Legacy WOA30AE EN:GM Resources

Legacy: War Of Ages 30th Anniversary Edition / Contents

(NOTE: This is a work in progress.)

Chapter Six: GM Resources

The explosion knocked her down, though she was more than a block away from the building where Dominic had tracked the assassin. She saw a bright orange red balloon expand and burst, casting off a fragile tenement crust. Rebecca struggled to her feet and ran forward, dodging smoking brick and cinder comet debris.

Shielding her face from the inferno, climbing into the wreckage left by Dominic's bomb, she could feel his life straining to rebuild his body under the blazing ruins.

Rebecca gathered her strength, focusing on that place that is not a place, changing her perception of her environment. On another level of sensing, the flames, the stifling heat, the smoke, receding. Push-pull the alteration into clear focus. The fire was not raging; after the initial explosion only a few combustibles had ignited.

It was so.

The sirens were close when she found him. Lifting a section of wall, she recoiled in disgust at what was left of him. Right side gone, legs tattered, fleshy rags. The bones of ribcage and hip protruded from his bleeding, smoking torso, his face unrecognizable. She knew it was him, possessed that knowledge, saw him among twitching sinew and open veins.

She dragged him to her car, gagging from the smell of burning flesh. By the time she put him in the back seat, his wounds had closed, the bleeding stopped. He would live.

Player Characters are as distinct from the players as the characters in a story are from the author. It is not enough to simply say, "My character is just like me," although this type of game can be an interesting experiment. The point is, your character is not you. You have things in common with your character, you may identify with your character in many ways, and indeed you should. But you are not your character any more than Herman Melville was Captain Ahab. Your character will have good days and bad days, great successes and traumatic failures, and you should share in these achievements because they would not be possible without you, but don't let the bad days get to you.

One of the ways a Player Character (even one which started out quite similar to its player in outlook or temperament) will grow to become increasingly discrete from the player is through the adventures the PC embarks upon. The very act of battling another Immortal, with the outcome meaning the True Death for one of the combatants, will change the perspective of the character significantly. This process of watching a character grow and develop is a gratifying one.

Gaining Karma

Awarding Karma Table The Player Karma Showed up for the game +0 Played the game enthusiastically +1 Role-played exceptionally +1 Was clever and inventive +1 Concluded a lengthy series of games +1

Part of the power elder Immortals hold over their younger fellows in certainly due to the lethality gained from centuries of practice at the art of combat. Death is the great equalizer, even among those who call themselves Immortal. It is not simply efficiency in combat which earns respect among other Immortals, however. With lifetimes spanning several centuries, most elder Immortals have gained wisdom and breadth of experience that few mortals can attain. The cunning born of practical experience makes such ancients far more dangerous than even the most skillful mortal duellist.

Karma is measured in two ways. "Unspent" Karma is Karma that has been accumulated by the character through role-playing or through the slaying of another Immortal, but which has not been used to increase the character's attributes or Task Rolls. "Earned" Karma is the total of all Karma the character has ever acquired, both spent Karma and unspent Karma. It may be worth pointing out that Karma, in the numerical sense, is simply a game convenience like Rank. Player Characters do not know that Jacqueline has a Strength Rank of three and twenty-two earned Karma. Numbers in these cases are simply used to give the players a common frame of reference for comparing the abilities and experience of their characters. The characters themselves would find the concept of a fixed measurement of one's experience rather ludicrous. How can one put a meterstick on the life experience of a person? Nonetheless, the scheme of measuring Karma is a convenient one, because it lets us compare characters' relative experience objectively, and it forms a fair basis for simulating the wisdom and improved skills a character learns over time.

Role-Playing

Karma is a way to measure the sum of a character's experiences. At the end of a game, or a series of games, the Game Moderator will distribute to each player a few points of Karma. Karma points are similar in nature to the character points used to build the PC when it was first created, and the number of Karma granted to the player by the GM is dependent upon how well the player role-played during the game. Under normal circumstances the players will all receive the same amount of Karma, with the player who did the best role-playing occasionally receiving an extra point.

The Rapture

When an Immortal slays another of her kind, the tremendous life-energy released from the dead body explodes in a storm of light and sound. Some of this energy is absorbed by the victor, causing a sensation of ecstasy and enhanced perception equal to no other human experience. So overwhelming is this experience, called the Rapture, that it has been mistaken for divine inspiration on more than one occasion. Once the initial brilliance and euphoria has passed, a small part of the life force of the departed Immortal remains behind with the survivor, granting her a portion of the power and wisdom attained by the deceased.

In game terms, when one Immortal kills another, or when one Immortal is nearby when an Immortal dies, the survivor will be stunned by the flow of energy into her body for a number of Turns equal to her Psyche. Immortals with greater Psychic capacity are more affected by the influx of the dead Immortal's life force. After the initial swoon has worn off, the Immortal will have gained a portion of the deceased's total earned Karma. For every ten Karma earned by the dead Immortal, the victor gains one Karma (rounded up, in the slayer's favor). If the slain Immortal had accrued no Karma, the victor still earns one point of Karma. Karma earned in this manner is in all ways identical to the Karma the character gains at the end of a game session, and may be spent in exactly the same way.

Using Karma

Statistic Cost Table Rank Increment Cost Total 1 0 0 2 10 10 3 20 30 4 30 60 5 40 100 6 50 150 7 60 210 8 70 280 9 80 360 10 90 450 Ability Cost Table Rank Increment Cost Total 1 2 2 2 2 4 3 4 8 4 6 14 5 8 22 6 10 32 7 12 44 8 14 58 9 16 74 10 18 92

Sometimes it may be difficult to separate your character's problems and setbacks from your own. After all, when the character speaks it is you who are speaking, and when you make a good tactical decision it is the character who benefits. It is only natural to grow protective of a character you have spent hundreds of hours playing and creating over the past several years. But when the end comes for your character, as it inevitably will, do not mourn overlong. The glory in a life lies not in its length, but in its depth.

Increasing Expertise

In a practical sense, the player increases the Rank of her character's Statistics, Abilities, and Accents through the expenditure of Karma. The mathematics of using Karma in this way are fairly straightforward, and are similar to the use of character points spent during character creation. The amount of Karma required to raise a Rank or an Ability by one point is a multiple of the current Rank. Increasing a Statistic by one costs the Statistic's current Rank multiplied by ten, and increasing an Ability by one costs that Ability's current Rank multiplied by two. Thus, if a character has a Stealth Ability Rank of three and wants to increase its rank to four, it costs six points of Karma to do so.

Increasing a character's skill or prowess should never be a matter of simply "spending the points." The purpose and object of Legacy is to create a story of adventure and passion; for most people, simple mathematics does not fulfill this goal. Successfully mastering a new skill, becoming more adept at feats of strength or intelligence, and overcoming difficult obstacles in the pursuit of enlightenment are not merely blanks to be filled in on a character's sheet. It is vital that each expenditure of Karma to increase a Player Character's Ranks, or to decrease or "buy off" a PC's Negative Accents, be role-played out during the game.

Obviously, it's not necessary to go step by step, role-playing through the hours of practice and self-discipline required to raise a character's Athletics Ability Rank by one. Exactly how the character's increased athletic prowess is woven into the story is up to the Game Moderator and the player. The GM should only allow the player to spend Karma on attributes the character has had the need or desire to improve upon during the game. Perhaps the character failed miserably at an attempt to Stealth around, and decides to practice sneaking up behind people. Maybe the character succeeded beyond all expectations when she tried to Seduce the prison guard, experiencing an epiphany in how to get others to respond positively to her.

Whatever the Karma is spent on, it should make sense in the context of the game and the story. Abilities which the character has never used or in which she has never expressed an interest do not spontaneously increase overnight, nor does a character's Strength simply grow larger and larger without limit as she grows older. The amount of Karma spent and what it is spent on should be reasonable and consistent with the type of character and the story. No single Statistic or Ability should be increased by more than one Rank in a single game session, and the GM should ensure that the player does not spend all of her character's Karma on combat-related traits at the expense of the quality of the game.

Non-Player Characters receive Karma, as well, although its distribution is probably not as formal as it is among Player Characters. NPCs need to grow and become more powerful as time passes just as PCs do. Allies of the PCs have adventures of their own, and their Karma should reflect this. Enemies of the Player Characters should gain Karma, as well. An enemy who is constantly becoming more dangerous is much more interesting, and adds long term enjoyment to the game. The GM should occasionally review her cast of recurring NPCs to ensure that their skills are improving in proportion to their experiences.

Tipping the Scales

Karma may also be used to alter the odds in any given situation. Any time the player is required to make a Task Roll, she may spend one point of Karma for a +1 Task Modifier. There is no direct limit on how many points of Karma may be spent on a specific Task Roll, nor on how many Karma may be spent for this purpose in a game session. There is a practical limit, however, since Karma is a limited resource. Spending Karma to alter the character's chances of success at a Task is the same as spending it to increase an Ability, in that the points are gone once they are spent.

Karma may also be used to alter another character's Task Roll, but only if the Task directly concerns the character to whom the Karma belongs. Thus, a character hiding in the bushes behind the house of a Monitor could spend a point of Karma to impose a -1 Task Modifier upon the Perception Task Roll of an armed sentry trying to find her. A character trapped on a narrow ledge could spend a point of Karma to add a +1 TMod to the Strength Task Roll of another PC who is trying to pull her to safety. As long as the Task Roll directly affects a PC, the character may spend Karma to affect the roll.

Only the most important of NPCs have the ability to use Karma to tip the scales in this manner. It is the central role of Player Characters in the story that allows them to tilt the laws of chance in their favor. We have all seen enough movies and read enough books to know that sometimes the main characters succeed at nearly impossible tasks, or are narrowly missed by snipers who had a clear shot. This is Karma in action, and only villains of epic proportions should be allowed to use it this way. It can be a heart-stopping moment when a PC realizes that the villain she is facing is also capable of forcing the hand of fate.

Prestige

Karma has importance beyond its customary use to increase a character's competence in her chosen fields of endeavor. Karma is a measure of the overall experience and power of a character, and it will influence how she is treated by other Immortals. Through the Foreboding, other Immortals will usually have a vague of idea how experienced the character is, or how long she has been around. Older Immortals will have greater respect for a young Immortal who has gained a significant amount of Karma. Similarly, it would be difficult for an elder Immortal to intimidate a younger Immortal if the upstart senses the elder has Karma roughly equal to her own.

As such, it is important for the player to keep track of both "unspent" Karma, which has yet to be used to increase the character's attributes or Task Rolls, and the character's "earned" Karma, the sum of all Karma, spent and unspent, that the player has ever been awarded while playing that character.

Necessary Evil

Villains are an essential part of most fiction genres. The villain gives the main character someone to fight, and serves to illustrate the main character's philosophy by contrasting it with an opposing view. By providing a foil for the protagonist, the villain fulfills a vital function in the construction of the story. An adversary gives purpose to the character's life, and allows us to associate the character's problems with a tangible obstacle that may be overcome.

Villains may range in power depending on the needs of the storyline. Villains capable of taking on several Player Characters would have to be much faster, stronger, and better in combat than the typical PC. Villains who would fight the characters individually, or who gang up on the group of PCs, would have abilities approximately equal to those of the Player Characters. Powerful single opponents make it easier for the Game Moderator because she only has to keep track of one person instead of several, and it makes it easier to plan things like contingency get-aways. Some adversaries could even be weaker than the PCs, and dangerous only when attacking by surprise. These types of opponents can be a great challenge, because they are usually smart enough not to get caught in a fair fight.

The most common adversaries of the Player Characters will probably be mortals and Immortals who oppose the PCs for personal reasons. Old rivals, jilted lovers, bounty hunters, and the like, all make reasonable antagonists. It will make the GMs job easier if each character begins the game with a unique personal enemy, in addition to any antagonist the PCs may share as a group. This will facilitate creating adventures during the early stages of the campaign.

Since the Player Characters start out inexperienced, it is likely that their Immortal opponents will be more powerful than the PCs, requiring the characters to use their wits to avoid getting killed. Mortals pose less of a threat, unless they are aware of the Immortals' nature and know how to inflict the True Death upon them. In this case, mortals are a very real danger, since they do not have any compunctions about ganging up on an Immortal and overpowering her.

The world of Legacy is also home to beings other than humankind, some of which have no love for the children of Eve. The Nosferatu and the Chimerae are the most well-known among mortals, having been the subject of innumerable novels and films, but other even less wholesome entities lurk in the shadows at the edges of mankind's vision. The most sanity-threatening of these are grouped together under the category "Dwimmerlaik," but this may be misleading. There are as many varieties of Dwimmerlaik as there are insects on earth, and all evidence seems to indicate that they cooperate with each other as rarely as they oppose each other.

