The Dreamscapes:Two vivid and impossible paintings, both titled Dreamscape, of an impossible city, a city that bends and twists and burns, a city not of this Earth. The pictures seem to shift whenever you look away, and it is said if you gaze to long, you may visit this city in your dreams.
I don't know - whatever's going on with them sounds pretty magical. Visiting an impossible city of twists, burns and bends in your dreams sounds like something the Red Season would help with.
Right, lets put my money where my mouth is:
[X] Dreaming Eldritch Dreams
-[X] There is a house in the hinterlands where an old man has died suddenly. Preliminary investigations show that he was not entirely human. (Intelligence)
--[X] Mr. Yasir
-[X] Rumors abound -- there is a place in the Catacombs of France where it is said you may speak with the dead. (Rumor)
--[X] Mr. Birch
-[X] Study The Dreamscapes: These paintings are just paintings. There is no magic in them, Stephanus confirmed it. But they are so very strange, and they seem to burn into your eyelids. If you gaze at them too long, you may visit them in dreams. If you gaze at them longer still, you gain the desire to paint.
--[X] Miss LeBlanc
-[X] Reach Out: The Society needs wealthy patrons if it is to survive. Reach out and try to get some. (-1 Influence)
-[X] Reach Out To The Knights: The Boreal Order recruits from the high nobility of Europe. A few questions in the right places to the right people might lead you to an encounter that might be promising for both parties. (-1 Influence)(-2 Wealth)
I don't think investigating the church which is 'protected by magical forces of great strength ' and which Yasir urges caution when investigating is a good idea during the Red Season. Instead, lets study the Dreamscapes which the Red Season might help with - LeBlanc does this bcause she's got the most exposure so hopefully will gain the least horror.
Separatley, I'm sending Birch to investigate the catacombs in the hope that his (albeit limited) experience with the Worm Fed might help when investigating what seems to be necromancy. Yasir is going to the last high level information source because it'd be a shame to waste it.
I don't know - whatever's going on with them sounds pretty magical. Visiting an impossible city of twists, burns and bends in your dreams sounds like something the Red Season would help with.
I doubt this part though: There's some stuff that can't quite be termed as magic. Rather, it's more that things work by different laws of physics than the ones we're used to. Or something like that.
Judging from the portents, namely the necromancers moon, and what we've seen, I'm thinking it might be better to send Birch to france. Necromancy and worms may well have a connection, and the dead talking may well be a distant aspect of such.
Also, completely guessing here, but those Ancient Pharohs and Irem are likely to have a connection. Names removed from Ancient rulers in the valley of the Kings, and a Nameless King whose realm is often associated with the desert? If names have Power, then why is the King Nameless?
There is a difference between being Nameless and being nameless, though you have hit on the crux of it: all names have power. They are bound to their wearers. They identify them, they define them, and they call them. Everything in the world, from gods to sorcerers to mortals, requires it's name to function.
The Nameless King is powerful indeed, and his strength stretches across all lost places and all wandering dreams. When he has nightmares, the worlds shake.
And he is Nameless. To be Nameless is to be less than you were. It is to lose the most intrinsic part of yourself, to be skinned and made naked before the world, a shadow of a shadow. To be Nameless is to be voiceless and deaf and dumb, stripped of all but the merest strip of power you once had.
Imagine, then, when he was Named.
The Pharaohs who now lie in the shadow of the Valley of Kings were men, once. Most of them died with their flesh, but something of them lives on. These remnants are no longer human, but they still have names — and to speak their names might draw their attention. You would not want to draw their attention.
The ancient Egyptians scoured all trace of their names from history, not out of fear, but as an act of mercy for those who came after them. They are named still, however, and their names still hold a terrible power in certain parts of the world.
I mean, if our Mage stated that they are not magic, I assume they are not.
But I agree: maybe the church is a mistake, but study the paintings is not a bad idea
I mean, if our Mage stated that they are not magic, I assume they are not.
But I agree: maybe the church is a mistake, but study the paintings is not a bad idea
So basically, since he lacks a Name - not just having one that's lost, or is forgotten, but just doens't have one - He Lacks... Definition I guess?
So if you had no Name, on a conceptual level, I guess it would almost be like... Pouring water from a bottle. The water's still there, but it's not taking any shape, it's just flowing everywhere. The bottle defined it and contained it, gave it shape, like a name does a being or object?
