters to recreate all of the
tools they used, especially if there is no unFormed chaos in-
volved (and thus no bodies to use to reduce it).
addenda
This scenario introduces the characters to leynd lines, to
earth powers, to the swart alfar, to the different types of chaos
and to the neo-satanic church and other crazies. It also allows
them to do something that will give them a positive note on the
fed level (<<file note, FBI data base: **.xx helped Key's shadow
resolve that mess in Longview).
This scenario also provides a tie-in to alfar.002.
SCENARIO 2 -- PARTHA
The Partha Conspiracy
public background
Longview, Texas was recently attacked by an earth wyrm that
awoke hungry from its millennia long sleep. While the wyrm was
slain, there has recently been a great deal of speculation in the
tabloids that other "dragons" are still sleeping and need to be
slain before they destroy more cities. It seems that every other
week, another city is printed up as being at risk.
Robert Howard's Kull series has been adapted to a movie
series starring the same actor as played Conan. A great deal of
anti-serpent hysteria has arisen and people have been killing
snakes and demonstrating at zoos. Somehow the message has gotten
across that the Kull series was real.
The United States Senate has been conducting examinations
and hearings on the matter, traveling to Haiti and to Atlantis.
A major figure in this matter is Senator Lavan Veiss of
Texas. Senator Veiss claims that we need to avoid hysteria, but
that there is a threat. He has been seen with a non-human body-
guard of cat-men and has proposed legislation to authorize let-
ters of marque aimed at non-humans allowing privatized security
forces to hunt down and exterminate any serpent or dragon threat.
Senator Veiss was a candidate for Vice President at one time
and may have further ambitions.
Wyrms do reside in the earth and sleep along leynd lines.
They are often stirred up by unPatterned magics and will arise
and hunt once woken by the presence of the unNatural.
private background
The Partha Masters survived the fall of the cities. They
survived the loss of females. They escaped the Cherokee and the
Five Peoples. They avoided the Europeans. They managed to out-
live or out-wit every enemy. Now they feel the hand of time once
again.
The unraveling of the Teynd binding frayed the life magics
that gave the masters immortality. Two of the five have already
aged past salvation and were consumed by the unPatterned chaos
seed within them. The other three are desperate to avoid that
same fate.
The easiest manner in which to find salvation is to find
some Dtagga to slay and eat. Given the simplicity of the magics
involved, Dtagga liver is seen as their salvation.
At the same time, there really are serpent people who walk
among men. A proto-history race, the serpent people survived the
death of the dinosaurs and had a static civilization when men
first mastered magic and chaos. They brought down Atlantis.
When men reached for the stars, some of the serpent people
fled the earth for the far reaches and, eventually, the ambit of
the Swarm. The Swarm welcomed them as it would any other member/
potential meal. Some still survive.
The rest of the serpent people sunk even deeper into the
mire of the deep jungles and swamps. There they slept and faded.
When the magic failed the serpent people faded even further.
The return of the magic has started several nests stirring
and caused the sleepers to awake. The active nests are:
the deep caverns of Haiti (Voreao Saliaa), a city of sixty male
sorcerers, twelve female brood-queen/chaos shapers and two
hundred and forty warriors.
the slime fens of Brazil (Maateo Ossorg), a swamp series lair
that holds six pairs of male/female shaman, three hundred breed-
ing capable pairs of life-bonded serpent people and two thousand
fairly recent young adults (ages 60 to 600).
the fells of Africa (!Hskkaa!a), jungle and desert city dwellers,
numbering about fifteen hundred with even distribution between
the three sexes. (males, male/females and females). No brood
queens, no paired male/females, one master male-king.
They are stirring slowly, but with hunger. The Partha do
not wish direct conflict with them (as there are only three
Partha Masters and six thousand Partha Spawn left. Only four
thousand of the Spawn are controlled due to the deaths).
the cast of characters
One Partha Master
Three Partha Spawn bodyguards
6 points of spirit magic
2 points of rune magic (chaos gift)
One Partha Spawn shaman/chaos shaper
60 magic points available
24 points of spirit magic available
2 spirits of disease
One Partha Spawn Warrior
With a 30 STR chaos shaped broadleafed spear (3d6+d6+2)
and each with 12 pt woad armor (12 pts of armor + 12 for POW
v. POW conflicts)
Three Misc. Partha cannon fodder with knives and protection 3.
other players
Serpent Chaos Shaper
POW 24, all other reqs. 17
three demons of teleportation portal creation
(one will be destroyed creating the portal in, another
creating a portal out. the third can be used to move with.)
demon armor (POW 12, CON 80)
demon weapon (POW 8, CON 10, STR 60, DEX 20)
demon Dtagga locator
Serpent Sorcerer
INT 24, all other reqs. 17
With 20pts of RQIII spells
Robe with 10 pts of armor and 30 magic points
Serpent Rune Priest
CHA 24, POW 19, all other reqs. 16
With 24pts of Spirit Magic
With 12pts of Rune Magic
With 5 RQII magic items
Rune Lord level Serpent Warrior
All reqs. 18
Carrying traditional chaos shaped spears (+6d6 damage/+25%
to hit)
With 12pts of spirit magic each.
6pts of natural scale armor
8pts of technomagic mesh armor (an artifact)
5pt kevlar/laminate robes
activity
The Partha group will make an assault upon the Dtagga char-
acters or Dtagga shadows in the player-character group. The
Partha are moving before the Senator is able to get his legisla-
tion passed (if ever) because of the time pressure the Master
feels. He is older than the Teynd and greatly fears the grip of
death.
The Partha will be allied with the serpent people who are
out to gain glory, find out more about the world and to take pre-
teynd artifacts under control. They had heard of the _________
and are willing to join in an assault on the owners.
They met the Spawn while tracking down the source of the
(true) rumors. They are unaware that the Partha are responsible
for the campaign against the serpent people and merely think of
them as individuals having a common interest and willing to share
in a common venture.
They are not terribly trust-worthy, but then, neither are
their allies.
locale
The best locale for the assault would be the catamaran of
John Storm. The serpents would want control of the catamaran and
the Partha want the liver of the Dtagga shadow.
To make it sticky, when the assault starts only the child-
ren, the shadow Dtagga, and the regular demons/virtues should be
home. If you want a different setting, have every one out for a
visit at the ship when the assault starts or have no one home.
The master demon of transportation used to portal onto the
catamaran will be destroyed by the ship's defenses. Only the
shaper master will understand what has happened, but he will feel
real fear. He will not be willing to face in combat anyone who
he identifies as the master of the catamaran and its protections.
While the shaper master worries and realizes that he will
have to sacrafice another demon to escape, and feels the oppres-
sive presence of the coral reef (a seventh order protective
device -- one that will not allow the catamaran through) the rest
of attackers will spread out looking for hostages, victims and
loot.
