Nobilis 2e - Core Book

Guardians Of Order - Nobilis: A Game of Greater Powers - Products http://www.guardiansorder.com/games/nobilis/products.
php
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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Nobilis
A Game of Greater Powers
Author: R. Sean Borgstrom
Editor: Bruce Baugh
Artists: Charles Vess, Michael Kaluta, Bryan Talbot, Al Davison,
Denise Garner, Ralph Horsley, Frazer Irving, Martin McKenna, Rik
Martin, Raven Mimura and Lee Moyer, plus Arcimboldo
Cover: Full colour, featuring the sculpture 'Sphinx Mysterieux' by
Art Nouveau master Charles van der Stappen
Format: 11" x 11", 304 pages, hardcover
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
LARP Rules for Nobilis
Author: R. Sean Borgstrom, E. Deirdre Brooks, Gareth Hanrahan, Mikko Rautalahti and
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
Artists: Stephanie Pui-Mun Law, Rik Martin and Lee Moyer
Cover: Full colour, featuring 'Ophelia' by Maurice Bouval, courtesy of the Macklowe
Gallery in New York.
Format: 8.5" x 11", 96 pages, softcover
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
All materials copyright 1997-2004 by Guardians Of Order unless stated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. All product names are trademarks of Guardians Of Order,
Inc. D20 System and the D20 System Logo are Trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast and are used according to the terms of the D20 System Licensed version
4.0.

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Guardians Of Order - Nobilis: A Game of Greater Powers - Products http://www.guardiansorder.com/games/nobilis/products.php
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
~
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
~~ ~~
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

~
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
~~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

~~ ~ ~ ~~
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
~

~ ~ ~ ~
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
~ ~ ~
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

~
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

~

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
~ ~
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
~~~ ~~~ ~ ~
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

-

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

~

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

~

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
~
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

~

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

~
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

~

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

~
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

~

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

~

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
~ ~

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

~~ ~~ ~~~~
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

~
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

~

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

~

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

~ ~ ~~~~ ~ ~~~~ ~ ~ ~~~
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

~
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

~
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

~
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
~ ~
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

~ ~

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
~

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

~
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
~
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

~

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
~

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

~

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
~
~
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
~
~
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
~
~
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

~
~

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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
~
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
~ ~
-
~
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

~ ~~~~ ~ ~~~~ ~ ~ ~~~
- - ~ -
~ ~ -
~
- ~
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~
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~
~ - ~

~ ~

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- ~ ~ ~
~

1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
THEBOOKOFQUESTIONS
ThesequestionsVyasagaveintrusttotheCompassionate
Rohana.Theyhavemanytimesbeenlosttotheworld,buteach
timeRohanahasbroughtthemback :oncewithafeatfarms
oncethroughtheelementsthatserveher,oncewiththeaidof
herpeople,andoncewithflowersscatteredoverthesea .
I.PrincessBidalika'sadvisorsbroughtfourmenbeforeher,
tochooseahusbandfrom .Oneshowedstrengthlikethe
tide's.Onemovedwiththegraceofthewaves .Oneknew
secretsdarkerthantheocean'sdepths .Shedismissedthem
all.
2.Thefourthmanwasamadman,abeast,ahorror,driven
byungovernablerageandunholydesires .Onseeinghim,
thePrincessclappedherhandsandsaid .- ` HereisaPrince
amongmen!"
3
.
Whywouldshechoosesuchamanasherconsort?How
didthefirstthreefallshort?
4."Thesnowofyourhomelandhasshapedyou,"saidthe
ladytothelord"Youarepale .Youarecold.Theairtastes
cleanerwhereyouhavewalked."
S
Itisnotso,"saidthelord .` Iamthesethingsofmyself.It
isthesnowthathascome,overtime,toresembleme ."
6.Whencecomesthecolorofthesnow?
7
.
Somesaythattimeexistedbeforeallthings,andsomesay
chaos.
8.
Whoistheoldestofthegods?
9
.Agreattidewillsweepacrosstheworld.Itshalldrag
men,women,andchildreninitswake,changingthem
thereby.Yettheyshallnotunderstandthattheyhave
changed.
10.Somefewwillremainuntouchedandunchanged .Andthe
othersshallpoint,andsay :howstrangetheyare .!How
theirlifetransforms!
II.Whostandsstillwhentheworldshakes?
81
CHAPTER9:ATTRIBUTES
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
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The Game of Powers
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ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
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4.0.
82
"Wait,"themansaid,andI
turnedtolook.Hisfacewas
curiouslyred,andbeadsof
clearliquidwerescattered
acrosshisbrow."Imustrest,"
heexplained"Thewayis
long. "
"Rest?"Dragonflies
hummedacrossthenarrow
road7hadunderstoodyoua
noble.
"Iam,"hesaidWDuke's
carbuncleissewnintomy
skin."
-from REFLECTIONSIV, by
ViscountdArmand
ASPECT
Acharacter'sAspectistheirphysicalandmentalbeing,their
self.Whilethe,bilisrepresentforcesofnature,theystill
existinthephysicalworld .Acharacterwithnopointsin-
vestedinAspectretainsthehumanbodytheywerebornin .
AthigherlevelsofAspect,themagicinvestedinacharacter
permeatestheirbodyandmind,allowingthecharacterto
performphysicalandmentalmiracles .Thistransformation
mayoccurintheinstantacharacterbecomesaPower,or
spreadoverthecourseofyears,decades,orcenturies .
StylecountsinAspect .ManyPowersmaintainacertain
distancefromtheworld,theirpurposeinexistenceestranging
themfrommortalexperience .Thisisimportanttotheir
nature :itlendsthemmythicstrangenessandexoticmystery .
Ontheotherhand,thePowersarc(intheworldofNOBILIS)
theinspirationformanymythicalgods,includingthosewho
havelivedactivelyamongmortals .ThesePowersareeven
betteratthegamesofmortalitythanthemortalsthemselves,
aconceptthatyoucanplayoutwithgreateffect .
EachlevelofAspectcosts3points .EachAspectlevel
makesmiraclesandmagicbasedonAspectsimpler .A
charactercanalsopurchase"Gifts"ofAspect,grantingvery
specificbenefits .SomeoftheseGiftsappearlater,alongwith
ageneralsystemforconstructingyourownGifts .
LEVEL0 :OFMORTALFORM
0 points
Commencement isthemomentwhenamortalreceivesan
Imperator'sshard- selfandbecomesmorethanhuman .For
manyPowersitisajoy,forothersaharshandpainfulprocess
thatlastsnotaninstantbutdays .Theirmindandbody
strugglelikeanallergicchild'stothrowouttheintruding
power.IftheirsouldoessuccessfullyrejectthenewSovereign
strength,theyarealmostalwaysutterlydestroyed .Ifonly
theirmindandbodyfailthem,theyarecalledOnce- Born,
orthose"ofmortalform ."(OtherOnce- Bornhadavery
strongsenseofhumanity,acceptingtheirhumanlimitations
withoutcomplaintordesireformore .)Once- Bornlack
almostallofthemiraculousphysicalandmentalpotential
thatAspectcanprovide .
Thinkcarefullybeforemakingacharacterofmortalform .
Thecharactermustuseovert"magic"toovercomeevensimple
obstacleslikelockeddoorsandtreacherousforests .Thisleaves
atrailforotherstotrace .Mortalformalsoimposesimportant
intellectuallimitations .Forexample,aPowerofmortalform
canlosetheirheadinanemergency,evenifthePower'splayer
maintainsoocself- control .
EXAMPLECONCEPTS
RobertBaxt, acowboyintheOldWest,waschosenbythe
Excrucianstoburndownthehouseinwhichapriceless
manuscriptwasstored .Theircarefulorchestrationofhis
actionsandothers'wascompromisedwhentwoofthePowers
searchingfortheRendingcametoblows .Robertwitnessed
theDominusofTorturestakinghisopponenttotheground
withanironhookandleavingherfordead .Unabletofree
` OBILIS:AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
herself,butalso(duetoherAspect)slowtodie,sheinstructed
Baxttocutfreeherheartandconsumeit .Ashedidso,she
passedonhershardofherImperator'sspirit .Outsidethe
Chancel,suchgiftsaremuchlesseffective ;thePowerofa
SovereignlurksinBaxt'sstomachandchest,buthasnotyet
diffuseditselfthroughhisbody.Evenso,Baxtisnowthe
PowerofClocks - afortunateEstate,asithasallowedhim
togreatlylengthenhislife .
JackUnbounded livedallhislifeinaminingtown,
workedeverydayinthemines,anddreamedoftraveland
adventure .ThenheencounteredoneoftheHeatherStones,
agiftoftheCreatortoCreation .SevenHeatherStonesrest
buriedundertheEarth,eachapromiseofwishesultimately
fulfilled .ThereweresixteenunChancelledImperatorson
EarthwhenJackmadehisdiscovery.FiveconvergedonJack,
asdidtwogrimlydeterminedExcrucians .Forahundred
nights,thepeopleofhistowncoweredintheirbedroomsas
giantswarred . . . andthenthepromiseoftheCreatorwas
fulfilled .TheImperatorwhocapturedthetowninaChancel
andforcedtheothersawaychoseJacktoholdthespirit-
shardofFreedom .Inthatmoment,Jackwasgiventhepower
tobeanywhere,todancewiththestarsandtowalkbeneath
thesea .Hepaidasteepprice .Fordays,helayinagony,
vomitingfireandbleedingfromhispores .Hismindwasa
confusedmassofpsychosisandobsessionuntilatlasthe
lockedthepowersafelyawayfromhisbodyandmind,within
hisheart .
LEVELI:METAHUMAN
3points
CharacterswiththislevelofAspectareonestepbeyond
human.Theypossessformidablephysicalandmentalfaculties
ineveryfield ;onoccasion,theyperformwondrousfeatswith
theirbodiesandminds .ThisisaverylimitedlevelofAspect,
evenso.It'smostcommonamongPowerswhogovernhigh,
flighty,andetherealthingssuchasThought,Emotion,
Knowledge,orLove .TheseNoblesfocustheirmagicaway
fromthemundanethingsofphysicalreality,andoftentheir
bodysuffersforit .
A- letahumanssurpassthemortalbreed,buttheirpower
stilldoesn'texpressitselfeasilythroughtheirAspect .They
cannotexpecttoignoretheworld'smyriadobstacles .This
levelofAspectdoesprovideanexcellentstartingplacefor
newlymadePowers,asthesefledglingsareoftenuncertain
intheirbodiesandhavenotfullyintegratedtheirpowerinto
theirphysicalform .
EXAMPLECONCEPTS
Dimi (forDiminuendo)isthefinalmasterworkofJ .S.Bach,
whowasforthebriefspanofhislifetheDominusofthe
Fugue .Moldedoutoflivingmusic,bornintheChancelof
theangelTyriel,shetookBach'splaceuponhisdeath .She
presentsherselfasawomanclothedallinsounds,insilks
whosesightringsinthemindlikesong :sheisagrace .She
bringsstrengthtoLocusTyrielbygatheringthesoulsof
forgottensongs .Herownstrength,however,isnogreater
thanBachcouldimagineit .
OPPOSITE:
Fairies
byCharlesVess
"Wakeup,"Iaskedhim,softly .
'therewasabottleonthe
floor.Therewasalcoholinhis
blood.AndIhadsomething
inmyhand. . .justalittletoy .
Itlookedalittlelikehis -
vulgarparts - butitwas
onlyatoy.
Hehadopenedhiseyes .
"What?"heaskedme,
straight.
"YournoveljusthitNew
YorkTimes'numberone,"I
said.Healmostsmiled
"You'vegotthreebronze
medalsonyourmantel.
Softwareyou'vecreatedruns
onaquarterofallthe
machinesintheworkplace
today .Peoplearestartingto
wonder- isthereanythingthis
guycan'tdo?"
"Yah?"heasked
"Yah,"Isaid"Butthere
is.That.Lettingthepawns
knowtherearefolkslikeyou
outthere. "
IshowedhimwhatIwas
holding.Andthenitwasn'ta
toy.
"LordEntropydoesn'tlike
that,"Isaid,asblood
darkenedthesheets,ashe
begantoscream .
- fromtheThought- Record
ofHughRosewood
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
4
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
84
. . . hisnamewasKalendros,
andhehadthebody?1'aman
andthelet's ofahorse.Those
legspoundedoutarhythmon
theearth,asevenandterrible
onthemuddygrassason
dryerlandHehadakni fe.
Iturnedthemudtoice
beneathhisfeet,andstillhc
ram .
Icametoariver,andI
calleditfromtheshore .A
waveroaredoutandrolled
acrossthcpath,andstillhe
ran.
Icrieddowntherain
fromthesky,cried fora .flood
thatwouldinundatethe
world,andthecloudsturned
to ,fallingwaterandcrashed
toearthbehindme,andstill
heran .
Hishandcaughtmy
shoulder,andhisknife
touchedmyneck.
Thenheletgo,andalock
ofmyhairwasinhishand.
Atrophy,"hesaid,withthe
voice of anemperor."Thief. , '
- /rant WATERSTORIES,
compiledbyKneaderGuy
Sekshuni istheLadyoftheHawks,withthegraceand
powerofherwingedservants,withtalonandbeak,witha
deepattunementtothethingsofthenaturalworld .She
spendsofmuch0fhertimewarpedintoavianform,andby
Powers'standardsherbodyisweak .Thismakessense :the
laws0ftheworldsheiss0attunedtodonotnormallyallow
hawksthatcanliftelephants,ortalonsthatcanripsteel .
LEVEL2:LEGENDARY
6 points
CharacterswiththislevelofAspectcomparefavorablywith
thegreatestheroesandvillains0flegend .Theyrankwithout
effortamongthebesthumansavantsandathletes,andcan
g0significantlybeyondnormalhumanboundswhenpushed .
Theypossessawonderfulinventivenessandthekind0f
personalcharismathatinspiresarmies .
PhysicalchangesoftenaccompanythislevelofAspect .
ThenewlymadePowertwistsintoshapesborn0ftheir
imagination .(Transformationslikethesefedlegends0f
DaoineSidhe,Duergar,Unicorns,andDragons .)Legendary
AspectsuitsPowerswhoaremythicalheroesandvillains
andPowersofagenerallyunworldlynature .Theequivalence
herebetweenaPowernotmuchfocusedontheworldanda
humanatthepeakoftheirphysicalandmentalpotentialis
anintentionalone .
EXAMPLECONCEPTS
Strephon istheLord0fReflections,bornahumaninthe
ChancelofGideontheFallen .Hisinfluencepervadesthat
littletown,whichseemsnormalenoughuntilyoulookina
mirror,oraresident'seyes .Neitherofthemshowstheimage
youmightexpect,forStrephonlivesinthosereflections,and
hefeeds0nhatredandself- loathing .Sincethetime0fthe
Fall,whentheangelGideonturneddark,mirrorshave
capturedandtwistedapartofeventhegreatesthumans . . . and
soStrephontranscendshumanity.
Hisdutyisgreaterstill,forthegovernance0fallthe
world'sreflectionsishis,andonlyinGideon'sKeepmayhe
mayrelaxandenjoyhiswork.
JamesonBlack (alsoseepp . 111- 112) isthelegend- basefor
theTibetanunderstandingofdragons :alordofstorms,a
warriormonsterinservicet0thegods,0ratleasttotheTrue
God0ftheDiamondPath .Whiletryingt0saveTibetfrom
China,heslaughteredanencampmentofChinesesoldiers .
Hecannotforgettheact ;hewasshakinganddelusionalonly
hourslater,unabletoleavebehindthescreams,theblood,
andthefoolishbraveryofthosewhoassaultedhim .Inthe
late1960s,hediscoveredalcoholandwithitacertainmeasure
0fforgetfulness .Evenanimmortalbodygoesalittlebitt0
potifgivenenoughhardliquor,andthisparticulardragonis
asadcommentaryonthestateoftheworldtoday.
HehasbeenawayfromhismasterAnani'sChancelfor
thirtyyearsnow .Asthegameopens,hehasbeenmanipulated
byanoldfriend'spleasandguilttripsintovisitingtheplace
onceagain .Hehopestobereassuredthatit'sdoingjustfine
withouthim .
OBILIS:AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
LEVEL3:INHUMAN
9points
Inhumancharactersinhabitbodiesnotonlyperfectedbut
empoweredbythemagicthatfillsthem .Theyaren0longer
fleshandbone ;nowtheyareether,astralenergy .This
substancerespondstotheirwillinwaysthatEarth'sgreatest
athletescanonly , envy.Nobles - theirAspect- arenot
"moreintelligent"thanhumans,butInhumanPowersmay
drawonasuiteofmentaladvantages .Atthislevel,theyhave
perfectself- possession,discipline,artisticability,scientific
ability,andsupercomputer- likespeedwhensolvingformal
problems .
CharacterswiththislevelofAspectarealwaysdistanced
fromthehumanitytheybelongedto.Normalhumansare
slow,flimsy,weak,anduninsightfulbeingsincomparison .
Thisdoesnotmeanthathumanitycannotprovideworthy
objectsofaffectionorlove .Butonlyonekindofstrength
availabletoordinaryhumanswinsanInhumanPower's
respect - strengthofcharacter,rareevenamongimmortals .
EXAMPLECONCEPTS
Isabel isacounterpartt0JackUnbounded .Whereheis(in
asense)aDominusofTravel,sheisthespiritoftheroad .
Hermemoryproceedsinanunbrokenchainfromthevery
firstPowert0takeonherroletothebodyandthepersonality
thatservesitnow .Memories0fhereighteenyearsofhuman
lifethistimearoundareonlyshadowsincomparison .She
wasborn,soshefeels,0ntheancientforesttrails .Shegrew
tomaturity,sherecalls,0nthehighwaysofourtime .Her
Chancel,LocusArahiel,isaprivateplace,deepinthewoods,
wheretheFolkoftheRoadcometodoherhonor.Isabel's
playerhasdecidedthatsheismoreanavataroftheroad
thanitsruler,andpurchasedInhumanAspectforher .This
givesherthekindofstrengththatcansupportabillionfeet
(iftheyarewelldistributed)andthespeed(indesperate
moments)ofanycarthateverrantheroads .
Oresha isashardoftheImperatorJanhenJan,an
inhuman,terriblecreature,second- bornofalltheTrueGods .
HerprimarydutyisgoverningthetwincitiesChilminarand
Balbec .ThetwincitiesarethelastrefugesofherImperator's
mortaldescendants :theJanni,folkoftheair ;theEfreet,folk
offire ;theMarids,folkofearth ;andtheDao,folk0fthesea .
ShewasvestedwithaDomina'sPowerbecausesheisthe
rightfulholder0fthetwincities'throne .Theshard0freality
sheguardsistheSecondAgeofEarth,s0herpoweroverit
ismostlyuselessinthemodernday,whichistheThirdAge .
LEVEL4:CELESTIAL
12 points
Celestialcharactersaretouchedwiththedivine .Evenifthey
aremortal,their"pith"0ressenceechoeswiththepurest
everlastingprimalpower.Therearestronger . A bilis,but
theCelestialsburnwithasimmaculateaflameasany .
Celestialcharactersaresimplylessdevotedthantheirbetters
tothecultofthebodyandmind .
ThislevelofAspectconfersintellectualbenefitsofahigh
order.Forexample,Celestialscanassesstacticalsituations
"Itookatorchtothebuilding,
mylord "
And?"Rubescentfingers
tappedagainstthestone .
"Therewerescreams,any
lord.Themenwhosheltered
himwereunabletoescape.I
sawtwoofthemconsumedby
flames,tryingandfailingto
openwindowssealedwith
maidenhairf m . Andthenhe
cametothewindow .Thepale
one. "
"Warsheburning?"
No,mylordHewasnot
harmed. "
fromtheThought- Record
ofHughRosewood
TILEHUMANSPIRIT
InhumanPowersarenot
aloneintheiropinionof
humanity .Evenlow- Aspect
Powerscanspendmiracle
pointstoperformmental,
physical,andartisticmiracles.
Certainly,anyPowercamsee
ataglancewhetheramortal
artist,athlete,scholar ;or
modelstandsoutfromthe
rest.Yetsuchthingsdonot
reallyimpressthem .Ahuman
simplycannotpossessaskill
ortalentthatmakesthem
comparabletoaNoble .
Humansdohavesome
virtues,however,thatmost
Powerscanrecognize.
Humanpassion,human
integrity,andhumanegocan
allcompetewiththepassion,
integrity,andego of the
obilis . IndividualNobilis
oftenexceedhuman
accomplishmentinthese
areas,andmosthumansdo
notcompeteatall - but
humanscanhave
personalitiesstrongenoughto
remindNoblesoftheNobilis .
VyasaaskswhyPrincess
Bidalika,rejectingthestrong,
thegraceful,andthewise,
wouldchooseamadmanas
hergroom.Theanswershould
nowhechar:thestrongman
wasmotsostrongasshe,the
gracefulmannotsograceful,
thewisemannotsowise- - hutthemadmanwasas
passionateanddrivenas
Bidalikahorsc f
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ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
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4.0.
Itissaidthat,once,ahuman
armylaysiegetoOlympus ."
Acuriousthing!But
Why?"
"Theyhadanissuewith
thegods,forintheircities
goodmenhaddiedandevil
amenstilllived .Isitnotthe
duty of thegodstosetthese
thingsright?theythought.If'
thegodsdonotcontrolFate,
thentheymustbereminded of
theirobligations ."
"Theywereveryfoolisb_
men. "
"Thatismythought!But
listen :themanwholedthem
wasagreatorator . . .a
favorite ofthepoets'god.And
hiswordshadpowertosway
eventheOlympians,tomake
thenfeelthattheyshould,
perhaps,granthimthe ejustice
hedesired.Orattheleast,not
killhisarmyout of hand. "
"Butsurelytheirsiegewas
notallowed!"
"Indeednot!But,you
understand,theywishednot
tokill "
Andso?"
"Why,thethundergod
leaneddown,andheblew
themallaway ."
- - from CONVERSATIONS
WITHANDROCLES, byJen
Hogan
instantly,withaskillbeyondthegreatestchessplayers .They
resistalleffortstoaddict,hypnotize,orpsychicallydominate
them .Theyhaveoftenpaidthepriceforwisdom,andhence
knowmanysecretshumanitydoesnot .Thisisacommon
AspectformaturePowers,whohavebeenamongthe obilis
foragoodlylengthoftime .
EXAMPLECONCEPTS
Arikelisthemortalchildoftheangelofthesunanda
demonicbeastwhofoundherunguardedinthesky .Hisbirth
heraldedthebeginningofnight,forwhenhisfeaturesshow
hisfather'smark,thesuncannotbeartolookdownupon
him .Thousandsofyearslater,hebecameoneofhismother's
Nobles,andhasbeengiventhesleepingmindsofthediurnal
worldashistrust .Heandhisservantspatrolthosemindsto
rousthisfather,Nightmare,fromtheirdreams .Itseemsto
mortalsthatnightanddayfollowinevenprogression,but
mortalsalsobelievetheEarthisround .Gofigure .
Niobe rulesthefivewinds- fromthenorth,fromthe
south,fromtheeast,fromthewest,andthewindthatsighs
fromtheheartwhenloveends .Shetookhernamefroma
mythicheroineofthetribeintowhichshewasborn .The
firstNiobewasalovelywoman,butmercilessandstronger
thantheelephant .ThePower'sChancel,LocusTerah,isa
tinyyetlovelyworldpopulatedonlybyherself,herImperator,
herFamiliaCaelestis,herfiveattendants,andahandfulof
others .
LEVEL5:EXEMPLAR
i5points
ExemplarsblurthelinebetweenruleovertheirDomainand
theirownpersonalphysicalpower .Theyfullyintegratetheir
divineessenceanduseittoitsutmostextent .Thesearethe
Powersoffable :beingsofenormouspuissancewhocansplit
mountainswiththeirfists,blowawayarmies,orwoundthe
sunwithanarrow .Ifsomeonecanimagineabeing
accomplishingataskwithphysicalpoweralone,some
Exemplarcandoexactlythat .
ChoosingthislevelofAspectensuresthatyourcharacter
willneverhavetroublewitheventhemostdifficultexercises,
physicalormental .Ontheotherhand,theymusttieupmuch
oftheirpowerinthemortalworldandmaylosetrackofthe
subtler,morespiritualabilitiesofthe Xobilis .Thisbrilliance
sometimescomesatthecostofhumanbreadthand
complexity.Theplacewheremindandsoultouchis
dominatedbythepure,unalloyedfireoftheirEstate .
EXAMPLECONCEPTS
Malahdi isaPowerdeeplyattunedtotheDark .Hebelongs
totheImperatorManaechus,anAaron'sSerpentwhose
actionsincorruptingEdenspawnedtheDarkandLightalike .
HisDomainisjustice - nottheentanglinglegalitiesof
mortalcourtsorthecleansingjusticeofkarmafulfilled,but
thedarkfatethattrailsthosewhocauseharmtoothers ."An
eyeforaneye"holdsnoappealforhim ;heembodiesthe
principleofSevenfoldVengeance .Hispowergrowswith
everyatrocitycommittedinjustice'sname .Whenhewalks
inthemortalworld,histouchislikeablowandhisbreathis
likethebitingwindsofwinter .
Morgan isthegoddessofwar,muchtothechagrinof
hermorepeaceableFamiliaCaelestis .Warleavesnothing
intactbutherravensandknowsnolimitstoitsstrengthor
ferocity.ThePowersofEarthstepsoftlyaroundher .Sheis
respectedaswell,becauseshehasengineeredmanyofthe
.obilis'victoriesagainsttheDarkHorsemen - although
therearesomewhowonderwhatwouldbecomeoftheValde
Bellumifwarnolongerexisted .
USINGASPECT
Aspectcoversagreatmanysortsofmiraculousacts :
everythinginthephysicalworld,fromturninginagood
performanceonstagetosteppingacrosstheGrandCanyon,
aswellasmanymentalfeats .Thefollowing"laws"arerules
ofthumbaboutwhenAspectcanaccomplishadeed .Most
Aspectmiraclesmustsatisfyallthreeconditions .
THEMOUNTAINLAURELLAW :
If'ahumancandosomething,Aspectcandoit . . . athousand
timesbetter .
fs
1s
Humanscanjump ;Aspectcoversjumpingoverawall .
Humanscancompose ;Aspectcoverscomposinggreat
songs .
l>Humanscanswim ;Aspectcoversswimmingacross
theAtlantic .
f~ Humanscanbreakthingsbyhittingthem ;Aspect
coversbreakinghills .
l>Humanscan'tmakefirewithouttools ;Aspectcovers
makingfirewithtools . . . evenbigfires .
is Humanscan'tflywithoutaplane ;Aspectcoversflying
withaplane . . .evenstuntaerobatics .
Humanscan'tperformsurgerywithoutasurgicalkit ;
Aspectcoversperformingsurgerywithtools . . . even
poortools .
i.
THEPRIMROSELAW :
_q'amythicalcharactercandosomethingwithoutmagic,Aspect
candoit.
Mythicalheroescomeinmanyflavors .Thislawreferstothe
onesweareexpectedtoidentifywith,onsomelevel .Wecan
comprehendtheirspecialgiftsandtheworldtheyoccupy,
morewondrousthanoursbutnottotallyalien .Hercules,
Theseus,andSherlockHolmesarelow- poweredexamples :
weareexpectedtobelievethattheyarereally"human" .More
extremeexamplesincludetheheroeswhorescuethesunand
themoon,orthemodern- dayredneckwhoshootsdowna
starwithhistrustyshotgun .ConsiderAesculapius,thegreatest
humandoctorwhoeverwas .Hecould,withlotsofwork,
raisethedead,buthecouldnothealwithatouch .
(Incidentally,whethermedicaltreatmentcanraisethe
deadisuptothe HG todecide ;itdependsonwhathas
happenedtothedeadperson'ssoul,whichismoreoftenan
affairforImperatorsthanfortheSovereignPowers .)
Ultimately,thebestguideisthethirdlaw :
85
Itwastold fromthevery
beginningthattheseawould
beAtlantis'ending .Andso
themenofthecityofAdelais,
thatstoodbytheshore,builta
greatwallagainstthesea .
Yearsoflaborbyahundred
hundredhandsmadethat
wallawonderoftheworld,
andintimeitissaidthatthe
onewhorulesintheoceans
heard of itsbuilding .Andhe
wasdispleased
Inhischariot ofivory,
drawnbyhorsesgreenand
white,herodetoAdelais,and
helookeduponthewall .Itis
saidthatitringedtwelveand
twentymilesofthecoast,and
thatitwasastallashuman
handscouldmakeit .
Andthekingofthesea
liftedhishand,andhewalked
acrossthewavestothewall,
andhestruckitoncewithhis
hand.Twice.Threetimes .
Andtheseacamepouring
in .
- - from THEFALLOF
ADELAIS, authorunknown
CHAPTER 9 : ATTRIBUTES
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
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John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
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4.0.
8 6
THENASTURTIUMLAW :
Ifitmakesgoodmyth,and fitsAspect'sstyle,thenAspectcando
it .
Allthreeoftheserulesrequiresomeinterpretation.Ingeneral,
theHollyhockGodandtheplayersshouldsitdownbefore
thegameandgooverwhatpeopleexpecttodowithAspect.
The HG mayalsochoosetoruleouttheuseofthehighest
levelsofAspect- basedmiracles,tomakesurethatitdoesn't
dominatetheotherattributes .
ofthethingsthatAspectcannotdo :
Aspectcannotsilenceagun .
Aspectcannotdouseanareaindarkness .
Aspectcannotmakeapaintingonecanwalkthrough .
Aspectcannotgrowatreefromanacorn .
Aspectcannotprovide` magical'healingtoothers .
Aspectcannotputanewsunintheskyifsomeidiot
shootsitdown .
AspectcannotprovidesocialinfluenceamongPowers .
Aspectcannotchangehistory .
Aspectcannotprovideplanningintelligenceabovethe
player's .
Aspectcannotmakesomeone'sheadexplodeby
lookingatthem .
Aspectcannotcreatethingsfromnowhere .
AspectcannotmakesomeonelikeChinesefoodwho
doesn't.
Aspectcannotread"impressions"fromobjects .
Aspectcannotpreventbusysignals(orvoice
mailboxes) .
4 Aspectcannotreadminds .(Itcan,however,read
mortalbodylanguage .)
Aspectcannotmakeadevicegobeyonditsuttermost
limits .
Aspectcannotturnsomeoneelseintoanalligator .
AspectcannotconqueraChancelorcreateanAnchor .
Aspectcannotreadabookwithoutopeningit .
Aspectcannotmovethingstelekinetically.
Aspectcannotdispelaghost .
Aspectcannotremoveaconceptfromtheworld,ora
human'smind .(Itcan,however,convincethemtokeep
asecret.)
Aspectcannothelpresistspiritualtemptation .
Aspectcannotnormallyovercomeacharacterusinga
forcethatcharactercontrols,represents,orisingeneral
associatedwith .
Aspectcannotbeusedtoempowerothers .
Aspectcannotbeusedwhenonlythemindispresent
(e .g .inmostvirtual- realities) .
Aspectcan'tmakeliterallyhypnoticart,withorwithout
subliminals .
lw
qp.
qVI
pls
i1
ip .
ip .
Note. GiftsofAspectmaybeabletoworkaroundtheabove
limitations;invisibilityorwingsthatcastforthshadoware,
forexample,validAspect- basedGifts .
ThefollowingaresomemiraclesthatAspectcould
perform,goingbytherulesasgiven,butwhicharespecifically
forbiddeninthedefaultgameworld :
l~Aspectcannotmakesomeonefallinlove .
s~ AspectcannotdamagetheWorldAsh .
4'Aspectcannotdeterminewhatthefutureholds .
RULESFORASPECT
The"powersources"forAspectmiraclesarecalled Aspect
MiraclePoints (AMPS) . Eachcharacterhaspermanent AMPS
andtemporary AMPS. Miraclescosttemporary AMPS, and
characterscanearnback AMPSinvariousways .Whenthe
HG beginsanewstory,theyreseteachcharacter'stemporary
AMP totaltotheirpermanent AMP total .
Charactersbeginwith5permanent AMPSandcanspend
iCharacterPointforeachadditional AMP . Therearealso
waystoincreasethesetotalsduringplay .
" Asimple miraclecostso(temporary) AMPS- it
doesn'tdrainthecharacteratall .
lwA normal miraclecostsi(temporary) AMP toperform .
~~A hard miraclecosts 2 (temporary) AMPStoperform .
'hA deep miraclecosts 4 (temporary) AMPStoperform .
Apowerwithsufficient AMPScanalsousea Wordof
Command . Thishideouslypainfulexertionofbarely
controlledmiraculousenergycanwound,disfigure,or
spirituallydamageeventhestrongestSovereignforweeksor
months .ItcoststhePower8(temporary) AMPSaswell.There
areWordsofCommandforDomainandRealmaswell .The
AspectWordsofCommandaremorespecificallyknownas
"WordsoftheFlesh".
Useamiracle'sdifficultyandthecharacter'sAspectlevel
todeterminewhatsortofmiracleaparticulareffectisfor
thatcharacter :
LESSERMIRACLES,MAJORMIRACLES
Miracledefinitionsaredeliberatelysomewhatvague .Lesser
divinationsshouldonlyanswerquestionsaboutthingsthat
belongtothecharacter'sEstate .Lessermiraclespreserve,
create,destroys,orchange :
Upto10tonsofmaterial;
/'Onesquaremileofterritory ; or
4OnetypicalinstanceoftherelevantEstate .
Usewhicheverstandardismostgeneroustotheparticular
miracle .
Somelessermiraclesgiveobjectsnewqualities .Lesser
miraclesofpreservationgiveobjectsnewdefensesor
resistances .Lessermiraclesofchangegiveobjectsnew
EXAMPLE
Robspends2Character
Pointsforatotalof7
permanent Amps. Atthestart
ofthefirststory,hewillhave
7temporary AMPS. Ifheuses
4ofthemduringthestory,
andthe HG thenstartsanew
story,hewillhave7
temporary AMPSonceagain.
MIRACLETYPE AMPCOST CANBEUSEDWHEN
Normal 1 AMP DifficultyequalsorislessthanAspectLevel +1
Hard 2 AMPS DifficultyequalsorislessthanAspectLevel+2
Deep 4AMPS DifficultyequalsorislessthanAspectLevel +4
WordofCommand 8AMPS DifficultyequalsorislessthanAspectLevel+8
(atthecostofaterriblewound)
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4.0.
qualitiesofvarioussorts .Thesedefenses,resistances,or
qualitiescanbespecificandpowerful (e .g . immunitytolung
cancerortheabilitytojumpexactlyonehundredfeetinto
theair) .Formoregeneralmiracles,trytokeepthepower
levelcomparabletothatfoundinthenaturalworld .Lesser
miraclesofpreservationcangiveahumanthelongevityofa
tortoise,thetensilestrengthofbodyarmor,ortheemotional
controlofanexperiencedmonk .Theycouldgiveashort
songthelifespanof"OneHundredBottlesofBeeronthe
Wall".Lessermiraclesofchangecangiveahumanthetasty
flavorofawell- cookedsouffle,theagilityofacat,orthe
abilitytoseenon- scrambledtelevisionchannelsontheir
innereye.
Lessercreationmiraclesshouldonlycreateobjects - or
partsofthoseobjects - witharelativelysmalland
unremarkablenature .Anythingmorerequiresamajor
miracle .
Thesefourrules - from
helpyoudecide .
i . Wouldany Pc becomeineffectualiftheycouldnot
usemiraclesthispotentovertheirEstate?Thenmake
italessermiracle .
Canyourunthegameeffectivelyiftheplayersand
NPCs throwaroundmiraclesonthisorderof
magnitude?Ifnot,makeitamajormiracle .
DoesthismiraclefeellikesomethingthePower
responsiblefortherelevantpartofrealitywoulddo
routinely,aspartoftheirjob?Makeitalessermiracle .
Doesthismiraclefeellikesomethingfromanepic
conflictoramomentofwonder'Ifitdoesthenmake
itamajormiracle .
2 .
3-
4.
EXAMPLE
AcharacterhasLevel 3 Aspect,orInhumanAspect .Forthischaracter,thechartlookslike :
MIRACLETYPE
Simple (0 AspectMiraclePoints)
Normal (1 AMP)
Hard (2 AMPS)
Deep (4 AMPS)
WordsofCommand (8 AMPS)
MIRACLELEVELS
Levels 0- 3
Level 4
Level 5
Level 6- 7
Levels 8- 11 (seebelow)
Level 9 miraclescando anything thatAspectcando .However,therearetimeswhenaPower
willvoluntarilyincreasethelevelofamiracleinordertomakeitmoreeffectiveagainstother
Powers .Therefore,level 11 miraclescanoccur .
Whattheplayerprobablymemorizesisthis :
Level 3 isimprobablefeats . I candothemforfree .
Level 4 isveryimprobablefeats .Thatcostsmean AMP .
Level 5is'impossibleforhumans' . . .butitmimicsanimalabilities .Thatcostsme 2 AMPS.
Level 7 isimpossiblebutstraightforwardfeatsthataffectthelocalarea .Thatcostsme 4 AMPS.
NotethatGiftsofAspectdon'tmatterinthiscalculation .FewbeginningPowerswillhave 8
AMPStospendonaWordofCommand .
LEVELOMIRACLES:
PEAKPERFORMANCEANDTHESIGHT
Humansoftenhavebaddaysorperformatalevellessthan
theirbest.Aslicklydesigned"Sale"signtakesinasharp
bargainhunter .Aforesterspendshoursfailingtokindlea
fire .Amathematicianbangstheirheadagainstasimple
problemfordays .Amarksman'striggerfingertwitches .
APower,ontheotherhand,canchoosetoforsakebad
days .WithanAspectomiracle,aPowercanmakethemost
outoftheirnatural,unmiraculousabilities .UsinganAspect
omiracleinsteadofanordinaryunmiraculousactionscreens
outtheeffectsoffatigue,hunger,thirst,adrenaline- based
twitchiness,mood,health,anduncertainty.ThePowerdoes
thebesttheirmortalselfcando,eachandeverytime .They
won'tsurpasstheirnaturalabilities,sotheycanstillmake
mistakesorfail,butneitherwilltheywasteanyoftheirnatural
potential .
WithanAspectomiracle,thatshopper'scriticalfaculties
mostimportanttoleast - may remainengaged- the"Sale"signdoesn'tfoolthem .The
foresterkindlesthefirealmostinstantlyornotatall .The
mathematiciansolvestheproblemasfistastheyhaveever
solvedsuchproblems .Themarksman'striggerfingerdoes
nottwitch .
Acharacter'smortalabilities,asexpressedthroughnon-
miraculousactionsandAspectomiracles,dogrownaturally
overtime .APowerwhofenceseverydayimprovestheir
fencingtalentatthesameratethatthemortalthenonce
werewouldhaveimprovedtheirs .Thisistruewhetherthe
PowerusesAspectomiracles,Aspect 3 miracles,orno
miraclesatallonthefencingmat .
Examplelevelomiraclesincludedancing,jumping,
climbingawall,orperforminglabwork .Howwellthe
characteractuallyperformsdependsonthecharacter's
background .Ingeneral,theplayerdecideshowwellthe
characterperforms,whenusingalevelomiracle(ornon-
miraculousaction),buttheHollyhockGodcanoverrulethe
playerifappropriate .
Otherexamplesoflevelomiracles :
Shopping,withpeakmentalacuityandbargain
memory.
Changingclothes,asfastashumanlypossible .
Firingagun,coolly,collectedly,andprecisely .
Drivingacar,withpeakalertnessandreflexes .
d.
Y>
TheSight
Powerspossessamystic"Sight"thatenablesthemtoidentify
othersoftheirkindas obilis,magicalobjectsasmagical,
AnchorsasAnchors,ImperatorsasImperators,Excrucians
asExcrucians,andsoforth .Itwillalsogivethemavague
ideaofthenatureoftheSovereignorobject .Forexample,
theymightseetherisingsunbehindthePoweroftheDawn,
andafaintlimningofsunlightaboutthatPower'sAnchor.
TurningonthisSightisalevelomiracle .Inadditiontoits
benefits,thisdarkensandblurstheimagesofthingswithout
power.Itcanbeturnedoffatwill .Powersaffiliatedwiththe
"Idon'tcardiftheuniverse
doesgetdestroyed,"he,said
sharply. "Ihaveanalgebra
testtostudyfor :"
- - from ONSERVINGTHE
NO BILIS, byLucGinneis
87
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Editor: Bruce Baugh
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John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
88
Sosharpisthevisionofthe
hawkthatitseesitspreyeven
beforethewind
.fromA MEDIEVAL
BESTIARY, byPaul
McArthur
IsawourLordonce,"the
mothertoldherchild"Itwas
abeautifulthing,toseehim
move . . .
- fromtheThought- Record
ofMartinCravitt
Wildcanoccasionallysensepivotalchoicesandstolen
freedomsusingtheSight,eventhroughwalls .Thisisnot
reliableunlesstheybuyaGift .Excruciansand(morerarely)
PowerscanconcealthemselvesfromtheSight .
LEVELIMIRACLES:HIGH- LEVELHUMAN
Levelimiraclesliewithinthepotentialofverycompetent
humans .Thisincludesprofessionalathleticability,uptoabout
thelevelofbronze- medalOlympians .
Otherlevelrmiraclesinclude :
4, Runningthroughaforestinperfectsilence .
q> PerformingaJudothrowonademon .
f>Catchingarrows .
` j>Computingcuberootsinone'shead .
(>Rememberingbeingborn .
Verysharpsenses .
LEVEL2MIRACLES:WORLDRECORD
PERFORMANCEANDGUISING
Level 2 miracleslieatmostatinybitabovetheabilityofthe
greatestmundanehumans,includingsettingnewworld
records,solvingmoderatesetsoflinearequationsinstantly,
andsuch .HumansdescendedfromanImperator(veryrare,
inthismodernage)andidiotsavantscanperformoneor
twomiraclesofthislevelregularly,butnootherhumanscan .
Otherlevel 2 miraclesinclude :
f>Runningsoundlesslythroughaforestwithathornin
one'sfoot .
f>Exactlymeasuringdistancesbyeye .
'1>Rememberinganythingyou'veeverheard.
Guising
AllPowerspossessalimitedformofshapeshiftingknownas
"Guising",alevel 2 Aspectmiracle .Thisallowsthemtotake
onaformsuitedtotheirenvironment,whilestillremaining
essentiallythemselves .AstatelyandaugustPowercouldadopt
theformofaChinesemandarininChina,anAfricanbusiness
potentateinNigeria,aregalJotunintheworldof Jotunheim,
ananthropomorphicsquidinaChancelwheresquidsare
theordinarypeople,andasleeksharkundersea .TheGuising
Powerdoesnotchoosetheirform - theytakeonashape
suitedtothelocalpopulation .Further,theirshapereflects
theirnaturalappearanceasmuchaspossible - Guising
cannotdisguiseaPowerfromthosewhoknowofitsexistence .
ThemysticSightofSovereigns,describedaboveunder
levelomiracles,seesstraightthroughaguisetotheunderlying
bodyandnatureofthePower.Physicallaws,however,respect
theguise,sothat(forinstance)aguiseddragoncanfitina
mortalbar.NonhumanPowersoftenuseGuisingtomove
amonghumanpopulations .
PowerscanGuiseasanimals,butonlyifthoseanimals
arethehighestmortallifeformsinthevicinity .APower
maroonedfarfromland,orfallingtowardsanuninhabited
desert,sometimesbecomesafishorbirdwhenGuising ;no
Powerlikestorelyuponthishope .
LEVEL3MIRACLES:IMPROBABLEFEATS
Level3miraclesarephysicallypossible,butunreasonablefor
anormalhumantoevenattempt .Thisincludessuchthings
asstandingoneightfingertips,skeetshootingwhilesurfing,
runningonfencetops,orpunchingthroughsteel,and
equivalentmentalfeats .
Otherlevel3miraclesinclude :
l>OutcomputingaPentium .
` >Posingforamagazinewithoutneedingretouching .
E>Shatteringrockswithablow .
I>Inventingnewmartialartsstyleswithacertaintyof
success .
LEVEL4MIRACLES:VERYIMPROBABLEFEATS
Level4miraclesstraddletheborderofphysicalimpossibility :
thingslikethrowingamotorcycleandstandingontwo
fingertips,likeoutcomputingaCrayorsingingbothhalves
ofaduet .Ingeneral,ifthere'sanychanceyouwouldbelieve
ahumanonceaccomplishedit - andhumanshavebounced
cannonballs - itcanbedonewithalevel4Aspectmiracle .
` l>Analyzingcomplexmortalsituationsprecisely
q>Throwingamotorcycleorsmallcar.
Runningontheheadsofacrowd .
!>Trackingsomeonebyscent .
LEVEL5MIRACLES:IMPOSSIBLEFORHUMANS
Level s miraclesarenotphysicallypossibleforhumans,but
approximatetheabilitiesofanimalsormachines ;theygive
capabilitieslikethosepossessedbymundaneinhabitantsof
Earth .Birdscanfly,soanenormousglidingleapisalevel5
miracle .Catsarefast,sothislevelincludesinhumanspeed .
Charactersthataren'thumancandoappropriatethingsabit
better :forexample,wingedcharacters,evenwithoutan
appropriateGift,canflyasalevel5miracle .
Otherlevel
5
miraclesinclude :
'l>Catchingbullets .
4, Archeryat300meters .