I don't know, i'm spit-balling here. I kinda like thinking about this stuff.
So basically, since he lacks a Name - not just having one that's lost, or is forgotten, but just doens't have one - He Lacks... Definition I guess?
So if you had no Name, on a conceptual level, I guess it would almost be like... Pouring water from a bottle. The water's still there, but it's not taking any shape, it's just flowing everywhere. The bottle defined it and contained it, gave it shape, like a name does a being or object?
I don't know, i'm spit-balling here. I kinda like thinking about this stuff.
That's a good analogy, but there's another way to express it:
It's like if you took water and removed the hydrogen. You are left with oxygen in it's natural form — intrinsically changed and intrinsically different. It can no longer fit inside the bottle. It can no longer flow or bubble or do anything water used to do. It is formless and shapeless and less than it than was. It is no longer anything which could be described as water.
That is what it is to be Nameless.
(A note: Much like it is not very easy to separate hydrogen from oxygen, it is not very easy to separate a Name from it's owner. Quite harder, in fact, by several degrees of magnitude. As a rule of thumb, if you are strong enough to remove something's name, you are already powerful enough to kill it ten times over. De-naming is thus almost always an act of spite, or hatred...or punishment.)
(A note: Much like it is not very easy to separate hydrogen from oxygen, it is not very easy to separate a Name from it's owner. Quite harder, in fact, by several degrees of magnitude. As a rule of thumb, if you are strong enough to remove something's name, you are already powerful enough to kill it ten times over. De-naming is thus almost always an act of spite, or hatred...or punishment.)
First of all, Something was A bad enough dude to DO that to the Nameless king in the first place when he was Named. What the hell kind of being has the power to do that
And secondly, and far more importantly,what the Hell did he do to piss them off that much?
First of all, Something was A bad enough dude to DO that to the Nameless king in the first place when he was Named. What the hell kind of being has the power to do that
And secondly, and far more importantly,what the Hell did he do to piss them off that much?
So what can kill a Pharaoh ten times over? Who rules the one who rules the sands?
The Gods!
...
We're gonna get rekt by Egyptian Gods like Sobek and Ra, aren't we?
This is gonna be a crossover with Mummies! the series, isn't it.
The Pharohs aren't nameless though. They've just had their names removed from history, scratched out the records. but they still have names, we just don't necessarily know about them.
Members: 4 Headquarters: Mammon Place, New York City Wealth: 11 (+3 a turn)(-1 a turn)(Total: +2)
Arcana: 8 Influence: 4 Informants: 1 Contracts: 0 Suspicion: N/A Benefactors: N/A
Society Roster
These are the current members of the Bringham Society, their skills, the knowledge they hold, and their current location.
Mr. Abdul Al-Malik Ahmad ibn Yasir Al-Athari, aged fifty, though his eyes are older. An accomplished explorer and archaeologist of some renown. He is possessed of an understanding of the mysteries of the sand-swallowed city, Irem of the Many Pillars, and knows something of the Hidden History. Currently located in Mammon Place, New York City. (Horror: 4/500) (Contributes 3 Arcana)
Mr. Gabriel Birch, aged thirty. A skilled explorer and traveler, possessed of substantial funds and a certain innate good fortune. Currently located in Mammon Place, New York City. He has heard the beating of the Moths and seen the glory of the Worm-Fed. (Horror: 2/200)
Mr. Jon Stephanos, called also the Halfborn, aged thirty-eight. A master of the arcane arts and well-studied in those certain dark rituals which may allow one to harness the power beneath the skin of the world. He has some experience with the terrible mysteries of Thee Darke Artes, and has seen what the Lampsmen died to hide. Currently located in Mammon Place, New York City. Traits:Mental Fortitude(Horror: 9/200) (Contributes 5 Arcana)
Lady Isadora LeBlanc, aged twenty-four. Incredibly tall and strong, and possessing a particular intelligence and capacity for reasoning which outstrips most other Society members. In dreams she has seen the Gate of Ivory and heard the song of the Dreamcrow. Currently located in Mammon Place, New York City. (Horror: 1/200)
Artefacts
The Travel Diary of Ashley Enoch: A book detailing the travels of the adventurer Ashley Robert Enoch in America, his attempts to discover the forgotten link between Mesoamerican gods and Egyptian pharaohs, and what he found in his travels that drove him mad. There is something under the skin of history that is not right. It screams to be let out. (Lore: The Hidden History)(Partially Studied) (When completed, this book will give a full rank of Understanding in it's lore)
A Shattered Lamp: Once, this bore light. It still does, if looked at from the right angles. Cracked edges of glass gleam angrily like razors. They remember. (Lore: The Lampsmen)
A Moth-Riddled Tome: This book said something, once, before the Moth entered it. It's pages still hold words, but their meaning is gone, the ideas behind them gnawed and devoured. What is left behind is a frankly boring text that says nothing of any real importance -- the ideas that were too thin to be worth the memeovore's time. (Lore: The Moths)
A Starry Organ: This strange organ came from a man who was not quite a man. It is warm still, and pulses and beats with a heat not of this earth.
