The Bringham Society (A Lovecraftian Horror Quest)
Y'know. In retrospect It is a bit strange that spending your nights wandering in an impossible too-real dream-realm that has already been connected to two apparent suicides, is like ten times less Horror-inducing than having a friendly chat with a spoopy old ghoul-man.
(Though I guess some of it might've been the stars?)
Tasoli
Life is for Living
- Location
- Behind the Keyboard.
She didn't really delved deep in to dreams yet give it time.
[X] Plan: That Flighty Temptress Known as Adventure
I was very much out of sorts after making the reaction post and the voting ball already rolled so I am putting my voice for this. Not at all opposed with any of the voted options, made use of ｢The Star｣ Portent as it allows us to unveil past some of the hidden defences of the Clocktower, and also vote in Clocktower, which is tied to my other want which is Alexandria Eskhata and doesn't tie us to the Lodge.
Depending on the portent next turn, we might want to bring the The Dragon-Mirror without even studying it on Alexandria the Furthest Expedition. There is a connection, after all, between the artifact, the Hidden Histories, the Tigerlily, and the Men of Glass. There might well be Consequences to not studying the mirror before bringing it in but it should be practically harmless and not at all a beacon to bring the Men of Glass' attention to this history of ours... right?
Rhetorical question, let's not do that.
I was very much out of sorts after making the reaction post and the voting ball already rolled so I am putting my voice for this. Not at all opposed with any of the voted options, made use of ｢The Star｣ Portent as it allows us to unveil past some of the hidden defences of the Clocktower, and also vote in Clocktower, which is tied to my other want which is Alexandria Eskhata and doesn't tie us to the Lodge.
Depending on the portent next turn, we might want to bring the The Dragon-Mirror without even studying it on Alexandria the Furthest Expedition. There is a connection, after all, between the artifact, the Hidden Histories, the Tigerlily, and the Men of Glass. There might well be Consequences to not studying the mirror before bringing it in but it should be practically harmless and not at all a beacon to bring the Men of Glass' attention to this history of ours... right?
Rhetorical question, let's not do that.
[X] Plan: That Flighty Temptress Known as Adventure
So many new hidden histories unlocked. It's tough to keep track of it all. It seems a lot of stuff going on here is connected together, so at least a pattern is emerging. I really want to investigate Thebes and Alexandria the Furthest, but that can wait until the next turn or another time. I've been on a Total War Rome 2 binge lately, so anything related to Ancient Greece has my attention. Alexander somehow marching all the way to China and possibly gaining unholy supernatural power is pretty cool.
So many new hidden histories unlocked. It's tough to keep track of it all. It seems a lot of stuff going on here is connected together, so at least a pattern is emerging. I really want to investigate Thebes and Alexandria the Furthest, but that can wait until the next turn or another time. I've been on a Total War Rome 2 binge lately, so anything related to Ancient Greece has my attention. Alexander somehow marching all the way to China and possibly gaining unholy supernatural power is pretty cool.
Upon a reread, this bit stood out to me. On one hand, we have proof that there exists an entity benevolent enough to gift fairly powerful protection to humans. On the other hand, the Lampsmen died anyway, which doesn't really inspire confidence in this mysterious entity's reliability. It might be worth looking into, for knowledge's sake if nothing else.
Turn 6: September, 1923
- Location
- Texas
September, 1923
The Clocktower of Saint Andrew has stood off the coast of Scotland for longer than there have been clocktowers, or a Saint Andrew, or a Scotland. It is kept by an order of monks who are reclusive and secluded, emerging from their tower only to receive periodic shipments of food and other necessities. They do not pay for these things -- the inhabitants of the villages along the coast near their isle send a young boy with a boat of supplies every two months. The boy's hair is shaved and he is instructed to wear a blindfold. This tribute is tradition, and the people of these towns grow tight-lipped when questioned on it. They do not like to speak of the tower, or of how old it is, or of the fact that in ten centuries, no living soul has ever heard the bell toll.
Yasir arrives on the Scottish coast three days before the bimonthly shipment, with the mercenary Harcourt and his men in tow. It is fortunate, the soldier muses, that they arrived just in time. If he still cared, Yasir might have told him there is no such thing as fortune. They quickly work out a plan, and the day the boat is to set sail, Harcourt and his men simply tie up the boy and take it as their own. The boat is only large enough to fit ten, so the rest of the mercenaries remain on the mainland to hold the harbor. Yasir, Harcourt, and eight others set off across the stormy Scottish sea towards the clocktower inlet.
The monks are waiting on the shore when they arrive. When the boat draws close enough, they see why the children were blinded. The soldiers weep, then open fire. The 'monks' do not fight back, but they do not die easily, or quickly. Indeed, it is hard to say if they die, in the end. The beach is a slaughterhouse when Harcourt and his men are done. Yasir watches dispassionately, through empty eyes. Some of the soldiers never stop crying.
This is not the end. Up the hill and inside the Clocktower, the order's Abbot waits for them. There is something inside his skin. It is silvery and clawed, and there is no pity in it's eyes. Guns are useless, and so Yasir calls the Wraiths, the shadow-bodied dead, red and hungry and violent. They are clawed, too, and equally pitiless. There is an awful battle, of a sort. When it is done, the Clocktower belongs to the Bringham Society.
The seven men who died are buried on the beach. What is left of the monks is burned, but the Abbot will not take flame. Yasir brings the corpse with him back to America.
(Yasir: 4 Horror Gained)
(Harcourt: 25 Horror Gained)
The ballroom gleams as you enter it for a sixth time. The tables are waxed, of course, but there is a deeper shine to it. It has begun to recognize you. The chandelier's jewels are as red as suffering. You convene again, all too aware that this place -- like any other -- is not safe. Nowhere is safe, from the enemies you have made.
Yasir reports first. The mercenaries under Harcourt have been compensated adequately for their trials and tribulations, and the Clocktower has been secured. The building holds no more threats, at least not for the moment, but more study will be required to unlock it's secrets. He has brought back the broken corpse of the thing that lived inside the Abbot. It is long and clawed and many-armed, and it's skin is silver-pale. Something ticks underneath.
(Artefact Gained: The Abbot)
(Study Location Unlocked: The Clocktower of Saint Andrew)
Mr. Birch has spent this month looking into the Moths, and their history. By their very nature, they are difficult to research -- but not impossible, if one knows what to look for. Holes in history, that should not be. The spaces where people or ideas or memories were before they were devoured. There are cities and rivers and empires that have been lost to the Yn'tari, eaten out of written history and living memory. They did not begin on earth, this much is clear, but they have been with mankind since it's beginning, pruning our racial memories, nibbling at our history. After consulting with Mr. Stephanus, Birch has devised several ways in which we could theoretically turn them to our own use, or even deal with them permanently. (Moth-Lore Advanced!)
The Lady LeBlanc reports next. The Starry Organ, as you have taken to calling it, is certainly not of this Earth. It's colors change with the waxing and waning of the moon, it hums with an almost imperceptible drone, and when cut, it bleeds something not unlike light, but not unlike blood. It bears a marked and troubling resemblance to images found in the stained glass windows of a heretical Church in the Spanish hinterlands, and also to perplexing diagrams from the religious texts of a certain Berber tribe. If you spend too much time around it, your heart will begin to beat in time with it's tune.
Strangely, despite all of this, it is...calming, in a way. LeBlanc speaks tenderly of the artefact for weeks afterward, and takes repeated trips to visit it whenever she can.
(LeBlanc LOSES 1 Horror)
The Starry Organ is discovered to have a certain calming effect on those who have seen too much of this world's horrors. Those thusly affected seem to develop an attachment for it. This attachment does not seem to be harmful, in and of itself.
Yet.
Lastly, Stephanos approaches with news of what he has found. The ancient Church that he was dispatched to discover has been found at last. Since the days of Charlemagne, this hideous chapel has stood in western Germany, and it's adherents have practiced a faith that the Vatican might charitably call a heresy, or an abomination. There they worship a being called the Tigerlily, that other times and tongues call the Dragonfly, or the One-Limbed God. He is vain and selfish above all else, and delights in flattery. He is an enemy of the Mongrel, perhaps the greatest.
Perhaps fortunately for us, he is selfish to a fault, and a single church of his followers matters little to him. We may lead an assault on the abominable abbey, cast down it's wretched priest, and take it's treasures for our own.
Expedition Unlocked: The Church of the Dragonfly
As time passes and the Society's interest grows, it becomes clearer and clearer that you must expand your membership. Fresh minds, sharp and inquisitive and willing, must join your ranks if you are to safely tangle with the horrors you have merely begun to uncover. A cursory search of Bringham University's newest crop of students does not turn up any promising prospects, but Birch recalls a certain troubling passage from the diary of the madman Ashley Robert Enoch. When consulted at a certain place on a certain day, it tells of several personages of interest whom, it declares, will be born with a peculiar Mark under particular stars, which indicates their descent from something Enoch would not (or could not) describe. Consulting the book's charts and following it's instructions has led the society to several individuals of skill and talent who would make very promising members indeed. Unfortunately, only one can be approached for initiation, as the book warns graphically and luridly, at length, of what may come to pass should two persons thusly Marked meet in flesh.
As your membership grows and your possessions expand, the Society takes stock on it's first few months of existence. You have tangled with things strange and terrible, and learned of many --though far from all-- of the terrible secrets which haunt this world. So established, it is now the opinion of some members that the Society that we must pick a concrete goal around which to center our further exploits and studies, a terrible purpose that will only end in our deaths -- or our ascensions. What, exactly, is the purpose of this Society?
