May 8, 1999 edition
Look for a 2nd Edition Artwork piece in the fiction section this issue!
IMMORTAL MILLENIUM
What does it take to make the Next Big RPG?
By Paul Brown III, Precedence Publishing
Precedence is about setting new standards. If we can't do something
in a new and (to our minds) better way then the task loses most of its luster. The biggest
drive we have is to tackle creative challenges and to try and create new and better
answers.
Well now, there's a lot of RPG's out there. And depending on your
tastes there are quite a few good role playing games already on the market to chose from.
So how exactly can Precedence put out an RPG line and make a difference substantial enough
to take role-playing to the next level?
Well everyone involved with Immortal: Millennium has had to ask
themselves that same question. As the producer of the series, I've got some definite
answers and here they are:
BACKGROUND. I've always felt that the ultimate canvas for
role-playing would be a game that can take you anywhere in the universe, at any time, with
any "tech level", and provide you free reign with any weapon, tool, or
conceivable mystical power to play with. The game would also need to place you right in
the center of a universal conflict where the fate of ALL THERE IS rests right in your
hands. Well, it hard to do that and still retain a cohesive compelling "feel".
But I was so convinced that Ran Ackels' decade-long effort to produce the original
IMMORTAL background was the best shot yet at achieving this "Holy Grail" of RPG
design that I literally founded Precedence with him on that sole basis. Nothing has since
transpired to alter my conviction that the original IMMORTAL background provides the
perfect foundation for next-generation role playing. If it lacked one thing it was an
impulse to action. No More. In IMMORTAL 1st edition, players were somewhat
removed form the abyss. They knew that the Sanguinary was out there. They knew that an
ultimate conflict was brewing. But if they wanted to, they could pretty much ignore all of
that and deal with their own internal bickering. Well my friends, those days are over.
IMMORTAL: Millennium puts you right on the brink. The ultimate conflict is no longer
brewing. IT'S HAPPENING. Right in your face and its going to tear Immortal society and the
whole earth apart before it even gets into full swing. The universe IS on the line now and
its up to us to do something about it.
PEOPLE: If you want to build the best role-playing game line, get
the best people. Ran Ackels is our core, the creator. Around him we have now built a cadre
of developers who know role-playing system development like James Cameron knows movies. We
hired in Jim Ward, the same guy who designed GAMMA WORLD before the rest of us could even
spell "Apocalypse". Jim headed up TSR's development process for years, managing
a 95 product per year schedule with dozens of designers, editors and graphics designers
following his lead. Next we brought in Paul Beakley to re-design the core rules (four
books' worth he has already written) and Steve Winter to be the final developer and
editor. Both of these guys have dozens of RPG credits to their names. Steve Winter has the
same responsibilities for IMMORTAL: Millennium that he had working on the AD&D 2nd
Edition Game for TSR. These guys KNOW what they are doing. Establishing strategy for the
line, now joining us is Greg Fountain, formerly the marketing chief for White Wolf game
studio. Yes folks, we are bringing all the Big Guns online. We have to. The RPG industry
is a "go big or stay home" proposition... and we are tired of playing at home.
ENTERTAINMENT. The game industry is not an island off on its own. In
recent years we have become an integral part of the Entertainment industry as a whole.
Accordingly we are developing Immortal not simply from the perspective of a game, but
rather as a broad based entertainment property. As we speak, the very first IMMORTAL novel
is on our publishing schedule. At this time the author will remain undisclosed, but it is
a household name. Ultimately, we believe Immortal will find its way into Hollywood as
either a TV series or feature film. In fact, a TV series treatment has already been penned
by Ran Ackels and if there is enough demand, I may even be able to persuade him to post it
to a future issue of VOX for the enjoyment of our core fans as well as to elicit your
feedback and commentary on the development of the property. Nearly everyone knows the
tragic tale of how White Wolf's Vampire fared in Hollywood. It is our sincere hope to
evade the same pitfalls and ultimately foster a series both true to the original vision
and at the same time accessible to a wide audience. To visibly link IMMORTAL with the
broader entertainment world from day one, Precedence is hiring some of our favorite SF
actors and actresses to pose as cover models for each of the books. The first release will
feature one of our favorite industry beauties, Claudia Christian, in a
"knock-your-eyeballs-out" provocative pose that is destined to send bible-belt
buyers running for their "mature readers only" labels. This is only the
beginning of media tie-ins that are destined to add entertainment values lacking in prior
generation RPG lines.