Somewhere between mortals and monsters lie the Warlocks, beings who may or may not be human. What little is known about them indicates that they are locked into a battle as hopeless as the War of Ages, but to what purpose no one knows. Some Immortals have stumbled across the Warlocks' battles with each other or with the vile Dwimmerlaik, but accounts of these conflicts are filled with impossible or unexplainable events, and the accuracy of this testimony cannot be verified.

Motivations

The most effective villains are those that have a lot in common with the protagonist. Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty were both brilliant, but the Professor used his brilliance for the pursuit of personal power, while Holmes used his mind to help others (an oversimplification, but it makes a good example). A particularly meaningful villain is one with which the protagonist can sympathize. Perhaps the antagonist desires revenge for a vile act perpetrated against someone she loves. Certainly the protagonist would sympathize with the villain's plight, but not to the extent that innocent people should suffer for the heinous crime. These are some examples of villainous motivations, but the inner demons which drive people to desperate acts are endless. Read the newspaper for ideas, and you will be astonished at how depraved human beings can be.

Revenge

The antagonist has been wronged, or someone she cares about has been wronged, and she wants to punish those responsible. Perhaps she wants to punish people who know the people responsible. She may just want to get revenge on anyone who reminds her of the wrong that was committed, and she may not be very choosy about whom she wreaks her vengeance upon. Often, the original crime is a case of misunderstanding, and the Player Character can struggle to sort it out before too many people get killed.

Power

One of the oldest motivations is the quest for limitless power. Personal power, financial power, and political power all involve controlling other people. The most immediate example of the quest for power is the pursuit of the Legacy. The antagonist may even delude herself that she only wants power so that she may do good, but when innocent people have to suffer, the PCs might decide to interfere. This can tie in to the theme of the individual versus society: does the end justify the means? Is it worth sacrificing the rights of the few for the greater good of the whole? If the villain's ultimate motives really are noble, the characters may have trouble deciding whether to help or hinder her.

Ego

The villain may be motivated by a poor self-image, and seek to improve her self-esteem by humiliating or preying upon those around her. This could take the form of kidnapping a character's loved ones and leaving cryptic clues as to their location, where the air is running out or the loved one's cell is slowly being filled with water. The antagonist could be content to commit grandiose crimes, stealing priceless treasures from museums or private collectors. It could even manifest itself in an insatiable need to challenge every Immortal who crosses her path.

Madness

The villain could be a raving lunatic. Perhaps she thinks she is the incarnation of death, who has come to reap the lives of the unworthy. She may suffer from delusions, wandering through a nightmarish landscape only she can see, striking out at the devils which plague her. The villain could be a latter-day Inquisitor, ruthlessly hunting down Immortals because she believes they are the spawn of the devil. The adversary could even have multiple personalities, and be hunting herself. The depths of a human being's potential for madness are endless.

Alien

The villain could be a supernatural entity, with ambitions that violate normal conventions of reason or sanity. Perhaps a Warlock is working to collect arcane texts and bizarre artifacts to complete some experiment on the nature of reality. A sudden outbreak of kidnappings, where the victims are all virgins, might mean a mortal is trying to make a pact with the forces of darkness. There are also people who do evil simply for evil's sake, with no other underlying purpose. Alien motivations include anything that does not really make sense to anyone but the perpetrator of the crime, and tends to overlap quite a bit with the motivation of madness, above.

Mortals

Quick-Start Mortal NPC Table Mortal Statistics Abilities Accents Total Karma Below Average 2, 2, 2, 1, 1 1@3, 3@2, 2@1 0 pts 0 Karma Average 2, 2, 2, 2, 2 1@3, 4@2, 2@1 0 pts 0 Karma Above Average 3, 2, 2, 2, 2 1@3, 3@2, 5@1 0 pts 0 Karma Exceptional 3, 3, 2, 2, 2 1@3, 5@2, 3@1 0 pts 0 Karma Central Character 5, 3, 3, 2, 2 4@3, 4@2, 6@1 10 pts 30 Karma

Many an Immortal has been lured into a false sense of security by fighting mortal opponents, forgetting that a sword swung by a mortal hand still cuts as deep. Mortal adversaries range from normal folks to highly trained combat veterans. Powerful enemies will often use mortal dupes as cannon fodder, throwing their lives away in an attempt to wear down an Immortal's stamina and resolve. If captured, such pawns rarely know anything useful about who sent them or why.

Mortal Non-Player Characters can be created quickly and easily using the Quick-Start character generation rules for mortals. This works just like the Quick-Start rules for mortal and Immortal Player Characters, but most Non-Player Character mortals are much weaker and less skilled than Player Characters because PCs and their major adversaries are assumed to be extraordinary.

Some examples of typical mortals follow, to give the GM and the players an idea how their characters compare to mainstream humanity. Of course, these are only examples, and humanity is mind-bogglingly diverse. The GM should try to make each mortal an individual, both on paper and in personality.

Sedentary Mortal

Sedentary mortals are typically overfed and don't get enough exercise. They are competent at their profession, and they usually have a couple of hobbies at which they are proficient.

Sedentary Mortal Statistics Abilities Intellect 2 Computer 2 Agility 1 Finance 3 Strength 1 Technical Ops. 2 Presence 2 Drive Landcraft 1 Psyche 2 Bureaucracy 2 Psychic Reserve 20 Negotiation 1

Active Mortal

Active mortals get regular exercise, but they are not trained for combat. They are healthier and tend to live a few years longer than sedentary mortals. Like sedentary mortals, they are usually competent at their job and whatever hobbies they pursue. Active mortals are what most Immortals consider "normal" mortals.

Active Mortal Statistics Abilities Intellect 2 Science 3 Agility 2 Athletics 2 Strength 2 Dodge 2 Presence 2 Fisticuffs 1 Psyche 2 Leadership 2 Psychic Reserve 20 Persuasion 1 Streetwise 2

Police Officer

Police officers are usually athletic mortals with a strong Presence who are skilled at paperwork. They are trained at hand-to-hand combat and in how to use a firearm, but most police rarely fire their pistols at living targets.

Police Officer Statistics Abilities Intellect 2 Perception 1 Agility 2 Athletics 2 Strength 2 Dodge 1 Presence 3 Firearms 2 Psyche 2 Fisticuffs 2 Psychic Reserve 20 Melee Weapons 1 Bureaucracy 3 Leadership 1 Streetwise 1

Kung Fu Master

The kung fu master spends a lot of time exercising and practicing her martial art. Many kung fu masters have above-average Presence, which comes from the self-confidence born of being able to kick someone's butt. Some kung fu masters follow eastern philosophies of calm and non-violence. Most kung fu masters have a job other than kung fu, but some earn a living by teaching their art to others.

Kung Fu Master Statistics Abilities Intellect 2 Perception 1 Agility 3 Athletics 2 Strength 3 Tactics 1 Presence 2 Dodge 2 Psyche 2 Fisticuffs 3 Psychic Reserve 20 Melee Weapons 2 Stealth 2 Etiquette 1 Teaching 2

Psychic

There are some rare mortals who make a living at being Psychic, but by far the majority of mortals with Psychic Abilities keep their gift hidden and use it to further their mundane careers. They may be sedentary or athletic, and they usually have one or two Psychic Abilities with which they are skilled in addition to their mundane profession.

Psychic Statistics Abilities Intellect 3 Finance 1 Agility 2 Perception 2 Strength 2 Science 1 Presence 2 Drive Watercraft 2 Psyche 3 Mechanics 3 Psychic Reserve 30 Acting 2 Accents Seduction 2 Psychic Farfetching 1 Telepathy 2

Shock Trooper

The shock trooper is an experienced, combat trained mortal. The shock trooper is tough, savvy, and willing to kill without thinking too much about it. Most shock troopers are in the military or police forces, but a few are just deranged civilians.

Shock Trooper Statistics Abilities Intellect 3 Perception 1 Agility 2 Survival 2 Strength 3 Tracking 1 Presence 2 Athletics 2 Psyche 2 Firearms 3 Psychic Reserve 20 Fisticuffs 2 Melee Weapons 2 Stealth 1 Resistance 2

Immortals

Quick-Start Immortal NPC Table Immortal Statistics Abilities Accents Total Karma Post-Modern 5, 3, 3, 2, 2 4@3, 4@2, 6@1 30 pts 30 Karma Modern 5, 4, 3, 2, 2 4@4, 4@3, 6@1 30 pts 100 Karma Medieval 5, 4, 4, 3, 2 8@4, 4@3, 7@1 30 pts 200 Karma Imperial 6, 4, 4, 3, 2 4@5, 4@4, 4@3, 5@2, 6@1 30 pts 300 Karma Antediluvian 6, 4, 4, 4, 3 3@6, 2@5, 3@4, 7@3, 2@2, 6@1 30 pts 400 Karma

The greatest threat to an Immortal is from other Immortals. No one is free from the War of Ages, and no one can hide from it forever, although some try. For the most part, the rules of Immortal etiquette ensure a reasonably fair fight when the inevitable confrontation comes, but there are Immortals who only obey tradition when it is to their advantage. Just as there are saints and psychopaths among mortal humankind, the same is true among Immortals. The price of survival is eternal vigilance.

Some examples of typical Immortals follow, to give the GM and the players an idea how their characters compare to the rest of Immortal humanity. Of course, these are only examples, and Immortals are as varied and unique as are mortals. The GM should make a special effort to make each Immortal an individual, both on paper and in personality. Immortal NPCs should never be faceless "cookie-cutter" villains, whose only purpose in the story is to give the Player Characters someone to fight.

Post-Modern Immortal

Post-Modern Immortals are those born since the Industrial Revolution. Most of them maintain a pretense of normalcy, keeping a regular job and an assumed identity. Many Post-Modern Immortals have living relatives whom they keep an eye on, even if they do not openly communicate with them.

As children of the technological age, Post-Modern Immortals are not surprised at the staggering leaps science is making. To these youngest of Immortals, this is perfectly normal. Post-Modern Immortals are typically less concerned with etiquette and protocol than elder Immortals, particularly American Post-Modern Immortals. Most Post-Modern Immortals take for granted that women and men are equals, and the majority of educated younger Immortals think prejudice is an anachronism belonging to a previous century.

Post-Modern Immortal Statistics Abilities Intellect 2 Linguist 1 Agility 5 Perception 1 Strength 3 Dodge 3 Presence 2 Firearms 3 Psyche 3 Fisticuffs 3 Psychic Reserve 30 Melee Weapons 3 Accents Etiquette 1 Psychic Persuasion 1 Nicotine Addict Seduction 1 Karma Streetwise 1 Total Karma 30 Clairvoyance 2 Domination 2 Overload 2 Telepathy 2

Modern Immortal

Modern Immortals were born between 1600 and 1900 AD. They do not tend to be as superficially cynical as Post-Modern Immortals, but they have seen the wars of mortals get progressively more bloody and widespread as each century passes, and this often causes a certain fatalism in their outlook. Nationalism and racism were dominant concepts during the Modern Immortals' era, and some of them still look on other nationalities and ethnic groups as inferior to their own. The widespread religious fervor which held sway during the Medieval era diminished somewhat in the Modern era, when educated people downplayed or dismissed religion as a superstitious crutch for the masses. Nevertheless, many social concepts taken for granted in the United States of the twenty-first century, such as women's suffrage and equal protection under the law, are still fairly novel ideas to traditionalist Modern Immortals.

Modern Immortal Statistics Abilities Intellect 5 Disguise 4 Agility 2 Medicine 3 Strength 3 Science 4 Presence 4 Tactics 3 Psyche 2 Dodge 1 Psychic Reserve 20 Firearms 1 Accents Melee Weapons 1 Calculator Mind Sleight of Hand 1 Light Sleeper Stealth 1 Karma Animal Training 4 Total Karma 100 Interrogation 3 Politics 4 Teaching 3 Foreboding 1

Medieval Immortal

Medieval Immortals were born during the Roman Catholic Church's long domination of Europe. Many still cling to that ancient institution, attributing the perceived breakdown of civilization to the secularization of the West's governments. However, some Medieval Immortals are more open-minded about the ills of society, acknowledging the great benefits modern medicine and relative political freedom have brought.