Information:
[] Somewhere in the American midwest, there is a place where cats do not grow old. (Gossip)
--[] Assign A Member
[] In a certain Mongolian plateau, ghosts walk at night. (Rumor)
--[] Assign A Member
[] There is a place in China where some do not die. (Rumor)
--[] Assign A Member
[] A professor at a university in a distant land has stumbled on a troubling set of formulae that scratch at the back of his eyes. He has aged years in days, and his skin glows with starfire. (Gossip)
--[] Assign A Member
[] Rumors abound -- there is a tortured poet who speaks in strange tongues. In moments of lucidity, he claims there are worlds in his skull. (Hearsay)
--[] Assign A Member
Discovery:
[] Yasir has had dreams of a city in the sands. The path to the city begins in the Andes, in a forgotten pass deep within the mountains. You could always pay a few scouts to see if his dreams have any truth to them (-5 Wealth) (Finished in 2 Turns)
--[] Assign A Member
[] Thebes: There stood in Greece in ancient times a city called Thebes. There stood in Egypt in ancient times a second city, called also Thebes. Enoch says there stood in ancient times a third Thebes, and the other two feared it mightily.
--[] Assign A Member
[] Where It Fell: A star fell to Earth in the time of the Roman Emperor Elagabalus. They say it bent the world and shone with the light of the gods. In some histories, mad Enoch tells you, the emperor swallowed it and became a star himself -- some say the very star that fell. Where it fell still burns.
--[] Assign A Member
[] The Ten Thousand: In antiquity, the elite spearmen known as the Ten Thousand Immortals served the Shahs of Iran. Their name, some irreputable histories tell us, was not an exaggeration.
--[] Assign A Member
Expedition:
[] The Lake: A frozen lake in the north of Europe. Here, Enoch says, is where the Worm first came to Earth, and where they slew it a second time. Its bones lie beneath, but be wary, for its children swarm the water. Crack the ice and see the Worm in all her glory.
--[] Assign A Member
--[] Assign A Member (Optional)
--[] Take An Artifact (Optional) (Write-In Artifact)
--[] Hire Muscle: Big men who ask few questions. Ideal for situations like this. (Optional) (-5 Wealth)
--[] Hire An Occultist: Well-read and thin, their eyes wide with secrets. They may be of use. (Optional) (-10 Wealth)
--[] Send the Wraiths: Red and hungry, the wraiths will kill until they are done. (Optional)(Can use on one expedition per turn)
[] The Mausoleum: There is a place in the desert where the Mughal rajas buried their honored wives. One in particular, Enoch says, was honored here. They demolished the temple, after, but the catacombs still run deep beneath the sand. Strike the earth, and you may find what they loved and feared.
--[] Assign A Member
--[] Assign A Member (Optional)
--[] Take An Artifact (Optional) (Write-In Artifact)
--[] Hire Muscle: Big men who ask few questions. Ideal for situations like this. (Optional) (-5 Wealth)
--[] Hire An Occultist: Well-read and thin, their eyes wide with secrets. They may be of use. (Optional) (-10 Wealth)
--[] Send the Wraiths: Red and hungry, the wraiths will kill until they are done. (Optional)(Can use on one expedition per turn)
[] The Black Hills: The Romans killed many when they conquered ancient Gaul. What they murdered in these black hills took three legions to kill. Go to the place where they fell, and you may find where it died. Targarung roars.
--[] Assign A Member
--[] Assign A Member (Optional)
--[] Take An Artifact (Optional) (Write-In Artifact)
--[] Hire Muscle: Big men who ask few questions. Ideal for situations like this. (Optional) (-5 Wealth)
--[] Hire An Occultist: Well-read and thin, their eyes wide with secrets. They may be of use. (Optional) (-10 Wealth)
--[] Send the Wraiths: Red and hungry, the wraiths will kill until they are done. (Optional)(Can use on one expedition per turn)
[] Alexandria The Furthest: In some histories, Alexander the Great made it as far as China. In some histories, the city he founded there grew to become the mightiest of all cities. In some histories, they worshipped a vain and mighty god indeed, and conquered the world in his name. Something of their history bleeds into ours, Enoch suggests, like fresh paintings running together. Go to the place where it would have stood, and you may catch a glimpse of the Dragonfly, called also in our world the Tigerlily.
--[] Assign A Member
--[] Assign A Member (Optional)
--[] Take An Artifact (Optional) (Write-In Artifact)
--[] Hire Muscle: Big men who ask few questions. Ideal for situations like this. (Optional) (-5 Wealth)
--[] Hire An Occultist: Well-read and thin, their eyes wide with secrets. They may be of use. (Optional) (-10 Wealth)
--[] Send the Wraiths: Red and hungry, the wraiths will kill until they are done. (Optional)(Can use on one expedition per turn)
[] The River People: In the dawn of mankind, there lived a certain people on the banks of the River Indus. Their very names have been scoured from history ten times over, and their crimes will never be forgiven. Something of them still remains, however. Dig the earth and find their cities, and you may learn of the sin that so offended both the Dreamcrow and the Dragonfly.
--[] Assign A Member
--[] Assign A Member (Optional)
--[] Take An Artifact (Optional) (Write-In Artifact)
--[] Hire Muscle: Big men who ask few questions. Ideal for situations like this. (Optional) (-5 Wealth)
--[] Hire An Occultist: Well-read and thin, their eyes wide with secrets. They may be of use. (Optional) (-10 Wealth)
--[] Send the Wraiths: Red and hungry, the wraiths will kill until they are done. (Optional)(Can use on one expedition per turn)
[] The Crawling Caves: The catacombs beneath the university are truly cavernous. They run deeper than humans ever delved, and the worms feed on those who have gone too deep. There is something deeper still.
--[] Assign A Member
--[] Assign A Member (Optional)
--[] Take An Artifact (Optional) (Write-In Artifact)
--[] Hire Muscle: Big men who ask few questions. Ideal for situations like this. (Optional) (-5 Wealth)
--[] Hire An Occultist: Well-read and thin, their eyes wide with secrets. They may be of use. (Optional) (-10 Wealth)
--[] Send the Wraiths: Red and hungry, the wraiths will kill until they are done. (Optional)(Can use on one expedition per turn)
[] The Cobalt Lodge: The ancient redoubt of the Boreal Order, home to six centuries of occult lore and research. It is protected by wards of living light and deathless knights who long ago gave their flesh and their spirits to serve their homeland even in death. It is not located entirely on this world. There are spirits of living winter chained to its' walls, cursed to protect it until the stars die out, and some of the mightiest occultists in the world await within, armed with artifacts of untold power. Unless you are incredibly well-armed and have powerful friends, attacking this place would be a very, very bad idea. But you could try.
--[] Assign A Member
--[] Assign A Member (Optional)
--[] Take An Artifact (Optional) (Write-In Artifact)
--[] Hire Muscle: Big men who ask few questions. Ideal for situations like this. (Optional) (-5 Wealth)
--[] Hire An Occultist: Well-read and thin, their eyes wide with secrets. They may be of use. (Optional) (-10 Wealth)
--[] Send the Wraiths: Red and hungry, the wraiths will kill until they are done. (Optional)(Can use on one expedition per turn)
[] The Church of the Dragonfly: There is a church in the heart of Germany where an abominable faith is practiced. It's adherents sacrifice their limbs to a terrible being that might be called a sort of god. His attention is elsewhere, for now. It might fall, at great cost -- his servants are zealous and cruel, and will give their lives for him.
--[] Assign A Member
--[] Assign A Member (Optional)
--[] Take An Artifact (Optional) (Write-In Artifact)
--[] Hire Muscle: Big men who ask few questions. Ideal for situations like this. (Optional) (-5 Wealth)
--[] Hire An Occultist: Well-read and thin, their eyes wide with secrets. They may be of use. (Optional) (-10 Wealth)
--[] Send the Wraiths: Red and hungry, the wraiths will kill until they are done. (Optional)(Can use on one expedition per turn)
[] There is another, darker place, in the shadow of the Valley of the Kings, where they buried those pharaohs whose names had been excised. They are nameless, certain histories suggest, because names have power, even after death.Pharaoh has risen again in the sky. He is crowned as Lord of the Horizon. He has smashed the back-bones, and has seized the hearts of the gods. Pharaoh feeds on the lungs of the wise. And likes to live on hearts and their magic.
--[] Assign A Member
--[] Assign A Member (Optional)
--[] Take An Artifact (Optional) (Write-In Artifact)
--[] Hire Muscle: Big men who ask few questions. Ideal for situations like this. (Optional) (-5 Wealth)
--[] Hire An Occultist: Well-read and thin, their eyes wide with secrets. They may be of use. (Optional) (-10 Wealth)
--[] Send the Wraiths: Red and hungry, the wraiths will kill until they are done. (Optional)(Can use on one expedition per turn)
Study:
[] Study The Starry Organ: This organ beats with an otherworldly strength. It's light is not of this earth. It's heat is not of these stars. It loves, and can be loved. What else can it feel?
-[] AssignA Member LeBlanc
[] Study The Abbot's Corpse: The corpse is dead. Most certainly. It just moves out of the corner of your eye at times, and in your dreams you may see it as it was in life: many-clawed and silver-eyed, hateful and awful. It yearns to return whence it came.
-[] Assign A Member
[] Study The Dragon-Mirror: What lies through the mirror may have passed, or may yet come to pass. Studying it may yet provide insight.