CURRENT: Finally, and I am going to keep this brief as the rest of
this article has waxed a bit over long, we intend to make IMMORTAL an RPG that is
up-to-date with our customers lifestyles and their technology. The entire printed book
will also come on CD in HTML format for easy searching and useage. In addition to the
printed material there will be an extra 96 pages of material on the CD that will literally
double the bang for your buck you get from every IMMORTAL product.
Can we take Role-Playing games into the next Millennium? We think
so. We are certainly going to pull out all the stops trying.
Paul Brown
MISSIVES OF THE TRANSCENDANTS
A letter from Rick Don, Director of Society Eternity
immortal@societyeternity.com
It never ceases to amaze me just how loyal some of the
fans of Immortal are. Every day I get requests asking me about the Pantheons, players in a
fan's area, and questions about 2nd Edition. I'd like to answer a few of those questions
more formally.
The storyline of Immortal is making a big jump. For those of you
that are unaware, 2nd Edition takes place a few years in the future, after the Prides have
taken a serious beating. They are absorbed back into the Courts, the ancient alliances
that once made up the legendary Pantheons of Gods that existed during the Age of Myth. The
original Callings will return, and many Immortals will find the history they have taken
for granted or assumed to be true will not necessarily be so. Some wondered why there were
conflicts in the histories presented between the core rules, and the Pride Books Dracul
and Peri. Well, they were there for a reason.
To assist 1st Edition players in making the change, Society Eternity
and Precedence are crafting an adventure. This final 1st Edition adventure, along with
conversion rules, will help you and your friends convert your existing campaigns over to
2nd Edition if you so choose. A Prepkit that describes the basic rules and the new world
of Immortal is in the typesetting stages now, and a version of that will appear on the
Society Eternity website within the next few weeks if all goes well.
Immortal Millenium is set to debut at Gen Con 1999, this August.
Once the new system has come out, Society Eternity will then begin accepting applications
to create Pantheons. At this time there are no Pantheons. The Pantheons are a 2nd Edition
concept, and therefore we will wait until you get to see 2nd Edition before allowing the
creation of these local fan clubs. We will also be asking Club Eternity members to
resubmit their entries in 2nd Edition format. But don't fear, we will continue to support
1st Edition for some time to come, to help everyone make the jump to 2nd Edition as easily
as possible. So don't stop your contributions to VOX and Radio Eternity!
Society Eternity intends on helping Precedence to make it worth the
wait. In the next coming months you'll see brand new artwork, new information, the
Official Immortal Site moving to join us here at societyeternity.com. This and much more.
We will even be hosting a new look by the month's end.
As always, we need you to make it happen. The Prepkit will contain a
short demo. With the Prepkit, you can host your own demos at local conventions and retail
stores that carry gaming supplies, or wherever you can find people you might be able to
interest in Immortal. The Prepkit will allow you to run a short demo (taking no more than
roughly an hour) for 1 or more people. For those of you that require a larger demo (like
those who we have set to demo Immortal at Gen Con), we will provide at the website in the
next month, a larger demo that you can tailor to fill up to a four hour block, and will
allow you to run for larger groups.
Again, everyone here at Society Eternity is very excited at the new
edition of Immortal. Within the next few weeks, news and information should start pouring
forth on a fairly regular basis. As a matter of fact, Precedence today just did a photo
shoot with a Sci-Fi celebrity, and the artwork based on that should be appearing here
within the next few weeks, before you see it anywhere else! So keep checking back with us,
and keep lending us your support, so we can take Immortal to where the title says, into
the next Millenium!
Keep the faith!
Rick Don
Director, Society Eternity
PROFILE
LaGuerro Vacations and Salvage
By Perrin Rynning
"If you're looking for an exotic place to get away from the
pressures of the Perpetual Society, LaGuerro Vacations and Salvage will find it and get
you there. If you've lost anything from your high-school graduation ring to a Bloodshield
owned by a previous Avatar from a few millennia ago, LaGuerro Vacations and Salvage will
help you find it."
The above is what LaGuerro's ads in Radio Eternity magazines read.