Medieval Immortal Statistics Abilities Intellect 2 Linguist 4 Agility 4 Perception 1 Strength 3 Survival 1 Presence 5 Tracking 1 Psyche 4 Athletics 1 Psychic Reserve 40 Dodge 1 Accents Equestrian 3 Psychic Firearms 1 Devout Catholic Fisticuffs 3 Karma Melee Weapons 4 Total Karma 200 Stealth 3 Acting 4 Etiquette 4 Negotiation 1 Persuasion 4 Resistance 4 Domination 3 Foreboding 4 Illusion 4

Imperial Immortal

Imperial Immortals were born during the approximately one thousand years of the Roman Empire. They have been alive so long that many modern devices seem nothing short of miraculous. Some Imperial Immortals have tried to keep up with modern developments in science and invention, but most of them simply use the gifts of technology without worrying about how they work. Sadly, many mortals do the same thing.

Imperial Immortal Statistics Abilities Intellect 4 Computer 1 Agility 3 Finance 2 Strength 6 Heavy Weapons 1 Presence 4 Linguist 4 Psyche 2 Perception 4 Psychic Reserve 20 Survival 3 Accents Security 3 Iron Will Technical Ops. 1 Extreme Patience Athletics 2 Karma Dodge 5 Total Karma 300 Drive Landcraft 2 Equestrian 5 Firearms 2 Fisticuffs 4 Melee Weapons 5 Weaponsmith 2 Acting 1 Animal Training 4 Bureaucracy 1 Etiquette 5 Leadership 1 Politics 3 Foreboding 3

Antediluvian Immortal

Antediluvian Immortals, were any to be found, would be stronger and wiser than most mortals could ever hope to become. Antediluvians would be likely to see mortals, and even younger Immortals, as vastly inferior to themselves. It is probable that such ancient creatures, these powerful entities which predate every mortal government on earth, would sneer at the suggestion that mortal authorities or institutions have any dominion over them. However, any Antediluvian who has survived for so long would be wise enough to keep her existence a secret from mortals, and probably from other Immortals, as well.

Antediluvian Immortal Statistics Abilities Intellect 4 Disguise 1 Agility 4 Finance 3 Strength 4 Linguist 6 Presence 6 Perception 4 Psyche 3 Security 3 Psychic Reserve 30 Survival 3 Accents Tactics 5 Eidetic Memory Athletics 3 Extreme Patience Dodge 6 Megalomaniac Drive Landcraft 1 Karma Equestrian 3 Total Karma 400 Fisticuffs 5 Melee Weapons 6 Sleight of Hand 1 Stealth 4 Acting 1 Animal Training 3 Etiquette 2 Leadership 3 Persuasion 4 Politics 1 Resistance 2 Streetwise 1

Dwellers in Darkness

From the abominations that gnaw the roots of the world to the sharp-toothed beings that lurk in the shadows of skyscrapers, humankind is not alone on earth, nor are they the apex predators they imagine themselves to be. The creatures who haunt the fringes of humanity's cities and myths do not all prey upon human beings, but none of them love us. Humankind has hunted the dwellers in darkness relentlessly since the dawn of time, whether or not they bore us any threat. Now the most any mortal can hope from these beings, some of whom are older than the oldest Immortal, is to be ignored.

Nosferatu

Nosferatu are the most well-known creatures of darkness coexisting with human beings, because they actively seek out mortal companionship. Once mortal human beings themselves, Nosferatu (or Vampires) have been infected with a quasi-mystical disease which kills the body of the victim, but infects and strengthens the life force so that it may animate the dead body. The disease is transmitted through the blood; to become a Vampire, the victim must either consume several liters of contaminated blood within a span of a few days, or get a large amount of the diseased blood in an open wound. Immortals are immune to the disease, due to both their amazing resistance to illness and their strengthened life force.

Once infected, the mortal's body slowly dies over the course of several days. A few hours after death, the body will regain consciousness as it is animated by the corrupted life force of the victim. Over the next month or more, the body will become tough and preserved, and difficult to damage. The Strength of a Nosferatu is considered Severe Defense instead of Casual Defense, as it is with living beings. Vampires have advanced recuperative abilities, much as Immortals do, but it takes Nosferatu much longer to re-grow severed limbs or heal damage caused by fire than it does for Immortals.

Nosferatu require the blood of living humans to survive. They must consume roughly one liter of human blood per week to retain their ability to reason; deprived of blood, they will lose the ability to control their blood-lust and will savagely attack anyone who comes near. For a Nosferatu, drinking blood is a sensual, even sexual, experience. They tend to pick their victims with care unless their need for blood is desperate. Rarely will a Nosferatu kill a victim, as this would draw unwanted attention from mortal authorities.

A Nosferatu deprived of fresh human blood for more than a few weeks will slowly wither and eventually turn to dust. The energies emitted by the sun have a similar effect: the vampire can survive only a few minutes of direct exposure to the sun's rays before weakening, and the creature will dry out completely within a few hours, turning to dust.

Nosferatu have potent powers over the minds of the living; all Vampires have at least three Psychic Abilities. Most of the more exotic legends concerning Nosferatu can be explained as creative use of the Psychic Mask or Illusion Abilities, but some rare individuals do possess unique powers beyond the standard Psychic Abilities.

The blood of Immortals is of great benefit to Nosferatu, granting them increased Strength and the ability to survive without additional nourishment for weeks rather than days. Fortunately, Immortals are highly resistant to the Nosferatu's mental powers (double the Immortal's effective Psyche when resisting a Nosferatu's Psychic attack), making them difficult prey for the blood-suckers.

In writing up Nosferatu, the GM should use the same Quick-Start table used to create NPC Immortals, depending on how old the Vampire is. For example, a Nosferatu created in the Middle Ages would be written up using the appropriate Stats of a Medieval Immortal. All Nosferatu have the Accents Light Sleeper, Night Vision, and Psychic. Unusual individuals may have another Accent, as well.

Young Nosferatu Statistics Abilities Intellect 2 Perception 2 Agility 3 Science 1 Strength 5 Tracking 1 Presence 3 Athletics 1 Psyche 2 Dodge 3 Psychic Reserve 20 Drive Landcraft 1 Accents Fisticuffs 3 Light Sleeper Sleight of Hand 2 Night Vision Stealth 3 Psychic Persuasion 1 Blood Lust Seduction 2 Nocturnal Domination 3 Mask 2 Psychokinesis 1

Chimerae

Chimerae (singular "Chimera") are the creatures around which such legends as doppelgängers and werewolves arose, and they inspired movies such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Chimerae have no set physical form, as far as can be determined, existing only to mimic the forms of other beings. To duplicate another creature, a Chimera must digest it, after which it can alter its appearance and behavior to that of its victim. The impersonation is uncanny; the Chimera is able to absorb some of the memories and personality of the victim, making it difficult to detect the deception. Those close to the victim may have a bad feeling about their loved one, or sense that she has somehow "changed," but mortal authorities won't believe the truth without proof.

In game terms, all Chimera have the power to change their appearance as with the Psychic Ability Mask at a Rank of no less than 5. However, they are only able to use this Ability upon themselves, and their physical body actually changes. This is not, in fact, a Psychic power, but a physical one. It costs a Chimera no Psychic Reserve points to change forms, nor is there a limit on how long it may maintain a certain appearance. Once it has taken a form, its Statistics are limited by the form it has chosen: a Chimera which mimics a small child would only have the Strength of a small child until it changes to a stronger form. Abilities are handled similarly: a Chimera which ingests a mathematician would only have the knowledge of a mathematician while it is in that form.

A Chimera can duplicate any creature it has recently ingested, as long as the Chimera is of approximately the same size as the victim it wants to duplicate. However, the number of forms the Chimera is able to remember is limited by its natural Intellect Stat: it can remember the forms of a number of victims equal to its Intellect. Most Chimera have an Intellect Rank of 2 or 3. As the Chimera ingests new victims, the form and knowledge of its former victims is forgotten, but the Chimera can chose which forms are forgotten and which are remembered.

If a Chimera should be wounded, every fragment of the creature retains the sentience of the whole. A severed limb will become a new and separate entity, with its own personality and instincts for self-preservation. This is one of the few certain ways to discover a suspected Chimera's true identity: a tissue sample from a Chimera, or even a few drops of blood, will react to stimuli as a distinct creature, without regard to the safety of the Chimera from which it came. In a crisis, a Chimera may even tear itself into smaller pieces so that some of it may escape from danger. The only way to harm a Chimera is to burn or dissolve it in a powerful acid; normal weapons which slash or pierce will not cause any damage to a Chimera, since the organism would simply be broken into smaller pieces.

A Chimera must ingest its mass in living creatures every cycle of the moon in order to survive. If a Chimera is unable or prevented from ingesting new living material, it will begin to slough off portions of itself as it slowly dies, losing half of its mass every cycle of the moon. Theoretically, the Chimera would cease to exist after approximately two years without food, but this theory has never been put to the test.

Chimerae have no natural weaponry other than that possessed by the forms they mimic. They will use any means at their disposal to render their prey unconscious, after which they will flow over and absorb the victim. The prey must still be alive in order for a Chimera to gain any sustenance from it.

Dwimmerlaik

The creatures known collectively as Dwimmerlaik (rhymes with "swimmer-lake") are a varied lot. Dwimmerlaik come in all shapes and sizes, some intelligent while others have only an animal cunning. Some Dwimmerlaik appear to be human, while others have tentacular bodies which writhe obscenely. What they have in common is a hatred of all things living, and they are all at least as old as the earth. Dwimmerlaik do not appear to be native to our continuum, and flagrantly violate our physical laws. Reality sometimes flows and distorts like a fever dream in the presence of Dwimmerlaik, warping the mind and body of any mortals who come into contact with them.

In game terms, Dwimmerlaik have the Psychic Ability Illusion at a Rank no less than 1, but when a Dwimmerlaik alters reality it is physical reality which is changed, not simply the perception of it. This is, in fact, both a Psychic and a physical power, and although it does cost the Dwimmerlaik Psychic Reserve points to manifest it, the effects are permanent.

The force which animates Dwimmerlaik is of a fundamentally different nature than that which inhabits mortals, Immortals, and even such creatures as Nosferatu and Chimerae. It is this life force in earthly beings which Dwimmerlaik detest and seek to destroy, and this force serves as some protection against them. If a Dwimmerlaik attempts to directly alter a living being, that being's Psyche Stat is applied as a negative Task Modifier to the Dwimmerlaik's Task Roll. Beings with an unnaturally strong life force, such as Immortals and Nosferatu, double their effective Psyche when resisting a Dwimmerlaik's reality-altering attack.

Dwimmerlaik are not social creatures, nor are they as common even as Chimera, which are rare in the extreme. Were it not for the diversity of form and power among Dwimmerlaik, it could be credibly postulated that there exists but a single one of the abominations. This is unlikely, however, given the range of Dwimmerlaik types encountered over the ages.

A Dwimmerlaik is difficult to damage; all Casual and Severe damage inflicted upon a Dwimmerlaik is halved before any of the creature's defense is applied. Some, but not all, of the Dwimmerlaik have natural Severe Defense or a Psychic Shield, as well. Sunlight does not seem to cause any direct damage to these creatures, but it does cause them pain. They keep to the darkness whenever possible. This aversion to the light of the sun has saved several unfortunates who have blundered across a Dwimmerlaik's lair.

Dwimmerlaik Statistics Abilities Intellect 1 Perception 2 Agility 4 Tracking 1 Strength 1 Dodge 1 Presence 2 Sleight of Hand 1 Psyche 4 Stealth 3 Psychic Reserve 40 Negotiation 3 Accents Politics 1 Psychic Teaching 2 Insane Illusion (*) 3 Mask 2 Psychokinesis 3

• This is the Dwimmerlaik's reality-altering power

Warlocks

Warlocks are an enigma to Immortals as much as Immortals are an enigma to mortals. They appear to be human, but they have reality-warping powers seemingly identical to those of the Dwimmerlaik. From the few reliable accounts of interaction between Warlocks and Immortals, it seems that many Warlocks have been driven partially mad from their powers, or perhaps it is this madness which grants them their powers: no one knows. It also appears that nearly all Warlocks are Psychic, or have powers which closely mimic Psychic Abilities.

It is known that several of them have lived hundreds of years, yet they are not Immortals. On more than one occasion, an Immortal has stumbled across a battle between a Warlock and a Dwimmerlaik, yet it is also known that there are Warlocks who seek to gain dominion of the earth through the use of their powers. It would appear that the only obstacles to these Warlocks' dreams of conquest are other Warlocks.