[] Study A Moth-Riddled Tome: This book is useless now as a book. As a study of what destroyed the Lampsmen, it may yet prove useful.
-[] Assign A Member
[] Moth-Secrets: Now that you have deeper knowledge of the lore of the Moths, it may be possible to figure out more, and perhaps even bend this lore to your own ends. This will require research and study, however.
-[] Assign A Member
[] Hidden History: Now that you understand what hides beneath the skin of history, you can pore through old tomes and irreputable histories of the sort written by madmen for clues as to ancient things long forgotten. This will require great effort and expense, however. (2 turns, -10 Wealth, gain 1d5 Expeditions/Discoveries)
[] The Clocktower of Saint Andrew: The tower that stands off the coast of Scotland is older than mankind. It is perhaps older than the earth. How did it come to be here, and what lies within it's walls? The Society claims we conquered it. This a pleasant lie. The tower is not so easily mastered by men, not as we are now.
-[] Assign A Member
The Arcane:
(Note: You may pick as many Arcane options as you want, but remember that Arcana takes two turns to regenerate)
[] Magical Warding: Stephanus has thrown up a few basic detection wards, but with time he could daub the walls with blood-infused runes that repel any but those the Society has chosen to let enter. This will take time. (-1 Arcana)(Takes 2 Turns)
[] Divination: Bargain with something not quite dead and not quite living for a glimpse of what might be. (-2 Arcana, +5 to all rolls for a turn)
[] Explore the Dreamscape: Beyond the gate of bone lies a burning city of dreams. A place of song and mystery, a land where painters and madmen alike find inspiration, a kaleidoscopic jumble of reals and unreals and smoldering impossibilities -- the Dreamscape is many things. There are secrets in it's depths, if you are brave enough to delve for them. (-1 Arcana)
--[] Assign a Member
[] The War-Words: As every occultist knows, there are rituals for those going to battle. Dance the dance and speak the words, and fill your hearts with a murderer's flame. These are the war-words. (+3 to all combat rolls for the selected Society member next turn. -1 Arcana)
[] Who Came Before: Many have died in Mammon Place. Their spirits have been bent to terrible purpose. Free them, and grant them new death. (Releases Wraiths, frees up Summoning slot)
[] And In Darkness Bind Them: You summon several lesser souls drifting too near to the veil, and bind them to your service. They will aid you in all things until they are released. (+1 Arcana permanently until the spirits are released, bonus to all research, combat, and exploration rolls, may change outcomes story-wise)
[] A Mortal Bargain: You may lease a bit of your souls out to something other, in exchange for power and success. (-3 Arcana, pick a single non-expedition vote and it is an unequivocal success. The cost of this vote will increase by two with each use.)
[] A Mortal Loan: You may borrow power, for a time. But all debts will come due. (Gain 10 Arcana, that regenerates twice as quickly as normal (so one turn). In 10 Turns, your debt will come due, with interest. If you cannot pay it, there will be consequences.)
[] A Mortal Trade: Nothing comes from nothing. Give something of value, and you will gain something of value. (Select an Artifact to sacrifice. In exchange, gain 5 non-renewing Arcana instantly)
Miscellaneous (Pick Two):
[] Buy Interesting Information: You reach out into the underworld and pay for the latest rumors of things which might interest the Society. It costs money to weed the wheat from the chaff, but it may be worth it. (-5 Wealth) (One piece of information is guaranteed Rumor level or higher next turn)
[] Cancel Contractors: You no longer have need of extra hands around the city, freeing up funds for other things. (-1 Miscellanous option a turn, +1 Wealth a turn)
[] Reach Out: The Society needs wealthy patrons if it is to survive. Reach out and try to get some more. (-2 Influence)
[] Entertain Libertines: There are people of wealth and power who flirt with the occult, with the idea of mystery and the thrill of the unknown. They will pay you a large sum for a look behind the veil. (Gain 1d10 Suspicion) (+15 Wealth) (Chance of gaining Influence)
[] Gain Leverage: It has been said that knowledge is power. For certain people, it is more. There are secrets men would die to keep secret. (-10 Wealth)(Chance of gaining 1d20 Influence and unlocking the Blackmail option)
[] Backdoor Channels: Getting stuff done is easier if you ignore the legality of certain things. (-5 Wealth) (All non-study actions take 1 less turn. Increases Suspicion)
[] Canvass Students: You search among the young and fresh-minded students of Bringham University for potential recruits to the Society. The University has a certain way of attracting people. (Low chance of discovering potential recruits)
[] Seduce Socialites: Wealthy, bored, and capable of magnificent cruelty. The scions of the wealthy prove a valuable breeding ground for occultists of all stripes -- men and women who, bored of the pleasures of regular life, seek out more exotic fancies. (Chance of discovering potential recruits) (-1 Influence) (+2 Suspicion)
[] Enoch's Names: There are certain people now living named in Enoch's travel diary who were not yet born when he died. If you use the Diary as a map and track them down, who knows what you may find. (Medium Chance of discovering potential recruits)(???)(Takes ??? Turns) They were hidden for a reason. Do not bring them together. They were hidden for a reason. Do not bring them together. THEY WERE HIDDEN FOR A REASON.
[] Inside Connections: Everything is easier when you have people with their ear to the ground for you in the places you'd like. You've already got some, but more might be beneficial. (-10 Wealth)(Low chance of acquiring an Informant)
[] A Visit To The Morris Collection: There is a library whose halls are unnaturally silent, and whose shelves are filled with books of a different sort. It's owners are extremely particular. If you pay an exorbitant amount, they may allow you to enter. If you pay more still, they may let you leave with something. You must know what you are looking for -- they will not let you enter otherwise. (-12 Wealth) (Gain one random book artifact of a lore you already know)
[] Call An Appraiser From Ivary's: The Ivary clan can send someone to examine the artifacts currently in your possession and assign them a material worth, making sale possible.
[] Take A Contract: Moorham and Sons has many opportunities for an enterprising occultists to make money, if they're willing not to ask too many questions. Ask them to send over a list of their current contracts.
[] Hire an Agent: There are skilled people in the mortal world who, while not immersed in the occult, are well-equipped to handle it's mysteries. For a certain sum and regular payment, you might be able to employ one of these into your service for the time being. (An agent is a fully-fledged character with their own skills and traits that can be sent on expeditions or discovery missions, but costs money per turn to employ)
The Bringham Society
- Society Ledger
- Society Roster
- Agents
- Artefacts
- Lore
- Groups of Interest
- Misc
The sun has turned a color like velvet to those with eyes to see. The Dragonfly wakes. Madmen speak truth, and the moon shines with rage. The Red Season is upon us.
[X] Plan: That Flighty Temptress Known as Adventure
[] Reject their offer. You need no aid from these wintry ghouls.
ACTIONS
[] There is a church which preaches something that might be called heresy. They worship an enigmatic being called the Tigerlily, which is something that might be called a god. (-1 Wealth)(-2 Arcana)(Finished in 1 turn)
--[] Mr. Stephanos
[] The Clock Tower: There is a dilapidated old clock tower maintained by a quiet and reclusive group of abominable monks. It is counting down, Enoch insists, to the day when the stars are right. Slay the monks and what lives within their skin, and you may know which clocks tick to the rhythm of the Men of Glass, and why.
--[] Mr. Yasir
--[] Jackson Harcourt
-—[] Men of Fortune
--[] Take The Lampshards (+1 to Expedition Rolls)
--[] Send the Wraiths: Red and hungry, the wraiths will kill until they are done.
[] Study The Starry Organ: This organ beats with an otherworldly strength. It's light is not of this earth. It's heat is not of these stars.
--[] Lady LeBlanc
[] Moth-Secrets: Now that you have deeper knowledge of the lore of the Moths, it may be possible to figure out more, and perhaps even bend this lore to your own ends. This will require research and study, however.
--[] Mr. Birch
[] The War-Words: As every occultist knows, there are rituals for those going to battle. Dance the dance and speak the words, and fill your hearts with a murderer's flame. These are the war-words. (+3 to all combat rolls for the selected Society member next turn. -1 Arcana)
--[] Mr. Yasir
[] Canvass Students: You search among the young and fresh-minded students of Bringham University for potential recruits to the Society. The University has a certain way of attracting people. (Low chance of discovering potential recruits)
[] Enoch's Names: There are certain people now living named in Enoch's travel diary who were not yet born when he died. If you use the Diary as a map and track them down, who knows what you may find. (Medium Chance of discovering potential recruits)(???)(Takes 2 Turns)
[] Reject their offer. You need no aid from these wintry ghouls.
ACTIONS
[] There is a church which preaches something that might be called heresy. They worship an enigmatic being called the Tigerlily, which is something that might be called a god. (-1 Wealth)(-2 Arcana)(Finished in 1 turn)
--[] Mr. Stephanos
[] The Clock Tower: There is a dilapidated old clock tower maintained by a quiet and reclusive group of abominable monks. It is counting down, Enoch insists, to the day when the stars are right. Slay the monks and what lives within their skin, and you may know which clocks tick to the rhythm of the Men of Glass, and why.
--[] Mr. Yasir
--[] Jackson Harcourt
-—[] Men of Fortune
--[] Take The Lampshards (+1 to Expedition Rolls)
--[] Send the Wraiths: Red and hungry, the wraiths will kill until they are done.
[] Study The Starry Organ: This organ beats with an otherworldly strength. It's light is not of this earth. It's heat is not of these stars.