The Dreamscapes: Two vivid and impossible paintings, both titled Dreamscape, of an impossible city, a city that bends and twists and burns, a city not of this Earth. The pictures seem to shift whenever you look away, and it is said if you gaze too long, you may visit this city in your dreams. The sigils painted upon the canvases, when looked at together, open your mind to strange new vistas that are not wholly of Earth.
Lore
These are the secrets of the world you have begun to uncover, or of which the Society and it's members have encountered in their travels. There are many, and they intertwine. To learn too much of any one lore may be...damaging.
The Hidden History: There are holes in history -- civilizations that do not appear on any record, continents not found on any map, wars not told of in any book. There is another story than the one we know. The Society holds a passing knowledge of this lore, but more research is needed. Understanding: I (1/5 Artifacts needed for a greater understanding)
Thee Darke Artes: Men are not powerless in this world. There are those who lease their very souls to unearthly powers in exchange for the ability to shape the world to their whims. They walk a tightrope above oblivion, and their bones will smolder for all time. The Society has not encountered this lore, but has heard of it.
The Iremic Mysteries: There was a great city in the sands called Irem. It is gone now, and its' king lies nameless and dreaming. It is said that those who have lost their way in a desert, any desert, may sometimes make their way to Irem in dreams. The Society has not encountered this lore, but has heard of it.
The Lampsmen: You are not the first. Others have flung light into the darkness. They are no more, or so it seems, but they left something behind. They covered the globe once, seeking truth in the darkest places with their magical lamps. When the darkness sought them, they had no defense. They were destroyed by one of the Moths, destroyed so thoroughly that even the idea of them no longer remains. What they learned in the shadows, and what they fought there-- this will take work to find out.
The Worm-Fed:There are certain worms in the deep places which feed upon the dead. When they have fed enough, even death may die. This is a secret only undertakers and gravekeepers know. The Society has encountered this lore, but has not studied it's mysteries.
The Moths: Antimemes. Memeovores. The Devourers of Light, the Yn'tari, the Moths-- they have many names. They are living ideas that nestle in books or words or anything that could hold an idea, and spread like parasites from mind to mind, devouring knowledge and thought. They feast on the well-read and the intelligent, so the first to fall in any infestation are likely those who might recognize what they are. Let them feast long enough, and they will devour even the idea of their prey, so that the world forgets them. Unintelligent and defenseless, they are easily slain once their true nature is realized and they are forced to take corporeal form.
The Tigerlily:There is a god, or something like a god, called the Tigerlily. Worshiped since antiquity in the stranger corners of the world, there are several occult books littered with references to his capricious and selfish nature. Stephanus remarks that he seems strangely familiar.
The Boreal Mysteries: How have the knights of the Boreal Order survived for so very long in a field where all are doomed to inevitably go mad? What is the immense power that protects their hidden base from even the mightiest magical incursions? And how have they come to defy death itself?
The Dreamscape: There is a city of bronze and smoke that lives in dreams. This is the land that painters and madmen alike visit in their sleep.
Groups of Interest
You are not alone. There are other groups like your own, men of ambition and foresight who deal in the darker mysteries of the world. Sorcerers, eldritch explorers, and occult researchers abound, and though these groups are a dime a dozen in the occult underworld, there are some who may yet help or hinder your own goals. These are the groups of interest:
The Boreal Order: The Teutonic Knights of the Order of Prussia, as they are formally called, are one of the oldest occult groups in the world. For centuries they have protected Germany from occult threats and gathered powerful artifacts and treasures from around the world. Their hidden base, the Cobalt Lodge, is thought to be one of the greatest repositories of occult knowledge in the world, exceeded only by the Morris Collection. They have many ties among the old nobility of Europe, and their age and influence means that their reach is worldwide. It would be wise not to trifle with them.