In writing up Warlocks, the GM should use the same Quick-Start table used to create NPC Immortals, depending on how old the Warlock is, although Warlocks as old as Medieval Immortals are as rare as Antediluvian Immortals. For example, a Warlock born in the seventeenth century would be written up using the appropriate Stats of a Modern Immortal. Most Warlocks have the Accent Psychic, and many of them have a Mental Impairment Negative Accent. Unusual individuals may have other Accents, as well.

Warlock Statistics Abilities Intellect 3 Computer 2 Agility 2 Linguist 2 Strength 2 Medicine 1 Presence 3 Perception 2 Psyche 5 Science 3 Psychic Reserve 50 Technical Ops. 1 Accents Bureaucracy 3 Psychic Interrogation 1 Fear of Trees Negotiation 2 Karma Persuasion 1 Total Karma 30 Resistance 1 Clairvoyance 1 Illusion (*) 3 Psychic Shield 3

• This is the Warlock's reality-altering power

Powers and Principalities

Individually, human beings are not much of a threat to most Immortals. Yet when mortals bind together, the heavens shake and the earth trembles. Just as the peasants stormed Frankenstein's castle, Immortals live in fear that if humankind discovers them, they will rise up and destroy the monsters in their midst. Fortunately, the teeming masses have yet to discover their elder siblings, and Immortals go to great lengths to keep it that way.

Yet there are some organizations, collectively called Monitors, that either suspect the existence of Immortals or have certain knowledge of it. Each group or institution seems to be operating independently, and most are probably unaware that the others have similar information. The goals each organization pursues may be quite different, but they are all threats to Immortals, and it is only a matter of time before an Immortal character comes into conflict with one of them.

Governments

Most governments have an agency or a division of an agency dedicated to investigation of paranormal activities (the infamous "Men In Black"), with special emphasis placed upon Psychic Abilities. The increasing number of proven cases of people with Psychic Abilities has allowed these agencies to garner more respect and receive increased funding, and has allowed them to devote more people to investigate unexplained phenomena. Fortunately, it appears as though Immortals have managed to conceal their presence from these agencies so far, but the growing power and efficiency of government bureaucracies is making this task increasingly difficult. In the United States, the National Security Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are the two organizations most dangerous to Immortal anonymity.

The NSA, an enormous information-gathering agency, sifts the files from sources as diverse as state Departments of Motor Vehicles and magazine subscription lists, looking for anomalies or unusual trends. The main reason Immortal activities have not been noticed by the immense NSA computers is that it hasn't occurred to anyone to program the database search routines to look for them. The inconsistencies and anomalies pointing to Immortal activities will continue to pile up until a connection is made, leading mortal investigators to the only reasonable explanation: that Immortal beings are living among humankind.

The FBI has investigated Immortal affairs from a different perspective. While the NSA gathers mundane information, and has yet to put the pieces together leading them to the awareness of Immortals, the FBI has the responsibility to probe the causes of various Immortals' battles. When two Immortals clash, resulting in the True Death for one of them, the dispute almost always comes to the attention of the mortal authorities. If the decapitated body is left behind by the victor, an FBI investigation will invariably follow. The FBI has records of such deaths going back as far as 1812, and some FBI experts suspect a cult of assassins is responsible. Thus far, the truth behind the killings has eluded them.

CORE

CORE International is one of the largest corporations still based in the United States of America. Originally a waste-management company, CORE has expanded until it has subsidiaries in nearly every industry, from entertainment to weapons manufacturing, from banking to pharmaceuticals.

In 2013, CORE captured a terrorist who attempted to bomb their corporate headquarters. The terrorist, an Immortal named Griffith, was trying to avenge ecological damage a CORE petrochemical company caused in southern Mexico. While questioning the terrorist, CORE's interrogators realized that Griffith's wounds were healing nearly as rapidly as CORE security could inflict them. It was only a matter of time before the interrogation bore fruit, and Griffith told them nearly everything they wanted to know. Griffith remained in CORE's bio-research laboratories for years and was subjected to a broad range of tests while CORE technicians tried to discover the source of Griffith's incredible regenerative ability.

During an experiment, the researchers severed Griffith's head to see whether the body would grow a new head, or the head would grow a new body. To their disappointment, Griffith died, but CORE has not stopped searching for others like him, and a shiny new laboratory has been prepared for the next subject.

De Schola Arcanum

The secret order of scholars and philosophers which was to become De Schola Arcanum, or more simply "De Schola," began in Athens over two thousand years ago. De Schola has grown since then, and it now has branches in Vienna, London, and Philadelphia, in addition to the original chapter in Athens.

De Schola is still a secret order; membership is by invitation only, and the invitation is given to a select few. The charter of De Schola dedicates the organization to understanding the world around them, and in recent years the bulk of new members has been scientists rather than philosophers. Physicists and geneticists, as the vanguard of mankind's exploration of the universe, are greatly respected by De Schola.

However, De Schola has always been interested by parapsychological studies, as well. Ghosts, demonology, faith healing, and psychic manifestations are all typical subjects of investigation for De Schola members. It is only natural that Immortals would eventually come under De Schola's scrutiny. Fortunately, De Schola members are sworn to observe and not to interfere. De Schola Arcanum probably has the most extensive amount of information on Immortals of any Monitor group, but they refrain from acting on this information. For De Schola, knowledge is an end in itself.

The Order of the Golden Light

The Order of the Golden Light came into being in India during Britain's occupation of that country. Gathering members from a variety of castes, the Order combined elements of thuggee death-worship with Buddhist asceticism to form a small group of fanatic assassins. After India's liberation, the Order expanded into an international quasi-religious terrorist group, selling death to the highest bidder. The assassins of the Order worship death in all its forms, and they have accrued faithful acolytes from all over the world.

Assassins of the Order of the Golden Light are rigorously combat-trained and thoroughly brainwashed. Not all members of the Order are experts with every form of warfare, but no facet of the art of death is unrepresented among them. They live to serve, and only death can erase the stain of failure. Those that succeed are rewarded with more difficult assignments; the rest die trying.

To these paladins of destruction, Immortals are the vilest mockery of all that they hold sacred. Any Immortal who comes to the attention of the Order will be ruthlessly hunted, and great honor and a favored place in the afterlife is guaranteed to any assassin of the Golden Light who helps rid the earth of such a pestilence by killing an Immortal. Fortunately for Immortals, the Order does not have the vast resources of the government or the wealth of information possessed by De Schola Arcanum.

Campaign

To give you an idea of what a Legacy campaign looks like, here we have set up for you a brief outline of a Legacy: War of Ages storyline, with a few characters, plots, settings, and subplots. If you plan to be the Game Moderator for this campaign, you should revise and expand this section so that it will mesh better with your players and the way you all prefer to play. The more thought you put into the campaign and the players' place in it, the more fun it will be for everyone. A lot of this campaign, particularly the NPCs, was designed specifically for the characters played by Lloyd, Phill, and Susan, so you will have to make some changes to make it appropriate for your players and their characters. Having fully developed, well thought out Non-Player Characters also makes it easier for you to have them react believably to any surprises the players may spring.

Follow Beth, the Game Moderator in our example, as she develops her ideas for this campaign. If you disagree with her, then modify her ideas however makes sense to you, or toss them and come up with something completely new. Use as little or as many of the suggestions here as you like, but whatever you do, use your imagination. Make the game unique to you and your players. One of the most important traits of a good Game Moderator is knowing what ideas of others to adopt, and which ones to throw away.

Conception

This campaign was the brain-child of Beth, who was visiting some college friends in Richmond, Virginia. Richmond immediately impressed her with its conflicting images of progress and decomposition. Some of the oldest buildings in the United States are in Richmond, sometimes only blocks away from both glass-sided skyscrapers and fire-gutted slums. Richmond also has one of the highest murder rates of cities in the United States, which would help keep the more violent activities of the players from being too conspicuous. On the razor's edge between the past and the future, Richmond sits: a city in decay.

Beth decides that Richmond is the perfect setting for her Legacy campaign. It is large enough to add a cosmopolitan landscape and a multitude of plots to the game, but small enough to retain a feeling of intimacy and territorialism among the players and their enemies. Washington, D.C. is two hours to the north, and Virginia Beach, a tourist area, is two hours to the south, presenting Beth with diverse opportunities for interesting settings. By placing the setting of the game so close to the capital city of the USA, Beth can incorporate the conspiracies and intrigues of world-class power-mongers, as well as the schemes of villains of a more mundane nature.

To make it easier on Lloyd, Phill, and Susan, who are all new to role-playing, Beth decides to set her campaign in the present, rather than in the future of the early twenty-first century. This will make the players more comfortable, and make it easier for them to "get into the heads" of their characters without worrying about learning the rules of a new and alien society, even if that society is heavily based upon the one they know. Later, after they are more familiar with Legacy and role-playing in general, she might run a campaign set in the early twenty-first century, but for now the present holds more than enough challenges.

Dramatis Personae

Major Genevieve d'Estaigne

Beth starts creating her campaign by thinking about Non-Player Characters who will inhabit her world and give the game a personality. The first character she has an idea for is inspired an assassin in a spy movie. The character is brilliant, fearless, funny, and has absolutely no conscience. Beth names her Genevieve d'Estaigne. Since d'Estaigne has a very modern set of values (or lack of them), Beth decides that d'Estaigne is not a very old Immortal. After playing with the idea, Beth decides to make Genevieve a Modern Immortal.

Later, when Lloyd wants to make up a Modern Immortal as well, Beth decides that Genevieve was a Major in the French army while Lloyd's character Ian was in France. As far as Ian knew, Major d'Estaigne was a male Immortal, since she masqueraded as a man while she tried to acquire power in post-Revolutionary France.

Currently, Major d'Estaigne operates behind-the-scenes in Washington, manipulating politicians and organized crime figures with blackmail and assassination to increase her wealth and personal power. When she discovers that Ian is in Richmond, she will begin keeping an eye on him.

Beth isn't sure whether Major d'Estaigne will be an enemy of the Player Characters, or whether she will come to be an ally. It would be possible for her ask the PCs for aid against a common foe, or to help them in a time of need, just to establish a history with the characters. In this way, she could use them in a later plot as pawns, or at the very least have them to call on in an emergency. Perhaps the Major could get romantically or sexually involved with one of the PCs (or both), complicating matters even further.

Major d'Estaigne Modern Immortal Statistics Abilities Intellect 5 Disguise 3 Agility 2 Finance 1 Strength 2 Linguist 4 Presence 3 Security 1 Psyche 4 Tactics 4 Psychic Reserve 40 Dodge 4 Accents Firearms 3 Calculator Mind Melee Weapons 3 Psychic Stealth 4 Code of Honor Acting 1 Vain Seduction 1 Karma Domination 3 Unspent Karma 14 Psychic Shield 1 Total Karma 65 Telepathy 1

Esteban

The next character Beth thinks of is inspired by a hat: a round hat with a wide, flat brim. Holding the hat, Beth imagines the man wearing it in a dark overcoat with wire-rim glasses. His eyes are bright beneath the brim of the hat, and his thin smile is simultaneously grim and humorous. She names him Esteban.

Esteban is not interested in mortal power and wealth as d'Estaigne is. He sees himself as the Immortal incarnation of Law, and makes a living as a bounty hunter. Esteban enthusiastically supports the various conventions of Immortal etiquette, and eagerly hunts down Immortals accused of breaking those traditions. He even goes to great lengths to obey or avoid laws passed by mortal authorities, although he firmly believes himself to be superior to mortals.

Esteban's zeal in enforcing Immortals tradition doesn't stem from a humanitarian nature. He believes that the Conclave is approaching, and hunting down renegade Immortals is the best way for him to prepare for it without prematurely making enemies among his peers.

Beth decides that Esteban should be close the level of the players, so she makes him a Post-Modern Immortal. He was born in Serbia around 1900, and migrated to the USA in the early months of World War I. He hasn't been back to Europe since then.

As with d'Estaigne, Beth isn't sure whether Esteban will be an ally or an antagonist for the Player Characters. Perhaps he will hear about one of the characters violating one of the tenets of Immortal etiquette, such as Single Combat. This could be a false rumour, circulated by another Immortal, such as d'Estaigne, who is not above sowing the seeds of discord among other Immortals for the sheer fun of it, or it could be a plot by one of the Monitor groups to pit Immortals against each other. If the rumour is true, the character guilty of such an offense will have a hard time convincing Esteban that there were extenuating circumstances, particularly if there weren't any. Another possible "hook" for bringing Esteban into a game would have him question the PCs about another Immortal, for whom he is looking. He would warn the young Immortals about this treacherous Immortal, and counsel them (with thinly veiled threats) against granting the transgressor any aid. It would be up to the players to find out the truth of the situation, and decide what to do about it.

