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You are obviously here because you want to learn about Immortal Millenium.  There are two ways to learn about Immortal presented here.  The first involves reading through this webpage.  The second involves what we call the Immortal Prepkit.  The Prekit (provided for now in Rich Text Format - which is usable by most word processors) gives you a beginners tutorial on how to play the game and includes a short sample adventure.  We will provide a PDF format of this soon.   But for now, you can click here and download the RTF version if you'd like.  And of course, you can continue on reading from here. . .


What is Immortal?

Immortal is a role-playing game. It is an interactive story in which you become a key figure both as a player in the game and as a character in the story. The story of Immortal concerns the end of the modern world and the return to dominance of immortal beings that existed before human civilization. Like a character in an exciting novel or film, you will experience adventure, romance, power, and hard choices that test your courage and compassion.

The myths humanity holds dear will crumble when ancient gods rise from their secret places to fight a final war with the forces of darkness. A new age of legend is dawning. Whether this new age will be terrible or breathtaking depends to a large extent on how you and the other players handle the challenges that will face you.

Immortal is a free-style narrative game. Like any game, it has rules to define what the players can do and to guide the referee (called a narrator) in resolving disputes.


Short Background History

Sixty-five million years ago, the Sanguinary crashed into our world and shattered like glass into millions of shards which rained around the globe. She had been cast out of another universe, a dimension higher than our own, composed entirely of thought. Gigantic and unbearably beautiful, she plunged out of control through our universe until Earth blocked her path.

The Sanguinary did not die when she shattered. An immortal being, even her scattered parts had a life of their own and a fragment of her alien intellect. Slowly they invaded the living biosphere of the Earth like parasites, seeking hosts among the animals that then dominated the world—the dinosaurs. Each shard had the same purpose, to reunite with others and thereby bring the Sanguinary back into a single, terrible body. The shards made everything they invaded immortal, to protect the host while the shard sought to physically locate and merge with others of its kind.

The first race, reborn from the perishing dinosaurs, became even more sleek and deadly as the shards rewrote their DNA and transformed them. Men would call them dragons, but when the intellect of these creatures grew to sentience, they called themselves the Abzulim.

The Abzulim grew in power. They discovered how to use the power of the shards inside themselves. Men called this power "magic." The Abzulim used this magic, and similar resources, to power their technology. They spread forth from Earth and conquered galaxies beyond. They built slave races, also immortal, to manage their expanding dominions. To control their servants, the Abzulim created psionic weaknesses that could be manipulated through intricate body language. The Abzulim learned to trigger any response in their slaves with mere gestures, expressions, and shapeshifting manifestations. These weaknesses have evolved through time, and in their modern form they are known as emotions.

As the Abzulim grew in power, they also began rebelling internally against the shards that possessed them. They became fiercely individualistic and unable to work together. Despite the mental conditioning, their slave races revolted. Eventually, in spite of all their power, the reign of the Abzulim was brought crashing down by countless far-flung rebellions. Abzulim who survived the holocaust hid themselves in distant fortresses and plotted their return to power.

The young immortals, free of Abzulim oppression, divided the empires of their fallen masters. Yet they, too, became intolerant of one another and soon went to war. The rediscovery of humanity only exacerbated this conflict as the immortals competed with one another for the worship of humanity. Worship became an insidious drug, and the immortals were addicted.

Their conflicts led to a terrible war, the Shouting War. During this time, when immortals used their powerful voices to rip apart reality, they fell prey to a new slave race of the Abzulim, an elemental race of shadows called the Nimrod. Serving their Abzulim masters, the Nimrod confined the other immortals in a barren, dimensional prison.

The Sanguinary, during all of this time, had not been idle. She almost succeeded in her quest to rejoin the fragments of her body, but was thwarted when the master shard she was building was found by the young immortals and smashed. On the verge of perishing for good, she instead found refuge in the collective unconscious of a newly emerging humanity, transferring her psionic essence into the young race. At the moment she possessed the human race, the dream realm came into being, a lair in which the Sanguinary hid and planned her eventual resurrection.