The children will go into hiding, their parents will attempt
to come home with help (the player-characters), and a hide and
seek sort of fight will then ensue.
the catamaran
The catamaran is 95' long. Each of the legs is 105' long x
15' wide by 20' high (15' plus 5' of curved roof). The bottom
level is storage and ballast space (the legs are ballasted with
gold and iridium ingots on each side), the base level is 75' x
15' x 8' and the second story is 80' x 15' x 8' (including the
curved roof space). The walls are very thin.
Between the legs is a 21story platform that is 90' x 60' x
5' at the half story base (spreading from mid leg to mid leg //
the catamaran is 95' x 75'), 80' x 55' x 8' on the first story
and 70' x 50' x 8' on the second story. Additional space exists
in the form.
Not counting storage spaces, the catamaran has 12,150*
square feet of area, about half taken up with green houses and
similar functions and about half taken up with living spaces of
one sort or another.
(The reason it does not have 12,550 square feet is that
there is tapering and wall space to be considered. All measure-
ments are accurate within +/- 5 feet, with the total an approxi-
mation subject to that error).
It also has a half deck command area, sail lockers, mast
stations, catch screens and other "normal" attributes.
plots
The basic scenario should have Golden and/or Ari trying to
locate and save their children. They are on their home ground,
well aided by virtues and demons, and the children are fairly
intelligent and have virtues and demons to aid them. John and
Ari should be able to locate and rescue the children fairly
easily.
More difficult will be isolating and protecting the Dtagga
and/or Dtagga shadow and keeping control of the catamaran. The
characters may or may not have the force to do so. In addition,
the Serpent shaper may flee the scene (without a demon powerful
enough to bring him back) and strand the rest of his party leav-
ing only combat or negotiation.
There is room for combat, negotiation and betrayal.
twists
Only the Partha Master is inflexible. He wants Dtagga
livers and wants them insanely. He will not be able to act
rationally if a Dtagga (or its shadow) remains in sight.
The spawn will want to breed. The serpents want valuables.
The Storms are flexible but will not endanger their children
and will not betray friends. Note that John may not be available
and that Ari is vulnerable to berserk rage if placed under enough
pressure.
The Dtagga who are present would know that having their
livers eaten by Partha will produce a final death.
John/Golden and Ari will not endanger the catamaran staff
(including the demons of combat) and will not let them be used
for cannon fodder. No one else can control them.
goals to accomplish
At the end of this scenario/setting, the characters should
be aware that they have enemies who will eat them, that the
Partha and the serpents are enemies of convenience (and both
threats to humanity), and that the Senator may be mislead to some
extent.
The characters will also have had a chance to experience the
catamaran setting in detail.
There is much to be said for some of the attackers getting
away to fight another day and to encourage more potential pirates
who may try to take the catamaran in the future.
The Partha controlled senator may also become aware of the
Dtagga and decide that they are serpent peoples also or may
decide that the Partha are not as pure as he thought. Not every
cat is good.
Expect to impress characters with visions of their own
mortality in this scenario and to get a good idea of how the
characters act in combat (with an eye towards future play bal-
ance).
notes to remember
This is a hurried affair from the player side. You can
capture this feel by starting things as the players begin to sit
down and before your group would normally settle in to play. Use
time limits, allow the party to split up, and act immediately on
what players say.
play aids
A map of the catamaran and counters for each of the charac-
ters (for each side) are useful. Keep the map on your side of
the screen and let all the players stay in the room. This will
keep those who are separated from bogging down play and will
simulate the effect of movement through a large building made of
transparent glass-like material.
There is a more complete description of the catamaran under
Settings and additional details on Golden Storm's character
sheet.
sample useage
The dinner party breaks up as John Storm, James Key and ___
_______ (the character against which the Dtagga shadow is to be
cast) take a small boat to John's catamaran. They pass through
the gate in the coral and are welcomed aboard by Ari and two
small children.
John and James take __________ to the forespit Green Room.
There John shapes a cocoon and James casts his shadow. The
shadow sleeps in the cocoon. It will awaken in (2d6+2) hours and
will emerge as soon as it is integrated. James and John will be
thousands of miles distant by then.
Ari puts the children to bed, checks with the retainers, and
returns to the island to take care of social business. As she
steps from the back of the roan horse that carried her to shore,
a great cry goes out.
Looking out to sea, Ari (and anyone else who heard the deep
belling tone of the cry) sees a cluster of hands release a score
or more of bodies on the top deck of the catamarran.
The hands look scorched by fire and as she watches the hands
and the twelve-planer creature that owned them are limned by fire
and cry out again in great shaking bell tones as they are con-
sumed. A major demon from the great dark has perished and swirls
of chaos matter dissolve in bursts of green and orange fire.
The fire that consumes the demon casts a sickly light that
shows about two dozen moving bodies on the top of the catamaran.
The distance is too great to tell what they are, but from their
movement it is easy to see that the demon succeeded in penetrat-
ing the wards before it perished. From the manner of the demon's
death it is obvious that those it carried were enemies.
Ari cries out for help. When she tries a magical contact
with John a swarm of demons come through the glowing spell disk.
Ari swats them like mice as the sea trolls on the docks react by
pulling out short spearswords, tridents, nets and rifles. They
join in with a relish that extends to taking bites from the
demons as they slay them.
What do you do? Ari will be returning to the catamaran as
soon as the roan horse returns (it was half-way back to the ship
before she called out to it). She has children aboard and is not
totally rational or sane where their safety is concerned.
In addition __________ has a shadow self in a cocoon on
board and the Storms are allied with your patrons. React imme-
diately.
SCENARIO 3 -- ALFAR
The Saffron Dream
public background
In the tabloid news there have been several skirmishes
between "elves and goblins" recently. Pictures of dead bodies
and traces of old magics. Most of the magic seems very simple.
In the aftermath of the Longview, Texas earth wyrm matter
the player characters are contacted by the family of Gregory
Smith, a local psychic who attempted to subdue the wyrm and was
apparently magically poisoned.
A number of human-like individuals have been applying for
citizen-ship or visas.
Several rock bands are using bizarre (magical) special
effects.
<insert headlines from last week's real world tabloids as
noted while buying groceries>
private background
A group of swartz alfar is attempting to re-embody the slain
Kjtti cluster. They've taken the dream soul of one of the per-
sonality fragments of the world worm and have bound it to the
body of a psychic.
They psychic opened himself up to be the channel when he
visited the University of Cjjan in Shrieveport, Louisiana and
bluffed his way into the closed collection. Sounding his way
through a Latin edition of The Worm Undying, a cultic grimoire,
he unconsciously fell into a magical chant.
When the earth wyrm ravaged his home town of Longview,
Texas, Gregory Smith was there to attempt to stop it with the
magics that had surfaced in his subconscious.
He now lies in a hospital bed, seemingly poisoned by the
wyrm with a festering chaos blight. Several of the attendants
have dark skin and golden hair. His family has come to the
player characters for help.
the cast of characters
Swartz Alfar attendants, there to make sure that no one
kills the earthly body.
Lios Alfar (The aqua halcyon sept), they make one attempt at
descending from the clouds to kill Gregory Smith.