Esteban Post-Modern Immortal Statistics Abilities Intellect 2 Disguise 1 Agility 3 Linguist 1 Strength 5 Security 2 Presence 2 Tracking 3 Psyche 2 Athletics 1 Psychic Reserve 20 Dodge 2 Accents Firearms 2 Night Vision Fisticuffs 2 Ambidextrous Melee Weapons 3 Karma Stealth 3 Unspent Karma 3 Etiquette 1 Total Karma 31 Interrogation 3 Resistance 1 Streetwise 1

Nicholas Shaeffer

Beth bases Nicholas Shaeffer on the feelings she got while visiting the Holocaust Museum. Beth decides that Shaeffer is a mortal survivor of the Nazis' attempt to exterminate "undesirables" during World War II. For many years, he hunted Nazi war criminals, until the day he tracked down the Immortal named Helmut Meister. Meister had been a high-ranking Nazi officer who would come to the concentration camp at which Shaeffer was confined. Meister and certain of the Nazi doctors would perform cruel, sadistic experiments on the prisoners. After the war ended and the pitifully few survivors were freed by the Allies, Shaeffer swore he would have vengeance upon Meister and the other Nazi butchers.

Shaeffer tracked Meister to Washington, D.C. in the early 1980's, where his quarry was using the name Hamilton Masters. Shaeffer was shocked: Meister had not aged a day. At first, Shaeffer wondered if he had found the son or grandson of the man he was hunting. For days, he followed Meister everywhere, until finally his quarry noticed his shadow and turned the tables.

Meister's henchmen caught Shaeffer and brought him to Meister's palatial mansion in Arlington, Virginia. Meister recognized Shaeffer from the camp, and thought it delightful that Shaeffer had spent his few remaining years tracking down criminals whose crimes were long forgotten. Meister showed nothing but contempt for Shaeffer, his life, and his mission. Nicholas was certain that Meister would have him killed, but instead the former Nazi bid his goons to let "the harmless mortal" leave.

Shaeffer has spent his time since then trying to find out how Meister has lived so long without aging. Twice, Shaeffer has witnessed what appeared to be ritualized sword fights. On both occasions, Meister apparently killed his opponent and decapitated him, then was consumed in a storm of energy. Before he dies, Shaeffer wants to find out who or what Meister really is, and what his existence means. Then Shaeffer will kill him, and cut off his head.

The Player Characters might encounter Shaeffer accidentally while he is spying on Meister, or Shaeffer might discover somehow that one of the characters is an Immortal, like Meister, and seek to enlist that character's aid in destroying Meister. Perhaps Shaeffer will assume that all Immortals are as evil and power-hungry as Meister, and the players must either convince him otherwise or be forced to kill him as he hunts them down. If the PCs could convince Nicholas that they are, in fact, a force for good opposed to Immortals such as Meister, Nicholas could serve as a tremendously useful ally. He has more experience tracking people down and dealing with international bureaucracies than some Immortals ten times his age.

Nicholas Exceptional Mortal Statistics Abilities Intellect 3 Linguist 4 Agility 2 Perception 2 Strength 2 Security 1 Presence 2 Tracking 1 Psyche 3 Firearms 2 Psychic Reserve 30 Stealth 2 Accents Bureaucracy 4 Extreme Patience Politics 3 Karma Streetwise 1 Unspent Karma 1 Total Karma 21

Helmut Meister, a.k.a. Hamilton Masters

Having made up Nicholas Shaeffer, Beth needs to create his nemesis. Beth immediately realizes that Meister presents her with an opportunity to create a truly epic villain, one who is smart, strong, and politically powerful. Anyone who would set free a known enemy, one who had devoted his life to tracking down Nazis and bringing them to justice as Shaeffer had, would have to be supremely confident. Beth decides that Helmut is a truly old Immortal: an Imperial.

So what does Helmut want? Power. It chafes him that Immortals must forever be in the shadows, using puppets and pawns instead of wielding direct political power over the mortal masses. Who could rule humanity better than one who has the experience of two thousand years of living among them? Who better than he who had lived to see the height and fall of several empires? Who, indeed? Helmut Meister wants to rule, and he thinks he is close to achieving this end. He is gathering other Immortals who share his views, and placing them in important political posts. Soon, perhaps even before the end of the twentieth century, he will have enough behind-the-scenes control to seize power in the United States, while of course maintaining the centuries-old fiction of popular elections.

Perhaps Helmut will contact the players and try to enlist them in his cause, of course making it sound as reasonable as possible. He would try to play upon their morals, or lack of them, and portray his goals in whatever manner would make them seem most attractive to the PCs. The PCs might stumble on Meister's plots some other way, perhaps intervening in one of the minor nefarious plans of his operatives. If the PCs' curiosity is aroused, they could investigate and trace the source of the plot higher and higher, uncovering ever greater acts of violence and manipulation until the trail leads to Helmut himself. Helmut is not above threatening the friends or families of those he wants to control, and he has more than enough hired thugs to carry out the threat; the players would risk a great deal in opposing him.

Meister Imperial Immortal Statistics Abilities Intellect 4 Finance 4 Agility 4 Linguist 3 Strength 3 Perception 5 Presence 6 Science 1 Psyche 2 Survival 1 Psychic Reserve 20 Tactics 2 Accents Athletics 2 Iron Will Dodge 4 Sensitive Drive Landcraft 1 Karma Drive Watercraft 1 Unspent Karma 23 Equestrian 2 Total Karma 292 Firearms 4 Fisticuffs 2 Melee Weapons 5 Acting 5 Bureaucracy 3 Etiquette 1 Interrogation 2 Leadership 4 Negotiation 3 Persuasion 3 Politics 5 Foreboding 1

Katyana Olita Devane

Having written up a few potential antagonists, Beth decides to indulge her penchant for intriguing characterizations. Katyana, or "Kat" to friends, is an extension of Beth's desire to play in the game. Most GMs have an alter-ego (or three) in a game, someone who the Game Moderator would have liked to play as a character if she weren't moderating the game. Kat serves this purpose for Beth.

Katyana is an orphan. Her father, an American scientist, married her mother, a Russian émigré, in the late 1970's. Her parents, who worked together doing biochemical research, were killed in an "accidental fire" when Kat was thirteen. After that, she was raised by her paternal grandparents. Kat has corresponded with her maternal grandparents, but she has never met them since they live in Russia. She hopes someday to visit them, a dream which seemed unattainable until the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Katyana became less social and more withdrawn after the death of her parents, but she was always bright, and received several college scholarships when she graduated high school. Additionally, an anonymous benefactor set up a trust fund for her, to ensure that her financial needs would be met during college, which spared Katyana the distraction of getting a part-time job, as most of her classmates had to do. At William & Mary University, she distinguished herself both athletically and scholastically, and graduated at the top of her class.

She was hired fresh from college by Atlantic EnviroChemical, a CORE subsidiary, where she is engaged in research aimed at using genetically engineered bacteria to clean up toxic spills. She immerses herself in her work, partly because she is passionate about helping humanity, and partly to sublimate her lack of a social life and mistrust of others.

Although she is attractive by conventional standards, with long, auburn hair, brown eyes, fair skin, and freckles, she has a very small circle of close friends, and almost never goes on dates. To acquaintances, she often seems cold, or even hostile, but this is just a defense mechanism to keep people at arm's length. Those few who struggle to befriend her find her smart and witty, and generally helpful and kind.

Kat is an Immortal, but since she has never been seriously injured she doesn't realize that she has phenomenal healing abilities. She simply thinks of herself as "healthy." Katyana is also Psychic, but her talent is largely untrained. She doesn't realize yet that her intuition into others' motivations is actually Telepathy, and that her Ability to go into a Trance and focus her mind on solving a certain problem is unusual.

Lately, Kat has become convinced that she is being followed, and she is certain that it is connected with her parents' mysterious deaths. Beth isn't sure who is following Kat, or why, but this will give her a "hook" to bring Kat in contact with the players, and hopefully get the players on her side. Perhaps agents of CORE suspect that Katyana is an Immortal, a fact that even Katyana isn't aware of yet. Perhaps they are agents of a rival megacorporation, who want to steal industrial secrets from Kat's lab. And who might Kat's anonymous benefactor be? The mysterious mentor could be an old friend of her parents, who might know secrets about their death, or an Immortal who sensed that Katyana was an Immortal when she was still a child. Perhaps her benefactor is one of the Player Characters, or a friend of one of the PCs. Kat's enemies could murder her benefactor, but the victim could survive long enough to contact one of the PCs and to beg the character to protect Katyana.

Katyana Post-Modern Immortal Statistics Abilities Intellect 5 Computer 2 Agility 3 Medicine 3 Strength 2 Science 3 Presence 2 Technical Ops. 2 Psyche 2 Fisticuffs 3 Psychic Reserve 20 Athletics 3 Accents Dodge 2 Psychic Bureaucracy 1 Paranoid Etiquette 1 Karma Persuasion 2 Unspent Karma 3 Negotiation 1 Total Karma 28 Resistance 1 Telepathy 1 Trance 1

Danny-Joe Blackheart

Beth starts creating Danny-Joe Blackheart as an intellectual experiment. She wants to create an unusual Post-Modern Immortal, one who has had some influence on recent history without really trying. She also wants to create an Immortal who would be in the public eye without his longevity drawing suspicion. The most obvious occupation fitting these parameters is that of a rock star. After thinking about it for a while, Beth decides to go over the top and make up an outlandish but interesting character. Thus, Danny-Joe Blackheart is born.

Blackheart was born Daniel Joseph Blaloch on November 7, 1926. Tragically, his mother died in childbirth. Since his father, a US Navy Petty Officer, was away for months at a time, little Daniel was raised by his maternal grandmother, Estelle "Eppie" Weiss. It was Eppie who recognized and nurtured Dan's musical talent.

By his sixth birthday, Dan was known in musical circles as "Little Mozart." He had written his Symphony in D Minor (OP.1) "Year of the Tiger", which was a critical success, and had performed on radio with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Sadly, his father vanished that same year on an intelligence gathering mission in Poland. Danny never found out the details of his father's disappearance; he was told only that the elder Blaloch was "missing."

When Danny was fifteen, Eppie died, leaving him wealthy but emotionally bereft. He began hanging around in bars and playing the piano for contributions, although he didn't need the money. One evening, Tommy Dorsey heard Dan play and offered him a patronage. In August, 1941, Dan's first album, Tommy Dorsey Presents. . . , was released: a critical success.

Dan became involved in rock & roll in its early days. He had just changed his name to Dan Black and gone on tour with four of the pioneers of American rock & roll, when his life was changed forever. There were five of them, but only three seats on the plane. One of them, in traditional "good ‘ol boy" fashion, offered to stay behind, allowing the other four to go on without him. Between the excess weight and the ice on the wings, the plane crashed. There were no survivors . . . until Dan woke up. He'd been in the center of the explosion, yet he lived. He hitched a ride back to the bar where the fifth member of the troupe and the band were drinking whisky and rye. Dan told them he had "chickened out" and not taken the plane. An hour later, news of the crash reached the bar. To honor his friends, Dan hastily wrote and performed a new song, "This'll Be the Day That I Die."

Soon after, Dan was befriended by the King of Rock & Roll and his manager, the Colonel. Both men were Immortals: the King was a Post-Modern Immortal and the Colonel was an Imperial Immortal. The King had just become aware of his nature and his role in the War of Ages. Fortunately for Dan, the Colonel was not averse to taking on a second pupil, and so Dan's training as an Immortal began.

Yet Dan was haunted by premonitions that he would someday kill his friend, the King. When the trio visited Asia, Danny elected to leave the Colonel's tutelage and remain in Japan. He and the King were evenly matched in swordplay, but the King was a better hand-to-hand combatant. Traveling in Japan and throughout Asia had the dual benefits of keeping Dan away from the King, and of granting Dan the opportunity of studying a wide variety of combat techniques. For many years, Dan believed that by remaining behind, he had successfully averted killing his friend.

Years later, Dan returned to the USA. While attending a civil rights rally at Wounded Knee, Dan was surprised to see the King attending incognito. He watched in horror as the King visited the True Death upon a Native American Immortal . . . who had taken Sanctuary at the sacred burial site.

Four years later, as the King was mounting a "comeback" tour, Danny visited him in his home. Danny took no pleasure in the deed, but he now accepted that the King must die. The King had grown lax while Danny was training in Asia, and the combat was a short one. Dan took his friend's head, ending the life of the King of Rock & Roll. The Colonel refrained from involving himself in the combat, content to observe and to provide a "cover story" for the King's demise.