--[] Lady LeBlanc
[] Moth-Secrets: Now that you have deeper knowledge of the lore of the Moths, it may be possible to figure out more, and perhaps even bend this lore to your own ends. This will require research and study, however.
--[] Mr. Birch
[] The War-Words: As every occultist knows, there are rituals for those going to battle. Dance the dance and speak the words, and fill your hearts with a murderer's flame. These are the war-words. (+3 to all combat rolls for the selected Society member next turn. -1 Arcana)
--[] Mr. Yasir
[] Canvass Students: You search among the young and fresh-minded students of Bringham University for potential recruits to the Society. The University has a certain way of attracting people. (Low chance of discovering potential recruits)
[] Enoch's Names: There are certain people now living named in Enoch's travel diary who were not yet born when he died. If you use the Diary as a map and track them down, who knows what you may find. (Medium Chance of discovering potential recruits)(???)(Takes 2 Turns)
The Clocktower of Saint Andrew has stood off the coast of Scotland for longer than there have been clocktowers, or a Saint Andrew, or a Scotland. It is kept by an order of monks who are reclusive and secluded, emerging from their tower only to receive periodic shipments of food and other necessities. They do not pay for these things -- the inhabitants of the villages along the coast near their isle send a young boy with a boat of supplies every two months. The boy's hair is shaved and he is instructed to wear a blindfold. This tribute is tradition, and the people of these towns grow tight-lipped when questioned on it. They do not like to speak of the tower, or of how old it is, or of the fact that in ten centuries, no living soul has ever heard the bell toll.
Yasir arrives on the Scottish coast three days before the bimonthly shipment, with the mercenary Harcourt and his men in tow. It is fortunate, the soldier muses, that they arrived just in time. If he still cared, Yasir might have told him there is no such thing as fortune. They quickly work out a plan, and the day the boat is to set sail, Harcourt and his men simply tie up the boy and take it as their own. The boat is only large enough to fit ten, so the rest of the mercenaries remain on the mainland to hold the harbor. Yasir, Harcourt, and eight others set off across the stormy Scottish sea towards the clocktower inlet.
The monks are waiting on the shore when they arrive. When the boat draws close enough, they see why the children were blinded. The soldiers weep, then open fire. The 'monks' do not fight back, but they do not die easily, or quickly. Indeed, it is hard to say if they die, in the end. The beach is a slaughterhouse when Harcourt and his men are done. Yasir watches dispassionately, through empty eyes. Some of the soldiers never stop crying.
This is not the end. Up the hill and inside the Clocktower, the order's Abbot waits for them. There is something inside his skin. It is silvery and clawed, and there is no pity in it's eyes. Guns are useless, and so Yasir calls the Wraiths, the shadow-bodied dead, red and hungry and violent. They are clawed, too, and equally pitiless. There is an awful battle, of a sort. When it is done, the Clocktower belongs to the Bringham Society.
The seven men who died are buried on the beach. What is left of the monks is burned, but the Abbot will not take flame. Yasir brings the corpse with him back to America.
(Yasir: 4 Horror Gained)
(Harcourt: 25 Horror Gained)
The ballroom gleams as you enter it for a sixth time. The tables are waxed, of course, but there is a deeper shine to it. It has begun to recognize you. The chandelier's jewels are as red as suffering. You convene again, all too aware that this place -- like any other -- is not safe. Nowhere is safe, from the enemies you have made.
Yasir reports first. The mercenaries under Harcourt have been compensated adequately for their trials and tribulations, and the Clocktower has been secured. The building holds no more threats, at least not for the moment, but more study will be required to unlock it's secrets. He has brought back the broken corpse of the thing that lived inside the Abbot. It is long and clawed and many-armed, and it's skin is silver-pale. Something ticks underneath.
(Artefact Gained: The Abbot)
(Study Location Unlocked: The Clocktower of Saint Andrew)
Mr. Birch has spent this month looking into the Moths, and their history. By their very nature, they are difficult to research -- but not impossible, if one knows what to look for. Holes in history, that should not be. The spaces where people or ideas or memories were before they were devoured. There are cities and rivers and empires that have been lost to the Yn'tari, eaten out of written history and living memory. They did not begin on earth, this much is clear, but they have been with mankind since it's beginning, pruning our racial memories, nibbling at our history. After consulting with Mr. Stephanus, Birch has devised several ways in which we could theoretically turn them to our own use, or even deal with them permanently. (Moth-Lore Advanced!)
[] Weaponize the Moth-Lore: Birch suggests an ambitious project to turn the Moths into weapons serving the Society. They are mindless, and like anything mindless, they may be tamed and turned against our foes -- in theory. He believes it might be possible to train them to eat select memories, so that they could hide our presence from our foes. Who could hunt someone they cannot remember, or steal secrets they forget upon learning? He imagines memovore-proofed rooms, where infiltrators and spies forget their purpose upon entering, or are devoured entirely, rendered insensate puppets as their minds are consumed by the Moths. Of course, the risk in such ideas is obvious and inherent -- but the gain may well be worth it. Future research will focus on developing these ideas further.
[] Improve Defenses: Now that we know so much about the Moths, we may work to protect our own interests from being affected by them. Stephanus muses on how there may exist certain runes that ward one's mind against them, and suggests that there may be certain ideas or thought patterns literally toxic to the Moths. There are ways to insulate our operations from this potential threat, or from being used against us. The Lampsmen were caught unawares. We shall not be.
[] Exterminate the Moths: The two have stumbled on a darker, deeper line of research. The ancient Akkadians supposedly knew of the Moths, and sought a way to wipe them from the Earth. This is not surprising in and of itself -- what is surprising is that this knowledge survived, mostly untouched, to the present day. The Moths instincts drive them to devour any information concerning themselves as a self-defense mechanism. All signs point to the Akkadians having found a way to 'proof' their records against the Yn'Tari, records which suggest they developed a weapon to fight the pests. More research is needed, but Stephanus hesitantly suggests that we could, perhaps, finish what they started so long ago -- though Birch is quick to point out that, quite ironically, no one living knows where Akkad is.
[] Improve Defenses: Now that we know so much about the Moths, we may work to protect our own interests from being affected by them. Stephanus muses on how there may exist certain runes that ward one's mind against them, and suggests that there may be certain ideas or thought patterns literally toxic to the Moths. There are ways to insulate our operations from this potential threat, or from being used against us. The Lampsmen were caught unawares. We shall not be.
[] Exterminate the Moths: The two have stumbled on a darker, deeper line of research. The ancient Akkadians supposedly knew of the Moths, and sought a way to wipe them from the Earth. This is not surprising in and of itself -- what is surprising is that this knowledge survived, mostly untouched, to the present day. The Moths instincts drive them to devour any information concerning themselves as a self-defense mechanism. All signs point to the Akkadians having found a way to 'proof' their records against the Yn'Tari, records which suggest they developed a weapon to fight the pests. More research is needed, but Stephanus hesitantly suggests that we could, perhaps, finish what they started so long ago -- though Birch is quick to point out that, quite ironically, no one living knows where Akkad is.
The Lady LeBlanc reports next. The Starry Organ, as you have taken to calling it, is certainly not of this Earth. It's colors change with the waxing and waning of the moon, it hums with an almost imperceptible drone, and when cut, it bleeds something not unlike light, but not unlike blood. It bears a marked and troubling resemblance to images found in the stained glass windows of a heretical Church in the Spanish hinterlands, and also to perplexing diagrams from the religious texts of a certain Berber tribe. If you spend too much time around it, your heart will begin to beat in time with it's tune.
Strangely, despite all of this, it is...calming, in a way. LeBlanc speaks tenderly of the artefact for weeks afterward, and takes repeated trips to visit it whenever she can.
(LeBlanc LOSES 1 Horror)
The Starry Organ is discovered to have a certain calming effect on those who have seen too much of this world's horrors. Those thusly affected seem to develop an attachment for it. This attachment does not seem to be harmful, in and of itself.
Yet.
Lastly, Stephanos approaches with news of what he has found. The ancient Church that he was dispatched to discover has been found at last. Since the days of Charlemagne, this hideous chapel has stood in western Germany, and it's adherents have practiced a faith that the Vatican might charitably call a heresy, or an abomination. There they worship a being called the Tigerlily, that other times and tongues call the Dragonfly, or the One-Limbed God. He is vain and selfish above all else, and delights in flattery. He is an enemy of the Mongrel, perhaps the greatest.
Perhaps fortunately for us, he is selfish to a fault, and a single church of his followers matters little to him. We may lead an assault on the abominable abbey, cast down it's wretched priest, and take it's treasures for our own.
Expedition Unlocked: The Church of the Dragonfly
As time passes and the Society's interest grows, it becomes clearer and clearer that you must expand your membership. Fresh minds, sharp and inquisitive and willing, must join your ranks if you are to safely tangle with the horrors you have merely begun to uncover. A cursory search of Bringham University's newest crop of students does not turn up any promising prospects, but Birch recalls a certain troubling passage from the diary of the madman Ashley Robert Enoch. When consulted at a certain place on a certain day, it tells of several personages of interest whom, it declares, will be born with a peculiar Mark under particular stars, which indicates their descent from something Enoch would not (or could not) describe. Consulting the book's charts and following it's instructions has led the society to several individuals of skill and talent who would make very promising members indeed. Unfortunately, only one can be approached for initiation, as the book warns graphically and luridly, at length, of what may come to pass should two persons thusly Marked meet in flesh.
