You've been recruited into a cult, something small that turned out to be just a little bit more. However you can't just leave, you agree with their points after all. The world is crooked and there are things older than the history that is known. A shame that most people aren't likely to see it that way.
Earth Bet: House of the Sun (Cultist Simulator/Worm)
- Thread starter Witherbrine26
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- cultist simulator worm horror
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- Ongoing
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Backgrounds and Beginnings
New
Earth Bet, a place where you can forge your own future and live a peaceful life. Despite all the new changes, that idea still holds true. Even though monstrous beings stalk the streets and, entire towns are condemned. It matters not who you are; there is a path forward, the idea that has made your nation what it was for so many years.
But that's the thing, it was just an idea…
Is that really how things are? Does hard work really get you anywhere? It has been proven wrong once before. Good deeds and horrible acts can ascend somebody beyond what they were before. Alexandria and the car crash, Legend and the lynch mob, Eidolon, and the falling building—all of them have taken a step beyond the mortal through deeds that have emblazoned them across the minds of humanity.
The idea that hard work and good luck could improve your lot in life has been disproven, cast aside as a new parahumanity rose up. If that idea, that fact that dwelled in the marrow of this world for millennia could be disproven in a mere thirty years, couldn't other ideas be disproven as well.
Perhaps the idea that psychics as it is, facts laid down by greats from centuries past. Does flight not contest with Newton? Does conjuring lasers from your fingertips not disprove Einstein? The mere existence of these powers has shattered old facts and old sciences that were thought rock solid have been cast aside as new ideas rose to the forefront.
Those ideas are powerful things that have crept into the minds of humanity. This is an exception, they crow. Just because one thing is different doesn't mean anything else is different, they cry. Yet they are blind, dismissing anything greater. Even as they delve into parahumanity, their old ideas have grown roots in their souls, impossible to pull out.
However, those ideas are wrong, both old and new. There are older laws, older times than can be charted through soil, and powers older than a mere thirty years. You just have to open your eyes and step out of the shadows. The light may be merciless, but it also holds truth.
And just isn't that an idea?
You wake up, you can feel it in your bones. Something is going to happen today, something special. You can't help but think back, back to where this all began and how you got wrapped up in all of it.
It was a little over a year ago, December 31st, 2002. An angel had come down from the heavens and looked over the city of Lausanne. A song, a gentle melody from her lips, had crooned out and wrapped around the ears of everybody in the city.
People were wary, but as the day passed and nothing, they grew bold and brave. Parties were set up, congregations flocked to the streets to celebrate an angel of the lord, people arrived outside the city to peer upon her majesty.
Then she screamed, her former melody twisting as she twisted everybody inside the city. Within the day, everybody inside was dead or mad, and soon after, it was declared that the entire city would be walled off, left to die. You had left, departing from your home upon hearing that information, and found a bar, someplace to just have a drink and try to forget.
The bits and pieces of the story grew and coalesced as you sat there at the counter, drinking as you tried to forget the faces you saw in the cameras. Nobody truly knew what happened either; ideas and theories floated around, but none of them seemed to click.
"Why so glum?" a voice asked, and you looked up from your drink. A man had sat next to you with an easygoing smile on his face.
"An entire city died," you had replied, morse and not all that wanted to listen to this man. Perhaps you had a bit too much to drink, but you didn't just stand up and leave as your vision fuzzed; you sat there and listened instead as he spoke again.
"And things happen all the time. Why does this affect you so much?" he asked once again, his smile fading somewhat as he poked and prodded. Your vision blurred as you spoke once again.
"This is a change, it could have been something good and it was bad," you told him, this time your voice wasn't as calm. It was an angel who had drifted down from behind the clouds and sung to the people of that fine city. You had hoped this change, one among many would have been good. Yet the city was demented; they turned against each other because of that same person who sang for three days and nights.
"Ah, so it's the change that brought you down," he said, contentedness in his voice as he seemingly settled on the problem.
"No, no," you had told him, "It's that all these changes are bad. All these upheavals of the world just make things shitty," you had slurred. Looking back, you remembered how he had smiled, a coy small thing, as he leaned in closer to you.
"Are all changes bad, are all of these mysteries such an awful thing?" he had asked and for the first time you hadn't responded, he reached out and tapped your lips silencing you.
"Are all of these changes new or just a return to older times?" he asked once again as you finally looked up from his drink as he kept speaking, whatever he had seen inside of you resonating with the words he spoke.
What did he see inside you?
(This will choose the cult's primary principal of the cult you are joining. This cannot be changed without a monumental amount of time and effort. Your initial principal will align with your cults. However, that can be changed much more easily as you learn more about the world and its secrets.)
[] He spoke of this world, how many other worlds are known to exist, and the passageways between them. Figuratively between nations and literally when speaking of the other worlds that have been discovered. (KNOCK is the principle of openings, and of finding hidden passages and portals. It entails secrets that both locksmiths and burglars share, even if they do not realize it.)
[] He spoke about knowledge, and about how some realizations can be so shocking that normal people might even shy away from trying to discover them. He wondered aloud about how people could claim to know so much and yet not even be able to answer a question as simple as "From where do powers come from?" (LANTERN is the principle of knowledge and of its light that is both illuminating and unkind. It entails secrets that are held by oracles, even if they do not realize it, and scholars, even if they later regret it.)
[] He spoke about change, and its necessity. After all, it is not enough to keep a tool sharp for it to be useful, sometimes it is necessary to smelt it down and forge a new one. And about the fact that, surely, that must also hold true for greater principles. Perhaps even the world itself, no? (FORGE is the principle of transformation, fire and destruction, and of reshaping on all levels, be them physical or spiritual. It holds the secrets that both blacksmiths and rebels share deep down in their cores).
[] He spoke about conflict and how even in times of peace it is inevitable. Everything from competition between children, the daily clashing of life and even combat a burden being borne but the new parahumanity. But what rewards might be reaped from conflict, if it is so natural? (EDGE is the principle of violence and cunning, and of strengthening through confrontation, no matter what shape it takes. Its secrets are shared by soldiers and merchants, and any creature who sees itself as a predator.)
[] He spoke about life, and how it inevitably leads to death. About stories, and how they inevitably lead to endings. And how all of that was so very beautiful. But whenever you tried to recall his words, you realized he didn't speak much at all. (WINTER is the principle of endings, cold, beauty and silence. It encompasses all things that have already ended and waits patiently for all things that will end. But one knowledgeable on its ways might figure out how to work around endings, and perhaps death itself.)
[] He spoke about life, and its unceasing energy and continuity. About how all creatures seem to be dancing a grand dance in pace with the heartbeat of the world itself. Neither his words nor his smile stopped for even a moment, and during the whole conversation her fingers kept beating against the bar top. The rhythm was almost hypnotizing. (HEART is the principle of life, preservation and protection, as well as of the dance that must never cease. It is known, even if subconsciously, by any creature that knows happiness and perseverance in the face of adversity, and it is put into practice by dancers.)
[] He spoke about how dry and dull the world truly was, even if nobody was willing to admit it. About how nothing new is ever created by people, only maintained, and about how the world itself seems to have forgotten about what can be learned from the satisfaction of desire. Your eyes almost didn't leave his while she spoke, to the point where you almost didn't listen to what he was saying. (GRAIL is the principle of desire, seduction and thirst. It knows about all things succulent and treats both charisma and seduction as the most pleasant of tools.)
[] He spoke about secrets, about how the world hides its own in the most unusual of ways, and about how those secrets change and transform while the world isn't looking. He didn't talk in circles, but he didn't talk in a straight line either, and at the end of it you were left with the irrevocable impression that something was in the wrong shape. Although you couldn't tell if it was the world, or yourself. (MOTH is the principle of unreason, secrecy and change. It understands chaos by understanding nothing at all and can only be learned by following your own whims. But inevitably, it leads you to where you truly desire to be.)
[] He spoke about the history of this world, and how it sometimes looks more like a knot than a straight line, and about how sometimes it even contradicts itself. It is a commonly held belief that the present can go towards many futures, but is it also possible for the present to be connected to many pasts? (SECRET HISTORIES is the principle of the world itself. It is the study and knowledge of the frailty of cause and effect, and of the secret places where more than one possibility took place.)