Dan continues to make music, changing with the times, and sometimes changing the times. Fans, skeptics, and disinterested observers attribute his youthful appearance to cosmetic surgery, "youth drugs," and clean living. He demonstrates a "wait and see" attitude toward the Conclave and Ragnarok, but he is content to abide by and defend the rules of Immortal etiquette.

Beth does something unusual with Dan's character. Dan has proficiency with two sciences: Musicology and Harmonics, both of which are directly related to Blackheart's prodigious musical talent. Also, although Danny-Joe is technically a Post-Modern Immortal, Beth starts him out with the number of Stats and Abilities of a Modern Immortal to reflect Dan's wealth of experience.

Blackheart Post-Modern Immortal Statistics Abilities Intellect 2 Linguist 4 Agility 5 Science 2 Strength 4 Technical Ops. 1 Presence 3 Athletics 3 Psyche 2 Dodge 4 Psychic Reserve 20 Drive Landcraft 1 Accents Fisticuffs 4 Psychic Melee Weapons 4 Driven Musician Negotiation 1 Karma Persuasion 1 Unspent Karma 11 Farfetching 3 Total Karma 103 Foreboding 3 Psychic Shield 2 Psychokinesis 2

Sahara

Beth has always had a thing for vampires, so she decides to create a Nosferatu for the players to interact with. Sahara, as Beth names her, won't initially be either for or against the PCs. She has her own agenda, and whether the Player Characters get in her way will determine how she reacts to them. To ensure that Sahara will be able to stick around a while if the players decide they don't like her, Beth makes Sahara an era older than the PCs. This will give her a fighting chance of survival, should she and the players wind up at cross purposes.

Sahara has a slight European accent, although the actual country is hard to identify. She has smooth brown skin, and large, sensuous, liquid brown eyes. Her hair is black and straight, and she wears it in an "Egyptian" style, shoulder-length and cut straight across the bangs (the same way Sahara wore it when she became a vampire). She dresses and acts with a cool sophistication, and abhors violence. It isn't that she is a pacifist; she merely finds physical confrontations crass.

Sahara is languid and sensual, and enjoys stirring the passions of mortals, both male and female, although she doesn't feel these passions herself. For Sahara, as for all Nosferatu, the lust for blood replaces and surpasses all other carnal desires. She has tasted Immortal blood more than once, and she would very much like to do so again, although she would hesitate to take it by force. If she found out a character were Immortal, she would try to establish a romantic liaison with that character in the hopes of obtaining a regular treat of Immortal vital fluid. Although she doesn't take a great amount of pleasure in sex anymore, Sahara would be more than happy to trade sexual favors in return for an occasional taste of Immortal blood, which grants her a level of ecstasy she never achieved from mortal sexual encounters.

Sahara Nosferatu (Modern) Statistics Abilities Intellect 4 Computer 1 Agility 2 Linguist 3 Strength 2 Perception 4 Presence 5 Dodge 3 Psyche 3 Fisticuffs 1 Psychic Reserve 30 Stealth 3 Accents Acting 4 Light Sleeper Etiquette 1 Night Vision Persuasion 1 Psychic Politics 1 Karma Seduction 4 Unspent Karma 11 Domination 4 Total Karma 104 Mask 3 Pyrokinesis 1

Davis Sadler

Beth decides she needs another villain. So far, the only bona fide bad guy she has created is Helmut Meister, but Meister is too remote and powerful to be an immediate threat to the characters. Beth decides a mortal villain would be a good addition to her growing cast of characters.

Davis Sadler is the CEO of Atlantic EnviroChemical, Katyana's employer. Little does Katyana suspect that Sadler is aware that she is an Immortal, which is why AEC went to great lengths to hire her after she graduated college. Sadler isn't sure what he is going to with this information, and he hasn't told his superiors at CORE about Katyana yet. He is biding his time until an opportunity presents itself to use Kat in a power play to increase his prestige and status in the eyes of CORE. With any luck, he'll be promoted out of AEC and into the CORE hierarchy.

Sadler has at his disposal the resources of AEC, including their small security force. His personal bodyguards are provided by CORE, and are exceptionally well trained and loyal (first to CORE, then to Sadler). Should he have pressing need, he can call on CORE security forces, but he would have to have a convincing explanation for such a show of force. CORE encourages its employees to go out on a limb and take risks, but it punishes those whose risk-taking doesn't bear fruit.

Sadler Exceptional Mortal Statistics Abilities Intellect 3 Finance 2 Agility 2 Tactics 2 Strength 2 Acting 1 Presence 3 Bureaucracy 3 Psyche 2 Etiquette 1 Psychic Reserve 20 Leadership 2 Karma Negotiation 2 Unspent Karma 1 Persuasion 1 Total Karma 3 Politics 2

Chimun Paeng

Chimun was recruited by De Schola Arcanum soon after she graduated from MIT. At first, Chimun was skeptical about the existence of creatures like Nosferatu and Immortals, but the scholars at De Schola were able to show her enough evidence to convince her. Now Chimun works as a geneticist at Atlantic Enviro­Chemical, living in Richmond as a Monitor for De Schola. She spends a lot of her time keeping track of Ian McAllister, an Immortal that De Schola has been tracking since the early 1800's.

De Schola doesn't know that Katyana (Chimun's friend and coworker) is an Immortal, but Chimun will probably discover this in time. She will gain a significant amount of status for discovering a "new" Immortal so soon in her career as a Monitor. Chimun will probably be shocked to discover that someone she is close to is an Immortal. She tends to think of Immortals as alien beings, quite unlike herself. The realization that Immortals and mortals are very much alike will come as a surprise, and it may cause her to re-think her association with De Schola.

Chimun was trained by De Schola in Tracking, Fisticuffs, and Stealth. While growing up, she was too busy striving for academic excellence to spend much time on athletics, but since being trained in Fisticuffs by De Schola she has found that she enjoys the exercise. She and Katyana often play tennis after work as a much-needed workout after spending all day in an enclosed laboratory.

Chimun Exceptional Mortal Statistics Abilities Intellect 3 Computer 2 Agility 3 Linguist 2 Strength 2 Perception 1 Presence 2 Science 3 Psyche 2 Technical Ops 2 Psychic Reserve 20 Tracking 1 Fisticuffs 2 Stealth 2 Negotiation 1

Setting

Beth decides that, between her list of NPCs and their various thugs and cohorts, she has enough to keep the characters busy for a while. Now she needs to set the stage. She has already decided that her campaign will take place in Richmond, so she starts working on specific places where interesting things can happen. Beth is fortunate that most of her players have lived or visited Richmond, so they are generally familiar with the city and its layout.

In your game, you should probably pick a location that is somehow familiar to your players, or one that you have a great amount of reference material for, so that you can show your players where things are happening. The game will be much more exciting if the players have a vivid picture of their surroundings. If you don't live near somewhere interesting, you could try setting the game in a large city like New York. Although your players may have never been to New York, it has been the scene of so many TV shows and movies that most people think that they know what it is like.

Asylum

Beth models Asylum after her favorite night spot in Richmond. Asylum is the place to be, no matter what your economic status, and it is rumoured to be owned by Charles "Buck" Milby, a notorious mobster. It is a huge dance club on its main floor, and "big-name" bands often play there. It is packed by 8 PM nearly every night, and it stays open until dawn. Downstairs is another club, called The Basement, where punk, grunge, and rap bands play. While Asylum caters to the clean-cut art school kids who like to dress in black, The Basement hosts a coarser crowd, and a night without a fight is a dull night down there.

Above Asylum, and insulated from the din by "white noise" generators, is an upscale restaurant called Autarch's. Autarch's is not for the faint of wallet, and a typical meal can run into hundreds of dollars. Autarch's has a view of Asylum's dance floor through enormous insulated windows of one-way glass, and those who wish to descend to Asylum can do so, although patrons of Asylum are not allowed to venture up into Autarch's unless properly attired. All three locations have separate exterior exits, but they are interconnected inside the building. Security allows patrons to pass back and forth between The Basement and Asylum, but they are quite firm in discouraging the casually-dressed from disturbing Autarch's clientele.

The building housing Asylum is located in Shockoe Slip, a dark wasteland in the center of Richmond. Shockoe Slip used to be a thriving urban center, but the construction of several freeways through the center of Richmond passed right over Shockoe, giving it an eerie, subterranean feel. Now most of Shockoe is abandoned, a ghost town of spooky warehouses and decrepit tenements. There is periodically an attempt by the city to revitalize and rebuild Shockoe Slip, but Asylum is the only recent venture to have been an unqualified success.

Ye Olde Magicke Shoppe

This store is in the Fan, a part of Richmond renowned for its loft apartments and trendy little clubs. A wave of redevelopment sweeps the fan every other decade, causing old establishments to be remodeled and new businesses to spring up. By all appearances, the windows of Ye Olde Magicke Shoppe have managed to remain unwashed for at least the last two sweeps. Through the dust-covered glass, one can see books and posters on display next to various candles and tantric paraphernalia.

Once inside, the smell of cat urine is overwhelming. Bookshelves high and wide dominate the deceptively large establishment. Every kind of herb, poultice, or magical ingredient is available, for a price, and there are copious manuals on the proper art and science of magic, psychic powers, and UFOology. If the customer is observant, she may spot Old Nick prowling the tops of the ceiling-high bookshelves, or playing with the occasional mouse.

Maude Adams, the proprietor, is an enormous woman who typically wears bright purple. She will eagerly advise a seeker after knowledge on the proper book, candle, or herbal remedy to solve a particular problem, and for a small fee she will read the Tarot for a client who isn't sure what her problems are.

What few of Maude's patrons realize is that she is, in actuality, a kind and gentle Warlock of no small power. She keeps an eye on Richmond and the people who dwell there, and she will, if there is dire need, defend it from power-mad Warlocks or marauding Dwimmerlaik. She operates the Shoppe in the hopes that someday she may find someone with a genuine gift for the Power, and that she will be able to guide them down the path of Light and away from the deceptively attractive lure of Darkness. Unfortunately, she spends most of her days peddling meaningless magical paraphernalia to the curious or misguided. Still, she enjoys her work and makes a fair living.

Atlantic EnviroChemical

The offices of Atlantic EnviroChemical are on the fringes of the city, where the industrial wasteland turns to fields of grass and woodland. The AEC complex resembles a handful of silver boxes strewn against a hillside by some colossal hand. The buildings are connected by an underground complex of maze-like tunnels, and the underground levels stretch down several hundred meters.

Although most AEC employees are unaware of it, some disturbing experiments are taking place in the underground laboratories of the complex. Human subjects are exposed to new and unusual toxins, or they are subjected to ethically questionable or utterly depraved surgical and genetic manipulation. Few subjects survive this treatment, and the purpose of this experimentation is unclear. Still, there is a sinister plan afoot at AEC, which is undoubtedly inimical to mortals and Immortals alike.

Security at the Atlantic EnviroChemical complex appears misleadingly light. There is a single guard at the entrance, and the grounds are encompassed by a simple two meter high chain-link fence, which is neither electrified nor topped by barbed wire. However, seismic sensors and hidden cameras are profusely scattered about the grounds, and any intruders will be swiftly met by armed and armored AEC shock troopers, who are trained CORE professionals.

Hollywood Cemetery

Hollywood Cemetery is a sprawling graveyard covering nearly a square kilometer. Its rolling hills and ancient trees make it a picturesque place to wander and ponder the mortality of Man. The cemetery features graves of such notable figures as former Presidents James Monroe, John Tyler, and Jefferson Davis, and has some of the oldest and most ornate mausoleums in the United States. The remote side of Hollywood overlooks the James River, and young couples can be found picnicking there in the spring.

But at night, Hollywood Cemetery takes on a more sinister cast. Several murders have taken place in the darkness at the cemetery, and although it is patrolled more frequently now, it still attracts nocturnal visitors. It is not uncommon for the caretakers to find circles of candle stubs during their morning rounds, or the sexually brutalized remains of victims sacrificed to dark powers.

Riverwalk Arcade

Riverwalk Arcade is a sprawling outdoor mall along the south bank of the James River. Until recently, the entire area was a slum, but the city government subsidized a massive redevelopment project in an attempt to reclaim the area and increase property values. The former residents of Riverview West (as the neighborhood used to be called) were relocated to Henry Manor, a low-income housing area to the east. There were several petitions circulated to prevent the demolition of the Riverview West housing project, and an attempt was even made to have Riverview West declared a historic district. When the deadline for vacating the premises came, some of the residents refused to leave voluntarily, but in the end the bulldozers won and the neighborhood was reduced to rubble.

