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Ad Infinitum
Ad Infinitum
by Millie Cat
The air, heavy with incense and smoke, coats the Malkavian’s body like a separate skin as she looks to the narrow closet door before her. More than darkness lies beyond, things more tangible than unknown fear was just inside that makeshift chamber of horrors.
How had it come to this? Millie’s control had turned inside out, like a rat in a vacuum. Ah, the best laid plans…
Even the air did not move with her entry, even dust was not disturbed with her passage. Disturbation was of her entry itself. Perhaps ‘they’ were right. Perhaps to be Malkavian was to be Mad. What more than madness could compel her to endure this deprivation box, night after night? Her own perversion was the surest proof of derangement she had ever encountered.
She shuddered inside. Tremere were not known to be so quiet, or was he not here? In answer she received a quick silent hand about her throat, and a cold, loathsome whisper in the ear as she was jerked close to his lips.
"Right on time," Joseph, the Tremere Primogen’s unseen smile is heard clearly in his lecherous whisper, his fangs caressing Millie’s earlobe, gouging slightly against her willfully stilled neck.
Seemingly angered at her control in this frightful situation, Joseph drags his fangs down to her shoulder, gouging skin and ripping her cotton shirt, not drinking as the smell of her blood saturates the closet. Millie shakes and flails at the pain and humiliation. His grip around her neck tightens, his other arm snapping around her waist, locking her close to him.
"Yes.. yes… so sweet," the Tremere finally whispers. "Very nice. I cannot even tell whether your fear is genuine or not. But, I suppose it is. You know that if you do not please me, I will hurt those you care about; hurt them far more than you endure right now." Moving his lips over to the other ear, he proceeds to mutilate Millie’s skin and shirt as with the other side, arms locking her in with ancient, unbreakable strength.
The fear, the pain, becomes too much. She knows she must come here, to protect kindred friends and innocent kine alike, though her Beast says differently. It matters not. Joseph revels consuming her frenzied spasms, holding her close as she rages, the aftermath leaving her a deformed wreck, as usual.
Barely able to speak from the depredations, she manages to force out, "You never lose control. You never anger…"
"Where do you think this pain I give you comes from? " His fingers sink deep into her sides, breaking skin and cracking ribs, "I give it to you, little one. Wouldn’t it be horrible if I had to find someone else to take this out on? "
Millie’s mind screams the horror of a thousand pains, begging for yet more, more, more… No fiend is more deserving of this punishment. No sinner ismore in need of this absolution…
Ad Infinitum
Posted in Storytelling, Vampire
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Progression
by morkeleb_dragon@hotmail.com
I am Desire, quench me, take me,
Revel forever within me.
I am the Night, come to me, breathe me,
Accept my heavenly embrace.
I am the Darkness, believe in me, be me,
Become part of my coven.
I am a Vampyre, feel me, feed me,
Share thy soul with me.
I am death, covet me, accept me,
Reside in my breast until
Life calls to thee once more.
Alternate Currents – The Hidden Empire – An Alternate History for Werewolf: The Apocalypse
“For millennia, the Empire has handed down its commandments to all of Gaia’s chosen. It claims that only through it’s actions and influence has the Apocalypse been held off for so long, and that only through it’s unity shall Gaia survive the coming time of darkness. This is a lie. The Empire has become corrupt, it’s structures weak, and it’s leaders insane. We can no longer afford to ignore the cancerous chain that the Empire has become, as it threatens to drag us all down into the mouth of the Wyrm. Any protection it once afforded is gone. The time has come to shred the net of humanity we have bound ourselves in. It is time to decide: will you be led like sheep, or will you stand up and reveal yourself as you truly are? No more lies. No more hiding. Show your true face to the enemy, and release your Rage!” -Daniel Hayden, Ratkin
The War of Extinction: To understand the beginnings of the Empire, one must know about the two great wars between the Changing Breeds. The exact cause of the first war is debated, though believed to have stemmed from resentment between those Breeds who knew the secrets of extending their life, and those who lived only as long as humans. Whatever the reason, the results of this disagreement are universally accepted: a civil war erupted between Gaia’s children in Europe and Africa. The war itself lasted nearly a century, not ending with a bang or any grand final battle, but as a slow, drawn out scattering and destruction of the losing forces. The survivors were those Breeds who allied with one another during the War, who were predisposed towards working in groups. These were the Garou, the Simba and Ajaba Bastet Tribes, the Corax, and the Ratkin.
The War of Dominance: Soon after the War of Extinction finally ended, a second war between the surviving Breeds came about. If anything, this one was even more brutal, as realization of what they had done during the first war settled in, and developed into accusations and recriminations against their former allies. For a time, it appeared that the results of the first war would become reality once again, this time for all participants involved. On the eve of what was likely to be the last great battle, however, something happened. Most legends refer to a great hero stepping forward, who spoke with the voice of Gaia, and who commanded all those involved to end their hostilities. Which Breed this individual came from is the most highly disagreed upon point, but in the end it doesn’t matter. Reason triumphed, a cessation of hostilities was declared, and the foundations of the future Empire were set down.
The Empire’s Beginnings: Of all the Breeds, the Garou came out of the two conflicts as the strongest race. They were at the forefront of efforts unite (some say control) the surviving Changing Breeds. Special Caerns were designated as places for several different Breeds to control jointly. These quickly became the diplomatic and leadership hubs of the formative Western Concordiat. Behind most of this effort was a single Silver Fang hero known in legend as The First, who is believed to be the inspiration behind many of the tales of King Arthur. He is generally recognized as the first Emperor, though at the time not called as such. Under his leadership, many of the hurdles that stood in the way of unification were crossed. Nonetheless, many Shapeshifters continued to work against old enemies, refusing to give up old grudges held from the time of fighting. Though circumspect, many members of the new Concordiat worked against one another, and passed down these hatred sand rivalries to future generations. Additionally, intermittent conflict between the western Breeds, the Hengeyokai, and many South African holdouts continued on, waxing and waning throughout the centuries.