This quest is heavily inspired by BirdBodhisattva's own Cultist Simulater quest and I have taken text from that. You should go read that one, it's pretty amazing Esquestria: The House of the Sun - A pony cultist experience
But that's the thing, it was just an idea…
Is that really how things are? Does hard work really get you anywhere? It has been proven wrong once before. Good deeds and horrible acts can ascend somebody beyond what they were before. Alexandria and the car crash, Legend and the lynch mob, Eidolon, and the falling building—all of them have taken a step beyond the mortal through deeds that have emblazoned them across the minds of humanity.
The idea that hard work and good luck could improve your lot in life has been disproven, cast aside as a new parahumanity rose up. If that idea, that fact that dwelled in the marrow of this world for millennia could be disproven in a mere thirty years, couldn't other ideas be disproven as well.
Perhaps the idea that psychics as it is, facts laid down by greats from centuries past. Does flight not contest with Newton? Does conjuring lasers from your fingertips not disprove Einstein? The mere existence of these powers has shattered old facts and old sciences that were thought rock solid have been cast aside as new ideas rose to the forefront.
Those ideas are powerful things that have crept into the minds of humanity. This is an exception, they crow. Just because one thing is different doesn't mean anything else is different, they cry. Yet they are blind, dismissing anything greater. Even as they delve into parahumanity, their old ideas have grown roots in their souls, impossible to pull out.
However, those ideas are wrong, both old and new. There are older laws, older times than can be charted through soil, and powers older than a mere thirty years. You just have to open your eyes and step out of the shadows. The light may be merciless, but it also holds truth.
And just isn't that an idea?
You wake up, you can feel it in your bones. Something is going to happen today, something special. You can't help but think back, back to where this all began and how you got wrapped up in all of it.
It was a little over a year ago, December 31st, 2002. An angel had come down from the heavens and looked over the city of Lausanne. A song, a gentle melody from her lips, had crooned out and wrapped around the ears of everybody in the city.
People were wary, but as the day passed and nothing, they grew bold and brave. Parties were set up, congregations flocked to the streets to celebrate an angel of the lord, people arrived outside the city to peer upon her majesty.
Then she screamed, her former melody twisting as she twisted everybody inside the city. Within the day, everybody inside was dead or mad, and soon after, it was declared that the entire city would be walled off, left to die. You had left, departing from your home upon hearing that information, and found a bar, someplace to just have a drink and try to forget.
The bits and pieces of the story grew and coalesced as you sat there at the counter, drinking as you tried to forget the faces you saw in the cameras. Nobody truly knew what happened either; ideas and theories floated around, but none of them seemed to click.
"Why so glum?" a voice asked, and you looked up from your drink. A man had sat next to you with an easygoing smile on his face.
"An entire city died," you had replied, morse and not all that wanted to listen to this man. Perhaps you had a bit too much to drink, but you didn't just stand up and leave as your vision fuzzed; you sat there and listened instead as he spoke again.
"And things happen all the time. Why does this affect you so much?" he asked once again, his smile fading somewhat as he poked and prodded. Your vision blurred as you spoke once again.
"This is a change, it could have been something good and it was bad," you told him, this time your voice wasn't as calm. It was an angel who had drifted down from behind the clouds and sung to the people of that fine city. You had hoped this change, one among many would have been good. Yet the city was demented; they turned against each other because of that same person who sang for three days and nights.
"Ah, so it's the change that brought you down," he said, contentedness in his voice as he seemingly settled on the problem.
"No, no," you had told him, "It's that all these changes are bad. All these upheavals of the world just make things shitty," you had slurred. Looking back, you remembered how he had smiled, a coy small thing, as he leaned in closer to you.
"Are all changes bad, are all of these mysteries such an awful thing?" he had asked and for the first time you hadn't responded, he reached out and tapped your lips silencing you.
"Are all of these changes new or just a return to older times?" he asked once again as you finally looked up from his drink as he kept speaking, whatever he had seen inside of you resonating with the words he spoke.
What did he see inside you?
(This will choose the cult's primary principal of the cult you are joining. This cannot be changed without a monumental amount of time and effort. Your initial principal will align with your cults. However, that can be changed much more easily as you learn more about the world and its secrets.)
[] He spoke of this world, how many other worlds are known to exist, and the passageways between them. Figuratively between nations and literally when speaking of the other worlds that have been discovered. (KNOCK is the principle of openings, and of finding hidden passages and portals. It entails secrets that both locksmiths and burglars share, even if they do not realize it.)
[] He spoke about knowledge, and about how some realizations can be so shocking that normal people might even shy away from trying to discover them. He wondered aloud about how people could claim to know so much and yet not even be able to answer a question as simple as "From where do powers come from?" (LANTERN is the principle of knowledge and of its light that is both illuminating and unkind. It entails secrets that are held by oracles, even if they do not realize it, and scholars, even if they later regret it.)
[] He spoke about change, and its necessity. After all, it is not enough to keep a tool sharp for it to be useful, sometimes it is necessary to smelt it down and forge a new one. And about the fact that, surely, that must also hold true for greater principles. Perhaps even the world itself, no? (FORGE is the principle of transformation, fire and destruction, and of reshaping on all levels, be them physical or spiritual. It holds the secrets that both blacksmiths and rebels share deep down in their cores).
[] He spoke about conflict and how even in times of peace it is inevitable. Everything from competition between children, the daily clashing of life and even combat a burden being borne but the new parahumanity. But what rewards might be reaped from conflict, if it is so natural? (EDGE is the principle of violence and cunning, and of strengthening through confrontation, no matter what shape it takes. Its secrets are shared by soldiers and merchants, and any creature who sees itself as a predator.)
[] He spoke about life, and how it inevitably leads to death. About stories, and how they inevitably lead to endings. And how all of that was so very beautiful. But whenever you tried to recall his words, you realized he didn't speak much at all. (WINTER is the principle of endings, cold, beauty and silence. It encompasses all things that have already ended and waits patiently for all things that will end. But one knowledgeable on its ways might figure out how to work around endings, and perhaps death itself.)
[] He spoke about life, and its unceasing energy and continuity. About how all creatures seem to be dancing a grand dance in pace with the heartbeat of the world itself. Neither his words nor his smile stopped for even a moment, and during the whole conversation her fingers kept beating against the bar top. The rhythm was almost hypnotizing. (HEART is the principle of life, preservation and protection, as well as of the dance that must never cease. It is known, even if subconsciously, by any creature that knows happiness and perseverance in the face of adversity, and it is put into practice by dancers.)
[] He spoke about how dry and dull the world truly was, even if nobody was willing to admit it. About how nothing new is ever created by people, only maintained, and about how the world itself seems to have forgotten about what can be learned from the satisfaction of desire. Your eyes almost didn't leave his while she spoke, to the point where you almost didn't listen to what he was saying. (GRAIL is the principle of desire, seduction and thirst. It knows about all things succulent and treats both charisma and seduction as the most pleasant of tools.)
[] He spoke about secrets, about how the world hides its own in the most unusual of ways, and about how those secrets change and transform while the world isn't looking. He didn't talk in circles, but he didn't talk in a straight line either, and at the end of it you were left with the irrevocable impression that something was in the wrong shape. Although you couldn't tell if it was the world, or yourself. (MOTH is the principle of unreason, secrecy and change. It understands chaos by understanding nothing at all and can only be learned by following your own whims. But inevitably, it leads you to where you truly desire to be.)
[] He spoke about the history of this world, and how it sometimes looks more like a knot than a straight line, and about how sometimes it even contradicts itself. It is a commonly held belief that the present can go towards many futures, but is it also possible for the present to be connected to many pasts? (SECRET HISTORIES is the principle of the world itself. It is the study and knowledge of the frailty of cause and effect, and of the secret places where more than one possibility took place.)
This quest is heavily inspired by BirdBodhisattva's own Cultist Simulater quest and I have taken text from that. You should go read that one, it's pretty amazing Esquestria: The House of the Sun - A pony cultist experience
I have returned to Cultist Simulator after quite a long time and it has hooked me again. I also have read quite a few other combinations of Worm and that game. So I'd thought I'd try my hand at it. The basic premise is that you have been recruited into a cult about a year ago and just now are they starting to make moves. However just because your cult disagrees with how things are doesn't mean that your personal goals align, just that they do for now. This vote will be held upon for around a day and after that will be character creation.
