Editorial Welcome back to another issue of Forgotten Lore! Once again we bring to you a mix of arcane and occult articles focusing on both the Classic and New World of Darkness submitted by YOU the fans. Each issue we aim to tie our material into the topics brought up in the Darker Days podcast; presenting them in a ‘table-ready’ format for your chronicle. In this issue for the New World of Darkness we have articles submitted to us by Beckett and Darker Days co-host Chris. For his submission Beckett reaches into his occult bucket and brings forth a reworking of the Classic World of Darkness Salubri bloodline adapting them for use in the New World of Darkness. Man of science Chris brings us a ceremony for Geist the Sin Eater and a grimoire for Mage the Awakening both from the mysterious Nameless Empire. For the Classic World of Darkness we have a great submission from Rodrigo giving us an alternative modern nights setting for Vampire the Masquerade using material from Vampire the Dark Ages and posing the question 'what if there were no Sabbat and Camarilla?'. If you would like to get involved with Forgotten Lore like Chris, Beckett or Rodrigo or if you would like to send us some feedback you can contact us at [email protected] Until next time, The Rogue Council

Image Credits On the cover: Karlequin (2007). York minster in the fog, , used under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 2.0 License. Salubri-El Salubri hand: lisandroPeralta, 2009, Third Eye, , used under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 2.0 License. Pensive Salubri, from Dark Ages Clanbook: Salubri, ©CCP, image reproduced with permission. Dark Ages behnkstudio, Wraith , reproduced with the kind permission of the artist. You can view the entire portfolio at: Relics of the Nameless Empire: nightmarejan, Beneath the shade, , reproduced with the kind permission of the artist. You can view the entire portfolio at: http://nightmarejan.deviantart.com/ All Clan Symbols were produced by IanWatson and can be found at: http://whitewolf.wikia.com/wiki/Vampire:_The_Masquerade_symbols All fonts and page borders were sourced from Mr Gone and can be found at: http://mrgone.rocksolidshells.com/

Due to the mature themes presented, reader discretion is advised.

The Salubri-El Now lost in histories that have been irreparably altered, shifted and erased, a philosopher-priest, a mystic and necromancer of a forgotten culture of a temple-city that no longer exists in any form today, Saulot, was a mortal gifted and tasked by the gods to develop and discover the ways to interact with the properties of the soul. He, or she, played an instrumental part in both binding fragments of the soul to corporeal vessels, but also discovered a variety of rituals, practices, (and some sources claim darker arts to consort with abyssal daemons and their ilk), seeking ways to extend mortal life, heal the body, mind, and soul, as well as to twist and control the shroud between the various realms that separate the living from the dead. Known as a healer, a voice of the gods, and a mystic, among those few that now follow his (her?) path, Saulot is also said to have been exceptionally schooled in vile and inhuman practices of a fallen and forgotten faith, as well as rumoured to have been directly or indirectly ascribed some of the greatest evils, or spreading of the knowledge of evils in all of existence, not unlike Pandora opening the box that loosened all the mortal troubles into the world. Though if such things are true, Saulot would have done them willingly, and with a dualistic selfishness and monstrous conviction, an ambition that

could not simply have been erased with such “ease”. It is held that at some point, Saulot received a vision, a divine mandate from Those Above, that caused him (or her) to turn away from the very processes that had garnered his powers and wisdom, forsaking the path that would lead to binding the mortal soul outside of the processes of death, and in doing so caused Saulot to both be cast out of the empire he served and ostracized by his once friends and allies. The Salubri-El, his (or her) followers, believe that Saulot either left an ancient empire, or was forced from it, and like many prophets and holy men, spent an unknown amount of time lost and traveling the desert searching for an answer. At some point, he returned, having been Embraced and abandoned by his maker, but as a very changed being, both physically and spiritually. Whether he had completely forsaken all prior knowledge or utilized it to develop a new one, he claimed a power that healed the body, protected the soul, and returned the lost to the mind, defeating even fog of Kindred Torpor. Followers of Saulot say he was destroyed sometime around dark ages, along with a great many of his (or her) more enlightened members. The most widely held belief is that the fledgling Lancae Sanctum, (perhaps even studying under Saulot for a time),

destroyed Saulot in their rise to power. The Salubri-El hold that the Lancae Sanctum attacked their founder without provocation, after the Salubri-El had believed them to be allies. The fact that the Salubri-El have never been numerous, typically reside near Egypt (although some also dwell in Tibet and South America), and are usually pacifists means that few Kindred have ever heard of them. Dark rumours do abound, (refuted by the Salubri-El) suggesting Saulot and his followers are soul-stealing, demon-worshiping diablerists on par with Baliel’s Brood and the “VII”. Similar speculation exists that Saulot founded Belial’s Brood, but obviously, such things cannot be true. . . In the modern nights, the Salubri-El have become even more rare. Some claims place their final number at seven Kindred only, but this has never been confirmed. Followers of the ways of Saulot pass their rituals amongst themselves through riddles, hidden messages, and religious lore. Individual disciples of Salubri-El Blood Magic tend to incorporate their own spiritual understandings and faiths into it, and in the modern nights, Christian rituals and New Age practices are commonly used as well as a much more recently street shamanism. The Salubri-El tend to incorporate many Egyptian and Gnostic iconography into their teachings and beliefs, most notably the pyramid, which they use both as a generic identifier as well a description for their mastery of self and advancement along their path. More recently, as the pseudo-Covenant has begun to spread out across the world, this has become less true, with individuals having temples and iconography of more local and modern religions, (if any at all), and have begun more commonly to allow in a wider variety of individuals across all cultural lines. Why this is, no one is sure. They generally have a “temple” within their haven, and at least a moderate library commonly covering subjects subjects such as religion and