[Amnesty – Occasionally, individuals or small groups of Breeds thought destroyed during the War of Extinction would turn up. In an effort to atone for past deeds, these shifters would be offered citizenship. Almost always this was accepted. Many find this somewhat suspicious, and wonder if some group (or groups) aided and hid the enemy during the War of Extinction, only to slowly bring their charges out of hiding later on. In any case, almost all of the Changing Breeds have a few members in the Empire, though they are not fully trusted.]
Establishment of the Church: Eventually, it became apparent that the greatest cause of strife within the new Empire would be due to disagreement over religious belief. In order to try and resolve this conflict before it could become an insurmountable rift, the Church of the Earth Mother was formed. Originally, it more resembled a Greek Forum than anything else, a place for the Breeds to argue and debate metaphysical matters. Over time, it became more regimented and organized, in response to the changes in human society. In order to protect those Changing Breeds and Kinfolk who worshiped Gaia from human religious purges, it was necessary to accrue influence and power over those self-same human institutions. The Church has become the main spiritual force within the Western Concordiat, and all Shapeshifters who concern themselves with spiritual matters are expected to pay homage to it, of one degree or another.
The Expansion: As the human populations and governments the Empire hid itself within spread to other countries, the Changing Breeds followed. In these new lands, it insisted on the indigenous shapeshifters swearing allegiance to it and it’s leaders. The natives declined, and once again Shapechanger fought Shapechanger. Unlike the previous wars, this conflict was made up of small-scale attacks and skirmishes between individual native communities and the forces of the Hidden Empire. Old hostilities and feuds kept the Natives from uniting with one another until the end of the 1800’s. By then, it was too late. They had suffered too many losses, and faced an enemy too well organized. Their Caerns were annexed, and had citizenship in the Empire forced upon them (though they were relegated to a lower social status, and regularly discriminated against).
The Current State of Affairs: Despite its efforts (some say because of them), the Empire finds itself on the doorstep of the Apocalypse. Hiding amongst the governments, religions, and corporations of the modern day, it still finds itself losing the struggle to try and curb humanities excesses. From without, the agents of the Wyrm continually maneuver against the Empire for control and influence over the human world. Within, ancient rivalries and factions oppose and undercut one another, which just serves to weaken the Empire as a whole. The Silver Fangs, seeking complete impartiality and balance so as to prove they truly are the greatest of Gaia’s leaders, have become removed, nearly-emotionless, and as hard and cold as the metal they name themselves by. The Black Fury and Shadowlord heads of the Church set plans in motion to assume control of the Empire, rationalizing that they are best aware of Gaia’s wishes, and as such most suited to leading the Empire through the coming Apocalypse. The Bastet are making motions towards secession, and are already forming a loose Coalition with the Ananasi and Mokole in Africa. The Ratkin have split into several different sub-factions, each with it’s own plans and vision for the future of the Earth. Finally, the descendants of those Shapeshifters native to the Americas form an ever-growing number of those openly rebelling against the Empire. The Apocalypse is looming, and in the face of it everything is falling apart for Gaia’s chosen.
[The Point – The alternate history presented above is intended as a background setting for a game in which the PC’s can build characters using any of the Changing Breeds. While the vanilla Werewolf setting requires quite a few story acrobatics to justify a Mokole, a Garou, a Ratkin, and a Gurahl forming a group, the above setting can easily handle such an alliance. It is also meant to add a different sort of conflict to a game of Werewolf, as the former stabilizing force of the Empire slowly crumbles away, just when unity amongst Gaia’s chosen is most needed. Politics beyond the Sept level become both more important and more pressing, as the ties that bind the Changing Breeds weaken and snap in ever increasing numbers. Most of the actual details for the organization of the Empire is left deliberately vague, up to the Storyteller to decide upon. Is the Empire run by a King, or a Council? The decisions made about this will largely be tied to how the ST wishes to present the Empire, and the level of darkness and corruption she wants in her Chronicle.]
Matt Roberts is a New Mexican native, and writer of Corax Reviews.
And yes, he did watch the cartoon and drew some inspiration from it
And yes, he did watch the cartoon and drew some inspiration from it
The Thirteenth Legion – So, like, I get to play Sam Haight, right?
by Kabael
And we’re back from a month-long commercial break. My personal life changes at its usual pace. I’m a manager at a KFC and a receptionist at an "assisted living house" these days, and I never have enough time to do what I want – sleep is to precious. But enough about me, joining us this time is the subject of crossovers – much loved, much hated.
There is some little voice deep inside each and every gamer out there that cries out "These two games are great, wouldn’t they be great together?" Sometimes they do, and sometimes they really, really don’t – most don’t, actually. It’s that problem that has given crossovers the mark of death in the role playing community, they have a reputation for being cheesy wank-fests of unrivalled scale. The dreaded crossover is where the Gangrel hang out with their Garou buddies, drinking beer – or where the Technocracy is revealed to be the source of all Banality. The problem with the "two great tastes" is less about what they are, however, than they are about than how they are actually used. Almost any game can be crossed over with another and still come out on top, it just doesn’t work that well most of the time.
The key to running a proper crossover game lies in realizing that it is, in the end, no different from any other kind of game. You simply need a broader base of knowledge and a stronger sense of control.