LEVEL6MIRACLES:UNIVERSALLYIMPROBABLE
Level6miraclesdonotfitanyofthelevelsabove,butremain
boundedbyreasonandrationalconstraints .Youcanimagine
somethingdoingitwithoutmagic .Itis,forexample,
physicallyimpossibletoliftamountain,becauseachunk
willjustbreakoffinthelifter'shands .Atthislevel,though,
onecanliftaweightthatisasheavyasamountain .
l>Crushinggranitetopowder .
f>RunningatMach3 .
q> Writingathicknovelovernight .
l>Memorizingeverythingeverwritten.
(>Defeatinganarmyinsinglecombat,onebyone .
'l>Reconcilingquantummechanicsandgeneralrelativity.
Icouldtellthatmylordwas
upset.AgitatedIdidn'tknow
howmuchsountilthephone
rang . . . hisprospectivedate,
Deborah,Isupposed
Hepickeditupbeforethe
secondring . . . ouronlyphone
wastwofloorsaway.
from ONSERVINGTHE
NOBILIS, by LucGinneis
Downadozenfeckless
turningsshehadrun,and
squirmedthroughabroken
windowtogainentranceto
thewarehousewhereshe
breathed,bloodyandtired,a
dustylightlessair.The . . . the
things . . . wordsburnedin
hermind,Iknowwhereyou
willrun . . ."butshehadn't
knownitherself.
Andyetacoldandrough-
edgedhandclosedabouther
wrist.
.fromtheEntertainment
Archive"ofBaronetDulian
Theangelshedhisguise .It
wasjustaswell . . . easierto
becertainthatway .Sevenor
eightfeetofwingspreadon
eithersideofhim .Agolden
swordwasinhishands.
Inasinglecleanmotion,
thesixofusaimedour
submachineguns.The
moment q1firingwasan
epiphany:sixthunders
roaringatonce.Sixripplesof
painupontheangel'sflesh .
Thosewingsbegantomoveas
hestaggeredback.Thatwas
okay.They'dneversupport
him,never lift theonesixty
poundsofhimintotheair.
Excepttheydid.
ofHughRosewood
". . . Everyone,a fterall,can
juggleflamingtorchesand
knives .
Butnow . . .1juggle
trees. "
fromthediaryofIbn
a'Harid,Jann
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
"Impossible?No,"saidthe
Power,gently.'Itisonlythat
yourperceptionsarelimited,
andyourviewof'theworld
unclear."
from ROSEBUDAND THE
SOVEREIGN, author
unknown
"Thetruth,"theoldmansaid,
inavoicetooweaktocut
butter,"isthattheknollwas
lotscloserthanthegunman
neededtobe . "
- from SPOTLIGHT:C, by
MarilithTurner
AspectMiracleIndex
SpecialAspectPowersIndex
Level 0
TheSight
Level 2
Guising
LEVEL7MIRACLES:IMPOSSIBLEFORANYONE
(LOCALEFFECTS
Level7miraclesareepicmiracles .Theycanbetruly
impossible,suchasdrinkingapond,buttheymustremain
easytoconceptualize .Level7isadditionallylimitedinthat
itcannotaffectvastareas .Thesemiraclesfeedonthe
character'spersonalenergies,andtheireffectsdwindlemore
thanafewmilesaway .ThePowercannotblowawayanarmy,
butcanknockdownthousandswithabreath .Atthislevel,
thePowerinvokingthemiraclecanshowabsoluteandtotal
masteryofanyskillofanysort,andtheyareabletosolve
eventheoreticallyunsolvableproblemsordifficulties .
` f9 , Takingdownablimpwithathrownhatpin .
qsTakingdownablimpwithathrowncourthouse .
q'Swallowingelephants .
f'Shoutingloudenoughtokill .
LEVEL8MIRACLES:IMPOSSIBLEFORANYONE
NON- LOCALEFFECTS
Level8miraclesarealsoepic,nearlyimpossible,andcan
affecthugesweepsofterritory .Thislevelisforshoutsthat
deafencountries,forliftingmountains,andforstompingthe
EarthhardenoughtoactivatetheSanAndreasfault .Thisis
thepenultimatemiraclelevel,andthemiraclesmuststillbe
easytoimagine,buttheirpotentialpowerisenormous .
4Jumpingbetweencontinents .
~~Shootingdownthesun .
hDrinkingalake .
Swallowingcities .
LEVEL9MIRACLES:FABLED
Level9miraclesofAspectcandoanythingelseallowedby
Aspect
DetectingNobilis,Excrucians,Anchorsinuse,
andmagicalthings.Vaguelysensingtheirnatures.
PuttingonahumanorChancel- appropriateshape .
(DoesnotaffecttheSight .)
Level9miraclesinclude :
is Intimidatingallthemalesinacrowdaged I2- 2o,
selectively.
q Writingasongthatistrulyirresistiblycatchy .
4, Hidingamountaininyourshirt .
Notethateachlevelincludesallthemiraclesoftheprevious
levels .Usethecostchart(p .86)tofindthesmallestmiracle
levelthatcanaccomplishagiventask .
Mysticalcreatureswithabilitiesliketruth- senseor
winterbreatharenotamongthe"mundaneinhabitantsofthe
Earth"whichlevel5miraclescanmimic .Thisdoesnotmean
thatcharacterscannothavetheseabilities .Theycanbe
purchasedasGiftsofAspect,accordingtotherulesfound
later.
Note: Ifagivenmysticalfeatisnotnaturalgiventhe
physicalandmentalnatureofthecharacter,anditdoesnot
parallelahumanorananimalability,thenitcannotbe
performedusingAspectMiraclePoints .
DOMAIN
TheSovereignPowersrepresentandpersonifythebuilding
blocksoftheuniverse .IneachPower'ssoul,ashardoftheir
Imperatorcroucheslikeanacidicgnome .Asitsessence
diffusesthroughthem,itgrantsthemthepowertoruleone
ofthosebuildingblocks(occasionally,more) .Thisistheir
Estate,alsoknownastheirDomain,andtheDomain
attributemeasurestheircontroloverit.
Domainmiraclescandoalmostanythingtothemortal
world,althoughtheDomainAttributeofanyspecificSov-
ereignismorelimited .Thesemiraclesgivethe,obilisbroad
andeffectivecontroloverthethingsoftheirEstate .Most
Sovereignsalsohavesomecontroloverthethingsassociated
withtheirEstate .Atthehighestlevels,thereisnothingin-
volvingthatEstate(barringinterferencefromotherPowers)
thattheycannotdo .IfaPower'sEstateisthesun,theycan
useDomaintobringdownfires,wakediurnalanimals,en-
lightenmortals,andperhapsevencommandthePhoenix .
ThestrengthofaPower'sbondtotheirEstateisnot
necessarilytiedtothebreadthoftheircommandoverit .The
Domainattributeismoreofan"affinity",aknackoratalent
forthiskindofmiracle .Somehaveitandcanworkdazzling
miraclesfromthemomentoftheirCommencement .Others
neverlearn .Low- DomainPowersoftendescriberealityand
theirEstatesas"slippery,""heavy,"or"stubbornlyrebellious" .
Althoughitdoesnotobeythemwell,thePowersof
rudimentary("crippled")Domainstillfeelaloveforthething
theyembodyandprotect .AstheDominusofEnglishsaid,
pullinghisknifefromaQuebecoisseparatist,"You'vegotta
lovethisjob ."
Domainfollowsgamemechanicsmuchlikethosethat
governAspect .Youmaybuyupto
5
levelsofDomain,and
eachlevelmakesworkingmiracleswithDomaineasierfor
thecharacter.YoucanalsobuyGiftsofDomain .
Playersshouldworkwiththe HG todefinewhattheir
charactercaninfluencewiththeirDomain .Thismeans
8
9
MIRACLELEVEL LEVELDESCRIPTION EXAMPLEMIRACLE
Level0 Peakperformance Gracefuljump
TheSight
Level 1 High- levelhuman Olympiclongjump
Level 2 World- recordperformance Worldrecordjump
Guising
Level3 Improbablefeats Skeet- surfing
Level 4 Veryimprobablefeats Runningonheads
Level5 Impossibleforhumans Catchingabullet
Level 6 Universallyimprobable Drinkingalake
Level 7 Impossibleforanyone(local) Liftingahill
Level 8 Impossibleforanyone(non- local) Liftingamountain
Level9 Fabled Hidingamountain
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
9o
"Lady,"hesaid,andknelt .
Thewoman'sh.airwas
tangled;herfacewaspallid
andpainfullythin :shewas
theLadyofthePlague .She
gesturedhimimpatientlyto
rise.
Ihavecomefrom
Germany,"hesaid,"wheremy
loveliesdying .Ihavecometo
askyoutosparehim,great
Lady.Icanofferyoumuchin
exchange ."
"Fool,"shesaid,andthere
wasbitterblackanger
wellingfromherlikeoilfrom
theearth,` doyouthinkI
choosewhomItake?"
from LADYOFTHE
PLAGUE, byEmilyChen
definingtheEstateandafewthings"closelyrelated"toit
thatthecharactercanalsocontrol .Forexample,thePower
oftheSunandtheir HG agreethatthePower'sDomain
miraclescanaffectthesunitself,changethecyclesofday
andnight,callupfire,andinspiremortals .ThePowerof
Probabilityandtheir HG agreethatthePower'sEstatereflects
onlytheoutcomesoflargegroupsofactions .Itdoesnot
changetheprobabilityofsingleevents .Inaddition,the
Power'sDomaingivescontrolovergamblers,gambling,and
chaoticphenomena .
Ultimately,the HG shouldmakesurethatPowersdefine
theirEstates- andcloseassociationstotheirEstates- in
amannerthatencouragescreativityandmaintainsrough
playercharacterparity .Forexample,ifthePowerof
EmotionsandthePowerofFeararebothPcs,thePowerof
EmotionshasabroaderEstate .However,the HG could
encouragethePowerofEmotionstopickartistsandartistry
asthemajorassociationsfortheirEstate,whilegivingthe
PowerofFearcontroloverclassicallyfrighteningandmacabre
phenomena- walkingskeletons,wolves,pitchdarkness,
insectswarms,andsoforth .BothPowershavebroadabilities,
butcontroloverartistsislessusefulinapinchthancontrol
overthemonstrous .
PowerscanhavemorethanoneEstate .SomePowers
extendtheirauthoritywithtime,acquiringadditionalcontrol
overEstatesinsomesenseclosetotheirown .SuchPowers
buy SecondaryDomain overadditionalEstates .Eachlevel
ofSecondaryDomainoverasingleadditionalEstatecosts
onepoint .APowercannotbuySecondaryDomainpastthe
leveloftheirprimaryDomainAttribute .UnlikeDomain,
whichdefaultsto0levels,NobilishavenoscoreinSecondary
Domainsbydefault .Theymustbuyatleastonelevelof
SecondaryDomaininagivenEstatetoperformmiracles
basedonthatSecondaryDomain .
LetustaketheexampleofArikel,whoembodiesNight .
Itishisplayer'sjobtodefineareasonablesetofassociations
forthisEstate;hechoosesdarknessanddreams .Ifsomething
comesupwithstrongandobviousassociationswithNight,
it'sincludedaswell .Arikelalsowantssomemeasureofpower
overthebodiesofsleepersandovernightanimals .
HisDomainsareNight(includingdarknessanddreams),
whichishisPrimaryDomain(Level4,
12
points) ;Sleeping
Bodies,whichisaSecondaryDomain(Level 2,2 points) ;
andNightAnimals,whichisalsoaSecondaryDomain(Level
2,2 points) .Thetotalcostisi6points .
LEVEL0 :PAWN,ORCRIPPLEDDOMAIN
opoints
CharacterswiththislevelofDomaindonotcommandtheir
Estate .Infact,theymayevenbeaplaythingforitswhims,
whatthePowerscalla"Pawn"oftheirEstate .(Thistermis
sometimesaninsultandsometimeswornwithpride,like
"geek"or"fundamentalist".)SomePowersarePawnsbecause
ofa"warwound"theirImperatorsufferedintheValde
Bellum,inwhichtheImperator'sownsenseofselfhasbeen
damaged .Sometimes,anImperatordeliberatelyblocksoff
thispartofanewlyCommencedNoble'spower .Itissaid
thatthisindicatesalackoftrust,butthemotivesofImperators
defysimplecategorization .
DonotmakethechoiceofleveloDomainlightly.One
willhavealmostnoaccesstotheprimalsorcerieswhich
Powers,ingeneral,takeforgranted .
EXAMPLECONCEPTS
Ruth (whopreferstobecalled"Jezebel",butnobodydoes
so)isthegoddessofthepunks .Likethemovementitself,
shewasinitiallythecreationoftheExcrucians .TheImperator
Sharashbeltooktherarestepofinterveningpersonallyin
thatparticularBreakthrough,absorbingtheconcept/reality-
fragmentassociatedwiththemovement .Whilethewhole
cityofSantaGiorgi,California,sankintoaChanceland
eventhememoryofitfadedfromtheoutsideworld,
SharashbeltorturouslycleansedRuthoftheExcrucian
influenceandchangedherintoaDominaoftheLight .The
energyofthatBreakthroughhasn'tyetbeencaptured,though :
eithertheExcruciansachievedtheirobjective,ortheirgoal
isyettobereachedandtoosubtletobeseen .Ruthherself,of
course,isnotentirelytrustedorrespected ;atthat,herflesh
isevenusedbytheothersofherFamiliaCaelestisasasource
ofcharmswithwhichtocontroltheyoung .
Mikhail wastheforemostPowerofRussia,beforehelost
hislove .Sheperishedinthewinterwindshehimselfbrought
uponSt .Petersburg .Hisresulting(entirelyinappropriate)
nervousbreakdownnearlyseveredtheconnectionbetween
hisEstateandhimself .Hesplitintotheshadowyremnant
ofahumansoul,boundintoaPower'sbody,andacold
impersonalforce(playedbythe HG) thathastakenuphis
formerduties .Inexchangeforcertainconcessions,the
Imperatorhebelongedtotradedthathumanselftoanother .
Servantswhohavetastedpowerarealwaysuseful,and
Mikhail'sAspectremainsstrong .The HG willdoubtless
exploretheconnectionbetweenMikhailandtheinhuman
Powerthatcarriesouthisoldjobinthecourseofthegame .
LEVELI:BARONET,ORWEAKDOMAIN
3,Points
ThislevelofDomain(overone'sprimaryEstate)iscommon
amongthosewhoclaimthetitleBaronandthesix- pearled
coronet .The"Baronets",wholackstrengthoftheirownand
mustrelyonsupportfromgreaterPowers,oftenhavethis
levelofDomainaswell .Domainiprovidesbasicmasteryof
theirEstate,enoughtoworkasmallmiracleortwoon
occasion .
AcharacterofWeakDomainintheirprimaryEstateis
generallyaperson(even,ahuman)first,andasymbolof
theirEstateadistantsecond .WeakDomainoveradditional
Estatesismorecommon .
EXAMPLECONCEPTS
Melanie istheBardofourage :onlyayoungstudentnow,in
theruralChancelofTumeoTumbarius,she'salready
beginningtomastertheEstateofMusicthathasbeengiven
intoherhands .HerEstateislesssubtlethanthatof
Diminuendo,DominaoftheFugue .Melaniewilllearna
OPPOSITE:
TheDomainofSilence
byRavenMimura
Napoleonliftedthecrowns
high.Hisvoicerangout .
IcrownmeNapoleonthe
first,"hesaid,` Baronof
Corsica,andtheEmperorof
allthismortalEarth ."Then
heloweredthecrownontohis
head,andonebyoneallwho
stoodwithintheroomknelt
beforehim .Savethree .
Andhelookedtothose
three,andhegavewhatis
saidtohavebeenamanic
smile .Itisalsosaidthatin
thatlooktherewasacertain
measure offear . . . .
frothA HISTORYOFTHE
FRENCHREVOLUTION, by
DameWinters
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
9 2
eyes?"
"Check ."
Thecustomsmanmadea
noteonhispad."Liver?"
Therewasamomentof
pain .Then,"Check ."
"Bonemarrow?"
. . .sweet."
"I'msorry,Mister
Serrano,"saidthecustoms
man ."Butmyassistant
here . . . heknowsbodiesvery
verywell.Anditseemsthat
you'reahuman ."
Henrylookedbriefly
puzzled."OfcourseIam . . .
11-
andwecan'thave
thathere."
- from THELIFEAND
DEATHOFHENRY
SERRANO, byEmilyChen
broad- reachingpoweroverallkindsofmusicalsounds ;Dimi's
powercoversoneofthefundamentalstructuralbuilding
blocksoftheworld,theconjoiningofsimilarstrengthsto
produceawholeandbalancedeffect .Fornow,Melaniecan
produceonlythemostbasicmiraclesofDomain,suchas
playinganyinstrumentwell .Thebulkofherpointsprobably
gointoSpirit,sothatherharper'smusiccanperformthe
magicalritualsthatarekeytotheconflictwiththeExcrucians .
BaronKyleO'Donoghue isthenamemostrecentlyused
bythePowerofthe UNIXcomputeroperatingsystem .Heis
aquirkymanwhosewords(andevenhisthoughts)type
themselvesoutwithinhisglass- cleareyes .Someofthegreater
computerorsoftwarePowershavetheabilitytodirectly
controltheirDomains,butKylefindsthisdifficult .Tohim,
thevariationsofthe UNIXoperatingsystemfollowtheir
internallogicstrictly .Changinghowitworksonanydeep
levelisbeyondhim .Toworkamiraclethatactuallyaffects
thesystemitself,hemustworkoutallofthepossible
consequences- andanawfullotofcode - insidehishead .
Hisgreatestadvantageisthattheprogramsheworksout,
eitherasamiracleorauseofskill,automaticallyrunwith
thesameprivilegesasthoseoftheownerofthemachine .
LEVEL2:VISCOUNT,ORMINORDOMAIN
6points
ThislevelofDomainservesitsownerswell .Miraclesof
comfortandofdivinationcomereadily .Witheffort,they
canworkmoreinterestingmarvelswiththeirEstates .The
title"Viscount"andthechain- of- pearlscrownisproperfor
characterswiththislevelofcontrolovertheirEstates . . . but
notethatinthegamerealityitisdifficulttoverifyaPower's
credentials .
InthePowers'Sight,mostViscountslackthepatinaof
mundanitythatgenerallycoverstheBaronsandthePawns .
Theyarealiveandburningwiththeenergyoftheforcethey
represent .Eventohumaneves,theyoftenhavecharacteristics
evocativeoftheirEstate,suchasredhairfortheDominaof
Fire,shiningevesfortheDominusofLight,orgnarledlimbs
fortheDominaoftheTrees .
EXAMPLECONCEPTS
Whisper isanancientPower,whohasbeentheDominaof
theRiversincebeforeCainslewAbel .Evenshenolonger
remembersherhumanname,shebotherswithonlyonetitle :
WardenoftheHeartwoodsChancel .Shelivesforthewaters'
causes,butenoughhumanityremainsinherthatshecan
adapttothechangingworldandtakerationalapproachesto
modernEarth'splight .Asshepreparestofightthepolluters
ontheirownbattleground - moneyandpolitics- sheruns
themostsuccessfuldowsingcompanyonEarth .
TakariRisu wasagreen- hairedgirlfromaJapanese
animation,with(fornoclearreason)antennae .Herstory
wasplayinginatheatrenextdoorwhentheJiyamasucult
attemptedtosummonadeadangeltodotheirbidding .The
spellgroundedthroughthecultatoneendandtheangel's
heir,Mahariel,attheother .TheimageofTakari,onthe
screen,wascaughtinbetween .Anewentitywaspulledfrom
thescreen,wearingRisu'sface,boundtoMaharielastightly
asanyofhisNobles .Asintheanime,Risuisatechnical
genius .Accordingly,sheholdsaDomainovermodern
technologyattheViscountlevel .Themostimportantaspects
ofaNoble,mysticalpowerandtheImperator- Dominatie,
arepresentinRisu,althoughitisappropriatetocheckwith
the HG beforemakingacharactersuchasRisuwhoisnot
technicallyoftheNobilis.
LEVEL3 :MARCHESSA,ORFORCEFULDOMAIN
9points
ForcefulDomainis,firstandforemost,apowerof
perpetuation .Itdealswithstrengtheningstatesofbeingand
energiesuntiltheycanresistattacksmadeuponthem .Even
thenameappliedtothesePowers - "Marquis"or
"Marchessa" - means"preserver",descendingalongtwisted
linguisticpathsfromMachisene,thenameoftheangelof
memory.APowerofForcefulDomainisentitledtoweara
coronetwithstrawberryleavessetamongstitspearls .
CharacterswiththislevelofDomainhavebeenentrusted
mostdeeplywiththemaintenanceandcontinuationoftheir
Estateinandoutofthemortalworld.Thebondbetween
themandtheirpowerisdeepandsubtle,andhasgreat
influenceontheirpersonalityandphysicalappearance .
EXAMPLECONCEPTS
Shi- mi isthePlacidaRex,theLadyofCalmReflection,and
theMarchessaLeana.Sheruleslions,andmoregenerally
cats .Sheistheonecalledupontopreservethefelineracesin
theirteemingmillionsupontheEarthandtothespiritual
energyofdyingfelineseverywhereforherImperator'smagics .
Inpractice,shespendsmostofhertimeinlongnaps,visiting
thedead,andcareeningabouttheworldfornoclearreason .
Onoccasion,however,shedescendssolowastoactually
performherduties,rescuingthecatswithgoodsurvivorgenes
fromthesadfatesthatbadluckalonehasbroughtthemto .
Inherpresence,animalsofthefelinepersuasionmayfall
fromgreatheights,ortumbleunderthewheelsofan
oncomingcar,onlytoarrive,unhurt,attheirfinaldestination .
Tytalus wasonceagod,hisdomainalltheplantsthat
are .Byhisdoingandhiswillthesunlightfedthem,andsoil
nourishedthem,andtheprimalforestspreadacrosstheworld .
ThentheExcruciansmadetheirfirst,infinitelycareful,moves
againsttheEarth,andinablowsosoftheneverfeltitthey
brokehissoulandsentitrainingtotheEarthbelow .Itwas
amillenniumbeforethetruewarbegan,beforetheother
ImperatorsunderstoodthethreattheExcruciansposed .Not
untilthendidashardofTytalusfirstreawaken .AnImperator
awakenedit,drawntothatshard'srestingplace - knowingly
ornot - tomakeaChancelthere .Itwasnotpleasantfor
eitherofthesoulsinvolved,butintheend,apieceofTytalus
foundabitternewexistenceasaPower,asamereservantto
anowmuchstrongerLord .Worseyet,ahumanmindnow
sharesspacewithhisown,andsometimesitevenrulestheir
union .
"Comeonin, " theguidesaid
softly,andhegestureddown
theroadSomethingblurred
intheairahead,asoft
waveringthatmadeedges
uncertainandthesimplepath
assumeasense of danger."We
havebeenpreparingthe
Chancelforyourarrival."
"Oh?"saidShehariah,
andhejauntilystepped
forward
Hisguidefollowedhimas
thepathdissolvedto
elsewhere,andsmiledatthe
vistathatopenedbeforehim .
Wildflowersgrewbeside
asimplegoldenarch,and
beyondtheroadled
downwardsintoacityof
whitemarble,andtherewas
asingingintheair.
"It'sHeaven,"said
Shehariahsoftly .
"Apalememory,only,"
murmuredtheguide,"caught
inaglass . "
"Damnyou!"thefallen
angelcried.
-from LEGENDSOFTHE
- OBILIs,
byLucGinneis
WHENCECOMESTHE
COLOROFTHESNOW?
ThehigheraPower's
Domain,themoretheirbody
andmindcometoreflectthe
nature oftheirEstate .
Simultaneously,asaPower's
Domainincreases,their
abilitytochangetheirEstate
increases.
IntheBook of Questions,
aladysuggeststhather
companionresemblesthe
snow ;hearguesthatthe
snow,instead,resembleshim .
Thetruth ofthematteris
ambiguous .TheEstate of
SnowandthePower of Snow
influenceoneanother.Snow
hasitsownnature,butits
currentPowercolorshowthat
natureisexpressed
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
"ComeinLuc,"camethe
GrayOne'svoice .
Hehadbroughtawoman
upfromEarth,Iknew.Ihad
littleexperiencewithother
mortals,butIthoughtthat
thatcouldgetunpleasant;I
hadnodesiretoenter.
NorhadIachoice .SoI
openedthedoorandIwalked
in,andIkeptmyeyesaverted
fromthebed.
Ithoughtthiswaswhat
Iwanted,once,"theGray
Onesaid.
"Yes,mylord?"
"Power,"hesaid,softly .
Thewomanwassilent.
"Respect.Rule.Andyet . . .I
amsodistancedfromwhatI
oncewas.Ithurts,Luc ."
Thatwassostartling
thatIlookeddirectlyathim .
Thewomanlaystill
clotheduponthebedHereyes
wereclosed,andshebreathed
softlyinhersleep.Andmy
lordandmaster . . .
Hestoodbeside,hiseyes
fixeduponherformButhe
didnotmove.
-from ONSERVINGTHE
(oBILIS, byLucGinneis
Therewasanacidic,charnel
stench;abillowofsmoke ;the
soundoftorturedmetalAnd
thenIlookedup,andIsawat
thecenterofitalltheOne
whoembodiedPride . . . and
suchwastheclarityofthat
vision,andsovisceralwas
thecorruptionthatcrawled
acrosshisskin,thatIfill
stumblingtothefloor,praying
softly,desperately,thatI
shouldnotbeharmed . . . .
from ONSERVINGTHE
NOBILIS, byLucGinneis
LEVEL4:DUCHESS,ORMASTERFULDOMAIN
12 points
TheDukesandDuchessesoftheNobilisimmerse
themselvesverydeeplyinthemysteriesoftheirEstate .Even
tomortaleyes,unlesstheyaredeeplyGuised,theirnatureis
obvious :amanwhoseestheDukeofFaminewillremember
nothiseyes,northecolorofhishair,butthesenseofhunger
andhumansufferingthathungintheairaroundhim .Those
whowearthecrownofstrawberryleavesandgold,likethose
withthepreviouslevelofDomain,areresponsibleforthe
preservationoftheirEstate ;manymustalsobringitinto
being .
ChoosingthislevelofDomainmeansacharacternever
lacksinmagics.TothemortalsofEarth,theirpowersseem
godlike .Theycanpourforthvastenergiesofcreation,shaped
intotheformsofthemultifariousfacesoftheirEstate .
EXAMPLECONCEPTS
Dumonia isthelast- bornoftheelevenMuses(thePowers,
thatis,oftheImperatorRinnah) .Dumoniainspiresall
alternativemusicandkeepstheschedulebywhichmusicians
riseandfall.Whenthisschedulecallsforit,sheraisesamortal
tothelevelofmusicaliconorsimplycraftsthemusicianshe
needsoutofnowhere,anddepositsthemandtheirbandfull-
fledgedupontheEarth .Whenagreatsingerofthe
appropriatestylebeginstolosetheirtouch,shedragsthem
fromtheEarthintotheChancelParnassus,wherewiththeir
new,permanentinspirationtheyprovideherandhersisters
withregularentertainment .Dumoniadisdainstitles,butshe
isatleastaspowerfulashereldersister,Mariana,theDuchess
ofPop.
IvoisaPowerofLanguage,andthereforeofwisdomas
well .Hehasbeentheguidinghandbehindmanynewwords,
anduntilrecentlyhewasthespiritbehindtheInternet .Now,
alas,theInternetthatonceboundthecollegesandgovern-
menttogetherwithropesoftextisdominatedbygraphics
andsounds ;soon,itwillfallawayfromhiscontrolforever .
LEVEL5:REGAL,ORMAJESTICDOMAIN
_r5points
RegalsarenotnecessarilythemostrespectedPowers .They
canbeweakintheirpersonandunimportantintheirChancel .
TheirEstatecanbeaminororanunimportantthing .They
are,however - respectedforitorno - thetruest
representationsoftheirDomains .Theyarethelivinggods
ofwhattheystandfor .Theyareforcesofnature ;theyare
eachanaspectoftheworld .
CharactersofMajesticDomaincanperformfeatsworthy
oftheCreator .APowerofStonemighttwistmountains
intolivingserpentsofrock,andthe"PatronessMathematica"
couldtwistthebasicgeometriesoftheworldtoleadanarmy
fromIndiatoVenezuelainasinglestep .Thegoddessof
gardenscouldfillonewith"bread- and- butterflies ."Onthe
onehand,usingthislevelofpowerinthemortalEarthalmost
inevitablyattractstheattentionandwrathofLordEntropy .
Ontheother,RegalsarethemostlikelyofallPowerstohold
theirowninabattleagainstanImperator .
EXAMPLECONCEPTS
MayaistheLordofIllusion,hisDomainthesenses .
Althoughhecancreatenothingreal,hisdominionoverthe
mortalexperienceissogreatthatheissometimesconfused
withtheplanetEarthitself.Hecaneasilydazzleordelude
countriesfullofpeople,individuallyorcollectively .His
greatestweaknessisthatnoneofhiscreationsaretrulyreal ;
accordingly,hecanonlystrikeindirectlyagainstthePowers
andtheExcrucians,whoareproofagainsthismagics.(Why
immune?SeetherulesforDomain,below .)
Daemarnia istheLadyofCaves,whichmayseema
minorDomain.Atherlevelofcommand,however,shecan
createvastunderworldsfilledwithtreasuresorspawnstrange
racesinthedarkunderground .Itisthematterofamoment
forhertocollapsetheearthbeneathabuilding,aperson,or
acountry.Shecouldinspireapoettowritevastsagasabout
theunderworld .Shouldanyventuretobraceherinherrocky
home,theangrywallsmightcrushthemintosmears .
USING'DOMAIN
SeventypesofDomainmiraclesexist .
DIVINATION
ThesymbolforDivinationisHawkweed,foraswiftclarity
ofvision .MiraclesofDivinationgiveacharacterinformation
aboutsomethingfromtheirEstate,oraboutthingstheir
Estatemight"know" .
PRESERVATION
ThesymbolforPreservationistheAmaranth,which
representsimmortality,ortheGuilderRose,whichstands
forahealthyage .Thesemiraclesmakesomethingfroma
character'sEstatelast,bracingitagainsttime,dissipation,
andassault .Thesemiraclescanactuallystrengthenaforceof
nature .Forexample,ifafire'sheatdoesnotdissipatefroma
room,itshortlyseemsmuchgreater .
CREATION
ThesymbolforCreationisWitchHazel,orsometimes
Angelica,bothrepresentationsofinspirationandmagic .
Thesemiraclescreatesomethingfromacharacter'sEstate
outoftheemptyair.Forexample,aMusemightuseoneto
giveanartistinspiration .Miraclesofcreationcanheal,
recreatingorrestoringlostvitalityandhealth .
DESTRUCTION
ThesymbolforDestructionisHemlock,whosemeaningis
simple:"Youshallcausemydeath ."Itisoneofthedarkest
powers,althoughtheangelofdestruction(namedZa'afielor
Af)isnotamongtheFallen .MiraclesofDestructionallow
acharactertodamage,hide,ordestroyanaspectoftheir
ownEstate .Thereisoftendangerinsuchacts .
CHANGE
ThesymbolforChangeisthePimpernel,thatalsomeansan
"assignation" .MiraclesofChangechangethenatureof
9 3
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
9 4
somethingfromacharacter'sEstate .Almostanythingcan
bedoneasamiracleofChangeoveranappropriateDomain .
GATING
ThesymbolforGatingistheStephanotisflower,denoting
thewishtotravel.Thesemiraclesopenpathsbetweenworlds,
andarenormallytheprovinceoftheGiftsofDomain
"Worldwalker"and"Gatemaker",asdescribedlater .
MASTERY
ThesymbolforMasteryistheCrownImperial,denoting
majesty,arrogance,andprideofbirth .Thesemiraclescontrol
thebehaviorofpartsofthecharacter'sEstate .Theymaybe
performedasmiraclesofChange,andasomewhatsmall
numberofPowersmayperformthemthroughthe
"Sovereign'sGift",describedintheGiftssection .One
exampleofamiracleofMajestyispartingtheocean ;another
iscallingupadesertstorm - inadesert,atleast .
LIMITSONMIRACLES
LesserDivinations onlyprovideinformationabout
one'sownEstate .
MajorDivinations ofthefutureareinexact .
MajorDivinations ofthepastandpresentbecome
inexactwhenone'sEstatewasnot(orisnot)ina
locationwhereitcouldwitnesstheviewedevents .
f~ Creation and Destruction magicsdonotneedto
createordestroycompleteobjects .Onecancreatea
treewithoutcolor,ordestroythequalityinaroadthat
causesittogotoaspecificplace .
q' Change miraclesincludemotivemagics :thatis,they
cancausesomethingtomoveinaspecificwayaswell
ascausingittocometolife(orotherpossibleeffects) .
POWERSANDOTHERPOWERS' ESTATES
PowerswhoareartistsarenotpartoftheArtistsEstate .
PowerswhoarewarriorsarenotpartoftheWarriorsEstate .
Thisappliestoallsuchdescriptions :Powers'thoughtsare
notpartoftheThoughtEstate,Powers'emotionsarenot
partoftheEmotionsEstate,Powers'sensesarenotpartof
theSensesEstate .ThisappliestoallpartsofaPower .
Further,alloftheaboveappliestoExcrucians,Imperators,
Excrucian- shards,andAnchors .Inshort,aPower'scontrol
overtheirEstatedoesnotextendtomiraculousthingsor
thingsfromoutsideCreation .Domainmiraclesresemblean
artist'scontributiontoagrandmural- theartistcanchange
theimageasmuchastheylike .Theycannotredesignother
artistsorintrusivelate- nightgraffitists .
Powerscanbeaffectedbyindirecteffects,however :they
canbeburnedbytheEstateofFire,drenchedbytheEstate
ofStorms,anddrownedbytheEstateofWater .APower
cankickanotherwithstrengthenhancedbytheEstateof
Strength .ThesethingsaffectaPowerbecausetheydotheir
damagethroughanagent,beitfire,storms,water,orafast-
movingfoot .TheydonotdirectlychangethePower'smind
orbody.TheydonotalterthePowerfromthephysicalor
metaphorical"inside ."
NotethattheAuctoritas(see"RulesforSpirit",pp
.107- 108)makesmiraclesharderevennearaPower .
Powersmayuserelevantmiraclesonthemselvesandtheir
Anchorsfreely .DivinationscandetectaPower'spresence,
butnottheiridentity.Nootherexceptionsexist .
RULESFORDOMAIN
The"powersources"forDomainmiraclesarecalled Domain
MiraclePoints (DMPs) . Themechanicshereareidenticalto
thoseforAspect :acharacterhaspermanent DMPs and
temporary DMPs . Temporary DMPs canbespenttofuel
miracles,andcanbegainedinvariousways .Whenthe HG
beginsanewstory,theyseteachcharacter'stemporary DMP
totaltotheirpermanent DMP total .
Charactersbeginwith5permanent DMPs, andcan
increasethistotalbyspendingiCharacterPointforeach
additional DMP . Therearewaystoincreasethesetotalsduring
play.
Asimple miraclecostso(temporary) DMPs . Itdoesn't

drainthecharacteratall .
Anormal miraclecostsi(temporary) DMP toperform .
Ahard miraclecosts 2 (temporary) DMPs toperform .
Adeep miraclecosts4(temporary) DMPs toperform .

Powerswith8ormore DMPs canuseaWordofCommand .
AswithAspect,thishideouslypainfulexertionofbarely
controlledmiraculousenergycanwound,disfigure,or
spirituallydamageeventhestrongestSovereignforweeksor
months .Itcosts8(temporary) DMPs .
Thedifficultyforamiracleandthecharacter'sDomain
levelovertherelevantEstateareused - exactlyaswith
Aspect - todeterminewhichkindofmiracle(simple,
normal, etcetera.) agiveneffectis .
InordertouseamiracleforaSecondaryDomain,evena
levelomiracle,thePowermustbuyoneormorelevelsof
thatDomain .
You'llgetusedtothissystemfast .NotethatGiftsof
Domaindon'tfactorintothiscalculation,andthateachlevel
ofmiraclecanincorporateelementsfromlower- level
miracles .Theplayershouldthink(beforethegamebegins)
aboutwhatthesemiraclesmeaninreferencetotheir
Estate - whatkindsofthingstheycandowithamajor
destruction,whattheycandowithalesserpreservation,and
soon .
LEVEL0MIRACLES:ESTATE- DRIVEN
DIVINATIONS
LeveloDomainmiraclestellthecharactersaboutthreatsto
ordamagetotheirEstate .TheelementsoftheirEstatecry
outtotheirLordorLadywhentheyaredefiledorsuffering .
Ifthecharacterisnotconcentratingintentlyonothermatters,
theyhearsuchcries .Evenwhenthecriesareloudandblur
intooneanother,aPowercancheckonwhetheragivenpart
oftheirEstateiswell .APowermustbeabletoperformthis
leveloDomainmiracleasasimplemiracleortheEstatewill
notcryouttothem .
EXAMPLE
Robspends8character
pointstohaveatotalof13
permanentDMPs.Atthe
beginningofeachstory,he
willhave13temporary
DMPs.Thesecanbespentto
useDomainmiraclesduring
thatstory.
"Doyouknowwhatitslike?"
shedemanded."WhenIcan
feelthepainofeverybird
chokingonthecityskies?"
shrugged
ofHughRosewood
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
DomainMiracleDifficulty
MIRACLETYPE
DMPCOST
Simple 0 DMPS
Normal 1 DMP
Hard 2 DMPS
Deep 4DMPS
WordofCommand
8DMPS
CANBEUSEDWHEN
DifficultyequalsorislessthanDomainLevel
DifficultyequalsorislessthanDomainLevel +1
DifficultyequalsorislessthanDomainLevel+2
DifficultyequalsorislessthanDomainLevel +4
DifficultyequalsorislessthanDomainLevel+ 8
EXAMPLE
Acharacterhaslevel 4Domainovertheocean(Masterful)andlevel2Domainoverstormsas
asecondaryEstate .Thischaracterhasaccesstothefollowingmiracles :
MIRACLETYPE
MIRACLELEVELS
Simple(0 DMPS)
Level 0- 4 miraclesaffectingtheocean
Level0- 2miraclesaffectingstorms .
Normal (1 DMP)
Level5miraclesaffectingtheocean
Level3miraclesaffectingstorms .
Hard(2 DMPs)
Level6miraclesaffectingtheocean
Level 4 miraclesaffectingstorms .
Deep (4 DMPs)
Level 7- 8 miraclesaffectingtheocean
Level5- 6miraclesaffectingstorms .
WordsofCommand (8 DMPs)
Level9- 12miraclesaffectingtheocean
Level 7- 10 miraclesaffectingstorms .
Level 0- 4 OceanmiraclesincludeEstate- drivendivinations,ghostmiracles,andlesser
divinations,preservations,andcreations .Icandothemforfree .
Level5Oceanmiraclesincludemajordivinationsandlesserdestructions .Theycostmea DMP .
Level6Oceanmiraclesincludemajorpreservationsandlesserchanges .Theycostme2 DMPs.
Level 7- 8 Oceanmiraclesincludemajorcreationsanddestructions .Theycostme 4 DMPs.
Inaddition,level0- 2StormmiraclesincludeEstate- drivendivinations,ghostmiracles,andlesser
divinations ;Icanperformthemforfree .
Level3Stormmiraclesarelesserpreservations ;theycost 1 DMP .
Level 4 Stormmiraclesarelessercreations ;theycost2 DMPS.
Level5- 6Stormmiraclesincludemajordivinations,lesserdestructions,lesserchanges,and
majorpreservations .Theycostme 4DMPS.
Powerscanalsousethesemiraclestosensewhensomeone
praystothem,ifthatpersonknowstheirDesign(seechapter
12 )orisintimatelyconnectedtotheirEstate .IfthePower
chooses,theycanthenheartheprayer.
Thereareotheroccasionsbesidesdangeronwhicha
Power'sEstatewillcalltothem .Ingeneral,theEstatecan
shareanyofitsprimitiveemotions - itusuallylacks
independentrationalthought - withafewimagesto
accompanythem .Thissharingisararething,mostcommon
whenotherPowersorExcruciansareinvolved .
EXAMPLE
DeirdreMcAllister hasDomainLevel 2, andcanworklevel
2 miraclesassimplemiracles .Dr.Savan,ahostilePoweror
Excrucian- shard,attacks,threatens,orstandsneara
threatenedpartofDeirdre'sEstate .
IfDr.Savanhasadefense(calledanAuctoritas)oflevel
3orhigher,itwillmakediviningsomethingabouthimor
divininganythingwithinafewfeetofhim3miraclelevels
higher.ThatmeansthatanEstate- drivendivinationislevel
3,andDeirdrecannotdoitasasimplemiracle .Deirdre's
Estatedoesnotcallher,or,atleast,itscriesarestifledbyDr .
Savan'sfiendishwill .Deirdrecancheckonthatpartofher
Estateasalevel3miracle(o+3),however,soifshesuspects
thatsomeoneistherewithalevel3Auctoritas,shewillbe
abletodiscoverthetrouble .
LEVELIMIRACLES:GHOSTMIRACLES
LeveliDomainmiraclessummon"ghosts"ofacharacter's
Estate,constructsofthecharacter'smind,withatinyfraction
oftheirEstate'spower .Ghostlyfiresprovidealittlebitof
heatandghostlysunlightcanilluminateabook .These
miracles,alsoknownascantrips,arenottrueillusions .They
arepartiallytransparenttoSight,andoftenevenamortal
cantellthattheyareonlyseemings .Charactersusethemto
maketheirenvironmentalittlemorecomfortable ;theyalso
serveascommon"weaponsofchoice"informalNobleduels .
ParenthesesindicatetherelevantEstate .Withaleveli
miracle,aPowerwiththeappropriateEstatecouldalso :
q (Music)Makeaninstrumentsoundbetter .
(Forests)Makea"ghostclearing"formorecomfortable
sleep .
(Storms)Makeadayseemgloomier .
(Night)Decorateabedroomwithlittleglowing"stars" .
(Emotion)Makesomeonecalmsoundangry .
is(Roads)Makeatrailthatdoesn'tgoanywhere
important.
(Books)Fillashelfwithboringtextbooks .
LEVEL2MIRACLES:LESSERDIVINATIONS
Level 2 miraclesgivethecharactermundaneinformation
abouttheirEstate .AcharacterwiththesunastheirEstate
canpredictthesunrise,knowthedatesofallfutureeclipses,
andknowexactlywhenthesunlightwillhitabalcony .In
gameswherethesun'spathisregular,theycouldusetheir
knowledgeofitspositiontoestimatethetimeaccurately,
evenatnight .Thecharactercanperformthesemiracleseven
fromwithinaChancel,althoughbytraditionPowersdosome
oftheirinvestigationonlocation .Withalevel 2 miracle,a
PowerwiththeappropriateEstatecouldalso :
(Music)Knowhowtoplayanyrequestedsong .
(Forests)Knowwhereatrailends ;knowwheretofind
herbsorwater .
(Storms)Knowwhenastormwillhitagivencity .
(Night)Estimatetimeuntilnightfall ;knowsome-
body'sdreams .
(Emotion)Experiencetrueempathy.
4, (Roads)Knowdirectionstoanywhere .
q (Books)Readaclosedbook .
LEVEL3MIRACLES:LESSERPRESERVATIONS
Level3miraclesofDomainincludethesimplewards,the
moderatelypowerfulmiraclesofPreservation .Againusing
theEstateoftheSunasanexample,acharactercanheatthe
earthwithsunlightorslowthepathofthesuninthesky .
Thisdoesnotgenerallycovermiraclesofepicscopeorof
greatdrama;thislevelisforsimpleapplicationsofthe
9 5
Althoughoutsideithadbeen
night,herethebaywindows
letinthecleanpurelightof
thesun .Thepettygodwasa
darkfigureinhisbacklit
throne.Imposing,Isuppose.
ButIhadcomeanawfully
longway.
SoIstartedmarching
towardsthethrone,andmy
foothitsomething.Iwas
startled;whenIlookeddown,
Isawashackleonaheavy
chainthatIhadn'tseen
before.Itwasprobablyput
thereonpurpose,soIdwalk
intoitandgetalittlebit
scared.Ishouldhavebeen,
too.Butinstead1justtraced
thechainwithmyeyesuntil
itgrewvague,andexclaimed,
"Goodgriefyoucan'teven
makeproperlight%"
from LITTLEGODS, by
JackieRobinson
Hebentdownandtouched
thewaterwithhishand.
"Thirty- fivepartspermillion
poison,"hesaidsoftly .` No
wondertheanimalsare
dying."
from FAILURESOFLIGHT,
byEmilyChene
Whenthefourthnailhad
blunteditselfagainsthis
hand,hesaidtothefifth :you
havemyblessing.
from UNDOCUMENTED
HISTORY, byWaldenFargo
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
9 6
Therearenocooksinthe
army of theCarnivore'sGod.
Whenhisarmygoeshungry,
hechoosesthattheyhave
alreadyeaten .
-frOm ONSERVINGTHE
'Hehastakenoureyes!"they
wailed.
Notyoureyes,"Lord
Entropysaidsoftly ."Onlyone
smallpropcrty of them :that
theyshouldsee."
of HughRosewood
principleofPreservation .Withalevel3miracle,aPower
withtheappropriateEstatecouldalso :
qs,(Music)Makeasongthatsticksinthelistener's
memory.
(Forests)Wardatree,makingitresistanttoweapons .
(Storms)Makeitrainfordays(or,inSeattle,months) .
(Night)Keepnightanimalsawakeintoday ;prolong
thenight .
~~(Emotion)Makesomeonestayhappyforalongtime .
f (Roads)Makearoadseemmuchlonger .
(Books)Makeamanuscriptthatreturnstotheeditor
ifrejected.