The Morris Collection: A repository of occult knowledge to outstrip most any other, the Morris Collection is widely regarded by occultists of all stripes as 'neutral territory'. Perhaps the greatest of the Collection's mysteries, however, is the identity of it's proprietor, a mysterious being referred to only as Morris, or, in more hushed tones, 'The Collector'. Whoever they are, they have been in control for millennia, and they are very powerful and quite exacting. Few have crossed them. None have lived.
Ivary's: The Ivarys are one of the oldest occult lineages still in existence, and their business, Ivary's, is one of the oldest occult shops. Cunning, clever, and more than a bit cruel, these ruthless businessmen have dealt in occult artefacts for over three generations. Unlike most occultists, their only interest in the mysteries of the universe is what price they might fetch on the auction block, and the Ivarys have become infamous for their driven hunt for profit.
Misc
The Dreamscape: A land of dreams and magic and fire and bronze that could only exist in dreams. Those who gaze upon certain paintings for too long may find their way here in dreams. Those who dare navigate it may find secret knowlege lost in the waking world. Or they may never wake again.
The moon swells with the weight of worms, and the damned and the dead stir from their sleep. Strange stars gleam and black days are at hand, when even death may die -- for the Necromancer's Moon shines bright, and the Worming Hour is upon us.
[X] Dreaming Eldritch Dreams
-[X] There is a house in the hinterlands where an old man has died suddenly. Preliminary investigations show that he was not entirely human. (Intelligence)
--[X] Mr. Yasir
-[X] Rumors abound -- there is a place in the Catacombs of France where it is said you may speak with the dead. (Rumor)
--[X] Mr. Birch
-[X] Study The Dreamscapes: These paintings are just paintings. There is no magic in them, Stephanus confirmed it. But they are so very strange, and they seem to burn into your eyelids. If you gaze at them too long, you may visit them in dreams. If you gaze at them longer still, you gain the desire to paint.
--[X] Miss LeBlanc
-[X] Reach Out: The Society needs wealthy patrons if it is to survive. Reach out and try to get some. (-1 Influence)
-[X] Reach Out To The Knights: The Boreal Order recruits from the high nobility of Europe. A few questions in the right places to the right people might lead you to an encounter that might be promising for both parties. (-1 Influence)(-2 Wealth)
Jon Stephanus was accustomed to late nights. He had become used to it, in his line of work. Sorcery was not an easy profession, by any means. It was half art, half science, and a third half mad stubbornness. To understand enough to so much as put out a candle without risking your soul required years of study and devotion -- and more than a little wine, when things happened you didn't want to remember clearly.
Yet these last few weeks researching the guide had been...stressful. There was something hidden behind the words, anyone with eyes could tell you that. It droned on and on about a Lampsman's duty to serve, about the vital importance of the lamps, about the need to steel yourself before venturing into the dark. But there was just something...there that he couldn't quite dig out, something twitching at the end of every sentence, something gnawing at him.
Gnawing.
Now why did that word pop into his head? Why --
His train of thought was broken by an invisible fluttering sound in the back of his head, like the sound of small wings fluttering. Like the sound of a moth. He couldn't figure out where that was coming from either. He'd made a quick pact with a minor spirit to run a check over the book and see if there was any magic in it, but it had come up empty. Nothing he did could tell him where any of this was coming from, or what kept nagging him about this...stupidly, impossibly boring book.
Frustrated, he leaned back in his chair. All at once, he realized that the shadows had crept up on him again. He glanced over at the wax candle he was using. It was nearly dead, guttering in it's stand.
Odd.
He could've sworn he'd bound a fire spirit to the candle just an hour ago. Or, at least, he'd intended to. Sighing, he raised his hand, bent it into the proper shape, and began speaking the Aramaic incantation that would lease a fragment of his soul to a being of flame for the time it took the candle to burn. It was a simple spell, maybe one of the first any sorcerer learned.
So why couldn't he remember it?