The simplest kind of crossover game usually escapes people’s attention – one in which none of the PCs actually cross over themselves. A story in which vampires are fighting for their lives against the ravages of maddened lupines is still a crossover story, it’s still drawing from another game for detail. Werewolf: the Apocalypse can be used to give further culture and detail to the "Lupines," making the story more than a combat game of survival. You can even stick with one set of rules for this kind of game, even if you use the setting information, you don’t have to bog yourself down with concerns like Rage and Gnosis and Gifts if you don’t want to.
Another kind of simple crossover that’s related to this is allowing a single character to come from another game. These are the stories of mages with a single vampire in their midst, or the changeling immersed in Garou culture. I got to be the player in one of these kinds of games once. I played an Orphan mage in a reasonably standard Mage: the Ascension game – except that my character was kinain, part fae. By the rules, I should have had a few special powers, some fae gifts, but since the game wasn’t about the fae, the Storyteller decided to keep it simple, and I used my fae heritage to explain an unusually high Arcane Background and some elements of my paradigm. That (and some fun plot hooks) was all, there were no wank-trips of gleeful cackling, just using another game (i.e. a crossover) to give added depth and detail to a character.
For those who want more "true" crossovers in the sense of using all the rules in various games and going will-nilly with characters (both player and not), there are a few things to remember. First off, and most important, have a mature gaming group who is interested in more than just powergaming otherwise you will fail, even if you stick to one game. They also have to be prepared to have lots of "off-screen time." Attention is hard enough in a normal game, but in a crossover, it can be downright impossible to ensure that it’s evenly spread. Second, be familiar as possible with both (or more) rules sets. You don’t need to know every rule and exception, but you do need to know enough to wing it when the need arises. It does bear mentioning, however, that while I talk about these when discussing crossovers, they are really general concerns about trying to run any game. Odd that, that a crossover is run just like any other game, and has the same pitfalls.
The last thing to remember when running a crossover is sometimes the most important, at least if your concerned about your game becoming what you envisioned it to be. Again, this is a general concern for all games, but it is also one of the biggest criticisms of crossover games (although often with no basis). When running a crossover game, you have to have a clear idea of why you’re running the game, and hold onto the theme/mood/neat thing with an iron fist. Do not feel bad about vetoing certain character ideas. This, as I said, is also important in a normal game, but it can come to the fore in a crossover. Many people complain that crossovers "ruin the point" of both games, but that’s just a little too narrow a view for me. If I want to run a game revolving around paranoia and secrecy, then I can do it just as well in a Vampire: the Masquerade and Mage: the Ascension crossover as I can in either game by themselves. Indeed, the feeling may even be enhanced if I can handle it properly (and have good players) as everyone begins to wonder what secrets the vampires are keeping from the mages, and vice versa. Cohesion and control are more important in a crossover game because the question of "Why the hell are we hanging out together?" comes up more often, and with bigger teeth. Mediocre pot conceits will often make for a mediocre game, in cases like that.
In the end, the two things that must be in the foreground when planning a crossover is cohesion and utility. Don’t be afraid to discard character ideas, rules, elements of the setting, plot ideas, or entire whole games if you have to. Again, these are all things that should be kept in mind in a normal "vanilla" game, but they jump to the fore in more cosmopolitan games, since more crossover games are much more fragile. Decide on what you want the game to accomplish, stick to it, and discard anything that gets in the way.
Obviously, some games are easier to mix than others. Some just seem like natural candidates for the big ol’ "plot blender" but others look like nightmares if you even consider doing it. There are three broad categories of crossover games that involve mixed player character groups (at least within the World of Darkness alone), I would say: the natural, the difficult and the impossible.
note: once again, the omission of Hunter: the Reckoning is not a mistake on my part. I don’t like the game, so I’m not going to consider it here. It doesn’t do well with crossovers anyway, considering it’s attitude of "kill ’em all" about the other games. the Natural
These are the games that just seems to flow together, that you sometimes find yourself asking "Why aren’t they already meshed?" about. These are the games where it’s actually pretty easy to come up with reasons why the neonate vampire would be hanging out with the Euthanatos mage, so plot contrivances and party cohesion is only mildly more difficult than in a "vanilla" game. The problems that a natural game faces, however, are two-fold – screen time and rules debates. The former relies on either a brilliant Storyteller or a mature group to overcome (sometimes through troupe-play, giving everyone multiple characters), but it is still something that should be addressed. The rules, on the other hand, need something more. The Storyteller needs to be able to arbitrate on the fly between two different games that were not really designed to work smoothly together. Some enterprising people might want to come up with definite crossover guidelines and put some rules down on paper for easy reference. While this may take up a fair amount of time, it will also provide some kind of reference for the players, give them the feeling that the rules will be consistently applied. If you have the time, you should at least jot down some notes.
So which of the five World of Darkness games qualify as "naturals"? Especially with the release of Mage: the Ascension Revised Edition, that game seems the perfect mate for Changeling: the Dreaming (whether that is a good or bad thing is an exercise for the reader). There is a lot of legends about the fae and wizards, and both games share a strong link in almost identical overall themes. Crossovers can be either of a grand sort or smaller, more limited affairs, like the example I mentioned above. Mage: the Ascension and Changeling: the Dreaming are actually part of a trio of games that crossover quite well, the third being Werewolf: the Apocalypse.