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Character Sheet
New
Character Sheet
You are Michael Donovan...
Biographical information
But what does that mean?
You are Michael Donovan...
Biographical information
But what does that mean?
Name: Michael Donovan
Nationality: Polish
Age: Younger than the war, older than Parahumanity
Gender: Male
Appearance: A well dressed man with raven black hair. Sharp hazel eyes and a face that is thin like a knife.
Status
The body, the soul and, all the things in between
The body, the soul and, all the things in between
Mundane Status
| Status | Total | Base | Esoteric Bonus |
| Martial | 18 | 17 | +1 EDGE |
| Diplomacy | 9 | 8 | +1 GRAIL |
| Stewardship | 7 | 7 | None |
| Intrigue | 8 | 8 | None |
| Piety | 8 | 8 | None |
| Learning | 8 | 8 | None |
Current/Maximum Health: 4/4
Combat Bonus: +43 (+18 Martial, +5 Well Built, +5 Soldier Parents, +5 Heritage, +10 EDGE)
Current Funds: 444 (+100 Funds/Month)
Current Inventory:
Combat Gear: Weapons and armor, to kill and maim (+5 to personal combat when you initiate combat)
EDGE Level 3
"A roll of barbed quills the length of your forearm. When struck by them, the wound refuses to close until forced shut by a vast quantity of stitches and even then the wound weeps.
Appraised Cost: 200 Funds
Special properties: Wounds dealt with this artifact require two successes to heal. After dealing three wounds this artifact is expended.
EDGE Level 3
"A roll of barbed quills the length of your forearm. When struck by them, the wound refuses to close until forced shut by a vast quantity of stitches and even then the wound weeps.
Appraised Cost: 200 Funds
Special properties: Wounds dealt with this artifact require two successes to heal. After dealing three wounds this artifact is expended.
Esoteric Status:
KNOCK
LANTERN
FORGE
EDGE
WINTER
HEART
GRAIL
MOTH
SECRECT HISTORIES
Perks:
Gain access to the Mansus
+5 when attempting to open something
Gain access to the Mansus
+5 when attempting to open something
-Level 0: You understand that there are other Worlds, and secret paths between them. But the only one you know is the World in your dream, the Mansus, and perhaps that is the only World that matters. (Allows access to the Mansus)
-Level 1: Not every door is a wound, but every wound is a door. Things can be both opened and closed, you have learned how to tell the diffrence and just how to permit passage even when the door may want otherwise. (+5 when attempting to open something)
-Level 2: Progress: 0/2
-Level 1: Not every door is a wound, but every wound is a door. Things can be both opened and closed, you have learned how to tell the diffrence and just how to permit passage even when the door may want otherwise. (+5 when attempting to open something)
-Level 2: Progress: 0/2
LANTERN
Perks:
+1 when attempting to learn the secrets that are within an object
+1 when attempting to learn the secrets that are within an object
-Level 0: You know that there is more to knowledge than the simple sciences and magics known to mankind, and although you have no idea what it is you have been warned that it can easily blind the careless. (+1 when attempting to learn the secrets that are within an object)
-Level 1: Progress: 0/1
-Level 1: Progress: 0/1
FORGE
Perks:
+1 when attempting to destroy something
+1 when attempting to destroy something
-Level 0: You have heard that nothing is truly eternal, and yet nothing can be truly destroyed. While the true meaning of that still eludes you, you have heard that fire can whisper you the answer. (+1 when attempting to destroy something)
-Level 1: Progress: 0/1
-Level 1: Progress: 0/1
EDGE
Perks:
+10 to Personal Combat
+1 to Martial
+10 to Personal Combat
+1 to Martial
-Level 0: You have learned that conflict is not only inevitable, but also natural. There is a certain sobriety to be gained from that realization. (+1 to Personal Combat)
-Level 1: Combat is not merely to take, or to end, or to divide. It is not only cunning, or strength, or agony. But there is also no way to describe combat without being intimate with all of those. (Further +4 to Personal Combat)
-Level 2: Every person is a confluence of edges, scraping and clashing against each other to form a greater whole. You can see that and see your own edges, and just how that makes you the man you are today. You may just hate those edges. (Further +5 to Personal Combat, +1 to Martial)
-Level 3: Progress: 0/3
-Level 1: Combat is not merely to take, or to end, or to divide. It is not only cunning, or strength, or agony. But there is also no way to describe combat without being intimate with all of those. (Further +4 to Personal Combat)
-Level 2: Every person is a confluence of edges, scraping and clashing against each other to form a greater whole. You can see that and see your own edges, and just how that makes you the man you are today. You may just hate those edges. (Further +5 to Personal Combat, +1 to Martial)
-Level 3: Progress: 0/3
WINTER
Perks:
+5 when resisting things that would harm your mind)
+5 when resisting things that would harm your mind)
-Level 0: You know that death is not the end, although you know not how you came to learn that. (+1 when resisting things that would harm your mind)
-Level 1: There is something curious about stillness. When the air is still you have quiet, when the mind is still you have peace, but what might happen when the spirit is still? Whatever the answer is, you know that it must not be taught with words, for if the answer breaks the quiet then it is, by principle, incorrect. (Further +4 when resisting things that would harm your mind)
-Level 2: Progress: 0/2
-Level 1: There is something curious about stillness. When the air is still you have quiet, when the mind is still you have peace, but what might happen when the spirit is still? Whatever the answer is, you know that it must not be taught with words, for if the answer breaks the quiet then it is, by principle, incorrect. (Further +4 when resisting things that would harm your mind)
-Level 2: Progress: 0/2
HEART
Perks:
+5 when resisting things that would harm your body
+5 when resisting things that would harm your body
-Level 0: There is a dance that never ceases, and those who dance it cannot be ceased. You know it rhymes with heartbeats and rolls with the beating of drums, but apart from that you know nothing else. (+1 when resisting things that would harm your body)
-Level 1: You've danced that dance of life, the dance that never ceases, never stops. You know that as your heart thrums through your veins and pounds in your ears like thunderbolts that so long as you dance the world will dance with you. (Further +4 when resisting things that would harm your body)
-Level 2: Progress: 0/2
-Level 1: You've danced that dance of life, the dance that never ceases, never stops. You know that as your heart thrums through your veins and pounds in your ears like thunderbolts that so long as you dance the world will dance with you. (Further +4 when resisting things that would harm your body)
-Level 2: Progress: 0/2
GRAIL
Perks:
+10 when attempting to convince someone of something
+1 Diplomacy
+10 when attempting to convince someone of something
+1 Diplomacy
-Level 0: You have heard whispers that there is never any wrong in accepting one's own nature. Your rationality denied such a thing, and yet your body agreed. There might be some deeper knowledge to that. (+1 when attempting to convince someone of something)
-Level 1: You have supped of crimson blood, partaking in one of the worst crimes, minorly at least. You know now that their is power in such unspoken crimes, in the reddest of desires. (Further +4 when attempting to convince someone of something)
-Level 2: Desire is a painful thing, wanting so much can strain the heart, mind and soul. You know that pain will only provoke deeper desires as it settles and is stoked anew. (Further +5 when attempting to convince someone of something)
-Level 3: Progress: 0/3
-Level 1: You have supped of crimson blood, partaking in one of the worst crimes, minorly at least. You know now that their is power in such unspoken crimes, in the reddest of desires. (Further +4 when attempting to convince someone of something)
-Level 2: Desire is a painful thing, wanting so much can strain the heart, mind and soul. You know that pain will only provoke deeper desires as it settles and is stoked anew. (Further +5 when attempting to convince someone of something)
-Level 3: Progress: 0/3
MOTH
Perks:
+5 when attempting to evade someone, or when you do not want to be found
+5 when attempting to evade someone, or when you do not want to be found
-Level 0: Everything within our minds is a part of us, being something that was both made by us and something that makes us, even the parts we do not understand. What can be learned from them? (+1 when attempting to evade someone, or when you do not want to be found).