More than a few perpetuals with little Visage or access to full Pride resources turn to
LaGuerro & Co. for matters that are beneath their pride's notice. However, it is one
of the most open secrets in the Perpetual Society that LaGuerro's knowledge of the
Dominions and the Blue Air are second to none, and he can arrange to get a cadre of up to
a dozen immortals to any Dominion he knows. (He is adamant about this limit, as he does
not want to be party to transporting a strike-force as a direct part of an attempt to
count coup).
Payment options are rarely material goods; LaGuerro does this
deliberately, to discourage the kind of thing that drew him into 'the game' (see below).
Instead, clients are usually expected to instruct at least two members of LaGuerro's team
in a Legacy or Serenade of LaGuerro's choice. The training can be done personally by the
client or by proxy, but it must start before the 'vacation' will commence. (He has
extensive knowledge of which of his operatives know what Legacies or Serenades, as well as
their degree of competence.) Once the training has begun, LaGuerro will allow the contact
to begin the journey to the Dominion of choice, taking the time between the initial
business contact and payment as 'research'.
LaGuerro's operatives are chosen from applicants recommended by
Solitaires. He is frequently asked by one pride or another to form permanent ties, but he
values his neutrality too much; "Not that I'm looking to start my own pride, I just
want to run a trustworthy business." Pride-sponsored applicants receive training in
the Zodiac and Ley Serenades and the Compass Legacy, but no formal position within the
organization. Instead, they must repay the training by taking three of LaGuerro's
operatives to Dominions that they have never visited at some point within the next decade.
LaGuerro claims that he got his start in the Dominion-travel and
salvage business about five hundred years after the Banjax freed the prides from Sheol. He
functioned as a librarian, assisting a now-vanished Pride in keeping track of the remnants
of Immortal empires in the Dominions. His relatively quiet life ended when an immortal
(whose name he never mentions and whose gender shifted fluidly) asked for his help in
tracking down a particular item which the immortal claimed had been left behind during the
flight to the Habitat. In return, he was promised a lump of palladium the size of his
head, but he would have to follow his customer to the Dominion to claim it.
Five hundred years later, he returned to the Habitat, alone, without
any palladium but carrying the item his patron had been seeking; exactly what that item
was remains LaGuerro's most closely guarded secret. His return coincided with the period
immediately following the appearance of the Jury, and was thus overshadowed by the
momentous discussions among the prides over the then-novel idea of the Stratagem. Unable
to fully trust any of the Prides he encountered (since he has mentioned that his patron
had been a Drove), he became affiliated with the Solitaires and made contacts among
D'Arcade's Literati and Rogues both, earning respect and forging alliances which served
him well.
When the Prides announced their acceptance of the Stratagem, he saw
his chance. He spoke directly to the Jury and showed them the item he had retrieved from
the Dominions. He has never revealed exactly what the item was, but every perpetual who
makes a habit of collecting tales about him agree that whatever it was, it was
spectacular. Upon letting them see what he held, the Jury was quite willing to grant him
an unheard-of amount of Visage on the spot in return for the item. LaGuerro parlayed this
initial amount of Visage along with his knowledge of the Dominions into a network of
favors and operatives that has kept his name off the Genocide Wall85 so far. He has not
avoided acquiring enemies, however, which has encouraged him to move his base of
operations from time to time, among adopting other security precautions.
LaGuerro remains an honest and discreet businessman, offering
services that the Perpetual Society utilizes but will not publicly admit. If you have a
question about the Dominions that your Pride won't or can't answer, he's the one to see.
DOMINION REPORTS
Bel'al-tozzen and Drakazsh'zuul
By Raven Grey Daegmorgan
sleipnir@northernnet.com
The following excerpts are from 'A Guide for the Insane and
Curious', a written work by Damien Brax (Solitaire rogue, and a "mote in the
collective eye of the Prides" according to Pride Morrigan) which details a great many
of the Dominions, published (and apparently written) post-humously. The following are
presented in no particular chronological order.