ethics. Most Salubri-El also have at least a basic understanding of alphabets, know (at least in written form) a secondary other language, and develop a small following among mortals. The Salubri-El believe that a strong distaste for the Lancae Sanctum, and their origins involve the belief that the creation of the Arisen (they believe) is a vile and corrupt form of what the Heaven’s Above had intended, twisted for some foul purpose in ancient times. They see hints of their own abilities, as well as a new level of damnation in the Created, but are generally undecided on that account. They believe, that like the Kindred in many ways, both the Arisen and the Created are abominations, but at the same time do not (normally) hold to any doctrine or zeal that the individuals need to be destroyed for what they are. The Third Eye As the Salubri-El advance in their mastery of Obeah, they develop a mystic “Third Eye” upon their forehead. Each Salubri-El’s Third Eye is a permanent manifestation of their divine power and also an extension of their soul. The emergence of the third eye is usually painful, and causes psychological and emotional distress. When completed, it appears as a small gem-like bead at the centre of the forehead. The Salubri-El claim it heightens spiritual perception and allows them to use the higher levels of their signature Discipline. In fact, without the third Eye, all powers above level 2 automatically fail. Once it is developed, each time that a Power of Obeah is used, the Third Eye softly glows with a shifting pattern of light. It can be damaged, and healed like normal. When the Third Eye develops for a Salubri-El, it also always acts as a Vessel, and can never be tainted (rumours about losing significant Humanity/Morality imply it may change to something, . . . else. . . ), for all purposes except to store the essence of Vitae (and similar energy). If a Salubri-El is destroyed,

the Third Eye turns to ash as well, (instantly) and has the same effect as a Vessel being destroyed. Obeah Membership in the Salubri-El allows a Kindred to learn Obeah, and also reduces the cost of purchasing Herd and Haven related to the individual Salubri-El’s religion and temple. A Kindred must possess Covenant Status: Salubri-El in order to learn Obeah, and furthermore must have a level of Covenant Status Salubri-El at least equal to the level of Obeah they wish to learn in order to purchase that level. Additionally, a Salubri-El character must maintain a Humanity (or relevant Morality Trait equal to 5+ the level they wish to use). Should a character’s Humanity drop to the point that they lose access to a level of Obeah, they may still attempt to use the power, but doing so is always a chance roll, and a botch indicates that either their own or the targets soul (Storytellers choice) is shunted from their body, and possibly lost to another realm similar to Astral Projection. Obviously, misuse of Obeah can require a Degeneration roll, even if accidental. The later levels of Obeah and some rituals

directly impact the targets soul, spirit, or even spirits in general. Attempts to destroy or steal a soul, or to bind a spirit unwillingly (except for in self-defense or defense of an innocent) automatically reduce the character Humanity by one. ● SENSE VITALITY By simply looking at a target for one full turn, or laying hands upon them and

concentrating, the Salubri-El can instantly gain insight into the targets injuries, as well as any other types of ailments they may be inflicted with, (such as being poisoned, on drugs, diseased, or similar things. The number of successes allows the Salubri-El to gain instant insight into more detailed aspects of the subject. Cost: 1 Vitae Dice Pool: Wits + Composure Action: (touch) Instant or (inspection) Instant, but also requires 1 full round of uninterrupted observation. Results: Dramatic Failure – The Salubri-El gains false information (randomly). Failure - The Salubri-El fails to gain any information on the subject, but realizes she has failed, and cannot try again on the same subject until the next night. Success – One identifies the subject as a Vampire, a Mortal, a Ghoul, a Immortal Being, a Supernatural creature (of some type), or an artificial Being (such as a Promethean). Two successes allows the Salubri-El to understand how close to death (or Torpor or a similar state) the target is. Three will identify how much blood (or Vitae) a target has, and in the case of Ghouls both. Four will identify any toxins, drugs, or diseases the target has currently. Exceptional Success – The Salubri-El gains incredible insight into the targets well being, able to identify any sorts of supernatural disorders, curses, or afflictions the subject may be suffering, Derangements (even those they may have already overcome), and also identifies anything unnatural in the subjects body (including pacemakers, prosthetics, or cybernetics). The Salubri-El

also identifies any weak points the subject may have, such as prior broken bones or severe injuries.

●● ANASTHETIC TOUCH: A follower of Saulot may with but a touch ease even the most intense pain, or trick the victims mind into feeling phantom torments. Typically, outside of “battle”, causing others pain (even if it is not real damage) may require a Degeneration check. Cost: 1 Blood Point * Dice Pool: Willpower (or to inflict pain Willpower vs Willpower) Action: Instant (or to inflict pain Instant and Contested, 1 roll.) Results: Dramatic Failure – The Salubri-El themselves take on the pain they intended to either ease or inflict on the subject, including all penalties. Failure – Nothing happens, though targets the Salubri-El was trying to cause feel pain receive a (+2) bonus from any further attempts by the Salubri-El to use Obeah on them for the next 24 hours. Success – The Salubri-El eases the target’s pain completely for 1 minute per success. During this time, the target does not suffer any wound penalties, in not affected by any Derangments, and unaffected by any abilities or affliction caused by pain. If the Salubri-El is attempting to cause the target to feel pain, they must physically touch the target (skin-to-skin). The target feels the utmost pain they could possibly imagine. This power does not actually cause any damage or injury, but rather makes the target feel although it has. For 1 turn per Success, the target takes a (-3) Penalty on all checks (just like if they had taken their last health box in Damage see page 171 of the nWoD core rulebook). Exceptional Success – The target slips into a peaceful sleep, increasing their natural healing process slightly (allowing them to heal a total of 2 Bashing Damage rather than 1), over their normal sleep cycle (6-10