Dream World Denizens
other players
Tabloid press investigators
Doctors
Crack pot psychics
The Smith family
activity
This scenario involves a lios alfar dream gate, a quest in
the dream world, clues, problem solving and some combat.
clues
A harsh letter will come to Gregory's family about his
actions in the library and his penciled notations in the gri-
moire.
Gregory kept a journal where he collected essays on his
dreams, several of which took place on the dream plane.
Gregory is covered with a chaos fester, but it is not formed
of true matter or chaos stuff. Any alfar shaping attempt will
reveal it to be dream stuff and not chaos stuff.
The neo-satanists turn to the active worship of the worm to
come.
One of the player-characters dreams of a gate near Fort
Cobb, Arkansas (a real place that is dream like).
Appalachian tradition warns against the hour of the worm, to
come within a twelve-month of the day chaos falls.
Second sight reveals the swartz alfar attendants to be
wormlike and tainted by the unFormed.
All familiars are uneasy near any of the swartz alfar or
Gregory (it will be easy to misread the unease).
Gregory had a girl friend who left for Arkansas and was
never seen again. A picture of her is on his family's mantle.
Dream and reality share a number of spatial similarities.
setting
Longview, Texas.
Fort Cobb, Arkansas
The Dreamgate
Four levels of destinations
A) the girlfriend in paradise
B) the sunken depths
C) the dream world
D) the realm of the banished
Any of the four can be used.
The trip back to Longview through the dream world.
The Kjtti dream self in Longview, Texas.
plots
The basic plot is simple. Avoid mis-direction, go to the
dream world, slay/banish or otherwise sever the Kjtti dream self,
return to the gate and home.
twists
The swartz alfar will attempt to turn the characters into
allies.
The dream world is very enticing, strange, misleading or
dangerous. The characters might very well have a number of side
trips and adventures.
play goals to accomplish
This scenario introduces the players to the alfar split, to
the concept of leynd lines and Kjtti, and to the dream world. It
also should make the characters leery of reading grimoires.
notes to remember
This scenario has a great deal of flexibility as far as
combat and clues go.
Generally, the initial clues and combat should be easy and
simple. Once into the dream world, make the characters sweat the
trip to Longview's dream self.
Feel free to make the trip require successful searching of
transportation, filtering out clues, finding Mcguffins, and
overcoming of enemies.
Also feel free to let the characters get side-tracked or to
put them under time-pressure or to infect them with worms that
grow as Gregory changes.
play aids
A map of Texarkana.
A map of the dream world
A hospital layout
The lair of the Kjtti.
sample usage
The characters are cleaning up after the final confrontation
with the earth wyrm and double checking to make sure they fin-
ished the scenario when they are approached by Gregory Smith's
mother, seeking help for her son who was magically injured.
useful statistics
Kjtti cluster shadow
(six members in cluster)
SIZ 16 (10+2d6-) x6 96
STR 18 (10+2d6-) x6 108
CON 22 (10+2d6-) x6 132
CHA 6 (2d6-) 6
APP 3 (2d6-) 3
DEX 13 (6+2d6-) 13
INT 18 (10+2d6-) +6 24
+ 12 for spell memorization
POW 30 (18+2d6-) 30
+ 140 extra magic points
SAN {(POW + INT)/4}*3% 40.5%
WILL 12
Chaos factor 3
(randomly determine 3 chaos features when encountered.
Each new moon, on a d6 roll of 3 or less the features will
change.)
It must be killed five times to finally slay (one life is
already gone), though it will dissolve into inactivity if killed
and will not have a presence after death for 2d6 months.
Allow it access to any spirit magic, up to the limit of 36
noted above.
Very hungry, slightly sluggish.
APPENDIX A -- DTAGGA
background
The Dtagga were spider dragons. They were well known as
allies of the Shannella and were symbiotic. The Dtagga had their
origins earlier in the galactic time frame than any other spe-
cies. The Dtagga evolved while chaos stuff was still a major
part of the material world, billions of years prior to the civi-
lizations of the Cusp. Chaos shaping and use was a natural part
of their metabolisms.
The Dtagga norns bound most of the race into suspension
while the universe aged. Some of the Dtagga were without the
suspension and passed into history. The rest were awoken by
Shannella explorers.
The Dtagga were powerful shapechangers and chaos shapers.
Skilled diplomats, assassins and spies, they bred prolifically
with other races, though slowly within their own race.
They were extremely loyal and very pragmatic. "Need drives"
is a favorite saying.
life cycle
There were three ways that Dtagga were born. The first was
in-species breeding. Dtagga were fertile with each other only
with great luck or with large masses of chaos available to fuel
conception.
Second, Dtagga could interbreed with any gene using species.
The resulting off-spring were members of the "other" with Dtagga
genes existing as tag-ends. When random combinations raised the
level of Dtagga gene tags to 95% of the genes or more, a Dtagga
resulted that was 100% genetically Dtagga.
Third, Dtagga could cast shadows. The shadow casting re-
sulted in a combination of the screen and the Dtagga. The shadow
would be 75% of half of the Dtagga and 75% of half of the screen.
The results were somewhat random. If the shadow was able to
integrate the personality fragments, obtain sufficient will to
become real, and grow into a full body, it became a real Dtagga
and an independent life.
Naturally born Dtagga spent thirty weeks in their eggs.
When they broke through the shells they were a meter long and
about as sentient as new-born crocodiles. The young spent twelve
to fifteen years growing to three meters as non-sentient rep-
tiles.
They then experienced quickening and began to assimilate
chaos and form shadow extensions. Over a fifteen to twenty year
period they became sentient and grew to full size.
The sentient and full sized Dtagga were then inducted into
society and taught and nurtured by such as found time. Often
Shannella took over these duties.
race magics
The Dtagga had the spider dragon form and other forms de-
pendent on breeding, exposure and personal whim. (CHA + POW) /20
= the total number of natural forms each Dtagga had. (e.g. with
a CHA of 18 and a POW of 20 the Dtagga would have 1.9 or two
natural forms, Dtagga spider dragon and one other).
The Dtagga also could bind chaos into shaped forms. The
number of bio-shaped forms was equal to (CHA+POW+INT)/20 and
averaged about three. The possible bio-shaping included:
light wings ~ chaos shaping of transport
protective aura ~chaos shaping of defense/armor
Kinetic/Radiation/Electric defense as chosen
shadow talons~ chaos shaping of attack/weapon
STR=DEX, all other requisites rolled
shapechanging~ chaos shaping of desire, 50% of CON
dedicated to shapechanging, 50% to
regeneration, 20 pt cost for regenerate
d6/ten minutes, 1 shape per 10 pts assigned
to INT of chaos shaping.
demon sight~ chaos shaping of knowledge, focused through
third eye, limited to visual effects and
seeing in dark, seeing invisible.
force breath~ chaos shaping of attack/weapon SIZ = STR
SIZ = one meter3 area per 10 pt of SIZ
STR = d6 of breath attack per 10 pt of STR
The Dtagga also knew words of power that fathers' genetical-
ly transmitted to sons. These are all lost. The range was equal
to (CHA + INT) in meters. <note, James Key knows three of these
and could teach them to children if he had any>.