-Level 1: Chaos and yearning are two principals that everybody holds within them, that circle around humanity like buzzards. This chaos can be big or small, even something as simple as removing a lock of hair from your head is enough to have power. (Further +4 when attempting to evade someone, or when you do not want to be found).
-Level 2: Progress: 0/2
-Level 1: Chaos and yearning are two principals that everybody holds within them, that circle around humanity like buzzards. This chaos can be big or small, even something as simple as removing a lock of hair from your head is enough to have power. (Further +4 when attempting to evade someone, or when you do not want to be found).
-Level 2: Progress: 0/2
SECRECT HISTORIES
Perks:
+1 when attempting to find something
+1 when attempting to find something
-Level 0: You have been taught that the history of this world is neither an open book nor a strand of rope, and yet it is full of knots, and parts where it has been written over by scribbles. (+1 when attempting to find something)
-Level 1: Progress: 0/1
-Level 1: Progress: 0/1
Traits
Positive:
Well Built: You are robust and tower half a head over most people. (+2 Martial, +5 on tests that require physical strength, and personal combat)
Healthy: Your heart beats louder and your skin is more resilient. (+1 Health)
Negative:
Compromised: Something happened, you overstepped or just pure bad luck. Your cult bailed you out. (You have a personal debt to the master of your cult)
Well Built: You are robust and tower half a head over most people. (+2 Martial, +5 on tests that require physical strength, and personal combat)
Healthy: Your heart beats louder and your skin is more resilient. (+1 Health)
Negative:
Compromised: Something happened, you overstepped or just pure bad luck. Your cult bailed you out. (You have a personal debt to the master of your cult)
You cannot be denied, not without effort (+4 Martial +5 to Personal Combat, something stirs within)
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Contacts
New
Contacts
The who's who, and what's what
The who's who, and what's what
Everybody on this list follows the below rules
Regular contacts are classified as one of the following categories, in this specific order:
Acquaintance -> Friend -> Close Friend -> Confidante -> Minion
[Acquaintance]: Anybody you just met will immediately become an acquaintance. This is the first step of most relationships. And unless special narrative circumstances apply, you are reliably able to contact an acquaintance to further your relationship.
[Friend]: Interacting with an acquaintance under almost any circumstances, even if you do not spend an action to do so, will usually upgrade them into a friend.
You may invite a friend to participate in your actions through a "write-in" during the turning phase. But friends can deny those invitations, and they might interact (or even hinder) your planned action in an unpredictable way, depending on the narrative.
[Close Friend]: Spending time and effort (read: actions or funds) on a Friend may upgrade them to a Close Friend.
Close Friends can be relied to have your best interests in mind, and are honestly interested in helping you. They will not purposefully hinder an action that they are involved in, and will generally be more useful/willing to help as the narrative allows.
[Confidante]: A Close Friend can become a Confidante if you inspire loyalty, admiration, or a debt towards you. Usually after you perform an action of great personal relevance to them.
Confidantes are loyal to you. Their moral compasses are not altered, and they will not act in a way that is improbable or out of character. But other than that, they will follow your lead.
Confidantes provide one action point per turn for you to use.
[Minion]: A Minion is a character who is completely under your control. They are willing to kill, die, or perform any other action under your direction.
There are no socially acceptable ways to transform a Confidante into a Minion, and this tieris should be purely hypothetical.
Acquaintance -> Friend -> Close Friend -> Confidante -> Minion
[Acquaintance]: Anybody you just met will immediately become an acquaintance. This is the first step of most relationships. And unless special narrative circumstances apply, you are reliably able to contact an acquaintance to further your relationship.
[Friend]: Interacting with an acquaintance under almost any circumstances, even if you do not spend an action to do so, will usually upgrade them into a friend.
You may invite a friend to participate in your actions through a "write-in" during the turning phase. But friends can deny those invitations, and they might interact (or even hinder) your planned action in an unpredictable way, depending on the narrative.
[Close Friend]: Spending time and effort (read: actions or funds) on a Friend may upgrade them to a Close Friend.
Close Friends can be relied to have your best interests in mind, and are honestly interested in helping you. They will not purposefully hinder an action that they are involved in, and will generally be more useful/willing to help as the narrative allows.
[Confidante]: A Close Friend can become a Confidante if you inspire loyalty, admiration, or a debt towards you. Usually after you perform an action of great personal relevance to them.
Confidantes are loyal to you. Their moral compasses are not altered, and they will not act in a way that is improbable or out of character. But other than that, they will follow your lead.
Confidantes provide one action point per turn for you to use.
[Minion]: A Minion is a character who is completely under your control. They are willing to kill, die, or perform any other action under your direction.
There are no socially acceptable ways to transform a Confidante into a Minion, and this tier
Alicja
[SHE IS YOUR ENEMY]
-Lore [UNKOWN]
-Info: A woman a few years younger than you, she got caught up in some of your old business. She's made it her goal to track you down and ensure you pay.
Charlotte
-Level: [Acquaintance]
-Lore: [UNKOWN]
-Info: A perpetually smiling woman who is your secretary. She tends to care for the people around her, and doesn't like her help being refused. Although the two of you have reached an agreement of sorts regarding what help she gives you.
Fred
-Level: [Acquaintance]
-Lore: [UNKOWN]
-Info: The head of PR in Houston, and a bit of a portly man. He's jovial and does his job with scary competence, although you don't know much else about him.
Director Carol
-Level: [Acquaintance]
-Lore: [UNKOWN]
-Info: Your direct boss, a stern and unrelating woman who has shaped the Houston Protectorate around her. She tends to recruit strong personalities with a long past and ensures they work for the good of the Protectorate to quite good succuss.
William (Dispatch)
-Level: [Friend]
-Lore: [UNKOWN]
-Info: A new transfer to Houston with the ability to create bubbles of sped up time he has a chip on his shoulder and a disregard for authority. However he's willing to work under you and likes you despite being a quote "Stick in the mud spook"
-Level: [Acquaintance]
-Lore: [UNKOWN]
-Info: A perpetually smiling woman who is your secretary. She tends to care for the people around her, and doesn't like her help being refused. Although the two of you have reached an agreement of sorts regarding what help she gives you.
Fred
-Level: [Acquaintance]
-Lore: [UNKOWN]
-Info: The head of PR in Houston, and a bit of a portly man. He's jovial and does his job with scary competence, although you don't know much else about him.
Director Carol
-Level: [Acquaintance]
-Lore: [UNKOWN]
-Info: Your direct boss, a stern and unrelating woman who has shaped the Houston Protectorate around her. She tends to recruit strong personalities with a long past and ensures they work for the good of the Protectorate to quite good succuss.
William (Dispatch)
-Level: [Friend]
-Lore: [UNKOWN]
-Info: A new transfer to Houston with the ability to create bubbles of sped up time he has a chip on his shoulder and a disregard for authority. However he's willing to work under you and likes you despite being a quote "Stick in the mud spook"
The Master
-Lores: [WINTER] [EDGE]
-Info: A young waif of a girl, with flowers woven into her hair. She walks silently and speaks rarely but when she does you feel you heart freeze over and the pain of total unmaking. You have a debt to her, one she will call upon at some point.
Anatoly Ivanov
-Level: [Acquaintance]
-Lores: [UNKOWN]
-Info: An older Russian man, he speaks little and seems to prefer paperwork to people. Yet he is the closer to the Master.
Ai Hayashi
-Level: [Acquaintance]
-Lores: [UNKOWN]
-Info: A quiet yet playful woman from the east.
Jane Doe
-Level: [Acquaintance]
-Lores: [UNKOWN]
-Info: A woman with a clear fake name who enjoys talking.
Arch
-Level: [Close Friend]
-Lores: [LANTERN] [UNKOWN]
-Info: A smarmy and well dressed British man who doesn't know when to stop digging. He's quite smart and prone to obsessions in his chosen field of mathematics, however despite never voicing it he is thankful for your aid.
Combatants
-Bonuses: +6 to personal combat
-Info: The fighters, the folks who can carry a bat or shot a gun. They have been trained in the basics of Edge
Politicians
-Bonuses: +6 to some political or high class Actions
-Info: The wealthy and bureaucratic elite who run the city. the more eccentric have been lured into the cult with honeyed words.