hours typically). The subject suffers from no nightmares or Derangements while in this sleep and wakes completely replenished and rested. If used to cause pain, the target instead drops into a comalike state for 6-10 hours. The target also takes 2 levels of Bashing damage as they initially convulse, but in both cases (easing or causing pain) any other damage to the target or similar attempts to wake them do end the sleep or coma-like state earlier. ●●● INVESTMENT: Perhaps originating in the dark arts that led to the mortal practices of removing and storing mortal organs into Canopic jars in mundane mummification practices, the Power allows the Salubri-El to create an item that can store memories, hold a measure of power (like Vitae), or serve as a form of storage/prison for other uses of later Obeah powers. When an individual learns this level of Mastery of Obeah, the mysterious Third Eye develops upon their forehead. See above for more details. A Vessel can be destroyed with whatever easy the item normally could be, (and typically sturdy items are chosen when available). Anything contained within the Vessel is supernaturally masked from detection (see the Protean Discipline Power of Haven of Soil, see pages 138 and 139 of Vampire the Requiem), both physically and spiritually. A Spirit contained within a Vessel is simply released, tough does not regain it’s full power immediately. A soul may make a current Morality Roll to return to it’s body if it is within a few meters (and available to receive the soul. If not, the soul may make a Chance Roll to jump into (permanently) any other available Vessel, corpse, or body. Otherwise, it is tossed out violently into a random realm or trapped as a sort of Ghost (similar to the Auspex Discipline power of Twilight Projection, see page 123 of Vampire the Requiem, except the soul IS spiritual essence and can be interacted with), and very likely lost to oblivion. If the Vessel is holding either

memories or the essence of energy, these things are permanently lost, and not retrievable. Cost: 1 or more Blood Points* and 1 temporary or permanent Willpower Point, the “item” to be invested Dice Pool: No roll is needed Action: Extended, normally investing a mystic property into an item to create a Vessel the Salubri-El requires 1 full night (typically spent in prayer or meditation, focusing the individuals energy into the item), but by expending a permanent Willpower Point rather than a temporary one, the Salubri-El may attempt to rush the process, creating a Vessel within minutes. Doing so is an Extended Humanity (or Morality roll), but only 10’s count as successes. Each attempt in the extended roll requires 1 minute of focused concentration (no other actions are allowed), and the Salubri-El must accumulate 5 successes. Results: Failure – If for some reason the Salubri-El fails to invest their spiritual energies into creating a Vessel, the item is instantly consumed in a strange mystical green flame, incinerated within moments, and gone forever. If the item is another Kindred, (or similar sentient but not alive being such as a Promethean), they instead take 5 points of Aggravated damage that cannot be reduced by any means. Success - The Salubri-El creates a semimagical relic, able to safely house a soul, a spirit, or even true memories. Each Vessel, when first used, becomes attuned to only a single individual, who must understand what the item is. Thereafter, the item can be used to store the individuals true memories, house their soul (for higher level uses of Obeah, and even some other forms of Magic or Disciplines), or to trap within it a soul or spirit. A Salubri-El may also use a Vessel to hold a spiritual form of Vitae (and other forms of essence at the Storyteller’s discretion such as a Sin-Eater’s Plasm or a Mage’s Mana). Used in this way, a Vessel

can only contain up to 3 points of the essence, which must all be drawn out at once as a Full Action, which causes the item to cease to be a Vessel, but does not destroy it. A vessel may contain both the essence of Vitae (or other) and Memories, but otherwise may only be used for one purpose at a time. A kindred (or similar) body may not be used to hold extra essence of Vitae in this way, though a corpse can. Special - If the Salubri-El stops, discontinues the investing of Blood or Willpower, or is distracted at any point before the Vessel is completed, the item is ruined, instantly catching mystical green fire and being incinerated within seconds, or occasionally becomes a tainted Vessel (Storyteller’s discretion), a cursed item that functions very differently than intended and can have a variety of issues (which the Storyteller should have all kinds of fun with). It is said that these tainted Vessels can be used to summon demons and other spirits, empower them, and at least on fallen Salubri-El has used this power in the past to capture and torment the souls of victims as a sort of trophy collection. ●●●● HEALER’S TOUCH: One of the more iconic abilities amongst the Salubri-El, this level of mastery of Obeah Blood Magic actually allows the Salubri-El to, with but a touch, actually mystically heal a targets wounds (including their own). Note that a character may spend more Blood Points to activate this power than their Blood Potency would normally allow. Cost: 1 or more Blood Points* and possibly 1 or more Willpower Points Dice Pool: Intelligence + Medicine Action: 1 Full Turn, (plus an addition Full Turn for every Aggravated Health Level healed beyond the first) Results: Dramatic Failure – The Salubri-El suffers a Lethal point of Damage and does not manage to heal the target (or themselves) at all. All Blood Points and Willpower