Shadow casting. (Source + shade)/2 = each requisite.
Randomly select chaos shadows, each will grow 1 point per week
(unless aided by Shannella sorcery). Randomly select half of
each "parent"'s skills and give the shadow 75% of each skill.
The shadow will become 10% "real" or independent for each
point of will it spends. At 10 points of will it becomes a
separate Dtagga and is no longer a shadow.
Dtagga society was very loose, rarely comprising more than
two or three organized individuals.
The Shannella gave the Dtagga structure, raised their off-
spring, organized hunting territories, gathered and shaped chaos
for the Dtagga benefit, and organized protection from natural
Dtagga enemies (i.e. the Partha). The two races naturally formed
a deep partnership.
Note that many Dtagga were found wherever their genes en-
tered a population. Such could arise without the involvement of
the Shannella and were often turned to unprincipled uses.
For notes on Dtagga form immortality, see James Key.
racial statistics
SIZ 8+2d6-
STR 12+2d6-
CON 12+2d6-
CHA 6+3d6-
APP 3d6-
DEX 8+2d6-
INT 8+2d6-
POW 12+2d6-
SAN {(POW + INT)/2}*5%
WIL 1d6
LUC 1d6*
PTS 1d3
*luck is a PC characteristic only.
play notes
Most Dtagga will be randomly occurring gene-descendants.
They will have no racial memories, no guidance and lurking natu-
ral enemies (i.e. the Partha conspiracy). Suddenly, without
warning, the individual will experience strange dreams,
shapeshifting to a frightening form, and slow growth of shaped
chaos. Strength and other requisites will change and (generally)
improve.
It can be a frightening and dangerous time. Worse, gene-
descendants are randomly created and born into households with no
warning or expectation. While generally manifesting at the end
of adolescence, gene-descendants can manifest at any time after
puberty.
This is a force re-awakened by the change in the world that
is profoundly in need of channeling.
APPENDIX B -- PARTHA
The Partha
background
This was a race of pards or large cats. The Partha did not
have grasping hands or opposable thumbs. They did have magic,
ritual and intelligence. The Partha were subservient allies of
the T'chha and natural enemies of the Dtagga. The Partha were
very cat-like in nature and attitudes. Their cruelty and amoral
ethnocentricity were well known.
The Partha and the Dtagga were natural racial enemies.
While the Partha's scent markers for their biological by-products
(breath, urine, feces) were poisonous, the effects were doubled
or tripled and lingered offensively in settings involving the
Dtagga. The Partha refused to curb their use of scent markers
when they traveled. This was the beginning of natural conflicts
between the two races.
This befoulment of common habitats was led to strain that
was worsened as certain magically enhanced Dtagga organs were the
main ingredient in Partha magics that granted long life and
increased fertility to the Partha. The Partha relished the liver
and intestines of the Dtagga. Dtagga shadows were also important
substitutes in major Partha racial sacrificial rituals.
The net result is a justifiable racial hatred of the Partha
by the Dtagga and a certain disregard for Dtagga rights by the
Partha. The Partha gave the Dtagga as much consideration as a
cat gives a mouse. Because of the societal pressures created by
the Partha use of Dtagga victims, the Partha were incapable of
honoring treaties or living in peace when Dtagga were available
to hunt even in those situations where they desired to overcome
their natural amorality.
The Partha were able to bond with the T'chha, which allowed
a number of advantageous treaties to be created. The T'chha used
the Partha as shock troops, envoys and to hunt the Dtagga for
their own benefit and to distress the Shannallin. The two pairs
of races were natural competitors and enemies. This resulted in
a constant source of trouble for the Dtagga wherever the Tc'cha
or Partha intersected the Dtagga or Shannallin.
life cycle
The Partha were short-lived. They were cubs from 0-3 years,
adolescents from 31-6 years, young adults from 6-12 years and
adults from 121-36 years. The females were fertile from 8-28
years. From 36-42 they declined into old age.
The Partha also had fertility problems. Conception took
much more effort and had much less chance of success than for
human beings. Many Partha magics were concerned with changing
that fact.
All Partha had the following normative race-magics:
1.--Life Extension. This was a simple ritual involving a
complete Dtagga liver node (each liver was good for about three
nodes). The ritual resulted in a bio-function that could be
treated as a skill conforming with the following function % =
2^(n-2) were n is the total number of nodes consumed in separate
rituals.
n = 9 is 128% or permanent anti-aging ability.
2.--Fertility. This was a simple ritual involving the
appropriate Dttaga organs. Each ritual created the power to
create fertility from a single union conforming with the follow-
ing function % = 2^(n-2). At n = 9 the Partha could cause all
unions it was involved in to be fertile.
note that while each Dtagga yielded up three liver nodes, it
had only one set of appropriate organs. This often led to prob-
lems in Dtagga hunts when dividing up the prey.
3.--Mentat telepathy. This is a form of telepathy not
requiring knowledge of the languages of the parties. The chance
of success when there is co-operation is measured by (POW + INT)
+ (POW + INT). Thus a Partha with POW and INT of 12 each, trying
to communicate with a human of POW 11 and INT 14, would have a
base chance of 49%.
This chance could be increased by improved skill with tele-
pathy and with accelerating magics. If the target resisted, a
POW v POW struggle was also required to communicate or eavesdrop.
4.--Breath. This was a combat magic. It allowed the Partha
to breath and attack the CON of the target with the STR of the
Partha. The Partha would breath out a portion of essence in its
breath (range = POW in meters), a POW v. POW struggle occurred
and if the Partha won, then the STR of the Partha was temporarily
subtracted from the CON of the target, stunning it for melee
rounds equal to the negative number <if any> that resulted.
Attacks were cumulative with recovery at one point per melee
round.
e.g. Partha of POW 20 could breath 20 meters. vs a POW 10
target it would naturally succeed. If it had a STR of 21 and the
target had a CON of 15, the target would be stunned for 6 rounds.
Each breath cost 1 magic point. Chance to hit with breath
is a % skill.
5.--Iron Fur. This was the ability to sacrifice POW and
blend Dtagga shadow to create armor. 2pts of armor per point and
1shadow.
Racial Statistics:
SIZ 10+2d6- 12-22
STR 10+2d6- 12-22
CON 9+2d6- 11-21
CHA 3d6- 3-18
APP 6+3d6- 9-24
DEX 6+2d6- 8-18
INT 6+2d6- 8-18
POW 6+2d6- 8-18
SAN {(POW + INT)/4}*5%
WIL 2d6 2-12
LUC 9+d6* 10-15 (the Partha were a lucky race)
PTS 1d3 1-3
*the ability to accumulate LUCK instead of will is a PC charac-
teristic, not common to all members of a species or to most NPCs.
7 points of any Partha luck will be in "lives." I.e. 7 of the
10-15 points of PC luck a character will start with can be used
only to resurrect the character after it is killed -- similar to
the 9 lives of a cat.