Now Riverwalk Arcade is a lovely area filled with cafes, two-person boats, antique stores, and various specialty shops. The Arcade has become quite popular with young professional couples, who come browse in the expensive gift shops and dine at fashionable restaurants. At night, the lights reflect from the surface of the rushing river making a romantic scene, and in the summer the city sponsors a weekly outdoor concert by a local band. Richmond city government touts the Riverwalk Arcade project as an unqualified success.

However, some patrons of the Arcade have reported seeing suspicious characters lurking in the shadows just beyond the cheerful lights. Like wolves staying just beyond the light of the campfire, gangs from Henry Manor are thought to prowl the edges of the outdoor mall, waiting for a careless victim to stray too far from the light. Both the authorities and citizens from Henry Manor deny these rumours, but this has done nothing to alleviate the uneasy feeling one gets when walking along the edge of the Arcade's light.

Story

Now Beth has characters and settings. All she needs to do now is outline some potential plots with these ingredients. She doesn't want to get too detailed in her plans, because she knows that Lloyd, Susan, and Phil will be sure to respond to Beth's machinations in ways that she can't predict. If she sets her plotlines too firmly, she won't be able to adapt her plans when the players surprise her.

An Ancient Evil

One of the players is approached in a public place by Nicholas Shaeffer. Shaeffer has been watching the Immortal and knows what she is. (For this to be realistic, the player approached should have recently been involved in some activity which would reveal her Immortal nature: perhaps she recovered from a grievous injury, or she was involved in a duel with another Immortal.) Shaeffer asks the player's help in fighting another of her kind, an ancient and malevolent Immortal named Helmut Meister.

Meister is now using the name Hamilton Masters and he is living in Arlington, Virginia (a wealthy area just outside Washington, D.C.) Shaeffer will try to imply to imply that he knows more than he does about Immortals, but in fact he knows very little. He thinks that all Immortals are enemies, which is why he feels it's safe to ask the player's help in killing Meister. He is also under the impression that an Immortal can only be killed by another Immortal. The players will eventually discover this about Shaeffer: whether they correct his mistaken impressions is up to them.

Whether or not the PCs decide to help Shaeffer, they will probably investigate Meister/Masters to see if he is what Shaeffer says he is. It will not take long for them to dig up some dirt on Masters, but this will probably bring them to Masters' attention. If Masters thinks that the PCs are mortals (as he will likely assume, unless he has met them in person) he will merely send a thug or assassin after the characters to discourage any further investigations. How much the players have discovered will determine the amount of force Masters uses to dissuade them.

Masters will not involve himself in the problem, preferring to act through intermediaries, unless he becomes aware that the players are Immortals. If he thinks that he is being harried by other Immortals he will attempt to track them down and confront them. Finding that the characters are less powerful than he, Meister will taunt and ridicule them. If the one of the characters challenges him to a duel, he will fight to the best of his ability, but if he wins easily he will spare the life of the PC, claiming that "This was too easy. There is no pleasure in such a victory. Come try again in a hundred years."

If Helmut/Hamilton discovers that any of the characters have families or loved ones (as does Jacqueline) he will threaten to have them killed or tortured, and try to use them as a lever to bring the Immortal character under his control. Meister will take great pleasure in describing the brutal treatment the character's loved ones will receive at the hand of Helmut's hired thugs. If this fails to impress the PCs, Meister will send his assassins after the characters family, and then wait for the PC to come seeking revenge.

From the beginning, Beth will make it clear to the PCs that Meister sees them as pawns and entertainment, rather than as a serious threat. Meister enjoys the sport of toying with the lives and emotions of the Player Characters, and manipulating their lives gives him tremendous pleasure. In all ways, Meister loves the game and the feeling of power it gives him.

In Concert

The Player Characters attend a free concert at Riverwalk Arcade, where the performer is the legendary rock star Danny-Joe Blackheart. To the characters' surprise, they sense that Blackheart is an Immortal. After the concert, one of Blackheart's roadies approaches the characters with an invitation from Blackheart to an after-concert party at his hotel. If the players decide to go to the party, they find Blackheart, his band, crew, and guests mingling in a suite the size of a small auditorium. Dan is friendly and seems glad to meet other Immortals. If the characters compliment his music, he will accept it without false modesty, but if they criticize his performance his mood will rapidly sour. Danny-Joe knows that he can't satisfy everyone's musical tastes, but he will not tolerate being criticized by a guest at his own party. He will probably ask the offensive guest to leave, but if the PC apologizes Blackheart will let her stay.

One of the PCs will probably question the wisdom of an Immortal having such a high-profile career. If confronted about this, Danny-Joe will look concerned and confess that he really doesn't know what to do about it. He could fake his death, or change identities, but he thinks it would be inevitable that his music would again attract the public's attention. He could stop performing, but he couldn't bear living without creating music: music is his life. So for the time being, he tries to keep as low a profile as he can, and he does his best to avoid bringing other Immortals into his spotlight.

During the party, a courier will arrive with an urgent message for Blackheart. Dan will read it, frowning, and then stuff it into the pocket of his jeans. He will smile at his guests and say that he needs to deal with someone from Heartstone Records about a legal matter, but the PCs may make a Perception Task Roll at -2 to notice the stress in his voice and the creases of worry around his eyes. He will hurriedly bid good-bye to the PCs and suggest they get together the next time Blackheart comes to town.

The message is an anonymous letter warning Danny that members of the Order of the Golden Light are on their way to kill Blackheart. If Blackheart is in the company of mortals, some of them may be killed as well. Danny doesn't wish to endanger anyone around him, so he is leaving the party. He isn't sure where he should go, but he wants to get away from bystanders who may be injured in the conflict. He also wants to avoid having his secret revealed by the Order assassins.

If the characters choose to follow Blackheart, he will probably not notice them since he has an Intellect of only 2 and a zero Rank in Perception. Blackheart will be in the hotel's multilevel underground parking garage when the assassins find him. There will be three assassins for Blackheart and one additional assassin for each of the PCs (actually, all of the assassins are for Blackheart, because they didn't know the PCs would be present). Beth will use the Shock Trooper mortal character type to design the assassins, modifying each slightly to make them all different.

The assassins will be dressed in black jumpsuits made of a semimetallic mesh (Rank 3, -1 AGL Mod, Coverage 2 to 10). They will each be carrying a sword (either a katana, a broadsword, or a falchion) and a firearm. They will try to use the swords first, to avoid drawing the attention of the police. If they have difficulty in killing Blackheart that way (which they will), they will start using the firearms. Each one will have a different gun, which Beth will pick out of the weapon lists before the fight, and they will all have sound supressors. As a last resort, one of them is carrying a Weir Sidekick S2 loaded with two Afflictor Close and two Super Shredder pocket rockets, although the assassin is not wired with a Smartlink. In the enclosed space of the parking garage, some or all of the assassins will be in the area of the explosion if the assassin chooses to use the Sidekick, but all of the Order assassins have sworn to fight to the death in order to carry out a mission.

The characters have probably never encountered assassins of the Order of the Golden Light before, so they will probably ask Blackheart about them. Once all of the Immortals have gone somewhere private, Blackheart will tell them what he knows from his travels. He thinks that the Order is a cross between the Hindu thuggee death cults and the Knights Templar, but he doesn't know why they hunt Immortals or how many members of the Order there are. He has encountered them before, but each time he has been warned by an anonymous note. Blackheart doesn't know who warns him or why.

Blood of Kings

While relaxing at Asylum, one of the characters will be approached by Sahara. Initially, neither Sahara nor the PC will realize that the other is anything but an attractive mortal. If the Player Character responds appropriately to small-talk, Sahara will eventually try to seduce the character (gracefully, of course) in the hope of getting the character somewhere private where she can drink the PC's blood. Sahara will be witty, but not overly talkative; she will be sensual, but not fawning or grotesque. If the character rebuffs her she will laugh quietly (mockingly?) and leave the character alone.

If the PC should be receptive to Sahara's advances, they will eventually become intimate. Sahara will insist that they go to the PC's home, making whatever excuse seems appropriate at the time to avoid going to Sahara's apartment. She is quite secretive, and she's careful not to let anyone know where she lives. Once the PC is off-guard, Sahara will pierce one of the Immortal's arteries with her razor-sharp teeth and drink. The experience should be quite pleasurable, since the wound itself is painless and the act of a Nosferatu feeding releases endorphins into the bloodstream of the victim.

However, Sahara will immediately realize that her victim is an Immortal, since this is not the first time she has tasted Immortal blood. From this point she will go to great lengths to establish a relationship with the character in order to feed upon the blood of an Immortal regularly. After a while, she may even grow to care about the character, since the act of drinking blood is the only real source of emotional fulfillment she has left. Sahara has emotions and she is capable of caring for another person, but she has been preying upon mortals so long that it is difficult for her to forge a genuine emotional bond.

The character may not immediately notice what Sahara is doing when she is drinking blood, since the wound heals nearly instantaneously and Sahara's ministrations are extremely pleasurable. However, eventually the character will realize what is going on. If the character questions Sahara, she will be as reasonable as possible and attempt to stress the pleasurable aspects of what she is doing. Sahara won't volunteer that she is a supernatural being, but if the character should somehow discover this fact (through a Psychic Ability, probably), Sahara will reveal that she knows the character is not a mortal, either. She will try to allay the character's prejudices about Vampires by drawing a comparison between her condition and that of an Immortal.

Sahara will do everything she can to make the arrangement seem agreeable to the character, short of begging. She will point out that it costs Immortals nothing for Sahara to drink from them, while some mortals become quite sick from loss of blood. She will stress that she is not doing anything evil, since she must drink blood to survive, and she rarely kills her "partners." She will insist that she is simply doing as she must, just as Immortals do what they must to survive. If the PC refuses to cooperate, or if the PC becomes violent and attempts to injure Sahara, she will use her Mask Ability and flee. She will probably not seek revenge or hold a grudge against the character who rebuffs her.

Subplots

Beth has several plots that can be going on "in the background" while other plots have most of the character's attention. These conflicts can surface from time to time, growing in importance until the PCs decide to deal with them. Perhaps in the last few minutes of a game, after the characters have dealt with the problem presented that day, they could run into Katyana for the first time. Or maybe one of the characters will meet Esteban (a coincidence?) on their way to visit a friend. Is Esteban following them? Major d'Estaigne might begin killing members of the Richmond Mafia as the first step in her plan to take over organized crime in the area. Should the PCs stop her, or help her? And what of Atlantic EnviroChemical?

Example of Play: Reunion

On a balmy afternoon, Devon and Jacqueline were on their way to an exhibit at the Richmond Science Museum. A cool breeze stirred Devon's trenchcoat while they walked, and as they chatted about the cool weather the War of Ages seemed far away. The afternoon sun was setting behind the treetops, the birds were singing, and all seemed right with the world. Suddenly, Devon stopped and put his hand on Jacqueline's arm.

Beth (the Game Moderator) decides to start the game on a peaceful note to make the later violence seem more shocking. She describes a cool, quiet afternoon, when neither Phill's character Devon nor Susan's character Jacqueline has anything pressing to do. After wondering for a few minutes what their characters could be doing to pass the time, Susan suggests that Devon and Jacqueline might take a walk and go to a museum. Beth remarks that a new exhibit is starting at the Science Museum today, and the Immortals are on their way.

Little do the PCs know that an old flame of Devon's, who is now using the alias Rachel Campbell, has come to Richmond. Although Rachel still cares for Devon, she and Devon did not part on friendly terms. When Rachel sees Jacqueline, Beth decides that Rachel will try to make Jacqueline pay for the way Devon treated her.

"What is it?" Jacqueline asked, glancing around suspiciously, although she knew what Devon was going to say.

"We ain't alone," Devon whispered, his dark eyes scanning the street ahead of them for anyone looking out of place. Jacqueline felt nothing, but she knew Devon was more sensitive to the Foreboding than she was. Casually, he and Jacqueline strolled to a nearby alley entrance, hoping to avoid a conflict.

Phill and Susan can both make Foreboding Task Rolls to see if their characters notice another Immortal is nearby. Rachel has 22 total Karma and she is 15 meters away, so both Devon and Jacqueline have a (3 - 2 = 1) +1 TMod to notice her. Devon's Psyche is 2 and he has a Foreboding Ability at Rank 1, so Phill must roll (2 + 1 + 1 = 4) 4 or less to sense Rachel's presence. Phill rolls a 4, so Devon feels the Foreboding that another Immortal (other than Jacqueline) is near. Phill didn't roll well enough to be able to determine Rachel's direction or distance, so Phill has Devon start looking around.