[] Phineas Marcellus Stoddard: The estranged son of New England blue bloods, Phineas Stoddard is descended in a direct line from some of the first Pilgrims to land on the shores of America. He remembers, or so the stories say, what his puritan ancestors found on those virgin shores, and the awful secret they kept all those generations. It lingers in his dreams. A writer, painter, doctor, linguist, and self-declared Man of Letters, Stoddard is a jack of all trades, and a master of none. He is possessed of certain proclivities upon which the wider world might frown if they were made known, and has a fascination with the bones and songs of whales, in which he is convinced there is a message just for him. He files his teeth to a knife point, but this is concealed with dentures. Enoch's diary calls him glorious.
[] Josiah Cleaverly: An itinerant priest, vagabond, wanderer, and dabbler in darker arts, Josiah Cleaverly has been a fixture in the occult circles of the American south for as long as anyone can remember. A wild man with a nest of a beard and a tangle of matted dreadlocks that stretches to his waist, he stole something from Them long ago, though it is said he now regrets it. He speaks with a booming preacher's voice, and there is a hellish intensity about his eyes. Enoch warns against his children, for they are many, and seek to steal what he once stole. He once walked the Cannibal Way, but it was not to his liking.
[] Zhu Long: A highly respected doctor of the Oriental medicines, Zhu Long has become famous among the elite of San Fransisco for his seemingly miraculous ability to cure any ailment. Those he cures are young and beautiful, for a time. Zhu Long is always pale, and his eyes are scarlet on certain days. He is followed everywhere by cats, and when the stars are wrong he smells faintly of smoke. He knows the secrets of silkworms and scorpions, and lived --if such can be called a life-- for a time in the Shadow-City of Cao Shi, where the only tongue spoken is the tongue of rats. Enoch says he once did not need to eat or drink or breathe, but that he has since forgotten how.
[] Theresa Gail Atwater: The daughter of a Boston schoolteacher and a California mill worker, Theresa Atwater is an ordinary young woman. She dreams of being a painter, but she is unfortunately not very good at painting. Her days are sorely lacking in unsettling signs or terrible portents. Her skin is an utterly normal sort of color, and her eyes are a muddy brown. She has the right number of organs and has never so much as glowed a single day in her life. She is, in conclusion, an utterly normal person. One might even call her boring, or bland if they are kind. Enoch's diary says only that her crimes will be numberless and nameless, and that the Dragonfly himself will oppose her and fail. Enoch, Stephanus stresses, has been wrong before.
[] Josiah Cleaverly: An itinerant priest, vagabond, wanderer, and dabbler in darker arts, Josiah Cleaverly has been a fixture in the occult circles of the American south for as long as anyone can remember. A wild man with a nest of a beard and a tangle of matted dreadlocks that stretches to his waist, he stole something from Them long ago, though it is said he now regrets it. He speaks with a booming preacher's voice, and there is a hellish intensity about his eyes. Enoch warns against his children, for they are many, and seek to steal what he once stole. He once walked the Cannibal Way, but it was not to his liking.
[] Zhu Long: A highly respected doctor of the Oriental medicines, Zhu Long has become famous among the elite of San Fransisco for his seemingly miraculous ability to cure any ailment. Those he cures are young and beautiful, for a time. Zhu Long is always pale, and his eyes are scarlet on certain days. He is followed everywhere by cats, and when the stars are wrong he smells faintly of smoke. He knows the secrets of silkworms and scorpions, and lived --if such can be called a life-- for a time in the Shadow-City of Cao Shi, where the only tongue spoken is the tongue of rats. Enoch says he once did not need to eat or drink or breathe, but that he has since forgotten how.
[] Theresa Gail Atwater: The daughter of a Boston schoolteacher and a California mill worker, Theresa Atwater is an ordinary young woman. She dreams of being a painter, but she is unfortunately not very good at painting. Her days are sorely lacking in unsettling signs or terrible portents. Her skin is an utterly normal sort of color, and her eyes are a muddy brown. She has the right number of organs and has never so much as glowed a single day in her life. She is, in conclusion, an utterly normal person. One might even call her boring, or bland if they are kind. Enoch's diary says only that her crimes will be numberless and nameless, and that the Dragonfly himself will oppose her and fail. Enoch, Stephanus stresses, has been wrong before.
As your membership grows and your possessions expand, the Society takes stock on it's first few months of existence. You have tangled with things strange and terrible, and learned of many --though far from all-- of the terrible secrets which haunt this world. So established, it is now the opinion of some members that the Society that we must pick a concrete goal around which to center our further exploits and studies, a terrible purpose that will only end in our deaths -- or our ascensions. What, exactly, is the purpose of this Society?
[] Protection: The evil of the stars is not as the evil of the Earth. Things not of our ken dwell upon this planet, uncaring and cruel. If they deign to think of mortals at all, it is as pawns, or puppets. Once, you might have lied to yourselves that they were wrong. Once, you might have claimed that this world, this sky, this air, this history and this flesh all belonged to humanity. You know better now. Man's world is not man's. But this knowledge can kept secret, for a price. The lie can be upheld, if there are those willing to uphold it — to keep mortal minds safe against the horrors of the dark, to suffer against the unknown that they may live in ignorance, to offer a kind of protection. It is only an illusion of safety, but as any occultist will tell you, illusions are important.Our delusion may be called bravery, of a sort. They will not thank us.
[] Mastery: Too long have we cowered in the dust like worms, servile before mad dead gods. Like Adam before us, we must rise up and taste of the fruit. The way is not easy, nor is it safe, yet there is a way. The dreamers may be woken. The deathless yet may die. We might devour the stars, and become something more. Our bones will burn forever -- but we may outlive them. What we will become may not be anything that might be called human. We will walk the Cannibal Way. Our skins will shine through all the worlds.
[] Immortality: Life, unending. It is the dream of all things mortal. It is not possible to preserve our flesh forever, this is known. But it is possible to preserve something. If we are not squeamish, we might learn the secret of cats, and never truly die, or if we are blasphemous, we might walk the way They walked when the world was young. Last of all we might walk the worm-way, and something like us might live on after our deaths.We will walk the Forbidden Ways. We shall be, forever.
[] Knowledge: There is much in this world that man does not know. There are things beyond mortal understanding that would bend our minds to comprehend. Half the difficulty in understanding them, then, is to shape our minds to be capable of doing so. The path to such understanding is not easy. Our minds must be expanded. Our eyes must open. We must become more than we are, before we can see the world as it is. But knowledge is power — and we shall be powerful indeed. This is the path the one called Morris walked, when he could still be called a man. We will shelter in the Dreamcrow, and walk the path he walked of old. Our flesh will be as rags, but our eyes will be opened.
[] Mastery: Too long have we cowered in the dust like worms, servile before mad dead gods. Like Adam before us, we must rise up and taste of the fruit. The way is not easy, nor is it safe, yet there is a way. The dreamers may be woken. The deathless yet may die. We might devour the stars, and become something more. Our bones will burn forever -- but we may outlive them. What we will become may not be anything that might be called human. We will walk the Cannibal Way. Our skins will shine through all the worlds.
[] Immortality: Life, unending. It is the dream of all things mortal. It is not possible to preserve our flesh forever, this is known. But it is possible to preserve something. If we are not squeamish, we might learn the secret of cats, and never truly die, or if we are blasphemous, we might walk the way They walked when the world was young. Last of all we might walk the worm-way, and something like us might live on after our deaths.We will walk the Forbidden Ways. We shall be, forever.
[] Knowledge: There is much in this world that man does not know. There are things beyond mortal understanding that would bend our minds to comprehend. Half the difficulty in understanding them, then, is to shape our minds to be capable of doing so. The path to such understanding is not easy. Our minds must be expanded. Our eyes must open. We must become more than we are, before we can see the world as it is. But knowledge is power — and we shall be powerful indeed. This is the path the one called Morris walked, when he could still be called a man. We will shelter in the Dreamcrow, and walk the path he walked of old. Our flesh will be as rags, but our eyes will be opened.
Information:
[] Somewhere in the American midwest, there is a place where cats do not grow old. (Gossip)
--[] Assign A Member
[] In a certain Mongolian plateau, ghosts walk at night. (Rumor)
--[] Assign A Member
[] There is a place in China where some do not die. (Rumor)
--[] Assign A Member
[] A professor at a university in a distant land has stumbled on a troubling set of formulae that scratch at the back of his eyes. He has aged years in days, and his skin glows with starfire. (Gossip)
--[] Assign A Member
[] Rumors abound -- there is a tortured poet who speaks in strange tongues. In moments of lucidity, he claims there are worlds in his skull. (Hearsay)
--[] Assign A Member
Discovery:
[] Yasir has had dreams of a city in the sands. The path to the city begins in the Andes, in a forgotten pass deep within the mountains. You could always pay a few scouts to see if his dreams have any truth to them (-5 Wealth) (Finished in 2 Turns)
--[] Assign A Member
[] Thebes: There stood in Greece in ancient times a city called Thebes. There stood in Egypt in ancient times a second city, called also Thebes. Enoch says there stood in ancient times a third Thebes, and the other two feared it mightily.
--[] Assign A Member
[] Where It Fell: A star fell to Earth in the time of the Roman Emperor Elagabalus. They say it bent the world and shone with the light of the gods. In some histories, mad Enoch tells you, the emperor swallowed it and became a star himself -- some say the very star that fell. Where it fell still burns.