The Partha Spawn (very unnatural)
The Partha Spawn on Earth are all the descendants of a very
narrow group of male Partha Masters who dealt with the unPat-
terned for breeding power. Their pact allowed them to breed with
non-Partha -- but the resulting off-spring were spawn and not
partha cubs. The sub-species created bred true as long as fresh
injections of first generation Partha Spawn were added to the
population from time to time.
The Partha Spawn generated in the Cusp sphere were cat
varients of other species, often crosses between the Partha and
human captives.
The first spawn were parasitial larvae of the unformed and
unliving that took Partha forms as the results of partha race
magics gone bad. As the Partha had used Dtagga victims as the
sacrifices, they naturally blamed the Dtagga for the existence of
the spawn.
As time passed and many Masters became corrupted, most
partha septs and prides incorporated spawn as third caste citi-
zens. The spawn bred much faster than the Dtagga and were useful
for a number of tasks. Spawn did not possess Partha race magics,
but did have thumbs, walked upright and could speak both human
and Partha languages. Creating Spawn was a common use to which
Shanallin captives were put.
As unPattern chaos tainted creatures the lesser spawn were
tolerated by the Builders only because of their usefulness as
cannon fodder. The major spawn were hunted werever found.
Racial Characteristics
SIZ 3+2d6- 5-15 x2 for major spawn
STR 4+2d6- 6-16 x2 for major spawn
CON 3d6- 3-18 x2 for major spawn
CHA 3d6-1- 2-17 x1 for major spawn
APP 3d6-1- 2-17 x1 for major spawn
DEX 3+2d6- 5-15 x2 for major spawn
INT 6+2d6- 8-18 x1 for major spawn
POW 6+2d6- 8-18 x2 for major spawn
SAN {(POW + INT)/4}*4%
WIL 2d3 2-6 x1 for major spawn
LUC 2+d6* 3-9 x1 for major spawn
PTS 1d3 1-3
*luck is a characteristic relative to PCsonly.
for comparison, the weakest major race,
the Pathan
SIZ 3+1d6- 4-9
STR 3+1d6- 4-9
CON 3+1d6- 4-9
CHA 3+1d6- 4-9
APP 3+1d6- 4-9
DEX 3+2d6- 5-15
INT 3+1d6- 4-9
POW 3+1d6- 4-9
SAN {(POW + INT)/2}*5%
WIL 3+1d6 4-9
LUC 3+1d6* 4-9
PTS 3+1d6 4-9
Play notes
When "the cities fell and the caverns were sealed, when the
sky exploded and the sea was ruined" (i.e. when everything fell
apart and the magic went away), a Partha pride and its related
Partha Spawn were hunting on the surface of what is now North
America. The leader had eaten the nine livers and shed the nine
shadows and was both fertile and free from aging.
He leads the Partha conspiracy.
KKchrrchrcchh, Corrupted Partha Master
SIZ 25 25
STR 26+13 39
CON 17 17
CHA 18+11 29
APP 17 17
DEX 17 17
INT 15 15
POW 22+3 25
SAN 41%
WIL 3 3 points to invest in skills
LUC 5 has 5 lives left
Patron: Grrsthrrx, The One in Shadows, shadow walker
KKchrrchrcchh's scent markers can be forced from jets in his
mouth for 6' range or from his urine for 18' range. They are a
corrosive poison of 25 intensity. He generates (CON/3) 6 markers
a day that he can exude.
If a day's scent markers are not exuded, excess markers are
deposited in his feces and used to mark territory. Against
Dtagga or their shadows, treat the markers as corrosive fluid of
12d6 impact.
He has all Partha race abilities at 128%.
85% Partha sex 60% Cherokee
80% listen 85% knife
75% spot hidden 80% climbing
95% Partha 85% cast spirit magic
80% English 90% claw/bite
65% Spawn creation 95% singing
60% Teach spirit magic 128% ritual dancing
He has 18 points of shadow iron fur armor and +6d6pts to
damage shadow iron claws. He can shadow walk at 3,840 mph
(compared to the usual loping run speed of 30 mph).
Spells:
Healing 6 Spirit binding 1
Firestart 2 Spawn 1 (ritual)
Glue 2 Liver eating 1 (ritual)
Detect Life 2 Protection 6
Detect Magic 2 Invisibility 4
His Bodyguard of Superior Partha Spawn
(x5)
SIZ 15
STR 16
CON 14
CHA 12
APP 4
DEX 13
INT 12
POW 12
SAN 24%
WIL 3
3 point Kevlar body armor/heavy boots.
knives (d4+2 broad blade daggers)
2d6+3 autofire .223 machine bull-dog carbines. (12 round clips)
85% carbine 90% Cherokee
80% listen 85% knife
75% spot hidden 80% climbing
70% Partha 75% cast spirit magic
70% English 70% brawling
65% Swarm skill 65% singing
Partha spawn do not exude scent markers but do exude proto-
spawn up to (CON/3) 5 times a day. Such proto-spawn will begin
to eat the body they are exuded into and will, if not slain, grow
into a full-grown partha spawn upon consuming size*3 points of
live, intelligent beings equal to the size they are to grow to.
Spawn reproduce by exuding proto-spawn. They maintain
genetic unity by swarming into mounds, exuding proto-spawn and
assimilating same. Their bodies react to conform to the averaged
assimilations and to modify their own production. Partha Spawn
swarm regularly whenever in groups of twelve or more.
Each of the Partha Spawn in the bodyguard has been trained
in the use of automatic weapons and each has 6 points of spirit
magic (with each of the Spawn having a different collection of
spells). Each also has two points of rune magic.
All of the Spawn are dedicated to Teke;l and receive their
rune magic from him.
APPENDIX C -- THE ALFAR
HUMANS
The Alfar, Tc'cha, Etc.
There were several major groups of humans. They had the
following coloration patterns:
Blue <Platform technology humans>
Green <Builders>
Yellow/Brown <Builders, Alfar>
Red <Platform technology humans>
Black/Silver (Alfar, Platform technology>
Modern human population has only the yellow/brown melanin
coloration mechanism. Note that giants, lios alfar, derrows,
Tymoni, modern humans and a number of related semi-interfertile
species are all descended from the Shannella and the Tc'cha
(including the Tc'cha servant races).
A. Shannella
background
The shannella were a natural plane faring race of humanoids.
Racially human, they had chaos stuff in their blood. They had
little machine technology, being tychistic/magic oriented.
The Shannella shapers varied in size from 60 to 400 pounds
and from 4' to 7.' Most common were those in the 5' to 6' and
the 120 to 200 pound range.
There were two major racial groups. The first had silver
hair and golden skins. The silver ranged in light grey to almost
black and the golden from light tan to deep mahogany. These were
arrayed in septs named after the various natural forces. Shaper
masters would go by a metal and a sept name (e.g. Golden Storm).
The first group's remnants are the lios alfar.