Followers
-Bonuses: +1 on tests that require physical strength, and personal combat. +4 to a some Actions
-Info: The nameless people who make up the base of your cult, not practically skilled in much but useful nonetheless
-Lores: [WINTER] [EDGE]
-Info: A young waif of a girl, with flowers woven into her hair. She walks silently and speaks rarely but when she does you feel you heart freeze over and the pain of total unmaking. You have a debt to her, one she will call upon at some point.
Anatoly Ivanov
-Level: [Acquaintance]
-Lores: [UNKOWN]
-Info: An older Russian man, he speaks little and seems to prefer paperwork to people. Yet he is the closer to the Master.
Ai Hayashi
-Level: [Acquaintance]
-Lores: [UNKOWN]
-Info: A quiet yet playful woman from the east.
Jane Doe
-Level: [Acquaintance]
-Lores: [UNKOWN]
-Info: A woman with a clear fake name who enjoys talking.
Arch
-Level: [Close Friend]
-Lores: [LANTERN] [UNKOWN]
-Info: A smarmy and well dressed British man who doesn't know when to stop digging. He's quite smart and prone to obsessions in his chosen field of mathematics, however despite never voicing it he is thankful for your aid.
Combatants
-Bonuses: +6 to personal combat
-Info: The fighters, the folks who can carry a bat or shot a gun. They have been trained in the basics of Edge
Politicians
-Bonuses: +6 to some political or high class Actions
-Info: The wealthy and bureaucratic elite who run the city. the more eccentric have been lured into the cult with honeyed words.
Followers
-Bonuses: +1 on tests that require physical strength, and personal combat. +4 to a some Actions
-Info: The nameless people who make up the base of your cult, not practically skilled in much but useful nonetheless
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The Battered Grimoire
New
The Battered Grimoire
Rites, Rituals and the Things that use them
Rites, Rituals and the Things that use them
LORES
Knowledge is a a measure in how well you understand it, or how much of its power you carry
-Your Knowledge bonus is always your Lore level times 10, or the level of your strongest Aspect-related Artifact available times 10
-Your Knowledge bonus is applied to surpass hurdles in the Mansus (something blocking your in the Mansus, a Mansus-borne curse, etc)
-Your Knowledge bonus is also applied when performing Rituals
Application is how well you can practically use your understanding
-You gain character bonuses, such as to combat or convicting depending on your Lore level
-These bonuses are applied to "broadly described" tests, and even in unexpected niche circumstances if the narrative allows it.
-Carrying an artifact, even if it is stronger than your personal Lore level, will NOT influence or boost your Application bonus.
-Your Knowledge bonus is always your Lore level times 10, or the level of your strongest Aspect-related Artifact available times 10
-Your Knowledge bonus is applied to surpass hurdles in the Mansus (something blocking your in the Mansus, a Mansus-borne curse, etc)
-Your Knowledge bonus is also applied when performing Rituals
Application is how well you can practically use your understanding
-You gain character bonuses, such as to combat or convicting depending on your Lore level
-These bonuses are applied to "broadly described" tests, and even in unexpected niche circumstances if the narrative allows it.
-Carrying an artifact, even if it is stronger than your personal Lore level, will NOT influence or boost your Application bonus.
-Level 0, an entry point: you gain +1 on specific tests.
-Level 1, a subtle hint: you gain +5 on specific tests.
Improving Lore
You gain a scrap of Lore by either learning or going through a certain experience.
You can only gain scraps from a source that is your Lore level or greater, if you are level 4 for example you cannot gain any scraps from a level 1 source. In addition you may have to pass a test to properly learn from the experience.
The rules for learning from books follow the bellow
You can only gain scraps from a source that is your Lore level or greater, if you are level 4 for example you cannot gain any scraps from a level 1 source. In addition you may have to pass a test to properly learn from the experience.
The rules for learning from books follow the bellow
Study in general
-You only gain scraps if the source is equal or higher to your current level
-You gain an additional scrap for every 2 levels the source is above yours. So if you are level 1 and study a level 3 book you'll gain 2 scraps.
Reading a book
-You roll against a DC of 50, using Learning and Lantern gaining a scrap of Lore on a success
-The book will not be destroyed on a failure, you have merely failed to learn from it
Deciphering a book
-You must fill the progress bar of the book, using Learning and Lantern
-Upon completion the book is read and you will gain a scrap of Lore, additional effects may vary
Studying an Artifact
-You roll against a DC of (50+10 per Lore level), using Learning and Lantern
-This will determine it's effects, if it's cursed or otherwise dangerous to use.
-Upon completion you will gain a scrap of Lore
-You only gain scraps if the source is equal or higher to your current level
-You gain an additional scrap for every 2 levels the source is above yours. So if you are level 1 and study a level 3 book you'll gain 2 scraps.
Reading a book
-You roll against a DC of 50, using Learning and Lantern gaining a scrap of Lore on a success
-The book will not be destroyed on a failure, you have merely failed to learn from it
Deciphering a book
-You must fill the progress bar of the book, using Learning and Lantern
-Upon completion the book is read and you will gain a scrap of Lore, additional effects may vary
Studying an Artifact
-You roll against a DC of (50+10 per Lore level), using Learning and Lantern
-This will determine it's effects, if it's cursed or otherwise dangerous to use.
-Upon completion you will gain a scrap of Lore
Influences
Influences give both a Knowledge and Application bonus of +10, +20, +30, +40.
These bonuses apply to every roll except for ritual rolls, which are too delicate for the overbearing nature of influences to apply
These bonuses apply to every roll except for ritual rolls, which are too delicate for the overbearing nature of influences to apply
Rituals
Rituals require you passing a few DC's, using the respective Lore. You can boost your roll via sacrifices as shown below.
LIFE
Humans: ???
Others: ???
"Blood is the price, always"
ARTIFACT
Destroy an Artifact, it's level (times 10) will apply to the roll
"Break it, burn it, call upon it's nature in a single ending"
REAGENTS
Consume an Reagent, it's level (times 10) will apply to the roll
"Everything ends, this one was designed to do so quickly"
Humans: ???
Others: ???
"Blood is the price, always"
ARTIFACT
Destroy an Artifact, it's level (times 10) will apply to the roll
"Break it, burn it, call upon it's nature in a single ending"
REAGENTS
Consume an Reagent, it's level (times 10) will apply to the roll
"Everything ends, this one was designed to do so quickly"
Single Circle Rituals
"An overbearing focus, for when delicacy is not needed. It draws attention to us so that it may be wielded"
This Ritual Circle cannot accept sacrifices
The Attention of the Laws
DC: None
Cost: None
Duration: Until the end of the Turn
Effect: Pick a single Lore and double its Application Bonus for a single action. You cannot stack this effect on the same Lore, however you can cast it multiple times on different Lores.
DC: None
Cost: None
Duration: Until the end of the Turn
Effect: Pick a single Lore and double its Application Bonus for a single action. You cannot stack this effect on the same Lore, however you can cast it multiple times on different Lores.
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Expeditions
New
Expedition Planning
Expedition Rules:
-You choose to undertake an Expedition when planning your Turn. Later a specific vote will be opened to decided the specifics, such as the leader, artifacts to bring and such.
-Summoned Creatures, Confidents and above and you. If you are not there one of them will be the leader.
There are three levels of Expeditions, as seen below.
-All Expeditions require you to spend a certain amount of Funds per day per creature. You must have this amount before you set out. The formula for the amount is (Number of creatures going X Expected duration X base cost)
-If it is completed before spending all the Funds the excess are refunded. If they spend more time than expected a vote will be held to continue or turn back.
Available Wake Expeditions
Mansus Expeditions
-Only a single may be attempted each Turn.
-You cannot bring anybody else along
-They will always be near the end of the Turn.
-They only cost a single Action as they take place in dreams
Available Mansus Expeditions
Expedition Rules:
-You choose to undertake an Expedition when planning your Turn. Later a specific vote will be opened to decided the specifics, such as the leader, artifacts to bring and such.
-Summoned Creatures, Confidents and above and you. If you are not there one of them will be the leader.
There are three levels of Expeditions, as seen below.