The immortals eventually freed themselves from their awful prison. Their guards, the Nimrod, were powerless to prevent the escape because they faced a new enemy in the form of the Progeny, immortals loyal to the Sanguinary who embraced her hunger and selfishness. The liberated immortals built a safe zone for themselves which humans later called Atlantis. Here they recovered from their wounds and made a pact to ally with one another and destroy the menace of the Sanguinary.

Unfortunately, they did not learn from their mistakes, and late in the 20th century, they were almost destroyed in a period of time known to them as the Great Betrayal.  Once again they retreated to their hidden places, but now they allied themselves together with renewed purpose and a new way of looking at themselves and the world around them.  The Sanguinary is at last prepared to rise up and it is up to the immortals to stop her, or become her agents of destruction.

What are Immortals

Immortals are created when an animal is invaded by a gemlike shard of the Sanguinary's shattered body. The shard always enters a wound, liquefying on contact with blood. Inside, it lodges in the throat, becoming a reed-like organ very similar to a vocal chord, called a "vox." This new organ interfaces with the brain and the nervous system in order to process all sensory data from the host.

The Abzulim discovered the reason why the shard metamorphoses into the vox: communication. Once a shard invades a host and becomes a vox, it can communicate with others of its kind to coordinate the effort of reunification. Sometimes this communication between voxes can cause an immortal disorientation and stress.

Most of the immortals that exist were created intentionally by the Abzulim, who forcefully injected shards into them. Later, when humans evolved, immortals were affected, against their will, by human spiritual faith. Their bodies took on human appearance to suit the expectations of their worshippers. Still, immortals maintain the ability to revert to their more primitive himsati ("the form that kills") at will, calling upon natural powers such as fangs, claws and wings.

Over time, the immortals learned to make the vox work for them. Because the presence of the vox telepathically opened their senses to the true nature of the universe, they used the vox to imitate the celestial din. This is the origin of the serenade, the ability to change reality with a whisper, a muttered word, or a song. The discovery of this ability nearly destroyed the immortals, as serenades became the ultimate weapon.

Immortals are superior to humans in almost every way. They are stronger, quicker, and more resilient. Their intellect and perception are exceptional. Their spirits burn brighter and give them supernatural powers. Although they can discorporate from their physical form when their vox is separated from their body, it is impossible to permanently kill immortals. Once discorporated, they wander the world in spiritual form until they can regain a foothold in the world of the living.

The Face of the Enemy

The Sanguinary is the ultimate enemy. Immortals give her the male and female gender, depending on what aspect the creature outwardly displays, but make no mistake—the Sanguinary is alien, unknowable, and without remorse or compassion. It's goal is the reunification of all its scattered parts, which means the voxes in all living immortals and the shards that lay dormant, waiting to enter a living host. This reunification will also absorb the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of the immortal host, destroying him or her utterly. For the immortals, the Sanguinary represents genocide.

Many creatures, caught in the web of obsession the Sanguinary generates in living things, serve and worship her as their mother. Called the Progeny, they battle the immortals and tempt humans with visions of power, money, sexual gratification, and all the other "deadly sins." The Progeny are defectors that have embraced the freedom of indulgence granted by the Sanguinary and forsaken the immortal creed of self-sacrifice for the good of all life.

It is suspected by the immortals that the Abzulim, defeated long ago, still exist and are moving into the world with the aid of servants and allies. Their purpose is the reconquest of all they once ruled, including the slaves who revolted against them. They are aided by the dread Nimrod, immortals made of shadow. It is not known if the Abzulim are still under the control of the Sanguinary, but they are certainly opposed to the immortal courts in any case.

Humans

Humans are something of a paradox to immortals. On one hand, humanity is a deadly race; any human could have the mind of the Sanguinary lying dormant in the subconscious. On the other hand, most humans are innocent pawns or completely harmless. Immortals realize that humanity may be instrumental in their victory over the Sanguinary. A human's faith, if his spirit is strong enough, can damage or even cripple an immortal. Yet these are precisely the humans immortals would like to bring into the fold. The tricky part is enlightening mankind to the beast that sleeps inside the world of its dreams.