--[] Assign A Member
[] The Ten Thousand: In antiquity, the elite spearmen known as the Ten Thousand Immortals served the Shahs of Iran. Their name, some irreputable histories tell us, was not an exaggeration.
--[] Assign A Member
Expedition:
[] The Lake: A frozen lake in the north of Europe. Here, Enoch says, is where the Worm first came to Earth, and where they slew it a second time. Its bones lie beneath, but be wary, for its children swarm the water. Crack the ice and see the Worm in all her glory.
--[] Assign A Member
--[] Assign A Member (Optional)
--[] Take An Artifact (Optional) (Write-In Artifact)
--[] Hire Muscle: Big men who ask few questions. Ideal for situations like this. (Optional) (-5 Wealth)
--[] Hire An Occultist: Well-read and thin, their eyes wide with secrets. They may be of use. (Optional) (-10 Wealth)
--[] Send the Wraiths: Red and hungry, the wraiths will kill until they are done. (Optional)(Can use on one expedition per turn)
[] The Mausoleum: There is a place in the desert where the Mughal rajas buried their honored wives. One in particular, Enoch says, was honored here. They demolished the temple, after, but the catacombs still run deep beneath the sand. Strike the earth, and you may find what they loved and feared.
--[] Assign A Member
--[] Assign A Member (Optional)
--[] Take An Artifact (Optional) (Write-In Artifact)
--[] Hire Muscle: Big men who ask few questions. Ideal for situations like this. (Optional) (-5 Wealth)
--[] Hire An Occultist: Well-read and thin, their eyes wide with secrets. They may be of use. (Optional) (-10 Wealth)
--[] Send the Wraiths: Red and hungry, the wraiths will kill until they are done. (Optional)(Can use on one expedition per turn)
[] The Black Hills: The Romans killed many when they conquered ancient Gaul. What they murdered in these black hills took three legions to kill. Go to the place where they fell, and you may find where it died. Targarung roars.
--[] Assign A Member
--[] Assign A Member (Optional)
--[] Take An Artifact (Optional) (Write-In Artifact)
--[] Hire Muscle: Big men who ask few questions. Ideal for situations like this. (Optional) (-5 Wealth)
--[] Hire An Occultist: Well-read and thin, their eyes wide with secrets. They may be of use. (Optional) (-10 Wealth)
--[] Send the Wraiths: Red and hungry, the wraiths will kill until they are done. (Optional)(Can use on one expedition per turn)
[] Alexandria The Furthest: In some histories, Alexander the Great made it as far as China. In some histories, the city he founded there grew to become the mightiest of all cities. In some histories, they worshipped a vain and mighty god indeed, and conquered the world in his name. Something of their history bleeds into ours, Enoch suggests, like fresh paintings running together. Go to the place where it would have stood, and you may catch a glimpse of the Dragonfly, called also in our world the Tigerlily.
--[] Assign A Member
--[] Assign A Member (Optional)
--[] Take An Artifact (Optional) (Write-In Artifact)
--[] Hire Muscle: Big men who ask few questions. Ideal for situations like this. (Optional) (-5 Wealth)
--[] Hire An Occultist: Well-read and thin, their eyes wide with secrets. They may be of use. (Optional) (-10 Wealth)
--[] Send the Wraiths: Red and hungry, the wraiths will kill until they are done. (Optional)(Can use on one expedition per turn)
[] The River People: In the dawn of mankind, there lived a certain people on the banks of the River Indus. Their very names have been scoured from history ten times over, and their crimes will never be forgiven. Something of them still remains, however. Dig the earth and find their cities, and you may learn of the sin that so offended both the Dreamcrow and the Dragonfly.
--[] Assign A Member
--[] Assign A Member (Optional)
--[] Take An Artifact (Optional) (Write-In Artifact)
--[] Hire Muscle: Big men who ask few questions. Ideal for situations like this. (Optional) (-5 Wealth)
--[] Hire An Occultist: Well-read and thin, their eyes wide with secrets. They may be of use. (Optional) (-10 Wealth)
--[] Send the Wraiths: Red and hungry, the wraiths will kill until they are done. (Optional)(Can use on one expedition per turn)
[] The Crawling Caves: The catacombs beneath the university are truly cavernous. They run deeper than humans ever delved, and the worms feed on those who have gone too deep. There is something deeper still.
--[] Assign A Member
--[] Assign A Member (Optional)
--[] Take An Artifact (Optional) (Write-In Artifact)
--[] Hire Muscle: Big men who ask few questions. Ideal for situations like this. (Optional) (-5 Wealth)
--[] Hire An Occultist: Well-read and thin, their eyes wide with secrets. They may be of use. (Optional) (-10 Wealth)
--[] Send the Wraiths: Red and hungry, the wraiths will kill until they are done. (Optional)(Can use on one expedition per turn)
[] The Cobalt Lodge: The ancient redoubt of the Boreal Order, home to six centuries of occult lore and research. It is protected by wards of living light and deathless knights who long ago gave their flesh and their spirits to serve their homeland even in death. It is not located entirely on this world. There are spirits of living winter chained to its' walls, cursed to protect it until the stars die out, and some of the mightiest occultists in the world await within, armed with artifacts of untold power. Unless you are incredibly well-armed and have powerful friends, attacking this place would be a very, very bad idea. But you could try.
--[] Assign A Member
--[] Assign A Member (Optional)
--[] Take An Artifact (Optional) (Write-In Artifact)
--[] Hire Muscle: Big men who ask few questions. Ideal for situations like this. (Optional) (-5 Wealth)
--[] Hire An Occultist: Well-read and thin, their eyes wide with secrets. They may be of use. (Optional) (-10 Wealth)
--[] Send the Wraiths: Red and hungry, the wraiths will kill until they are done. (Optional)(Can use on one expedition per turn)
[] The Church of the Dragonfly: There is a church in the heart of Germany where an abominable faith is practiced. It's adherents sacrifice their limbs to a terrible being that might be called a sort of god. His attention is elsewhere, for now. It might fall, at great cost -- his servants are zealous and cruel, and will give their lives for him.
--[] Assign A Member
--[] Assign A Member (Optional)
--[] Take An Artifact (Optional) (Write-In Artifact)
--[] Hire Muscle: Big men who ask few questions. Ideal for situations like this. (Optional) (-5 Wealth)
--[] Hire An Occultist: Well-read and thin, their eyes wide with secrets. They may be of use. (Optional) (-10 Wealth)
--[] Send the Wraiths: Red and hungry, the wraiths will kill until they are done. (Optional)(Can use on one expedition per turn)
[] There is another, darker place, in the shadow of the Valley of the Kings, where they buried those pharaohs whose names had been excised. They are nameless, certain histories suggest, because names have power, even after death.Pharaoh has risen again in the sky. He is crowned as Lord of the Horizon. He has smashed the back-bones, and has seized the hearts of the gods. Pharaoh feeds on the lungs of the wise. And likes to live on hearts and their magic.
--[] Assign A Member
--[] Assign A Member (Optional)
--[] Take An Artifact (Optional) (Write-In Artifact)
--[] Hire Muscle: Big men who ask few questions. Ideal for situations like this. (Optional) (-5 Wealth)
--[] Hire An Occultist: Well-read and thin, their eyes wide with secrets. They may be of use. (Optional) (-10 Wealth)
--[] Send the Wraiths: Red and hungry, the wraiths will kill until they are done. (Optional)(Can use on one expedition per turn)
Study:
[] Study The Starry Organ: This organ beats with an otherworldly strength. It's light is not of this earth. It's heat is not of these stars. It loves, and can be loved. What else can it feel?
-[] Assign
[] Study The Abbot's Corpse: The corpse is dead. Most certainly. It just moves out of the corner of your eye at times, and in your dreams you may see it as it was in life: many-clawed and silver-eyed, hateful and awful. It yearns to return whence it came.
-[] Assign A Member
[] Study The Dragon-Mirror: What lies through the mirror may have passed, or may yet come to pass. Studying it may yet provide insight.
[] Study A Moth-Riddled Tome: This book is useless now as a book. As a study of what destroyed the Lampsmen, it may yet prove useful.
-[] Assign A Member
[] Moth-Secrets: Now that you have deeper knowledge of the lore of the Moths, it may be possible to figure out more, and perhaps even bend this lore to your own ends. This will require research and study, however.
-[] Assign A Member
[] Hidden History: Now that you understand what hides beneath the skin of history, you can pore through old tomes and irreputable histories of the sort written by madmen for clues as to ancient things long forgotten. This will require great effort and expense, however. (2 turns, -10 Wealth, gain 1d5 Expeditions/Discoveries)
[] The Clocktower of Saint Andrew: The tower that stands off the coast of Scotland is older than mankind. It is perhaps older than the earth. How did it come to be here, and what lies within it's walls? The Society claims we conquered it. This a pleasant lie. The tower is not so easily mastered by men, not as we are now.