Expedition Type | Leader Actions required | Confidante/Summon required | Expected duration |
Short | 1 | Free | 5 Days |
Medium | 2 | 1 | 10 Days |
Long | 3 | 2 | 15 Days |
-All Expeditions require you to spend a certain amount of Funds per day per creature. You must have this amount before you set out. The formula for the amount is (Number of creatures going X Expected duration X base cost)
-If it is completed before spending all the Funds the excess are refunded. If they spend more time than expected a vote will be held to continue or turn back.
-An expedition is a sequence of hurdles that must be defeated, which can range from a mundane forest to an esoteric curse.
-A single "hurdle" will be faced per day, and generally there are less hurdles than there will be days set for an expedition (leaving some room, however small, for failure). If the expedition fails to surpass the hurdle, they will try again on the next day, until they run out of resources.
-A hurdle will always be countered by one (or more) kinds of Lore. This will not be a use of "Application" or "Knowledge" bonus. Instead, the total sum of the Lore level, across all creatures involved, will be used. Regardless if that Lore level is innate from a creature, or due to an equipped artifact.
-A hurdle will have a specific DC. The creature who has the highest "base" advantage against it will roll against the hurdle, and ALL creatures who have Lore levels on the requisite Lore will help.
--Artifacts taken will be "wielded" by a single creature. So, if a creature with Heart 2 is going alone on an expedition, and he takes a Heart 3 artifact, he will be treated as if he had Heart 3. If another creature with no Heart levels join him, that new creature will wield the artifact instead to "optimize" their total Heart level.
-Combat hurdles will begin a regular combat.
-A single "hurdle" will be faced per day, and generally there are less hurdles than there will be days set for an expedition (leaving some room, however small, for failure). If the expedition fails to surpass the hurdle, they will try again on the next day, until they run out of resources.
-A hurdle will always be countered by one (or more) kinds of Lore. This will not be a use of "Application" or "Knowledge" bonus. Instead, the total sum of the Lore level, across all creatures involved, will be used. Regardless if that Lore level is innate from a creature, or due to an equipped artifact.
-A hurdle will have a specific DC. The creature who has the highest "base" advantage against it will roll against the hurdle, and ALL creatures who have Lore levels on the requisite Lore will help.
--Artifacts taken will be "wielded" by a single creature. So, if a creature with Heart 2 is going alone on an expedition, and he takes a Heart 3 artifact, he will be treated as if he had Heart 3. If another creature with no Heart levels join him, that new creature will wield the artifact instead to "optimize" their total Heart level.
-Combat hurdles will begin a regular combat.
Available Wake Expeditions
Location: You do not need a specific location, but you must suspect where your enemy is.
Difficulty: Variable
Expected Actions: 1 (Short Expedition)
Base cost: 5 Funds
Difficulty: Variable
Expected Actions: 1 (Short Expedition)
Base cost: 5 Funds
Mansus Expeditions
-Only a single may be attempted each Turn.
-You cannot bring anybody else along
-They will always be near the end of the Turn.
-They only cost a single Action as they take place in dreams
Available Mansus Expeditions
Location: The Woods
Difficulty: Unknown, at least a red liquid flecked with gold to be overcome by immersing in greater wants or fought off with stoicism
Difficulty: Unknown, at least a red liquid flecked with gold to be overcome by immersing in greater wants or fought off with stoicism
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Vote Closed
New
Winning Vote:
[X] He spoke about life, and how it inevitably leads to death. About stories, and how they inevitably lead to endings. And how all of that was so very beautiful. But whenever you tried to recall his words, you realized he didn't speak much at all. (WINTER is the principle of endings, cold, beauty and silence. It encompasses all things that have already ended and waits patiently for all things that will end. But one knowledgeable on its ways might figure out how to work around endings, and perhaps death itself.)
[X] He spoke about life, and how it inevitably leads to death. About stories, and how they inevitably lead to endings. And how all of that was so very beautiful. But whenever you tried to recall his words, you realized he didn't speak much at all. (WINTER is the principle of endings, cold, beauty and silence. It encompasses all things that have already ended and waits patiently for all things that will end. But one knowledgeable on its ways might figure out how to work around endings, and perhaps death itself.)
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Character Creation
New
[X] He spoke about life, and how it inevitably leads to death. About stories, and how they inevitably lead to endings. And how all of that was so very beautiful. But whenever you tried to recall his words, you realized he didn't speak much at all. (WINTER is the principle of endings, cold, beauty and silence. It encompasses all things that have already ended and waits patiently for all things that will end. But one knowledgeable on its ways might figure out how to work around endings, and perhaps death itself.)
That was how everything had started, a conversation in a bar and a few words that drew you in. That's why you were waking up early today, heading out to go to a cult meeting when you normally would be sleeping in.
Being part of a cult had been strange. The words had stuck in the back of your throat. It didn't feel like a cult; you didn't worship the Endbringers like the most well-known cult.
In the end, though, you accepted that title; in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man was king. Yet that man who saw would be decried as a heretic. So a cult you were, and you were content with that.
However that's not all that you were, washing your face in water you look up and into a mirror.
What do you see? Vote by plan
[] Name (Write in)
[] Male
[] Female
[] Appearance (Write in or image)
You currently live in the United States, but did you always live here?
[] What country are you from? (Write in, +2 to a stat and +1 to a different stat of your choice)
You have four coins. Everything costs a coin unless stated otherwise
[] Well Built: You are robust and tower half a head over most people. (+2 Martial, +5 on tests that require physical strength, and personal combat)
[] Beautiful: Heads turn when you walk past them and you are well versed in using that. (+2 Intrigue, +5 when trying to seduce other creatures, or just be pleasant)
[] Silver Tongued: Complicated words to impress the simple minded, complicated arguments to impress the wise. You know well how to weave them. (+3 to Diplomacy)
[] Attentive to Details: You have a spreadsheet for your finances and your wallet thanks you. (+2 Stewardship, +5 when negotiating a commercial deal)
[] Well Read: You are fond of libraries and the smell of well worn books. (+2 Learning, +5 when attempting to decipher or learn from books and texts)
[] Healthy: Your heart beats louder and your skin is more resilient. (+1 Health)
[] Naturally Talented: You are just a bit faster, a bit sharper and a bit more well built. Some people are simply better. (+1 to all stats) Costs two coins
Your parents? (This gives you a few contacts you can call upon as well as your backstory) Pick one
[] Normal folk: The lifeblood of the world, people who live and die without doing much, without meaning much. Yet they raised you as well as they could and love you. (Default) Costs zero coins
[] Soldiers: Nobody fancy, just grunts who fought in wars across the globe. Yet they have imparted those lessons on you, through rigorous physical exercise. (+2 Martial, +5 personal combat, -1 Stewardship)
[] Librarians: Those who keep text and ensure words never die. Books were always scattered about the house. They've imparted the most basic lesson, how to learn. (+2 Learning, +1 Intrigue, -1 Martial)
[] Merchants: The give and take of goods, people who always got the best deal and their customers walked away happy. They've taught you how to do that, and always get an extra bit of cash. (+2 Stewardship, +1 Diplomacy, -1 Intrigue)
[] Travelers: Vagabonds, people who wander the world with nothing more than the items on their backs. You've been taught tricks and tips, even the more illegal ones. (+2 Intrigue, +1 Diplomacy, -1 Learning)
[] Old Money: You never wanted for anything, as the red carpet for life was rolled out for you.. Your parents never taught you much, they were never around after all. (Start out with a well paying job, good contacts and servants to perform a single free action each turn) Costs two coins
A major event in your life?
[] You were promoted: Lieutenant, not soldier. Manager, not clerk. There is a hierarchy in this world, and you climbed a step through hard work, not birthright (Start with a better paying job, albeit more demanding. You will have better access to what your cult is after)
[] You left society: More mundane and stable society, you fled from that for some time. It has scarred you, both in your mentality and in what you hold close. (+1 Martial. Start with weapons and combat gear)
[] Overperformed at work: A heroic deed, a failure into a success. Whatever happened you reached above your station and have been rewarded. (Start with two months worth of funds)
[] Helped bust a gang operation: A bit of eavesdropping turned into proper stalking and before you knew it you had a case on your hands. (+1 Intrigue, start with contacts in local law enforcement)
[] You realized you're well liked: The folks around you gather and hang on to your every word, you're a local informal leader. (+1 Diplomacy, start with a good relationship with the locals)
[] You forged connections with suppliers: The people who keep the city running, shipers, truckers and many more. (+1 to Stewardship, start with contacts among merchants)
[] You graduated: A rarity among most, despite the importance placed on it. You also met a few fellow scholars. (+1 to learning, start with contacts among scholars)
And the complications?