The second major racial group had golden hair and silver
skins. The golden ranged from dark brown to pale blond and the
silver from blue black to almost albino. These were arrayed in
three to four generation family groups named after geophysical
attributes and had personal names reflecting aspirations or
feelings (e.g. Bright-Glory Marsh or Victorious Mountain).
The second group's remnants are the Tymoni or swart alfar.
In modern racial terminology both groups would be precursor
race similar to a caucasian-oriental cross.
life cycle
The Shannella's life cycle followed modern human life cycles
to age 16. At age 16 the Shannella began to be able to bear
children, maturing somewhat later than modern humans.
This state of life occurred from age 16 to age 21. The
Shannella then went from biological 21 to 25 in about twenty
years (20 to 40), reaching full maturity at 40.
The Shannella retained their peak from 40 to 200, slowly
increasing in muscle mass and refinement. From 200 to 350 they
went through middle age and from 350 to 900, late middle age. As
their middle age passed, so did they, rapidly fading somewhere
between 900 and 1,100.
race magics
The Shannella were natural chaos shapers, able to work chaos
for magical results as long as there was leynd power to use and
chaos to shape. In ritual magics they were able to gather and
shape chaos into bound forms. They could also reach through
shadow into raw chaos to summon the greater demons.
In addition to ritual magics, they had the following racial
sorceries that were natural to their lore language. Such sorcer-
ies took one melee round per magic point expended and required
some concentration and the ability to speak.
shield <physical armor> d3 pts per magic point expended.
mirror <radiation armor>
lines <electrical armor>
master <control others> affect d3 pts of INT per magic point
expended. Must maintain eye contact and win a POW v POW con-
flict. Limited to line of sight.
fog <darkness> -10% to perception per point, 3m3 per point
dissolve <temporary anti-magic> d3 points of magic effect abated
for d3 minutes per magic point expended
lwcnn <electrical blast> d3 points of energy/magic point
shrive <radiation blast>
smite <kinetic blast>
alight <flying> gently glide d3 pts of SIZ/magic point
nurture <feed> restore d3 CON/magic point expended
chaos <gather & shape chaos> d3 SIZ points of matter can be
created and shaped per magic point expended
concen <focus chaos for Dtagga use> +d3 points to any chaos
shadow growth per magic point expended
heal <healing> heal d3 points per magic point expended divide
effect by 9 if healing non-chaos shaping creature, artifact or
individual.
infuse <dissolve self> transfer d3 SIZ points to dream realm per
point expended.
Racial sorcery was limited by the amount of intelligence the
user had and their grasp of high/noble/lore Shannella speech.
One spell could be carried in memory per two points of INT com-
mitted to it and per 5% of speech had. Thus with an INT of 12
and speech of 50% one could know 10 spells and have a maximum of
6 in memory.
For every point of INT not committed to carrying spells, an
additional point of any spell could be cast. Thus, with an INT
of 12 and 5 spells, the Shannella could cast 1+2 or 3 point
versions of each spell. The range of the spells was (unused INT
+ CHA)*3 meters. Thus with a CHA of 12, the character above
could cast a 3 point spell for 36 meters, a 2 point spell for 39
meters and a 1 point spell for 42 meters.
Alternatively, many of the alfar had shapechanging blood.
See the rules for shapechanging for details. It was rare for any
shape not to be either medium or large (small weres were unknown
to the Alfar and sizes above large required non-Alfar sorcery to
obtain and hold).
Lios Alfar
Gold skin/silver hair
racial statistics
SIZ 6+2d6- (8-18)
STR 3d6- (3-18)
CON 7+2d6- (9-19)
CHA 3+3d6- (6-21)
APP 3d6+6- (9-24)
DEX 6+2d6- (8-18)
INT 12+2d6- (14-24)
POW 12+2d6- (14-24)
SAN {(POW + INT)/3}*5%
WIL 2d6 (2-12)
LUC 1d6* (1-6)
PTS 2d3 (2-6)
*luck is a PC characteristic only
Tymoni Alfar
Silver skin/gold hair
racial statistics
SIZ 6+2d6- (8-18)
STR 6+2d6- (8-18)
CON 7+2d6- (9-19)
CHA 3d6- (3-18)
APP 3d6+6- (9-24)
DEX 6+2d6- (8-18)
INT 10+2d6- (12-22)
POW 11+2d6- (13-23)
SAN {(POW + INT)/3}*5%
WIL 2d6 (2-12)
LUC 1d6* (1-6)
PTS 2d3 (2-6)
play notes
The Shannella who became the lios alfar and who did not
perish when the Teynd reduced all magic by a factor of nine, fled
into the atmospheric leynd lines they could find, alternate
planes that had not collapsed (very few) and dream realms.
The swart alfar descended to the depths and pacted with the
Kjttha cluster that they rescued from the destruction of the
fifth planet. The Kjttha leached the leynd line powers and the
tymoni alfar tapped them for power.
With the reduced levels of chaos, the Tymoni could success-
fully tap the Kjttha only at relatively short ranges and along
subterranean leynd lines.
With the Kjttha slain/demografied the Tymoni have lost their
comparative advantage on Earth's surface.
B. Builders a/k/a Tc'cha (sf/natural)
background
The Tc'cha were variant humans who were successful scientif-
ic/technical/bio-engineers
The Tc'cha and their successors were mostly green-brown in
color and large in size. Servant races were bio-engineered to be
smaller and different in color. Servant races were of two human-
oid types. The "true" or "natural" (the two words are the same
in Tc'cha) servant races were fertile and had full civil rights.
The bio-tool races were not fertile and were considered
property. They were often not humanoid. While such races were
initially not sentient and derived from animal stocks, in the
late Tc'cha eras almost all were sentient and derived from human
stock. Many of the animal stock derived bio-tool races were
modified to be interfertile with humans and became human stock
with modified gene-clusters.
life cycle
The Builders had infancy, toddler, prepubecent and adoles-
cent stages quickly. They reached mature sexual function at ages
ten to eleven. Their adolescence lasted from sexual maturity to
"fade" -- a stage that followed their centuries long adolescent
stage. Fade usually took the last forty to sixty years of a life
span that lasted 600 to 800 years.
Many builders biorged at some point and thereafter spent an
indefinite period of time in fade (with the fade permanently
stayed by virtue of the biorg engineering). Other builders
genenginered themselves into non-human forms and had the life
cycles appropriate to such forms.
race magics
The builders had no race magics. They are extinct as a race
and as a culture. No known builders survive, though successor
groups are known. True builders had only green pigmentation.