-[] Assign A Member
The Arcane:
(Note: You may pick as many Arcane options as you want, but remember that Arcana takes two turns to regenerate)
[] Magical Warding: Stephanus has thrown up a few basic detection wards, but with time he could daub the walls with blood-infused runes that repel any but those the Society has chosen to let enter. This will take time. (-1 Arcana)(Takes 2 Turns)
[] Divination: Bargain with something not quite dead and not quite living for a glimpse of what might be. (-2 Arcana, +5 to all rolls for a turn)
[] Explore the Dreamscape: Beyond the gate of bone lies a burning city of dreams. A place of song and mystery, a land where painters and madmen alike find inspiration, a kaleidoscopic jumble of reals and unreals and smoldering impossibilities -- the Dreamscape is many things. There are secrets in it's depths, if you are brave enough to delve for them. (-1 Arcana)
--[] Assign a Member
[] The War-Words: As every occultist knows, there are rituals for those going to battle. Dance the dance and speak the words, and fill your hearts with a murderer's flame. These are the war-words. (+3 to all combat rolls for the selected Society member next turn. -1 Arcana)
[] Who Came Before: Many have died in Mammon Place. Their spirits have been bent to terrible purpose. Free them, and grant them new death. (Releases Wraiths, frees up Summoning slot)
[] And In Darkness Bind Them: You summon several lesser souls drifting too near to the veil, and bind them to your service. They will aid you in all things until they are released. (+1 Arcana permanently until the spirits are released, bonus to all research, combat, and exploration rolls, may change outcomes story-wise)
[] A Mortal Bargain: You may lease a bit of your souls out to something other, in exchange for power and success. (-3 Arcana, pick a single non-expedition vote and it is an unequivocal success. The cost of this vote will increase by two with each use.)
[] A Mortal Loan: You may borrow power, for a time. But all debts will come due. (Gain 10 Arcana, that regenerates twice as quickly as normal (so one turn). In 10 Turns, your debt will come due, with interest. If you cannot pay it, there will be consequences.)
[] A Mortal Trade: Nothing comes from nothing. Give something of value, and you will gain something of value. (Select an Artifact to sacrifice. In exchange, gain 5 non-renewing Arcana instantly)
Miscellaneous (Pick Two):
[] Buy Interesting Information: You reach out into the underworld and pay for the latest rumors of things which might interest the Society. It costs money to weed the wheat from the chaff, but it may be worth it. (-5 Wealth) (One piece of information is guaranteed Rumor level or higher next turn)
[] Cancel Contractors: You no longer have need of extra hands around the city, freeing up funds for other things. (-1 Miscellanous option a turn, +1 Wealth a turn)
[] Reach Out: The Society needs wealthy patrons if it is to survive. Reach out and try to get some more. (-2 Influence)
[] Entertain Libertines: There are people of wealth and power who flirt with the occult, with the idea of mystery and the thrill of the unknown. They will pay you a large sum for a look behind the veil. (Gain 1d10 Suspicion) (+15 Wealth) (Chance of gaining Influence)
[] Gain Leverage: It has been said that knowledge is power. For certain people, it is more. There are secrets men would die to keep secret. (-10 Wealth)(Chance of gaining 1d20 Influence and unlocking the Blackmail option)
[] Backdoor Channels: Getting stuff done is easier if you ignore the legality of certain things. (-5 Wealth) (All non-study actions take 1 less turn. Increases Suspicion)
[] Canvass Students: You search among the young and fresh-minded students of Bringham University for potential recruits to the Society. The University has a certain way of attracting people. (Low chance of discovering potential recruits)
[] Seduce Socialites: Wealthy, bored, and capable of magnificent cruelty. The scions of the wealthy prove a valuable breeding ground for occultists of all stripes -- men and women who, bored of the pleasures of regular life, seek out more exotic fancies. (Chance of discovering potential recruits) (-1 Influence) (+2 Suspicion)
[] Enoch's Names: There are certain people now living named in Enoch's travel diary who were not yet born when he died. If you use the Diary as a map and track them down, who knows what you may find. (Medium Chance of discovering potential recruits)(???)(Takes ??? Turns) They were hidden for a reason. Do not bring them together. They were hidden for a reason. Do not bring them together. THEY WERE HIDDEN FOR A REASON.
[] Inside Connections: Everything is easier when you have people with their ear to the ground for you in the places you'd like. You've already got some, but more might be beneficial. (-10 Wealth)(Low chance of acquiring an Informant)
[] A Visit To The Morris Collection: There is a library whose halls are unnaturally silent, and whose shelves are filled with books of a different sort. It's owners are extremely particular. If you pay an exorbitant amount, they may allow you to enter. If you pay more still, they may let you leave with something. You must know what you are looking for -- they will not let you enter otherwise. (-12 Wealth) (Gain one random book artifact of a lore you already know)
[] Call An Appraiser From Ivary's: The Ivary clan can send someone to examine the artifacts currently in your possession and assign them a material worth, making sale possible.
[] Take A Contract: Moorham and Sons has many opportunities for an enterprising occultists to make money, if they're willing not to ask too many questions. Ask them to send over a list of their current contracts.
[] Hire an Agent: There are skilled people in the mortal world who, while not immersed in the occult, are well-equipped to handle it's mysteries. For a certain sum and regular payment, you might be able to employ one of these into your service for the time being. (An agent is a fully-fledged character with their own skills and traits that can be sent on expeditions or discovery missions, but costs money per turn to employ)
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- Location
- France
I love this quest and am happy to see it update!
However I feel far too foolhardy to actually pick a plan. Indeed, my first instinct was to go "Mastery" or "Immortality" as soon I saw those goal options... Clearly I'm one of the damned idiots our so-called heroes regularly put down. Well, if the damned can die, that is.
However I feel far too foolhardy to actually pick a plan. Indeed, my first instinct was to go "Mastery" or "Immortality" as soon I saw those goal options... Clearly I'm one of the damned idiots our so-called heroes regularly put down. Well, if the damned can die, that is.
- Location
- ferreries
[X] Mastery: Too long have we cowered in the dust like worms, servile before mad dead gods. Like Adam before us, we must rise up and taste of the fruit. The way is not easy, nor is it safe, yet there is a way. The dreamers may be woken. The deathless yet may die. We might devour the stars, and become something more. Our bones will burn forever -- but we may outlive them. What we will become may not be anything that might be called human.
Yomshara
Seer of what was is or will be
- Location
- Somewhere near forest
[X] Mastery: Too long have we cowered in the dust like worms, servile before mad dead gods. Like Adam before us, we must rise up and taste of the fruit. The way is not easy, nor is it safe, yet there is a way. The dreamers may be woken. The deathless yet may die. We might devour the stars, and become something more. Our bones will burn forever -- but we may outlive them. What we will become may not be anything that might be called human.
Always improve never be satisfied to stagnate is to die this is the human way to stand before deathless eternity and not flinch
Always improve never be satisfied to stagnate is to die this is the human way to stand before deathless eternity and not flinch
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- Location
- USA
[X] Improve Defenses:
Now that we know so much about the Moths, we may work to protect our own interests from being affected by them. Stephanus muses on how there may exist certain runes that ward one's mind against them, and suggests that there may be certain ideas or thought patterns literally toxic to the Moths. There are ways to insulate our operations from this potential threat, or from being used against us. The Lampsmen were caught unawares. We shall not be.
[X] Theresa Gail Atwater:
The daughter of a Boston schoolteacher and a California mill worker, Theresa Atwater is an ordinary young woman. She dreams of being a painter, but she is unfortunately not very good at painting. Her days are sorely lacking in unsettling signs or terrible portents. Her skin is an utterly normal sort of color, and her eyes are a muddy brown. She has the right number of organs and has never so much as glowed a single day in her life. She is, in conclusion, an utterly normal person. One might even call her boring, or bland if they are kind. Enoch's diary says only that her crimes will be numberless and nameless, and that the Dragonfly himself will oppose her and fail. Enoch, Stephanus stresses, has been wrong before.
[X] Protection: The evil of the stars is not as the evil of the Earth. Things not of our ken dwell upon this planet, uncaring and cruel. If they deign to think of mortals at all, it is as pawns, or puppets. Once, you might have lied to yourselves that they were wrong. Once, you might have claimed that this world, this sky, this air, this history and this flesh all belonged to humanity. You know better now. Man's world is not man's. But this knowledge can kept secret, for a price. The lie can be upheld, if there are those willing to uphold it — to keep mortal minds safe against the horrors of the dark, to suffer against the unknown that they may live in ignorance, to offer a kind of protection. It is only an illusion of safety, but as any occultist will tell you, illusions are important.
Our delusion may be called bravery, of a sort. They will not thank us.
Now that we know so much about the Moths, we may work to protect our own interests from being affected by them. Stephanus muses on how there may exist certain runes that ward one's mind against them, and suggests that there may be certain ideas or thought patterns literally toxic to the Moths. There are ways to insulate our operations from this potential threat, or from being used against us. The Lampsmen were caught unawares. We shall not be.
[X] Theresa Gail Atwater:
The daughter of a Boston schoolteacher and a California mill worker, Theresa Atwater is an ordinary young woman. She dreams of being a painter, but she is unfortunately not very good at painting. Her days are sorely lacking in unsettling signs or terrible portents. Her skin is an utterly normal sort of color, and her eyes are a muddy brown. She has the right number of organs and has never so much as glowed a single day in her life. She is, in conclusion, an utterly normal person. One might even call her boring, or bland if they are kind. Enoch's diary says only that her crimes will be numberless and nameless, and that the Dragonfly himself will oppose her and fail. Enoch, Stephanus stresses, has been wrong before.
[X] Protection: The evil of the stars is not as the evil of the Earth. Things not of our ken dwell upon this planet, uncaring and cruel. If they deign to think of mortals at all, it is as pawns, or puppets. Once, you might have lied to yourselves that they were wrong. Once, you might have claimed that this world, this sky, this air, this history and this flesh all belonged to humanity. You know better now. Man's world is not man's. But this knowledge can kept secret, for a price. The lie can be upheld, if there are those willing to uphold it — to keep mortal minds safe against the horrors of the dark, to suffer against the unknown that they may live in ignorance, to offer a kind of protection. It is only an illusion of safety, but as any occultist will tell you, illusions are important.