All of the games share a common "high goal," a holy war against the forces of Badness and Boredom and Oppression, a unity of purpose that both Vampire: the Masquerade and Wraith: the Oblivion lack (not that that is a bad thing). Each side is in need of allies, and really in no position to refuse help offered. Mage: the Ascension and Werewolf: the Apocalypse further share a connection to the Umbra and Changeling: the Dreaming has a long history of interaction and binding pacts to the shifters of Werewolf: the Apocalypse. All three games blend easily into one another, you just have to be careful about losing sight of the point of the game and falling into "monster of the week" plots. The final natural game, and actually the least natural of them all, is a Vampire: the Masquerade and Mage: the Ascension crossover. Considering
The realm of difficult crossovers may actually be the largest, as it is home to nearly anything involving Wraith: the Oblivion. While each of the games has their own group of necromancers and mediums, wraithly crossovers are still incredibly difficult simply because of the nature of a wraith – insubstantial and hard to contact. The easiest ways around that – using Risen instead of wraiths or bringing the other characters into the Shadowlands – have their own problems. Vampire: the Masquerade and some stranger games of Mage: the Ascension may be the easiest to run, but they still have to face the same problems. Wraith: the Oblivion crossovers illustrate the major hurdles of difficult crossovers. It’s not the rules anymore, but rationale for sticking together and, more than ever, screen time. Difficult crossovers often involve one or more games that have an entire "secret world" that cannot be accessed by the other game. Take a Vampire: the Masquerade and Changeling: the Dreaming crossover (the other one in this category) for example. It will be extraordinarily difficult to run any sort of game involving the Dreaming or the more intricate secrets of chimerical reality – it’s just a realm that is usually completely cut-off from the blood-drinking vampires. There are ways around it, running a game centered around something other than those elements, or involving more "fae friendly" Kindred like Kiasyd or Malkavians, but those solutions often raise their own problems. Difficult games require a great deal more work and maturity than other crossovers, but such odd combinations can sometimes create spectacular stories. the Impossible Okay, so maybe these crossovers aren’t impossible, but they’re pretty damn close. This is where crossovers between Vampire: the Masquerade and Werewolf: the Apocalypse reside, pretty much all by their lonesome.
Here, it’s not rules or screen time that are the biggest obstacle (although they need to be resolved as well), it’s rationale that is the big problem. Why the hell would a vampire and a werewolf cooperate anyway? Considering the animosity between the two species of supernatural, finding a convincing answer is difficult. It can be done, but you have to be careful to not have anything as silly as a Nosferatu hanging with his new Bone Gnawer buddy, swapping clan and tribe secrets. These kinds of games, where the odds seems stacked against the different characters interacting without carnage, lend themselves best to short, simply "alliances of convenience" stories, but those can only go so far. The story of the growth of trust between two bigoted enemies can make for a brilliant game as well, but it requires really mature players to do right. A note of Jade
While most of the Year of the Lotus setting material is considered a subset of the above game lines, it does bear mentioning that they lend themselves to crossovers with a startling ease. The formal court systems of both the Kuei-jin and the hengeyokai, as well as the impassioned meddliness of the hsien, make for an environment when two mortal enemies may be bound together by honor and duty, allowing for truly memorable games. Many, if not all, of these games would fall under the natural category, as there are a plethora of rationale that would work for such odd creatures bound by Asian honor and customs. Fans of crossovers or those simply sick of the ignorant prejudice of the rest of the World of Darkness should check out Kindred of the East and Hengeyokai: Shifters of the East for more ideas. those Outside I should also say here that "crossovers" don’t apply only to World of Darkness games. I can pull in any other game in print and mess with that as well (although that’s not always a good idea). This is almost always more difficult, as other games don’t even have the common base that all the World of Darkness games have, but it can be done. I had a promising (if still-born) and low-key Trinity and World of Darkness crossover. The key here, more than in other crossovers, is the axe. Determine the point (and often the "primary game") and then chop away everything else. Crossovers don’t need to involve every element of each game, and with wildly divergent game lines, trying to do so would be downright impossible, and the attempt would likely ruin the game – beware. You probably found that a waste of time.
Oh well, I tried. I hope that helped someone to either rethink crossovers or to plan their own better. Do feel free to let me know if I was of any help – otherwise I’ll be left in the dark.
As for next month, I’m unsure of what I’ll be talking about, really. Hopefully by then I’ll have a great deal more time, as many of my projects should be wrapped up by then, but I don’t know. Perhaps I’ll talk about what I would have done differently in Mage: the Ascension Revised, even though that’s a dead horse, or maybe I’ll talk about Changeling: the Dreaming and my love-hate relationship with it. Who knows, but if people send in suggestions, I’ll listen. This month’s crossover idea came from a reader, and I’d like to thank everyone who has sent in comments, it really makes doing this worthwhile.
Posted in Articles, World of Darkness
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Claim of the Ventrue
by The Dark Prince of New York
I am Lord
What I was before does not matter, what I am now is all that applies,
as Caine gave down to his childer, I own everything under night’s skies,
it is my birthright granted me by Veddartha, my claim most righteous of all,
the blood within me is the blue-blood, my clansmen and I stand the most tall.
I am Lord,
I am Lord.
It was our father who was most favored, always at the Dark Father’s side,
that alone grants us our sovereignty, that alone is why our words you abide,
Who more apt than us to ruleth, none exist more ratified than us in design,
hate us not for our blessings, nurtured and suckeled from upon Caine’s vine.
For I am Lord,
I am Lord.
We have brought it all together, we have made it safe to walk the night,
live within our beautiful cities, and know what it is to claim Caine’s right,
All the traditions we shall enforce, the eyes of Seth’s children shall never see,
what dwells inside the bodies of every vampire, everything they shall never be.
Because I am Lord,
I am Lord.
My skin the consistency of marble, a mind that penetrates the mind’s of all,
my mere presence the stuff of legends, making them love me or fear a fall,
my claim to fame is lack of failures, my blue blood guaranteeing my success,
I know I am the greatest of kindred, for Caine would accept nothing less.