A word leapt back into his mind -- gnawing. As it did, the fluttering sound grew stronger. He brushed it off, seizing on the wayward thought. He was tired, yes, but not so tired as to forget a basic building block of sorcery. Unless...
He frowned.
On a whim, he leaned forward, grabbed a sheaf of his notes, and began to rifle through them. As his eyes scanned the parchments, his frown grew. He didn't remember this. Any of this. These were detailed notes for parts of the book he'd never read. Never even flipped over. But that didn't make any sense either, he realized. The book might be boring, but it was barely a hundred pages long. He should've finished it by now.
He had.
Jon cursed as he realized. Stupid. Of course. He'd been so stupid! How much had he lost already? He turned his thoughts inwards, truly inwards, towards the fluttering sound, towards the wingbeats like thunder in the back of his mind. A sorcerer of his caliber did not need to lease his soul to anyone to exercise his strength within his own mind, within his own soul. He gazed into his own psyche, mustered as much energy as he could, and then --
<GET. OUT.OF. MY. HEAD!>
It was half spell, half thought, all command. The air in front of him wrinkled, then folded. Where there had been empty space, a small black bug fluttered in the air, weakly, then dropped to the ground with a dull splat.
Jon gazed down at it. He had heard of these before, he must have, but his memories of them must have been the first thing it ate. It had many names: an antimeme, a memeovore. Most simply, it was a living idea, an idea that ate ideas. A dumb, predatory thing that lived in books and minds and spread from one to the other like a disease, devouring memories and hopes and dreams and thoughts until it's hosts were catatonic shells of their former selves.
It must have destroyed the Lampsmen. So many men with minds so alike, all sharing ideas and thoughts and discoveries. The memeovore must have been picked up on some occult expedition, and the unsuspecting Lampsman brought it back to his fellows -- and it feasted on them, on their ideas, and, eventually, on the idea of them. They had been so very bright, and it had come fluttering out of the dark to devour their light.
Jon stared down at the winged thing crawling broken on the ground. Forced into the physical world, it was harmless and weak, and would die soon. It fluttered and darted weakly on the floor, vainly searching for an escape.
It did look a bit like a Moth, he thought.
(Lore Expanded: The Moths!) The Moths:Antimemes. Memeovores. The Devourers of Light, the Yn'tari , the Moths-- they have many names. They are living ideas that nestle in books or words or anything that could hold an idea, and spread like parasites from mind to mind, devouring knowledge and thought. They feast on the well-read and the intelligent, so the first to fall in any infestation are likely those who might recognize what they are. Let them feast long enough, and they will devour even the idea of their prey, so that the world forgets them. Unintelligent and defenseless, they are easily slain once their true nature is realized and they are forced to take corporeal form. (Lore Expanded: The Lamspmen!) The Lampsmen:You are not the first. Others have flung light into the darkness. They are no more, or so it seems, but they left something behind. They covered the globe once, seeking truth in the darkest places with their magical lamps. When the darkness sought them, they had no defense. They were destroyed by one of the Moths, destroyed so thoroughly that even the idea of them no longer remains. What they learned in the shadows, and what they fought there-- this will take work to find out. (Mr. Stephanos: Trait Revealed: Mental Fortitude)
Mental Fortitude: This character has a sharp mind. Their thoughts are not easily assailed, and their heads are their own.
Time slips and slides, and once again you all find yourselves in the quiet house on the empty street, under the blood-red ruby chandelier in a room where a redder blood once flowed and older tongues were heard. Once again, you speak the oaths, once again the signs are made, once again the circle is made of bone and yew and flesh and stone and viler things still. Once again, the Society convenes.
Jon Stephanos is the first to speak. The occultist has gathered himself somewhat from your last meeting, and there is a glint in his eyes that was not there before. In a bold voice, he tells you all of his final discovery during his research, of what destroyed the Lampsmen, of what almost destroyed him. There are several spells he has forgotten, and he cannot remember the better part of his teenage years, but on the whole, he has survived unscathed. The Moth is dead, and he is already workshopping a few makeshift wards which might protect against them in the future. The Lampsman's Guide is a lost cause -- the Moth devoured enough of it that the ideas within are worthless. Whatever words are on the page no longer hold any meaning to anything human. It may still have value, however.