LEVEL4MIRACLES:LESSERCREATIONS
Level 4 miraclesofDomainaresimplecreationmagics,
miraclesthatcausepartofthecharacter'sEstatetocome
intobeing .Thiscanbesubtlerthanpullingfireoutofahat,
orcreatingasunbeamatnight .Makingthesunriseearlyis
aCreationmiracle,becauseitcausesthedayandthesunlight
toappear.NotethataPowerdoesnothavetocreateawhole
object .Theycancreateafirewithoutheat,asunbeamwithout
light,orevenjustoneperson'smemoryofatreewhereno
treehaseverbeen .Withalevel 4 miracle,aPowerwiththe
appropriateEstatecouldalso :
q'(Music)Makebewitchinglybeautifulmusic .
(Forests)GrowplantsquicklyfromthenakedEarth .
'fom(Storms)Spawnalightningstormoradrizzle .
q'(Night)Sinkanareaintodarkness .
q'(Emotion)Causesomeonetofeelangryorsad .
(Roads)Createanewroad,straighttoone's
destination .
(Books)Createahow- tobookforanydomestictask .
LEVEL, MIRACLES:LESSERDESTRUCTIONS
ANDMAJORDIVINATIONS
Level5miraclesofDomainincludesimpledestruction
magics,whichremoveanaspectofacharacter'sEstatefrom
theareaorfromexistence .Thisisthemagicofhurriedsunsets
andsnuffed- outforestfires .Itcanalsocreate"negative
images"ofthecharacter'sEstate,suchasasunbeamof
darknessoracoldfire .Withalevel5miracle,aPowerwith
theappropriateEstatecouldalso :
~(s
(Music)Makesilentbutaffectingmusic .
(Forests)Shatteratreeorafewtrees ;makeatree
invisible .
!~(Storms)Clearawayrainclouds ;makeastorm's
raindropsdry.
4,
(Night)Makethesunriseearly ;makethelocalnight
lessdark.
4, (Emotion)Causesomeonetostopfeelingangryor
happy.
f"(Roads)Makesomeonelost.(Roadsexisttoprevent
this .)
(~(Books)Makeabookincomprehensible(evenwith
thesamewords) .
Level
5
miraclesofDomainalsoincludemajor
divinationalmagics,miraclesthatrevealthingstothe
characterthroughtheagencyoftheirEstate .Thisincludes
shadowyimagesofthefutureorotherplaces,andexactimages
ofotherplaces,pastorpresent,wherethecharacter'sEstate
hasbeen .Forexample,acharacterwiththeSunastheirEstate
mightaskthesunabouttheactivitiesofhisorherenemies .
Theywouldreceiveareportonanythingthatitsawinits
journeythroughthesky.Withalevel5miracle,aPowerwith
theappropriateEstatecouldalso :
4, (Music)Tellthefutureinextemporaneoussong .
l~(Forests)Findthemystical"heart"ofaforest ;talkto
plants .
{!'(Storms)Scryinabowlofrainwater .
(Night)Knowallthathappensunderthecloakof
night .
(Emotion)Knowtherootofeveryemotionfeltduring
ascene .
(Roads)Knowaboutanyinterestingtravelsortravelers .
(Books)Openabookatrandom,readaparagraph
it'srelevant .
LEVEL6MIRACLES:LESSERCHANGESAND
MAJORPRESERVATIONS
Level6miraclesofDomainincludelesserChangemagics,
miraclesthattwistandremakethingsfromthecharacter's
Estateinanewform,withnewproperties .Forexample,the
PoweroftheSunmightmakethesunshinered,orcraft
ediblefire .Withalevel6miracle,aPowerwiththe
appropriateEstatecouldalso :
'7'(Music)Makelivingmusic,whichreproducesbybeing
heard .
(Forests)Reshapetreesintotreelikeplayground
equipment .
7~(Storms)Makeraindropssing ;makeithailblueberries .
(~(Night)Makestarlightasbrightasmoonlightfora
night .
(Emotion)Makesomeonefeelbrand- newemotions .
'lam(Roads)Redirectaroad,soitleadssomewherenew .
4, (Books)Changethegenreofthebooksthatagiven
authorwrites .
Level6miraclesofDomainalsoincludemajorPreservation
miraclesofepicscope .Preservedsunlight,atthislevel,no
longersimplyheatstheEarth :itburnsintothestone .The
day,inasinglecityorinagivenChancel,canbemadetolast
forwhatoncewouldhavebeenyears .Withalevel6miracle,
aPowerwiththeappropriateEstatecouldalso :
qa(Music)Burnmusicintosomeone'smind,sothey
neverforgetanote .
'la(Forests)Sealaforestagainstentrancebyanyenemy .
*(Storms)Makeanongoingstormperpetual,raging .
4,(Night)Makeitstaydarkevenwhennightendsand
thesunisup .
'fom(Emotion)Makesomeonehappyforeverandever .
'lam(Roads)Maketheroadsomeoneisonendless .
4, (Books)Makeanauthor - yourself? - eternally
famous .
'Everycity,"hesaid,"hasa
weakplace . . . amoralcenter,
wherebuttheslightesttouch
cansendthecityintochaos . . .
Iwillfindthiscity'scenter. "
from FAILURESOFLIGHT,
byEmilyChen
"Paintingsdon'topenonto
other'worlds,"saidthechild
"That'sordinary
paintings,saidthecollector.
"Thesehaveaspecialmagic .
Forinstance Hiswords
trailed off, andheleanedup
totouch'TheBox :"Ifyou
lookdeepintothisone,Ithink
youwillsee . . .
Butthechildwasgone .
,from THEBox,byEmily
Chen
Onebloodyhandgestured
towardswherethepainting
hung.MonaLisa,itwas,by
somemortalartist ."Doyou
likeart?"themaster
wondered.
ThecaptiveSovereign's
facewentwhite .
"Hugh?"saidLord
Entropy,andItouchedtorch
towood.
,fromtheThought- Record
ofHughRosewood
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
Shecastherheadhack,
laughing,asallthewatersof
thesearoaredfromherhands.
-from WATERSTORIES,
Heheldhispalmup .
"Advancenofurther,Hugh,"
hesaid,"Ifyoueverwishto
dreamagain .Ifyoueverwish
toimagineyourselfagainto
bemorethanjustyour
master'smonster,Lord
Entropypet."
Ididn'tadvance .Ifired.
Bastard
,fronttheThought- Record
ofHughRosewood
Thenasunbeamwrapped
itselfaroundmywaist,andI
wasbeing1 ftedup,up,up
andamawhadopenedinthe
centerofthesun . . .
-from CONVERSATIONS
WITHANDROCLES,byJen
Hogan(introduction)
LEVEL
7
MIRACLES:MAJORCREATIONS
Level
7
miraclesofDomainarethemajorcreativemagicsof
the .bilis .EventhemostepicCreationsarepossibleat
theselevels .Withalevel
7
miracle,acharacterwhoseEstate
isthesuncouldcausethesuntoriseinthemiddleofthe
night,orputanew,second,suninthesky.
Withalevel
7
miracle,aPowerwiththeappropriate
Estatecouldalso :
f>(Music)Deafenmortalsformileswithloudmusic .
(Forests)Growaforestfromaseed .
(Storms)Createahurricane,tornado,ormonsoon .
(Night)CastdarknessovertheEarth .
` E>(Emotion)Addanewemotiontothenormalhuman
emotionalvocabulary .
1>(Roads)Makeaone- mileroadfromAustraliato
America
` 1 (Books)Createlibraries,masterpieces,andbooksof
secretlore .
LEVEL8MIRACLES:MAJORDESTRUCTIONS
Level8miraclesofDomainarethemajordestructivemagics
ofthe .Nobilis .Withthesemiracles,aPowercouldturnoff
thesun,orturnabarrendesertintogloriousgreenland -
bydeletingitsdesiccation!
Withalevel8miracle,aPowerwiththeappropriate
Estatecouldalso :
/>(Music)Destroyasongforever - noonewillever
recreateit .
I>(Forests)Shatteraforest .
l>(Storms)Calmtheskyabovetheentireocean .
q>(Night)Makenightasbrightasday,untilthePower
saysotherwise .
` l>(Emotion)Removeaperson'scapacitytofeel(an)
emotion .
q>(Roads)Makeitimpossibletogettoorfromalocation
byany road .
(>(Books)Destroyawrittenlanguage .
LEVEL9MIRACLES:MAJORCHANGES
Anythingelsethatcanbedonetoacharacter'sDomaincan
bedonewithalevel9Changemiracle .Withalevel9miracle,
aPowerwiththeappropriateEstatecould :
l>(Music)Giveasongtheabilitytomakeanymortal
listenerweep .
1>(Forests)Fillaforestwithbluegnomes .
f>(Storms)Makeitraineverythirddayinagiven
Chancel.
/>(Night)Fillthenightwithrainbows .
f>(Emotion)FillacrowdofChristmasshopperswitha
murderousrage .
q>(Roads)Maketheroadsofasmallcountrytwistlike
serpents .
q>(Books)RewriteallbooksintoEsperanto .
Miraclesdonotneedtofitexactlyintooneofthelabels
above .Amiracleofanylevelcanbecombinedwithother
miraclesofitslevelorloweriftheresultisasingleconceptual
DomainMiracleIndex
action.Forexample,aPoweroftheForestmighttransforma
pineforesttoaforestofashorbirchbysimultaneously
destroyingthepines(alevel8miracle)andcreatingtheash
trees(alevel7miracle .)Thisisthenasinglelevel8Domain
miracle .Unlikethesimilarlevel9miraclethatwouldchange
theforest,itkillsalltheoldtrees .
Divinationsworkatanydistance .OtherDomainmiracles
arenormallyusedatcloserange,lessthanahundredmiles .
UsingaDomainmiracleagainstsomethingmorethanone
hundredmilesawaycostsanadditional DMP permiracle .
(Butseep .107andp .163)
REALM
Intheory,Imperatorsarethehighestauthorityintheir
Chancels .Inpractice,theypaymostattentiontothespirit
world,andmustshuttertheirgloryinordertodealwith
mundaneinhabitantsoftheirChancelatall .Accordingly,
practicalday- to- daygovernanceofaChancelisvestedin
thatImperator's,Nbilis,alongwiththemysticalpowerover
thatlandtheImperatorpossesses .TheChancel,thatworld-
within- a- world,beitafaelandoratechnologicalparadise,
istheirRealm,andtheRealmattributemeasurestheirmystic
andmundanecontroloverit .
ImportantreasonstobuyRealminclude :
f>Muchofa5V BILISgametakesplaceinsidethePcs'
Chancel .
f>LordEntropydoesnotconcernhimselfwithin-
Chancelmiracles .
` ?>RealmismuchmoregeneralthanDomain,allowing
onetoaffectanything .
f>RealmlooselymeasurestherespectotherPowersshow
thecharacter.
/>RealmlooselymeasurestherespectChancelinhabi-
tantsshowthecharacter.
f>PointsspentoninitialRealmcanbuyusefulChancel
properties .
Realm'smajorlimitationisthis :
{>Realmmiraclesmayonlyaffecttargetswithinthe
Power'sChancel .
9 7
MIRACLELEVEL LEVELDESCRIPTION USEFULTO
Level0 Estate- drivendivinations Knowabouttrouble
Level 1 Ghostmiracles Becomfortableorwinaduel
Level 2 Lesserdivinations LearnaboutEstate
Level3 Lesserpreservations Makethingslast
Level 4 Lessercreations Makethings
Level 5 Lesserdestructions/Majordivinations Hurt/destroy/removeproperty,or
scry/askEstateaboutsomething
Level6 Lesserchanges/Majorpreservations Modify,ward,seal,orguardthings
Level 7 Majorcreations Makeimpressive,special,orbig
things
Level8 Majordestructions Causewidespreaddamage
Level 9 Majorchanges Doanythingelse(withyourEstate)
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
9
8
EXAMPLE
Melanie,PowerofMusic,
wishestorepavetheroadto
herImperator'spalacewith
blue- veinedmarble.Ifher
EstatewereRoads,this
wouldbeaDomainmiracle
oflevel4.Realmmiracles
actlikeDomainmiracles
withinacharacter's
Chancel,andanypowercan
useanyRealmmiracle
regardlessoftheirEstate.
Accordingly,eventhough
shehasnopoweroverroads
outsidetheChancel,
Melaniecanrepavethe
roadinsideherChancelasa
level4Realmmiracle .If
MelaniehasLevel2Realm,
shecanperformthis
repavingasa"hard"miracle,
for2RealmMiraclePoints .
"Oh,"hesaidandshrugged.
Ican'tdoanyparticular
magic here . . ."
"Thenwhydotheycall
youKing?"
from LADYOFTHE
PLAGUE, byEmilyChen
TheeffectsofaRealmmiraclenormallyfadewithina
dayafterthesubjectleavestheChancel .ItrequiresrRealm
MiraclePointperstorytosustainagivenRealmmiracle
outsidetheChancel .
OneofthegiftsassociatedwithRealmisthefragrance
(orstench)oftruenobility .Thisistheprimaryreasonthat
PowerswithRealmarerespected .AnotheristhataPowerof
highRealmhasanimpregnableretreat .Whilealmostany
NoblecanbetakenoffguardanddestroyedintheEarthat
large,PowerswithhighRealmarevirtuallyunassailable
withintheirsanctum .
Normally,thePcswillcreatetheirownChancel,defining
itastheylike .Pointsspentonacharacter'sstartingRealm
score(asopposedtoaRealmscoreincreasedduringplay)
allowtheplayersasawholetobuyuseful,nice,orinteresting
propertiesforthisChancel .EveniftheHollyhockGod
breakstraditioninordertodesigntheChancelhimorherself,
theyshouldtakethePcs'Realmscoresintoaccount .
ThegamemechanicsforRealmaresimilartothosefor
Domain .EachRealmlevelcosts3characterpointsand
providesthecharacterwiththeequivalentofaDomainlevel
thatworksonanyEstate,butonlywithinthecharacter's
Chancel .TheselevelsdonotdirectlyaddtoDomainlevels,
orviceversa;level3Realmprovidesthesameabilities,for
thesamecost(9points)whateveracharacter'sDomains .One
canbuyupto5Realmlevels,andGiftsofRealmaswell .
LEVEL0 :CITIZEN
opoints
CharacterswiththislevelofRealmhavealmostnogiftof
rule :theyaremereandmundane(ifpowerful)citizensofthe
Chancel .Theymayhaveatitleandmayhavebeengiven
dominionoversomeoralltheothercitizens,buttheylack
theresourcestoshapetheirChanceldirectly .Nobilisrarely
respectthem,andiftheypossesspowerathome,therestof
theirFamiliaCaelestismaywellcovetit .Theterm"Sovereign
Power"fitsthemonlyloosely,and"Sovereign"maybecomea
termofcontemptintheirenemies'mouths .(Thedetailsof
others'reactions,ofcourse,restinthe HG's hands .)
ChoosingthislevelofRealmensuresthatthecharacter
willhavealivelytimeofitcarryingouttheirdutiesintheir
Chancel.Theycannotbeeverywhereatonce,andeventhe
mundaneinhabitantsoftheirImperator'slandsmightbe
willingtoconspireagainstthem .Theyhavenosecurebolthole
inwhichtoweatherthestormsofSovereignpolitics .Unless
theyaresecurelyalliedtoaPoweroftheirFamiliawith
strongerRealm,threatsfromtheoutsideworld(Lord
Entropy,theExcrucians,etcetera)maywellfollowtheminto
theirhome .Thecharactercandolittletostopthem .
EXAMPLECONCEPTS
Asoka hadfulfilledeverykarmicrequirementforgreatness .
HisspiritshonesobrightlythateventheImperatorsnoticed
itasitpassedthroughthecyclesoflife .WhentheExcrucians
struckatit,theMostAncientLord(whoseChancelwasall
ofIndia,andmore,beforehistragicandutterannihilationat
theExcrucians'hands)drewhimintoachildwhowas
,OBILIS:AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
undergoingbirth.ThePowersofIndiacameandcaughtthe
child(ashefellfromhismother)inanetofsilverandgold;
hetookthreestepsfromthenetandcried,"TheLordamI
ofallwithinthisworld!"Andsoitwas,forhewastobecome
theTyrantofIndia,aPowersetabovetheothersinitsrule .
YethissoulwassogreatthattheMostAncientLordfeared
todamageit .HisImperator- shardwasthereforesmall .He
ruledandgovernedmen,notnaturalforces ;byaSovereign's
standard,hewasa"Citizen"andnomore .Intime,theother
PowersofhisFamiliaPotensgrewenvious,andarranged
subtlyforhisdeath .Hehadnowarning .Hehadnochance .
Andthenhehadnolifetohavethingswith .
MaryShenk isalandlady.Shelivesonthefirstfloorofa
thousandbeaten- upapartmentbuildings,ormaybejustone .
Theydotendtoblurtogether,don'tthey?HerImperator's
ChancelisscatteredacrosstheEarth :all43rdstreets,inany
language,anywhere .Powersoldandwiseknowthesecret
routestothatstreet,whichfewmortalscangettoatall .They
useMary'shousesfortransport,breakingininNewYork,
walkingdownthehall,andcomingoutinLosAngeles .They
alwaysleaveafiftystuffedunderherdoor,though,oraboxed
presentbesideit .Otherwise,shemightputinsecurityone
day,orsellthehouses . . .andnobodywantsthat,noteven
oldtiredMaryShenk .
LEVELI:RADIANT
3points
RadiantshavethefirsthintsofcontrolovertheirChancel .
Theirreignextendsmostlytoghosts,andfragmentary
forces - notthesun,buttracesoflight ;notthefire,but
tracesofheat ;notfrigidice,buthintsofcold .Fleetingvisions
aretheiragentsintheirrealm,althoughwithefforttheycan
managedivinationsandgreaterworks .ThesePowersare
calledRadiantsbecausetheyaretiednottothedeeper
essencesoftheirChancelbuttoitssurfaceconditions,the
radiantindicationsofwhatliesbeneath .
Evenatthissmalllevel,aPowerismorecomfortable
insidetheirChancelthanoutsideit .Theyhavenotyetformed
adeepbondwithit,however .Perhapstheynevershall .They
receiverudimentaryrespectfromtheotherNobilis,assuming
thattheyarenototherwiseundeserving,andtheyareatrifling
amountmoresecureintheirChancelthanoutsideinthebig
wideworld .
EXAMPLECONCEPT
SaraNei wasjustanordinarywoman,shethought,livinga
fairlyordinarylifeasanactuary .Thenthememoriesbegan,
memoriesoflifeassomeoneelse - asmorethanone
someoneelse .Itwasonlyacenturyago,bythePowers'time,
thatEarthhadcoloniesontheotherworldsofoursystem ;a
traitorousImperatorturnedbacktheclocksofthehuman
worldbyyearsandyears,andwipedthemallaway .Several
ofthePowersofthoseplacesdied,andnearlyallthenaked
apes - manyPowers,though,burnedtoobrighttobewiped
soeasilyaway.Thesoulsofthehumansnearthemwerecaught
bythePowersasthosePowersspunthroughthemistsof
time.Now,acenturylater,thejointentitiesarebecoming
THEOLDESTGOD
TheMostAncientLord,first
oftheTrueGods,isdeadNo
oneknowswhatEstateshe
embodied.ToanswerVyasa's
questioninthemodernday,
andnametheoldestofthe
gods,onemustchooseamong
threereasonableanswers .
NyssaofCappadociaisthe
oldestlivingPower .The
angelknownasFirstborn,
ImperatorofMeaningand
Existence,istheoldestofthe
Imperators.Finally,Janben
Jan,Imperator?f'Earth's
SecondAge,istheoldest
livingTrueGod.
"AsIseeit,"hesaid,"its
entirelyyourlookout ifyou
wanttofeelbadabout
_yourself.Buthatingyour
body . . . thatcouldannoythe
RegnantAnatomica . "
"Ohyah?What'shegoing
todo?"
"Hestartswithanitch,"
theoldmanreplied,anitch
thatmovesfromplaceto
place,neverlettingyou
scratchitout.Andyour
clothesarealwaysjustalittle
bittoohot,oralittlebittoo
cold.Youtripalot;yourbed
feelslumpy;wheneveryoueat
hotfood,italwaysburnsyour
tongue.Youstartfeelingthose
twitches,likelittleinvisible
insectsarecrawlinghereand
thereonyourbody."
Ihesitated"Doesitlast
forever?"
"Oh,no!"hereplied
"Prettysoontheinsectseat
youup,snap,fortheir
supper."
- from CONVERSATIONS
WITHANDROCLES, byJen
Hogan
OPPOSITE:
NellPennington,thePower
of NobleGases
byLeeMoyer
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
I00
Theman'sconvulsionswoke
her;wokehertoseehis
sweating
ghost- paleface,
his
slittedeyes,hisdrawn
features .Shetriedto
disentangleherselffromthe
sheets,crying,"Whatails
you?"
Hespokenoword,butshe
cametoknowhisanswer:
thathehadbeenawakenedby
thesufferingofhisRealm,by
theforestinthesouth .That
hehadtouchedthemindsofa
dozenbeastsandseenthrough
adozenpairsofeyesbefore
hefoundthesourceofthe
pain . . .andthat,whenhe
foundit,hepaidthepricefor
hisdivinations . . . forthe
thirteenthbeastwastrapped
withinafire . . .
-from FIRESTORIES,
strongenoughfortheirImperatorstofindthemandreawaken
themtotheirduty.Sara'sChancel,towhichshehasbeen
recentlyreintroduced,isnowaghost,ashadowonseveralof
theouterplanets .She,nowhavingsomanysoulswrapped
withinherform,cansendpiecesofherselftodoherwill
anywherewithin .Shegrowsstrongagain - butthereare
ExcruciansandevenNobiliswhoeyethesenew,nearly
uninhabitedplanets,withaneyetowardstakingthemfor
theirown .
LEVEL2:REALM'SHEART
6points
CharacterswiththislevelofRealmarebetterabletokeep
holdupontheirChancels .Ittakesthembutathoughtto
learnanythingtheywishtoknowabouteventsandsituations
withintheirChancel,oraboutitsmundaneinhabitantsand
components .Iftheyroutinely"patrol"theirChancelwith
theirpowers- withascryingpool,throughthemindsof
beasts,orbyaskingthewind ;thetechniquematterslittle -
theydiscovermostthreatstotheirhomeearlyon .Almostall
_obilis respectthemenoughtobepolite,andtheirhome
courtadvantageisofdecentproportions .TheirRealmlevel
allowsthemtobringtheirotherabilitiesmoreeasilytobear
uponanythreat .
InahiddenplacewithineachLocusCelatumisitsmystic
"center" :thepointatitsheart,theplacewheretheImperator
sunkhisorheressenceintothemortalland .Characterswith
thislevelofRealm(oranyhigherlevel)arealwaysawareof
thisplace .Theyknowwhattranspiresthere,andinamystic
sensetheyareapartofthatplace .Somethingthererepresents
them,beitastatue,asongcaughtintheair,abeastorbird
thatneverneedstocatorsleep ;itchangesandshapesitself
toreflectthemoodsandcircumstancesofthecharacter .The
charactercanpreventthis,ofcourse ;itisroughlyasdifficult
foraPowertodoasitisforahumantowipeexpressionfrom
theirface .A Pc couldtheoreticallyhavethislevelofRealm
withoutthistietotheRealm'sHeart :playerswhowishsuch
acharactershoulddiscussitwiththe HG, andthinkabout
whythePowerhassomuchcontroloveraworldthey'renot
mysticallytiedto .
EXAMPLECONCEPT
Barbara wasonceathingrarerthanaPower:oneofthetrue
fae,achildofthefamilyDon,amortaldescendantofan
Exemplarwhosedeedsspawnedlegendsthroughoutthe
world .AscorrectamemoryofhimasanyotheristheIrish
legendofthelordsoftheDaoineSidhe .Now,asmanyof
herfamilyhavebeen,sheisaPoweroftheImperator
Dalmatia,whoseChancelisthehollowhills .Barbarahas
beengiventhegreatestperkinallDalmatia'srealm -
freedomtositonthesilverthrone,fromwhichshecansee
anywherewithinoruponthosehills,orlookasiffromany
pointuponthematthevistaofIrelandspreadingbeyond .
WhatBarbaramaydiscoverlateristhat,asananointedLady
oftheHills,shedoesnotneedthechair.Allthehillsrespond
toher,andwouldbeonlytooeagertoshowherpictures
fromtheirsoftslowdreamingworld .
OBILIS:A GAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
LEVEL3:WARDEN
9points
ItisverydangeroustotanglewithaWardenontheirown
ground.TheyaretiednotonlytotheirChancel'sHeartbut
toitsStrengthaswell .Theirwillcanmakesubtlebarriers
andovertones,andthemilitiatheycanraisefordefenseare
nearlyalwaysledbyacorpsofPreservation- protectedtroops .
TheWardensarewellrespected,andwithsufficientreason,
bytheotherNobilis.
Choosinglevel3Realmforacharacterrootsthemfirmly
intheworldtheycommand .Asignificantportionoftheir
powerisinvestedinit,anditislikelythatanenormous
amountofitspowerisinvestedinthem .
DefendingtheirChancelisrelativelyeasy - atleast,
againstordinarythreats - soanidealWardenhassome
interestsoutsidetheChanceltohelpthe HG gettheminto
trouble .
EXAMPLECONCEPTS
AdmiralKynn isthelordandsuprememaster(saveonlyfor
Nemuel,hisImperator)ofCabinFever MUSH, oneofthe
mostunusualChancelsextant :apocketdimensionattached
totheEarthnotinanyphysicallocationbutintheInternet .
Itisararemortalwhostumblesacrossthenameandnumber
neededtoaccessthis"site";theirfamilyfilesamissing- person
reportsoonafter.Kynn,suckedfromtheEarthtobecomea
Powerinthisonce- virtualworld,hasbeengivenguardianship
overallthingsinthisRealm .
Ching isthelordofage,andheistiedcloselytothat
partofhisImperatorthatsettheirChancelsidewaysintime .
Itisaplacehumanlivespassthroughliketunnels,forward
totheirdeathandbackwardstotheirbirth .Theprimary
inhabitantsofthisplaceareshadows ;thesedarkandhardy
creaturesappeartwo- dimensionaltohumansbecausetheir
thirddimensionis(tous)"time",andtheirfourthdimension,
thedirectionoftheirexistence,isinaccessibleentirely .
Ching'sroleinthisrealmissimple :hemustensurethat
noshadowdiesbeforeitstime .HemustensurethattheWidys
Chancelisarefugeforallshadowkind,whentheExcrucians
comeforthem .
LEVEL4:TRUEKINGORQUEEN
12 ,points
CharacterswiththislevelofRealmmightholdoffevenan
ImperatororanunshardedExcrucianwithintheirhome .
TheirpowersthereareaspotentasaDuke's,andasversatile
astheycanimagine .Theycanshapelandscapesand
inhabitantsfromtheether,and(withmoreeffort)banish
them .Almostuniformlyrespected,theyhaveasdeepatieto
theirlandasanynativespirit .Theirtouchcanheal,andthey
areoftenpersonallyresponsibleformuchofthewaytheir
Chancelworks .
ThislevelofRealm(andthenextone)ismostappropriate
forthatlargeportionofPowersbornandraisedintheir
Chancel.ItalsofitsPowerswhohavebeengiventheultimate
authorityovertheirworld,althoughthisshouldbeworked
outfirstwiththeotherplayers .Enemiesamongthedenizens
"ShouldIrecountyour
crimes?"hewhispered,hands
sweatingonthehilt."Should
Itellallthesesycophants
whatitisthattheyserve?"
"Pleasedo,"saidthe
Sovereign .
'Tstolebutasinglefruit
fromyourgarden,lord.And
forthatso- calledcrimemy
wifewastornapartbyhorses
andmyson'svitalswere
burned.TheysaythatIam
cursed;nonewilltreatwith
me,nonewillbuymygoodsor
sellmefoodorwine .Isthis
justice,lord?Forasingle
fruit?"
"Andsoyouhavecometo
killme?"
No,mylord.Iknow
better.Icomethatyoumay
witnesswithyourowneyes
whatyouhavewrought .I
cometodirtyyour floorwith
myentrails,mylord."
Swiftly,themanreversed
hissword,andswiftlyhefell
uponit.Andnonewasmore
surprisedthanhethatthe
sword'sbladescreecheda
protestandbrokebeneathhis
body'sweight,thatitcuthim
asitmighthavecutastone,
slowlyandwithouteffect,
thatwhenthreemomentshad
passed,themanwasstill
alive,andtheSovereignwas
whispering,"Didyouthink,
goodsir,myrevengeso
incomplete?"
- from THENOBLEONES,
bySamCavanaugh
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
"Onceuponatime,"hesaid,
"therewasaveryfoolish
King,whowokeupevery
morningbeforetherooster's
now. "
"Yuck.
.
"Hewouldtiptoeupto
thetopofhishighesttower,
andwhenthedawnhad
turnedtheskytherightcolor,
hewouldcryout,Icommand
you,sun,torise!'
"Thatdoessoundpretty
foolish . "
Henodded"Yup. Butno
onewantedtotelltheKing
that. Atleast,notuntilhefell
inlovewithamoresensible
womanandbroughtherto
thepalacetolive. "
Andshewonderedwhy
thebedwasemptyevery
morning?"
Henoddedagain. And
whenshefoundout,shetold
himjusthowfoolishitwas,
andthathewasprobably
goingtogetacoldNoman
likeslookingfoolishinfrontof
hiswife,ofcourse,sohe
immediatelyvowedtosleepin
thenextmorning. "
And?"Iasked
Andthesundidn'trise . "
-from CONVERSATIONS
WITHANDROCLES, byJ en
Hogan
oftheirChancelgenerallyplantoleave,forever,attheslightest
hintofthePower'snotice .
EXAMPLECONCEPTS
TiriaisthePoweroftheBorealis,butherdutiesonher
Imperator'sbehalftendmoretothegovernanceoftheLocus
Zaanannim,theSanctumattheTelevision'sBreast . There
livethepeoplewhoselivesareshown,inbitsandpieces,on
thetelevisionscreen . SheisthebulwarkofthisChancel,the
guardianwhoholdsatbaythehostileinhabitantsofcancelled
shows . Onlyherownscrupleskeepherfromdestroyingthem
outright .
Haru, bornofrats -foranimalsaswellashumanscan
ascendtobecomeNobilis,thoughitisrare -hashelpedto
buildaChancelwherefoodisplentifulandhumansandcats
areeasyprey. Tunnelsrunfromrestauranttodirtyrestaurant,
greasespatteredontheirfloors . Heistheacknowledgedruler
ofnotonlythelandbutofthethousandsofhispeople(the
rats)thathavecometolivethere . Severalofhiscompanion
Powershavehadnochoicebuttoacquiescetohisreshaping
oftheirworld . Othershavestakedclaimsonsomemore
abstractplaceswithinit,suchastheglitteringcrystalpalaces
thattheMarquisIshaphasshapedwithinthemindsofthe
cooks .
LEVEL5:TEMPEST
1 5 points
CharacterswiththislevelofRealmhavemanytitles . Some
arecalledwarrior-kingsandsomearecalledAnaharath . The
acceptednameamongthePowersfortheserulers,whohave
mastereddestruction,is"Tempest" . WalkingintoaTempest's
Chancelisthemostfearsomedangerthatanenemycanface .
EventheExcrucianswiltatthethoughtoftryingtobreaka
Chancelthathassuchaguardianinit . (Imperatorsgenerally
haveatleastthislevelofRealm,themselves,buttheycanbe
distractedbyaco-ordinatedattackinthespiritworld,and
Powerscannot . )
`
ChoosingthislevelofRealmmeansthatthecharacter
canshapeandreshapetheirChancelalmostatwill . The
ImperatorassociatedwiththePcs'Familiagenerallyprefers
thattheChancelremaintruetoitsoriginaldesign . . . buta
Tempesthasconsiderablelatitudewiththedetails . Their
LocusCelatumtendstochange,almostautomatically,tosuit
theirneedsanddesires . Investingacharacterwiththepower
ofaTempestismoredifficultforanImperatorthananormal
Power'screation :thesoulofthecharactermustbeburied
deepwithintheChancel'sheartandmixedwiththeshardof
theImperatorthatreststhere . Therearemanyreasonswhy
anImperatormightmakethiseffort,andtheplayerorthe
HGshouldknowwhichoneapplies . Themostcommonis
thattheImperatorfears(orfeared)adirectExcrucianassault
upontheirKeep .
EXAMPLECONCEPTS
Arianeira wastheloverofaperi,thepartiallymortalchild
ofanangelbanishedtoEarth . Whenherlegswerecrushed
inacaraccidentandshecameclosetodeath,herealized
thathecouldnotbeartheknowledgethatshewoulddie . He
wenttotheReginaofBladesandFuryandsoldhisessence,
hisowndivinesoul,forherpreservation . ThePowerthat
hadbeengiventheshard-selfofBladeswasquietlykilled;
Arianeirawasbroughtintoreplaceher,andgivenfullrein
intheChancelaswell . Thecostforbothofthesethingswas
deemedasmallpricetopayforthepowertheperi'ssacrifice
brought . AsforArianeira'sthoughtsonthematter . . . Well.
Boyfriendscomeandgo .
Eachan istheButterflyLord,ascholarlymanwitha
tendencytoflutter. Hismildnatureis,however,deceptive.
ShouldamortalintruderinLocusAngoulaffretesthis
patience,ittakesbutawaveofhishandtodismissanddestroy
theunfortunatehominid . Hehashadthesegiftsformillennia ;
itisnotknownforcertainwhyhewasgiventhem . Itissaid,
however,thathisYmera -theBroken-Toothed,anAaron's
Serpent-wasoftenbotheredintheearlydaysofcivilization
byhumanswhowishedto"slaythedragon" . Noproblem,
onewouldimagine . . . butintwoofeverythree,the
Excrucianshadsetsomesubtletrap .
rULESFORREALM
The"powersources"forRealmmiraclesarecalled Realm
MiraclePoints or RMPs. Charactersbeginwith
5
permanent
RMPs, andcanpurchaseadditional RMPs for1 CharacterPoint
each . Atthebeginningofeachstory,the HGsetstheir
temporary RMP totaltotheirpermanent RMP total . Foran
exampleofhowthismechanicworks,lookundertherules
forDomainonp . 94 .
RealmsMiracleDifficulty
"Itsaysherethatyou . . . why,
youheatyourchildren!"the
roundedmanexclaimed.
"That'snotverynice. Doyou
happentohavean
explanation?"
` I . . . "Thedeadman
lookeddown . ` Ifeltso
angry . . .
"Well,"camethereply. ` I
supposethatexplainsitall!"
Theroundedmanmadea
neatcheckmarkonhispad
"Takehimtoroom 1 27. "
"Wait,"thedeadman
cried,astheguardstookhim
fromtheroom. "Whatsgoing
tohappentome?"
"We'regoingtofixyou!"
exclaimedtheSovereign
brightly. "Whenwe'redone
withyouyouwon'tfeelangry
oranythinglikethatever
again . . .
-from DEARESTHANS, by
EmilyChen
EXAMPLE
AcharacterisaRadiant,withLevel1 Realm . Forthischaracter,thechartlookslike :
MiracleType
MiracleLevels
Simple(0RealmMiraclePoints)
Levels0-1
Normal (1 RMP)
Level 2
Hard (2 RMPs)
Level 3
Deep (4 RMPs)
Levels 4-5
WordsofCommand (8 RMPs)
Levels6-9
Level 1 isGhostmiracles . . . I candothosefreeinmyChancel .
Level 2 islesserdivinations . . . Icandothemforan RMP.
Level 3islesserpreservations . . . Icandothemfor 2 RMPS.
Levels 4 and 5coverlesserCreationsanddestructions,for 4 RMPs, aswellasmajordivinations
forthesamecost .
1 01
CHAPTER9 : ATTRIBUTES
MIRACLETYPE RMPCOST CANBEUSEDWHEN
Simple 0 RMPS DifficultyisequaltoorlessthanRealmLevel
Normal 1 RMP Difficultyis equaltoorlessthanRealmLevel +1
Hard 2 RMPS DifficultyisequaltoorlessthanRealmLevel +2
Deep 4 RMPS DifficultyisequaltoorlessthanRealmLevel +4
WordofCommand 8 RMPs DifficultyisequaltoorlessthanRealmLevel +8
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4.0.
1 02
Pale,hesaid,Armieshave
enteredtheContaDesiagn . . .
theirfeettramplethebrush,
theirhunterskill,theirtrash
isthrownrottingintothe
river'sflow . . . "
-from FIRESTORIES,
"Shadows,"shesaid,andspat .
"Youplaywithshadows. "
-from DEIRDRE, byEmily
Chen
'Never,"hesaidsoftly,"make
themistakeofthinkingIdo
notknowwhatyoudo,my
love,undercoverofdarkness . "
-from ROSEBUDANDTHE
SOVEREIGN, author
unknown
"Cowerinyourhole,"came
thesoftwordsthroughthe
door,'andthinkyourselfsafe
there. Butknowthis:come
youout,andIshallmakean
end ofyou . "
from THEFOURTHWALL,
byJ ackieRobinson
4, A simple miraclecostso(temporary) RMPs; thechar-
actercanperformitfreely.
Anormal miraclecosts1 (temporary) RMP.
Ahard miraclecosts 2 (temporary) RMPs.
Adeep miraclecosts 4 (temporary) RMPs.

Powerswithsufficient RMPs canalsousea"Wordof
Command",whichworksexactlyasitdoesforAspectand
Domain,savethatitinvolvesRealmmiraclesandMiracle
Points . Realm-basedWordsofCommandarealsoknownas
"WordsoftheTower" .
Thedifficultyforamiracleandthecharacter'sRealm
leveldeterminewhichofthesekindsofmiracleagiveneffect
is -justaswiththepreviousAttributes .
LEVEL0MIRACLES:REALM-DRIVEN
DIVINATIONS
LeveloRealmmiraclesallowcharacterstolearnofthreats
ordamagetotheirChancel . Thelifeandeventheinanimate
thingsoftheirSanctumcryouttotheirlordorladywhen
defiledorsuffering . Unlessthecharacterisconcentrating
intentlyonothermatters,theywillhearsuchcries .
TherestrictionsonEstate-drivendivinationsapplyto
Realm-drivendivinationsaswell. (SeetheDomainruleson
PP. 94-95).
LEVELIMIRACLES:GHOSTMIRACLES
LevelRealmmiraclesmaybeusedtosummon"ghosts"of
nearlyanythingintothecharacter'sChancel. Becausecreation
miraclesdonotneedtobecomplete,theseghostsdonot
havetobevisible -aghost-firemightjustbeabitofwarmth,
oraghost-lightabitofvisibility . Theseare,onceagain,not
trueillusions . TheyarepartiallytransparenttoSightandeven
mortalsmayperceivetheirillusorynature . Forexamplesof
whatGhostMiraclescando,seetherelevantrulesfor
Domain(p. 95).
LEVEL2MIRACLES:LESSERDIVINATIONS
Level 2 Realmmiraclesgiveacharactermundaneinformation
aboutthethingsintheirLocusCelatum . Thebiggest
limitationofthesedivinationsisthatthecharactermustknow
whattheyareinterestedinbeforetheycandivineit . For
examplesofwhatlesserdivinationscando,seethedescription
oflevel 2 Domainmiracles(p .
95).
LEVEL3MIRACLES:LESSERPRESERVATIONS
Level3Realmmiraclescanwardandpreserveanything
withinthecharacters'Keep . Iftheprotecteditemleavesthe
Chancel,thePowermustsustainthewardwithmiraclepoints
oritsbenefitsend . Forexamplesofwhatlesserpreservations
cando,seethedescriptionoflevel3Domainmiracles(pp .
95-9 6 ) .
Note : Alevel3Realmmiraclecanbeusedtomakea
thing,amortal,orthemiracle-wieldingPowerresistantto
damage . Theeffectsoffire,automaticweaponry,swords,
chainsaws,andtheclawsofharpies(amongotherthings)
willbegreatlyreduced . ThisisequivalenttoDurant,aGift
ofAspectdescribedbelow,butfadeswhentheitemin
questionleavestheChancel,anddoesnotreturnauto-
maticallyupontheitem'sreturn .
LEVEL4MIRACLES:LESSERCREATIONS
Level 4 Realmmiraclescancreatealmostanythingwithin
thePowers'Realm . Large-scalecreationssuchasmountains,
hurricanes,andarmies,however,arebeyondthenormalscope
ofasinglelevel 4 miracle . Theycanbebuiltslowlywith
manysuchmiracles -tensoldiers,aboulder,orastormcloud
atatime. Level 4 miraclescancreateitemslackingcertain
normalproperties ; unlikemiraclesofDomain,however,they
canonlycreatephysicalthings . (Theabilitytocreate
conditionsandqualitieswouldobviatetheneedformiracles
ofchange . )
UnlikeDomain,whichcancreateeccentricitiesatlevel 4
andminorwondersatlevel
7,
Realm-basedcreationcannot
createanythingthatcouldnotsomehowbecreatedwithin
theChancelwithouttheuseofamiracle . Thisexcludesitems
oftruepower,unlesstheplayerspurchasetheabilitytocreate
themduringChancelcreation,anditmostdefinitelyexcludes
. obilis .
CreatedthingsfadeuponleavingtheChancelunless
sustainedwith RMPS. Iftheydependuponmagicortech-
nologythatworksonlywithintheRealm,theywillnot
functiononEarth,sustainedorno. Forexamplesofwhat
LesserCreationscando,seethedescriptionoflevel 4 Domain
miracles (p. 96).
LEVEL5MIRACLES:LESSERDESTRUCTIONS
ANDMAJ ORDIVINATIONS
Withalevel 5 Realmmiracle,aPowercanremoveany
mundaneobjectoranypropertyofamundaneobjectfrom
theirChancel . Inaddition,thislevelofmiraclecan"see"or
"hear"anywhereinsidetheRealm,lookintoitspast,orpeer
cloudilyintoitsfuture .
Forexamplesofwhatlesserdestructionsandmajor
divinationscando,seetherulesforDomain(p . 96).
LEVEL6MIRACLES: LESSERCHANGESAND
MAJ ORPRESERVATIONS
Level6RealmmiraclescandoanythingminorwithinaKeep .
Theycanadjustnearlyanything,orchangealmostany
circumstance . Majormiraclesofpreservationcanalsobe
workedaslevel6Realmmiracles,makingthingseffectively
immortalwithintheconfinesoftheRealm .
Formoreexamplesofwhatlesserchangesandmajor
preservationscando,seetherulesforDomain (p. 96).
LEVEL
7
MIRACLES:MAJ ORCREATIONS
Characterscanuselevel 7 Realmmiraclestocreatenearly
anythingwithintheirChancel,althoughtheyhavethenormal
limitsonitemsoftruepowerandcannotcreateNobilis . As
withminorcreativemiracles,andunlikelevel 7 Domain
miracles,thesecanonlycreatephysicalthings .
Forexamplesofwhatmajorcreationscando,seetherules
forDomain (p . 97).
Itwasterrible,"hesaid,
curlinginthecornerand
shivering. ` IdreamedIwas
insomestrangeman'skitchen,
andhewasmakingcooks . . . "
-from ONEIROMANCY, by
MichaelKay
"Wisdomisthis,"he
answered"Onedoesnotwalk
whereonemayfindvipers. "
-from THEBox,byEmily
Chen
'Mylove,"hewhispered,"You
willlastforever . "
Therewasnoresponse
fomthewoman . Shewas
lockedinsidetheice.
from LITTLEGODS, by
J ackieRobinson
"SothefoolishKingwent
backupthenextmorningto
callthesun,right?"
Actually,Ithinkhehad
forgottenhow. "
"Grandpa!"
front CONVERSATIONS
WITHANDROCLES, byjen
Hogan
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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John Shockley
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4.0.
RealmMiracleIndex
"Watch,"hesaidsoftly,andhe
reachedintothesky,andhe
wrappedhishandaboutthe
moon,andsqueezed.
-from AIRSTORIES,
Shuffle .
Heturned. Thedesk,he
thought,wasalittlebitcloser
thanithadbeen.
Shuffle.
Thatone,hethought,a
bitfrantically,wastheplant .
Shuffle.
Whenhesawwhat
awaitedhiminthewindow
bythechair,hescreamed.
-from ALLIGATORS, by
EmilyChen
LEVEL8MIRACLES:MAJ ORDESTRUCTIONS
Level8Realmmiraclesareamongthemajordestructive
magicsofthe,obilis . Nearlyanythingcanbedestroyed,
andpositivepropertiescanberemovedfromthings . For
examplesofwhatmajordestructionscando,seetherulesfor
Domain(p . 97).
LEVEL9MIRACLES:MAJ ORCHANGES
Level9miraclescandoalmostanythingwithinacharacter's
Chancel. TheonlylimitsarethatRealmmiraclescannot
directlytargetNobilis (orImperators,Excrucians,Excrucian-
shards,Anchors, etcetera), andthattheAuctoritasthatmost
ofthesepossessdefendsagainstthesemiraclesnormally .
Miraclesdonotneedtofitexactlyoneofthelabelsabove . A
miracleofanylevelcanbecombinedwithothermiraclesof
itslevelorlower,ifitremainsasingleconceptualaction(see
Domain,p . 97. )
Realmprovidesaroughgaugeofacharacter'sstatus
amongtheNobilisandtheresourcestheycanbringoutof
theirChancel. Ingeneral,thecharacterwiththehighest
Realmattractsthemostfavorableandrespectfulnoticein
anysituation . Giftsandrecenteventsmaymodifythis .
ImportantNotesonRealmMiracles
LesserDivinationsonlyprovideinformationabout
one'sRealm .