Builders did have the ability to gain luck without being
unique members of the population. Builder luck is legendary.
racial statistics
SIZ 8+2d6- (10-20) x2 for giants
STR 9+2d6- (11-21) x3 for giants
CON 7+2d6- (9-19) x11 for giants
CHA 3d6- (3-18)
APP 3d6-2- (1-16)
DEX 5+2d6- (7-19) x1 for giants
INT 8+2d6- (10-20) x1 for giants
POW 6+2d6- (8-18)
SAN {(POW + INT)/4}*5%
WIL 6+2d6 (8-18)
LUC 3d3* (3-9)
PTS 1d3 (1-3)
*luck is a PC characteristic only, however, builder NPCs may have
1d3 points of luck as racial magic.
racial statistics for normative servant race
SIZ 3+2d6- (5-15)
STR 4+2d6- (6-16)
CON 7+2d6- (9-19)
CHA 6+2d6- (3-18)
APP 6+2d6- (6-18)
DEX 6+2d6- (8-18)
INT 6+2d6- (6-18)
POW 4+2d6- (6-16)
SAN {(POW + INT)/3}*5%
WIL 2d3 (2-6)
LUC 1d3* (1-3)
PTS 2d3 (2-6)
play notes
The builder successor civilization that is currently travel-
ing space is similar in size, attitudes and desires to the va-
nished Tc'cha.
Rather than used delayed adolescence for life-extension,
they use a slowed biorythmn clock. Processes are generally
extended by a factor of 12, beginning at young adulthood (around
16 to 18). Where an Earth human might live to 120 with excellent
medical care and support, a member of the Builders might live to
be 1,200 years or more.
Their life extension methodology results in lowered fertili-
ty -- Builder females are fertile once a year for about three
days. They have no population explosion problems and breed past
replacement only by conscious government planning.
The other builder races include several humanoid races, the
derrows (dwarves) and the giant races. The humanoids are succes-
sors to various heavily bio-engineered servant races. Use the
normal servant race statistics with +1d3 to one requisite. The
derrows are a specific non-servent race. The snow clans were
bio-engineered from alfar stock and have alfar characteristics
with SIZ = 7+d6 and STR = 13+d6, POW and INT 8+2d6. The deep
earth clans were bio-engineered from builder stock and have
builder characteristics with SIZ = 6+d6.
The giants have the characteristics as noted above. They
are bio-engineered builder stock.
MYTH 1
In the time before the beginning there was almost life in
the interdimensional chaos. A place of almost matter and almost
form, the chaos contains insufficient structure to support ra-
tional progression. Nothing therein had sufficient position to
have the necessary leverage to act.
Within the confusion, one (the first) followed the pattern
set before, cycle by cycle, time before time. One created peace
within itself by separating into two. As two it had leverage and
could both create and build, forming stability of concept.
Those that it met who followed also learned to become two.
From discordant nothing, the ability to act was born and hope
arose admidst the almost life.
For many who tasted hope, it was fleeting and only a pathway
to dispair. While any psuedolife could become two, only with
peace could the two act as one. Those with peace were able to
pass through the first and were born into the pattern formed when
the first became two.
From beings of light and knowledge, almost matter and almost
form, they became aware. From pseudolife they passed to intel-
ligence. By birth into the pattern they became intelligences
able to function from a place of peace. This joinder of light
and knowledge into sapience was the first breath of life from
pseudolife.
The first then moved on and learned to combine stability of
form with duality and peace. In creating stability of form it
cast the first shadow of what was to come. As each passed
through the first and was born into form, a shadow was cast. A
shadow structure was formed from the many births, one step re-
moved from chaos, separate but not permanent. This was the
second breath of formed life from the unformed.
The next step was the movement from shadow to substance, the
addition of matter to spirit. This was the creation of a dimen-
sional reality bounded by laws and founded in matter. From
shadow to substance. From intangible to tangible.
Such a project is near enough an Aleph sub zero infinity to
quality as worlds without number. Through the focus of their own
shadow selves, the first made themselves the core of a material
universe and began the creation of it, from the shape of the
shadow world, by bearing a material child into themselves and
from themselves. Half became a material son and half a spiritual
daughter, forecasting the final resolution.
Each shadow spirit born into matter would be divided, making
the focus (created by the one becoming two) complete. Each would
gain a body of matter, a focus of substance. Separated from that
body at some point, each would be made complete. This would be
the third breath of life.
At the end, after all had passed through matter to spirit
from shadow, each would be reformed into a whole, focused and
permanent being, gaining the last and final fourth breath of
life.
The universe created, over incredible time and by all manner
of shadow life, was large beyond comprehension. It was of fixed
matter, obeying laws and filled with the potential for life.
In form it followed the structure created by the original
spirit forms. In addition, as they cast shadows which became the
material universe, so the material universe cast a shadow which
is the world of dreams. In the world of dreams, following law
and in a stable fashion, matter is pliable. The levels of shad-
ow, matter and dreams were anchored by a fourth spiritual level
and framework designed to fold everything into itself at the
final day. Taken together they made a fourfold structure of real
law.
The pattern fulfilled itself. The Creatrix created, the
Builder formed and organized, and the two who were the first
passed through the stages into the core of the final folded
world. Their focus, the son and daughter, remained in the mate-
rial and the dream world as anchors to draw all the shadow life
forms through the structure to permanence at the end. The uni-
verse began.
Many were born, took their places as matter began to evolve,
and began the work of ordering and creating the worlds from raw
matter. As the great work began and the worlds began to form,
Teke;l Upharsin struck.
Teke;l was one who became two by example, but who refused to
be born or to accept peace. Twisted and alive, but mindless by
our standards, it formed a duality with Upharsin who was unwill-
ing to accept form. Together they forced the unliving birth of
S'baal. Teke;l spawned the unNamed, Upharsin the unFormed and
S'baal the unLiving. As a triad they formed an opposition to
matter, dream and spirit and sought to dissolve reality rather
than allow it to fold into its final fourfold permanence.
Simplified, it looks somewhat like this:
EXISTANCE
-1chaos
0 shadow///waiting
1 material world///living -- where most play takes place
2 dream///learning/waiting
3 spirit///resting }the mythic worlds
4 final state
THE PATTERNMASTERS
The anti-pattern
-1 Teke;l -- the unNamed (in chaos), unBalanced (in shadow)
0 Upharsin -- the unFormed (in shadow), unFinished (in materi-
al)
1 S'baal -- the unLiving (in material), unReal (in dream)
The creating pattern
1 son (over material world)
2 daughter (over dream world)
3 father (over spirit world)
4 mother (gate to the final world)
THE POWERS
(these can be treated as gods with a small "g" and heros)
From the chaos world: unFinished and unBalanced Delictum
(injuries upon the world)
From the shadow world: The Tychistic Entities/Hegamons
(disorder)
From the material world: The Changing and other
Nomens/Masters (growth)
From the dream world: The Ordered Daemons/Lords (form)
From the spirit world: The Gomashtah (twisted) and the
Elachi (good). (decisions)
From the final world: The First, the Oenecius and the
Anatocici (True gods).
MYTH 2
For a re-cap, this is how reality is posited to exist:
EXISTENCE
-1 chaos
multi-dimensional, unformed space. Chaos is a void filled
with unstable mass and without stable space-time or dimensions.
0 shadow///waiting
six-dimensional (*1 to *6), flat and ordered space. Shadow
is extremely ordered and exists only where it is filled. It has
four "normal" dimensions which comprise matter and spirit and it
also has time and a sixth dimension referred to as *6. All
movement in shadow takes place through *6 as all other dimensions
are filled.