Bel'al-tozzen
I am told this realm was once called "the Azure Sky"
(Ah'el-es)... it is nothing of the sort now. Ravaged during the Shouting War by the
enemies of the Morrigan, the whole seemingly infinite expanse is filled with black storm
clouds, lashing wind and rain, blasts of lightning and deafening rolls of thunder which
can last for minutes on end; all of which I experienced first hand due my accidental
arrival in this realm. I was completely unprepared, leaving me with only one choice, to
plummet through the sky. It would have been an exhilarating experience, if I hadn't been
scared witless. Regardless, it is easy to see how the realm earned its new name: "the
Endless Storm". Whether the new description is accurate, I cannot say; certainly the
rather expansive areas of it I visited were. Perhaps the destruction from the War did not
extend to the entire realm, but if so, none of the current residents has ever visited such
a mythical "Edge of the Storm" and I am forced to conclude the entire realm is
exactly as described above.
What life exists here is large, strong, carnivorous and well suited
to flying, since the realm has no natural solid ground to speak of. The only piece of
stable solid matter in all the cloudy realm is a great city that floats in the immense
storm: "Gildahal", the last Morrigan stronghold in the Endless Storm, existing
at the Jury's sufferance. Interestingly, one of the rumors floating through the city is
that it stands on a mountain peak, but anyone who wants to test that theory by flying to
the underside quickly finds out how wrong they are. Still, the rumor persists. I should
also note that I did indeed see the underside of Gildahal after the Morrigan pitched me
off the walls around the edge of the city for being in the wrong place at the wrong time,
and can honestly say it does not rest on top of a mountain. For those thinking of
attacking or raiding the city, note that there are powerful weapons mounted on the walls,
which are quite capable of destroying anything (or anyone) that gets too close ("too
close" as defined by the mystical detection grid set up around the city). They are
most often used on stray meteors -- large chunks of rock or metal that scream aimlessly
through the storm-black skies, the remains of Lighters, other vehicles and flying
fortresses leftover from the Shouting War. Occasionally they are used on one of the large
flying beasts of the realm that needs to be chased off or killed.
What, exactly, is left to fight over or even guard in this realm is
a matter of speculation, though most of the others I have questioned about this say it is
just Morrigan pride that refuses to allow them to dismantle their fortress and leave. The
eternal avians themselves were not forthcoming with the information, stating only that the
realm was Morrigan territory and that they had no intention of leaving it.
More famous is the pirate-crewed Lighter called the "Windigo's
Claw", captained by a former-Terat. The pirates use this realm as a hideaway, making
raids into the Habitat and nearby dominions for supplies and materials, knowing that only
a fool would follow them back into the "Azure Sky." I came to know the crew of
the Claw quite well, as it was they who rescued me from what I thought was going to be an
eternal fall through the storm-realm. The pirates hide-out in relative safety from the
Prides and the Stratagem here, most of them are Solitaires or rogue Society members
looking to avoid Highbinders and Scourges, and they leave the Morrigan city alone.
Those who try to map the Dominions through dimensional-relationship
charts say Bel'al-tozzen lies on the edges of both the Habitat and the Maelstrom. I noted
in the charts made by the captain of the Claw that there are Na-gates leading from it to a
number of other Dominions said to border on the Maelstrom, such as the fire-ravaged world
of Ix'thilitl and the cold, sandy wastes of Shul'an'Gul. This may support the claim,
though I cannot say for certain, and I think it is a load of hogwash, myself.
Other than the natural dangers, there is nothing to mark this realm
as mystically dangerous to an Immortal. The Lash does not seem to have a presence here,
and Manes are all but unheard of (those few that exist are huge, ancient flying creatures
which prowl the endless storm and rarely venture near well-protected Gildahal or bother
the equally well-protected Windigo's Claw). There are Lighter-wrecks drifting in the
cloudbanks from the time before the Shouting War, the Windigo's Claw, in fact, spots
though never boards a number them every year (I'm told, however, they do occasionally use
them for target practice). I myself managed to get a clear view of an impressive old hulk
of great size as we moved past it one of my first days with the crew and I've wondered at
the technology that could make such a thing. It is also likely that not all the fortresses
(Morrigan or other) were completely destroyed, their ruins may still float (or fall)
through the storms, though neither I nor any of the crew of the Claw can verify that
particular claim.