MajorDivinationisreallyonlyforscryingwithina
Realm.
RealmmiraclesdonotrequireanextraMiraclePoint
foruseatadistance .
1PowerscannotbedirectlytargetedwithRealm
miracles,exceptbythemselves .
Thisisanextensionoftheprinciplethat"Powersare
notpartofanyDomain" .
SPIRIT
Sovereigns,itissaid,burn . Thesoul-shardoftheirImperator
glowslikeaninferno,lightingthemfromwithin ; itiswise,
legendsagree,nottostandtooclose . Intheirwaketrailseared
hopes,scaldedloves,andheartscharredtoblack,forallthat
theirultimatecauseispure . Noneofthem,eventheBaronets,
aresohumanthatthefiregoesout,butsomeofthemburn
brighterthanothers. ThestrengthofaSovereign'ssouldoes
notdependontheirtietotheirEstate,theirChancel,their
body . . . thisstrengthstemsfromakindofalchemybetween
thePowerandtheirhumanself,ameasureoftheintensityof
aPower'spersonhood . ThepowerofaSovereign'sspirit
governstheirabilitywiththeritualmagicsofthe,obilis,
andismeasuredbythe Spirit attribute .
ThosewithhighSpiritmakeAnchorsmoreeasily . They
drawgreaterstrengthfromafailedExcrucianBreakthrough
orfromcrushinganotherPower'sdesires . Theymorereadily
findtheroadsintoanunknownChancelandcanbetter
disguisetheirusesofpower. Theforceoftheirselfness,even
withoutrituals,helpsthemtoresistdirectattacksbyother
N obilis . Theseusefultraits(builtintoNOBILIS'srules)are
onlythetipoftheiceberg. ANoblewithhighSpiritisalmost
alwaysaforceful,energetic,andunshakeablepersonality,and
thisleadsthemtomanysuccessesinlife. Theyaredominant
intheirdealingswithmortals ; atthehighestlevels,theytake
onatouchoftheregalitythatmarksPowerswithRealm .
SpiritincludesMiraclePoints (SpiritMiraclePoints,
or sMPs); Powerscanspendthesepointsonanymiraclethat
theyworkthroughtheirAnchors . Aspectmiraclesarein
generalverydifficulttoworkthroughanAnchor,and
Anchorscanonlyuse"local"DomainandRealmmiracles,
buttherearemanychancesfortheaveragePowertouse sMPs
regardless . APower'sSpiritlevelalsoaddstoseveral
importantnumbers,suchasthemiraclelevelofmostattacks
madebyotherPowersuponthem . (Thisistheeffectofthe
Auctoritas,discussedlater . )
LEVEL0:CANDLEFLAME
opoints
A"Candleflame"isaNoblewhoburnssoftly . Theycanbe
strong-heartedandwillful; ifso,thentheirsoulisalso
relentlesslymundane . SuchPowersaretypicallysohuman
thatthesoul-shardoftheirImperator,thegodhoodwithin
them,cannotanchoritselftotheiressentialnature . Ifa
Candleflamelosesorhaslostitshumanity,itbecomesweak
andlistless . TheirNobleessence,howeverpotentially
powerful,hasnogreatintegrityandnostructuralorpersonal
strength.
ThegreatestlimitationthatCandleflameshave(andother
Powersdon't)isthattheyarestrictlyunabletohavemore
thanoneAnchoratatime . Theycanonlybecognizantof
twoplacesatonce . IftheirAnchoriskilled,theywillhaveto
attendtotheirdutiespersonallyanddirectlyuntiltheyinvest
inanewone. TheyarealsothemostvulnerableofallNobles
totheassaultsofotherPowersandExcrucian-shards,lacking
anyshieldofblazingselfhoodandinsistentexistencetohelp
themshredattacksthatcometooclose .
ChoosingthislevelofSpiritdoesnotnecessarilyhinder
theplayer. WhenneitherthecharacterortheirAnchorcan
participateinascene,the HGmayallowthemtoplayminor
charactersthatarepresent -ideally,onesassociatedwith
thecharacterortheChancelinsomeway . However,theplayer
1 03
` Letmetellyouwhat'sgoing
tohappentoyou,mydear, "
theMarquiswhispered. "You
aregoingtoseethingsfew
othershaveeverseen . . . the
thousandshadesofpainand
sufferingwornasamaskby
themortalsallunknowing;
youwillseethetragedyin
everylife,theunfulfilled
dream,theunfocusedanger,
thememory-shardsofthe
millionhurtfulthingsthat
havebeensaidtoeachonein
theirshortanddoomfullives .
Yourfeetwilltakeyouto
strangeplaces,toworlds
betweenworlds,andgates
fromoneplacetoanother,and
intimeyouwillfindthe
gardenIhavetended,and
youwilltakeyourturnwith
theshears. Andyouwillbeall
alone,mydear,asmyheiress
mustbe . . . forIamPain,you
willbePain . . . andpainhas
nofiends. "
from THEMASK, by
EmilyChen
CHAPTER9: ATTRIBUTES
MIRACLELEVEL LEVELDESCRIPTION USEFULTO
Level 0 Realm-drivendivinations Knowabouttrouble
Level 1 GhostMiracles Maketrivialchanges
Level 2 Lesserdivinations LearnaboutRealm
Level 3 Lesserpreservations Makethingslast
Level 4 Lessercreations Makethings
Level 5 Lesserdestructionsand Destroy/disinherit/removeproperty
Majordivinations Scry/askRealmaboutsomething
Level 6 Lesserchanges&Majorpreservations Modify,ward,seal,orguardthings
Level 7 Majorcreations Makeneatorbigthings
Level 8 Majordestructions Causewidespreaddamage
Level 9 Majorchanges Doanythingelse(withinyourRealm)
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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John Shockley
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4.0.
1 04
"Up!" hecried. "Up!It's
inspectiontime!"
Slowly,grumpily,the
soldiersfiledoutoftheirholes,
washedtheirpawsinthe
stream,anddonnedtheir
helmetsandtheirgreaves.
Theystoodwithbayonets
highasthesergeantpacedup
anddownbeforethem .
"Wilson!"thesergeant
snapped"NeedIremind
you?"
"No,sir,"Wilsonreplied,
andhisshoulderssagged .
"Badgersdon'tplayvideo
games. "
Thelittlehandhelddevice
emittedamournfulbloop .
frOm SOMELIVE,SOME
DIE, byJ ackieRobinson
shouldrememberthatthesetemporarycharactersmightnot
beloyaltothatplayer's Pc, andthatnormalhumansare
completelyundefendedagainsteventhemostbasicmagics
ofthePowers.
EXAMPLECONCEPTS
J ulianMarceau wasthemostpowerfulmagicianofthe1 8th
centuryand,quitepossibly,ofthismillennium. Bornwithout
asoul,helearnedmagicsthatcoulddrainthesouls . Ina
slow,relentlessprocesshecalledupadozendemonsoneby
oneanddevouredtheirspirits . Theemptinessinsidehim
swallowedeachup,tearingthemtoshreds . Hewouldno
doubthavecontinuedhadnotHellsentafallenangelto
Earthtomakehimabargain . J ulianagreed. Theangelsank
hersoulintotheEarthandmadeaChancel,andinJ ulian's
hollowbodywasplacedashiningshardofNoblepower . He
abidesbyhisword,takingnomoredemons,butheisalmost
soulless,still,andtheloveandhatethatcanmakeanAnchor
isaveryrarethingforhimtofind . HehashisFamiliaand
hisImperator,andnootherpeoplemattertohim .
Adele, amemberofhisFamiliaCaelestis,wasadamned
soul,afavoritetoyofthefallenangelCheran . WhenCheran
wassenttoEarthtoreplaceAchaia,slaininbattle,andto
endthetroublesomeactivitiesofJ ulianMarceau,shebrought
alongherfavoritesamongthedead . Adelewastheonlyone
whohadenoughmindlefttoheraftercenturiesoftortureto
makeaPowerof,andsoshewasexalted . Thosecenturiesdid
notwhittleherdowntoSpiritLevel0 . Acasualactofoneof
Cheran'sdemonsdid,twohundredandtwentyyearsago :it
scoopedoutanddevouredAdele'sheartasshescreamed .
Shemakesdofornowwithaheartmoldedoutofclothand
wornonachainbeneathhershirt; untilshefindsabetter
andsuitableheart,herspiritwillbeweak,herAnchorsfew,
andherpresenceintheworldwillbedimandinsubstantial .
LEVELI:HEARTHFIRE
3points
"Hearthfire"isawordtheNoblesusetodescribethosePowers
whosecompanyismostcomfortable . PowerswithSpirit
haveenoughpresencethatonecanfeelthemintheroom,
butnotsogreataninnerfireastoburn. Onecanlookin
theireyeswithoutashock. Onecanheartheirwordswithout
anydesiretoobey. SuchaPowerhassomesynergybetween
theirhumanandtheirdivinesouls . Naturally,aSpiritPower
isnotalwaysrecognizedasaHearthfire,evenastherecanbe
"Regals"whoseDomainlevelmeritsaDuchyatbest .
Hearthfiresunderstandsomethingaboutthedivinesouls
ofothers . Fromthisunderstanding,andfromthesynergy
mentionedbefore,comesthebeginningofaspiritualpower .
AHearthfirecanbondtwoAnchorstothemselvesandto
eachother,andaHearthfireisjustalittlebitharderto
magicallyassault. Intheirhands,acrushedflowercandrain
apocketfulofmagicfromanenemytheyhaveshamed .
ThislevelofSpiritisappropriateforanyPower,butis
associatedmostcommonlywithatroubledsoulandanearly
mortalwill . TwoAnchorssufficeformostthings,butthe
playershouldbeawarethattheywillsometimeswishfor
` OBILIS:AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
more -andthatthemagicaldefensethatcomeswiththis
lowalevelofSpiritwillonlyblunttheweakestattacks .
EXAMPLECONCEPTS
Mortar livesoneofthemostdangerouslivesforaPower :he
isafull-timeoperativeintheworldofman. Hecommandsa
secret u. N. taskforcechargedwiththesupernaturaldefense
oftheEarth. Thetaskforce,ofcourse,isnotevenasuseful
ashisowntwoAnchors,butthroughhiscontroloverit,he
symbolicallyparticipatesintheessenceofthe u . N. itself,and
(inturn)cansiphonoffasmallportionofthepowerofall
humanity. Once,hewasamongthegreatestofthegodsof
Greece,hispresencecracklingwithapotencyancientand
vivid,hiseverybreathfullofargentpower . Fortherolethat
nowlaidoutforhim,suchapresencewouldhavebeena
liability. Therefore,Mortarwasbrokenontherackofthe
RiteoftheFallen,andmadealmost,again,aman .
Signe isthe Lady ofHeraldry. Herrolestemsfromthe
traditionofLocusShemeri,theChancelofEvening'sHope .
HeraldryhasalwaysbeengovernedbyaSovereignofgentle
presenceandaneasylaugh,selectedbytheonebeforeher
fromthecitizensofthatWardandKeep . Thereisreason.
Herpowersdealwithhowpeopleareperceived,andwith
lendingapersonpride . Theseeffectsshouldnotcharge
roaringfromtheirPowerlikealandslide,butshoulddrift
softlyoutintotheworldwheresuchthingswereonce
everydayandarenowalmostunknown .
LEVEL2:INCANDESCENTFLAME
6points
TheCammoraeaddressthePowersofLordEntropy
"Incandescence" :thelightthatblinds,theflamethat
consumesitself. Theoldermeaning,however,is"thefirethat
burnstoobright",andmournersrecallthisnameatthe
funeralsofthosewhosacrificethemselvesinwar. Thisdoes
notmeanthatNobleswithSpirit 2 arethemostself-
sacrificingofthePowers ; theydonotneedtobe . Theyhave,
however,crossedathreshold,betweenthegiftoffireandits
curse,betweenthewarmthofahearthandaflamingarrow
usedinwar. Theyarestrong,thesePowers,anddetermined .
Intheend,theirwillandpassionmaybringthemtothe
pointofdeath . Itmightnotbringthemawayagain .
APowerthatburns(intheirhearts)withanincandescent
flameunderstandsthe spiritusDei, theNobleessencethat
ImperatorsandExcruciansreekof,thatobjectsoftruepower
shinewith,thatsurroundsandfillsPowersandtheirChancels
likeabeatingmelodyfromapassingcar . Theyarelimitedto
threeAnchors,andmustpositionthemwisely -butthey
neednotbesopenuriouswiththeultimateexpressionof
loveasaretheHearthfires . Theirownessencetricklesout
intothespacearoundthem,bindingtheworldtheylivein
ever-so-slightlytotheirwill . Whentheyworktheritualsof
the . obilis,theyarebetteratthemthantheirlessSpirited
comrades . Theirpresenceisimpressive,regardlessofEstate
orAspect,aneffectgenerallydifficultbutnotimpossibleto
mask. Foulclothing,aslurredvoice,andpaint-blackened
teethmightbeastart .
` Thisisfordroppingthe
flowersinthemoat. "
"Iwastoldtoputthemin
water,ma'am . "
Shehithimagain . ` This
isforeatingthechocolates. "
"You'reonadiet,ma'am .
Shehithimagain . This
forstealingmyengagement
ring. "
"Yousaiditpinched,
ma'am. Can'thavethathere. "
Shehithimagain,ina
fury. "Andthis,"shescreamed,
"isforputtingmyboyfriend
ontherack. "
Hewasn'trightforyou,
ma'am . "
Shepaused. Considered
that. Alongmomentpassed.
"That'snotthepoint,
,J eeves. "
"Yesin . "
from TIFFANYANDTHE
WATERTOWER, byEmily
Chen
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
Hesteppedontothestagelike
ascream. Likeanexplosionof
light. Thesightofhimechoed
inmyeyes. Theroomwent
silent,andallinthatplace
turnedtostareathisshadow-
softenedshape. 7havemany
names,"hesaid,andthere
wasgentlenessinhistone. 1
havebeencalled
Lightbringer. Ihavebeen
calledPride. Ihavecome
withamessage. "
Hiseyeslooked
everywhereandnowhere,
seeingdeepintomyown,
givingnothingback. There
wasnohintofhisthoughts
savethesmall,thinsmilethat
driftedacrosshisface . Itate
intomelikeanacidofthe
mind. Thesilencestretched
. . . what?"Ifinally
managed,drawingonmy
Sovereign'sstrength .
'ItisforyourDominus, "
hesaid,andsuddenlyhiseyes
werefocused,veryintently
focused,andtheywere
focusingonmine.
. . . what?"Iaskedagain.
Hewillknow,"thatone
replied. Heshowedme,then,
thesmallestfractionofwhat
hewas,thatone. The
brightestofalltheangels. He
showedmeonlythesmallest
fraction,andthenhewas
gone.
I . . . donotremember
exactlywhathappened,then .
OnlythatIdidnotwishto
seeanythingbutHim,ever
again . Onlytherichest,most
termingpainasIscratched
outmyeyes.
-RECOUNTINGOFTHE
EVENTSOFJ ANUARY1 3TH,
1 986,byMichaelOHare
ThisisasuitableSpiritlevelfornearlyanyPower . Nobles
bothstrongandweakofpersonalityontheinsidemayhave
thislevelofpersonalforceontheoutside . Themosttypical
personalitytypeforIncandescentFlamesisthatofabrave
adolescent . Traumaandpowerbothtendtobringoutthe
youthinaperson. ThesePowershavearebelliousanddaring
determinationthatoutmatchesmosthumans,butwhichlacks
thecoldhardrockyvastnessofstrengththatcanbefoundin
thosewho,preservingtheiradolescentfire,attainatrue
maturity.
EXAMPLECONCEPTS
Oresha, onceagain,istheliegeladyofChilminarandBalbec .
Herbloodisofallfourofthefamiliesthatliveinthosemost
ancientcities . Hersoul,inturn,isstrongintheaquaticessence
oftheDao,theterrenepoweroftheMarids,thephlogistonic
furyoftheEfreet,andtheaerialswiftnessoftheJ anni . She
isdelicatelybalancedbetweenmortalityandinhumanity. On
theonehand,thesefourfamiliesdescendfromherImperator's
fourmortalchildren,andhisdivineinheritanceconverges
againinsideher. Ontheother,thesefouressencesreflect
piecesofthetangibleuniverse,rootingherdeeplyintoher
mortalself. Perhapsintimeshewillfindawaytoreconcile
PowerandSelf,sothatthesetwostrengthswillsupporteach
otherratherthanpullingherinoppositedirections .
CasmirwasKingofAtlantisinitslastglorydays . Some
saythathisImperator,theWildlordAdalia,madeaChancel
ofthatislandrealm,andinsodoingdraggeditdownmiles
beneaththesea . . . thisisofnomatter. Whatmattersisthat
Adaliagovernsdeathbysea,andsoCasmir,drownedwith
hissubjects,wasdraggedbackfromthetwilightkingdomto
serveAdaliaasthePoweroftheBridge . Foranewly
enchancelledImperator,hewasarareprize :hisbodydead,
andthusundying,andhismindwellversedintheusesof
power. Aswithmanywhohavediedandthenreturned,heis
possessedofakindoffecklesscourage ; hiswillflares as hot,
attimes,ashisundersearealmiscold .
LEVEL3:SUNFIRE
9points
TheSunlightsandwarmseverythingittouches,andwithout
thesegiftstheEarthwoulddie . Itfeedsthetreesandmakes
thebeachespleasant ; itwakesthesleepingandgivesnew
energytothosewholivebyday. Itisessential,butatthe
sametimeitisdestructive :itsearsthedeserts,spreadscancer,
and,itissaid,itslowlygrowsbydevouringtheendlesssky.
SunfiresareconsideredfractiousbythecommunityofPowers,
fortheirmortalsoulshavegainedsomesmallmasteryover
the spiritusDei giventothem . Theirobediencetoand
allegiancewiththeirImperatorisstillstrong -itissoforall
Powers -butinthemithasgrownless .
KeatsoncedescribedtheSunfireAlexandrosasa"shout
oflife" . Itisnotaninaccuratetermforanyofthem . Theyare
divinely,transcendentlythemselves,withtheforceoftheir
Imperator'ssoul-shardintegratedalmostseamlesslyintotheir
mortalsouls . AsthePowersofInhumanAspecthaveaccess
togreatphysicalforce,theSunfiresdrawonadeepspiritual
centerandpersonalbalance . Surfacemanifestationsofthis
includetheabilitytobindfourAnchorstothemselvesand
significantprotectionagainstattacksofother,?obilisupon
themortheirpersonalspace.
ThislevelofSpiritisasensiblechoiceforPowerswith
extremelydistantorextremelycloserelationshipswiththeir
Imperator. Itgivesmorescopeforminorrebellions,because
thePower's spiritusDei isfirmlyjoinedtotheshadowthatis
theirmortalsoul. Atthesametime,andfortheverysame
reason,somePowerswiththislevelofSpiritareextremely
loyaltotheirImperator . Ifaplayerwishesaconventionally
strong-willedcharacter,theydonotneedtobuytheirSpirit
leveleventhishigh ; atthispoint,thePowercansurpass(if
motivatedenough)thedeterminationofthemoststubborn
mules .
EXAMPLECONCEPTS
Damon, ViscountoftheSands,wasadealerinstolengoods
inhismortallife . Hewasacheapanddisreputablesortwho
madeapassablelivingthankstosomecreativefinancingand
afewdeceptivesalestactics . Hewaswellpreparedwhenthe
ImperatorKallaimadeDamonhisown ; withalifetimespent
inreachingaccommodations,heknewevenatthespiritual
levelhowtonegotiatewithKallai'sshard-selfwithinhim .
ThebondingbetweenDamon'stwohalvesisnotthepowerful
concordancethatsomePowersareblessedwith,butitserves
himwell.
WaynessservesaFallenAngel,theoneknownasElymas
whofoughtonLucifer'sside . Elymas,however,didnotfight
forentirelythesamereasonsashisliege . Likethegreatestof
theFallen,Elymasbelievesthatthe"voiceoftheCreator"
withintheangelsliesandmisleadsthem. Hebelievesthatit
standsinoppositiontothetruepurposeofCreation,graven
intoeverystainandshadowofHell . YetwhereLucifer
despiseshumanity,Elymasisuncertain. Hefeelsthathumans
maybebetterarchitectsofsufferingthaneventheFallen
Angels . WhenhewassenttoEarth,andwhenhebound
himselfintoaChanceltoprotecthisbodyandsoul,oneof
thesoul-shardsthatshiveredoffofhimintoahumanbody
wasboundinalliancenottoHell,buttotheLight . For
Wayness,thedoubleimpactofDiabolicpowerandtheSong
ofLightwasnearlyoverwhelming . Shewasdeliriousfor
perhapstwoyearsafterherinvestment . Ittookthatlongto
tamethatwildfireofdivinitywithinher,wheresomePowers
(ifbynomeansall)haveabsorbedsuchadoubleimpact
withoutatremble .
LEVEL4:CONFLAGRATION
1 2 points
Likenthemtoice,andtheirspiritsareascoldasspace ; liken
themtosoundandtheyscreamlikeanexplodingstar . They
areconflagrations,titanicpersonalitiessodeepinselfhood
thateventheirAnchorsgrowinpresenceandauthority . This
hasnoreflectiononwhatthatpersonalityis :aPowerofstrong
spiritcanbecowardlyandtreacherous,orbraveandtrue .
Whatevertraitscomposetheirbasicpersonalityare
augmentedenormouslybymiraculouspower. Theydonot
To5
Therewasthestenchof
gangreneintheair,where
opencutshadlongsincebeen
infectedandburnedfleshhad
beenlefttorot. Hiswrists
werewrappedinsteeland
chainedtothefloorbeneath
him; hisbackwasbare
againstthestonetable.
Hewassmiling.
-from CARRYOUT, by
EmilyChen
CHAPTER9: ATTRIBUTES
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
106
Forfourthousandyears,"I
saidsoftlytothegrave,"Iwas
buriedinthedeepsofthe
Earth. MyEstatewas
forgotten . . . mybodybound
inchains . . . InallthattimeI
havehadnootherthought
savethatIwouldfindyou,
whenIwasfree. "
Therewassilence .
It'sfunny,"IadmittedI
neverthoughtyou'dbedead
whenIleftthattombatlast.
Youwerealwaysmore
vibrantthanI,fullofa
boundlesslifeandenergy . . .
Youkissedme,"andI
hesitatedthere,"beforethey
loweredmeintotheEarth. To
show,Isuppose,thatthe
strugglebetweenuswasonly
aclashofethics,andnota
personalhate. "
Thewindtoyedwithmy
hair.
Ibroughtyouaflower,"I
said"It'samonkshood . It
standsfortreachery,butit's
pretty,see?"
Istood,andpushedthe
flowerintotheheadstone's
heart. Ijustwantedyouto
know,"I said"thatallis
forgiven. "
-from EARTHSTORIES,
,OBILIS:AGAME
changeastheyearsgoby,andeverythingtheyare,theyare
strongly,deeply,andpowerfully. Theirpresencehasa
profoundeffectonmortals,and(tosomesmalldegree)on
Powers .
Conflagrationsareamongthefinestpractitionersofthe
darkarts -primaryamongthemtheNettleRitethatdrains
aPower'senergyawayandtheAbhorrentInvestmentthat
bindsahatedmortalasanAnchor. Theyarestrongly
protectedagainstthemagicsofotherNobilis,whichgives
themagreatadvantageinPower-to-Powerconflictsandin
theExcrucianWar. Itcanbemuchmoredifficulttotrace
themagicsofaConflagration,sincetheiruseofdivinepower
iselegantandefficient .
SpiritLevel4generallyfitsbestwithPowerswhoare
inherentlystrong-willedandvalorous . Itleastfitsthose
Powerswithcomplexanddividedpersonalities . Inbetween
arethearchetypalpersonalities,playedtothehilt :from
scholarsrichinunderstandingandlibraryloretovain
popinjaysandladieswhospendalltheirtimebeforeamirror
orbuyingclothes . Thesepersonalitiescanbeplayedwitha
lowerSpiritlevel,ofcourse,butthehigheraPower'sSpirit
level,themoretheworldwilltendtogoalongwiththeir
conceptionofthemselvesandeverythingelse . Thehigh-
Spiritpopinjaymaybehorridlyuglyandtastelessassin,but
hisownbeliefinhisbeautyradiates,sloughsoffhimlikea
lizard'sskin,andshapesthebeliefsof(atleast)themortals
aroundhimtomatch .
EXAMPLECONCEPTS
Marek isfromtheCitadelofEleph,aChancelbrightwith
technologicalinnovation . Itsscienceisasadvancedand
pervasiveasmightbecommonon22ndcenturyEarth,and
Marekishimselfaproductofthatscience . Heisahiveof
sentientnanomachines,grownundertightsecuritybut
grantedcitizenshipwhenheprovedhimselfsufficiently
morallyadvanced . HisexaltationtoDominusofAddiction
wassuddenandwhollyunexpectedbybothMarekandhis
"parents",buthesoonprovedhimselfaworthychoice . Barely
ayearafterhisascension,heinvadedthelungsofthefull
ExcrucianTiamat,andchokedheronherownbloodbefore
shecouldwipehimfromtheEarth . Marek'sspirithasalways
beenastrangeone,dividedasitisamonghundredsofmillions
ofbodies ; hisadaptationtoEleph'sshard-soulwasboth
thoroughandrapid .
Lisseut isanoldFrenchgoddess(althoughnotoneever
worshippedinourworld'sFrance). Sheapproachestheend
ofamuch-extendedlife,slowlypassingintodementia . Her
whimsanddesiresgrowstrongerashermortalsoulbegins
toloseitsgriponlife . ThepartboundtoherImperator's
spirit-shardbestsurvives . Forbothofthesereasons,shehas
beengivenahighlevelofSpiritbyherplayer .
LEVEL5: INFERNO
i5points
ThereisaterribleleashedpowerinsideanInferno'sheart .
LikethefiresofHell,theycarrywiththemthepotentialfor
screams,pain,destruction,andtheoverwhelming,
OFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
uncontrollableforceandenergythatwhipsinahurricane's
windsandnearlytearsapartthesky. Themortalspiritand
thedivinepassionsinsideanInfernoareperfectlyblended
andcomplementary,andtheycanweartheirAnchors'bodies
astheirown . Infernoscanactwiththefuryofthestorm,or
withthepreciseandultimatelycontrolledcalmofaBuddhist
master. Thosewholookintheireyesseenothingtherebut
thewhiteraginglightofthePower'ssoul.
AnInfernomaybond six Anchors,andhasanenormous
advantageinbattleswiththeExcruciansorotherPowers(all
othertraitsbeingequal . )Theirskillwithritualmagicsbegins
toapproachthatofanImperator . Onlyrarelycanauseof
miraculouspowerbetracedtothem . Achievingthislevelof
accommodationbetweentheirmortalanddivinespiritsis,
tomostSovereigns,oneofthemostdesirableprospects .
SomePowersareInfernosfromthemomentoftheir
Commencement,butthereareafewotherwaystoreachthis
levelofSpirit . Somereachthisbalanceofselveswith
assiduousmeditationandself-improvement . Othersreachit
intheoppositemanner,bygivingintotheirpassionsoreven
goadingthemon,untilthedivineshardinsidethembends
tomatch . Somepursueadifferentpath,studyingthesorceries
ofthe . obilisandtheirownsoul-shard ; theymayindirectly
jointheirsoulstogetherastheystruggletoimprovetheir
sorcerousskill.
EXAMPLECONCEPTS
J erroldMarker wasapriestbeforehisascensiontothe
Nobility-atruepriest,thekindwithadeepinnerstrength
andacompassionforall. Therewashardlyarippleinhis
beliefswhenhelearnedofChancels,Powers,andtheValde
Bellum . Histotalconfidenceinhimselfandhisabsolutefaith
instantlytamedandmasteredthesoul-shardwithinhim . As
thePowerofArchitecture(theDominusConstruo),he
spendsmuchofhistimedoingmundaneconsultingto
encouragenewideas,preserveoldones,andguidelow-
incomehousingprojects . Hisowncommentonthislast :"A
dismalhousebreedsahopelessheart . "Whenhopedies,the
Excruciansaretriumphant .
Devikahascarriedabitterrageinsideherheartforlonger
thanshehasbeenalive . Throughthreehumanincarnations,
shehasrememberedwhoshewas,andthattheDominusof
Bloodslewherlove. Throughthreeincarnations,shehas
triedtoendhislife . NowsheisaPower,divineenergies
twinedintoherdeterminedsoul,andshewillslaythat
Dominus,shehassworn,assoonasshecandosowithout
turningtraitortotheValdeBellumandherImperator's
desires .
BONDS
Everycharacterhasthingsthatareimportanttothem -
mostoften,theirmortallovedones,Chancel,Estate,Familia,
Imperator,orfavoritepossessions . Tomeasurewhatis
importanttothecharacter,divide20pointsamong Bonds,
thethingstheycareabout,givingeacha BondStrength, the
numberofpointsassignedtoit .
Again . "
Ilookeddirectlyintohis
eyes. Consciousnessfled .
Heawakenedme .
"Again. "Ilookeddirectlyinto
hiseyes. Consciousnessfled.
Heawakenedme.
"Again . "
"Iwillnevermasterthis,"
Itoldhim .
Hefrowned. "Wecannot
dance,Oriane,ifyoucannot
meetmygaze. "
-fromthethought-recordof
OrianeFeroulet
Wecameoverthemountains
andthere,glisteninginthe
sky,wastherainbow :notthe
garishspectrumofthesouth,
butapuregleamingwhite,
formingacompletecirclein
thesky. Itcapturedmyheart
inthatfirstgloriousmoment,
andIknewthatapartofme
wouldneverleavethatday,
wouldneverleavethatspot,
wherethecircleshone.
fromtheJ ournalofAlex
Stonefather
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
Idon'thateyouanymore,"I
admitted.
"Thenwhy?"heasked,
meaning'Whykillme?'
Forthememory,"Isaid
asmybladepiercedhisheart.
-from TUMBLEDRUM, by
KeikoTakemori
EXAMPLE
Arikel isthePowerofNight,thechildofthesun,andthe
guardianofdreams . HedivideshisBondspointsthusly :
'lw
5
points :thesanctityofhisEstate(Night) .
qs'4points :hissuccessatprotectingsleepersfrom
corruptingorlethalnightmares .
4points :hisladylove,theMarchessaofShadows,
SessilyBurgantine.
qw 2 points :theirmonstrousdaughter,Sinhika.
~~ 2 points:hisChancel,Helion.
point :hisrivalrywithDrudeGarrot,whichexalts
themboththroughitslegendarystatus .
point:hisflute,madefromNightmare'sfinger-bone .
point :hisMercedes,Alsvidur .
PlayerscanchangetheirPc'sdistributionofBondStrengths
atanytime,evenremovingorcreatingBonds,aslongas
theydonotabusethisprivilege .
Itisimportant,ofcourse,fortheplayerstoknowwhat
theircharactersvaluemost . Bondsalsohaveadirectinfluence
onplay. ThevalueofathingtoagivenPowerisproportional
totheemotionalenergytheyhaveinvestedinit . Thisisin
turndirectlyproportionaltotheamountofmiraculouspower
thatcanbedrainedfromthembycapturing,destroying,or
corruptingthatthing . Thetechniquefordrainingpowerfrom
anotherNoble(oraExcrucian)iscalledthe"NettleRite"
andwillbediscussedlater.
ANCHORS
Anchors,asdescribedbefore,arespecialhumanslinkedsoul-
to-soulwithaPower. Thislinkissimilarinsomewaystothe
bondbetweenaPowerandtheirImperator. AfteraSovereign
claimsanAnchor,theymaystepintothatAnchor'sbodyat
anytime . WhileinsidetheirAnchor'sbody,theycan :
SensethethingstheirAnchorsenses .
CommunicatesilentlywiththeirAnchor .
PerformmiraclesthroughtheirAnchor .
CommandtheAnchor'sbodyasifitweretheirown.
Acharacter'sAnchorsareveryimportant :theyareoftenthe
intermediariesbetweenthePowerandthebroaderworld .
ThinkaboutaPower'sAnchorsduringcharactercreation .
TheServant'sRite(whichmakesanAnchor)isdiscussed
later. PlayerscreatetheirPcs'initialAnchor(s),whocanbe
asexceptionalashumanlypossiblebutnotmoreso . Anchors
acquiredduringthegamearenormallyHG-created NPCS
whomthe Pc haslearnedtoloveorhate .
ANCHORSARELOYALTOTHEIRSOVEREIGN'S
CAUSES
Anchorsaremadeloyalbytheverymagicwhichcreatesthem,
butonlytothedivinepartofagivenPower,tothatsoul-
shardthatmakesthemNoble . Theysharethefundamental
allegiancesofthissoul-shard:tothePower'sImperator,
Chancel,Affiliation (e . g. Light,Dark,Heaven,Hell),and
Estate . AnAnchorthathates,dislikes,ordistruststheir
Dominacanreadilystabtheminthebackiftheyevercan
servethoseallegianceswhiledoingso . AnAnchordevoted
totheirSovereign,ofcourse,willnot .
ANCHORSARERESISTANTTOMAGIC
AnchorsaretreatedasPowersbytheserules,althoughthey
donotstartwithanycharacterpoints . Thatmeans,most
importantly,thatAnchorsareintrinsicallynotapartofany
Estate,andthereforenoPowercansimplywipethemoutof
existencewithaRealmorDomainmiracleofDestruction .
IfafullRidingofExcruciansweretomanifestonEarthand
wipeouthumanitywithasinglewordofdestruction,itwould
betheAnchorsandPowerswhosurvivedtorebuild .
ANCHORS"ATTRACTTHEATTENTIONOF
FATE"
ThisisanoldsayingamongthePowers . Itisnotliterally
true ; thereisnoknownanthropomorphicpersonificationof
FateintheworldoftheAsh,buttheremightaswellbe .
EventsonEarthultimatelyderivefromoneofthreeforces :
thegreatworkoftheangels,theinfluenceoftheFallenAngels
reachingupfromHell,andthedestructiveincursionofthe
DarkHorsemen . Alltheseforceshavemoredifficulty
affectinganAnchor,andsothetapestryoflifecatchesand
tanglesaboutthem . Inturn,inthemoremundaneworld,
thelifeofapersonwhobecomesanAnchorwillneverbe
thesame. Eventsthatareweird,disturbing,wondrous,
terrifying,joyful,andincomprehensibletakeplacewithever-
increasingfrequency.
ANCHORSDIEIFTHEIRNOBLERENOUNCES
THEM
Sometimestheydon't,mind . Sometimes,whenaNoblesevers
thebondbetweenNobleandAnchor,itleavesthema
vegetable . Othertimes,itonlyleavesthemirredeemablyand
horriblyinsane. Still,theusualeffectofaNobleturningoff
anAnchor'sAnchornessistheAnchor'sdeathorthedeath
oftheirpersonality .
RULESFORSPIRIT
Charactersbeginwith5permanent SpiritMiraclePoints
(sMPs), andcanincreasethistotalatacostofCharacter
Pointforeachpermanent sMP. Eachcharacterbeginseach
storywithasmanytemporary sMPs astheyhavepermanent
sMPs . (Foranexampleofhowthisworks,seetheDomain
rulesonp . 94 . )These sMPs canbesubstitutedforothermps
undercertainconditions .
ANCHORS
APowercanhaveupto(SpiritLevel+)Anchors . Usinga
miraclethroughanAnchormeansthatthemagicflows
throughthelinkbetweenPowerandAnchorbeforebeing
expelledintoform . AnymiracleworkedthroughanAnchor
mustbereasonablylocaltothatAnchor . Thereisno
additional DMP costformiracleslocaltoanAnchorbut
distantfromtheSovereign . Thereisanadditional(5-Spirit
Level) AMP costforAspectmiraclesusedthroughanAnchor.
1 07
CHANGESINTHEWORLD
TounderstandwhyAnchors'
livesbecomeeverstranger,
imaginethatthePowerof
Strifemiraculouslyincreases
thelevelofviolenceinthe
world. Thisdoesnotaffectan
Anchoratall. Suddenly,they
areoneofthemostcollected,
cool,andcalmpeopleintheir
nation . That'soddenough
rightthere.
Nowconsiderthe
possibilitythattheGreat
WorkinHeaven,orabattle
intheSpiritWorld,increases
thelevel ofglobalviolence.
ThiscanaffecttheAnchor,
somewhat-butitaffects
themlessthanmost. Because
thisisn'taNoblemiracle,
ProsaicRealityhasthechance
toexplaintheAnchor's
partialimmunityaway .
Maybethisjustmanifestsas
afewrecordschangingto
reflectthattheAnchorhas
alwaysbeencalmandcool-
headed. Alternately,a
derangeddoctorkidnapsthe
Anchorandperforms
unethicalexperimentstotry
andfindacure"forthe
violenceplaguingtheworld.
Anchors,inanswerto
Vyasa'squestion,standstill
whentheworldshakes.
CHAPTER9:ATTRIBUTES
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
1 08
(ThePowermustusetheirownbodyasatemplateforwhere
theenergyshouldgo . )ThePowermustpaythisextraAMP
costwhenusingGiftsbasedonAspectmiracles(seep . 86).
SMPSmaybesubstitutedforAMPS,RMPS,orDMPSfor
miraclesperformedthroughanAnchor. UsingsMPsinstead
OfAMPSdoesnotremovethepenaltyforusingAspect
miraclesthroughanAnchor.
THEAUCTORITAS:THECHANCELOFTHEBODY
The"Auctoritas"isthehighestexpressionofSpirit,ofa
Power'sselfhood . Itisthespacewithinaboutfivefeetofthe
Power,ineverydirection:itisthetiebetweenthePowerand
thetreeYggdrasil,whereallworldshang . Thismysticshield
turnsawaythemagicsofotherPowers,Imperators,andeven
Excrucians. WhentwoPowerseachentertheAuctoritasof
theother,thereisanuncomfortablefeeling,likeagrating
sandstonesoundinthemindandinthesoul.
Whatdetermineswhenanuninvitedmagicisdeflected?
Normally,whenaPower(orExcrucian-shard)wishesto
invokeamiraclethatwillaffectthespacewithinanother
Power'sAuctoritas,thePower'splayermustnamethe
maximumlevelofSpirittheywishtoaffect . Addthisnumber
totheMiracleDifficultyLeveloftheeffect . IfsomePower
withintheregionofeffecthasahigherSpiritlevelthanthis
number,thentheyandtheirAuctoritasareunaffected .
TheSpiritlevelthattheplayernamesissometimescalled
the"Penetration"ofthemiracle . APenetrationofoisnot
thesamethingasamiraclewithnoPenetrationvalue
; both
arepossibleandbothhavethesamecost . (Amiraclewithno
PenetrationvaluewillignorethespacearoundanyPower,
whetherornottheyhaveaSpiritlevel
; thisisusefulwhen
onewantstoclearmortalsaway. )
PowerscanusemiraclesinsidetheirownAuctoritas,or
evenonthemselves(usingAspect,orDomainiftheirEstate
isappropriate),withoutneedingtopenetratetheirown
Auctoritas . APowerdoesnoteverneedtopenetrateany
Auctoritas,includingthatofsomeoneelse,toaffect
themselveswithamiracle . ThisincludesAspect-enhanced
thoughtprocessesandsenses .
APower'sAuctoritasprotectsthemnormallyagainstthe
physicaleffectsofghostmiracles
. Ghostmiraclesalsocreate
non-physicaleffects-thesenseofanEstate'spresenceand
theshadowyimageofagreatermiraclehappening . These
effects,sincetheydonotphysicallyaffecttheworld,ignore
theAuctoritas . Inotherwords,ifthePowerofFirewantsto
heattheairaroundanotherNoble,theymustpenetratethat
Noble'sAuctoritas . Iftheywishtocreatethe"ghostly"effect
ofimmolatingthatPower,asawayofexpressingtheiranger,
theycandosowithoutapenetrationvalue.
THEHIDDENWAY
Divinationsalsofollowtheruleabove . Inparticular,detecting
thetracesofpowerleftbehindbyamiracleisconsideredan
invasionoftherelevantPower'sAuctoritas . Thus,thePower
attemptingtodetectsuchthingsmuststatethehighestSpirit
levelaNoblecouldhaveandstillhavetheirtracesdetected .
AddthistotheMiracleDifficultyNumber.
NOBILIS:AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
SummaryofRites
RITE
TheServant'sRite
TheWitchHuntRite
TheRedtoothRite
TheRiteoftheLastTrump
TheRiteofPassage
TheNettleRite
TheRiteoftheFallen
TheRiteofAnguish
TheRiteofRescue
TheRiteofHolyFire
THESIMPLERITES
PowerswithhighSpiritaregenerallybetterattheritual
magicsoftheNobilis. Thereisaconcrete,easilydefined
effectonthefivemostimportantRites-theNettleRite,
theWitchHuntRite,theServant'sRite,theRiteoftheLast
Trump,andtheRiteofHolyFire-builtintotheserules .
TheHGshouldbearinmindthathighSpiritPowersarealso
betterattheritualsthathavelesspredictableeffects,andwill
bebetteratusingmundanemagics,themiraculousartifacts
ofothers,andtheAllia(usefulmagicalthingsthatcomeinto
beingwhenaChanceldoes). TheSimpleRitesaredescribed
indetailonpp . 1 22-1 27 .
ANOUTLINEOF
CHARACTERCREATION
Decideonaname,anEstate,andaroughideaofwhatthe
character'sabout . Eachcharacterbeginswithz5character
pointstospend
.
I. PURCHASEATTRIBUTES
Charactersbeginwitholevelsofeachattribute . Increasing
anAttributecosts3pointsperlevel . NobilisPcscanhave
atmostfivelevelsofagivenattribute .
Thefourattributesare :
4,Aspect,usedformiraclesofbodyandmind .
Domain,givingmiraculouscontroloverone'sEstate .
Realm,givingmiraculouscontroloverone'sChancel .
Spirit,whichgeneratestheAuctoritasandhelpswith
SimpleRites .
Forexample,acharactercanbuylevelofAspect,4levelsof
Domain,ilevelofRealm,andolevelsofSpirit . Thiscosts
(+4+I+o)x3= 1 8points
.
2. PURCHASESECONDARYDOMAIN
SomeNoblescontroladditionalEstates . SecondaryDomain
overanextraEstatecostspointperlevel . Powersuseitlike
Domain. APowercannothavemorelevelsinanygiven
SecondaryDomainthantheyhaveintheirDomainattribute .
Forexample,acharacterwith4levelsofDomainover
Treescanadditionallybuy4levelsofSecondaryDomain
overLonelinessand2levelsofSecondaryDomainover
EFFECT
ClaimanAnchor
Detectthetracesmiraclesleavebehind
EataPower'sheart,gainamiraclepoint
Movemiraclepointsfromoneattributetoanother
LocatenearbyChancels
Stealmiraclepointsfromenemies
Punishatraitororblackguard
SiphonoffadeadImperator'spower
AdoptnewNoblesintoaFamilia
Defendagainstnon-miraculousassault
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4.0.
Vitalityfor (4+ z)= 6characterpoints . Thischaractercannot
buySecondaryDomainoverLonelinessatlevel
5,
sincethat
exceedstheirDomainscore .
3. PURCHASEEXTRAMIRACLEPOINTS
Charactersbeginwith
5
Aspectmiraclepoints (AMPS), 5
Domainmiraclepoints (DMPS),
5
Realmmiraclepoints
(RMPS), and5Spiritmiraclepoints (sMPs).
Characterscanpurchaseadditional AMPS,DMPS,RMPS,
and sMPs forcharacterpointeach .
4. PURCHASEGIFTS
CharactersbeginwithnoGifts . CharacterscanbuyGifts
fromthistextorasupplementforthelistedcost . Playerscan
alsocreatetheirownGifts. TocreateaGift,perusetheAspect
andDomainmiracledescriptionstofindonethatfitswhat
theGiftdoes . Thelevelofthedescribedmiracleservesas
thebasecostoftheGift .
Forexample,fire-breathingisaLesserCreationofFire,
withabasecostequaltothemiraclelevelofLesserCreations,
or 4 . FlightisaLesserChangeoftheSelf,specificallyone's
ownlocation. ItsbasecostequalsthemiraclelevelofLesser
Changes,or6 .
GiftscanaffectthePowerthatownsthemdirectly . They
cannotaffectotherPowersdirectly. Topenetratean
Auctoritas,theymusthaveaPenetrationlevel . Thiscosts
onepointperlevelofPenetration .
Forexample,fierybreaththatcantoastaSpirit 2 Power
costs +2 points .
EaseofUse
4, AGiftthatinvokesitselfautomaticallycosts +I point.
AGiftthatrequiresasimplemiracletousecosts -I
point .
AGiftthatrequiresanormalmiracle (MP) touse

costs -2 points .
AGiftthatrequiresahardmiracle (2MPS) tousecosts

-3points .
Range
AGiftthatcanaffectthingsanywhereintheworld
costs+point.
AGiftwithpurelylocaleffectscosts- point.
AGiftthatcanaffectthePoweroronelocalperson
costs -2 points.
4, AGiftthatcanonlyaffectthePowercosts -3points .
Flexibility
RecallthateachGifthasamiracledescriptionattached,like
"LesserCreationofFire" .
AGiftthatcandoanythingthatmiracledescription
coverscosts+point .
AGiftwithacomprehensiverangeofapplications
costs -point .
4, AGiftwithonlyahandfulofapplicationscosts -2
points .
AGiftthatonlyhas"onetrick"costs -3 points .
Common?
TheHollyhockGoddetermineswhatGiftsarecommon .
AnuncommonGiftcosts+point .
MinimumCost
TheminimumcostforaGiftis .