Points are wasted. Failure – The target does not heal, but for 1 turn is alleviate of all pain as if from ANASTHETIC TOUCH. If the target is at risk of dying, they are treated as if they still had 1 Health Box remaining, though any further damage or extensive action (such as being dropped) will cause them to be at risk of death once more. Success – The target instantly heals 1 or more points of Damage. The target heals 1 Point of Bashing or lethal Damage per Success rolled. The Salubri-El can also spend a Willpower Point on a one-for-one basis to heal the target even more). Aggravated Damage requires both 2 Blood Points and a Willpower Point per Health Point healed, but is still limited to the number of successes rolled. A target, including the Salubri-El themselves, can only be affected by a single use of this power once per 24 hours. Exceptional Success – An exceptional success allows the Salubri-El to heal the target of all Bashing and Lethal Damage completely for a single Blood Point, and reduces the cost of Healing Aggravated Damage to 1 Blood Point and 1 Willpower Point per level to be healed. ●●●●● BINDING THE EVERSOUL: Likely the cause of many of the darkest rumors about the Salubri-El, the final powers of Obeah allow the Salubri-El to actually remove a soul (or portions of the soul) from the body, cycle of Life and Death/Rebirth, and to even bind and dispel Demons (at least temporarily). As mentioned above,

misuse of this power, even accidentally will devastate the user’s own soul and mind, and Storytellers should immediately roll for Degeneration for the Salubri-El. Most Salubri-El are extremely cautious and hesitant to invoke this power on mortals and Kindred, and only utilize it as a form of exorcism of vile spirits and when there is truly no other way to save an innocent soul. If used to remove a mortal (or sentient living or unliving soul from a body), the

body enters a state of suspended animation. It may be destroyed normally, and doing so does not endanger the soul in anyway, but while the body is in a Torpor-like state, it does not require any sustenance. Cost: 1 Blood Point* and 1 permanent Willpower Point Dice Pool: Humanity vs Morality Trait

1Special: Having a functioning Vessel adds a +1 Bonus to the Salubri-El’s attempt to store another’s soul within that Vessel. If the Salubri-El is the Vessel themself, they instead get a +3 Bonus to their roll. Action: Contested, but Instant Action (follows the rules of an Extended Contested Action, but all rolls occur immediately), both sides can roll a total of 3 times, each attempting to reach either 10 successes or to have a higher total successes by the end of the third attempt. Results: Dramatic Failure - If attempting to banish or trap a Demon or Spirit, the Spirit develops an affinity for either the Salubri-El or the Vessel (and taints the Vessel as well, creating a very powerful Anchor). If the Salubri-El is attempting to store a mortal or Kindred soul, not only does the process fail, but something within the Salubri-El shatters, causing a temporary Derangement for 1 week per Point of Morality (before the power was used), and may require a Degeneration Check as there are a multitude of unknown maladies that might inflict the target soul on such a botched attempted to manipulate it. The target also cannot be affected by the Salubri-El’s Obeah powers for 1 full year and a day thereafter. Failure - The attempt fails, though the Blood and Willpower Point is still expended in the attempt. Success - A Demon or Spirit is trapped within the Vessel, essentially powerless (though still aware and occasionally able to “influence” those that come into close contact with the Vessel). It cannot travel to

any other Anchors, nor utilize them at all. It cannot communicate directly with anything, and essentially starves, unable to recharge it’s energies through normal means. It will not however, perish, simply remain trapped indefinitely. If the Salubri-El was attempting to store a soul, usually for the purpose of healing it, the soul enters a state of utter peace and serenity. Each day, (not night) it stays within the Vessel, it is “healed” of one curse, affliction, or impurity. The body heals 1 full Health Box of Damage (type does not matter, greatest to least), a Derangement drops a step in severity until it is gone permanently, and any type of curse (Storyteller’s discretion, a Vampire is still a Vampire afterwards for example, but this would remove a “curse” placed on them by Theban Sorcery or a Mage’s magic, for example) is removed permanently. Only one function can be “healed” at a time, chosen by the soul. Lost Morality may also be regained (even if reduced to 0), but doing so requires an expenditure of a permanent Willpower Point for the Salubri-El initially, and 1 permanent Willpower Point from the soul after the first. Such cannot be done unwillingly (except for the initial Morality point if it was at 0), and cannot increase a Morality trait to more than 6. Exceptional Success - As above, but each Day, the soul “heals” one of each of the possible afflictions simultaneously. It attempting to trap a Demon, Ghost, or other Spirit, the Demon or Spirit is utterly destroyed, while a Ghost is believed to be forced into whatever eternal rewards or punishments awaited it.

Riding back to Gothic-Punk (through the Dark Ages shortcut) Introduction Imagine there's no Camarilla, no Sabbat (as we recognize it) and no world spanning Jyhad, but a War of Princes centred on a few hotspots. No, I'm not talking about the 13th Century Europe of Dark Ages Vampire. I'm talking about unlife in the great Western cities of the 21st century. Recently, Queen Eglantine of the Court of Love of Shreveport was unmasked as a Malkavian, after agents to the Lasombra Bishop of Louisiana, Giles Bertrand, sabotaged her meeting with the Marcher Lord William Locklinn, Prince of Dallas. Interstate 20 between Dallas and Shreveport is plagued with Sabbats and Ahrimanes, and Eglantine was expected to offer Locklinn some Louisiana fiefs for his support against the malcontents. The gathering was disrupted, showing the whole world Locklinn apparently is unable to provide a safe meeting. At the same time, Shreveport lost its leadership. That's the Vampire experience I’m proposing here, as I revisit GothicPunk through the lenses of the Dark Ages setting. Before presenting it, however, I think it’s important to understand the motives behind the idea. Vampire Retrospective Do you remember the very first time you set eyes on a green

marble hardcover? I do. A friend introduced me to Masquerade in the mid 1990s, and soon our coterie was running and gunning through the bad side of town, trying to carve out a domain between decaying monuments and massive tenements. Movies like The Hunger (1983) and Near Dark (1987) influenced the way we portrayed our character. Tim Bradstreets’ creations provided what we saw as the right imagery and early Danzig records helped to establish atmosphere. However, even without any other media we always enjoy ourselves, simply because it was Vampire. A sense of doom permeated the whole world. The past was lost, ruined, and the future looked bleak. Our characters, however, were the Kindred saying “f**k it” and “one more night”, proudly parading their middle fingers. Eventually, we discovered the joys of Elysium and politics, without losing the penchant for risky manoeuvres and desperate measures, of course. It's hard to explain the enjoyment we had, but old time fans know what I'm talking about. Old time fans may also have experienced a sort of burnout from time to time, like there was something missing on their game sessions. With me it happened

burnout. It didn't provide any answer regarding how to actually back to the basics, though. In the end, my choice was to overhaul the whole setting. Doing so was the only way to ignore the aspects of Masquerade I found detrimental to what I envisioned as a cruder GothicPunk.