I've only one entry in the Bestiary for this realm. Though there is
plenty of other life here, this creature almost devoured me during my fall (the fact that
it was being hunted at the moment explains my miraculous salvation) and so deserves a
mention. The Kratha - a large, reptilian creature, not unlike the pterodactyl of earth's
most ancient ages, is the most fearsome of the storm-world predators. It has a long, sharp
beak made of thick bone attached to a smallish head and long neck, frog-like bulging eyes
that have 360-degree vision, and a long tail spiked on the tip (which produces a
sleep-inducing poison), though it has no legs or lower limbs. It appears naturally able to
shrug off electricity and other powerful energy surges. These creatures are not against
devouring their own kind for sustenance, and the Morrigan are forced to use large
ballistae when one of them approaches Gildahal looking for a meal, since their normal
weapons are useless against the creatures. I assume the Windigo's Claw deals with them in
a similar fashion, but I was too busy worrying at that time to recall. Luckily, though the
Kratha are incredibly strong, they are as equally incredibly stupid. This, coupled with
the fact that they cannot see any better within the storms than any other creature, makes
it easier to sneak past one using the available cloud-cover, as well as rain and whatnot
without attracting their notice (keeping in mind that they can see in all directions). If
a passer-by is noticed, however, they need to move quickly, for Kratha are exceptionally
fast.
Game notes:
Kratha: Red 0, Orange 5, Yellow 2, Green 6, Blue 3, Violet 4, Weight 500-1000 lbs.
Kratha Himsati: Wings, Natural Weaponry, Poison, 360-degree vision, Immunity to
Electricity, Armor.
Drakazsh'zuul
Imagine a world made wholly of the bones of the slain covered by a
dreary, brown-gray sky of toxic fumes. This is Drakazsh'zuul, one of the major battle
grounds of the War Against the Abzulim seven million years ago, some say it was also the
last battleground in that war. "If there ever was any ground here, it is hidden under
layers of bones too deep to dig through," is one of the common myths spoken about
this realm among the Prides. The truth is that the ground is choked so thickly that
finding it would be difficult in most places; the bones are piled into hills, mounds and
bridges in some areas. However, for the most part the barren, cracked earth beneath shows
where the skeletal remains are thin or where towers or cliffs of rock thrust up into the
vapor-laden sky. The bones themselves range from the scattered femurs and skulls of
man-sized creatures to the complete skeletons of huge, bestial creatures, likely things
bred for that ancient war by the Abzulim. There are even Abzuli skeletons scattered among
the bones. Few sane Perpetuals would dare venture here, for what remains living in this
hellish world is as dangerous as anything elsewhere in the universe, maybe moreso.
Even the other natural terrain is deadly to the visitor. Spouts of
flame roar seemingly at random from cracks or holes in the groaning ground, pools of
sulfur and lava bubble and smoke while puddles of greenish acid or chlorine steam in pits,
and clouds of toxic gases rising from dark chasms in various places across the landscape.
Undead Primal spirits, many utterly insane, can be roused here, and the still-moving
remains of Abzulim corpses linger in the darkest areas, thirsty for the ending of life85
both of which our small band of travelers discovered first-hand.
In the bestiary, I'll note the small packs of 'Bonegnawers',
hyena-like creatures with a taste for blood, that roam this wasteland. These products of
forced breeding or some twisted sort of evolutionary adaptation hunt one another, those
that have crossed-over from the Habitat due to a Tainted halo, or those that search for
the ancient mystical treasures supposedly buried and forgotten in this immense graveyard.
Anything with living flesh or blood is a target; even the Droves are not safe from these
creatures, wisely fearing the seemingly numberless packs. From the two encounters we had
with the creatures, we discovered that they are swift, semi-intelligent predators that
move and attack in small hunting packs. Anything that has blood flowing in its veins or
soft flesh to gulp down is devoured (bones and all). They are savage and almost fearless
(fire doesn't make them blink, we learned that the hard way), preferring to overwhelm
single opponents with their sheer numbers rather than attack large groups (likely the only
thing that saved us).
Game notes:
Bonegnawer: Red 1, Orange 3, Yellow 3, Green 3, Blue 2, Violet 2, Weight 100-200 lbs.
Bonegnawer Himsati: Natural Weaponry, Musk, Charge, Leap, Balance, Camouflage.
Also note that while I mention toxicity of the air, in most areas it
is breathable, though the experience is not enjoyable and leads to headaches and blurred
perception. Nonetheless, the poisonous atmosphere proves even more dangerous to Perpetuals
than Twilights, for the after-effects of inhaling the gases can linger for days or weeks,
and one's possessions (particularly clothing) often permanently carry the odor of the
realm no matter how much they may be cleansed. I was forced to burn my favorite jacket
after we finally escaped from Gomorrah and Bel'zul, as even trying to cleanse it with an
Attention failed.