CostMultiplier
GiftsbasedonDomainmiraclesthataffectalarge
categoryofEstatesratherthanasingleEstatecost
twiceasmuch.
GiftsthataffectanyEstatecostthreetimesasmuch .
CHOOSEHANDICAPS
4,ChooseoormoreLimits . Limitsremoveabilitiesthe
characterwouldotherwisehave . EachgivesthePower
anHG-chosennumberofpermanentmiraclepoints .
ChooseoormoreRestrictions . Restrictionsgiveextra
temporarymiraclepointswhentheycomeupinplay.
(ThemiraclepointsLimitsandRestrictionsprovide
cangowhereveryouchoosetoassignthem . )
ChooseoormoreVirtues . Theseareabsoluteand
inviolableelementsofthecharacter'spersonality .
ChooseAffiliation -thecharacter'scodeofethics .
PickanAffiliationfromthelistonpp . 1 33-1 34,

or
PickthePcs'Imperator'sAffiliation, or
CreateanewAffiliationforthecharacter.
5.
6. CHOOSEBONDSANDANCHORS
Divide 2o pointsamongalistofthethingsthecharacter
caresaboutmost,roughlyapproximatingtherelativeamount
thecharactercaresaboutthem.
Thisisagoodtimetoroughlydetailthecharacter's
Anchors,whoareoftenBondsaswell .
7. CHOOSEADESIGN
Chooseaflowerorsymbolrepresentingthecharacter'sEstate
andaflowerorsymbolrepresentingthecharacterthemselves .
Pickabackgroundforthesesymbolsinthecharacter's
heraldicDesign,orusethebackgroundassociatedwiththeir
Affiliation .
8. WRITEDOWNWOUNDLEVELS
Acharacterreceives (4+ Aspect)woundlevels . Dividethem
evenlyinto Surface,Serious, and Deadly woundlevels . These
areusedtowithstanddamage .
Ifyouhaveoneleftover,itbecomesanextraSurface
woundlevel . Ifyouhavetwoleftover,theybecomeanextra
SurfaceandanextraSeriouswoundlevel .
9. NOTERELEVANTCHANCELANDIMPERATOR
PROPERTIES
Afterorduringcharacterdesign,theplayersdesignaChancel
andImperator. SomeChancelPropertiesandImperator
Propertiescanaffectthecharactersheet . Forexample,
"GrantedGift"allowsthecharactertotakeanextraGift
(pairedwithaHandicap)forocharacterpoints .
1 09
CHAPTER9 : ATTRIBUTES
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1 1 0
CANEXAMPLEOF
CHARACTERCREATION,PARTI
Michael'sfriendSusandecidesthatshe'dliketoactas
HollyhockGodinanewNOBILIS campaign. She'llbeusing
Treachery, thecampaigndescribedlaterinthisbook,andtells
herplayerstothinkaboutcharacterswhowillmakegood
Inquisitors,sinceshewantsagamewithlotsofinvestigation
andsubterfuge.
Michaellikestheidea,andconsiderswhattheother
playersarelikelytodo . Madeleinewillplayatremendously
intelligentmanipulatorwithmultipleidentitiesbecauseshe
likesthatsortofcharacter(anddoesitwell). Philip'sbeen
talkingrecentlyabouttakingabreakfromhisusualstyleof
socialbutterflytoplaysomeonebigandstrongandgoodat
smackingmalefactors . Linhastheurgetorunaspyand
infiltrator. Michaeldoesn'twanttoduplicateanyoftheir
plannedefforts. Latelyhe'sbeenreadingalotaboutpastand
presentmaritimelife,includingbooksbyJ ohnMcPhee,
PatrickO'Brien,andJ oanDruett,anddecidesthathe'llplay
afemalemerchantmarinecaptain . Thecargoshipsheruns
mightmakeagoodChancel(Michaelthinks,butdoesn't
suggestrightnow). She'llhavearuthlesslypragmaticattitude
thatmaycomeinhandywhenreininginsomeoftheother
characters,andtheirplayers .
Therearemanywaystodevelopacharacter,andaslong
astheyleadtogood,enjoyableresults,they'reallright . Since
Nobilis charactersdon'thavehighlydetailedstatistics,
Michaelwantstoworkoutastrongsenseofwhohischaracter
isasamortalwomanbeforeworkingouttheconsequences
ofherCommencement. Afterleafingthroughinspirational
books,hegetsamentalimageofaslightlystoutwoman,not
yetmiddle-aged,heavilytattooedandscarredinafewplaces,
dressedinheavydenim. Heindulgeshimselfwithahistorical
allusion,andnamesherMaryFrancesRowlandtomakeher
thegreat-great-great-granddaughterofa1 9th-century
AmericanwomanwhocommandedaPacificfrigate .
MaryFrancesgrewupinsomelittletownontheshores
oftheGreatLakes,whereshelearnedsailinganddealing
withidiottourists ; shedroppedoutofcollegeinher
sophomoreyeartojointhemerchantmarineandgradually
workedherwayupthroughtheranks. Threeyearsagoshe
sufferedthroughabriefperiodofnotoriety,thankstoacouple
ofnewsmagazinepuffpiecesaboutherheroisminleadinga
successfulcounter-attackonthethugswho'dhijackedthe
shipshewasfirstmateof,intheSouthChinaSea . Shepicked
uphermostvisiblescars -apairofknifecutsjustbelowher
leftear-intheprocess . Forayearorso,shecouldn'tgo
intoawaterfrontbarwithoutsomesailorjerkdecidinghe'd
provehismanhoodbybeatingheruptoshowshewasn'tso
toughafterall,butitgraduallytaperedoff. Thecoverage
wasn'tallbad:itbroughthertotheattentionofaMexican
shippingfirmwhichmadehercaptainoftheoiltanker Baja
Tide. She'sverymuchenjoyingcommand .
NowMichaelfeelscomfortableassigningthenumbers .
EvenafterreceivingherImperator'sshard,MaryFrances
` . NOBILIS:AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
isn'tthatfarremovedfromhumanityinheroverallphysical
andmentalcapabilities . MichaelbuysAspectforher.
Michaelisn'tsureyetwhatherEstatewillbe,buthewants
hertohavequitegoodcontroloverit,sohebuysDomain3.
TheChancelitselfmayormaynotbeimportantasthegame
goeson,butitdoesn'tseemquiteascrucialtoMichael ; he
buysRealm 2 (andtriesnottoworrywhenSusanchuckles
softly). Finally,hedecidesonSpirit 2, havingnoparticularly
firmsensewhathemaywantforMaryFrancesinthis
category. Altogether,attributescost 24 ofthe
25
pointshe
hastospendonhischaracter .
BondsandAnchorsdon'ttakeMichaelalotoftime . This
surpriseshimalittlebit,sinceheoftenhastopokeatsuch
thingslonger,butforthischaractertheyseemtofollow
naturally. At7points,the BajaTideis thesinglemost
importantthinginMaryFrances'world. Followingitat
5
pointseachareherabilitytoguardherEstate(whichMichael
stillhasn'tdefined,buthethinksofMaryFrancesasstrongly
devotedtowhateverit'llturnouttobe)andsafeharbors
wherevertheymaybe . Thosethreebondstieup1 7points .
MaryFrancescanhavetwoAnchors(Spirit+ ) . Oneis
heroldfriendEstebanZuniga,nowchiefofthedrydocksat
BajaTide's homeport; theotherisBonDucTran,theleader
ofthepirateswhoseattackmadeherfamous . They'reeach
worthpointofbondstrengthtoher. (MakingAnchorsout
ofenemiesisstraightforward :MaryFrancescanuseBonin
asortofextendedrevenge . MakingAnchorsoutofloved
onesistrickier ; MichaelenvisionsMaryFrancesworking
co-operativelywithEstebanratherthandictatorially . She's
bringinghimupintohernewplaneofexperience,andmay
wellhopesomedayhe'llget
ennobled
too. )Michaelspends
thelastpointonMaryFrances'fascinationwithcutting-edge
technologyinsofarasitaffectsshipping .
THECREATIONOF
J AMESONBLACK
MelanctheiscreatingaNOBILIS character. Shestartswith
theconceptofaTibetandragonwhohatesboththeChinese
occupationandhisownreactiontoit . Hehasturnedtodrink,
andhisbodyhasgonealittlebittopot . ThisisJ ameson
Black,asseenonpage 1 1 2.
J ameson'sAspectlevelisLegendaryandnomore,buthe
hasanumberofGiftsofAspect . Melancthestartswith
Eternal,Durant,Flight,Fire-Breathing,andShapeshifting
(tohumanshapeandback),asfoundinChapter 1 o . This
costs
7
points,foratotalof1 3spentonAspect .
MelanctheismostfamiliarwithKoreandragons,who
bringrain . Accordingly,shegivesJ amesonaDomainover
Storms . Shewouldliketobringahealthydownpourasa
hardmiracle,whichmeansthatJ amesonhasatleastaLevel
2 Domain. Shegivesalittlebitofthoughtheretowhatshe
associateswithrain,andlists"joy","healthofplants","clouds",
"cleanliness",and"storms" . Shesuspectsthatshedoesn'thave
enoughpointsforanotherEstatejustnow,sofor6points,
J amesonbecomesaViscountofStorms .
OPPOSITE:
J amesonBlack,
thePowerofStorms
byBryanTalbot
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4.0.
112
Melancthehas6pointslefttodivideamongRealmand
Spirit.Shedecides(tomakethisdivisioneasier)thatJameson
hasbeenawayfromtheChancelforalongtime -mostly
drinking -andthathehaslosthisaffinityfortheplace .
ThisalsoexplainswhyheiswearingaWesternname .The6
pointsgotobuyingJamesonLevel 2 Spirit,makinghiman
IncandescentFlame.ThisfitsdragonsingeneralandJameson
inspecific,anditgiveshimameasureofmagicalprotection
togowithhisphysicalarmor .
Bondsarenext.Melanctheassignsthemasfollows:
5pointstoTibet .(It'shardtohurtit,butshe'sintrouble
ifsomeonedoes .)
13pointstothesanctityofhisEstate .
3pointstoJameson'sAnchorandbastardson,Kun
RkyoMinKar.
q)w3pointstoJameson'sImperator,Anani.
3pointstoliquor,andhisaccesstoit.
2pointstoJameson'sAnchor,RosalineDonalds: CEO,
ex-so,personalbankroll.
1pointstohisdesireforrespect .
Finally,therearehandicaps .Shedecidestostartwiththe
following: "Alcoholic","WantstoFreeTibet","Huntedby
theChineseGovernment",and"Affiliation : Light".What
specificallydroveJamesontodrinkwashisslaughterofa
groupofChinesesoldiers.HisAffiliationwiththeLight
explainswhyJamesonwassobadlyhurtbythis -hewas
actingagainstthecodeoftheLightintegratedintohissoul.
JamesonalsoautomaticallyreceivesaHandicapfromhis
Imperator,forbiddinghimtoownmuchinthewayof
property(seep .153),and6WoundLevels(seepp .164-165) .
JamesonBlack'sfinalcharactersheetis :
,OBILIS : AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
JAMESONBLACK: THEPOWEROFSTORMS
ATTRIBUTE
LEVEL
MIRACLEPOINTS
Aspect2: Legendary 5
Domain 2: Viscount 5
Realm 0: Citizen 5
Spirit
2: IncandescentFlame
5
GiftsandVirtues
Eternal
Durant
Fire-breathing
Flight
Shapeshifting(tohumanordragon)
Limits/Restrictions
Restriction: Alcoholic
Restriction: WantstofreeTibet
Restriction : HuntedbyChinesegovernment
Restriction : Forbiddentoanythingexceptholyscripts,robes,
afewcoins,andabeggingbowl
Affiliation: CodeoftheLight
WoundLevels
2DeadlyWounds(Durant)
2SeriousWounds
2SurfaceWounds
Design
Chaos'sflowerandtheflowerofRemorsetwineaboutaca-
duceusagainstagraybackgroundwitharaindroppattern .
Chaos'sflower,representingStorms,isaclosedsilverflower
withfouridenticalpetalsandwhorledleaves .Theflowerof
Remorse,representingJamesonhimself,isaclosedblack
flowerwithfiveseparatedpetalsandrecentlyaddedthorns .
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4.0.
Chapter10
CJ
ft
sandhandicaps
AssumeQ,"shesaid.Aswe
knowQimpliesR,wecan
deriveR.KnowingPimplies
notR,wecanderivenotP"
Inthebackground,she
heardtheQueenofUnreason
screaming.Shedidnotstop.
"WealsoknowQimplies
PSinceweassumedQ,we
knowPHavingbothPand
notPforacontradictionwe
knowourassumptionis
wrong: thusweknownotQ."
Thescreamingcut off
suddenly,asiftheQueen's
lungshadturnedtovapor.
Tiffanycautiouslyopenedher
eyes.TheQueensmiled
Tiffany'sbrowfurrowed.
'DidImakeamistake?"
No,"theQueen
admitted,herfangssnowy
white.'7 justgotboredwith
beingvulnerabletologic."
from Tiffanyandthe
WaterTower, byEmilyChen
THEBOOKOFQUESTIONS
Topreservethesequestionsagainsttheages,Vyasacarvedthem
intothestonesoftheWallatGir.Thosewhopaypilgrimageto
thiswallcomeawaychanged.Someacquirestrangenew
talents.Othersdevelopobscuredisabilities.Allspeakofthe
wondrousclarityofVyasa'sscript.
z.
"Timeeatsateverything,"saysLordDirghadanstra.
`Nothinglastsforever."
2.
"Thesoulliveseternally,"answerstheLadyMenaka,
àndnoforcecanunmakewhatthegodshavemade
immortal."
IsDirghadanstramistaken?IsMenaka?
3 .
4-
S.
6.
7 -
BrahmasurastheHarvestersays,"PraisetotheCreator ;I
amblessed!Iamwhole;Iamsound;Iamfortunate .My
lifeiswithoutflaw."
8.
GitalitheBlindanswers,"PraisetotheCreator!
Knowingmyweakness,Icancounteritsmanifestations .
HowmuchmorefortunateIamthanthosewhodonot
knowtheirlimits!"
SaurabhtheUnluckyanswers,"PraisetotheCreator!No
manknowswhenillluckwillstrike.Nonecanprepare
foritsfelltouch.Yetthisgraveuncertaintyisablessing!
Plaguedwithever-changingtroubles,Ihavebecome
flexibleinnatureandquickinmind."
ro. Eachpitiestheothers,butwhichofthemistrulyblessed?
ii. Aeunuchstandsoutsideaharem .Manyofthewomen
insidearegone ."Haveyouanexplanation?"criesthe
eunuch'slord."Someonehasspiritedmyharemaway!"
12. `7 allowedyourrivaltocommitthistheft,"theeunuch
admitted,"butIamnotremiss.Iensuredthatheremoved
onlythosewomenlackinginbeautyorgrace.Inthis
manner,Ihaveimprovedyourharem'squality."
13 . Theharemwashumanity;butwhowastheeunuch,and
whowasthethief?
9.
Whatshapeisthespiritofamountain?
Whatcoloristhespirit ofpeace?
Howdoeslovechoosewhichheartstowear?
113
CHAPTER10: GIFTSANDHANDICAPS
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4.0.
114
EXAMPLE
Arikelwishestobe
immortal.Thatsoundslikea
majorpreservation,which
hasmiraclelevel6.Thebase
costforthisGiftis6.
GIFTS
ManyPowershavespecialabilitiesbeyondthegeneral
competencyindicatedbytheirattributelevels .AGorgon,
forinstance,mightbeabletopetrifyanopponentwithher
gaze -amortalopponent,atleast -evenifshedoesnot
haveDomainoverstone,petrifaction,mortals,ortrans-
mutations.SpecialtrickslikethisonearecalledGifts,and
therearealmostasmanyastherearePowers : somegivenby
Imperators,othersfoundhiddeninthePower'ssoul.
PlayerspurchaseGiftswithcharacterpoints,justlike
attributelevels .GiftcostsdrawontheDomainandAspect
miraclelevelcharts .WepresenttheGiftdesignsystembelow,
followedbyseveralsampleGifts .
BaseCost
EachGiftallowsthePowertocreateaneffectorsetofeffects
similartothosecoveredbymiraclesofAspect,Domain,or
Realm.First,findanappropriatemiraclelevel .Forinstance,
theabilitytobringpeacetoanyheartisaLesserCreation .
Foramorepermanenteffect -whatiscreatedcanfade,
afterall -theplayermightselectaLesserDestruction,to
indeliblyexcisetheinnerpainsanduncertaintiesthattrouble
thesoul.ThemiraclelevelsforLesserCreationandLesser
Destructionare 4 and5,respectively;thisisthebase(starting)
costforthecorrespondingGift .
Gifts,likemiraclesaffectingoneself,cantreattheGift'suser
aspartoftherelevantEstate.Thus,aPowercaninflictpeace
ontheirownheart,eventhoughother,obilisareimmune .
"TheSelf"isavalidEstateforGiftsintendedtoaffectthe
PowerandonlythePower .WhenaPowerusesaGifton
themselves,itignorestheirAuctoritas .
IfaGiftincursamiraclepointcostinsomeway,the
PowermustpayittousetheGift.
NoteonMultipleDomainsforDomain-basedGifts
GiftsthataffectafamilyofdistinctDomains(anyliving
thing,anyphysicalthing)costtwicethenormalamount .Gifts
thatcanaffectanythingandeverythingcostthreetimesthe
normalamount.AGiftthatcanaffectanything inaspecific
Chancel isbasedonRealm,notDomain,andneedonlybe
purchasedonce.
SPIRITFORCE
Gifts,likemiracles,haveapenetrationlevelassociatedwith
them.IfaPowerwishestheGifttoaffectanythingbutthe
PowerthemselvesintheregionwithinanotherPower's
Auctoritas,theymustbuyasuitablelevelofpenetration .This
increasesthebasecostbyonepointperpointofpenetration .
OBILIS : AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
BecauseimmortalityaffectsonlyArikelhimself,hedoesnot
havetospendextrapointstoremainimmortalinsidean
Auctoritas.
ACTIVATION/INVOCATION
NowdeterminehowthePoweractivatestheirmiraculous
Gift.
Miraclesthatonlyneedtobeperformedonce(barring
interferencefromsomeotherPower)areconsidered
automatic.
FLEXIBILITY/UTILITY
Nowdeterminehowmuchofthepotentialimplicitintheir
GiftthePowercanactuallyuse.
ImportantNotesaboutGiftFlexibility
EachGiftcanperformonetypeofmiracle .Thus,forthis
purpose,MajorDivinationsarenotthesamelevelasLesser
Destructions;LesserChangesarenotthesamelevelasMajor
Preservations;andGiftsbasedontheSightorGuisingcannot
alsoincludemoregeneralAspecttalents .Moreover,miracles
ofagivenleveldonotautomaticallyincludemiraclesoflower
levels.GiftsbasedontheAspectmiraclechartcannothave
morethanalimitedselectionofuses .Giftsbasedonlevel9
miraclesofMajorChangeshouldnothavemorethana
limitedselectionofuses,butthe HG canpermitexceptions.
RARITY
Finally,Giftsthatareuncommoninthegameuniversecost
anextrapoint.The HG shouldlettheplayersknowwhich
Giftsarecommon.
EXAMPLE
Arikel'splayerlooksatthe
chart,anddeterminesthat
immortalityisinthefirst
category: hisimmortalityis
automaticallyreinvoked
wheneversomething
counteractstheeffect.
(OtherNobiliscannot
affectArikelorhis
immortalitydirectly,sotheir
powerscannotcounteract
thisGift -butentering
certainheavilyprotected
Chancels,leavingEarth,an
Imperator'smiracles,and
certainabilities of
Excruciansandtheir
weaponscancounteracta
Power'sGiftsandlong-
standingeffects.)
Immortalitynowcosts7
points.
EXAMPLE
Arikelmakesupafewpoints
here.Immortalityonly
affectshimselfwhichyields
-3points -andthecurrent
costdropsto4points .
EXAMPLE
Arikelhasfulluse ofthe
miraclelevel: hedoesnot
age,cannotbewounded,
stayshealthywhenhe
doesn'teat,sleep,drink,etc.,
hecansurviveindeep
space,andheisimmuneto
disease.ThisaddsIpointto
thetotal.Thus,hisGift,
"Immortal',isworth5points
sofar.
THEGIFTOFTONGUES
Charactersdonotneedtobuy
Gifts tounderstandhuman
languages.EveryNoble
receivesacomprehensive
understandingofhuman
languagesandthe"True
Tongue"ofHeavenforfree.
MIRACLETYPE LESSERLEVEL MAJORLEVEL
Divinations 2 5
Preservations 3 6
Creations 4 7
Destructions 5 8
Changes 6 9
AREAOFEFFECT
NowdeterminetheareathattheGiftcanaffect.
AREAOFEFFECT COSTINCPS
Almostanywhere +1
Localthingsonly -1
Oneperson(PowerwithGiftoranearbymortal) -2
Oneselfonly -3
MEANSOFACTIVATION COSTINCPS
Automaticallywhenappropriate +1
Simplemiracle -1
Normalmiracle -2
Hardmiracle -3
FLEXIBILITY COSTINCPS
Allimaginableuses +1
Awidevarietyofsituations -1
Alimitedselectionofapplications -2
Onesingle"trick" -3
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4.0.
ASummaryofGiftCosts
Example
Arikel's HG decidesthatImmortalityisuncommon.ThereforehisfinalcostfortheGiftis6points .
Checkingthetable,wehave :
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
COMMON
TOTAL
6 (Domain)
Automatic
Selfonly
Full flexibility
No
6cps
+1
-3
+1
+1
6cps
IntheeventthatArikelmustspendmiraclepointsonthisGift-notasituationcreatedbythe
rulesofthegame,butthe HG mayimposesuchapenaltyinsomeunusualcircumstance -he
willspend AMPS, becauseImmortalityisaphysical/mentalpowerratherthana"magical"one .
Theswordroseandfell,and
thewarriorweptwitheach
blow: notsolelybecausehis
lovewasdyingathishands,
butbecauseevenwith
Damascenesteelitwasstill
painfullyslow . . .
-from DEATHOFA
LAMIA, byEmilyChen
WhenaGiftrequiresanormalorhardmiracletouse,it
drawsitsmiraclepointsfromoneattributechosenwhenthe
Giftispurchased.Thisshouldbeanattributetheplayer
considersappropriatefortheGift.
The HG canassignspecific,extracostsforanythingnot
coveredbytheserules .
Note: TheminimumcostforaGiftischaracterpoint.
SAMPLEGIFTSOF ASPECT
DURANT
-point
Durantcharactersaredifficulttoinjure .Theirskinturnsaside
theblowsofdaggerswieldedbymortalhands ;swordsand
chainsawsalikeworkpoorlyagainstthem .Theyhealquickly
aswell: iftheysurviveablow,howevergraveitmaybe,the
woundwillbeafadedscarinsevendays'time .Seetable
belowtocalculatethecostforDurant .
ThisGifthastheminimumcostofpoint,andisbased
onaLesserPreservationofSelf.
EXAMPLE
JoanofArc wasburnedalive,butshedidn'tletthatstopher .
TheguardinghandofGodthatshewassoconfidentof
existed,anditsavedherlife.Itwas,infact,thewardofher
Imperator,placedonherwhenshewassentouttowagea
mortalwar.ItwasconsideredwisebyherRexRegiustokeep
heroutofthemortalworldafterthat,atleastuntilherfaceis
forgotten.Thewardhesetonherhasneverbeenrevoked;
sheisprotectedagainstphysicalattacks,evenonessobrutal
asthepyreonwhichshewrithed .
ETERNAL
3points
Eternalcharacterssuffernodetrimentaleffectsfromthe
passageofdays.Iftheyarenotkilled,theywillsurviveuntil
theendoftime,thefinalvictoryoftheExcrucians -or,if
theExcruciansshouldbedefeated,thecharacterwilllive
untiltheirImperatorthrowsofftheguardingshacklesof
Chanceland,obilisandrisestoreassumeitsrightfulplace
asaLordorLadyofallCreation.AnEternalcharactercan,
attheirplayer'soption,beenormouslyoldaswell ;the
Excrucianwarstretchesbackaverylongtime.Hunger,thirst,
weariness,andstrainareoptionalfortheseisentropicbeings,
asaremostotherrequirementsofhumanlife .ThisGift
includesImmutabilitybutprovidesnospecialdefenseagainst
injury.SeetablebelowtocalculatethecostforEternal .
ThisisafairlycommonGift,basedonamajorPreserva-
tionofSelf.
EXAMPLE
Daniel wasborninLocusAllegra,thechildofhisown
Regina -notbornfromthewomb,ashumansare,butfrom
agiftoflifebreathedintoastatuemadeofclay.Fromthis
alone,hewouldbeeternal -whyshouldAllegragiveher
sonthehumanfrailties? -butthereissomethingmore,and
darker.ItissaidthatAllegradidnotcreatehisspiritherself,
butrathercastanetforitattheuttermostedgesofCreation .
ShewishedasoulfromanearlierworkoftheCreator,inthe
hopethatitmightaidherinthewar.Thereisanaccompa-
nyingrisk: thatDanielisnotrueNoble,buttheshardofan
Excrucian,andthatwhenthetimecomeshewillturnupon
hiscomradesandwipehisImperator-givenEstate(thecon-
ceptsofHeatandCold)utterlyfromtheuniverse .
GLORIOUS
2points
WiththisGiftofAspectorSpirit,acharactercommands
(orcanchoosetocommand)aphysicalappearancethathas
anenormousimpactontheemotionsandbehaviorsof
mortalsand(toalesserextent)Powers .Thiscouldbeabeauty
thatnoonecoulddesiretoharm,aterribleaspectthat
commandsrespectandfear,orsomeotherkindofemotional
pullentirely.Powersareimmunetothe miraculous partof
thiscommonGift,butcanbemovedbyaperson'sbeauty
nevertheless .SeetablebelowtocalculatethecostforGlorious.
ThisisaMajorCreationofEmotion .
Durant
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
3 (Domain)
Automatic
Selfonly
Limited
3cps
+1
-3
-2
Eternal
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
6 (Domain)
Automatic
Selfonly
Comprehensive
6cps
+1
-3
-1
Glorious
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
7 (Domain)
Simple
Local
Onetrick
7 cps
-1
-1
-3
"Itwas,"themansaid
impatiently,"inatimebefore
clocks."
Beforeclocks,"thewater
witchsaid,"therewasno
time . . ."
-from REFLECTIONSII, by
Viscountd'Armand
. . hewasnotamongthe
fallen,mylord."
Amoment'shesitation .
Hadthelivingseenhim?"
"Onlyonestilllived,my
lord.Andheonlysaidone
thing."
Itwas?"
"Overandoveragain,
mylord.'Sobeautiful. "'
-fromtheThought-Record
ofMartinCravitt
COMMON
TOTAL
Yes
1 cP
COMMON
TOTAL
Yes
3cps
COMMON
TOTAL
Yes
2cps
115
CHAPTER10 : GIFTSANDHANDICAPS
EASEOFUSE EFFECTAREA FLEXIBILITY COMMON COST
Automatic Global Full No +1
SimpleMiracle Local Comprehensive -1
NormalMiracle Singleperson Limitedeffects -2
HardMiracle Self Onetrick -3
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4.0.
116
'Marchessa,"Isaid."Ihave
comefromthebattleatJena-
Auerstadt.Iamchargedto
reporttoyouthatyoursonhas
beenslainbymortalhands."
Shedidnotlookupfrom
herweaving.
"ShouldIdeclareatime
ofmourning?"Iwondered
Shesaid,softly,
`Hundreds ofmychildren
havebeenborn,nourished,
andraised,andeveryonehas
died.Itissomefaultinmy
blood,Ithink . . .their
mortality . . ."
Hewaswell-loved"I
toldher,gently .
"Thereisnoneedfor
mourning,"shetoldme .Buta
shinythreadjoinedthe
weaving,thecolor ofatear.
--from ONSERVINGTHE
EXAMPLE
HelenofTroy wasthemostbeautifulwomanevertolive,
andTroymaywellhavebeenEarth'smostgloriousculture .
Achievementsthatwouldamazemortalsofourtimewere
commonthere.Givenafewcenturiesmore,itmighthave
broughtaboutanewageofunderstandingandwonder .Then
Jehannum,oneoftheoldestRegioftheDark,summoned
TroyfromEarthintothespiritrealm,andconscriptedits
mentouseasshocktroopsinthewar .Itwastwentyyears
later,withTroyaghostofwhatithadbeen,thatHelen
inspiredthelastwarriorsofTroyintorebellionagainsttheir
master.Itshouldhavebeenaneasilycrushedrevolt -but
somethinginHelen'snaturegavethosewhodefendedhera
touchofthedivinefury.Jehannum,endlesslyconfident,came
intoTroytocrushtheirspirits,andwastakendownbymere
humans.(Thisisoneofonlythreetimesinallhistorythat
mortalshavedestroyedanImperator .)Itwastoolateforthe
cultureofTroy;toomanyofitsadultshaddied .TheLight's
interest,however,waspeakedbyJehannum'sdestruction ;it
offeredHelenachoice.ThepeopleofTroymightbereturned
toEarth,wheretheothermortalsofGreecewouldquickly
dispossessthem . . . ortheycouldformthehumannucleus
foranewChancel,andparticipatefurther(butatlesshuman
cost)inthegreatwar .ShechosetheenChancelling,andso
Troyfadedfromtheworldstage.Millennialater,Helen,now
thePowerofWeavers,stillsurvives.
IMMORTAL
6points
AcharacterwiththisGiftofAspectcanonlydieinoneof
fiveways:
I . IftheirImperatorisslain,theybecomemortal -or
evendieinstantly.
2. OutsideEarth,theprotectionoftheirImperator
weakensslightly.
SomeExcruciansandExcrucianweaponscanwork
aroundImmortality.
SomeImmortalcharacterscancommitsuicide .
Aparticularcircumstancespecifiedinadvance .
Immortalcharactersare,inessence,"sealedsystems" .Their
natureisunalterable,andthefreedomandthemagicwithin
cannotberemoved.Thus,theycannotbeboundpermanently,
howevercleverthebonds .Theplayercandecidewhether
theirPcs'physicalformcanbeinjuredatall(exceptbytheir
useofaWordofCommand) ;ifso,theyrecoverwithgodlike
speed.Immunitytoinjuryisnot,ofcourse,animmunityto
3-
4-
5-
Immortal
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
COMMON
TOTAL
6 (Domain)
Automatic
Selfonly
Full flexibility
No
6 cps
+1
-3
+1
+1
6cps
Immutable
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
COMMON
TOTAL
3 (Domain)
Automatic
Selfonly
ComprehensiveYes
3cps
+1
-3
-1
1cp
ÒBILIS : AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
harm,andcertainlynotanimmunitytopain -spiritual
injuriescanbeinflicteduponthem.ThisGiftincludesthe
advantagesofbothEternalandDurant.
Onepaysforimmortality.Anyperson,howeverpowerful,
willsufferacatastropheiftheylivelongenough.Theymay
betortured,theirChancelmaybeshattered,theirlovedones
mightturnagainstthem.Endlesslessersorrowscomeaswell :
thedeathofafriend,thedeathofachild,thesufferingofa
lovedone.Immortalcharacterslearnemotionaldistance
quickly,buttheydonotkeepitforverylong ;isolationfor
eternityistheworstfateofall .Seetableabovetocalculate
thecostforImmortal.
ThisisaMajorPreservationoftheSelfeffect .
EXAMPLE
Stheno,Euryale, andMedusawerethethreeGorgons,sisters
ofaterriblebeautyinfaceandbody,whoseonlyblemishwas
theirhair.Itshonewithahundredsubtlecolors,allravishingly
beautiful;noman,woman,orGorgoncouldbringthemselves
tocutorbindasinglestrand .Bythetimetheyweretwenty,
itwasahorridtangle .Leavingthataside,theyweresolovely
thatthePowersofLocusIthamarforbadetheGorgons'
beautytomortalmen.Theywereforbiddentoleavetheir
enchantedisleandcursedsothatthesightoftheirfacewould
turnmortalmentostone.Ithamarendorsedthiscurse . . .but
hehadfurtherplansforthesisters .WhentwoofhisPowers
wereslainbyservantsoftheDark,SthenoandEuryale
replacedthem.Hegavethemimmortality,andthiswasthe
cruelestthingofall.InIthamar'sopinion,theoneattribute
neededtoperfecttheircharmwassorrow,andsoheleft
Medusamortal,toageandtodie .Euryalefoundthestrength
toleavetheisle,then;Stheno(overtwothousandyearslater)
stillservesintheValdeBellum,andstillmourns .Itis
whisperedamongthepeopleofthatislandChancel,andof
thoseinnearbyGreece,thattheveiledancientwhohaunts
Ithamar'sislecanstillturnamantostone.
IMMUTABLE
rpoint
Immutablecharactershavebodieswhicharemaintained
somewhatbytheirpower,sothattheydonotperisheasily .
Thesecharactersgrowhungryandtired,buttheycansurvive
indefinitelywithoutfood,water,sleep,orevenair .Although
PowerswiththisGiftage,slowly,theydonottypicallydieof
naturalcauses.Theyareoneirrevocablestepawayfrom
mortalityandthehumancondition .
Immutabilityprotectsacharacteronlytoalimitedextent .
SeetabletocalculatethecostforImmutable .
NoticethatImmutabilitywouldcostnocpsatall,except
thataGift'sminimumcostispoint.ItisaLesserPreserva-
tionofSelf.
EXAMPLE
AdmiralKynn,orsimplyAdmiraltohisfriends,hasbeen
describedbefore(seep .100) .HeisthegreatestofthePowers
ofCabinFever MUSH, aChancelaccessibleonlythroughthe
Internet.OncedraftedintothatrolebyhisImperator
THENATUREOFTHE
ABSOLUTE
Suchconceptsastruth,logic,
ethics,andphysicallaw
deriveultimatelyfromthe
Imperatorsandtheother
things ofspiritusDei (suchas
theWorldAsh) .TheseEstates
andothersdefineabsolutes.
Thereareabsolutetruthsin
Creation.Thereareimmortal
creatures.Thereare
unstoppableterrors .
Thesethingsareabsolute
veryrealsense.An
immortallivesforeverbythe
verydefinitions oflifeand
eternity.Atthesametime,in
theworld ofNOBILIS, every
definitioncanchange.
BecausetheImperatorsdefine
theworld,theiractions
changetheworld'sdefinition .
TheExcrucianshaveaneven
greaterabilitytodefythe
absolute.Theycomefrom
outsideCreation.Truth,logic,
ethics,andlawhaveno
poweroverthem.
Vyasa'sLadyMenaka
correctlyarguesthatsome
thingsliveforever.Onlyby
breakingtherules ofthe
worldcanoneuncreatesuch
immortals.Dirghadanstra,
whoclaimsthatallthings
mustperish,ismistaken.
Whilelogicsuggeststhat,
givenaninfinitespan of
time, something mustemerge
fromtheLandsBeyond
Creationtodestroyeventhe
mostvitalImperatorsand
Powers,logicdoesnotapply
inthoselands.
. . . tomasterthetechniques
ofmeditation,itistold,the
Buddhafastedforsixty
days . . .
-Scratchedintoacafetable
inParis
OPPOSITE :
ThePowerofSong
byFrazerIrving
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John Shockley
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4.0.
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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Editor: Bruce Baugh
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4.0.
118
. .thebreathofthepanther
issosweetthatwhenitroars,
itspreyisdrawntoitlikean
arrowtotheearth . . ."
-front AMEDIEVAL
BESTIARY, byPaul
McArthur
Nemuel,hebecamesomewhatvirtualhimself."Realworld"
things-hunger,thirst,weariness -donotaffectthe
central,mostempowered,partoftheSovereign .
MYTHOLOGICALBEAST
Variablecost
BelowaresomeexamplesoftheGiftsofmythologicalbeasts .
Intheworldof
-OBILIS,
suchcreaturesaregenerallythe
mortaldescendantsofPowersorImperators .Sometimes,they
arePowerswarpedduringtheirCommencementorbeings
createdwithaChancel.Ifamythologicalbeasthassignificant
drawbacksassociatedwiththeirphysicalorevennonphysical
form -e.g., aghostwhomustpossessmortalstoact,ora
salamanderthatcannotstopburning -theycantakean
appropriateHandicap,asdescribedonp. 127 .
Amphibian(forMerfolk,Hippocampi)
PowerswiththisGiftareasmuchathomeonthewateras
ontheland.Theycanbreatheandmovefreelyunderwater .
SeetabletocalculatethecostforAmphibian.
ThisisaLesserPreservationoftheSelf .
Fire-breathing(forDragons,Chimerae)
Firebreathingcoststheminimumcharacterpoint .Forthe
samecost,appropriatePowerscanbreathefirearounda
corner,orburnpatternsintowood .(Substitute"LimitedUses"
forthe"OneTrick"below.)Beingabletocatchfireharmlessly
andatwill,likeaPhoenixcan,isalso1CP.Seetableto
calculatethecostforFire-breathing.
ThisisaLesserCreationofFire .
Flight(forDragons,Phoenixes,Powersgivenwings)
TheabilitytoflyisacommonGift.Itcostscharacterpoint,
SeetabletocalculatethecostforFlight.Ifonehaswings,
thecostisthesame(minimum)point ;recallthataLevel5
Aspectmiracleallowsflightifonehaswings .
ThisisaLesserChangeoftheSelf;the"OneTrick"is
changingone'spositioninspace .
Invisibility(forGhostsandBogeymen)
Theabilitytoturnvisibleandinvisibleatwillcostspoint.
SeetabletocalculatethecostforInvisibility.
ThisisaLesserDestructionofVisualImages ;specifically,
one'sown.
RemovePoison(forUnicorns)
Theabilitytoremovepoisonfromanythingcostspoint .
Forzpoints,aPowercanalsoremovediseaseanddemonic
influences.ThisdoesnotworkonSovereigns,althoughsome
HGS mightallowittoifthetargetPowerco-operates .
ThisisaLesserDestructionofCorruptingInfluences.
The 2 characterpointversionhaslimiteduses(allkindsof
Corruption)insteadofthe"onetrick"ofremovingpoisons .
PetrifywithaLook(forGorgons,Basilisks,Cockatrices)
Exceptinunusualgames,theabilitytoturnapersontostone
withalookisuncommon.Itcostsonlycharacterpoint,and
doesnotaffectPowers(or,accordingly,Anchors,Imperators,
orExcruciansandtheirAnchorsandshards.)
ThisisaLesserChangeofHumanBodies .ThisGift
hasdoublecostifitcanaffectanylivingthing,andtriple
costifitcanaffectanything.
Shapeshifting(forDragons,Werewolves,Vampires)
Powerswithoneortwoalternateshapesmustpaythe
minimumcharacterpoint .Powerswithacomprehensive
shapeshiftingabilitymustpay zCPS.
ThisisaLesserChangeoftheSelf.Awidevarietyof
shapeswouldbeacomprehensiveuseofthisDomainlevel .
Amphibian(forMerfolk,Hippocampi)
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
3(Domain)
Automatic
Selfonly
Limited
3cps
+1
-3
-2
Fire-breathing(forDragons,Chimerae)
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
4(Domain)
Simple
Local
Onetrick
4cps
-1
-1
-3
Flight(forDragons,Phoenixes,Powerswhoaregivenwings)
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
6(Domain)
Simple
Selfonly
Onetrick
6cps
-1
-3
-3
Flight(ifonehaswings)
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
5(Aspect)
Simple
Selfonly
Onetrick
5cps
-1
-3
-3
Invisibility(forGhostsandBogeymen)
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
5(Domain)
Simple
Selfonly
Onetrick
5cps
-1
-3
-3
RemovePoison(forUnicorns)
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
5(Domain)
Simple
Local
OneTrick
5cps
-1
-1
-3
PetrifywithaLook(forGorgons,Basilisks,Cockatrices)
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
6(Domain)
Simple
OnepersonOnetrick
6cps
-1
-2
-3
Shapeshifting(forDragons,Werewolves,Vampires)
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
6(Domain)
Simple
Selfonly
Limited
6 Cps
-1
-3
-2
VenomousBiteorAcidicSpittle(forvariousmonsters)
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
4(Domain)
Simple
Local
Onetrick
4 Cps
-1
-1
-3
COMMON
TOTAL
No
+1
1 cP
COMMON
TOTAL
No
+1
1 cP
COMMON
TOTAL
Yes
1cp
COMMON
TOTAL
Yes
1cp
COMMON
TOTAL
No
+1
1 cP
COMMON
TOTAL
No
+1
1cp
COMMON
TOTAL
No
+1
1 cP
COMMON
TOTAL
No
+1
1cp
COMMON
TOTAL
No
+1
1 CP
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
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4.0.
Hauntedeyesmetminefrom
therubbish-heap.Filthy,
sore-crustedarmswereraised
beforeitsbodyinagesture of
warding.Onehandhelda
chickenbone,gnawednearly
inhall.'Clotheshungraggedly
fromhisform.
Icouldaffordtobe
munificent.Ihadtheleavings
ofthefeastwithme;Icould
feedhimwell.Ievenhad
beguntoofferthem.Andthen
Isawthemarkingonhis
brow.
"Go, " Isaid,fiercely.
Fratricide.
fromtheThought-Record
ofMartinCravitt
VenomousBiteorAcidicSpittle(forvariousmonsters)
Eventhemostlethalvenomsoracidscostonly cP-the
aGift'sminimumcost.The HG mayallowappropriate
characterstomakenormalvenomatwill .Seetablebelowto
calculatethecostforVenomousBiteorAcidicSpittle .
ThisisaLesserCreationofVenomorAcid.Ithaslocal
rangeallowingthePowertospraypoisonoracidoverseveral
targetsatonce.Powerswithoutthisabilitystillpaythe
minimumcp.
EXAMPLE
TsiangWu hastherarestlineageofall;nomorethanthree
membersofherfamilyexistatanygiventime .Sheisofthe
lineofthePhoenix,descendantofanaerialmatingbetween
atruegodandtheAboulomri(thebirdthatlivesathousand
years) .Ineachmajorera,thePhoenixhasimmolateditself
initsnestandbeenbornagainfromitsscorchedblackegg.
Hersister,thewateryPhoensa,castsitselfintotheocean
andisbornagainfromthefoamofthesea .LastlyisTsiang
Wu,theCorrunaofthisage,whosharesthememoryofall
herlinebuthasanewnameandselfhoodeachtimesheis
born.Attheendofthisera,eventhoughshehasbeenmade
intoaPower,shewillburyherstonybodyintheEarthonly
tobebornanewfromalocustflowergrowingonhergrave .
SACROSANCT
8,11,or19points
CharacterswiththisGiftofAspectaretheuntouchables .
First,theyarewardedagainstharmbyallbutthemost
puissantofweapons.Second,theyhealeventhemostsevere
woundsinaday,iftheylivethatlong .Third,andmost
important,theyhavebeendeclaredinviolable,andan
Imperator'sOathtothiseffecthasbeenembeddedintheir
soul.Thosewhocapturethem,torturethem,forciblykeep
themawayfromsomethingtheyareBondedto,ordegrade
themarecursedbythatOath.Itwillhauntthemforsome
timeafter;iftheirenemieskillthecharacter,theOathwill
hauntthemforever.TheexactformofpunishmentthisOath
exactsvaries,andsothereforedoesthecostforSacrosanct .
ThisisboughtastwoseparateGifts,thepreservation
thatprotectsagainstmostharmandrestoresthingsitfailed
Sacrosanct
MIRACLELEVEL INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
COMMON
TOTAL
6 (Domain)
Automatic
Selfonly
Limited
No
6cps
+1
-3
-2
+1
3cps
Nemesis
RANGE
UTILITY
COMMON
TOTAL
7 (Domain)
Automatic
Local
Onetrick
No
7 cps
+1
-1
-3
+1
5cps
CurseofDust
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
COMMON
TOTAL
5+3 PenetrationAutomatic
Global
Onetrick
No
8cps
+1
+1
-3
+1
8/16cps
toprotectagainst,andthecurse .Seethetablebelowto
calculatethecostforSacrosanct .
ThisisaMajorPreservationoftheSelf.
Onesimple,cheapcursethattheOathcaninflictisthe
creationofaNemesis(reappearingifslain)thatcommitsas
muchruinasitcanuponthecursedperson .Thedeadliest
curseisamajordestructionthatwillcrumbleeverythingthe
victimtouches,or,perhaps,ruintheirluckutterly .Powers
canspottheseOathswiththeSight .Mortalsoftenhavean
inkling,onsomeprimallevel,thatthePowerwithSacrosanct
isnotapersontoimpede .
Nemesis
ThisisaGiftbasedonaMajorCreation,anditisautomati-
callyinvokedwhenthecharacterortheNemesisisslain.
TheNemesiswillappearbythecharacter'scorpse,assoonas
thecharacter'sownAuctoritashasfaded(andanyothershave
movedaway) .Seethetableatthefootofthepage .
TheCurseofDust
ThisisaGiftbasedonLesserDestruction,abletoovercome
anAuctoritasof3 .Itcosts8pointstoruinthetarget'sluck
andi6pointsiftheGiftcancrumbleanythingphysicaland
non-miraculousthatthetargettouches(thatis,ifitaffectsa
largefamilyofEstates) .Seetableabove.
EXAMPLE
Cassiel isaPowerinservicetotheangelHukkok.Hischief
taskisrecordingthesinsandblessingsofhumankind .Should
theExcrucianscapturethespiritualplaneandcometodestroy
thephysicalEarth,hisregisterwilltelltheangelswhether
humanityshouldbesaved,ordestroyedaspotential
collaboratorswiththeDarkHorde .Hispersonalstrengthis
limited,butatthesametimehisworkisconsideredvitally
important.Hereceivesmuchattentionfromopposingforces:
Excrucians,Hell,andtheDark,whodesirehumanitytofail,
andtheLight,whowouldbetraytheangelsathousandtimes
overtoensurethathumanitysurvives.Toguardhimfrom
suchforces,apotentOathofHukkok'swillhasbeenplaced
inhim.Anyonewhohindershiminhismissionwillfindno
shelter,nolove,andwillneveragainseetheirhome .