The Basics of an Immortal Character

We aren't going to go through the process of creating a character here, you can get the information on creating a basic character in the prepkit.   However, we will go over the basics of what makes up an Immortal character in the game.

The Basic Features of an Immortal Character are:

  • Auras (ability scores or stats if you prefer)
  • Skills
  • Himsati (your "other" form)
  • Natures (the abilities of your Himsati)
  • Calling (what you are good at, not necessarily your profession)
  • Avatars (who you used to be in previous lives)
  • Court (ideological/political affiliations)
  • Serenades (the mystical powers used with your vox)

 

RATINGS
The game of Immortal uses a dice system to determine values.   It uses the d4, d6, d8, d10, d12 and d20.  Your auras, skills, natures, and serenades are assigned a die value.  The higher the die value the weaker it is.   Normal humans max out at d10 normally with their auras and skills.  Immortals can go all the way to d4 however.  Skills are rated from d12 to d4 and auras are rated from d20 to d4.

 

AURAS
Immortals have three auras.  They are BODY, MIND, and SPIRIT.

  • BODY measures a character’s physical strength, reflexes and resistance to damage.
  • MIND measures a character’s initiative, perception, and willpower.
  • SPIRIT measures a character’s charismatic presence and his control over and resistance to the supernatural.

Many humans do not have a spirit, having been pulled into the gaping maw of the Sanguinary's hunger.  Some humans do however, and the Immortal race has sometimes called them Bright Bloods in the past.  It is also possible to further differentiate your auras, such as a character whose BODY has a very high strength, but not reflexes or resistance.  These topics are not covered in the initial Immortal guide, but are advanced features that you can add in to your game.

 

SKILLS
Immortals possess skills.  Your Calling usually helps determine what your skills are.  Players will use skills in most tasks they attempt to perform in the game, from climbing a cliff to reprogramming a computer to reading the mind of another character. While most everyday tasks do not require the player to roll their skill die, whenever the task becomes difficult for a person with average level of skill, a roll is then usually required.  If somone or something is opposing the character, then a roll is also usually required.  Even if you have no skill in something, you can still attempt it by rolling a d20
.

  • BODY skills include martial arts and other combat skills that rely on strength and agility, such as kendo or athletics.
  • MIND skills include sciences, academics of all kinds, most performance skills, martial skills that call for aim (such as firearms or bows), and mental powers such as telepathy and telekinesis.
  • SPIRIT skills are all skills that humans would consider supernatural in nature, plus skills based on seduction and intimidation and other more socially based skills. Serenades, the main arsenal of the immortal, are spiritually based.  While many humans do not have a Spirit Aura, they still may possess skills in these areas such as intimidation and seduction.

 

HIMSATI
Each immortal began its existence as an animal, a plant, or even an element such as water or fire. As it evolved into a human form, this primitive true form (himsati, or "form that kills") became recessive. The dangerous attributes of their primitive forms, such as claws, fangs, thorns, or fiery corona, remained locked inside their human forms.

An immortal can take on attributes of the primeval himsati form in stages or can completely revert to the form at will. While this often is an advantage in combat, it also exposes the immortal to the danger of possession by the vox and thus the Sanguinary. Immortals know that a shard can control the base animal intellect of a creature until the creature develops self-determination.  Thus all Immortals quest for Transcendance, where it is said they can exist without the vox and still remain immortal.  Just what Transcendance truly is, and how it truly affects the Himsati is a mystery to many.

Most Immortal Himsatis are plants and animals.  Some even have "human" himsatis, those these are rare.  And just as rare are the himsatis made up of the elements.  These Immortals do not work under quite all of the standard rules for most Immortals.  The vast majority of Immortals are made from fairly normal animals capable of being "infected" with the shard of conundrum that eventually forms the vox.