Despite all this, there are some noteworthy features in the
Boneyard, beyond the lure of mystical technology and weapons far beyond the craftsmanship
of those created by the Society, to whet an explorer's appetite.
An immense sea of red-glowing lava stretches for thousands of miles,
like a wound in the crust of the world, with dozens of smaller tributaries branching off
from it, all the molten rock still bubbling and flowing without cooling. Rocky islands of
various sizes dot the sea, and the black ground for miles around it is made of cooled
volcanic rock. This 'beach' holds its own dangers, as the lava crust is thin in some areas
and prone to collapse when even a little weight is placed upon it, dropping any helpless
creatures into lava tubes or hollowed pits that may or may not be filled with still
flowing molten rock. We learned this the hard way, losing one of our over-eager companions
to this horrible fate. Even when someone is lucky enough to avoid falling into an active
tube, the sharp-edged volcanic rock will slice flesh as easily as any sword-blade,
something I myself had the unfortunate experience of learning. I was particularly thrilled
to discover after my fall that none of the larger rocks had severed my head.
Despite all of these hazards, the most worrisome dangers here are
the ones that have refused to die. As I mentioned, there are undead Primals, corrupted and
driven insane due its long exposure to this realm, or perhaps due the twisted mystical
energies that laid waste to this world. I cannot say. The Vaporsnake is one of these, said
by Bel'zul to have been a noble spirit of the Air when still alive, now little more than a
collection of serpentine-appearing toxic fumes that speaks in mad, whispery phrases. Then
there are those who were corrupt long before the war, such as the aforementioned Bel'zul,
the assuredly insane Abzulim and self-styled lord of an immense fortress-city 'inhabited'
by walking bones that drink salt (spilling it onto the ground through their empty
abdomens), a place he calls Gomorrah. Whether he took the city's name in mockery from
Twilight religion or the religious myth reflects some kernel of Immortal history, I do not
know, and I did not ask Bel'zul for comment. As it was, two of us barely escaped to
another nearby Dominion before becoming more of the Abzulim's playthings. I have
nightmares still about what I glimpsed Bel'zul doing to my unfortunate companions as we
leapt into the Nadir-portal.
I should mention that originally it was the Vaporsnake that chased
us to the very edge of the lava sea -- and whom I consider responsible for the deaths that
resulted (though I'm quite sure it doesn't care what I think) -- where we took shelter
from it in a small castle. After some exploration, a few of us unwittingly took transport
in a strange, self-operated, dark-metal vehicle that traveled the surface of the lava and
eerily brought us to Gomorrah. I do not know what became of those we left behind, perhaps
they are still alive or have fallen into Ennui, or perhaps Bel'zul discovered their
presence and devoured their life-force.
My visit to this realm was one of the few times during my immortal
existence that I have been frightened of something worse than death or physical injury.
Any others who travel here should well remember that.
MORPHEUM TOPOLOGY
A Concept by Rob Gaebel
darkforce@golden.net
These are all just ideas by one
Narrator of Immortal -- nothing suggested here is official by Ran or Precedence.
I see the Morpheum as having many levels. The first level is almost
a parallel to the physical world. Have you ever lain in bed in that twilight area between
sleep and wakefulness? You seem to be aware of what's around you, but it has a sort of
surreal quality, almost "thick" or "more real than normal". This is
what creates the basic landscape of the Morpheum. This is the area of the Morpheum where
sleepwalkers exist. They are unaware of the literal reality around them, but are instead
moving through a dreamscape within their own mind, based off the reality they know.
Running through this first layer of the Morpheum is The Silver Road.
This is the stream of human consciousness that sustained the Morpheum before the
Sanguinary infiltrated it, causing it to become a "literal" reality of its own.
The Silver Road has two purposes:
- It links the individual dreams of mankind together, creating the
Collective Unconsciousness. Each person's dream exists as a sort of "mantle"
within the Morpheum, access through Dream Pearls; ovoid gates that line the sides of the
Silver Road. Within these Dream Mantles, the Dreamer has some control of the reality
within it. Often, a Twilight will have a prophetic or inspiring dream. If this isn't due
to an Immortal's influence, it is usually due to the fact that the Silver Road has
temporarily diverted into the Dream Mantle, giving the dreamer a chaotic, yet enhanced
access to the Collective Unconscious. The Silver Road is fluid, yet solid. It's path
changes constantly if you are watching it from a point located off it; yet it seems stable
and unmoving if you are on it. When on the Silver Road, Dream Pearls often seem to
correspond somewhat to the equivalent physical location of the Dreamer, but that can vary.