AMPLEGIFTSOFDOMAIN
CONSTANTDOMAIN
Spoints.GhostMiracles
6points: LesserDivinations
7 points: LesserPreservations
8points.LesserCreations
9points: LesserDestructions
9points: MajorDivinations
TheDomainofcharacterswiththisGiftservesthemeven
withoutexplicitcommands.TheirEstatewillperform
miraclesforthem,ifthosemiraclesareobviouslyinthe
character'sinterestandwillnotdamagetheotherplayers'
enjoymentofthegame.Thekindsofmiraclesthattheir
119
"Damnyou,"shecried,asthe
windsthrewhertotheearth,
"You'renotevenhere .""
from THEWOMANWHO
KILLEDAWIND, author
unknown
CHAPTER10: GIFTSANDHANDICAPS
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
120
Shehadbeenafairy-tale
dragon,untilthatmoment,
withfeathersinathousand
colorsandinfinitelybeautiful
wings.Butshewasangry
now,andherskinwas
beginningtoglowacherry
red.Feathersweresloughing
offherliketheskinofasnake,
andtherewasatwisting,
rumblingmotioninsideher
flesh.
"Donotyouforget,"she
hissed,"thatIamSt.Helens,
andmyheartisthefires
withintheEarth."
Moltenlavawelledfrom
herpores,andshewasabeast
ofanothernatureentirely . . .
-frOm UNDOCUMENTED
HISTORY, byWaldenFargo
Estatecanperformautomaticallyarelistedabove : theselevels
mustbeboughtseparately,althoughtheydonotneedtobe
boughtinorder.ThisGiftisnotrecommendedforubiquitous
EstateslikeThoughtorMotion .ForsuchEstates,the HG
mightreducethecostslightlyandmaketheGiftunreliable .
SeetablebelowtocalculatethecostforConstantDomain .
Thebasemiraclelevelis,obviously,thelevelofmiracle
thatthePower'sEstatewillperformontheirbehalf.
EXAMPLE
BradleyPortsmouth isthePowerofFear,agenialmanwell
lovedbyallthemortalswhoknowhim.Loved,atleast,until
theythinkofresistancetohisdesires .Thenacoldwashof
panicandvisceralterrorsweepsoverthemanddrainssuch
resistanceaway.Becauseheisnotstrictlyresponsibleforthis
effect,LordEntropyhasallowedBradleytotakeadvantage
ofthesemagicsinthemortalEarth .Bradleyhasbuilta
corporateempireinhisImperator'sname.Althoughhehas
beenunmolestedsofar,heknowswellthatheisunderwatch .
ELEMENTAL
2points
CharacterswiththisGiftofDomainaresoclosetotheir
Estatethattheymayreplacetheirbodywithaconstructof
theirDomain -aPowerofthesunmightbecomefireor
blindinglight,andaPowerofmusicmightbeinvisibleasa
driftingtuneupontheair .Dependingontheconstruct
assumed,thecharactermayormaynotbeabletouseany
givenAspect-basedmiracleinthisnewform .
Thecostaccountingisidenticaltothesecondvariation
ofAspect-basedshapeshifting(under"MythologicalBeast"
onp.u8) .
EXAMPLE
Adrien isthedivinespiritoftoys,andtakessomuchjoyinit
thatitnolongerremembersitshumanshape .Itlivesitslife
asteeteringconstructsofbuildingblocks,self-motivating
dollsandactionfigures,zoomingtoycars(althoughAdrien
preferstoavoidthosetrackswhereitwillgethitbysome
otherplasticthingieandthrownintotheair)andsoforth .
ItisanunluckychildindeedwhoreceivesAdrienfor
Christmas,becausethisPowerwilldrainawaythatchild's
hopesandcreativespirittofeeditsDarkImperator.(Thisis
justanotherindication,perhaps,thattheDarkandthe
Excruciansarenotsofarapart .)
Oncethelasttidbitofhope,innocence,andwonderhas
beendrainedaway,Adrienwilldisappearthroughanopen
windowtotrekbackthroughthelonelyhighwaystoLocus
Ophel,theGlassbaneChancel.
GATING
Variablecost
Stiles.Stepladders .Thinspaces.Stephan'sGates.Hidden
pathsthroughouttheworldleadintotheChancelsoreven
outontothebranchesoftheWorldAsh .WisePowersknow
manyofthesepaths .ButsomePowersdonotneedthese
pathsatall.
ÒBILIS : AGAMEOF SOVEREIGNPOWERS
Gatemaker
Everymythicroad,leadingintoaChanceloranotherworld,
hasabeginning -apointwhereitfirsttakesonarcane
properties.IfacharacterwiththisGiftofDomainstands
withinthirtyfeetofsucharoad'sbeginning,theycanmake
a"gate"leadingdirectlytotheotherend .Anyonecanstep
throughthisgate,fromeitherside .ThePowercanmakethe
gateaslargeasthirtyfeetoneachside,andcandismissthe
gateatwill.Suchgateslastforatmostanightandaday .Part
ofanImperator'swillisvestedintheirChancel,andalmost
allofthismysticenergygoestowardskeepingtheChancel
"hidden"and"safe".
GatemakingispurchasedasaLesserCreationofPassage-
ways,andcostscharacterpoint .Seetablebelow.
Wayfinder
PowerswiththeWayfinderGiftcanseehiddenplaces -
Chancels,secretroads,andotherplacesthatmundane
navigationcannotaccess .Theycansensesuchtwistedspace
fromseveralmilesaway.Standingnexttoone,theycansee
itsinternalcontours .Wayfindersmakeexcellentspies,asthey
canseetheentireinteriorofaChancelfromitsbordersand
thewholelengthofasecretroadfromitsentrance .Thissight,
basedonamiracleofdivination,cannotidentifyPowers .
WayfindingisaLesserDivinationofHiddenPlaces,and
costscharacterpoint .Seetablebelow.
Worldwalker
ThisGiftincludestheWayfinderGift,whichisthefirst
pointofitscost.Worldwalkerscanstepfreelyfromthe
EarthlyvicinityofaChanceltoanypointinside,andback
again.SincethemajorpathsintomostChancelsarewell
guardedandtreacheroustotheintruder,thisGiftisvery
usefulforthosewhowishtoNettleanenemyNobleordestroy
atraitorousone .TrappingthePowerinsideawardedspace
canblockthisGift,ascanaRealmmiraclethatsealsthe
entireChancelagainstanyentranceorexit.(Thisisamiracle
Constant Domain
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
1-5 (Domain)
Automatic
Global
Full flexibility
1-5cps
+1
+1
+1
Gatemaker
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
4 (Domain)
Simple
Local
Limited
4cps
-1
-1
-2
Wayfinder
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
2(Domain)
Automatic
Local
Onetrick
2cps
+1
-1
-3
Worldwalker
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
6 (Domain)
Simple
Selfonly
Limited
6cps
-1
-3
-2
"You'recrying,"shesaid,as
thelastofthefleshdriftedfree
ofthechild'sbones.A
wizenedhandaddeda
sprinklingofpeppertothe
water'sboiling.
"Shewasmydaughter,"
hesaidquietly.
'It'sjustaswell,"shesaid,
andtookatearforthepot.
-from THEBREWERY
GATE, byEmilyChen
COMMON
TOTAL
No
+1
5-9cps
COMMON
TOTAL
No
+1
1 cP
COMMON
TOTAL
No
+1
1 cP
COMMON
TOTAL
No
+1
1 cP
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
THESHAPEOFASPIRIT
IntheMythicWorld,Powers
usingtheElementalGift
wearashapeappropriatefor
thespiritoftheirEstate.
Spiritsappearintraditional
andunusualforms. Many
mountainspiritsresemble
classicgnomes,giants,and
rocknymphs. Othersaremore
eccentric:Mt. Everestrears
overtheMythicWorldinthe
formofamantis,itsclaws
hookedintothesky. Whenthe
PowerofMagnetismbecomes
apureattractiveforce,he
manifestsintheMythic
Worldasanythingfroma
scuttlingmetalcrabtoa
sparklingnestofelectric
filaments .
Vyasaasksaftertheshape
ofamountainspirit,thecolor
ofpeace,andthemotivations
oflove. Thetruthissimple:
everyspirit,likeeveryPower,
isunique.
Imanagethecosmic
cavalry,"hesaid,withavery
straightface.
rindwhatdoesthis
cosmiccavalrydo?"
Iarrangeforlast-minute
rescues . "
Itmustbeveryfulfilling
work,"Itoldhim .
'Indeed,"heagreed. "The
bestpartischoosingwho
doesn'tgetrescuedatall. "
-from THEENDSOFTHE
EARTH, byK. C. Danine
PerfectTiming
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
4/7 (Domain)
Automatic
4/7cps
+1
DevotedPopulace
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
7 (Domain)
Hard
7cps
-3
ofMajorPreservationandlastsuntilcountermanded . )It
interactswithSpiritnormally;accordingly,Powersdonot
havethemagicalstrengthrequiredtosealaRealmagainst
InfernosorConflagrationsexceptbytheuseofaWordof
theTower. Seethetableforcosts .
ThisGiftisaLesserChangeoftheSelf-itisthePower's
locationthatchanges -andcosts 2 characterpoints.
EXAMPLE
Richard, inservicetotheangelStephanotis,isbestknown
amongmortalsandPowersbywhathestandsfor :"opening
newdoors",asthesloganofhissoftwarecompanygoes . He
isthePowerofGates . Openingportalsfallsdirectlyunder
hisEstate,butRickisyoungandonlyentitledtoaBaron's
pearls. Accordingly,hisplayerhasspentafewpointson
relevantGifts,includingWayfinderandaslightlystronger
versionofGatemaker(foranextrapoint)thatgiveshim
comprehensiveuseofthispower. Hecannotmakegates
betweenanytwopointsasalessercreation,buthecanmake
agatethatpassesthroughanyobstructionthatisnotdirectly
andintentlymaintainedbythewillofanotherPower.
PERFECTTIMING
2 orspoints
CharacterswiththisGiftofSpiritarerarelylateforanything.
Theycatchtrainsandcabswithatleastseveralsecondsto
spare,evenwhenproceedingatastatelywalk . Theywalk
intoanyconversationontheperfectline . Iftheyburglea
house,theyleavejustafterapolicecarglidespastandjust
beforetheownerarrives . Theyhave,inshort,perfecttiming .
ThisGiftcomesintwoforms . AsaLesserCreationof
GoodFortune,itensuresthatthecharacterdoesnotmiss
anyoccasionoropportunitythattheycouldfeasiblycatch . If
purchasedasaMajorCreationofTime,ittranscends
causality -thecharacterdoesnotmissevents,occasions,or
opportunitiesunlessitwouldcreatealiteralparadoxforthem
tomakeitontime.
WiththefirstversionofthisGift,ifsomeonewarnsthe
characterthatacorruptcultplanstosacrificetheirbeloved,
theycanarrivejustintimetostopthem . Withthesecond
versionofthisGift,ifsomeonewarnsthecharacterthatthe
RANGE
UTILITY
COMMON
TOTAL
Local
Limited
Yes
-1
-2
2/5cps
TheSovereign'sGift(Mastery)
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
6 (Domain)
Normal
Global
Limited
Yes
6cps
-2
+1
-2
COMMON
TOTAL
3cps
RANGE
UTILITY
COMMON
TOTAL
Global
Onetrick
No
+1
-3
+1
3cps
cultplanstosacrificetheirbeloved,theycanarrivejustin
time - evenifthecultplannedthesacrificefortheday
before. Perhapssomethingheldthecultistsup ;perhapsthe
characterislooselyattachedtoobjectivetime. However,even
withthesecondversionoftheGift,ifsomeonewhoknows
thatthehostageisdeadtellsthecharacteroftheirplight,
eventsarefixed - evenperfecttimingcannotsavetheday.
Thesetwovariantsarepurchasedperthetableabove .
EXAMPLE
JennahHubrick worksatamajorWallStreetfirmwhose
office'stopflooropensintotheChanceloftheImperator
Geburael. LikemanyofthoseexposedtoGeburael'semana-
tions,shehasacquiredanoddwealth-relatedknack - in
hercase,theperfecttimingneededtomasterthestockmar-
ket. ThePowerwhoclaimedJennahasanAnchorfindsthis
traitexceedinglyuseful.
THESOVEREIGN'SGIFT(MASTERY)
3points
CharacterswiththisGiftofDomaincancommandthe
simplermotionsoftheirEstate,regardlessoftheirDomain
level. AcharacterwiththisGiftandaDomainoverthemoon
couldshiftmoonbeamsaround,or(slowly)changethemoon's
positioninthesky. Asimilar Pc withDomainoverdirtand
stonecouldshaketheearthinasmallarea . Theseeffectsare
normalmiracles,costing1Domainmiraclepointeach . This
isacommonGiftinmostgames . Seetableforcosts .
ThisisaLesserChangeovertherelevantEstate .
EXAMPLE
Desmond isthesecondPowertoholdhisEstate,andhehas
taughttheExcrucianstofearathingtheyonceheldin
contempt. Whentheytakeonmortalbodies,now,theyhave
learned,thebedroomsareunsafe. DamonisthePowerof
Blankets,andhismiraclesofDomainareallbut
ineffective- saveforhisMasteryofthem,whichturnshis
banalEstateintoaubiquitoussourceofstranglingcordsand
suffocatinggags. Heisadrivenman - ifhecanstillbe
calledamanatall -andtherewasatimewhenheslewa
cradledchildtobringdownthepoliceonaExcrucianAnchor
andforcehisenemy'shand.
AMPLEGIFTSOFREALM
DEVOTEDPOPULACE
3points
PowerswiththisGiftofRealmareexceptionallywellserved
bythepeopleoftheirChancel . Theirsubjectscelebratethem
asareveredmonarchorapopularhero,whicheveris
appropriate . ThepeopleofthatChancelwouldwillingly
throwawaytheirlivesinthatPower'sservice,andonlythe
mostextremeinducementswouldevercauseoneofthese
peopletobetraythem.
WithoutthisGiftortheHandicap"Hated"(see
Handicaps,p . 127, and"Hated",pp . 128- 129), assumethatthe
121
"Whyarewehere,mylord?"
Thewatersofthepool
castashimmeringreflection
ontothewalls . Onebyone,
diversjumpedintoitsdepths.
"Patience,Luc,"washis
reply.
Intime,amiddle-aged
manclimbedupontothe
divingboard. Mymaster's
eyesnarrowedashejumped,
andhemadeaslightgesture
withonehand.
Thewaterclearedaway
beneaththejumper;hehitthe
bottomofthepoolwitha
sickeningthudThenthe
waterswashedbackinto
place .
'Iknewhim,mylord,"I
saidsoftly.
"ThatiswhyIrequired
yourpresence, " hereplied
fom ONSERVINGTHE
CHAPTER10:GIFTSANDHANDICAPS
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
1 2 2
"Theylovedyoutonight,"she
whisperedsoftly. Sheets
stirredasshepulledherself
closertohim . "Theyscreamed
yournamelikearockstar's. "
Hesighed,slowly. `Dear,
theywouldscreammyname
asjoyfullyzflannounced
thatIwouldsettheirlands
aflame . . . "
-from THEIVORYCLOCK,
byEmilyChen
"Theenemyhastwiceten
thousandgeniiofflame,and
greatblackelephantsthat
snortcloudsofheatedvapor,
andovertheirhostsfly
spindle-limbeddemons
wreathedinHell'sfires. You,
ontheotherhand,havefive
shiftlessdeserters. "
Andacamel"
"Andacamel. Howdo
youintendtofightthem?"
"IthoughtI'dclosemy
eyesandhopeforthebest. "
-from FIRESTORIES,
peopleandeventheanimalsoftheChancelarereasonably
loyal,butnottothepointofself-sacrifice .
Thelovethatthepopulacefeelsforacharacterwiththis
Gifthastwocauses,twoessentialcomponents . Thebalance
betweenthemvariesamongsuchPowers . Thefirstcauseis
mundane:partofthislovespringsfromtheinnerheartsof
theChancel'speople. Thesecondisaninnate,mysticaltie
betweenthePowerandtheirChancelandeverythinginit,
peopleincluded . Bothofthesecanbecorruptedinmany
ways. Theymayalsoberestored,withahardmiracleofRealm .
ThisGiftispurchasedasperthetablebelow
ThisGiftisaMajorCreationofLove .
EXAMPLE
K'vanistheGeneticistLord,scientistplenipotentiaryofthe
Martiancourt. Ahardysub-raceofhumanshasbeenbredin
thataustereandnearlylifelessworld . K'van'sgreatesthopeis
thathewilldiscoverawaytobreedthedivinesparkintohis
people,thathewillbeabletocreateawholeracewithpowers
liketheNobilis, toservehisImperatorintheExcrucianWar .
ManyofthegenesthatallowtheMartianstosurviveare
recessive,andwithoutK'van'smagic,almostallMartian
childrenwoulddiewithintenminutesoftheirbirth . For
thisreason,hemightbehatedorloved :hated,becauseitwas
hispowerthatenabledhumanstocomethereatall,orloved
astheonlysourceofchildren . Thedecidingfactor,forthe
Martians,istheirimmenseprideintheir"conquest"ofthat
horriblyunfriendlyworld .
AMPLEGIFTSOFSPIRIT
LUCK
4to9,points
Thecharacterhascharacteristicgoodfortune . Theyneed
onlyspendasingleSpiritmiraclepointtoguaranteethat
somethingsignificantwillgorightforthem . Itmightnotbe
obvious;unlessthecharacterisinatensesituation,itprobably
isnot. Theluckyeventmightoccurfaraway,withitspositive
effectsreachingthecharacterhoursordayslater . Still,
somethinggoodalwayshappens,somethingmajorand
beneficialthatwouldotherwisenothave . Seetablebelow.
ThisispurchasedasaMajorCreationofGoodFortune .
ThecharactercanpurchasepenetrationforthisGifttoallow
theirgoodlucktooccurwithinanAuctoritas.
EXAMPLE
BelleCarterhasaropewithsevenknots . Whenherfortunes
turnsour,shecutsthroughoneknotwithaknife . Forallits
physicalsimplicity,thetaskisasdrainingasamarathon . The
severingoftheknotreleasesonesmallportionofherdestiny
intotheworld . Thismanifestsasafavorablecoincidence,
oftenveryunlikelyandextremelybeneficial -something
thatmovesthatdestinyforward . Shethentiesthesevered
portionoftheropetotheend,andhassevenknotsonce
again. HerSisterCaelestis,lenariNamika-in,claimsthatin
sodoing,BelleCarterindefinitelypostponesthefulfillment
Luck
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
7+(0-5)
Normal
Global
Limited
7-12cps
-2
+1
-2
UnblemishedGuise
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
4+(1-5)
Simple
Local
Onetrick
5-9cps
-1
-1
-3
ofherdestiny. Bellecounters,saliently,thatrunningoutof
luckcouldn'tpossiblydoherdestinyanygood .
UNBLEMISHEDGUISE
rtoS_Points
PowerswiththisGiftofSpirithavereachedapeacewith
theirhumanity. Theyremembertheirhumanlifesostrongly
thattheirhumanGuiseis(toalesserorgreaterdegree)
impenetrable. EvenaPoweroranExcrucian-shardwillthink
thattheyarehumanuntiltheyseethePowerperforminga
miracle. Thisispurchasedas(seeabove) .
ThisisaLesserCreationofIllusion,thePenetration
factordeterminingwhethertheillusioncanbeseenwhen
thePowerwithUnblemishedGuiseiswithinsomeother
Power'sAuctoritas. LegendstellofaPowerwhoworkedout
atechniquetochangethemselvestoproduceadeepGuise
. . . andneverworkedmagicsormiraclesagain .
EXAMPLE
Kuai (neAndrewJacksonMiller)isagreatadmirerof
warrior-monks. Kuaihasbuiltanelaboratefantasyworld
insidehismind,inwhichheistheprophesiedsoldierofthe
finalbattle,theonewhowillstand(whenallhopeisgone)
andfightforthesurvivalofhumanityinsinglecombatagainst
thehighestoftheExcrucianLords . HisFamiliaCaelestis
hasforgivenhimthis;suchthoughtscanonlybeexpected
fromtheSovereignofDelusions . Hisfantasieshaveonly
surprisedthemonce :when,usingtheancienttechniquesof
thewarriormonks,hesurvivedthedeathofhisbodybyhiding
inanother . Itwasallthemoreasurprisebecausehewas
hiddenfromthemthere,invisibletotheSight,untilhenext
calleduponhismiraculousabilities .
THESIMPLERITES
The spiritusDeiis somethinglikeasetof"cords"whichbind
aNobletotheirspecificpowers . Therearesomemagics,
however,whichonlyrequiretheexistenceofthisnoblespirit .
Thatis,anyNoblecanmasterthemsimplybecausethey'rea
Noble,howeverdistantfromtheirEstatethesemagicsmay
be.
THESERVANT'SRITE
Withthisrite,aNoblecreatesanAnchor. Therearetwo
requirements. First,thePowermustloveorhatetheAnchor,
tobondtheirmortalselftotheirAnchor-to-be . Second,the
COMMON
TOTAL
Yes
4-9cps
COMMON
TOTAL
No
+1
1-5cps
Normal,"themanwhispered
tome. Hishotbreathonmy
facehintedofcorruption . `Let
metellyouaboutadreamI've
hadThat,"hesaid,andIfelt
theknifepointtwitchagainst
myside. "ThatonedayIdbe
normalOnceIwas,you
know. Ihadawife. Ihadtwo
andahalfkids . Ihadacar.
Job. Thingslikethat. "
Hisweightonmychest
wasviolent,apressurethat
seemedtobreakmyribsat
everymoment. Hiseyeswere
icy. "Buttheytookitallaway.
TheysaidIwasdangerous .
Damnright. Butitwasmy
life. It'skindofahobbynow .
Doingwhattheydid. "
Iwhisperedsoftly,"You
don'thavetolistentothem. "
Hesaid,softly,"I'mdoingthis
forlove,"andhereached
forwardtobreakmyneck.
Myhandclenchedabouta
flower. Itreekedofdeath .
Hespasmedbackwards,his
backarchingfurtherthan
theyevershouldgo ;hiseyes
twistedintheirsockets. The
scentofseared,crackingflesh
wasabitterthing,becauseI
donotliketokill.
-fromtheMemoirs ofAlice
Mendel,LadyoftheThunder
Ìtsaverysmallmagic. '
'Itdestroyedmyworld"
"Well,okay,itsa
medium-sizedmagic. "
from DOORKNOBS, by
EmilyChen
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
"Luc,"shesaid,"ordermystaff
killedandselectanewonefor
me. "
'Milady,"Ianswered,
"I'monyourstaff. "
"Luc,Luc,"shesaid,"why
isitalwaysaboutyou?"
from ONSERVINGTHE
Hishandpassedoverthe
body,andtheworldrippled
animageofJacob'sdeath
formed,animageofknives
andstealthandnight. 111
Mansurdidnotlook,
however,notevenwhenhis
familiarpromptedhim .
'Icannot, " alMansur
explained. "Toseeitisto
makeitreal. "
from LOOKINGGLASS, by
MichaelKay
Noblemustvoluntarilygivetheirbloodortearstothefuture
Anchor,whomustswallowthem. IftheNoblehateshisor
herprospectiveAnchor,thisriteisalsocalledtheAbhorrent
Investment. Formoredetails,seep . 107.
Excrucianshavetheirownversionofthisrite. Apparently,
theydonothavetoloveorhatetheirAnchor. (Perhapsthey
simplyhateeveryone,althoughtheyclaimdifferently. )
ExcrucianAnchors,evenwhen"freed"byaWarding,are
caughtupintheExcrucianvision,inthebeautyoftheirlords
andintheimageofridingfreeinsidethemasCreation
crumblesintodust. Ittakeslongcounselingordramatic
miraculousactiontoreturnthemtonormal.
THEWITCHHUNTRITE
Miraclesleavetraces,noticeablemarksontheworld,signs
thatthePowerhasbeenthere. Thistracecanidentifythe
Powerthatcausedit,oratleasttheirgeneralnature . The
Sightdetectsmajormagicaleffectsintheveryrecentpastas
aLeveloAspectmiracle. Detectinglessermagicaleffects,
andbeingabletosensethemforthedurationofascene,isa
Level5DomainmiracleofMajorDivination. Inboththese
cases,theAuctoritasofthePowerwhoperformedthiseffect
willmakedetectingthesetracesharder,asifthePower
themselveswerestillthere .
TheWitchHuntRiteisarecentinnovation - about
fourandahalfcenturiesold . ItallowsaPowertosubtract
theirownSpiritlevelfromthemiracleleveland/orPenetra-
tionrequiredtodetectthesetraces . Forinstance,anInferno
canusethisritetodetectlessermagicaleffectsasaLevelo
Domainmiracle,pluswhateverPenetrationisnecessary.
Naturally,thetraceofpowermuststillexist;seechartto
determinehowlongthemarksofmiraclesaredetectable .
Muchashumansuserunningwatertointerrupttheir
tracks,the_obilisuseflowers . Bypushingtheirpower
"through"alivingbloomthatrepresentsthemselves,the
miracleathand,ortheultimategoalofthatmiracle,they
obscurethemarksoftheirownnaturewiththeimageofthat
bloom. Thisisasymmetricprocess :thatimageofthebloom
stayswiththemforawhile,tracingtheirmovements . . . but
itdoesnotstaywiththemaslongasthemiracletraces
themselveslast. (Moveonerowupthedurationchart. )Powers
canuseTarotcardsinsteadofflowers,andother,lesscommon,
formsofsymbolismattheHollyhockGod'sdiscretion .
EXAMPLES
APowerwithAspect 4 usesalevel 4 Aspectmiracle,

leavingnotracebehind.
Iftheyspendan AMP foralevel5Aspectmiracle,the

tracelasts5seconds .
Iftheyspend 2AMPS foralevel6Aspectmiracle,the

tracelasts6minutes .
Iftheyspend 4 AMPS foralevel8Aspectmiracle,the

tracelasts8hours.
Iftheyspend8 AMPS foralevel9Aspectmiraclewith

3penetration,thetracelasts9days.
IfaPowerwithRealm3spends 4 RMPs foralevel7

Realmmiracle,thetraceslast7days.
MiracleDetection
TYPEOFMIRACLE
Aspect
RealmorautomaticGift
DomainorsimpleGift
Morepowerfulmiraclesleavestrongertraces,givingNoblesmoretimetousetheWitchHunt
Rite.
MIRACLETYPE/COST
Normal/1MP
Hard/2MPs
Deep/3-4MPs
WordofCommand/5-8MPs
Thistablelistscostsinmpsforeffectsotherthanmiracles,anddoesnotoverridethestandard
costsfordeepmiraclesandwordsofcommand .
Somemiscellaneousactionsalsoleavetraces,asper
ACTION
NettleRite
RiteofHolyFire
RiteoftheFallen
RitualofAnguish
Healing
Normalorfaemagic
RiteoftheLastTrump
AspectmiraclesthroughanAnchor
IfaPowerwithDomain3spends 4DmPS foralevel7

Domainmiracle,thetraceslast7weeks.
TheImmortalGiftisalevel6miraclethatinvokes
automaticallyatneed . Whenitdoesso,thetracelasts
for6seconds .
4, TheGloriousGiftisalevel7miraclethatcostsno
miraclepoints . Itstraceslastfor7minutes .
TheSovereign'sGiftisalevel6miracle. Itcostsr MP
toinvoke,soitstraceslastfor6hours .
THEREDTOOTHRITE
ThisriteisformortalsorAnchors,whocutorotherwisedig
adeadPower'sheartfromtheirchestandconsumeit. Inthis
manner,theyattunethemselvestothedeadPower'sEstate
andcapturethePower'sImperator-shardforthemselves . For
ashorttimeafterwards,theyhavethepowerofaSovereign
withouttheenforcedloyalties -buttheImperatorcanexert
astronginfluenceovertheshard'snewowner,andintime
willshacklealmostanyonetoitswill . (Intheworstcase,the
Imperatorwilleventuallybeabletopulltheshardfree,unless
anExcruciandirectlyopposestheminthis . )Thesenew
NoblesusuallyhavesomedifficultyacquiringAspect . Powers
areforbiddentotakeanotherPower'sImperator-shard,but
DURATIONOFTRACE
None
Miraclelevelinseconds
Miraclelevelinminutes
Miraclelevelinhours
Miraclelevelindays
Miraclelevelinweeks
Miraclelevelinmonths
MOVEDOWNDURATIONCHART
Downonerow
Downtworows
Downthreerows
Downfourrows
DURATIONOFTRACE
1 hourto 1 day
1 hourto 1 day
1 dayto 1 year
1 dayto 1 century
1 minutepermiraclepoint
1 minuteperMP
1 minuteperMP
1 minuteper"extra"MP
123
'Ifyoudonotsurvivethis
encounter, " Merenamun
assuredme,'Iwillmakea
pointofeatingyourheart. In
thismanner,somethingof
yourcouragewillliveon . "
Itisindicativeofmy
stateofmindthatthis
actuallymademefeelbetter.
-from THEDOGPRINCES,
byJanetCable
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
124
"TheDominacaresformany
things,"Baalhermonrumbled.
"Thisisherweakness. She
cannotdefendthemall,not
withoutspreadingherforces
thin . "Reflectionsofthe
lightningflickeredinhisdead
blackeyesasheturnedtolook
atme. "Sheisnotafool. She
hasmadeachoice. Something
pricelesstoherheartsits
undefended,thatshemay
protecttherest. Go,Hugh.
Findandnamethatthingfor
me. "
ofHughRosewood
Thenightmareworldhad
beenwaitingforsevenyears,
hiddeninaflakeofpaint
highontheofficewall. No
onetouchedit . Nooneknew
aboutit. ThenSophiafell
againstthatflakeoneday,
andthenightmaredrewher
in.
from AZURIFOLIA, by
AsperSmith
theycanrendthefallenPower'sspiritusingthesameRite,
receivingamiraclepointortwofortheirpains .
THERITEOFTHELASTTRUMP
The spiritusDei spreadsitselfthroughaPowerlikeamapof
thenervoussystem,orofacupuncturepoints,orofchakras .
Thecurvinglinesrunningbetweenkeypointstravelnotjust
throughtheirphysicalbodybutthroughanentirelydifferent
dimension,tothenonphysicalplacewhereaPowerconnects
totheirDomain,Anchors,andChancel . APowercan,at
greatcostandpain,reshapethismapandmovemiraclepoints
fromoneattributetoanother . Thetimeisnegligibleand
Powerscancombinethisritewithotheractions. Foreach
extramiraclepointofagivenattributethattheNoblewishes
tohave,theymustspendanumberofothermiraclepointsof
anytypeaccordingtothechartbelow :
THERITEOFPASSAGE
APowerlookingthroughabrokencrystalseesafaintglow
inthedirectionofaroadbetweenworldsoraroadintoa
Chancel. Onecanalsoperformthistrickwithatouchof
brandysplashedintotheeye,andevenmortalscanusethat
version,butitisnotnearlyaseffective .
THENETTLERITE
TheNettleRiteisthemostimportantoftheSimpleRites.
Itdoesenormousdamagetopeacefulrelationshipsamong
thePowers - and,quitepossibly,hassavedtheworld
indirectlyadozentimesover. ItletsPowerstakeawaysome
miraculouspowerfromaNoble,Imperator,orExcrucian . In
ordertoperformthisrite,theSovereignmustforma
metaphorical"channel"forthemiraculouspowertoflow
through. Thisisaspiritualandevensomewhatabstractpath,
butgroundedinmundaneevents . Specifically,Powersbuild
thischannelbytakingsomethingbelongingtothetarget,
somethingthetargethasinvestedenergyandemotion
into-thatis,aBond- andbringingitunderthenettler's
control. Theydamageit,defileit,claimitastheirown,or
turnitagainstthetarget. Thinkofitas"countingcoup" .
TheactualRite,followingthisactofcontrol,issimple :a
fewspokenphrasesandasprinklingofcrushednettlesonto
theground. Thevictimandthevictim'sFamilialosemiracle
points. TheperformeroftheRitegainssomemiraclepoints,
somedynastypoints,oreven,inthemostextremecases,a
permanentmiraclepoint . ItispossibletoNettleseveralpeople
simultaneouslyiftheBondmatterstoanumberofbeings
withmiraculouspowers.
LevelsofDamage
ANettleRitecaninvolvetrivial,minor,normal,ordevastating
damagetotheBond .
1rTrivialDamage. Thisincludesgettingthevictim's
friendintoafistfight,whichtheylosebutarenot
seriouslyhurtfrom ;generallyhumiliatingthevictim ;
orstealingandbangingupthevictim'scar(ifthevictim
caresaboutthatcar) . Killingordestroyingsomething
isalwaystrivialdamage -murderisaverypoorway
toshowcontrol.
q' MinorDamage. Thisincludesgettingthevictim's
friendsentencedtoa 1- 2 yearprisonterm ;utterly
humiliatingthevictim;orabandoningthecarinthe
worstpartoftown,withthekeysintheignitionand
allthedoorsunlocked . Thisdisruptsthevictim'slife
andmakesthemveryunhappy,atleastforthemoment.
{ ! NormalDamage. Thisincludesdestroyinganaive
friend'sinnocence,asbyconvincingthemtocommit
murder;givingaslow-healingvictimsevereburns ;or
infestingthecarwithpsychicparasites . Ingeneral,
desecratingtheBondqualifiesasnormaldamage,as
doesaverythoroughconquestsuchasclaimingthe
victim'sfatherasanAnchor. Thenettlermustspend
areasonableamountoftimeandthevictim'slifemust
becomeadarkerthing.
DevastatingDamage. Thisutterlyanddramatically
ruinstheBond,withmaliciousglee,orturnsitfirmly
againsttheNoble. Examplesincludesubvertingthe
car'sspirit -everythinghasitsprice -andusingit
todrivetheNobleintotrouble ;convincingthevictim's
mortalloverthatthevictimservesHell ;orusingthe
Noble'sreputationasaCasanovatohelpbuildacase
againstthemintheLocustCourt . Iftheeffectswill
endureasignificantlengthoftime,thenettlerite
succeeds.
EffectsoftheNettleRite
ThebondbetweenFamiliamembersinteractswiththeNettle
Rite. Inasense,aPoweralreadyhasaconnectionwithevery
oneoftheirFamiliamember'sBonds. Thismakesitdifficult
todefinitivelysubvertordefilethoseBonds . Treatnormalor
devastatingdamageagainstaFamiliamember'sBondsas
minordamageforthepurposesoftheserules .
~~ANettleRiteinvolvingtrivialdamagetoaBondcosts
thevictim1miraclepoint.
ANettleRiteinvolvingminordamagetoaBondcosts
thevictimeithertheBondStrengthorthenettler's
Spirit,whicheverissmaller,inmiraclepoints . (Spirit
onettlersinflictamiraclepointcost . )
ANettleRiteinvolvingnormaldamagetoaBond
coststhevictimtheBondStrengthin MPS. Inaddition,
alltheirFamiliamemberslosemiraclepoint .
ANettleRiteinvolvingdevastatingdamagetoaBond
coststhevictimtheBondStrengthplustheattacker's
SpiritinMrs. Inaddition,alltheirFamiliamembers
losethenettler'sSpiritinmiraclepoints.
"Most Nobilis ofdubious
provenancejusttheir
work,"saidtheDesecration's- Regal. "Theyexplain
elaboratelyhowtheworld
requirestheirEstateinorder
tofunction. "Hiseyesshone
feverishly. "Ifthisisyour
expectationofme,youmay
abandonit. Iindulgeinno
suchpastime. Excusesarefor
theuncertainandforthe
weak. Servingdefilementis
itsownjustification. "
,f romtheThought-Record
ofDiamantaOlivier
OPPOSITE:
FlowerRite
byDeniseGarner
SPIRITLEVEL MIRACLEPOINTSOFOTHERTYPESSPENT
0-1 4
2-3 3
4-5 2
6-7 1
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
12 6
EXAMPLE
ArikelhasaBondwith
strength4tohissuccessat
protectingdreamersfrom
corruptingorlethal
nightmares. Heseriously
annoysthePowerof
Disease,whounleashesa
"dreamvirus :"Thevirus
spreads,becausepeople
dreamabouttheir
associates. IfArikelfails,
despitehisbestefforts,to
headoffthedisease,the
PowerofDiseasecannettle
him.
Thisis"normal"damage
totheBond. Arikelloses4
miraclepoints. Inaddition,
hisFamilialoses MPeach.
ThePowerofDiseasehas
Spirit3,soshegains3
miraclepoints. HerFamilia
gains3dynastypoints .
Sometimes,somemust
sacrificethemselvesforthe
greatergood.
Idonotholdtothis
principlemyselfyou
understand,butIfindita
veryusefulphilosophyin
others.
-from PRINCIPLESOFTHE
DARK, byMerriweather
James
Inallcases,thevictimschoosewhichattribute(s)they
losethemiraclepointsfrom . Thenettlergainsthetotal
mpslost,toamaximumoftheirSpirit . Thenettler'sFamilia
gainsthesamenumberofdynastypoints(see p. 144)- again
limitedbythenettler'sSpirit - unlessthevictimandnettler
shareaFamilia .
NettleRitesAgainstNon-Bonds
NPcs don'thavethePcs'charactersheetshandy,orviceversa .
Sometimes,an NPC or Pc triestonettleacharacterby
subvertingordefilingasuspectedBondwhenit'snotoneof
thatcharacter'sBondsatall . TherelevantPc'splayer,orthe
HG foran NPc, decideswhetherthevictimactuallycaresabout
theitemorpersoninquestion . Ifnot,nothinghappens . For
example,nettlingaPowerbyconqueringtheirhomeland
won'tworkiftheyneverreallylikedtheplace . Forcingthem
toselltheirartcollectionwon'thaveanyeffectiftheyjust
haveitforshow.
Sometimesthecharacter does careaboutthesuspected
Bond,morethanalittle,eventhoughit'snotimportant
enoughtoqualifyasaBond . Mostcharacterscareagreat
dealabouttheirhealth,reputation,ability,friends,Anchors,
Estate,Imperator,mortalfamily,andhome,evenwhenthese
thingsarenotBonds . Anettleriteagainstsuchthingshas
someeffect - treatthemasBondsoflevel 1, butreduce
devastatingdamagetonormaldamage,normaldamageto
minordamage,minordamagetotrivialdamage,andtrivial
damagetothefailureoftherite .
ExcrucianBreakthroughs
TheExcruciansorExcrucian-shardsofanyparticular
Breakthroughhave5-1ototalpointsofBondStrength
investedintheBreakthrough'sgeneralpurpose . Accordingly,
whenthepurposeoftheirBreakthroughisdefeated,they
canbenettledforatleast5miraclepoints . Devastating an
Excruciansometimesresultsinthenettlergaininga
permanentmiraclepoint .
THERITEOFTHEFALLEN
ThisriteruinsanotherSovereignofone'sownFamilia . It
hasthreeforms . TheRiteoftheBladecripplesaPower's
spirit(andtheirSpiritattribute)buttransfersthisenergyto
thePower'sAspectorDomain. TheRiteoftheWhipcripples
aPower'saccesstomiraculousenergy. Thisisaharsh
punishmentusedmostlyonthosetraitorswhocanbe
redeemed. TheRiteoftheFireripsaPower'sNoblespirit
awayfromtheirhumansoul -disempoweringthemand
usuallykillingthemorruiningtheirmindsaswell .
Themechanismissimpleenough . Twooftheother
PowersintheFamilia,andtheirImperator,mustagreethat
itiswarranted. TheybindthePowerinquestiontotherack
andgentlypulltheirpowerawayfromthem . Itisnotpleasant.
TheRiteoftheBlademovesthecharacterpointsinvestedin
Spirittootherattributes . TheRiteoftheWhiplowerseach
attributebyone . TheRiteoftheFireremovesthecharacter's
Nobility,andusuallyremovesthecharacterentirely .
ÒBILIS:AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
THERITUALOFANGUISH
ThisriteistraditionallyperformedbyExcruciansand
Excrucian-shards. AlthoughaNoblecouldperformit,they
havefewopportunitiestotry . Itisthemostcomplicatedof
theSimpleRites,requiringahandfulofdays,bloodofavirgin,
apentacleandcandles,andmanyotherocculttrappings . It
drainsawaythepowerofadeadImperatorandconvertsitto
thenegativeenergyoftheExcrucians. Itisincludedhere
sincesomePowerssuggestthatifthe
_obilis
weretocome
intopossessionofadeadImperator'sbody,theycouldperform
avariationonthisRitetobecomelikeuntoImperators
themselves. AllinthenameoftheValdeBellum,ofcourse .
THERITEOFRESCUE
AnImperatorsometimesdiesinsuchawaythattheirPowers
remainaliveandevenretaintheirshardofitsNoblespirit .
Thisisexceedinglyrare . Whenittranspires,however,oneof
ahandfulofImperatorsdesignatedas"rescuers"adoptsthese
Noblesastheirown. Thisriterequiresonlythateachmember
oftherescuer'sFamiliagiveflowers,withoutcoercion,toa
consentingPowerwhoseImperatorisdead. Theseflowers
shouldbethosefoundonthosePowers'Designs . Thenthe
Imperatoropensitssoul -andtheRiteiscomplete .
Ifthe HG thinksitislikelythatmoreplayerswillbeadded
tothegameatsomelaterpoint,theyshouldconsidermaking
thePcs'Imperatoradesignated"rescuer" . Thisenablesnew
Pcstofiteasilyintothe . OBILIS framework.
THERITEOFHOLYFIRE
Inreceivingthe spiritusDei intotheirsoul,aPowerrises
foreverabovethemortalworld. Likecardboardpuppetsona
paperstage,theProsaicEarthandmostofMythicReality
operateonalevelfundamentallyshallowerthanthePower
does -andjustasonecanstepawayfromthestagetoavoid
thepuppets'mostferventattacks,aPowercanimmunize
themselvesagainstpurelymortalattack. TheRiteofHoly
Fireprovidesnoprotectionagainstmiraculousassault -even
whenthemiracleisamereAspectogunshot - anditis
unreliableagainstthemorepowerfulcommoners . Still,its
effectsarecomprehensive . Swordsofmortalassassinssplinter,
unwillingtopierceaNoble'sskin . Theterriblefireofanuclear
explosionwashesoffofthe . Nobilislikeangeroffarainbow.
BulletstwistintheirpathtomissaNoble'sback .
Thisriterequiresregularrenewal. ThePowermustraise
the spiritusDei withinthemfromasmolderingflametoa
ragingbeaconandletitsuffusetheirskin . Theritecallsfora
fullnightofritual,withcandlesandchantingintheTrue
Tongue. Thestarsmustbeclearlyvisibleinthesky. ThePower
isvulnerableduringtheritual,butwhatisasinglenight?
ThisritedrawsontheNoble'swilltosurviveandonthe
outrageagainstnaturethatmortalattacksagainstthe,Nobilis
represent. Accordingly,itdefendsevenaCandleflameagainst
themostlethalattacks. ThestrongeraNoble'ssoul,the
subtlertheattacksthisritecandeflect . Again,thisritedoes
notprotectagainstmiraclesofanykind . Strongermonsters,
Thegreatestvictoryknownto
theDarkisthesubversionof
anImperatoroftheLight. We
accomplishthisbutrarely -
sixtimesinallrecorded
history. Thereisnoreliable
techniquetoconqueran
Imperator'smind. Yetwe
knowthis:toswaythem,we
mustfirstmakethemseethat
destructionandsalvationare
twosidesofthesamecoin .
Notinnature,ofcourse,but
inhumannature -that
suicideandself-preservation
arisefromthesame
understandingoftheworld. If
wemakethemseethis,there
isthehopeofpersuading
them .
Naturally,thisprocess
doesnotworkontheDark's
Ymerae,andonlyafool
wouldattemptit.
James
7amfree . IamaPower
withoutanImperator,alord
ofthisworldwithoutalord
overme. Why,then,shouldI
takeanotherliege?Why
shouldIconsenttoanew
Imperatorclaimingme?"
"ThechoiceisnotJanben
Janorfreedom,"Isaid . "The
choiceisJanbenJanorsome
othermaster. Doyoureally
believethattheImperators
wouldpermitafreeNobleto
live?"
--fromtheThought-Record
oflbna'Harid
7cannotshootyou,Adrian . "
"Ah,"hesaid,andsmiled.
"Sothereisstillloveinyour
heartforme. "
'No," Colleenanswered,
andshookherhead. Ìtsjust,
thebulletsdon'twork. "
-from DOORKNOBS, by
EmilyChen
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
LethalityofRites
SPIRITLEVEL LETHALITY
TIMEBETWEENRITES
0
Almostunsurvivable:groundzeroofanuclear
explosion,lossofhullintegrityonanunderseadome
Oneweek
1
Excessiveforce :tankshells, LAw rockets,massive

explosions,collapsingmountainsides,otherthings
requiringbothluckandmiraclestosurvive
Two weeks
2
Overwhelmingforce:automaticgunfire,cloudsof
poisongas,majorfires,otherthingsrequiring
miraclestosurvive
Onemonth
3
Deadlyforce:guns,powersofnon-miraculous
naturespiritsandmonsters
Threemonths
4
Naturalweapons:blades,claws,fangs,other
unsophisticatedweapons
Sixmonths
5
Pettyassault:unarmedattacksbyhumansand
smallanimals,insectbites
Oneyear
6
Verbalabuse :offensivelanguage,insults,overtdefiance Fiveyears

7
Socialassault :startingnastyrumors,failingto
showrespect,omittingcourtesies
Tenyears
CRIMESAGAINSTTHE
SOUL
Asageneralrule,Pcsshould
notusetheRite of theFallen
onanother PC withoutthe
relevantplayer'spermission .