 

NATURES
All Himsatis have abilities and features that are tied to them.  For example, if your himsati was a wolf, you would have fangs and claws.  You might also have armor to represent your supernaturally tough furry hide.  You may also have enhanced sense to represent your incredibly keen sense of smell.  As you get more powerful, you gain more natures as you get further in touch with your true form.   Every Immortal starts with a set number and type of natures based on the species of creature they are.

 

CALLINGS
Immortals discovered about a dozen broad categories of abilities that they tended to gravitate towards, even through many mortal identities as they went through the process of lethe and reawakened to their Immortal identities.  All Immortals have a Calling, that one set of related things they are very good at.  Immortals of the same Calling gather together like a brotherhood, helping each other to hone their skills and abilities within that Calling.  Callings are not professions.  Indeed, a member of the Slayer Calling, could very well be a doctor in his mortal guise, using his knowledge of the hunt to ferret out disease in the human body.  Below we briefly describe each of the twelve Callings.  Each Calling is also known by a Call Sign, originated thousands of years ago in ancient Babylonian times, and now used by many mortals as their signs for the popular Western Astrology.

  • Chameleon - Sometimes sneaky, always unpredictable, the Chameleon is the Calling of movement, communication and change.   Chameleons love to change others perceptions of them and get away with things. (Call Sign - Gemini)
  • Emissary - Creating balance and fairness, the Emissaries are the peacemaker and peacekeepers of the Perptual Society.   They are excellant negotiaters and arbiters in any situation (Call Sign - Libra)
  • Empath - Always seeking to better themselves materially and socially, the Empaths are master jugglers and manipulators.   Excellant at covering not only their own tracks, but the tracks and traces of others. (Call Sign - Capricorn)
  • Explorer - The masters of survival and also unarmed combat, the Explorers are the trailblazers who break new territory for discovery or conquest.  The Explorer can always find his or her own way. (Call Sign - Aries)
  • Guardian - The most maternal of the Callings, and the one of many teachers and healers, the Guardians are the protectors and keepers.  They always lend themselves to those in need.  (Call Sign - Cancer)
  • Mentor - The most civilized and "human" of the Callings, the Mentors are the intellectuals and scholars among the Society.  They spread the path of knowledge to all, simply for the love of doing so. (Call Sign - Aquarius)
  • Merhant - Practicality and an eventual sale always on their minds, the Merchants are deal makers and creators.   Profit is the number one motivator for this Calling.  They always have an eye for value. (Call Sign - Taurus)
  • Profiler - Working through facts and figures for the truth "behind" the truth, the Profilers are studious and analytical.  They are experts at extracting facts from details.  They always seek an answer. (Call Sign - Virgo)
  • Scourge - Seeking Justice, the Scourge is ever vigilant and perceptive.  Very little passes by their notice, be it a sneaking thief, a light scent on the air, of a lie.  Seekers of insurrection and treason, these they cannot tolerate. (Call Sign - Scorpio)
  • Slayer - The hunt, though not always to the death, is the Slayer's domain.  These are the sportsmen, competitors and outdoorsmen.  With a preference for long ranged weapons, few prey escape them. (Call Sign - Sagittarius)
  • Tactician - Power tamed by Responsibility, these are natural born leaders.  Always attuned to the needs and desires of those around them, the Tactician constantly works to better his or her people.   (Call Sign - Leo)
  • Visionary - The dream travelers known as Sleepers form this Calling.  Viewed as mystics and shamans, many carry a strong artistic presence.  Always they seek to forge new ground and vision.  (Call Sign - Pisces)

 

AVATARS and your Past Lives
Most Immortals have lived many lives stretching in many cases from the dawn of Earth until the present time. Over time, Immortals have discovered the terrible costs of Immortality: boredom, madness, stasis.  Eventually Immortals discovered a way to escape, if only briefly, from the crushing weight of time without end. The process of submerging an Immortal’s past is called the rite of Lethe.