(Artifact Lost: The Lampsman's Guide)
(Artifact Gained: Moth-Riddled Tome)
A Moth-Riddled Tome: This book said something, once, before the Moth entered it. It's pages still hold words, but their meaning is gone, the ideas behind them gnawed and devoured. What is left behind is a frankly boring text that says nothing of any real importance -- the ideas that were too thin to be worth the memeovore's time. (Lore: The Moths)
Mr. Birch comes forward empty-handed. After a week spent traipsing through dusty skull-filled corridors, he has been forced to conclude that the rumors of the dead (who are not quite dead) in the catacombs of Paris turned out to be nothing more than that: a rumor.
Mr. Yasir, however, reports more success. In a quiet hamlet in an idyllic corner of England, an old farmer died. Upon examination, the coroner found that he had no lungs, that his heart was misshapen and distorted, and that a strange, impossible organ squirmed where his stomach should have been. Fortunately for us, instead of reporting it to the authorities, he wrote of it to several of his colleagues, and the rumor made it's way to the Society's ears. After a short trip to England, Yasir has returned -- bearing the cadaver. The coroner, he reports, met with an untimely end. The rest of the corpse has decayed beyond use, but the strange organ remains whole, still pulsing, still squirming.
(Artefacts Gained: A Starry Organ)
A Starry Organ: This strange organ came from a man who was not quite a man. It is warm still, and pulses and beats with a heat not of this earth.
Isadora's study of the Dreamscapes is complete, and the heiress' reports, well...
...she has dreamt of the city in the paintings. She has walked it's streets of fire and climbed towers of diamond and dream. It is so very, very real she says, realer almost than the waking world. A closer examination of the paintings has revealed that while, indeed they are not magic, they open certain...paths in mind, paths that may well lead one to this city of fire and smoke, to the Dreamscape. What secrets lie in this dreaming land, Isadora cannot say, but she has brought something back with her from the other side: knowledge.
(Artefact Studied: The Dreamscapes)
Arcana Choices Unlocked!
(Ms. LeBlanc gains 1 Horror)
Thanks to your first Dreamscape exploration, all Information choices made this turn will be a success
Recognizing the need for financial backing for your more extravagant ventures, the Society puts out feelers into the upper crust of New York high society, and within the month, Mammon Place is visited by several figures of interest.
The first of these is Jean, a young lawyer with a too-wide smile and snakelike eyes. He represents the Ivary family, a clan famous (or infamous) among occultists. For over a hundred years, the Ivarys have dealt in the purchase and resale of exotic merchandise to exclusive clientele at their shop, the appropriately-named Ivary's. Their merchandise is not always acquired in the most legal of ways, or the most moral. Their representative informs that the Ivarys are always willing to do business with discerning groups such as the Society. In short, they will purchase artifacts from you for fair prices. They will not sell to you, not yet. Their clientele list is very small, and very exclusive. You will have to prove yourself, first.
The next is a tall man in a drab black suit. He represents the legal interest known as Moorham and Sons, and their clients. Their clients often do not wish to be named or identified, but they might pay a good sum indeed for the special expertise of members of the Society, should you wish to hire these skills out. Moorham and Sons has several contracts they would be glad to offer Society members. The understanding, of course, is that all artifacts, treasures, and material possessions gained from these contracts belong to the clients. The Society is free to keep whatever knowledge they have gained, and the contracts are quite lucrative indeed.
The last visitor to walk through the halls of Mammon Place is a woman in a dark suit with striking grey hair. Her name is Catady Black. Ms. Black represents a group of men with particular tastes and odd desires. From time to time, they may desire a certain sort of artifact or a certain piece of knowledge to help sate these desires. If you can provide it, you will be well rewarded.
You receive no more visitors, but you do receive a strange missive at Mammon Place late in the month -- a deep blue envelope, the color of a drowning sea, or perhaps a burning star. Within is a letter, and an address. The letter is short, terse, and to the point: The Knights would have words with you. Send someone to these coordinates at the appointed day and the appointed time. Come alone or not at all.
[] You agree. --[] Pick a member to send.
[] You refuse. This is all a bit melodramatic for your tastes. [] You don't go, but you send someone to watch the location and report back. --[] Pick a member to send.