Finding the Dream Pearl of a specific person requires a Familiarity Hostile Roll.
- The Silver Road is also an access to the deeper levels of the
Morpheum. Sleepers (and perhaps others) have the ability to transcend the seemingly
3-dimensional nature of the Basic (or Near) Morpheum, and can then see the Silver Road in
its true form -- a multi-directional band leading to many other locations. When someone
enters the Silver Road in this way, others see the traveller as seeming to
"fold" into a 2-dimensional shape, and slide into the Road.
Locations within the Silver Road include:
The Hush-Hush -- The Demesne of the Sanguinary, and
stronghold for Silhouettes. 'Nuff said.
Pandemonia -- The source of the lighter aspects of human dreams.
This is a realm of light and colors; the embodiment of heroic ideals and poetic romance.
To an Immortal, the realm appears as a chaotic tangle of brightness and color, unless a
Twilight Dream is somehow accompanying him -- in which case, that particular mortal's
dreams will tend to solidify that area of Pandemonia, in an ideal representation of their
dream.
Catharia -- The source of human nightmares and intellectual
fear. This realm appears as blighted landscape, inhabited by shadowy, wraith-like
"entities", the Fell Concepts. While there, an Immortal is under a constant Rank
2 Red Fear hostile, as the Fell Concepts try to assault him. The Fell Concepts cannot be
attacked -- a Human's Dreams of Fear can only be combatted when the Fell Concepts actually
enter a Dream Mantle, and actively attack a Human's "dream self". If a Twilight
Dreamer is brought into Catharia, the Fell Concepts representing his particular fears will
dog his every step, whispering fearful words in his ear. In Games terms, the Fell Concepts
can perform a mental attack against the twilight. At the Narrator's discretion, the
twilight can try to resist this attack, using Red Halo and Free Immaculum (or Soul). If it
is successful, a Fell Concept does mental damage equal to it's Orange Halo + Net Successes
(Vital Hits table can be used as well, to determine if the Concept whispers a particularly
poignant or personal subject to the target). The Twilight can resist the damage with his
Blue Halo. Once he has taken a Mortal Wound in this way, he falls into a Nightmare. A
Dream Mantle forms around him, and the Immortal loses him. To find him, the Immortal must
return to the Silver Road and make a Familiarity Hostile Roll to relocate him. Each Fell
Concept can only attack in this way once every 5 minutes, and only one Fell Concept can
attack a Twilight Dream each minute while in Catharia. The Narrator may decide that the
twilight has some way of counter-attacking the Fell Concepts. In this way, the Concept can
be defeated -- it will no longer bother that twilight during the current trip into
Catharia. Any time that a Twilight Dreamer has "destroyed" a Fell Concept in
mental combat in Catharia, he gains +1 to his Blue Halo to resist any and all further
attacks by that particular Fell Concept on subsequent visits.
Nephrac -- This is a dream battlefield where the Sleeper
Stronghold is located. Sleepers first emerge where when they enter the Morpheum by
Dreaming. There are two gates -- The Horn Gate and the Ivory Gate. These each lead to the
Silver Road. Sleeper Reveries who exist the Nephrac Stronghold through the Ivory Gate gain
a +3 to rolls in the Morphuem involving healing and enlightening others (Nightmare gain
+1). Likewise Nightmares gain a +3 to rolls involving violence and chastisement within the
Morpheum (Reveries gain +1). Although Nightmares traditionally exit through the Horn Gate,
and Reveries through the Ivory Gate, this can vary depending on their current mission.
Please note: everything stated here is simply the ideas
of an Immortal Narrator, and are NOT official according to Ran Ackles and/or Precedence
Publishing. If anyone likes these ideas, I can E-mail further details to them.
Rob Gaebel
a.k.a. Tod MacInnis, Darkeforce
FICTION PIECES:
The Fourth Chapter of Highway to Hell
Rocket, a Cur piece
New 2nd Edition Artwork from Ran Ackels
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