I am Lord,
I am your Lord.
We are the backbone of the office, princes and leaders fill our ranks,
we do it because that’s what we are, there’s no need to give us thanks,
I can make the rich among you envious, your banks take loans from me,
no need to look to see who’s king of the hill, if you look up I’m the one you’ll see.
For I am Lord,
I am Lord.
I refuse none of my own a safe place to sleep, a lesson you other’s could learn,
always have pride in your consanguineous, or you should meet the sun and burn,
it is as the Gangrel speak of the wolves, each wolf of the pack knows his place,
Have no shame for what is your niche, for we are the alphas of the kindred race.
We are the Lords,
I am Lord.
Some may say we are haughty, some may even say that arrogance is our way,
we simply acknowledge our superiority, jealousy causes those things you say,
Look at me, see my proud glory, recognize our symbol of crown and sword,
what I can’t do with one, I can do with the other, now you know why I am Lord.
I am your Lord,
forever am I. Lord,
I am Lord.
A Little Stroll
Sinclair takes a look at himself in the mirror, gathering a few things. He then sharpens his knife before putting it in its sheath and glances around, whistling to himself as he starts out of Joseph’s house.
Millie hides in a shadow outside the Tudor residence, watching Sinclair emerge.
Sinclair walks down the driveway and into the street, still whistling. The stir in the back of his mind is no longer ignorable. Time for a little amusement… He straightens his tie as he walks, watching everything around him: A predator in his prime. He stops by a corner, watching the cars go by. He then pauses at a house, seeing the lights on, debating… then walks past, not wanting to get embroiled in a family affair tonight.
Millie slips behind him, stalking him, probing his thoughts. She blinks, the ghoul’s mind seeming more unreadable than many kindred’s, and so slinks closer, surveying his demeanor, his movements, his expression.
Sinclair continues his stride with a purposeful, almost thoughtful expression on his face, watching those he sees speculatively. Millie glances at those the ghoul surveys. He watches a woman carrying an infant with interest as she enters a convenience mart and stands just to one side of the building, waiting for her to emerge again, making note of the vehicle she was driving. He takes a quick surveillance of the parking area, looking for security cameras. He then starts to walk over to her car, pulling out his knife.
Growing agitated her lack of ability to probe his thoughts, she moves several yards behind him and makes herself seen, though still remaining unobtrusive. "Psst… Sinclair."
Sinclair pauses when he hears a voice calling his name and looks around for the source. His eyes narrow, wondering who is following him. Millie nods to him slightly from the shadows. He makes a quick mental check to see if he can recognize the girl, and then walks to where she is standing, slipping his knife under his jacket again. He watches her impassively, composed, and non-threatening.
Millie watches his movements carefully then smirks, eyes gleaming. "Got a new boss, I see."
"I remember you. Yeah. New boss."
"Too bad about Bastain. He was real cool." Millie looks up at the ghoul towering
over her.
Sinclair smiles, folding his arms across his chest. "Bad news for Mr. Thorne, good news for Mr. Tudor."
"Tudor must trust you, letting you out like this." Millie smirks slightly.
Sinclair shrugs. "I like going for walks."
Millie replies with a gleam, "Me too."
Sinclair glances at the Malkavian curiously. "You were following me? Why?"
"You were around. Seemed like the thing to do," she smiles slightly.
"Mr. Thorne liked you. Guess that means I like you too. He was smart."
"I am glad you like me. Maybe we should walk some more…" Millie looks around at the crowd.
Sinclair glances around at the people walking in and out of the convenience store taking note of the fact the woman’s car is no longer in the parking lot. He dismisses her from his thoughts. "Sure. Where you want to go?"
"I am not sure. Maybe someplace we can talk, catch up on old times." Millie grins subtly.
Sinclair thinks this over carefully, wondering if she is leading him into a trap of some kind. Bastain warned him about Malks. He shrugs. His former Boss had liked this Malk. "Name the place."
"We can just walk." She indicates a direction down the street.
Sinclair looks her over a critical eye, his curiosity piqued. Looks didn’t mean nothing – he wondered what it would feel like to break her fingers – would there be more resistance than for the normals? He nods, starting to walk in the direction she pointed.
Millie follows him closely, whispering, "So, how long you been with…Joseph?"
Sinclair takes his cues from the volume of her voice and whispers as well. "Not long. Maybe a month."
She nods. "What do you do for him? If… you can say…"
"I fix things. I keep him safe."
"Same thing as for Bastian, then."
Sinclair nods once. Then asks her, "You’re Malkavian, right?"
"So they say," Millie grimaces.
Sinclair lets his thoughts wander, wondering if the brain of a Malkavian would look any different – since they are insane.
Still frowning, Millie asks him, "Why?"
"I get curious about stuff," he answers plainly.
Millie smiles a bit and answers softly, "Me too."
Sinclair glances at her, a thoughtful expression on his face. "What you wonder about?"
She gets softer and more intent, looking around then down, "Lots of stuff. what people keep, what makes things work, what is inside things…" Sinclair’s eyes light up at the mention of ‘what makes thing work… what’s inside things’ as she continues, "Maybe that’s why I followed you… just… wanted to know about you."
"I want to know what makes you work. What’s on the inside," Sinclair states.
Millie pauses for a moment in walking. "Been trying to figure that one out for a long time…" She shrugs, and starts walking again, deep in thought.
Sinclair continues watching her, a thoughtful expression on his face. He debates reaching out and dragging her off to get what he wants, but decides this is not the right night for that. Maybe he could get her to volunteer… he wonders. "I could help you figure it out."