[] Married: You have a spouse and a wonderful daughter, they demand your attention and time. If something were to happen to them you don't know what you would do (+1 coin)
[] Addicted: There is something you adore, something you just can't go without. (Reduce personal income by a quarter, +1 coin)
[] Frightened: Trauma, or a weakness that you were born with? It doesn't quite matter as you're simply weaker than most. (-10 to Personal Combat, +1 coin)
[] Scarred: You survived, but not untouched. (-1 Health, +1 coin)
[] Enemies: There is somebody out there, this somebody has a bone to pick with you. (You start with an enemy, +1 coin)
[] Compromised: Something happened, you overstepped or just pure bad luck. Your cult bailed you out. (You have a personal debt to the master of your cult, +2 coins)
When you look in the mirror you see something else, noticeable not with a first glance, but with a second. (Replaces the nationality stat bonuses, you can only take one, costs two coins)
[] Your heart beats louder, audible to those who care to listen (+2 Health, +5 when resisting things that would harm your body, other effects to be shown with time)
[] Your skin is flush, it always is (+4 Diplomacy, +5 when trying to convince somebody of something, other effects will be revealed with time)
[] You cannot be denied, not without effort (+4 Martial +5 to Personal Combat, other effects will be revealed with time)
[] Your fingers are long, nimble, and triple jointed (+4 Intrigue, +5 when attempting to open something, other effects will be revealed with time)
[] Your skin is inhumanly pale, when you exhale mist emerges (+4 Stewardship, +5 when resisting things that would harm your mind, other effects will be revealed with time)
[] Your eyes glow slightly, only seen on the darkest nights (+4 Learning, +5 to learn the secrets that are within an object)
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Vote Closed
New
Winning Vote:
[X] We recruited John Wick. Apparently.
-[X] Michael Donovan
-[X] Male
-[X] Polish
-[X] A well dressed man with raven black hair. Sharp hazel eyes and a face that is thin like a knife.
-[X] Well Built: You are robust and tower half a head over most people. (+2 Martial, +5 on tests that require physical strength, and personal combat)
-[X] Healthy: Your heart beats louder and your skin is more resilient. (+1 Health)
-[X] Soldiers: Nobody fancy, just grunts who fought in wars across the globe. Yet they have imparted those lessons on you, through rigorous physical exercise. (+2 Martial, +5 personal combat, -1 Stewardship)
-[X] You were promoted: Lieutenant, not soldier. Manager, not clerk. There is a hierarchy in this world, and you climbed a step through hard work, not birthright (Start with a better paying job, albeit more demanding. You will have better access to what your cult is after)
-[X] You left society: More mundane and stable society, you fled from that for some time. It has scarred you, both in your mentality and in what you hold close. (+1 Martial. Start with weapons and combat gear)
-[X] Compromised: Something happened, you overstepped or just pure bad luck. Your cult bailed you out. (You have a personal debt to the master of your cult, +2 coins)
-[X] Enemies: There is somebody out there, this somebody has a bone to pick with you. (You start with an enemy, +1 coin)
-[X] You cannot be denied, not without effort (+4 Martial +5 to Personal Combat, other effects will be revealed with time)
[X] We recruited John Wick. Apparently.
-[X] Michael Donovan
-[X] Male
-[X] Polish
-[X] A well dressed man with raven black hair. Sharp hazel eyes and a face that is thin like a knife.
-[X] Well Built: You are robust and tower half a head over most people. (+2 Martial, +5 on tests that require physical strength, and personal combat)
-[X] Healthy: Your heart beats louder and your skin is more resilient. (+1 Health)
-[X] Soldiers: Nobody fancy, just grunts who fought in wars across the globe. Yet they have imparted those lessons on you, through rigorous physical exercise. (+2 Martial, +5 personal combat, -1 Stewardship)
-[X] You were promoted: Lieutenant, not soldier. Manager, not clerk. There is a hierarchy in this world, and you climbed a step through hard work, not birthright (Start with a better paying job, albeit more demanding. You will have better access to what your cult is after)
-[X] You left society: More mundane and stable society, you fled from that for some time. It has scarred you, both in your mentality and in what you hold close. (+1 Martial. Start with weapons and combat gear)
-[X] Compromised: Something happened, you overstepped or just pure bad luck. Your cult bailed you out. (You have a personal debt to the master of your cult, +2 coins)
-[X] Enemies: There is somebody out there, this somebody has a bone to pick with you. (You start with an enemy, +1 coin)
-[X] You cannot be denied, not without effort (+4 Martial +5 to Personal Combat, other effects will be revealed with time)
The Cult
New
[X] We recruited John Wick. Apparently.
-[X] Michael Donovan
-[X] Male
-[X] Polish
-[X] A well dressed man with raven black hair. Sharp hazel eyes and a face that is thin like a knife.
-[X] Well Built: You are robust and tower half a head over most people. (+2 Martial, +5 on tests that require physical strength, and personal combat)
-[X] Healthy: Your heart beats louder and your skin is more resilient. (+1 Health)
-[X] Soldiers: Nobody fancy, just grunts who fought in wars across the globe. Yet they have imparted those lessons on you, through rigorous physical exercise. (+2 Martial, +5 personal combat, -1 Stewardship)
-[X] You were promoted: Lieutenant, not soldier. Manager, not clerk. There is a hierarchy in this world, and you climbed a step through hard work, not birthright (Start with a better paying job, albeit more demanding. You will have better access to what your cult is after)
-[X] You left society: More mundane and stable society, you fled from that for some time. It has scarred you, both in your mentality and in what you hold close. (+1 Martial. Start with weapons and combat gear)
-[X] Compromised: Something happened, you overstepped or just pure bad luck. Your cult bailed you out. (You have a personal debt to the master of your cult, +2 coins)
-[X] Enemies: There is somebody out there, this somebody has a bone to pick with you. (You start with an enemy, +1 coin)
-[X] You cannot be denied, not without effort (+4 Martial +5 to Personal Combat, other effects will be revealed with time)
-[X] Michael Donovan
-[X] Male
-[X] Polish
-[X] A well dressed man with raven black hair. Sharp hazel eyes and a face that is thin like a knife.
-[X] Well Built: You are robust and tower half a head over most people. (+2 Martial, +5 on tests that require physical strength, and personal combat)
-[X] Healthy: Your heart beats louder and your skin is more resilient. (+1 Health)
-[X] Soldiers: Nobody fancy, just grunts who fought in wars across the globe. Yet they have imparted those lessons on you, through rigorous physical exercise. (+2 Martial, +5 personal combat, -1 Stewardship)
-[X] You were promoted: Lieutenant, not soldier. Manager, not clerk. There is a hierarchy in this world, and you climbed a step through hard work, not birthright (Start with a better paying job, albeit more demanding. You will have better access to what your cult is after)
-[X] You left society: More mundane and stable society, you fled from that for some time. It has scarred you, both in your mentality and in what you hold close. (+1 Martial. Start with weapons and combat gear)
-[X] Compromised: Something happened, you overstepped or just pure bad luck. Your cult bailed you out. (You have a personal debt to the master of your cult, +2 coins)
-[X] Enemies: There is somebody out there, this somebody has a bone to pick with you. (You start with an enemy, +1 coin)
-[X] You cannot be denied, not without effort (+4 Martial +5 to Personal Combat, other effects will be revealed with time)
Michael Donovan, a Polish immigrant. That is who you were. There were other things, like the debt you owed to your Master and your enemy, who possibly has been chasing you from Poland. That doesn't matter, though. The man in the mirror is you, and you have business to attend to, but first, you need to get cleaned up.
You showered and scrubbed yourself clean before combing your hair. You then got dressed in a nice suit. Your job ensures you have the funds to do so, so you make sure the suit is tailored to your size. You then return to the mirror, checking yourself over.