Information:
[] There is a valley in Africa. In the valley is a city, shadow-shrouded and sunken. Those who found it are no longer sane, but it is said it holds terrible secrets. (Gossip) --[] Assign A Member
[] There is a spine of mountains in the Andes where no human feet have ever trod. (Gossip) --[] Assign A Member
[] Seven men walked into a cave in Chile. One walked out, and he speaks of massive things under the earth. (Hearsay) --[] Assign A Member
[] A Japanese whaling ship from half a century ago has appeared off the coast of California. It's crew speak of an Emperor in the East. (Gossip) --[] Assign A Member
[] Rumors abound -- there is a tortured poet who speaks in strange tongues. In moments of lucidity, he claims there are stars in his skull. (Hearsay) --[] Assign A Member
Discovery:
[] 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)
--[] Assign A Member
[] 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
Expedition:
[] 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)
[] 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)
[] 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. --[] 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)
Study:
[] Study The Travel Diary of Ashley Enoch: Parts of this book were written before itself. There are passages that seem to forget how causality works. There are events referred to that never happened, or have yet to happen, and oblique references to places not found on any reputable map. It is quite possibly the worst travel diary ever written. And it is the secret to the history beneath the world. (Will take two turns to study)
--[] Assign A Member
[] Study A Cracked Lamp: This lamp is broken, most certainly. But the edges of it remember what they were, and their light is almost blinding. -[] Assign A Member
[] 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. -[] Assign A Member
[] 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
The Arcane:
(Note: You may pick as many Arcane options as you want, but remember that Arcana takes two turns to regenerate)
[] Rudimentary Moth-Wards: Stephanus suggests that you design wards around Mammon Place to detect the creatures known as the Moths, and to tell if anyone entering carries one in their heads. (-1 Arcana)
[] 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 may still linger, and be turned to new purpose. (-1 Arcana)
[] 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)
[] 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)
So I think we should max out information gathering this turn considering we are guaranteed success, although setting up the moth wards to protect that information should also probably be prioritized.
With that in mind,
[X] Plan knowledge is power
-[X] You agree.
--[X] Isadora LeBlanc
-[X] There is a valley in Africa. In the valley is a city, shadow-shrouded and sunken. Those who found it are no longer sane, but it is said it holds terrible secrets. (Gossip)
--[X] Jon Stephanos
-[X] Seven men walked into a cave in Chile. One walked out, and he speaks of massive things under the earth. (Hearsay)
--[X] Gabriel Birch
-[X] Rumors abound -- there is a tortured poet who speaks in strange tongues. In moments of lucidity, he claims there are stars in his skull. (Hearsay)
--[X] Mr. Yasir
-[X] Rudimentary Moth-Wards: Stephanus suggests that you design wards around Mammon Place to detect the creatures known as the Moths, and to tell if anyone entering carries one in their heads. (-1 Arcana)
[X]Info=Winfo
-[X] You agree.
--[X] Miss LeBlanc
-[X] Rumors abound -- there is a tortured poet who speaks in strange tongues. In moments of lucidity, he claims there are stars in his skull. (Hearsay)
--[X] Mr. Stephanos
[X] There is a valley in Africa. In the valley is a city, shadow-shrouded and sunken. Those who found it are no longer sane, but it is said it holds terrible secrets. (Gossip)
--[X] Mr. Yasir
-[X] A Japanese whaling ship from half a century ago has appeared off the coast of California. It's crew speak of an Emperor in the East. (Gossip)
--[X] Mr. Birch
-[X] Rudimentary Moth-Wards: Stephanus suggests that you design wards around Mammon Place to detect the creatures known as the Moths, and to tell if anyone entering carries one in their heads. (-1 Arcana)
-[X] 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)
-[X] 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)
-[X] 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)
With that guarantee on success, we'd be fools to not take advantage of this, as well as take advantage of LeBlanc's supernatural strength on a possibly dangerous action. While our original members do this, I figure it's as good a time as any to expand our ranks and get more main actions. If we're lucky, we'll get some fancy new blood from the students, and the socialite one might grab us another member with the wealthy tag. Lastly, moth wards are definitely important, so we should have those, but we have more than one arcana, and I figure a flat boost to all exploration, research, and combat is more than worth the permanent -1 arcana from us. When it comes to the info choices, I figure the poet might have a similar freaky organ to the cadaver we just nabbed, so why not expand that, the Africa one seems like it might be Secret History to me, and the Japanese whaling ship has been here for forever, so I figure we nab it and get the very likely Secret History off of that as well.