"Oh?" she looks up at him.
Sinclair nods.
"How?" she asks with childlike inquisitiveness.
"I could take a look inside and show you what makes you work."
Millie puzzles at his words, her interest pulling her along, "Um… ok."
Sinclair smiles, quite pleased with his himself, "We have to go someplace quiet with no one around. Someplace where I can work."
The Malkavian ponders. "There is a closed store near here. I can get in. Will that do?"
Sinclair glances at her thoughtfully. "Yeah. Guess so." He smiles as he follows her into an alleyway.
The pair soon arrives at a back door of a building a few blocks away. Millie pulls out a small, straight piece of metal, works on the lock for a few minutes, then silently opens the door and slips inside.
Sinclair follows Millie carefully, stepping inside silently. He looks around, taking very quick, careful assessment of the area, scouts for exits and trap then nods, satisfied. He looks for a room with a mirror, remembering his promise to show Millie how she works. "This will work. Two things though…" Millie looks at the mirror with confusion as Sinclair turns to her calmly, continuing, "If you flip out, I’ll need to stake you. I won’t keep you staked – just until you calm down." He waits to see if this is acceptable.
Millie’s jaw drops for a moment. She closes it again and nods, her confusion growing.
Sinclair nods as well, pleased. "Second – if you damage me… I’ll need blood afterwards."
Millie gets a sick look, "Ew… well, sure. " She smirks, "I am sure Joseph would love to have you back pumped up on my blood." Millie grins mischievously.
Sinclair smiles, extremely pleased. "You want that I should bind you? Or do you think you can hold still? You can bite on me if you want. I don’t mind – but moving would be distracting."
Millie grows more concerned than confused, asking in a low voice, "What are you going to do?"
Sinclair looks around for something to tie Millie with, something to tie her to, as well, if she wants. He turns back as she speaks, a calm look on his face. "Show you what makes you work."
"Like…" Millie pauses in a moment of realization, "puppies," she closes her eyes. "No… don’t. Don’t tie me." She opens her eyes again.
"Okay. You gotta hold very still though."
"I can… I have… I mean, I can be still, mostly." She adds darkly, "I…. see why Joseph wanted you."
Sinclair nods, satisfied with her answer, and anxious to begin. He takes off his jacket and wipes the mirror off, so it’s not so dusty she cannot see herself reflected in it. He turns back to look at Millie. "Can you see?" She nods slowly. Sinclair stands, watching her thoughtfully for a moment, wondering where to begin. He thinks he’d like to begin with a few simple pain tests to see how high her thresh hold was – better to be safe than sorry. He steps closer to her. "You say stop; I stop. Okay?"
Millie steels her nerve as the large man looms over her. Sinclair pulls out his knife and presses it through her hand, watching her reactions carefully. "Does this hurt?"
She grinds her teeth and nods as her eyes focus intently on the knife through her hand. Sinclair waits to see if she is going to run, frenzy, or stand still like she promised. He twists the knife slowly in a circle, continuing to watch her reactions. Millie closes her eyes for a moment until the rims line with red then opens them, the whites covered in a bloody sheen.
Sinclair nods to himself, satisfied. He pulls the knife from her hand and sets it, point down, at the hollow of her throat. Using gentle, consistent pressure he presses the knife downward, into her skin as he makes a very clinical incision from neck to abdomen, parting flesh and clothing alike.
Millie grinds her teeth again until a crack is heard. She stares at the mirror through a haze of pain. Making sure he is out of her line of sight he makes a second incision, deeper than the first, across her midsection then makes a third incision, just below her shoulder blades, not as deep. He pauses in his work look up at Millie’s face. "Does this hurt, too?" She lets out a guttural creak to a nodding of her head, swallowing blood dripping from her mouth from cracked and broken gums.
Sinclair smiles, sticking the knife in his pants pocket. He runs his fingers over the parted skin carefully slipping his fingers underneath her flesh and peeling it slowly back from her ribcage, as one might remove a shirt. Whistling to himself, he opens the skin all the way down, being cautious to catch her intestines, should they slip out. Millie stares in horror and morose wonder at the mirror. He smiles at her almost lovingly. "You’re doing very well. Hold still now."
Millie looks down at her flayed skin, and at her blood glistened, withered insides. Sinclair wipes the blood off his hands, glancing at the inside of the vampire. Curious… her innards seemed to be shriveled… not engorgedwith life as the humans he’d seen. He reaches under her bottom most ribs,curling his fingers around them and tugs, one swift motion – breaking them off in his hands.
Millie convulses with the crack and bites down hard yet again, breaking more teeth. Sinclair watches her face, enjoying the reaction. A flush rises to his cheeks as he continues to reach underneath her ribs and snap them off. He removes them one at a time. She spits out bloody pieces of teeth between convulsions of pain, finally eeking out, "No… no more breaking." She blinks away the red in her eyes, concentrating again on the mirror.
Sinclair steps aside to let Millie look at herself in the mirror as reaches inside her, curious. He nods to her comment, watching her reflection for a moment, then bends closer, studying the treasures he finds as he lifts them carefully, reverently, examining each organ for the differences between kindred and kine.
Millie sickens and winces with his poking and prodding, but watches with eerie interest. Having sated his curiosity, he steps aside, pulling out a hankie to wipe his hands on and says matter-of-factly, "This is what makes you tick."
Millie steps closer to the mirror for a moment, shakily, looking for several minutes before slowly sealing the incisions. She wipes the blood from her mouth, and asks weakly, "Hey… I don’t suppose… turn about is fair… blood." She glances up at him.