Jacqueline has a Rank 2 Psyche and a zero Rank in Foreboding, so Susan needs to roll a (2 + 0 + 1 = 3) 3 or less to notice Rachel. Susan rolls a 7, indicating that Jacqueline doesn't feel anything unusual. Devon's hand on her arm is Jacqueline's first warning that something is amiss. Hoping to get out of sight before the other Immortal spots them, Susan suggests that Jacqueline and Devon head for a nearby alley.

"There," Jacqueline whispered suddenly. Following her gaze, Devon saw an attractive woman in a tan overcoat watching them from across the street. She was tall, with short, curly hair and wide brown eyes. When Devon met her eyes, she smiled and started walking toward them.

"Damn," Devon scowled as the familiar figure crossed the busy street. "What the fuck is she doing here?"

"You know her?" Jacqueline asked, pulling her rapier from beneath her long overcoat. The swept hilt of the weapon sparkled in the afternoon light, and the razor keen blade rang softly as it left the scabbard hanging at Jacqueline's side.

"You might say that," Devon grunted, his katana in hand. Jacqueline hadn't seen him draw it.

"She won't challenge you here, will she? Someone might see. . . ." They were in the alleyway now, out of sight of the mortals on the street, but it was still broad daylight. It would be hard to explain if a police officer should pass by and notice a swordfight in the alley behind Finney's Shoes.

Devon's face contorted with contempt as the woman walked toward them. "You never know with her. She's crazy," he finished as the object of his contempt entered the alley, obviously so that she could hear his opinion of her.

Now both Phill and Susan can make Perception Task Rolls to see if Devon or Jacqueline see anyone who might stand out from the typical Richmond street crowd. Beth decides this carries a -3 TMod, due to Rachel's distance (15 meters, normally a -1 TMod) and the number of people on the street. Jacqueline has a Rank of 3 in Intellect and 1 in Perception, so Susan must roll a (3 + 1 - 3 = 1) 1 to notice Rachel watching them. Susan rolls a 1, so Jacqueline notices the woman in the tan coat across the street.

Devon has an Intellect Rank 2 and a Perception Rank of 1; Phill would have to roll a 1 for Devon to spot Rachel. Phill rolls a 5, meaning Devon doesn't notice Rachel until Jacqueline points her out to him. Once Devon sees Rachel, Beth tells Phill that he immediately recognizes her as a former girlfriend Devon was forced to dump when her sadistic streak began to get out of hand. Phill has Devon use his Quick Draw Accent to whip out his katana without using an action, then Devon tells Jacqueline who the woman is, timing it so that Rachel can hear him call her "crazy."

"‘Crazy', Devon?" the woman asked with a predator smile, red lips over sharp white teeth. "That isn't what you called me in Seattle. Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" she asked, as she unbuttoned her coat. Jacqueline could see the bulging outline of a sword beneath the coat under the woman's right arm.

"Jacqueline, this is Deborah Ellington," Devon growled, gesturing at the newcomer, "the most vicious woman I've ever known. Deborah, this is Jacqueline." The woman bowed mockingly to Jacqueline, but shook her head disapprovingly.

"Devon flatters me. And I do not go by that name any longer. You may call me Rachel, Jacqueline." Rachel reached beneath her coat and drew out a heavy sabre. "Is Jacqueline very good with a sword, Devon? Have you taught her anything I showed you?"

Devon stepped slightly in front of Jacqueline and held his katana menacingly, but Jacqueline pushed him aside. "I'm not as good as Devon, but I think I can hold my own."

Beth has Rachel make some witty smalltalk, then challenge Jacqueline. Phill tries to protect Jacqueline by having Devon step in front of her, but this annoys Susan, who would rather that Jacqueline handle her own problems. Jacqueline accepts the challenge and steps forward. Since both Rachel and Jacqueline have the same Rank Agility and Intellect (both Immortals are Rank 3 in both Statistics), Rachel with a Rank 3 Psyche gets to act each Turn before Jacqueline, who has a Rank 2 Psyche.

"Good, I like confidence in a young varlet! Let's see how well you do, hmm?" Rachel stood en guard and stepped slowly forward. Feeling angry and helpless, Devon stood aside as Jacqueline raised her rapier and advanced. If Jacqueline accepted Rachel's challenge, there was nothing he could do to interfere.

Susan wants to be cautious, since she doesn't know how good Rachel is with a blade. Beth has Rachel attack twice with simple Thrusts (+0 TMod, normal damage). Rachel's Rank in Agility is 3, her Melee Weapons Rank is 3, and her sabre carries a +1 TMod. Jacqueline's Dodge Ability is Rank 1, so Beth must roll (3 + 3 + 1 - 1 = 6) 6 or less for Rachel to hit Jacqueline with her sabre. On the first attack, Beth rolls a 7, so Rachel misses. In the context of the game, Beth says that Jacqueline parried the attack, even though Jacqueline did not actually use an action to do so. Susan has Jacqueline hold back, although she could attack Rachel this Turn; Jacqueline wants to see what Rachel will do.

On Rachel's next Turn, Beth rolls a 3: an easy hit. Jacqueline "forces" her next action to attempt to Parry Rachel's attack. This means she is forfeiting her action later this Turn in order to take a defensive measure now. To Parry Rachel's Thrust, Susan must roll Jacqueline's Melee Weapons Task Roll at a penalty of -1. Jacqueline has an Agility of 3 and a Melee Weapons rank of 2, and her rapier carries a +1 TMod, so Susan needs to roll a (3 + 2 + 1 - 1 = 5) 5 or less for Jacqueline to successfully Parry. Susan rolls a 3, and Jacqueline skillfully deflects Rachel's first attacks.

Jacqueline kept her guard up at first, Parrying Rachel's first two exploratory thrusts. The two women circled, neither willing to drop her guard enough to commit to a full attack. As they slowly danced their way around each other in the narrow alley, Jacqueline noticed that Rachel dropped the tip of her sword slightly whenever she moved her left foot. Thinking that this might be her only chance, Jacqueline waited for Rachel's next step, then lunged.

Rachel laughed and Riposted easily, stabbing Jacqueline in the thigh. "Did you see that Devon? She fell for that! I thought you were the only one gullible enough to fall for that. She really isn't very good, is she?"

Beth asks Susan to make a Perception Task Roll for Jacqueline, but Beth keeps the Task Modifier secret. Beth doesn't want Susan to know whether or not Jacqueline succeeds at the Task Roll. Susan rolls a 4, which would be a successful Task Roll if the TMod was +0. Beth tells Susan that if Jacqueline attacks Rachel just as Rachel takes a step, Jacqueline thinks she will gain an advantage.

Beth is lying: this is a trick of Rachel's. If Susan had made the Perception Task Roll with a -2 TMod, Jacqueline would have seen through the ploy and not been fooled.

Unfortunately, Jacqueline is fooled and uses her action to Lunge at Rachel. Normally, a Lunge imposes a -1 TMod, but because Rachel tricked Jacqueline into the attack and is expecting it, Beth imposes a -2 TMod. Susan rolls a 10, and although a 10 is not an automatic miss, it is sufficient for Jacqueline to miss Rachel by a wide margin.

Rachel had delayed her action, waiting for Jacqueline to use her action to attack. After Jacqueline misses with her Lunge, Rachel Thrusts at Jacqueline. Since Susan has already used an action this Turn, Susan cannot force Jacqueline's next action to Parry. Susan hopes that Jacqueline's Dodge Rank of 1 will be sufficient to protect her from Rachel's Thrust. Beth needs to roll a 6 for Rachel's attack to hit Jacqueline. Beth rolls a 3: a hit. She then rolls a die to see where Jacqueline is hurt, and gets a 7. Rachel's sabre does two points of damage, and Rachel's Strength Rank is 2, so Jacqueline takes 4 points of Severe Damage to her left thigh.

Four points of Severe Damage imposes a -1 TMod to every Task Roll the wounded character attempts. An injury to the thigh can also impose a -1 Agility Modifier to the wounded character, but this is an optional rule and Beth elects not to use it unless the character takes more than five points of damage to a single location. So until she heals, Jacqueline has a -1 TMod imposed upon every Task she attempts.

"Shut up and fight," Jacqueline muttered, attacking again. Again Rachel Riposted, Parrying and immediately counter-attacking, but this time Jacqueline was able to step away from the blade. The red light of the setting sun flashed on their whirling blades, giving the combat a surreal appearance.

Susan has Jacqueline attack Rachel again, this time rolling a 5. Jacqueline's Agility is 3, her Rank in Melee Weapons is 2, her rapier carries a +1 TMod, and Rachel's Dodge Rank is 1. Jacqueline would have hit if she weren't injured, but the -1 TMod due to her injury means Susan must roll a 4 or less for Jacqueline to hit Rachel with a Thrust.

"Better, little girl, much better. With some practice, you might get pretty good at this," Rachel chuckled. She launched another series of attacks at Jacqueline, all of which Jacqueline managed to Parry. "But now I think the time to toy with you is over. Say good-bye to your little friend, Devon." Rachel lunged at Jacqueline, attempting to stab her in the heart.

Rachel, who had again delayed her action, Lunges at Jacqueline but rolls a 7. Jacqueline manages to side-step the blade. Susan realizes that Jacqueline is going to lose unless she does something desperate soon. Rachel is better with a sword than Jacqueline, and Jacqueline is further hampered by her injury. Jacqueline Parries a few more of Rachel's attacks, then decides the time has come to take a gamble.

Jacqueline spun away from Rachel's blade, bringing her rapier whistling around in an arc which intersected with Rachel's sword arm. Rachel gasped as her arm, still holding the sabre, went flying away from her.

Susan has been saving up Jacqueline's Karma from previous games: she has 8 Unspent Karma. When Rachel Lunges again, Susan expends 3 of Jacqueline's Unspent Karma to impose a -3 TMod on Rachel's Task Roll. Beth rolls a 4, but this isn't enough to hit Jacqueline with an additional -3 TMod.

Susan then rolls for Jacqueline to hit Rachel. Risking it all, Susan spends Jacqueline's remaining 5 Unspent Karma to add a +5 TMod to Jacqueline's attack. Including this +5, Jacqueline's -1 TMod due to her wounded thigh, and Rachel's Dodge of 1, Susan must roll an 9 or less to hit Rachel. Rachel cannot Parry, because she has already taken an action this Turn. Susan rolls a 7: success! She then rolls a die to see where the blow lands, and gets a 2: Rachel's left arm. This is an incredible stroke of luck, because Rachel is holding her sword in her left hand.

Jacqueline's rapier does two points of damage, and her Strength Rank is 3, so Rachel takes 5 points of Severe Damage to her left arm. At five points of Severe Damage, an extremity is severed, so Rachel's sword arm is cut from her body.

Rachel staggered backward, her right hand clutching the bleeding stump of her left arm. Her eyes met Jacqueline's, and went wide with fear. "I wasn't going to kill you. I promise I wasn't going to kill you. P-Please don't kill me," Rachel stammered from shock and terror. Jacqueline raised her sword, then hesitated.

"I should take your head, I really should. But I've never killed another Immortal, and I'd rather that my first wasn't a pathetic bitch like you." With a grunt, Jacqueline swung her blade and cut off Rachel's other arm. Rachel cried out and went unconscious, then Jacqueline knelt and wiped the blood from her rapier on Rachel's coat.

Thoroughly disarmed, Beth decides that Rachel would plead for mercy; a dignified death is not her style. Susan thinks about granting Rachel the Final Death, but she doesn't feel Jacqueline would have the stomach to cut down a helpless opponent, even one who would have killed her. Instead, she chops off Rachel's other arm, then wipes off her rapier on Rachel's coat.

Devon sheathed his katana and looked at Jacqueline with a concerned expression. "Don't you think that was a little brutal?"

Jacqueline shrugged grimly as she put away her rapier. She met Devon's gaze with a defiant look. "You mean you don't think she'll be my friend anymore? She deserved worse."

Devon shook his head in disbelief. "Why didn't you just kill her? She would have killed you, you know, and laughed while she kicked your head into the gutter."

Jacqueline frowned and thought about it for a moment. "I'm really not sure," she confessed. "I didn't want to kill her, but I didn't want to just set her free. Crippling her for a few days seemed a good solution."

Devon grimaced. "Damn, Jacqueline, you've got a dark side to you."