Inagamewherethe
character'sabilitiesareavital
part of theplayers'enjoyment,
playersneednotgivethat
permission. Insomegames,
however,theproper
conclusiontoa PC's story -
punishmentoratonementfor
somegreatcrime -matters
morethantheirSpirit,
attributes,orlife .
Inmostcases,player
characterswon'tusethisRite
directly . Instead,byexposing
themonstrousdeeds of arival
NPC,theycanmaneuverthat
character'sFamiliainto
performingtheRiteupon
them.
naturespirits,andotherpowerfulcommoners -thosewith
justthetiniesttouchof spiritusDei - canaffectthePowers
regardless . Treatmagicastheequivalenttechnology.
Consulttheabovecharttodeterminetheroughlethality
oftheeffectsthatagivenlevelofSpiritprotectsagainst,as
wellasthelengthoftimetheritelastsbeforeitmustbe
renewed.
ANDICAPS
ManyPowershaveintrinsiclimitationsthatbalanceouttheir
specialabilities. Forexample,aPowermightnotbeableto
crossthelinesofapentagram,orenterahouseuninvited,or
usetheirpowersunlesstheysleptwithavirginthenight
before.
APower'splayerchoosestheseHandicaps,andcanin
factaddnewonesatanytime . Thisaddstotheflavorofthe
game,andtothegame'sinterest .
THECHAMOMILELAW:
"Thereisenergyinadversity," or:
"WhenaHandicapmakeslifedifficultforaPower,they
gainmiraclepoints. "
Theuniverseof NOBILIS ismadeofbalancesbetween
opposingforces . Thisisanecessarything,becausethedivision
betweenpositiveandnegativeenergiesisadivisionbetween
twoequalframesofreference . Callthemyinandyang,hot
andcold,lightanddark,HeavenandHell :thereisnostrength
notbalancedsomewherebyaweakness . YetPowers,like
Imperators,areuniversal . This,theNoblephilosophersclaim,
iswhythereisstrengthinweakness,andweaknessinstrength :
whenaPowerisstuntedinonesense,theyaregrowingin
another. Perhapstheyareincorrect. The HG isfreetocome
upwiththeirownreasoningforthiseffect,ortorelegateit
entirelytothestatusofanout-of-characterconvention.
Handicapsaredividedintofoursets :Limits,Restrictions,
Virtues,andAffiliations . Limitsremovesomeoftheutility
ofthepowersacharacterhaspaidpointsfor . The HG should
determinehowmuchtheseLimitsareworth(andcanchange
theirratingsinlatersessionsifcircumstanceswarrant) .
Wheneverthecharactersnormallyregeneratealltheirmiracle
points (e . g. ,atthebeginningofanewstory)theyalsoreceive
extramiraclepointsfortheseLimits . The HG shouldusually
letplayersknowbeforethefirstsessionhowmuchagiven
Limitisworth,sothattheplayercanrationallyevaluate
whetheritisworththeprice . Theplayerdecideswhich
attributethesemiraclepointsgoto .
Restrictionsaremiscellaneousandusuallysmallerlimits,
whichonlyaffectaPower'smpswhentheybecomeaserious
problemforthecharacterinplay. Atthatpoint,the HG decides
howmanyextrampsthecharactershouldreceive,basedon
howmuchofahandicapthatRestrictionisatthattime . The
playeragaindetermineswherethesempsgo . Whenaplayer
desiresextramps,theycanrequestthatthe HG arrangethings
sothatoneoftheirRestrictionscausestroublefortheirPower .
Virtuesareprimaltruthsaboutthecharacter'snature -
aspectsoftheirbeingthatbothlimitandempowerthem .
CharactersreceivempsfromaVirtueonlywhenitbecomes
averyseriousprobleminplay. Inotherwords,becausethe
Virtuehasanintrinsicbenefit,itrewardsthecharacterwith
mpslessoftenthananequivalentRestrictionwould .
Acharacter'sAffiliationrepresentstheirpersonalcode
ofethicsandtheiroutlookontheworld -thecausesthey
serveandfightfor. EverycharacteralwayshasanAffiliation .
Somerarecharactershavetwo .
Playerscanremovetheircharacter'sHandicapsundertwo
conditions. First,iftheHandicapisasituation(thecharacter
ishuntedbysomeone,orhasbeengivenaliteralcurse)then
thesituationdoesnotautomaticallyresolveitselfwhenthe
Handicapisremoved - itsimplybecomesalittlemore
amenabletobeingresolvedinthePower'sfavor. Secondly,
playerscanonlyremoveHandicapsatthestartofanewstory.
Limitsthatpreventthecharacterfromdoingsomething
thatwouldbea"hard"or"deep"miracleforthemanyway
shouldprovideomps,unlessthe HG hassomespecificreason
forgrantingabenefitforthelimit .
LIMITS
DEAD(ALIMITOFASPECT)
Gives3points
APc withthisLimitofAspectisdeadorotherwisebodiless,
andcanonlyactthroughtheirAnchors . Theycancreate
newAnchorsusinganestablishedAnchor'sbloodortears.
IftheylosealloftheirAnchors,however,theysimplyfade
away. Unlessthe Pc hasSpirit5,theymustpayadditional
miraclepointsforeachAspectmiracle,asperp . 86.
EXAMPLE
Thalestris diedduringTroy'swarwithJehannuminthe
SpiritWorld. Caughtoutsidenormalrealityandnormaltime,
12
7
OTHERSIMPLERITES
Astheyearsgoby,the ,'(obilis
discovernewsimplerites-
newexpressions oftheirdual
nature. Powershavecreated
welloverahundredsimple
rites,thoughfewNobilis
knowmorethanadozen.
Someriteshavebeenlost.
Someareprivate,secrets of
theFamiliathatcreated
them. Manyarenotworth
theefforttodistributeto
everyPoweronEarth. Afew
theImperatorsactually
forbid.
Thetenritesinthis
chapteraremorecommonly
known. Inparticular,
Imperatorsmakecertainthat
theirPowerslearnthe
ServantsRite,theWitch
HuntRite,theRite ofthe
LastTrump,theRite of
Passage,theNettleRite,and
theRite ofHolyFireearlyon .
Apotentiallyunlimited
number of simpleritesexist.
TheabilitiesoftheNobilis
arepracticallylimitedbut
theoreticallyunbounded.
Flowersarevital. Theysing
withtheenergies ofCreation.
Eachcriestoreality,'Yam
thus! Iamthis! IamwhatI
am! "Thecherryblossom
shouts, SPIRITUALBEAUTY.
Thetrumpet-flowerbugles,
FAME. Theystunme. Inever
sawthisinthem . . . Iwasso
blind.
ButnowIamdead.
NowIcansee.
Theycomeandlaythem
onmygrave. Thesong of each
flowerseepsdown,likeroots,
anddigsintomysoul. Each
flowermybelovedhusband
setsuponmygravestealsa
littlebitmoreof myself. Each
bloommydaughterleaves
behindtearsmeapartalittle
furtherattheseams . SoonI
willbegone . Therewillbeno
soulleftwithinmyembalmed
flesh. Justthesongs of rotted
flowers.
-from36,byRannen
Yedidyah
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
12 8
7hadn'tknown,"theman
said,softly. Atorchinhis
handcastaflickeringlight. A
womanlayonthebed
Twentyfourhoursago,the
godshadmadeapromise:that
nomatterwhatwasdone,she
wouldliveandheal.
"Wariswar,"shereplied.
IknewwhatIwasfacing.
Didyouimagine,mylove,I
wouldcomeoutunharmed?"
"Iloveyoureyes,"hesaid.
"Alas,mylove,theravens
gotthem. Theyweretorn
frommyheadwhileIlay
blindlystaring. "
'Iloveyourleftarm,"he
said.
Alas,mylove,forthe
funerealfires. Somecollector
ofpartsthoughtitcouldn'tbe
saved. "
Iloveyourheart, " he
cried.
"Alas,mylove,fra
Power'sbladepiercedit. And
forallthey'verecovered,that
partcan'tbesaved "
Shelived.
-from WARSTORIES, by
LucGinneis
'Ironic,isn'tit,"the
commandersaid. "Thatoneso
greatandpowerfulwouldbe
sohelplesswithoutherlittle
toys. "
Thetentflap lifted;a
soldiersteppedinside. "Sir?"
heasked,urgently.
'Notnow,"the
commandersaid,absently,
rubbingoneofthestolengems
betweenthumband
forefinger. Hisenemystood
acrossthetent,handsbound
aboveherhead,blood
tricklingdownherfacefoma
cutintheforehead. Shelooked
somehowamused.
"Sir?"thesoldierrepeated
Aflashofannoyance
crossedthecommander'sface,
Heturnedlikeanavalanche
towardsthesoldierand
snapped,"Whatisit?"
Amanapproaches,"the
soldierreplied. 'Hehasgems
inhisfiststhatspitforthfire
andserpents. . . "
Thecommanderspunto
lookathisprisoner.
Sheshrugged,eloquently .
'Idon'talwayscarrythereal
ones,"sheadmitted.
. from EARTHSTORIES,
fewofthesoulsofTroy'sdeadmovedontotheirnextlife .
Ofthethousandsoflostsouls,onlyThalestrisescaped . The
ImperatorwhotookTroyclaimedher,kindledhersoulinto
asemblanceoflifebyaninfusionof spiritusDei, establishing
herasitsPoweroftheHearth. Notenoughremainedofher
bodytoresurrect. Instead,herImperatorhelpedherclaim
herfirstseveralAnchorsandgavehertheirbodiestouse .
DISABLED(ALIMITOFASPECT)
Gives1to 2 points
ThecharacterwiththisLimitofAspectisdisabledinsome
way. Theycouldbeblindorlame,one-handedorpsychotic :
inshort,theysufferfromamajorphysicalormental
disadvantagethatlimitstheirAspect-basedabilities . Players
canbecreativeaboutwhatthisdisabilityis . Anoticeable
limitationlikeanosmiamightbeworthapoint,andamajor
disabilitylikeblindness,cerebralpalsy,oramnesiacouldbe
worthtwo. Acrophobia,alcoholism,andsuchillnessesare
bestpurchasedasRestrictions,sincewhenthecharacteris
ontheground,sober,orotherwiseawayfromthesituation's
influence,theyarecapableofanykindofAspectmiracle .
EXAMPLES
Alektiandhertwotwinsisterswerebornofsomedark
Power'swombwithbutasingleeyebetweenthem .
Abandonedonthehills,theysurvivedbyfeedingfirston
insectsandrodents,thensheepandgoats,andfinallyon
humanflesh. Oneday,Alektiscentedtherichestsmellof
all . . . thearomaoftheOldLordofDays,woundednearto
deathbythespreadofChristiantimekeeping. Shetracked
himdown,abandoninghersistersandabscondingwiththeir
eye,andfeastedonhisessencethatshemightwrenchcontrol
ofhisDomainaway. TheImperator'swhimwaswithher ;
shebecametheLadyofDays,andwhisperedtothewitches
ofGreecethattheoldcalendarmustberemembered . . . .
Alekti'sdisabilityisnotmerelythatsheisone-eyed:itisthat
hereyeisacrystalsphere,andthatshemustholdoratleast
touchittoseethroughitatall .
Absalom isthePoweroftheSky,fatherofallthethings
whichtakethehighroadsthroughtheair,includingarrows,
birds,and(mostrelevantly)thelie . Whentheskyisclear,his
huntingisgoodandhebringsmuchofvaluehomewith
him;whentheskyisdarkandovercast,hestealsfromthe
trophiesofothersandclaimsthemashisown. Hisways
caughtupwithhimatlast;thespiritsofthehuntershehad
stolenfromgatheredtogethertopreventhimfromevertelling
anotherlie . . . bycuttingouthistongue . Incorrigible,henow
tellsathousandfictionswiththewrittenwordandthe
languageofgestures. TherearerumorsthatLordEntropy
wasbehindhiscomeuppance,thoughitwouldberare(not
impossible,onlyrare)forthatLordtoforgoatrial .
FOCUS(AGENERALLIMIT
zpointperipointsinvested
Thisisaverycommonlimit ;someofaPower'snatural
abilities -suchasattributelevels,miraclepoints,orGifts,
boughtnormallywithpoints -areinvestedinamagicitem .
NBILIS:AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
IftheFocusleavesitsowner'shands,whoevertakesitinherits
boththeabilitiesboughtthroughitandthempsthatcome
fromthisLimit. Correspondingly,ifthePowerdoesnothave
theiritem,theycannotusetheseabilities . Theadvantageto
aPower(andthereasonwhysomePowersandImperators
createlimitingFocideliberately)isthataslongastheypossess
theitem,theyareactuallymorepowerful . Theextrampsgiven
bytheitemaccountforthiseffect . ThinkofFociasthe
magicalequivalentoftools . APoweroranImperatormakes
aFocusforthesamereasonacompanyinvestsresourcesin
anofficebuildingandcomputersystem.
Characterscannotbuyspecificattributelevelsthrougha
Focus. Thatis,theymaybuy "2 levelsofAspect"througha
Focus,butnot"levelszand 4" . Wheneverthe Pc doesnot
havethefocus,theyloseasmanylevelsastheyhavepurchased
throughtheFocus. Similarly,ifsomeoneelsehastheFocus,
theywillgainthatmanylevels,toamaximumofthenumber
oflevelstheFocus'sownerhaswhenusingtheFocus .
Forexample,HeatherhasLevel3Aspect, 2 levelsofwhich
dependonaFocus. AaronhasLevel 2 Aspect,andisgiven
Heather'sFocus . Aaronnowhas,effectively,Level3Aspect ;
hecannotgainahigherlevelofAspectthroughaFocusthan
theFocus'owner. JeremiahisamortalwithLeveloAspect .
AarongiveshimHeather'sFocus . AaronreturnstoLevel 2
AspectwhileJeremiahgainszlevelsofAspectfromtheFocus,
soheisalsoatLevel 2 Aspect.
TheFocushasitsownsupplyofmps,exactlyasmanyas
theLimitisworth. Thisisalsothenumberof mps the Pc
gainseachgamefromhavingaFocus - aFocusisconsidered
tohaveitsownsupply. Whoeverhastheitemcanchooseto
usethempsintheitembeforeexpendingtheirownreserves .
Fociknowtheirtrueowners,andareneverpermanently
lost. (Iftheirtrueownerdies,theynormallystopfunctioning
withinaweek. )Theyareoften,however,temporarilytaken
awayormislaid. ItisaLimit,afterall.
EXAMPLE
Anise isoftheOrderofSt . Gilderoy,ahereticalsplintersect
offoftheCatholicChurch,reverencingamanhistorycallsa
thief. ItalliesitselffirmlywiththeLightandthecultofhuman
survival . Anisewas"recruiting"vulnerableyouthatascience
fictionconventionwhenthehotelanditsinhabitantswere
caughtinthetumultofaChancel'sforming . Astheflaresof
godlightwashedthroughtheair,thegoddessElishahexalted
himtoNobility. Heisandwasaverynarrow-minded,intent
man,andheinterpretedElishah'sgifttohimthroughthe
mechanismsheknew. InthewildmomentsofCommence-
ment,whenthefierypowerofMagnetismstruckhimlikea
bladedsurf,hecalledupontheNameanddrewhispeace-
bondedsword. Elishahwaskind. Hergiftsmighthavebroken
hismindiftheydidnotfitintheoccultframeworkheknew .
Hisessenceandherswereburnedintotheblade .
HATED(ALIMITOFREALM
GivespointperRealmlevel
PowerswiththisLimitofRealmarenotwelllovedbytheir
subjects . Infact,seedsofseditionandperfidyaresown
LIMITSAND
RESTRICTIONS
Insomecases,aplayermay
finditdifficulttodecide
whetheragivenHandicapis
aLimitoraRestriction.
Someoftheexamplesbelow
standontheborderline
betweenthetwoHandicap
types,andsowillmany
player-createdHandicaps.
Inquestionablecases,players
shouldtakeaLimitwhen
theircharactercontrolshow
muchtheHandicapdisables
them. ALimit,withitsfixed
miraclepointaward,doesnot
penalizeablindcharacterfor
usingaguidedog. Nordoesit
rewardthemforwandering
intotheLandofSilence,
wheresounddoesnottravel.
Playersshouldtakea
Restrictionwhenthe HG and
plothavethemostinfluence
overwhenandwhetherthe
Handicapposesaproblem. A
characterwhocannotentera
housewithoutaninvitation
hasnocontroloverwhenthey
might need toenterahouse
uninvited.
HGs shouldfeelfeeto
treatLimitsasRestrictions
inthoseraresituationswhere
the Pcsimplycouldnothave
preventedtheproblemthat
facesthem. AcharacterHated
bytheirChancel'sresidents
(seebelow)cantake
precautionsagainstuprising
anddisobedience -butifthe
plotforcesthemintoasecret
ballotpopularitycontest,they
mustscrambletodealwith
somethingtheycouldnothave
preparedfor. The HG can
appropriatelyawardoneor
twoextra Ws.
Vyasaaskswhether
BrahmasurastheHarvester,
GitalitheBlind,orSaurabh
theUnluckyistrulyblessed.
Brahmasurashasno
Handicapsatall. Gitalihasa
Limit,andknowshowto
itsimpactonher
life. Saurabhhasa
Restriction,whichsubjects
himtogreatandunavoidable
risks . Knowinghowto
survivetheserisks,andreap
greatmpbenefitsthereby,he
isthemostfortunateofall
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
"Yourface,"Iwhisperedin
distress . "Coverit. "
"Luc?"
Itisnotsafe,mylord,to
beseenhere . . . "
-frOm ONSERVINGTHE
-oBILIs,
byLucGinneis
"Youhavenopoweroverme,"
Susannahdeclared. I
understandthepurpose ofthe
company,now. Itisatrap
craftedbyHell,whosepurpose
istonibbleawayatourmoral
judgment,piecebypiece.
Acceptingthecompany'swill
isasin;rejectingitbrings
painandopprobrium . No
more! Irejectthistrap . I
refusethecompany'sdemands.
Lettheconsequencescome . "
Dr. Weatherbyhesitateda
moment,thensatdown . "You
mistakeus,"hesaid,shaking
hishead. "Thisplacebelongs
nottoHellbuttoHeaven. We
donotencouragevicehere;we
donotpushourworkersto
choosematerialgainover
virtue . Wesimplyforcethem
tochooseoneortheother. "He
sighed. "Yourchoiceismade;I
senseitssolidityinyoursoul.
Congratulationsontaking
therightpath. "
Susannahpeeredathim.
IfyouserveHeaven,andI
havechosenvirtue,whydoes
thisnotpleaseyou?"
"Thepoint oflifeisnotto
choosevirtue,"hesaid,"but
rathertochoose. Youhave
chosen,andshallnotrecant .
Ineffect,yourfreewillis
gone,thepurposeofyour life
achieved,themeaningofyour
life complete. Youaredeadto
me. Ishallmissyou. Youwere
beautiful. "
frOm WEATHERBY&
GRAHAM, byG. S. Denmark
throughouttheirChancel . Armedrebellionisunlikely,
particularlyifthereareotherPcswhohavenotchosenthis
disadvantage,butaviciousmindcanconceivemanysubtler
meansbywhichtodestroyevenaSovereign. Thehigherthe
character'sRealmlevel,themorewidespreadthisdisloyalty,
andthebetterhiddenitsmajorproponents-Tempestswith
thisLimitarehatedbynearlyeverylivingthinginsidetheir
Chancel,althoughitisrarethatsomeonewilldaretoact
againstsuchalivinggod .
EXAMPLE
Songmaker isthedarkspiritoftheBroodingMountainof
Lockerby -well,it'smoreofahill,butthat'sbesidethe
point. ShehasgroundhertinyChancelunderherheeluntil
allovertresistanceisgone:shehascreatedspiesandsoldiers
fromtheearthitself.
Worseyet,herImperatordoesn'tseemtocare . Shehas
vastpowerintherealm,perhapseventhestrengthofa
Tempest,butshehastheLimit"Hated"aswell .
LIGHTTOUCH(A LIMITOFSPIRIT)
Gives IpointperSpiritlevel
APowerwiththisLimitcannotdirectlycontroltheir
Anchors,andcannotuseanymiraclesthroughanAnchor
(saveghostmiracles)withouttheAnchor'sconsent . The
goodwillofthePower'sAnchorsbecomesmuchmore
important,changingthebalanceofpowerbetweenthem .
AnuncooperativeAnchorcanproveextremelyfrustrating .
EXAMPLE
St. AngelaoftheFlail appearstoherAnchorsasan
apparitionwithintheirminds- aghostlyfigurewhocan
advisebutcannotdirectlyinfluencetheirwill . Somebelieve
shedoesnotcontrolthemdirectlybecauseofaWild-inspired
loveforfreedom;othersthinkthatshecannotcontrolthem
atall .
MANIFESTATION(A LIMITOFDOMAIN
GivesIto 2 ,points
CharacterswiththisLimitofDomainpossessavulnerability
tothingsconceptuallyopposedtotheirEstate . Forexample,
iftheDominusofIllusionshadthisLimit,thenanyonewho
didnotbelieveinhimwouldbeimmunetohisabilities . If
theDominaofFirehadthisLimit,water-orsuffocation-
basedattackswouldbemoredangeroustoher .
EXAMPLE
TrystanPorphyrogenitus, PowerofPoseurs,drewonthe
essenceofhisEstatetosustainhimwhenhisbodywould
otherwisehavedied . Thewoundshavelongsincehealed,
buttheireffectslinger . Inthepresenceoftrueartists,heroes,
andidealists,Trystanwithers,hispowerscannottouchthem .
SMALLESTATE(A LIMITOFDOMAIN)
Gives IpointperDomainlevel
CharacterswiththisLimitofDomainhaveaverystrictly
definedEstate,orastrictlydefinedpoweroverit,sothat
theycanaffectonlythethingsmosttightlytiedtoitby
concept. ThisisanappropriateoptionforaPowerofthe
Deadwhocannotkill,foraPowerofClockswhocannot
affecttheflowofsubjectivetime,foraPowerofMemory
whocannotaffectelectronicstorage,andsoforth.
EXAMPLES
Inhislateryears, IsaacNewton deducedenoughaboutthe
truestructureoftheuniversetoapproachtheImperatorof
Motionandofferhisservices . Hismortalbodydied,not
longafter. Anewonewasquicklypreparedforhiminthat
Imperator'sChancel,itsbirthacceleratedanditssoulstripped
awaysothatNewtoncouldtakeitsplace . Hebringshisown
powerfulscientificunderstandingofthelawsofmotionto
hisroleasaNoblebutlackscontroloverthethingsassociated
withmotion. Whilehecanmakeacorpsedance,hecannot
makeitlive ;whilehecanopenafloweratnight,hecannot
makeitbreathe. Accordingly,hehastakentheLimit"Small
Domain" .
Delilah isthePowercurrentlyresponsibleforcars -
notjeeps,nottanks,nottrucks,butthestill-importantmass
ofautomobilesthatclogtheroadsofAmericaandzipalong
theEuropeanautobahn . SheisafillRegal,whoexhalesso
much"car-ness"'ineverybreaththat - well,forexample,
shestarredinaseriesofchildren'smovies,andtheviewers
neverrealizedshewasanormalhumanwomaninsteadofa
cutelittlecar. Nordidthedirector,that'sHollywoodforyou .
UNINSPIRING(ALIMITOFSPIRIT
GiveszpointforSpiritover 2
WiththisLimitofSpirit,characterswhowouldnormallybe
inspirationalandimpressivearenot . Theirsoulandselfhood
maycontainvolcanicpower,butnoneofitshows. Mortals
questiontheirdecisions ;theirgazeholdsnofire.
EXAMPLES
Dimitri isaveryrarethingindeed:aPowerwhohasacted,
whowasabletoact,againsthisImperator . Whenthe
ExcrucianscorruptedthatImperator,theSerpentNahash,
DimitriledthearmyofanotherFamiliaCaelestisintothe
heartofNahash'sChanceland,inthebattlethatfollowed,
stavedofftheeffortsofhisownFamilialongenoughfor
Nahashtobedestroyed . Hisreward?Adoptionbythe
ImperatorhehadapproachedasreplacementforaPower
falleninbattle . Heisstronginhiswill,andtough -butthe
stenchoftreacherystillhangsabouthim,andmakesothers
doubthiseveryword .
Zerubbabel (Rubytoherfriends)isthePowerof
Uncertainty. ConfusionandDoubtradiatefromthesoul-
shardinsideher,evenwhileitenhancesherfundamental
selfhood.
Shecanmakedecisionsrapidly,andthereisapowerin
hereyes,butatthesametimeshecanneverbetotally
confidentofanydecision . Sheiseasytosway,easyto
intimidate,easytoblackmail;sheisincapablebyhervery
natureofstandingbyherprinciples . Howcouldsheinspire
others?
12 9
"Canyouhandlea
calculator?"
Hepuffedhimselfup. "I,"
hesaid,"amthegodofall
computers,of whatever
brand,of whateverkind . . . "
'Isthatayes?"
Heletouthisbreath. No. "
-from LITTLEGODS, by
JackieRobinson
"Charge,"hecried,and
spurredhishorseforward
Goldenarmorgleamed
reflectionsofthesunsetsky .
Hissword,raisedhigh,hada
razoredge. Hewasthe
greatestwarrior of hisday.
Heknewthis. Atany
moment,hethought,thearmy
behindhimwouldscreamand
boildownintothevalley
afterhim. Hishorsetooka
fewmoresteps.
Therewasagreatsilence
intheair,andthoseclickety
stepsstopped. Herealized,
withasick,sinkingfeeling,
thatnoonewasfollowing
him . Hestoodalone,and
therewasnothingtoconfuse
thearchers'aim.
Hecarefullydismounted,
inthesilence. Hepointedhis
horsebacktowherehisarmy
waited,andgaveitashoveto
getitgoingagain. Heturned
totheenemy,andpulled off
hishelm .
Itwasstilllightenough
toseehimfomthevalley
below. Heraisedhismiddle
fingerintheuniversalgesture
of contempt. Heclosedhiseyes
beforethefirstarrowhit.
from THATDREADFUL
DAY, byJackieRobinson
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
130
"Perceptionisnotapassive
process. Itispartofthework
thatcreatesreality. Iwill
demonstrate. Inmyhand,I
holdanapple. Atleast,with
thelightsturnedon,itisan
apple. Now,ifyouwillturn
off thelightsandtellmewhat
Iholdinmyhand?"
". . . four-armedShivathe
Destroyerdancesinawheelof
fire. Hestandsuponthe
corpses ofhisenemies . Never-
created,never-dying,
ignorance-crushing,life-
giving,death-giving,
thousandfaced,thousand-
named,thewearer ofserpents
andthetiger'sskin . . . "
"Turnthelighton . "
4napple. "
"Weprefertoleavethe
lightsonatthisCentre. "
from RINGING, by K. C.
Danine
Iamforbiddentolove.
Others ofmykindignore
thisrestriction,cloakingtheir
feelingsinsecrecyandsilence.
Idonothavethatoption . I
amacreature oflaw. Idonot
bend. Idonotseektosubvert
therulesthatgovernmy
people,fortheLordwhosets
thislawreignsbytheorder of
thewarleaders of Creation.
SoIdonotletmyselffeelthe
loveIoncefeltforCynthia. I
donotletmyselfvisither .
One ofmyservantspicksup
herletterstome,andputs
theminthefire. Igivemy
hearttonoone.
Sometimes,Iletmyself
lookatapicture of thetwo of
ustogether. Thatisnot
againstthelaw . NotifIonly
looktosay,"HowmuchIhave
changed. "
-fromtheThoughtRecord of
RocioDeMitri
UNSEEN(ALIMITOFREALM
Gives 2 points
APc withthisLimitofRealmmaintainstheiranonymityat
alltimes. Theyskulkintheshadowsandcovertheirfaces
whentheymustgooutinthelight. Theyarealways"someone
you'dbestnotknow"or"afriend"evenwhenusingtheirtrue
identitywouldbeadvantageous. OnlytheirImperatorand
FamiliaCaelestisarepermittedtoknowtheirprovenance
andnature. Eventhen,anUnseenPowerismostcomfortable
whentheirfaceandmortalnameareunknown . Itisdifficult
forsuchanUnseenPowertogovernaChancel .
Ifthe Pc isforcedtorevealtheiridentityduringthecourse
ofastorytoanyoneoutsidetheirFamilia,theyloseamiracle
point;iftheychoosetorevealtheiridentity,theylosethree
points. Theyonlysufferthislossonceperstory .
EXAMPLE
ShahanshahEsma'il soldhisnameandidentitytoa
wanderingmagicianinexchangeforpower. Themagician
usedEsma'il'slifetoconquerIranandkillmanyoftheSunnis
heloathed. Esma'il,followingthemagician'sadvice,traveled
toavillagenearthecityShirazmerehoursbeforeits
enChancelling ;hebecameNoble. Althoughhecanusethe
nameEsma'ilandthetitleShahanshah,thePowerfindsboth
uncomfortable,evenspirituallydraining . Heavoidsthe
spotlight,workinganonymouslyorthroughintermediaries,
sothatheneedsnoidentityofhisown .
RESTRICTIONS
RememberthatRestrictionmiraclepointsarepaidtothe
Powerwhentherestrictioncomesup,andnotatthe
beginningofastory.
BLATANT
Thecharactercannotuseinobviousmiracles . Theycanonly
usemundaneactionsandmiracleswithanobviously
supernaturalnature . ThisRestrictionisworthan MP
wheneveritsubstantiallyhandicapsthecharacter,and 2MPs
ifitgetsthePowerdraggedbeforetheLocustCourt .
CANNOTCROSSRUNNINGWATER
Thecharacterreceivesan MP whentheirinabilitytocross
runningwatercoststhemprecioustime . Ifthetimeisnot
precious,theyreceivenothing;ifthetimetheyloseiscrucial,
theygainzormoremps .
CANNOTENTERAHOMEUNINVITED
Thecharacterreceivesan MP whentheymustenterahouse
andhavenoreasonableexpectationofgaininganinvitation .
(Theyreceiveonly MP becausePowershavemanywaysto
getaroundthisRestriction . )
CANNOTKILL
ThisRestrictiongivesthecharacteran MP whenitbecomes
aseriousproblemduringplay.
. OBILIS:AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
CANNOTUSEMODERNTECHNOLOGY
ThisRestrictiongivesthecharacteran MP wheneverit
becomesimportant -fairlyoften,inmostgames .
CEREMONIAL
AcharacterwiththisRestrictionmustparticipateinacertain
capacityincertainceremonies,ifatallphysicallypossible .
Forexample,aPowermightneedtoshedbloodovertheir
Chancel'sfieldseveryyearattheSpringEquinox;resistance
wracksthemwithagony,andfailuretodosoblightsthe
Chancelforayear. ThisRestrictiongives MP whenever
takingtimeoffforaritualinterfereswiththePower's
activities,and MP wheneverthePower'sroleinthe
ceremoniesisparticularlypainfulortroublesome .
CIGARETTEBOND
Thecharacterisformallyboundtobefriendanyonewith
whomtheyshareasmoke,andcannotresistanofferofa
cigarette. Thisgives MP whenitbindsthecharactertoa
nicePower, 2MPs whenitbindsthemtoanenemyPower,
and3 MPs whenitbindsthemtoanExcrucian .
COMPROMISED
Someonehasspecificinformationtheycouldusetoblackmail
thePower. TheplayercannottakethisRestrictionifsome
NPc already,totheirknowledge,hastherelevantinformation .
ThisRestrictiongives1-3 MPs whenthecharacteris
blackmailedintodoingsomething,dependingonthe
outrageousnessoftherequest .
DOOMED
Somehorriblefateawaitsthecharacter,andtheiroddsof
avertingitaresmall . Forexample,thecharactercouldbe
undertheeffectsofsometerriblyslowExcrucianpoison,or
huntedbyLordEntropyforhightreason . Thecharacter
receives3 MPs whentheirdoomcomesnigh;thisgivesthem
alast-ditchopportunitytoaverttheirfate .
DOUBLE
Commencement,orsomethingafterCommencement,
dividedthePowerintotwoindividuals . TheyshareanEstate
andearlymemories,butneednotsharecharactersheetsor
personalities. Thesecondindividualisan NPc, andoften
flawedinsomeway - insane,deformed,orhostileto
Creation. Eventhesanest,calmest,kindestdoublessufferan
irrationalinstinctivedislikeoftheiroppositenumber . The
twoareoftenonthesameside,butneverallies .
HATEDBYANIMALS
ThisRestrictiongivesan MP whenanimalsthathatethe
Powerbecomeasignificantthreat.
HEALTH-LINKED
The Pc suffersinjurywhensomethingbadhappensto
somethingorsomeoneelse -dependingonthePower,their
brother,regalia,throneorworstenemy,thebonemask
holdingtheirsoul,orAmerica. The Pc gainsan MP every
EXAMPLE
Kuai,SovereignofDelusions,
exertsapeculiarbaleful
effectontechnological
devices. Withinhis
Auctoritasthescientific
methodunravels,andin
turnallthemechanical
benefitsitbrings;carsfailto
start,gunsdonotfire,and
clocksbrokefiercelytoa
halt.
OPPOSITE:
ThePowerofFiremeets
withanAnchor
byRikMartin
I
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132
EXAMPLE
CatherinetheLinguististhe
tutelaryspiritofthosewho
seektomasterarcaneand
forgottenlanguages.Her
affairsareofteninterrupted,
eveninthisdayandage,by
sorcerersseekingshortcuts
toarcaneachievement.She
isSummonable.
timetheymustgooutoftheirwaytoprotectthelinkedobject,
and 2MPs everytimetheysuffersignificantdamagethrough
thelinkwithoutanopportunitytodefendthemselves .
HONEST
Thecharacterdoesnotlie,andreceivesa MPwhenaliewould
beveryuseful.
REPULSEDBYTHECREATOR' SNAME
ThisRestrictiongivesanmpwhenitinterfereswiththe
Power' sgoals.
RESPECTFUL
AcertaintypeofNobleorcommonercommandsthe
character' srespect,andthisrestrictsthecharacter' sbehavior
towardsthem.Forexample,aPowermightbeunabletolie
tothebrave,tokillthehelpless,ortoharmthosewhoserve
thePower' sEstate.ThisRestrictiongivesan MPeverytime
itsignificantlycomplicatesthePower' slife.
REVELATORYTRAIT
SomethingaboutthePowerrevealstheirpresenceorinhuman
nature .Thisgivesan MPwhenthisbecomesaproblem.For
example,ifthePowerfeedsonhumanbloodratherthan
normalfood,itwon' tsubstantiallyimpairtheminlife,butit
mightgivetheirinhumannatureaway.Similarly,ifthePower
hasnoreflection,itcouldstartapanicamongmortalsor
revealthePower' spresencetoanotherNoble.
PERSONALIMPERATORPROPERTY
ThecharactersuffersfromtheeffectsofanegativeImperator
property(seepp. 144-152), eventhoughtheirFamiliaCaelestis
doesnot.Thisisworthavariablenumberofmiraclepoints,
dependingontheproperty.SomepersonalImperator
propertiesqualifyinsteadasLimits .
SUBTLE
Thecharactercannotuseobviousmiracles.IftheHollyhock
Godthinksamiracleisblatantenoughtoinduce dementia
animus inahumanviewer,thePowersimplycannotuseit,
evenifnosuchviewerispresent.Thisattributegives 2MPs
everytimethePowerentersanepicconfrontationwhere
blatantmiracleswouldsignificantlyincreasetheirefficiency.
SUMMONABLE
Thecharactercanbesummonedwithappropriatemagic,
willtheyornillthey.ThisRestrictionisworth1MPwhenit
comesupduringplay.Ifthecharactercannotcrossan
unbrokenpentagram,sothatsomeonecansummonandhold
them,itisworth 2MPs.
VISIBLE
Thecharacters' actionsmarkthem.Theirliesstaintheir
tonguewithsilver,orcausetheirnosetogrow.Whenthey
steal,theirfingersgrowlonger,thinner,nimbler,andacquire
aninky,green,orgoldentarnish.Actsofgreathonorgive
thecharacteramailedappearance,likeaknight ;actsofgreat
generositymakethemshimmerwithglory.Effectsthisblatant
donotappearwitheveryvirtuousorvileact.However,the
moreexcessivetheaction,thegreaterthechanceitwillhave
aneffect.Theseeffectslastuntiltheendofthestory.The
higheracharacter' sSpirit,themoreobvioustheeffectsof
thisRestrictionare.Eachtimethe HG inflictsa"mark"on
thecharacter,thecharacterreceivesan MP.
VIRTUES
ManycharactersintheNobleworldarehonorable.Iftheir
honorstraightjacketsthem,itmightqualifyasaRestriction,
"honorabletoafault".Still,onecantricksuchcharacters
intobreakingtheirword.SomeImperialandExcrucian
techniquesmightforcethemtodoso.Askilledinterrogator
withhigherAspectthantheirownmighteventuallybreak
them.Inatangleofobligations,whereoneoathoranother
mustgive way, thecharactermaychoosethelesspressing
butmorepersonallysatisfyingoathtokeep.
The -obilis are,however,creaturesofextremes .There
arethosewhosehonorsurpassesallthesethings.ANoble
withtheVirtueofHonorcannotbreak,thoughsubmitted
tothequestionbythegreatestfiendsofHell.Trickerycannot
causethemtocommitmorethanthemildestsinsagainst
theirhonor- thelawoftheirbeingisboundtothespoken
oath.Theirhonorisabsolute,deathless,surpassingthe
boundariesofthefleshthatholdsit.Theirhonorisnota
conditionoftheirpsyche,butratheranelementalforcethat
pervadestheirbeing.
Acharactercantakeanyviceormerit,includinghonesty,
faith,chastity,lust,courage,cowardice,thrift,andmiserliness
asaVirtue.Thiselevatesthistraitfromapsychologicalquality
oftheirhumanmindtoanessencethatpervadestheir spiritus
Dei andexistsabsolutelywithintheirsouls .
Virtueshavefourbenefits.First,nothingcanforcethe
charactertodosomethingagainstthebasictenetsoftheir
Virtue.Similarly,nothingcantrickthemintodoingso .Note
thatthisonlyprotectsthePoweragainstdoingthings
incompatiblewiththeirVirtue -itdoesnotgivethemthe
activeabilitytopursuetheirVirtue .Thus,noonecantricka
characterwiththeVirtue"Greed"intogivingawaytheir
fortune,butsomeonecanpreventthemfromstealingthe
QueenofEngland' scrown.Second,thecharacterhasan
uncannysenseforthe"virtuous"alternativeinanygiven
situation.Thecharacterissupernaturallyadeptatspotting
opportunitiestostealthatcrown.Third,acharactercanmake
theirVirtueobvioustoallonlookersforascenebyspending
aSpiritmiraclepoint.Finally,whentheVirtuegetsthe
characterintohorribletrouble,theyreceiveamiraclepoint .
(Ittakesmoretroubletogetan MPfromaVirtuethanfrom
aRestriction,asaVirtuehasthreeotherbenefits.)Inreturn
forthesebenefits,thecharactermustalwaysactinaccord
withtheirVirtue.Itneednotbethemostimportantfactor
intheirroleplay;butitshouldalwaysbeafactor.
Notevery NOBILIS characterhasaVirtue.Almostnone
havetwoormore.SomeVirtuesinclude :
McDermott' spaper,"ACall
toArms,"wasathingof
beauty.NeverhaveIseenthe
arguments forfutilityso
cunninglyadvanced;never
haveIseenthecauseofsuicide
sopersuasivelyarguedIttook
meadayandanighttoread
throughit,adayofshining
lightintoitseverycrack,
searchingforaflaw.Ifound
none.Therewasnofaultin
it,nothingIcouldpointtoto
underminehiminhis
follower' seyes .Hisfigures
wereaccurate.His
experimentalmethodology
wassound.Hisfactsdidnot
lie.
Icouldnotbelievethata
manlikeMcDermottcould
writesuchaworkandinclude
noliesatall.Truthappalled
him.Honestymadehimitch.
Ispentanotherday,anda
thirdbefourIfoundhis
makersmark.
Thebastardhad
dedicatedittome."Toatrue
friend,"he' dwritten.
Whatotherliedidit
need?
-fromWRESTLINGWITH
ANANGEL, byMelanie
Tunbarius
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4.0.
EXAMPLE
HenryPost,thePowerof
Disfigurement,refusesto
maimhimselfashis
predecessorsinofficedid.
Hisnaturalhumanvanity
inflatedwithhisascension
tothe .obilis;itnow
defineshim.NoExcrucian
deceptioncanforcehimto
presenthimselfatlessthan
hisbest.Nopressure,from
blackmailtotortureto
legitimatedespair,can
inducehimtospeakof
himselfindeprecating
terms.Someonecould
dumpoilinhishair,butno
onecouldmakehimleaveit
there.Heisnotvainbut
ratherVain,aVirtuethat
exceedsallcircumstance.
"Whoisitthatyouserve?"
Iamascholar,m' lady.I
servetheprinciplethatevery
questionshouldhavean
answer. "
"Butmanyquestionsdo
not;andmanymoreshould
not. .'
"Granted,"heagreed.
"Butisthisnottheessenceof
loyalty,toserveevenwhen
one' slordiswrong?"
from TUMBLEDRUM, by
KeikoTakemori
ARTISAN
Thecharacterturnsoutnothinglessthanperfectworkina
particularcraft.Nothingcanforcethemtoputtheircrafter' s
markonsomethingincomplete,cursed,poisoned,flawed,or
otherwiseunsatisfactory.Theydonotgainextraskillwith
thecraft,buthaveanuncannysenseforwhensomethingis
"notdone"totheirstandard.TheyprobablymaketheirVirtue
obvious,withpositiveeffectsontheirreputation.
CRUEL
Thecharacteriscoldandcruel.Nothingcanforcethemto
performkind,unselfishacts.Theyhaveaninstinctforthe
nastiestthingtheycandoinanygivensituation .
DECEITFUL
NoforcecancompelthePowertohonesty.Nomiracleor
magiccanwringthetruthfromtheirwords .
RECKLESS
The Pc isarchetypicallyheadstrong.Ifanopportunityexists
forthemtorushintoasituationtheyseekinvolvementwith,
nothingcanholdthemback.The Pc canspotthesmallest
suchopportunities.Ifnorealopportunityexists,recklessness
doesnotgivethecharacteranabilitytocreateone .
SPIRITUAL
Thecharacterholdsdeeplytothetenetsofagivenfaith,and
willnotwaverfromthemtinderanyprovocationortrickery.
Forexample,aspiritualPowerdedicatedtoavegetarian
doctrinewillnoteatmeatevenwhenitisdisguised.
AFFILIATION
SovereignsserveintheValdeBellum:thismuchisnotunder
dispute.YettheallianceofImperatorsdisguisesthe
fundamentalrealitythatthefivemajorforces(Heaven,Hell,
Light,DarkandtheWild)andthenumeroussolitarygods
andserpentsdonothavethesameultimategoals.Their
methodologiesandthesacrificestheyarewillingtomaketo
winthewarvary.TheLight,forexample,wouldcountita
victoryiftheysavedhumanityandallotherlifedied.Hell
wouldcountitataskwelldoneiftheyblockedtheExcrucian
advancewithawalloftormentedandundyingsouls .
Freewill,itissaid,isagiftoftheCreator.Itdoesnot
meanfreedomofaction,orfreedomofloyalties .Thesethings
fadewhenahumanisenNobled.Itmeansthatallbeings
canchoosetheiressentialallegiance :everyonecanchoose
thecodebywhichtheytrytolivetheirlives.Amanwho
believesinfreedomcanbeenslaved;awomanwholoathes
hatemaybepushedtohatred.Powersmaybeforcedbythe
exigenciesofwartobetrayeverythingtheystandfor . . . but
theymaychooseHellorHeaven,LightorDark,toholdto
intheirthoughts.Thisisthedeepestfreedomthereis .They
chooseinwhosenametheyaregoingtofight .
MostPowerschoosethecodeoftheirImperator,orone
ofthefivemajorcodesdescribedbelow.Powershaveashard
oftheirImperator' ssoulwithinthem;thiscontributestotheir
choice.ItaccountsforthePowerswhochoosetoemulate
theirImperator,andthosewhoexpressapartoftheYmera' s
naturethattheImperatorhimorherselfsuppresses .Those
whosehumanhalfchoosesforthem,whochooseoneofthe
fivecodesbelow,usuallydosobecausethesecodesareessential
tothefabricofthehumanexistence.LightandDarkand
perhapseventheWildaredeeplytiedtohumanity,andthe
voicesofHeavenandHellringthroughoutallexistence.
SomesaythatAffiliationisnotamatteroffreechoiceat
all.TheyclaimthatImperatorsallowtheirPowers"choice"
inordertoseeplacesintheirsecrethearts,aspectsoftheir
ownshard-selves,thattheyotherwisewouldneverknow.It
isuptotheHollyhockGodwhetherthisisso.
The"Affiliation"ofaPower,then,isthischoice :asetof
fundamentalmorals,decisionsonhowoneshouldfightthe
Excrucians,onwhatcostsareunacceptableandwhichare
unimportant.StrongPowersmayhaveacodeoftheirown
design,ormayallythemselveswiththecodeofaTrueGod,
whileweakPowersfallintothedeceptivelybeautifulcurrents
ofHeaven,Hell,Light,Wild,orDarkthatbeckontothe
newlyCommencedsoul.