After enacting the rite, the Immortal’s previous lives are subsumed within its Vox and its body transforms into an energetic red cloud which coalesces into a beautiful, embryonic object from which a new body is born. The Vox reaches out to the psychic resonances of the area around it, gathering information to build a new identity for itself. The new body often appears childlike, the better to hide among mortals and create a new life. The greatest bliss is that the Immortals’ memories are buried in the subconscious and life can be approached once again as a new experience.

The Courts of the Perpetual Society go to great lengths to protect this from the mortal population, but occasionally glimpses of such are seen in the tabloids as "Aliens" and such.  Many mortal families, loyal to the Perpetual Society, take these and raise them as their own "children".  Just as many are placed with unknowing families, who are made to think that these "children" have been with them all along.

This is how most characters start the game, just now reawakening to their Immortality, and realizing just who and what they are.  However, there is a side-effect to all of this, Avatars.  Avatars are who you once were.   They lie buried within the vox, separated, yet part of you. These Avatars can come out and take control, or perhaps the Avatar will be beneficial.  Many Immortals coming out of lethe unfortunately have an Avatar awaken within them early on, and are diagnosed with multiple personalities.  These poor souls, thinking themselves insane, are locked away in mortal facilities, never growing or realizing their true nature.

 

COURTS
The Immortals divide themselves into the Courts, which represent ideological/political affiliations.  There are many Courts, but only nine currently count as the greater Courts due to their size and sphere of influence.  From these Courts, Immortals come together into Pantheons.  The Pantheons in ancient mythical times represented the various groupings of Gods that you were most familiar with.  The Egyptian, Greek, Norse, etc. were all Pantheons of Immortals.  In recent years, the greatest of these Pantheons, known as the Prides, fell to the destruction of the Sanguinary.  The surviving members have gathered back into the Courts once more.

Immortals choose their Court based on their strongest connections to reality.  The Courts are tied to aspects of reality, as their names below show:

  • The Court of Death holds influence over spirits and the wandering dead, and is concerned with saving human souls from being consumed by the Sanguinary or her minions.
  • The Court of War holds influence in conflicts the world over and is concerned with opposing the Sanguinary's plan to unify all humanity into a single, consolidated army that she can command against the immortals.
  • The Court of Life holds influence over nature and living things. Its purpose is simple; to preserve life and to destroy threats to life, especially weapons of mass destruction.
  • The Court of Making is technologically based, holding sway in all manufacturing and high-tech spheres. Its purpose is to advance humanity beyond its biological weaknesses and thus eradicate potential vessels for the Sanguinary to inhabit.
  • The Court of Secrets observes all things ever written, filmed, or preserved in any medium. Its members amass this information, searching for clues to the Sanguinary's weaknesses—including the ultimate prize, her true name.
  • The Court of Desire contend that most desires are not inherently evil of themselves, but open the way to manipulation and downfall.  They expose themslves to all sensations, pleasure and pain, in order to make them immune to the lure of the Sanguinary's temptations.
  • The Court of Dreams enters into the dream state of human beings and turns them away from the lure of the Sanguinary. Dreamers also establish dream fortresses from which they launch direct assaults against their enemy in her own lair.
  • The Court of Fate does not seek to know the future as much as to influence it through their own force of will. This Court, surreal and unapproachable, makes prophesies and then does all it can to make them come true, hoping eventually to create a future in which the Sanguinary is ultimately defeated.
  • The Court of Shadow (Shadowen) are effectively the police of the Society.  They enforce the rule known as the Silence, which forbids the immortal race from openly displaying themselves to the general mortal populace.

All Courts are dedicated to the destruction of the Sanguinary's influences, if not the Sanguinary herself. This overriding purpose is known as The Cause.

 

SERENADES
Over time, the Immortals learned that the vox could be used as a tool, turning the parasite within them into a beneficial tool.  Because the presence of the vox telepathically opened their senses to the true nature of the universe, they used the vox to imitate the celestial din. This is the origin of the serenade, the ability to change reality with a whisper, a muttered word, or a song. The discovery of this ability nearly destroyed the immortals, as serenades became the ultimate weapon.

Serenades are used much like any other skill, though their effects are of course, much more dramatic.

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