sometime after I started reading the Revised Edition material, I mean, every single new release. It added a new layer of complexity to our stories, as we started to take in consideration the world spanning machinations of the Jyhad. But something changed, and Vampire suddenly was not enough. I still felt very attracted to all the concepts and imagery behind the game, but somehow the whole dynamic just didn't work anymore. I felt obligated to ponder what messed my Masquerade experience all up, but it took Vampire the Requiem and its fresh perspective to make clear what had happened. It was my own fault, as I allowed metaplot and a multitude of (individually, great) options to interfere on what should have been my games and my characters. Yes, I'm saying the back to the basics approach made me overcome the

I have to admit, also, that the overhaul solution did not came after careful consideration or planning it rather stemmed from my predilection towards Dark Ages Vampire and my dissatisfaction with the metaplot developments after 1230 (the default starting date for Dark Ages Vampire). Why the Camarilla? Why the Sabbat? Of course, Vampire: the Masquerade and its two sects came to be long before the Dark Ages line, but that did not stopped me from holding a grudge (despite all my love for green marble). Finally, I decided to act, to shake things up a bit, but not before setting guiding principles, my own development standards. Those, obviously, are also personal preferences. Themes First, I like the idea that Cainites ride history – they're not its guiders. Humans guide history, by their uncoordinated and disparate aspirations and actions. After the Embrace, you're not only out of realm of the living, you're an anachronism, strange to the realm of history itself. And of course, Cainites have their own confusing (and frightening) melange of history and legend, and it

adds more flavor to the setting and game experience than the notion of vampires as the "secret masters". Secondly, things should remain local, even in the age of instant communication. Of course, Kindred share information and travel between cities, but most schemes remain within city limits, and only the great movers and shakers are able to influence more than that, the realm of metro zones and megaregions. Think about the Texas Triangle cities (Dallas, Austin, St. Antonio, Houston etc.) or South California, and you’'ll know how far the immediate influence of a powerful elder or group of elders extends. External conflict appears where different zones of influence intersect, like those portrayed on Europe's map of Dark Ages Vampire. Lastly, the setting’s elements must not conflict with what I think as proper Vampire mood and themes. I'm talking about Gothic-Punk, and how it should always guide designing and aesthetics. Gothic-Punk is as raw and desperate as it is embellished by the grandeur of decay, and I'm not only talking about ill lit streets glistening with broken glass or Gothic Revival skyscrapers, but also about how vampires should conduce their affairs. The so called “Fish Malkavians” epitomize a undesirable portrayal of Masquerade's vampires, not in tune with Gothic-Punk. Gothic-Punk archetypes, at least if we consider the 1990s, include goth kids, street preachers, punks, urban primitives, bikers, criminals, metalheads, artists and many others. Beyond these

archetypes there's a myriad of possible other character concepts, and as a rule of thumb I like to start with a Nature or Demeanor and ask myself how it could express Gothic-Punk. How about a Bon Vivant character, is she a wild-eyed poet, oppressed by what she understands as urban alienation. According the same charactercentric logic, the Dark Ages Vampire Roads are also good starting points, since they were developed according a world we Westerners traditionally fancy as barbaric (sort of Punk) and full of evocative, even if sombre, sceneries (Gothic). The general art notes for Vampire the Masquerade 20th anniversary edition advises the use of visual elements that enforce a neo-medieval social structure, such as modernized medieval motifs and romanticized depictions of ruins. So, how about pushing neo-medieval into character creation? Does the Bon Vivant poet follows the Road of Humanity, or do you think she could do better with the Sinners? But what did this guy salvaged from the green marble books, you may ask. Well, I have always been fond of the idea that Cainites are experiencing the Last Nights, but I dislike how the notion ended so entangled with Jyhad and metaplot. A reckoning is at hand, but its unfolding does not seem to disturb most Kindred affairs. There are some portents (like Caitiff, and the appearance of Thin Bloods) and enigmatic rumours of distant events,

but the War of Princes and the War of Ages follow quite different rhythms, and are perceived as two clearly independent conflicts. A sense of dread and urgency permeates the current nights, and that's what most vampires know about the War of Ages. Sects Acting accordingly the fundamentals above I decided the Camarilla was unnecessary. I stated each city or region was under the yoke of a Cainite or group of Cainites. Also, I got rid of the Sabbat, Masquerade's bloodstained monolith. There are only Sabbats. Getting rid of the sects had it consequences, though. It affected clan history, something I thought about after asking myself how the Tremere managed to survive without the Ivory Tower. It also means more infighting, since there's no need to unite against a common enemy. Only rarely the Sabbats stop fighting against each other and coordinate their efforts, forming tense short term alliances. In fact, some Princes actively use sell-out Sabbats against their rivals (including other Sabbats), or at least tolerate their presence in the outskirts of town, providing they don't disturb the established order. The enemies within city limits are more dangerous, and that's why Princes try to enforce a feudal order, since it gives local movers and shakers autonomy