Sinclair watches her, fascinated at kindred healing abilities, folding his arms as she heals. He shrugs, holding out his arm to her. "Go ahead."
She looks down and clenches her fists slightly, whispering raspily, "Could you… turn around…?" He turns without another word, his arm still extended. Millie gently lowers his arm then puts her hands up on his shoulders, pressing down lightly. He grunts, kneeling, his body turned away from her. The Malkavian keeps her hands on his shoulders, and lowers her lips behind his ear, sinking her fangs into the soft skin there and drinks slowly, holding him still and upright.
Sinclair shudders, the new, utterly alien sensation catching him by surprise. Confusion envelops him as he kneels, panting, trying to control the sensation unsuccessfully.
Millie soon pulls away, sealing the wound and withdraws further, watching him from behind. Sinclair grunts once as she stops her bite, resisting the urge to grab her, and force her to continue feeding on him. He shakes his head, trying to clear away the lightheadedness.
Sinclair glances up at Millie, a feral light in his eyes – one that passes quickly. He continues staring at her, awestruck for several moments. He then rises to his feet, reaching over and stroking the side of her face. He frowns in confusion, stepping away from her. "I never felt nothing like that before."
Millie ponders his statement. "I… understand. I am sorry… I just assumed… that…" she frowns a bit. "You know the way home?"
Sinclair nods, continuing to frown. He then looks around to make sure there is no incriminating evidence left behind and wipes up whatever blood may have fallen with the inside of his jacket, trying to distract himself. He slips his jacket back on, walking out. He keeps his eyes on Millie, his calm back in place. He’ll have to think about this later.
She forces a smile, and motions for him to follow. Sinclair thinks about returning to Joseph’s house to clear his thoughts and follows her.
Soon enough, Millie turns around and waves as they are within sight of Joseph’s house and then slips around the side of a car, not emerging from the other side.
Sinclair watches her until she disappears around the side of the car. He shrugs, wondering if he should continue on his hunt. He decides not, he’s had enough excitement for the evening. He whistles, returning to his room to pick up where he left off in his book, glancing often at the bloody knife on his dresser where he’d set it down.
A curious smile lights his face every time he does.
Posted in Storytelling, Vampire
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Hollow Sanctum – Flavors of Magic -An Alternate Resonance System in MAGE Revised
"The air reeks
of dark magic… and the refreshing scent of pine."
– Another confused Mage player
of dark magic… and the refreshing scent of pine."
– Another confused Mage player
The release of Mage Revised has stirred up quite a hornet’s nest in the White Wolf community, and everyone seems to have an opinion. Since the book hit shelves, the newsgroups and mailing lists have been filled with commentary; some of it has been scathing, while others have been glowing with praise. Mage Revised is both vilified and exalted by the community, and the discussion is, I’m sure, far from over.
My column this month will NOT add my "two cents worth" to this duel of words; I fired my lone bullet way back in February when I reviewed it. Rather, I wish to examine the one absolutely new addition to Mage Revised that, in my humble opinion, isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on: the Resonance system.
Resonance is an idea that’s been around for quite some time in Mage, but was never fully capitalized on. Even going as far back as the simplistic concepts of "black" and "white" magic, there has always been a notion that magic has a certain feel to it, and that different types of magic have different "flavors", as it were. A calm priest would call upon the power of heaven, and the resulting effects would feel beatific. Meanwhile, the dark witch in her grove who uses blood and innocent flesh for his crafts would certainly feel palpably evil. This carried into Mage as early as first edition, but mechanics were always sadly lacking, as were explanations on which to base such mechanics. With the release of the revised edition, we were promised comprehensive mechanics and explanations for this long missing aspect of magic.
Sadly, what we were presented with in the new rulebook, to use a colloquialism… sucked.
The Problem
Here’s the new resonance system, in a nutshell. According to Mage Revised, all mages have a leaning toward one of three "metaphysical leanings": Stasis, Entropy, and Dynamism. It is this leaning, and the mage’s particular proclivity within this leaning, that determines how the mage’s work resonates. In game terms, each mage starts out with a single dot in one of these three traits. The more dots, the stronger the resonance.
Sounds simple, and something so simple should work beautifully, right? Guess again.
The first major problem with the system is its reliance upon an outside force for the effect. By tying mages to a "metaphysic trinity", the resonance system inevitably ties Mage to those Werewolf staples called the Wyrm, Wyld, and Weaver. The system takes no account of the mage’s avatar or nature whatsoever, tying it to an outside force and making the whole thing "stink of the Wyrm." Mage has always been good at avoiding the Triat as presented in Werewolf; now it is linked to it intimately, taking the feel of magic out of the mage’s hands.
The second problem is more practical. There are NO mechanics given for this supposed "new system." None, nada, zip, empty, non-existent. We are given a new trait with no mechanics on how it is raised or lowered or how it actually effectsmagic at all. The only solid mechanic we’re given is that a particular mage’s resonance can be detected as a "mystic signature" with a Perception + Awareness roll, and even then the book says it should be "immediately noticeable". The term "up to the Storyteller" seems to come up a lot, and yet these same Storytellers are given no way of making these decisions. The job of a new rulebook is to explain things such as this, and yet everyone is left floundering. Worse still, these flimsy resonance traits are now supposed to affect such major game mechanics as Quiet.
This is quite possibly the worst implementation of a new mechanic this writer has ever seen. The new resonance system is, in effect, a useless token. Players have dots on their character sheets that mean absolutely nothing, and Storytellers aren’t even given enough information, for the most part, to rectify the problem.
A New Mechanic
Far be it from me to just lay down and die, though. Knowing the problems we face with the new system, we can take the basic idea of resonance, and the possible utility of an actual Resonance statistic, and redirect it into something far more palatable and useful.