1 material world///living -- where most play takes place
twelve+-dimensional (*0 to *5, *7 to *12, 12+). Except for
*12 and the three dimensions that we are accustomed to the dimen-
sions are rather flat, existing on the order of microspace. Some
of the microspace directional dimensions can be split or folded,
creating 12+ (generally defined as 12+ <na> where n = the dimen-
sion, a = letter for which split or fold, e.g. 12+ <9b>) dimen-
sions at specific locales. Most math works out reflecting 12
apparent dimensions (and not reflecting *12).
*12 was unfolded and is not flat. *12 is not contiguous at
all points and provides branch points for partial material worlds
and levels related to our own.
Note that the number and size of these "parallel worlds" is
extremely limited and can be measured by looking for the "miss-
ing" matter not accounted for by current physics. Paths through
*12 occasionally unfold *7, *8, *9, *10 and *11 with reductions
in various nuclear forces, electromagnetic forces and gravity.
Such paths are not necessarily time congruent.
2 dream///learning/waiting
One of the two mythic worlds, it is five dimensional (*5, *1
to *4). It has *5 in place of *0 and no *0 dimension. Contigu-
ous with the physical world it has strange topology (*5 is acces-
sible as a direction, *0 never is) and physical matter is not as
stable as it is in the material world.
3 spirit///resting
Another of the mythic worlds, it is n-dimensional (*5, *6 to
*12, *4 under special rules that make it a partially physical
dimension). In it *6 takes the place of *5 (which takes the
place of *0). No *1 to *3.
4 final state
Fully 12+-dimensional (*0 through *12+, fully multiplexed in
each dimension rather than flat or folded). It is incredibly
dense with matter and energy.
THE PATTERNMASTERS
These are powers, forces, etc. that can aid, help, or hinder
dependent on how they are invoked and why they are touched by the
circumstances.
The anti-pattern
Equivalent to evil gods, devils, demons, etc. The number in
front of each relates to the level of reality at which the anti-
pattern icon/master/god is native.
-1 Teke;l -- the unNamed (in chaos), unBalanced (in shadow)
Teke;l rules over and is the source of the chaos creatures
known as the unNamed and the shadow creatures unknown as the
unBalanced. Teke;l is a true chaos creature and resides in
chaos. It is the least substantial and the least sentient of the
the anti-pattern and the farthest from anything that mortals
might understand or recognize.
The unNamed come from outside (chaos itself and other reali-
ties) and are non-euclidean and without names. They have no
natural place in reality and are rejected by it and are damaged
by existence in dimensional space. They have no names.
The unBalanced are chaos creatures which do not have the
duality of balance that is required to be a natural portion of
reality. They are unstable.
Both of these are incomplete and alien chaos creatures.
0 Upharsin -- the unFormed (in shadow), unFinished (in materi-
al)
The unFormed are defiled creatures from shadow. Cold and
ever hungry, they haunt the interface of shadow and the mundane
world.
The unfinished are chaos creatures that have the two-part
balance but that do not have any finish. They are not finished
and are not truly sentient or alive.
The unFinished are chaos spawn from the spaces between the
planes. Our ordered existence is hostile to them. The running
sores, decaying bodies and deliquescing flesh of some creatures
is mute testimony to their origins and unfitness for this space.
1 S'baal -- the unLiving (in material), unReal (in dream)
The unLiving are antilife creatures antithetical to our
existence. Those creatures who merge the unLife with life are
the unDead. Most who appear to merge are actually husks with the
life eaten out of them and shadow memories leased to the antilife
forces within.
The unReal are embodied lies that have penetrated to the
dream levels.
The creating pattern (True Gods)
1 Son (over material world)
2 Daughter (over dream world)
3 Father (over spirit world)
4 Mother (gate to the final world)
THE POWERS
For both good and evil, the powers can be defined as fol-
lows:
From the chaos world: unFinished and unBalanced Delictum
(injuries upon the world)
These creatures are always powers for ill though conceivably
there might be some who are not powers for evil. Their presence
injures the world.
The Delictum are godlike entities of chaos who may be either
unFinished or unBalanced and who can benefit from worship, sacri-
fice and from being invoked into the material world.
They are typically identified by a name and the aspect or
power for which they are known. Some can invoke other Delictum
or create other names. Delictum have presences from the chaos
realms through to the dream realms.
From the shadow world: The Tychistic Entities/Hegamons
(disorder)
The Hegamons are Tychistic entities who are one step removed
form chaos and who are natural to the shadow world. They are
often paired with the forces of luck and fate represented by the
shadow norns.
The Hegamons are natural to this reality but very raw and
unblunted. They are creatures of elemental and emotional force
who represent forces that progress from shadow into reality.
Typically an Hegamon is identified by a name, a force and an
order. E.g. Irianton, the Ice Lord of Spears; Sefti, the Storm
Dictat of Stars.
From the material world: The Changing and other
Nomens/Masters (growth)
The Nomens are masters of various powers and forces. They
represent the powers of growth in the material world. Nomens
typically have the powers, attributes and manifestations that are
associated with gods, powers and mastery.
Nomens are masters of a particular force, skill or attrib-
ute. Specific nomens are channels for magical force/wisdom in
local areas and are paired with relevant norns for such areas.
The underlying power of Nomens comes from knowledge, mastery
and growth. Most Nomen are best thought of as heros.
From the dream world: The Ordered Daemons/Lords (form)
Daemons and Lords are forces similar to angels and saints
and can be thought of as acting the same way. They provide aid
and succor because they exist to aid and succor
From the spirit world: The Gomashtah (twisted) and the
Elachi (good). (decisional powers)
The Gomashtah were polluted by the antipattern and are
twisted. The Elachi are purified from all chaos and are free.
Both have a great deal of raw power. Only the Gomashtah seek
worship.
All of these have a singular emotional theme. The Gomashtah
are immature in their formation and have uncontrolled and twisted
themes. The Elachi have bridled themes and deep maturity under
their control (e.g. twisted Rage vs Anger, twisted Lust vs
Passion, twisted Hate vs Love, etc.).
Both the Gomashtah and the Elachi wield a great deal of
coincidental power as the result of their ability to change
reality by the force of their presence and both tend to have
"minor" secondary themes attached to them.
From the final world: The First, the Oenecius and the
Anatocici (True gods)
These are true gods with the powers a modern would require
of a god.
THE FORCES ARRAYED
There are several sets of forces involved in the current
conflict. They can be broken down into the following groups:
Natural/unNatural
That is those who are natural to this realm and those who
are chaos derived.
Native/Foreign
Some chaos derived creatures have a long enough history on
earth to be considered natives, many natural creatures are for-
eign to earth. Foreign creatures are generally a greater threat
than native ones, though not always.
There are foriegn creatures of both chaos and nature that
seek to invade and consume planets and the life on them.
Magical/Technological
A common split. More relevant might be tychistic/virtuous.
Material/nonMaterial
The material world has a great deal of seepage from both the
shadow and the dream worlds.