No problems, which means it's time to head out.
The streets are empty this early morning, and the sun has yet to rise. However, there's a calm, peacefulness to this time, where nothing happens, and a cold chill permeates the air. It reminds you faintly of home, before the riots and before the chaos.
Your thoughts are put aside as you arrive. It's a small bar, like the one you got drunk in last year and were recruited in. However, this one has back rooms and a place for the young woman who leads you. You shiver as your thoughts trail across her. Even in your memories, she's harsh and all jagged edges.
You looked around, making sure that nobody was looking. No one is, not this early in the morning. So you step inside, pushing past the closed sign. Inside, the bar is empty, like any bar would be when closed. The man who's behind the counter is very much not like a closed bar, but your lips quirked up the smallest bit at seeing him.
"Morning," he said as he nodded, his voice quiet. You knew that getting much more than that out of him would be hard. You knew he was Russian only because of his accent and the few drinks you had shared. However, he had managed to recruit you with only a few words, so he knew when to make them count.
"Where are the others?" you asked. He jerked his head upstairs as his hands moved to mix something, perhaps a drink. You nodded back, and no more words had to be shared as you made your way upstairs.
The temperature seemed to drop, and you felt like some part of you was chafing raw, but you ignored it. Your Master had that effect on you, but you were the shough sort, half a head taller than most and more hearty to boot. You weren't going to be afraid of a little chill, even if a part of you wanted to flee. You ignored that part and instead kept climbing the stairs, soon arriving at the place where people slept.
This bar wasn't officially a bed and breakfast; in fact, most of the accommodations were very bare. However, it would suffice for people who had to travel and couldn't find a place to stay, such as Arch.
"Good morning; how are you doing?"
Speaking of the devil, standing across from you in his tweed suit and with a smarmy smile on his face was Arch. You knew he didn't mean ill, but he poked and prodded far past anybody should, and he didn't seem to know restraint.
"Fine," you replied, a single-word answer that would tell most others not to continue, but Arch didn't catch that or just didn't care.
"Wonderful. If I may ask, where did you get that suit? I've been looking for a tailor, and I just can't find one…"
He blathered on and on, but you ignored him as you stepped into the meeting space. This was the one room you knew was completely bare. The only thing here were the boards that made up the room, and even as your feet stepped on the ground, you were always surprised there wasn't slick frost.
"Sup," the figure by the window said, giving you a faint salute with her hand. You nodded back. That was Jane Doe, not her real name, of course, but that was the one she had given. You didn't know what she was running from, but she was competent and had solved quite a few problems for the cult before they had even begun. You weren't going to prod, something Arch didn't seem to guess, given he strolled over with a smile and started talking to her.
It was amusing. Arch was harmless if annoying, so seeing Jane run circles around him verbally was good fun. You settled on the ground; chairs weren't a thing during the meeting. Anatoly had informed you that the first time you had met the Master, it was, in fact, because of her that this room was bare.
"Good morning, Mr. Donovan," a soft, accented voice said from behind you. You started, turning around before relaxing slightly as it was only Ai. She was also an immigrant; in fact, most of the people in this inner circle were. You weren't sure where she was from. She blended in well and had already adapted quite well to American culture. If it wasn't due to that faint twinge in her voice you debuted, you would be able to tell that.
She settled on the ground next to you, her dress gathered around her silently like how she moved. There was one thing you were sure about, she had some sort of training. You weren't sure what kind of training, but the way she moved reminded you of your family's horror stories about people who would sneak into your camp in the middle of the night to ensure a few folks didn't wake up.
However, Ai was an inner member of the cult, trusted where only four others were, so you let that matter settle. You sat and waited, hearing Arch and Jane go back and forth before the faint footsteps of the last member started up the stairs.
"Well, I suppose that'll be all," Jane remarked as she slid off the window sill and settled onto the ground. Arch did the same, albeit with a bit more groaning as he forced his body away from the natural posture of bent over a desk. Your lips quirked up at that, although your very small smile faded as Anatoly stepped into the room.
"The Master will arrive shortly," he stated as she sat down, his voice soft and curt as always.
You wait, breathing in and out as silence claims the room. You didn't speak as the air grew cold, as it seemed frost should cover the window but didn't, as a faint part of you, that part of you that spoke of survival, wanted to flee. Each of you had buried that part of you, content in the knowledge you wouldn't be the one harmed while in this room.
"I see you've arrived," a girl's voice said as she stepped out from the secret door. You made sure to keep breathing, not speaking, but you could feel your heart beating slightly faster as the Master approached.
She was a young girl with flowers tied in her hair. She wore a simple white dress, almost a funerary gown if one was sewn for a girl no older than nine. However, it only took one look into her eyes to see that she was no girl. A cold flame burned in them, a fire that wanted to unmake but was held back, and you didn't know by what. What you did know was that this waif of a girl could kill everybody in this room, but she didn't.
"There is much we could not do, but doors have been unmade, and so there is an opportunity," she stated, her voice clawing at your ears as she spoke. However, you did know. You remember what had been floated by the last time you had met and what the cult had learned.
What is the cult's primary goal?
[] To Shatter the Pot: A group has formed, lurking about behind the world, and they move people like chess pieces. Cauldron they are called and they must be ended, unmade and torn apart before they freeze the world in their cold grip.
Main Objective: Destroy Cauldron. This conspiracy is an unacceptable stasis.
Secondary Objective: Shatter Cauldron. If they cannot be ended, they will be broken, never to pick up their broken pieces.
[] Endings in Threes: Three beasts have emerged, and who knows how many more will continue to steam out. They have burnt down cities and driven a new one mad. This kind of unmaking is unacceptable. They must be unmade in turn.
Main Objective: Destroy the Endbringers. Destruction is not theirs to claim.
Secondary Objective: Learn what created the Endbringers. Their creation must be known, so it can be stopped.
[] Remember What Was: Something has changed, although you're not sure what. The world has twisted on an axis and you must remember what happened before and just what caused it.
Main Objective: Discover and record just what caused the Injunction. The old ways must be remembered.
Secondary Objective: Ensure that somebody will know the barest fragments of the truth. If they will not be remembered they can be grieved.
She then leaves, departing back to her room behind the secret door. You then breathe out, your heart slowing back down now that she is not there. You slowly rise, moving towards the exit, only for Jane Doe to stop you.
"One quick thing. Mind if we walk and talk?" she asks, yet she is already walking. You follow behind, waiting to see what she has to say.
"I did manage to get your things in order," she tells you. Although that really should be Anatoly's job," she grumbles good-naturedly. You nod. You had requested some help from the older man in setting up for your role in the cult.
What is your role in the cult?
[] Martial: Keeping of the arms and armor, ensuring that when violence is called for it will be answered.
[] Diplomacy: Talking to folks, smoothing over issues and making sure that everybody gets what they want.
[] Stewardship: Checking the purse strings, keeping things in the black, ensuring that some things can just be bought.
[] Intrigue: Keeping an ear to the ground and ensuring that toes aren't stepped on, parahuman or otherwise.
[] Learning: Writing manuscripts and learning of the Lores, keeping the library well stocked and full of information.
After checking and ensuring everything was in order you departed, heading back to your house. You do have a job to get to, and being a contractor in the PRT means your hours are long, albeit well paid.
Nonetheless, you won't be late. This cult business has been and will be on the side, on weekends and between work hours. That may change with time, but until then, you have a job, one that you will not shirk.
All Lore is now level Zero.
Winter lore is now level One.
The character sheet will be up shortly.
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Vote Closed
New
Winning Vote:
[X] Martial: Keeping of the arms and armor, ensuring that when violence is called for it will be answered.
[X] Endings in Threes: Three beasts have emerged, and who knows how many more will continue to steam out. They have burnt down cities and driven a new one mad. This kind of unmaking is unacceptable. They must be unmade in turn.
[X] Martial: Keeping of the arms and armor, ensuring that when violence is called for it will be answered.
[X] Endings in Threes: Three beasts have emerged, and who knows how many more will continue to steam out. They have burnt down cities and driven a new one mad. This kind of unmaking is unacceptable. They must be unmade in turn.