The alternate system I propose seeks to accomplish three major goals. The first is to shift the focus away from the Triat and back into the mage by centering on her avataric Essence and her inner Nature. Second, we create a solid, stable mechanic that aids players and Storytellers in flavoring magical effects. Finally, we give concrete rules for how such resonance affects the working of magic, including interaction with other magi.
A mage’s resonance should be primarily affected by her Essence, the inclinations and desires of the avatar. Dynamic essences tend to be wild and flamboyant, generating unpredictable effects and changing themselves at a moment’s notice. Pattern essences prefer predictable, orderly patterns in magic. Primordial essences "feel" like old magic, carrying an air of mystery and occasionally fear. Questing essences are focused yet creative, preferring effects that get the job done while still looking good. Thus, the mage’s Essence trait replaces the "metaphysic trinity" as the primary trait.
For the secondary trait, we plug in the mage’s Nature. Magic comes from the avatar, but is ultimately shaped by the will of the mage, and using Nature as the secondary trait reflects this. A visionary mage will be creative, yet centered on a goal, while a conniver will be far subtler and eventually overpowering.
The combination of Essence and Nature will result in some interesting combinations, but a properly created character should have no problems fitting the resonance in. Players and Storytellers should work together to come up with magical styles that fit the character concept. For example, a hermit with a Primordial / Loner resonance may call upon elementals and various world spirits that shun society, while another hermit with a Static / Loner resonance may use subtle effects that come only from concentration and discipline. Their magical effects would resonate far differently, but share the edge of being lonely magic. The resonance will radiate from the mage as well, making the Primordial hermit "the creepy guy in the woods" while making the Static one into "a disciplined survivor." The mage begins play with a single dot in this resonance trait, with the range being from one to five.
Resonance can increase and decrease, within certain parameters.
Resonance should increase or decrease in the following circumstances:
- If a mage succeeds at a Seeking, the Storyteller may wish to increase the resonance trait by one to reflect the increased Arete. This should only be done when the mage’s Seeking goes particularly well, and an increase in power is immediately evidenced.
- If a mage’s Avatar rating should ever increase, a single point of Resonance should immediately be given. The powering of an avatar is a tremendous event, and the new levels of power the mage can now tap should be reflected in her resonance. If the mage’s Avatar rating ever decreases, the weakened essence no longer pulses as strongly in the mage’s magic, and the resonance trait should decrease.
- If the mage suffers a Paradox backlash, the Storyteller may increase the resonance trait to reflect a side effect of the event. When reality snaps around you, it is liable to influence your power. Likewise, a strong backlash that truly harms the mage may actually decrease the resonance.
- If the mage’s Nature should ever shift, the resonance should drop severely, possibly back down to one point. The mage’s magic is taking on a whole new tone at that point, and the resonance will take some time to rebuild to reflect the new direction.
As a guideline, the mage’s resonance rating should never climb more than a single dot above the mage’s Avatar rating. Mages with weak avatars will simply not have the mystic wherewithal to resonate strongly; they cannot put enough resonant quintessence into the effect.
As a general rule, the higher the resonance trait, the more magic is affected. This becomes a matter of role-playing for the most part, requiring the player to incorporate how the mage’s magic "looks" into the mage’s background and paradigm. However, there are some tools players and Storytellers can use to help reflect resonance "in-game."
The idea that resonance can be used as a "mystic signature" is good, but the mechanic is a bit flawed. While Awareness + Perception should allow a mage to detect general tendencies in the resonance, true analysis should be far more difficult. Getting a true sense of this signature should require at least one level of one of the spheres used, and an Intelligence + Enigmas roll (at difficulty 10 – Resonance) to truly piece together the various feelings the resonance radiates.
A mage’s magic may be easier to work if she shapes the effect to match her resonance. At the Storyteller’s discretion, a mage that works their magic to fit their resonance should receive a one-point reduction of the difficulty for every TWO points of Resonance. Likewise, an effect that the ST rules is opposite a mage’s resonance should receive +1 to the difficulty per two points of resonance.
A mage may seek to smother her resonance so as not to leave a signature. For each point of resonance the mage seeks to hide, the difficulty of magic increases by one. Mages do not need to hide all their resonance at once, however, if they simply seek to subdue the effect.
Using Tass of a similar primary resonance as the mage lowers mystic difficulties by 1, while using Tass of a different resonance increases the difficulty by at least one. A priest is going to find using that jar of baby’s blood awfully difficult…
When working conjunctual magic, resonance should become a MAJOR factor. Mages with similar resonance (similar meaning same Essence) should perform joined magic at no penalty, while mages of different resonance should find their energies clashing, causing +1 difficulty. If two mages of exactly the same resonance work together, the energies flow together like water, causing a -1 difficulty drop. Stronger resonance should overwhelm weaker ones; for every point of difference between their resonances, the mage with the weaker resonance should gain a +1 penalty to her difficulties, reflecting the difficulty in adding weak magic to strong.
In Conclusion
The above is surely incomplete, and I encourage readers to add to this basic framework as they see fit. What I have sought to do is correct the major problems with the Revised mechanic and make resonance a viable option for gaming. Magic is powerful, and no one should walk into using it ignorantly…
…not even in a role-playing game
NEXT ISSUE: SAD NEWS – Well, it may be a while before I grace the halls of DViE again; I am taking a leave of absence from these pages to fulfill other duties and seek opportunities that have opened before me. I will occasionally come by for visits now and again, and I hope you’ll all be here waiting for me. Until then, may the power of the game take you beyond the Horizon! Feel free to write!