(and safety) enough for pursuing their own agendas, while fledglings are kept on the leash. That's why newlyembraced Cainites form coteries. So, there's no Camarilla and no Sabbat (as a single entity), but how about the Anarchs. I decided to stay with Dark Ages' Furores and Prometheans, the setting's idealists, firebrands and loyal opposition. More than organized political stances they are vague principles of action, allowing players and storytellers to create a variety of characters and contexts. Camarilla The Camarilla just never happened. The Last Nights are ruled by powerful warring Princes, some of them Methuselahs. Mithras holds England, the various independent Courts of Love share most of France and Hardestadt the Elder still rules the German domains. Various Lassombra lords rule the domains of Catalunia, Provence and southern Italy. Tzimisce voivodes haunt the Balkans and the lands of Russia. In the New World, each great metropolis is the center of a princedom, some of them powerful enough to influence Cainite affairs in whole regions. For example, there are Toreador Courts of Love along the Mississipi, in the cities of Minneapolis, Saint Paul, St. Louis, Memphis, Baton Rouge and New Orleans; and Texan domains are ruled by a confederacy of Scions, the Marcher Lords. The Sabbats

There is no Sabbat, but various Sabbats, wandering bands of Cainites united by the mystically enhanced loyalty of the Vinculum. The first packs appeared during the Mongol invasion of Eastern Europe (second half of the 13th century), when Tzimisce, Nosferatu and Gangrel Methuselahs discovered (or created) the Vaulderie, to counter the roving hordes of Anda. United by the Vinculum, local packs of neophytes were launched against the hordes of Anda invaders, guaranteeing the survival of their own home domains. However, after dealing with the eastern menace, the local Princes started using the packs against each other, lately causing a rebellion of their brutalized underlings, during the mid-14th century. United by the Vinculum, they fought their former masters, and then adopted a violent and unruly way of unlife based solely on brotherhood and limitless freedom. During the Last Nights, the various Sabbats rule the roads and backwater domains of North America, serving none but themselves. In the US, Kansas City is the only important city ruled by a loose coalition of Sabbats, but in the South and Western States they were able to establish smaller domains. Furores The Furores, often called "Anarchs" by the Scions, are a loose coalition of coteries united against the oppression of ruling elders. They usually adopt the Road of the Beast, the Road of Sin or the Road of Humanity, and try to change their home domains from within

(sometimes peacefully, sometimes not). Most Princes just tolerate the Furores. In Europe, since the 14th century, the sect founded various "free cities", following the medieval communal movement. In North America, San Francisco is the most acknowledged Furore commune. The Prometheans The Prometheans are not a sect, but a network of fellow scholars and schemers, united by the dream of re-establishing Carthage (a Carthage-like domain). They're all Elders, and the most influential among them secluded Methuselahs. Together, they work to influence the Princes of Europe and the Americas. The US harbors a disproportional number of them, attracted by the possibilities of what they still see as a new and promising country. Clans & Bloodlines I adapted some Clans and Bloodlines according my own needs as a storytellers, and of course, according to the setting's needs. Here I present only the most divergent from the original. Ahrimanes The Ahrimanes are not a rare, all-female bloodline. They're the lords and ladies of the Southern Appalachians and the swamps of the Deep South. They oppose the Lasombra,

Ventrue and Toreador, all vying for the conflict zone the domains of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana became. So far, their only allies are local broods of Gangrel and Nosferatu, but they compensate their lack of political influence with extreme violence, guerrilla tactics and blood magic. Centuries ago, the Gangrel Muricia followed the kine colonists into the Smoky Mountains, between Tennessee and North Carolina. There, she became consort to a long imprisoned demon of the land, and he granted her the knowledge of the spirit magic called koldunism by the Tzimisce (yes, some of my Ahrimanes are kolduns). Assamite The Children of Haqim suffered heavily with the destruction of their most import domains, by the Mongol hordes (during the 13th century). With the conquerors came the Anda, numerous and battle hardened. Without their herds and influence among mortal institutions, the fight for the East was the greatest challenge the Clan faced since the Baali. Only in the early 15th century they were able to reestablish some degree of stability, after reconquering some of the old territories, but then ur-Shulgi awakened. The Clan's eldest reinstated the Road of Blood as the orthodoxy, thus causing the Schism, as the numerous Assamite followers of other Roads (specially the Muslim

Assamites) had to abandon the region or suffer destruction. The exiled Assamites, including a considerable number of Viziers and Sorcerers, colonized the newly conquered Balkan lands of the Ottoman Empire, and followed the Turkish advance in Europe, taking local domains as their former lords fled the Muslim armies. European Kindred retaliated, however, with the Tremere Curse, a plague affecting all the Schismatics (but not those loyal to ur-Shulgi), to the current nights. Cappadocians The Feast of Folly, the culling of Clan Cappadocian, never happened. It means there are more Cappadocians, and not all of them hew to the stereotype of heavenobsessed necromancers. They're occultists, schemers, seneschals, criminals, even Princes. In the New World, the Cappadocians are even more diverse, since they're far from the Clan's Elder orthodoxy. The Lamia are their muscle, and the Giovanni control not only the dead, but palatial estates and billions of dollars. A bloodline of Cappadocians, the Samedi, active in the Caribbean and southern U.S., work as guardsmen and enforcers, and at least some of them are allied to the Tremere House of High Saturday.