Our delusion may be called bravery, of a sort. They will not thank us.
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BungieONI
Seven gremlins in a trench coat
- Location
- Lickwidget
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Her. Her. I like her.
The Birmingham Society will twist its members and they will break on any course we take. They will be consumed and some will be lost forever. And the horrors the Society Members will perpetrate as they break will be a danger to the world as a whole. We breed our own downfall because there is no Lock to the Gate. Our gateway of horrors unremarked by humankind is held closed only by happenstance and luck.
Make her a Lock, a Watchperson and Control, who might have remained normal until such a time as she must stand against something that might be called a god and maybe in another time or another place win.
- Location
- Germany
Sure there is.
It is also the Key to the Lock. And the Gate itself. And what is beyond the Gate.
- Location
- Ireland
[X] Mastery: Too long have we cowered in the dust like worms, servile before mad dead gods. Like Adam before us, we must rise up and taste of the fruit. The way is not easy, nor is it safe, yet there is a way. The dreamers may be woken. The deathless yet may die. We might devour the stars, and become something more. Our bones will burn forever -- but we may outlive them. What we will become may not be anything that might be called human.
Always improve never be satisfied to stagnate is to die this is the human way to
Always improve never be satisfied to stagnate is to die this is the human way to
[X] Mastery: Too long have we cowered in the dust like worms, servile before mad dead gods. Like Adam before us, we must rise up and taste of the fruit. The way is not easy, nor is it safe, yet there is a way. The dreamers may be woken. The deathless yet may die. We might devour the stars, and become something more. Our bones will burn forever -- but we may outlive them. What we will become may not be anything that might be called human.
- Location
- alphen aan den rijn
[X] Protection: The evil of the stars is not as the evil of the Earth. Things not of our ken dwell upon this planet, uncaring and cruel. If they deign to think of mortals at all, it is as pawns, or puppets. Once, you might have lied to yourselves that they were wrong. Once, you might have claimed that this world, this sky, this air, this history and this flesh all belonged to humanity. You know better now. Man's world is not man's. But this knowledge can kept secret, for a price. The lie can be upheld, if there are those willing to uphold it — to keep mortal minds safe against the horrors of the dark, to suffer against the unknown that they may live in ignorance, to offer a kind of protection. It is only an illusion of safety, but as any occultist will tell you, illusions are important.
anything beyond that i don`t know
BungieONI
Seven gremlins in a trench coat
- Location
- Lickwidget
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Improve Defenses: Now that we know so much about the Moths, we may work to protect our own interests from being affected by them. Stephanus muses on how there may exist certain runes that ward one's mind against them, and suggests that there may be certain ideas or thought patterns literally toxic to the Moths. There are ways to insulate our operations from this potential threat, or from being used against us. The Lampsmen were caught unawares. We shall not be.
[X] Theresa Gail Atwater: The daughter of a Boston schoolteacher and a California mill worker, Theresa Atwater is an ordinary young woman. She dreams of being a painter, but she is unfortunately not very good at painting. Her days are sorely lacking in unsettling signs or terrible portents. Her skin is an utterly normal sort of color, and her eyes are a muddy brown. She has the right number of organs and has never so much as glowed a single day in her life. She is, in conclusion, an utterly normal person. One might even call her boring, or bland if they are kind. Enoch's diary says only that her crimes will be numberless and nameless, and that the Dragonfly himself will oppose her and fail. Enoch, Stephanus stresses, has been wrong before
[X] Protection: The evil of the stars is not as the evil of the Earth. Things not of our ken dwell upon this planet, uncaring and cruel. If they deign to think of mortals at all, it is as pawns, or puppets. Once, you might have lied to yourselves that they were wrong. Once, you might have claimed that this world, this sky, this air, this history and this flesh all belonged to humanity. You know better now. Man's world is not man's. But this knowledge can kept secret, for a price. The lie can be upheld, if there are those willing to uphold it — to keep mortal minds safe against the horrors of the dark, to suffer against the unknown that they may live in ignorance, to offer a kind of protection. It is only an illusion of safety, but as any occultist will tell you, illusions are important. Our delusion may be called bravery, of a sort. They will not thank us.
I'll wait for @Vocalend to give out an analysis and plan before voting for a plan. It is also worth noting that Jon Stephanos's wishes walk the way of Mastery and he would be most pleased with that path.
[X] Theresa Gail Atwater: The daughter of a Boston schoolteacher and a California mill worker, Theresa Atwater is an ordinary young woman. She dreams of being a painter, but she is unfortunately not very good at painting. Her days are sorely lacking in unsettling signs or terrible portents. Her skin is an utterly normal sort of color, and her eyes are a muddy brown. She has the right number of organs and has never so much as glowed a single day in her life. She is, in conclusion, an utterly normal person. One might even call her boring, or bland if they are kind. Enoch's diary says only that her crimes will be numberless and nameless, and that the Dragonfly himself will oppose her and fail. Enoch, Stephanus stresses, has been wrong before
[X] Protection: The evil of the stars is not as the evil of the Earth. Things not of our ken dwell upon this planet, uncaring and cruel. If they deign to think of mortals at all, it is as pawns, or puppets. Once, you might have lied to yourselves that they were wrong. Once, you might have claimed that this world, this sky, this air, this history and this flesh all belonged to humanity. You know better now. Man's world is not man's. But this knowledge can kept secret, for a price. The lie can be upheld, if there are those willing to uphold it — to keep mortal minds safe against the horrors of the dark, to suffer against the unknown that they may live in ignorance, to offer a kind of protection. It is only an illusion of safety, but as any occultist will tell you, illusions are important. Our delusion may be called bravery, of a sort. They will not thank us.
I'll wait for @Vocalend to give out an analysis and plan before voting for a plan. It is also worth noting that Jon Stephanos's wishes walk the way of Mastery and he would be most pleased with that path.
[X] Exterminate the Moths: The two have stumbled on a darker, deeper line of research. The ancient Akkadians supposedly knew of the Moths, and sought a way to wipe them from the Earth. This is not surprising in and of itself -- what is surprising is that this knowledge survived, mostly untouched, to the present day. The Moths instincts drive them to devour any information concerning themselves as a self-defense mechanism. All signs point to the Akkadians having found a way to 'proof' their records against the Yn'Tari, records which suggest they developed a weapon to fight the pests. More research is needed, but Stephanus hesitantly suggests that we could, perhaps, finish what they started so long ago -- though Birch is quick to point out that, quite ironically, no one living knows where Akkad is.
[X] Theresa Gail Atwater: The daughter of a Boston schoolteacher and a California mill worker, Theresa Atwater is an ordinary young woman. She dreams of being a painter, but she is unfortunately not very good at painting. Her days are sorely lacking in unsettling signs or terrible portents. Her skin is an utterly normal sort of color, and her eyes are a muddy brown. She has the right number of organs and has never so much as glowed a single day in her life. She is, in conclusion, an utterly normal person. One might even call her boring, or bland if they are kind. Enoch's diary says only that her crimes will be numberless and nameless, and that the Dragonfly himself will oppose her and fail. Enoch, Stephanus stresses, has been wrong before.
[X] Knowledge: There is much in this world that man does not know. There are things beyond mortal understanding that would bend our minds to comprehend. Half the difficulty in understanding them, then, is to shape our minds to be capable of doing so. The path to such understanding is not easy. Our minds must be expanded. Our eyes must open. We must become more than we are, before we can see the world as it is. But knowledge is power — and we shall be powerful indeed. This is the path the one called Morris walked, when he could still be called a man.
Theresa's experience as an insecure artist shall ward us from the greatest Horror of all: Artist's block!
[X] Theresa Gail Atwater: The daughter of a Boston schoolteacher and a California mill worker, Theresa Atwater is an ordinary young woman. She dreams of being a painter, but she is unfortunately not very good at painting. Her days are sorely lacking in unsettling signs or terrible portents. Her skin is an utterly normal sort of color, and her eyes are a muddy brown. She has the right number of organs and has never so much as glowed a single day in her life. She is, in conclusion, an utterly normal person. One might even call her boring, or bland if they are kind. Enoch's diary says only that her crimes will be numberless and nameless, and that the Dragonfly himself will oppose her and fail. Enoch, Stephanus stresses, has been wrong before.
[X] Knowledge: There is much in this world that man does not know. There are things beyond mortal understanding that would bend our minds to comprehend. Half the difficulty in understanding them, then, is to shape our minds to be capable of doing so. The path to such understanding is not easy. Our minds must be expanded. Our eyes must open. We must become more than we are, before we can see the world as it is. But knowledge is power — and we shall be powerful indeed. This is the path the one called Morris walked, when he could still be called a man.
Theresa's experience as an insecure artist shall ward us from the greatest Horror of all: Artist's block!
Thank you for the vote of confidence. That said, I am nursing a headache right now so that analysis may have to wait until I take a rest and get it cleared.
If anyone wants to make a plan though, the main points to take care of is:
a) The Starry Organ can only be researched by LeBlanc right now.
b) Red Season means that everything magick related is more powerful, so going on expeditions wouldn't be the best of things to do.
c) Covering our bases with more Ward and doing "Backdoor Channel" is good sense, seeing as consolidating wouldn't be the worst of things to do seeing that...
...we've gained enmity of the Men of Glass.