Lasombra The Lasombra are influential in Southern Europe, specially Southern Italy and Spain. Montano, Gratiano, Monçada and Lucita hold mandates from the Castle of Shadows, where the Clan's Founder lies torpid. In the New World, the Methuselah Violante claimed the tittle of Archbishop of New Spain, in the early 19th century, and she still holds great influence over most Mexican domains, governed by her children and other members of Clan Lassombra (her Bishops). In the US, Violante claims most of former Spanish-Mexican lands, except for Texas (the Marches of New Spain). California, New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada are under Violante's sway, but north of the border her influence is contested, and her Bishops are practically autonomous. Florida, another Lassombra domain, harbors a Exharchate, ruled by another of Violante's children. The historical presence of a number of Lassombra domains in the Gulf's shore made the Cainites call it The Gulf of Shadows. The Gulf Lasombra, however, do not recognize Violante’s authority. Tremere Without the Camarilla, the Tremere survived selling their support, both political and otherwise. During the 12th and 13th centuries they allied themselves with the Hungarian Ventrue, against the Tzimisce voivodes, and with the Schismatic

Assamite invasion, in the wake of Ottoman conquerors, the Tremere were sought by frightened elders of the High Clans, and then they cursed the Children of Haqim. In the U.S., the Tremere followed the same strategy, as they helped the Ventrue from the Baronies of Avalon against the Lasombra and other conquerors, and now New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Charleston all hold prestigious chantries. However, their greatest success came during the Texan Revolution, when Regent Marissa supported a conspiracy of Ventrue, Toreador and Brujah against the local Lasombra bishopric. She eventually became Prince of Ft. Worth, and acquired rights to found new chantries in Austin, San Antonio, Houston and Dallas. Now, Lady Marissa oversees five chantries, from her own, located in Ft. Worth. Tzimisce Old Clan Tzimisce is shattered, but in better shape than its canonical version. In the lands south and east of Hungary, there's the Oradea League, formed by local voivodes against Schismatic Assamites, Sabbats, Tremere and Ventrue. North of Hungary, in Poland, the Baltic, Belarus and Russia, the voivodate became a realm of scattered, isolated, domains. The Clan's founder was never diablerized, however, and the voivodes

zealously guard their ancestral lands against invaders, aided by the everloyal revenant families. In Western Europe and North America, the only known Tzimisce are the flesh-crafting demons raiding with the Sabbats, called antitribu by the voivodes. They lack the Clan’s blood magic, and practice the

Discipline of Vicissitude. Some are their pack's wise men or women, others embody the concept of urban primitive or body art aficionado. A considerable number of them still follow the Road of Metamorphosis, and the Road's Ashen Priests have great influence over the antitribu.

Memories of the Nameless Empire The legacy of Irem, the Nameless Empire, lingers in the culture of the Ancient Egyptians, and other similar funerary cultures. These memories and ancient magics live on in the artifacts and tomes across the world. Geist: the Sin-Eaters: Ceremony The Amduat (*****) Amduat literally means ‘That Which is in the Afterworld’. This legendary Ancient Egyptian text was reserved for the walls of the tombs of Pharaohs. The Amduat tells the story of Ra’s journey through the Underworld in the hours between sunset and dawn. Pharaohs, it was believed, would take the same journey, becoming immortal and one with the gods. The Amduat aided a Pharaoh in this journey as a record of the gods and beasts that dwelled in the Underworld. The Pharaoh could call them in times of need, use their names to summon them or defeat them. The Sin Eater ceremony was reclaimed during the Napoleonic Wars. It was learned by a Krewe in Paris after deciphering the the works of a mortal archaeologist. More importantly the ceremony was found to be one of a number of variants, each having to be adapted for each task; namely summoning of a being from the the Underworld, or if in the Underworld, summoning one of the Kerberoi. Performing the Ritual: The Sin-Eater must have the list of the gods and entities that he will encounter as he passes through the Duat. He then must make a ritual circle and face towards the Duat, as it would be located at midnight,

and meditate on the stars of the Duat. In the final act of sacrifice as a gift to the summoned entity, the Sin-Eater must finally carve the ritual hieroglyphics upon the palm of his hand and then touch this to the centre of the ritual circle where the summoned ghost will appear. A copper blade must be used for this and the direction of the Duat must be known (a 5 successes on a Science roll, 4 for an Occult roll). Of course in the underworld the stars cannot be seen and so the SinEater must rely on his own innate sense of his position in the Underworld, and thus within the Duat. System: The Sin Eater must know the true name of the ghost or the Kerberoi. Psyche + Presence - Resistance. Action: Extended (target number of 15) Time Increments: One roll per turn. Dramatic Failure: The ceremony cannot be performed for 24 hours. In addition, in the case of a Kerberoi, if they are in or enter it’s Dominion in that time frame, the Sin Eater is considered as having automatically broken the laws of the Dominion. Failure: No success gained. Success: Successes are gained. A gateway to the Underworld is created ready for the ghost to arrive through. If the ceremony is interrupted then this Avernian gate must be sealed. If the ceremony is completed the ghost is brought through and is bound to the commands of the Sin Eater. The ghost is bound for 24 hours. In the case of a Kerberoi the ceremonial space warps as their presence begins to bleed in. A bound Kerberoi cannot be ordered to break the Old Laws of its Dominion.

Mage the Awakening: Grimoire The Map of the Thousand Roads of Xibalba Background The Map of the Thousand Roads of Xibalba is not a normal map, and takes the form of an ornately carved jade mask. The map is partly on the mask, and partly seen while wearing the mask. The carvings of the mask are said to depict a number of things. For some it is a map of the night sky, and of the Milky Way and the constellations that represent the celestial beings of the tales of the Maya. The carvings also appear more like tendrils of a tree, and so is representative of the tree of life. But the carvings could also represent the corridors and passages ways of the underworld, Xibalba, the ‘place of fear’. Of course the term Xibalba refers to the dark patch seen when viewing the Milky Way in the night sky, the interstellar clouds of celestial gas which to the Mayans appeared as a dark rift in the heavens. Of course to the Awakened this may be half the truth, for some see the rift as a physical manifestation of the rift between worlds created by the destruction of the celestial ladder. The mask was discovered by the mortal archaeologist Dr Wilson Fraiser, of the Harvard, in 1931. He and his team had been seeking to emulate the discoveries of their contemporaries, such as Ian Graham who discovered the site of El Mirador. For weeks Wilson and and his team hacked their way through the dense jungle of Guatemala. The dangers of poisonous animals, disease and local tribes cause harm and death to the research team. But, at their wits end, and near lost, the team came upon a valley, unlike any they had expected to find. Before them was a almost desolate plane. No vegetation grew in the dark, volcanic soil, and the skies seemed ever overcast, shielding the land from the sun, even at the height of noon. At the centre of the valley stood the ziggurat, a pyramid of immense proportions, which to the scholarly eyes of Wilson seemed familiar to the designs of the Egyptians or the temples and tombs of the Mesopotamians. The tomb was almost as tall as the Queen’s pyramid at Giza, and and was constructed from dark stone that upon close inspection was inscribed all over. The team negotiated their way up the pyramid and found their way in. The team used dynamite where human strength alone could not move the megaliths that blocked their way to the treasures they hoped filled the tombs within. 3 days the team spent on the parched plane, and they had some luck in that time in deciphering the hieroglyphs that adorned the black megalithic structure. Many were indecipherable to Wilson and his team, the

text of course being Atlantean in nature, and so beyond their ken. But some of the text was a form a proto Mayan language, and they were able to ascertain that they were in as the Gate of Hun-Came. The night before the day of the great discovery in the tomb, Wilson was plagued by nightmares. He saw the twisting tunnels of Xibalba, the dead that roamed them, the domains of the dead kingdoms and their mortuary lords. The dead sorcerer, HunCame whispered to him, and in the night Wilson delved into the depths of the tomb. He came upon the sarcophagus of Hun-Came, and within the ominous stone coffin was the desiccated corpse of the long dead lord of the underworld, and upon his face sat the jade death mask. The death mask and Wilson’s journal arrived in Harvard in 1948. Wilson and his team were presumed missing and more than likely dead. The onset of WWII had diverted the attention of the authorities, and Wilson and his team were forgotten about, until the arrival of the mask and the journal. The journal itself was dismissed as the mad ramblings of a feverish scholar. Within the mixture of Cuneiform, Egyptian hieroglyphs, Sumerian and Mayan, there were also the maddening glyphs of Atlantis. However, the mask was another matter. It was unique and perfectly preserved and a noteworthy addition to the collection. In the years since its acquisition the Map of Xibalba has been used by a only a few mages, and has been held by the Mysterium. It was discovered that the Map, while informative when simply examined, provided powerful rotes and lore when worn. It also gave the wearer the constant ability to measure a person’s soul, and to see the dead. But, these effects would not wear off immediately,

and would cause the user to be plagued by visions of the dead for weeks to come. Researching the book Dicepool: Intelligence+Occult or Intelligence+Academics Action: Extended - 20 Successes Research Time (aka time between rolls): 3 Days or 1 Day if character has their own library of sufficient information. Appropriate Libraries: The Underworld (an appropriate part that is old enough), Wilson’s Journal, Astral Realms, Archaeology, Myth. Possible Modifiers: Contacts in Archaeology (Egyptian, Mayan, Aztec, Sumerian) +2. Rotes and powers The Map enables a Mage to learn the following rotes;      

Grimsight (Death 1 - page 134) Speak with the Dead (Death 1 - page 135) Entropic Guard (Death 2 - page 136) Soul Jar (Death 2 - page 137) Control Ghost (Death 3 - page 138) and also the Death 3 Perfecting spell, Open the Avernian Gate (opens a pre existing gate to the Underworld).

Furthermore the Map allows for the version of Control Ghost, known as Control Geist (Death 3, Spirit 3) which allows the same effect,

but against Geists. The other spell which is a similar analogue is Control Mummy (Death 3, Prime 3) (we may adjust this in future once Mummy is released). All Death 1 spells can be cast for free if the user wears the mask, regardless of their Arcanum ratings. Dangers The Mask lets you see the dead. But too well. The powers contained in it are barely sealed in, and so leak into those who wear it. A user of the mask for a week suffers the derangement of Hysteria as they see the dead everywhere, all of them asking for the user’s attention and plaguing their waking moments. Furthermore the Mask taints the user’s aura. The energy known as ‘Sekhem’, manipulated by the immortal mummies, the Cursed, flows through the mask, as the mask contains the souls of immortal Cursed. For this reason the mask is hunted by the Cursed. While using the mask, Paradox should involve the use of ghosts, Avernian gates or the Kerberoi, who see the mask as an affront the the laws of the living and the dead. Finally there is rumour that the mask is pushing users to open the correct Avernian Gate which would allow the ghost of Hun-Came to escape the Underworld and possess the mage.

Untitled - Darker Days Radio

In the New World, each great metropolis is the center of a princedom, some of them powerful enough to influence Cainite affairs in whole regions. For example, there are. Toreador Courts of Love along the. Mississipi, in the cities of Minneapolis,. Saint Paul, St. Louis, Memphis, Baton. Rouge and New Orleans; and Texan.

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