HighservicetoanappropriateCodeisworthr NIP;
disservicetoitcostsan MP. (Specifically,atemporary MP
fromanAttributeoftheplayer' schoice .)Playerscancreate
theirownCodesandAffiliations .Whethera Pc hasoneof
theCodesbeloworaCodeoftheirowndesign,itisnot
intendedasacomprehensivedescriptionoftheirpersonality ;
Powersalwaysactastheplayerdesires.Itissimplyan
indicationofwhatkindofsolutiontoagivenproblemseems
desirabletoagivencharacter.Every Pc hasanAffiliation.
THECODEOFTHEANGELS
I. Beauty,isthehighestprinciple .
2. Justiceisaformofbeauty.
3.Lesserbeingsshouldrespecttheirbetters.
THECODEOFTHEFALLENANGELS
I. Corruptionisthehighestprinciple .
2. Sufferingisaformofcorruption .
3.Powerjustifiesitself.
THECODEOFTHELIGHT
I. Humanitymustlive,andliveforever.
2. Whatmustbedoneoughtbedonecleanly.
3.Humansmustbeprotected,particularly
themselves.
THECODEOFTHEDARK
I. Humansshoulddestroythemselves,individually.
2. Humanity,shoulddestroyitself,collectively,exceptfor
afewtoys.
Uglinesstohumaneyesshowsthatoneisworthy.
3.
THECODEOFTHEWILD
I. Freedomisthehighestprinciple.
2. Sanityandmundanity, areprisons.
3.Giveinkindwithagiftreceived.
from
133
SUCCESSESANDSETBACKS
Inahigh-poweredgame,the
HollyhockGodcanusethe
followingoptionalrule .
Charactersreceivemiracle
pointswhentheysignificantly
serveanyoftheir life' s goals.
Forexample,makingprogress
onapersonalproject,helping
anAnchororBondoutof
trouble,spendingadayon
dedicatedservicetotheir
ChancelorEstate,or
resolvingsomesingle
particularlyknottyproblem
relatedtotheirChancelor
Estatewouldearnthe
characteramiraclepoint.
Similarly,personallyfailing
anyofthethingsthatmatter
tothecharacterwouldcost
themamiraclepoint.This
ruleextendsthebasic
Affiliationrules.Sinceplayer
characterstendtosucceed
moreoftenthantheyfail,it
increasesthenumberof
miraclepointsavailable
duringthegame.Notethat
thecharacterdoesnotalways
needtofencedangeror
overcomegreatobstaclesto
earnmiraclepointsusingthis
technique.Anrescene
withoutconflictoran
appropriateoocscenemight,
attheHollyhockGod' s
discretion,suffice.
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134
THELIGHTANDTHEDARK
Playersmaynotean
asymmetryintheCodesofthe
LightandtheDark.The
Lightbelievesmoststrongly
intheprotectionofhumanity.
TheDarkseeksaboveall
thingstodestroyindividual
humanlives.TheLightdoes
notcarehowitsaveshuman
lives;theDarkpreferssuicide
toallotherhumandeaths.On
thisslimfoundationrests
everyalliancebetweenthe
LightandtheDark,
includingtheirshared
participationintheValde
Bellum.ThegoalsoftheLight
andtheDarkstandinstark
butnotdiametricopposition .
ImperatorsoftheLightand
theDarkworkagainstone
another,butneednotstand
ontheoppositesideofevery
issue.
InthelastquestionVyasa
wroteuponthe[TallofGir,
thethiefwhoraidsthe
"harem"ofhumanityisthe
Dark-focusedonthe
individuallivesitsteals
away.Theeunuchwho
guardstheharemrepresents
theLight -caringonlyfor
thequalityoftheharemasa
whole.
AllAffiliationHandicapsareequallydifficulttoserve .A
PowerwhosehighestgoalistokeepShakespeare' sworksin
printwillonlygainamiraclepointfrompreventingawell-
orchestratedattackupontheirgoodname,notfrom
purchasingacopy.True,suchattackswillberarerbyfarthan
attacksuponthebeautifulthingsthataPowerofHeaven
mustcarefor . . . butitismuchhardertodoShakespeare' s
workameaningfuldisservice,aswell.
Note: Threestatementsdonotcompriseaphilosophy.
Thesearemerelythemostsalientpoints,expressingroughly
asmuchabouttheirsubjectas"softdrinksarecarbonated",
"televisionisvisualentertainment",and"manyemployment
policiesforbiddiscrimination" .
EXAMPLES
MarsiglioTendi, DominusofTreachery;neitherendorses
norcondemnsactsoftreachery.Rather,heconsidersthe
optionofcommittingtreachery,andultimatelysufferingfor
it,themostimportantaspectoffreewill.Marsiglio' splayer
decidesthisattitudebestmatchestheCodeoftheWild .
Theplayerof PandareosPanagiotis, PowerofCon-
spiracy,doesnotseebeauty,corruption,humanlife,human
suicide,orfreedomastheprincipledearesttohisheart .Thus,
theplayerdesignsauniquecodeforhim.(Seep.255forone
suchcode.)
CANEXAMPLEOF
CHARACTERCREATION,PART2
MichaellooksoverthelistofGiftsandstartstofeelregretful
aboutspendingsomanypointsonattributes .Hetalksitover
withSusan,anddecidestoleaveMaryFrances' attributelevels
wheretheyare,sincehecanbuyGiftsforherinresponseto
eventsduringthecampaign.Forthemoment,hehasasingle
characterpointleft,andwilltakesometimetothinkabout
whattodowithit.
MichaelquicklygetsalotofideasforpossibleGifts,but
thinksthathewantstogetasenseofhowthealreadyprepared
onesworkfirst.Fortunately,theveryfirstlistedGiftfitsMary
Francesperfectly.Afterherexperienceswithfights,Durant
makesagreatdealofsenseassomethingthatwouldwellup
inhersoulatCommencement.Thattakescareofall25
characterpoints.
Michaelhasn' tplayed òBILis before,butthinksthe
handicapsystemsoundslikefun,andinanyeventhelikes
characterswhohavesomeinterestingrestrictions.
LightTouchfitshisnotionofawomanwholikesto
commandbutdoesn' tseektoruleothersbodyandsoul.Since
MaryFranceshasSpirit1,shegetsmiraclepointforthis
limit;MichaelappliesittoRealm,rememberingSusan' s
worrisomechuckle.
Hehadn' tthoughtaboutMary-Francessmoking,butlikes
thefeelofCigaretteBond,sotakesthataswell .Itmight
comeinhandyatunexpectedmoments,anditfitshissense
ofanhonorablecharacter.
ThathandicapinturnsuggestsIntegrityasavirtue :she
keepshercommitmentsevenatextremecost.
Nowit' stimetochooseanaffiliation.Michaelthinks
brieflyaboutcreatingacustomcode,butdecidesthatthe
existingoptionsarerichenoughthathedoesn' tneedtodoa
lotoftweakinghisveryfirsttimeout .
HethinksabouthowMaryFranceswouldperceivethe
worldofthePowers,andeventually(afteralotofdithering)
settlesontheCodeoftheLight .Sheneverreallythought
abouthumanityatlargebeforeherCommencement,butfeels
anunspokensensethatthosewithpowerhaveduties,justas
shedoeswhenactingascaptain.
ThistakescareofMichael' scharacterasanindividual,
andhe' sreadytoworkwiththeotherplayersonthematters
theymustdecidetogether .
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4.0.
Chapterii
ChancelsandImperators
Creatingworlds,Theresa
found, wasaddictive.At
night,whenshesetherwork
asideandstumbledintobed
shewoulddreamofit:new
shapesofreality,newstylesof
existence,newontologicaland
theologicalsubstructureson
whichshecouldbuilda
cosmos.Ifitwerenother
work,sheknew,andfree,she
wouldspendeverythingshe
had,andmore,soshecould
keeponcreating;andthat
wouldnotbesobad,orsucha
wasteofalifetime.
Naturally,theyhadnot
perfectedtheprocess.Eventhe
managementhadthe
humilitytounderstand
that -theyweremere
humans,toyingwith
divinity.Someaspectsofthe
universestheybuiltwere
primitive,unrefined,and
incomplete.Thesetechnical
flawspaledbeforethesimple
truthoftheir
,forts :
thateach
creationcaughtallthesubtle
flawsintheirbeingsand
magnifiedthem,thateach
weaknessinTheresa' shonor
appearedathousandfoldin
herwork.That,inshort,for
alltheirbeauty,thedefining
characteristicsofTheresa' s
creationscalvenotfromher
deliberateeffortsbutfromthe
darkplacesinherheart.
Allunawareofit,
Theresawasbuildingher
ownHell
-omFRUITOFA
POISONEDTREE, by
PresbyterHarahJane
THE' BOOKOFQUESTIONS
Vyasawhisperedthesequestionstothewind:andaslongasthe
windblows,thehumanraceshallrememberthem .He
whisperedthesequestionstotheland:andaslongastheEarth
endureshumanity,theyshallberemembered.Hespokebefore
anaudience ofthepeople ofmanylands,andinalllands,the
peopleknow of Vyasa' sgreatSutra.Thusarethesequestions
preserved.
z.
Whatistheprice ofmurder?
Whoragedintheemptiness,butragesnomore?
Whodestroyedtheunrighteous,butdestroysnomore?
Whodancedonthesurface oftheAbyss,butdancesno
more?
"Youareamortal,"saidthegodHarasekhara,àndI
knoweveryfacet ofyourbeing.Iknowyourstrengths.I
knowyourweaknesses .Iknowyoureverythought."
6 .
Ìknowaquestionaboutmyself, " themortalsaid"that

youcannotanswer."
Whatisthetruth ofyourexistencethatnoteventhegods
mayknow?
2.
3-
4-
5-
7 -
9.
8. LadyUrvasiandLadyIyastoodattheentrancetoHell .
Iamstrong,"saidUrvasi.Icansurvivetheworst
torments ofthisplace."
LadyIyasaid,"Youarestrong;butisthatstrengthan
asset,here?"
135
CHAPTER11:CHANCELSANDIMPERATORS
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136
"Youthinkyourselfagreat
lord,"thebravosaid,"butyou
havefallenbeforeus,and
whenwearedonewithyou,
youshalldieatourhands. "
IfImayask,"saidthe
Earl,"howisitthatIshall
die?"
"Youshallbeboundand
placedinasackandthrown
intotheriver,"saidthebravo.
Iwouldburnyou,butitis
saidyouhavepowerover
fire."
"Ah,"saidtheEarl,and
seemedcontent,evenwhen
theybeathim,andpeeled
backhisskin,andpokedout
hiseyes,andcrushedhisbones
withhammers.Suchthings
couldnotkillhim,ofcourse,
forhewasalordoftheland.
Yetanyonecoulddrown,and
thebravosbegantowonder
whyheshowednofearor
pain.
"Why?"theleaderranted
athim."Whydoyounot
scream?"
WhentheEarldidnot
answer,theleaderpulledout
histongueandcutit off. The
nightfellsilent,andtheman
mayhavebegunto
understand.-But
understandingisnotalways
wisdom.Whenthemenwere
done,theyplacedthe
remnantsoftheEarlinasack
andthrewitintheriver,and
thewaterbegantothunder
fomthesky.
Youcannotseparatethe
lordfomhisland,theEarl
thoughtashechokedsilently
beneaththeriver.Myhome
dieswithme.
frOmUNSEEMLYTALES,
byEleanorK
CHANCELS
TheChancelassociatedwiththePcsprovidesthebackdrop
formanystories.Itmayalsobeapartoftheirinitialcharacter
conceptions.Playersshouldthinksomeaboutthekindof
Chanceltheywanttheircharacterstoliveinevenbefore
theycreatetheircharacters .
EachlevelofRealmaplayerbuysforthecharacterbefore
playbeginsprovidesChancelpoint.PlayerspoolChancel
pointstobuypropertiesfromthefollowinglist.Negative
propertiesalsoaddpoints,atthecostofaliabilityofsome
sortthattheHollyhockGodwillbringintoplayatsome
point.BuildtheChancelcooperatively,sothatitsuitsallthe
players;incasesofdispute,the HG maygiveextraweightto
theviewsofplayerswhosecharactershavethehighestRealm
scores.Ingameswithmorethanfiveplayers,the HGhasthe
optionofonlytakingthetopfiveRealmscoresinto
consideration.
CHANCELPROPERTIES
ACCESSIBILITY
2to7 Chancelpoints
SomeChancelsoccupyspace,moreorless,onanormalmap
ofEarth.TheentrancesandexitstotheChancelarealllo-
catedinthesamegeneralareaofProsaicEarthortheMythic
World.OtherChancelsmaintainentrancesandexitsallover
theworld.SomeveryluckyPowersevenhaveChancelsthat
can"move"tosomeextenttostayclosetothem.
Chancelswithoutthispropertyusuallyhavetwotoseven
roadsleadinginandout.Travelerswhostrayveryfarfrom
theroadendupbackatthepointwheretheroadbegan -
onEarthifthetravelerswereheadedtotheChancel,orin
theChancelifthetravelerswereleavingit.TheChancel' s
roadsconnecttoplaceswithinaboutfiftymilesofeachother
onEarth.ManyChancelsclustertheirentrancesinanarea
justfivemilesinradius .
ConvenientChancelsconnecttomultiplemajorurban
areas,andarewithinaday' sdrive(forahuman)of
almosteverywhereintheworld.Powersinthese
Chancelscanvacationanywheretheylike,andcan
respondveryquicklytoExcrucianthreats.However,
theChancelcanalsobeassaultedfromalmost
anywhereonEarth-ithasaboutasmanyentrances
asithasexits.
Mobile ChancelsarealwaysclosetotheirPowers,no
matterwheretheygo -exactlyhowclosedepends
ontheChancel' sdefinition.Ingeneral,aPowershould
beabletogettotheirChancelfromanywhereonEarth
withinanhour.Further,theChancel' sentrancescan
movetoavoidassault.Sometimes,though,avoiding
attackcreatesaconflictofpurposewithstayingnear
toPowersandtheirassignedproxies.Whenconflicts
arise,the HG determineswhichpurposetakespriority
atanygivenmoment.MobileChancelscanhaveup
totwentymobilepairsofentrancesandexits.
Ubiquitous Chancelsusuallybelongtoverystrong
Imperators.TheseChancelscanconnecttoalmost
anywhereonEarth -literally.Forinstance,the
ChancelofamightyPowerofAnimalsmightleadto
everyanimallargerthanabug,everywhereonEarth.
ThereareseldommorethanoneortwosuchChancels
activeatanygiventime.IfthePowersthereareweak
inRealm,theyfacealmostconstantassault.
ChancelswhicharenotConvenient,Mobile,orUbiquitous
mayhaveinconvenientgateways .Badlocationsdonot
provideanyChancelpoints,giventhemobilityofPowers
andtheirenemies.
Open Chancelsareeasiertoenterthanothers.Infact,
ratherthanthewindingconvolutedpathsthatlead
intomostChancels,anOpenChancelhasanopen
boundarytothemortalworldatleastamileinwidth .
Anyonecanstepacrossthisboundaryandenterthe
Chancelwithoutdifficulty.Similarly,Chancelfolkhave
aneasytimeescaping.
EXAMPLE
The LocusBus isanentireworldlocatedinsideseventour
busesthatroamthestreetsofvariouscities .Fromtheoutside,
theyonlyhavetwodecks;fromtheinside,onceyouclimb
abovethosedecksyouareinajoyousairywonderlandof
pinkcotton-candybushesanddancingleaf-fairies .As
Merriweather,PoweroftheDark,said,"Whatawonderful
place."(Twosecondslater,hewasviolentlyill .)Thenice
thingabouttheLocusBus,asthePowersoftheChancelsay,
isthatanywheretheygo,itgoestoo.
AVARA
-3to9,points
Imperatorshaveimmenseandgrittystrength .Theirmagics
warptheEarthevenastheystruggletosaveit .Createdby
thehundreddeathsthatbindChancelstotheirLords,Banes
arebornandgrowwithintheChancel' ssoil .Fromtheglory
thattheImperatorsradiate,thedelicateAlliacometobe.
ThesearetheAvara,thelightanddarktreasuresoftherealm .
Asmiraculousartifacts,theystandbeyondaNoble' spowers
ofcreationanddestruction.
9, Banes disturbthePowers' sleepandhaunttheirdays .
ItissaidthatnothingoffendstheEarthsomuchas
murder.Thesemurder-bornenergiestakeshapeas
simpleobjectsandsearchouttoolsintheChancelthat
willcarryouttheirwill .Theywishonlytoseethe
Imperator,itsChancel,anditsNoblessuffer .OneBane
mightbeastonecarriedbyasmallchild,anothera
coffeeshopontheboardwalkbytheNobles' castle .
OnemightdrippoisonsintoaPower' scup,while
anothermightcorruptaNoble' sAnchorthrough
"This?"Isaid,fingeringa
longanddelicateblade.
"Ah,thatoneisfine,"he
said.Itwillcostyouyour
soul "
Ifowned,setitcarefully
backuponthewall,and
walkedtoanother.Themetal
wasdarkandsangwith
Envy;emeraldpatterns
trickleddownthebladelike
theflowofblood"This?"I
asked,andlookedathim
again.
"That,"hesaid,slowly,I
willpayyoumysoultotake."
-frOmVERIDIAN, byEmily
Chen
DEGREEOFACCESSIBILITY CHANCELPOINTS
Convenient 2
Ubiquitous 6
Mobile 7
Open -2
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
THEPRICEOFMURDER
InNOBILIS, causeandeffect
donotalwaysderivefrom
physicallaws.Thefabric of
theuniversealsosupports
ethicallaws.Causeandeffect
sometimesstemfromthe
moralquality ofanaction
instead ofitsphysical
substance.EvenforNobilis
andImperators,committing
murder,torture,orviolation
hasconsequences.Thesethings
offendtheworld.
Thisdoesnotmeanthat
theNobilis mustplaynice.
ManyPowersengagein
monstrousanddiabolical
activities.Someofthemeven
haveanobligationtodoso,
giventheiraffliationortheir
Imperator' snature .Itsimply
meansthattheworsea
Noble' sbehavior,themore
oftenkarmaworksagainst
them.Aswithmorephysical
laws,theNoblecanescape
karma' seffectswithmiracles
andeffort.
Theprice ofmurder,to
answerVyasa,isnotjustthe
creation ofBanes -itisa
slightincreaseinthenatural
hostility oftheuniverse.
Ismiledgently.Iwillnot
harmyou,"Isaid.Ihave
promised. "
Hetookastepback.
"Doyounottrustme?"I
wondered.1putatouch of
paininmyvoice.Ihaveno
weaponinmyhands;thereis
nopoisoninmytouch.AmI
onetobreakanoathswornto
oneIhaveloved?"
Hetookanotherstepback.
Iwillnotdenyyoubreath,"I
whispered.' Iwillnotwrap
youinaflame.Iwillnot . . . "
Hetookanotherstep,and
passedbackwardsintomy
master' sland.
' I' msorry,"Isaidasmy
master' slandatehim.
fromEARTHSTORIES,
torturousdreams.Theirrawmagicalmightwithinthe
ChancelcomparestothatofthePowers,andtheyare
fullofcorruptwisdomalthoughtheirsentienceis
tentativeatbest .
` Allia aresometimessoulstones,orlightflowers,oreven
livingspirits -objectsofpricelessbeautywhichgrant
anywishwithinanImperator' spowerwhentheyare
invokedbyname.Twocaveatsapply,however.First,
Gifts,AttributeLevels,andmpsgainedusinganAllia
lastforoneortwostoriesatmostunlesstheplayer
payspointsforthem,andsecond,invokinganAllia
(bynamingitaloud)destroystheAlliautterly.Don' t
purchaseAlliaforagameintendedtorunforoneor
twostories.
Withthe HG' s permission,characterscansubstitutesome
othermiraculousobject- suchasalampthatgeneratesa
DimWarding(p.152) whenlit -forthesewish-granting
Allia.
NATUREOFAVARA
CHANCELPOINTS
TwoBaneswithintheChancel
-1
Alliastillexistingwhenthegamestarts
3
Note:Onecansubstituteanyenemyofequivalentpower
andpersistencefortheBanesabove .
EXAMPLE
WordistheChanceloftheAaron' sSerpentJormungandr,
whosescalesarethecoloroftheseaandwhoseteethare
caughtonhisowntail.Hisripplingcoilsformtheouter
boundaryofhisChancel.Inside,thePowersliveonaflotilla
ofshipswhichharvestkrillandstrangefishtofeed
Jormungandr' shungers.Somethinginthatpatchofocean
capturestheseaoflegends,whereancientmapsspeakof
monstersandtreasures.SometimestheMerrowscometo
swimalongsidethefleet.ThisChancel,however,isnotalways
kindtoitsrulers.Ahundredmendiedinterroratits
inception.Thechosenmenandtheirshipsweregathered
slowly,andtwowholeshipfulsofthemhadtowaitformonths
beforethehundredwasgatheredandthedeathbegan .Their
spiritscallupstrangebeastsfromthevastydeeps,laysubtle
trapsupontheever-changingisles,andcryabovethedecks
atnightthattheirfatewasunjust.
BORDERGUARD
3to
20
Chancelpoints
Chancelswiththispropertyactivelyresisthostileintrusion.
TheChanceldoesnotsimplyguardagainstmagicsused
destructively,itactstoprotectitselffromintruderswithhostile
intent.ItstoolisRealmmiracles -atmostoneortwoa
minute,innever-endingsupply.
ABorderguardhastwoqualities :thestrengthofits
defensivemagicanditspenetrationvalue.Itdetectsall
intruderswithhostileintentionsexceptthosewithan
AuctoritasstrongerthantheBorderguardpenetrationvalue .
OncetheBorderguarddetectsahostileintruder,ituses
miraclesuptotheBorderguard' sstrengthinordertodeal
withthatintruder.Thesemiracleshavepenetrationequalto
thepenetrationvalueoftheBorderguard.TheBorderguard
continuestoattackhostileintrudersaslongasnecessary,not
stoppinguntilit"givesuphope" .
Note:LesserDivinationsareuselesstoaBorderguard .It
alreadysensesthethingsthatconcernit.Accordingly,their
Level 2miracleisdifferent.Borderguardscanusesucha
miracletonotifyauthorities(militia,police,and/orPowers)
ofthethreat.
STRENGTHOFBORDERGUARD
CHANCELPOINTS
1 level of power(maximum of5 levels)
3perlevel
1 level of Penetration
1 perlevel
EXAMPLE
LocusCasluhimisaplacewhere,itissaid,fireshavelearned
restraint.Torchfirestornloosefromtheirtorcheswanderthe
mountainmeadowswithoutdisturbingthegrasses ;men
crownthemselveswithblazes ;thenightquailsbeforethe
orangefirestormoftheclouds .Itisnotwiseforthoseofevil
intenttoenterCasluhim' sChancel -noteveniftheyare
Excrucian-shardsorPowers .Thefuryoftheflamesisnever
farfromawakening.Casluhim' sBorderguardhasapower
levelof4 (forcreatingflames)andaPenetrationvalueof3.
Thetotalcostisi5Chancelpoints .
DEFENDER' SBLESSING
2to10 Chancelpoints
ApieceofitsImperator' ssoulmaintainseachChancel,a
forcemoreorlessasstrongasaPower,whichservesitsYmera
bykeepingtheChancelclosetotheformtheImperator
conceivedforit.InmanyChancels,itusesslowmagics,gently
undoingdamagetothatworldovermonthsorevenyears.In
others,maintenanceismoreaggressive,andtheChancel' s
strengthguardsagainstworksofmagichostiletotheChancel
oranyofitsinhabitantsjustasSpiritguardsaPower.Every
2 Chancelpointsspentherecountsasonelevelofan
Auctoritas.NomagiccanharmtheChanceloranyofits
inhabitantswithoutaPenetrationvalueequaltoorhigher
thantheirAuctorita.WhileinsidetheChancel,Powerswho
inhabititareprotectedbytheirownAuctoritasorthe
Defender' sBlessing,whicheverishigher .ThetwoAuctoritas
ratingsdonotaddtogether.
STRENGTHOFDEFENSE
Damagingmiraclesrequire 1 level
of Penetration
CHANCELPOINTS
2perlevel
(max 5 levels)
EXAMPLE
ClegyristheothernamefortheGnome' sDeeps,aliving
Chancelwhosefleshisrockandwhoseexcretaaregems .
ClegyrflowsthroughtheEarth' scrustlikeafishthrough
water,breathingtheancientpowerlockedinstone .Aburrow
ofGnomesmaketheirhomeinsidethiscreature .When
Clegyrrests,theseGnomesgotowork,plantingthosegems
inEarth' sdeeprecesses.Someareputthereforhumanityto
137
"Don' tgo,"Iwhispered.Itis
toostrongalandforourkind,
toobright;youwillbemadea
shadowinsuchlight."
Butitisnotmydutyto
teach,hesaidItismydutyto
wait.
-fromADEL, byK.C.
Danine
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
138
"Onceuponatime,"theold
mansaid,"theDevilcameup
ontotheEarth,andappeared
rightinthemiddleofa
villager' sbarn,scaringallthe
animalsnoend.Hearingthe
honking,andthehooting,
andthegrowling,andthe
hissing,andthebaying,and
thesnorfling,andthe
roaring,andthetrumpeting,
andthescuffingoffeeton
hay,andtheultrasonic
screams -
"Goon,already."
"Maggiecamerushingin
withabroominherhandto
scarethisstranger off. Buthe
didn' tpayanyattention,
evenwhenshebeathimall
aroundtheheadwiththe
broom' send.Ah,' hesaid,' my
hostesshasarrived.Fetchme
adrink,' that' swhatthe
Devilsaid.
!In' whodoyouthink
youare?' Maggieasked,
brandishingherbroom,
' comingintomybarnand
scaringmyanimalsasifyou
owntheplace?'
"7 owneverywhere,' the
Devilsaid`Someplacesjust
don' trealizeityet.' "
fromDON' TGoTHERE,
byMartinAllot
find-perhapsnotthatday,perhapsnotthatyear,butmost
likelythatmillennium.Gnomesarepatient.Othersareset
incavernswherenohumanwillevergo,positionedinan
ancientandcomplexpattern,sothattheangelswhogaze
upontheEarthwillseeitsbeautyandbeglad.IntheGnome' s
Deeps,theverysubstanceoftheChancelopposeshostile
intents.Clegyrisanancientbeast,andstronginspirit .
EXTRALANDLORD
-to-4 Chancelpoints
Sometimes,whenformingaChancel,anImperatorwants
someonewithaparticularkindofwisdomorperspectivein
chargeoftheKeepbuthasnouseforthemasaPower.When
thishappens,theyperform a partialinvestment, grantingto
thepotentialrulerastone(usuallykeptwithintheirbrain)
thatgivesthemcommandovertheRealmandthebasicNoble
immunitytodirectmiracles.SuchapersoniscalledanErus
oftheChancel,oraMinorDominus -aLesserLord.
Powerscallthem"landlords"anddon' tlikethemverymuch .
LandlordsarealwaysmoreorlessImmortalaslongasthey
don' tleavetheChancel.
TheadvantagetothePcsofhavinganErusmeddling
withtheirturfisthatthelandlord' sRealmscorecontributes
Chancelpoints.Thedisadvantageisthattheyareexpected
tolistentohim,andthathehaspowertoopposethemand
followhisownagenda -sometimeslotsofpower.
EXAMPLE
Tamber' sFolly isabeautifulgardenChancelinadifficult-
to-reachmountaingullyinthesouthernRockies .Mostof
thelandisownedbyJedTamber,thelinealdescendantof
MichaelTamber,whofirstclaimedtheterritorycenturies
ago.Afterthefamilyhadspentyearscarefullytakingsupplies
inandout,Argob,MagisteroftheLightdecidednottoevict
Jedcompletely -althoughhetookoverthegully,healso
appointedJedasanErusoftheRealm.
MAGICALINHABITANTS
to 9Chancelpoints
Therearemagicsandtechnologicalwondersthatarenot
divineormiraculousinnature .Such"Earthly"magicscannot
affectNoblesortheirAuctoritasandoffernoresistanceto
miracles.Forexample,thePoweroftheWindcanwashaway
thegreatestfaerieglamourswithacleansinggustasaLevel
4 miracle.Norcanapurelymortalsorcererendadrought
thataPowerhasbroughttoaland.
PlayersshouldpurchasethisChancelpropertyif
individualChancelfolkorthepopulationasawhole
commandsuniqueEarthlymagics- somethingspecificto
theindividualortotheChancel .Hightechnologycountsas
anEarthlymagichere -iftheImperatororChancel
commandsanunusualtechnology,playersshouldpurchase
anappropriateproperty.Ifthetechnologyormagicin
questionfunctionsnormallyoutsidetheChancel,usethe
Resourcespropertybelow.Fortechnologyandmagicbased
ontheChancel' slocallawsofphysics,andforuniqueand
specificabilitiespossessedbycertaininhabitants,theMagical
Inhabitantspropertyisappropriate .Withthisproperty,
Basiliskscanturntheirvictimstostone .Nanotechswarms
canrepairdamagedbuildings.Agreatdragon' sfootstepscan
shaketheworld.CyberneticcopscanmanagetheChancel
throughremoteroboticdrones.
ChancelfolkempoweredbyEarthlymagics,suchas
unicornsandbionicservants,canleavetheChancelif
necessary.Intherealworld,however,theyarerarelyas
powerfulasintheKeep.Thoughthetiniestportionofthe
Imperator' swillsustainstheirlifeandpowers,itdoesnot
givethemenoughstrengthtodominatethemortalworld.
SomeinhabitantsoftheChancelmayhavedivinenature
andmiraculousabilitiesoftheirown.Normally,thismeans
thattheyarethedescendantsofsomePower,andhavein-
heritedsomeportionofthatPowers' gifts ;thegreatestmor-
talmagicians,faelords,demons,andprimalghostscanalso
achievesuchstrength.Therearenevermorethanahandful
ofthesedivinelypoweredbeingsinanyChancel,exceptby
specificpermissionofthe HG. Suchbeingscannotbemade
intoAnchors.Theirmostcommonmiraculousabilityisan
Anchor-likeimmunitytodirectchangeanddestruction
magics;somealsohaveoralevelsofanAuctoritas .
NATUREOFMAGICALINHABITANTS
CHANCELPOINTS
EXAMPLE
LocusZaanannim istheSanctumattheTelevision' sBreast .
Itisthesecretheartoftelevisionprogramming,themazy,
dividedworldwherethecharactersofnetworkprogramming
liveouttheirlives.Ithasmanypeoplewhohaveaccessto
hightechnology(thatis,thecharactersofscience-fiction
shows)andmanyofthesecouldbeusedasAnchors.This
costs 4 Chancelpoints.IftherewereunenNobledinhabitants
withsomekindofmiraculousabilities(asopposedtomortal-
stylemagic,oreventhe"miracles"oftelevisionangels),this
wouldcost5morepoints,foratotalof9 .Thesebeingscould
notbeusedasAnchors,however,savebyspecial HG
permission.
MANAMINE
-2to5Chancelpoints
Chancelsaremagicalplaces,andmostmagicalplacessuffer
oneoftwofates.ThefirstawaitsstrongChancels:they
Brightlight,gleaming,
glaring,white.Faces:pale,
ellipsoid,andstrange.Their
mouthsweremereslits,and
theireyesroundasaspider' s.
Atthecoldtouchofmetalto
myside,Istruggled,triedto
cryout;likecuriousants,more
gathered.Theairhummed
Therewasnopain;itfelt
morelikeaslowburnas
metalparedawaymyflesh.
FearandfearandIwanted
towarnthem,too,becauseI
knewwhattheysoughtand
knewwhattheywouldfind.
Musclesgentlypeeledaside.
Thentheclinkofmetal
againststone.
Ifelttheplaguestone
flinchasanalienhand
reachedinforit,andthenthe
humgrewsharper,sharperas
myconsciousnessslipped.The
lastthingIsawwasalien
fleshmelting,likeiceina
bonfire,away.
ofMorganRichards
Withmuchcare,hecuther
shadowaway.
"That' sall,ladyfair,"he
said.Shemovedon;
Theblackpartofhersoul
thetollshepaid.
NoneenterHeavenuntil
tisgone,
Andthrowntothe
squabblingrooksatthegate.
-from HEAVENSGATE, by
JackFrost
NATUREOFLANDLORD CHANCELPOINTS
NiceRadiantwith5 RMPS -1
AssertiveRealm' sHeartwith7 RMPS -2
AggressiveWardenwith9 RMPs -3
MegalomaniacalTrueKingorQueen
with12RMPs &AuctoritasLevel1 -4
SomebeingswithEarthlymagics 1
Manysuchbeings +1
ThesebeingscanbeusedasAnchors +2
SomeofthesebeingshaveAnchor-like
resistancetomiracles +2
SomehaveAnchor-likeresistance&anAuctoritas +3
Somehaveactualmiraculouspowers +5
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
"ShouldIkillhim,Hugh?"
LordEntropy' sskin,once
red,haddarkenedwiththe
clottedvenom ofhisrage.
Therewasonlyoneanswer,
asinevitableasthefangsof
death.Itcame.
"Yes,Lord."
"Thereisapower, " be
saidsoftly,"inself-mastery.
Infindingtheinnerstrength
toholdbackfomwhatone
desires.Inlearningtohold
backone' sanger.Doyou
understandme,Hugh?"
"Yes,Lord."
Iaskyouagain,Hugh.
ShouldIkillhim?"
"Yes,Lord,"Hughsaid
again.
"That' sright,"hesaid,
andwithatouchheburstmy
throat.
oftheDominus ofBeginnings
InordertoserveaLord,one
mustfirstunderstandhim.
-TheRecordoftheScribe
ofDays
becomemorerealthantheEarththatsurroundsthem,more
beautiful,morestrange,andalwaysmoreglorious.Nomortal
heartleavessuchaChancelwithoutbeinghauntedforever
afterbythememoriesofthatplace.Mana,therawstuffof
magicorofmiracles,oozesfromtherawer,unformedplaces
ofsucharealm -althoughfindingandthenharvestingit
canbedifficultevenforPowers.
ThefateofaweakChancelissadder.Comparedtothe
Earthitborders,itcomestoseemmythical,imaginary,
chimerical,andunreal.UnlessitisfedconstantlybyNoble
magics,itwillseparateitselffromtherealworldentirelyand
floatofftothelandsoutsideCreation .TheYmeraofthe
Chancelmayintervenebeforethatpointanddrainoneofits
Powers(tothebreakingpoint)tofindrawenergyforits
Ward.Whetheritdoesthisornot,suchanImperatorwill
notbepleased.
EXAMPLE
LocusMaralah isanancientChancel,adreamingruinin
thehillsofGreece.ItsImperatordreamsaswell;ithasleft
thewartoitsNoblesandsunkitselfdeepintotheEarthfor
alongandhealingsleep .ItiswhisperedamongthePowers
thatMaralahtookawoundbeyondbearing,perhapsfrom
oneoftheAbhorrentWeaponsoftheExcrucianhorde . . .
thatitssoulwasdamagedsogreatlythattheambrosiaofthe
TrueGodswouldtasteofgrave-dustandthebeautyof
Heavenwouldseemlividwithcorruption.Maralahisnot
entirelyabsent.Itappearsnowandagainasaghostlypresence,
wrappedinacidicrobesorwrithingnightmare .ButMaralah
doesnotmaintainitsChancelproperly,anditdecays .The
Powersmustoftenspendtheirownmagicalstrengthsimply
tokeeptheirhomesafeagainstthestalkingshardsof
Unbeing.
MISCELLANEOUSCHANCELBLESSINGS
-4 to8Chancelpoints
Important Chancelsoffersomeimportantservicetothe
communityofPowers,andotherPowerswilltherefore
hesitatetocrosstheChancel' sFamilia.Ideasforsuch
Chancels:
ChancelsspreadacrosstheEarthandusedfor
transportation.
TheChancelwhereLordEntropyholdshisCourt .
ChancelsthatserveasmeetingplacesfortheLight,
Dark,andotheraffiliations.
4, NeutralChancelsthatserveasarbitersinNoble
disputes.
TreatyChancelsoffersomesortofservicetoLordEntropy
ortheCouncilofFour.Shouldtherebeaconflictorflagrant
violationofthelaw,thesePowersaremorelikelytobetreated
kindlybytheDarkestLord.Heisfickle,butmanyPowers
envythosewhotreatwithhiminsteadofhidingfromhim.
Painfuldeath,afterall,isnofun .
PrimaryTarget ChancelsaredirecttargetsoftheExcrucians.
ThedestructionofthatChancelandthePowerswithinitis
amongthehighestgoalsoftheDarkHorsemen.Morethan
destruction,really:theExcrucianswishthecompletephysical
andspiritualannihilationofthesePowers,sothatnotevena
memoryremains.ThisisagoodChancelpropertyforgames
intendedtobeshort-livedandfullofaction .Inalong-term
game,itoversimplifiestheworld,andmuchofthetextureof
thegamingexperiencecouldbelost .
EXAMPLE
LocusHerodion ishometothePowerofJoy,Dianora.She
isperhapsoneofthemostendangeredofallPowers ;the
Excrucians(andtheDark)knowthatifjoyistakenfromthe
Earth,manyofthegreatesthumanworkswillfalllike
matchsticks.Dianoraisalsooneofthemostlovedofall
Powers:themagicofherpresencemakesLocusHerodiona
rareandpotentbalm.Itisaplacewherethemostdisturbed
Powers,onthebrinkofpsychiccollapse,maycometoheal .
WhiletherearemanyPowerswhohavenevertaken
advantageofherChancel,therearefewwhotreatitand
whatitstandsforwithscorn .
POPULARITY
-3to6 Chancelpoints
InmostChancels,theImperatorpaintsthemindsofthe
inhabitantswithalightcoatingofloyaltytohimorherself
andthePowerswhorulethere .Inthetime-honoredprinciple
ofminimizingImperialexpenditureofenergy,thePowers
mustdotherestforthemselves.SomePowers,however,are
luckyenoughtohaveImperatorswillingtogotheextramile
andforceundyinglovefortheNoblesdownthepopulace' s
throat.Thisisequivalenttothe3-pointGift"Devoted
Populace"foreachPowerintheFamiliawhodoesnothave
theLimit"Hated".
AnImperatorisunlikelytodotheoppositething,
paintingthemindsoftheinhabitantswithhatredfortheir
FamiliaCaelestis.InsomeChancels,nottouchingthe
inhabitants' mindsatallhasmuchthesameeffect.The
citizensofFirstWorldcountriesareunlikelytobehappy
ManaMine
139
Once,amanwassowell-
lovedthathesetthefields
ablazeandthepeasants
didn' tmind.
Thenhekilledallthe
animals,gavehis folk dustto
eat,andtheydidn' tmind.
Thenhedirtiedthewater
withbloodfromhiswars,and
theydidn' tmind.
Thentheytorturedhim
slowlytodeathontheStone
Wheel,andwhenhisheirs
askedthepeasantswhy,they
said,"Wethoughtheliked
thatsort ofthing."
-fromPARABLESFOROUR
MODERNAGE, byJjackie
Robinson
REQUIREMENTS CHANCELPOINTS
Realmrequires 5 MPs persessiontomaintain -2
Realmrequires 2MPs persessiontomaintain -1
Chancelgeneratesmpsforharvesteachstory(maximumof 5 MPs) +1per MP
ChancelBlessing
NATURE
CHANCELPOINTS
Chancelisimportant,anditsPowersrespectedeverywhere 4
Chancelprovides(orhasprovided)animportantservicetoLordEntropy 4
ChancelisaprimarytargetoftheExcrucians -4
Popularity
NATURE CHANCELPOINTS
AllPowershave"DevotedPopulace"forfree,unlesstheyare"Hated" 6
AllPowershave"Hated"butgetnomiraclepointsforit -3
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
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4.0.
140
"Itisastrangeand
fascinatingdevice,"hemused.
"You . . .pushdownthe
buttonwithyourfinger,and
aflameisborn?"
"Yes,"Iadmitted.
"Yet,"hecontinuedyou
cannotmakeitwork."
' No,"Iadmitted
Iwillenlightenyou,"he
said."Youarecertainofyour
superiority,asarational
man.Ourtribalcustomsare
quaint,andyourstudyof
themisyourtickettoa
doctorateinAnthropology.
Yet,"andhisgazewas
sharperthanaknife,"the
magicswedoherearefar
olderthanyourmodern
Americansensibilities.You
havebeenliedto:youhaveno
ideawhatsecretsunderpin
yourtechnology."Youdonot
understandevenafractionof
whatworksinyourworld.
Anditwillnotworkhere."
-fromFIREANDFORGET,
byMadeleineBacall
.OBILIS:AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
aboutsomedivineforcecomingin,snatchingtheirhome
intoatwistedstrangeuniverse,andsettingabunchofonce-
humandemigodsoverthemasmoreorlessabsoluterulers.
ThismayproducetheeffectsoftheLimit"Hated"forevery
Power,withoutthegaininmiraclepoints .Donottakethis
propertyifanyPowerhasthe"DevotedPopulace"Gift .
EXAMPLE
Camelot, foundedinmemoryofthechivalricvision,isa
sweepinglandscapefullofknights,honor,chivalry,tragedy,
duels,monsters,castles,andfairmaidens.Allmenthere
exceptfortheblackknightsandtheevil"King"Lotbowto
thePowers,whoaretheirrightfulKingsandQueens .It' sa
joyfultask,rulingCamelot,andthePowersoftheSummer
Kingdomconsiderthemselvesextraordinarilylucky.
RESOURCES
-2toiiormore Chancelpoints
Chancelsworkbytheirownrules.Exactadherencetothe
physicsofEarthisnotrequired .EveninmundaneChancels,
theImperatormaythrowinatwistortwo .Sincethereisa
PowerofGuns,somekindofgunwillworkinanyChancel.
Insome,though,gunsinjuretargetsbyfocusingtheuser' s
blackbileandunbalancingthetarget' sbodilyhumors .Other
formsoftechnologyarenotsoubiquitous.Sincethereisno
knownPowerofNanotechnology,ananotechdevicecreated
inahigh-techChancelcouldverywelldependonthe
Chancelforitsfunctioning,andworknowhereelse .
IftheplayerswanttheirChanceltopossessbroadly
applicablescientificandmysticalknowledge,theyshould
purchasethisproperty.Withthisproperty,characterstrained
inthemagicoftheirChancelcanusethatmagicintheoutside
world.TheChancel' stechnologicalwonders,suchas
nanotechdevices,dofunctionelsewhere .Characterscan
obtainsuchwondersusingtheChancel' slaborpool,orcreate
themspontaneouslywithlevel 4 or
7
miraclesofCreation.
Mostspecifically,theResourcespropertygivesthe
Chancelthemysticalorscientificknowledgenecessaryto
createEarthlymagicsthatfunctionoutsideoftheChancel .
IndividualsintheChancelcanpossessthisknowledgeatthe
beginningofthegame .ThePowersoftheChancelcanlearn
it.EventhoughtheseEarthlymagicsarenotaswellgrounded
inrealityasthethingsofthemundaneworld,thisknowledge
isinsomesenseuniversal .
TheResourcesbelowreflectasharedbodyofpotential
technologicalandmagicalknowledgeintowhichany
Imperatorcandip.
DeviantTechnology propertyforcesperfectly
ordinarytechnologymadeinsidetheChancel- cars,
guns,andthelike- tooperateonstrangeprinciples.
Takeitoutintotherealworld,anditeitherdissolves
intonothingnessorceasestofunction.
TechnologyBarrier, conversely,makestheChancel
rejecttechnologyandtechnologicalthingscreated
outsideit.Theplayersdefinewhattechnologythe
barrierforbids -from"anythingworkedbythehands
ofman"to"anythinginventedafter1950" .When
forbiddentechnologyenterstheChancel,itdissolves
awayorceasestofunction.Thisdoesnotaffectfocior
otherinnatelymiraculoustools.
ExtrapolativeTechnology isinessencelikeourown:
sciencethatwoulddevelopoverthenextfewcenturies
ifnoonehasanybrilliant,skewed,orimpracticalideas .
Computerchipsaresmallerandfaster ;bulletproof
armorislighterandtougher;gunsarefarmorevicious.
Visualvirtualrealitymayexist,buttrueartificial
intelligencedoesnot.Carsaresleekerandfasterwith
built-inexpertsystemsforavoidingcrashes .Onecan
cloneorgansforunrejectabletransplants.
WeirdScience istechnologyseveralquantumleaps
awayfromwhatwehavenow,insomespecificfield .
Possibilitiesabound,includingdimensionalscience,
biotechnology,advancedchemistry,geneticengineer-
ing,advancedmetallurgy,psionictech,advancedpsy-
chiatry,andadvancedrobotics.Rememberthatmost
extrapolativetechnologyandallweirdsciencequali-
fiesasan"Earthlymagic,"andcannotaffectNobles
ortheirAuctorita.Ofcourse,beingimmunetoblaster
firedoesaNoblenogoodiftheirvehicle,afterbeing
shot,explodes.
Thought-RecordTechnology isaformofweird
sciencethatallowstransmissionofawillingsubject' s
thoughtstoaspecialreceiverdevice,nomatterwhere
theyare.Whenthisreceiverisusedintandemwitha
computer,atranscriptionofthosethoughtscanbe
createdinrealtime,atleisure,orevenpost-mortem .
LordEntropyisbelievedtohaveaccesstoaformof
Thought-Recordtechnologythatcancollectthelast
severaldaysofthoughtfromadeadmortalorPower,
regardlessofwhethertheywerewillingwhilealiveand
regardlessofwhethertheyhadbeenboundtoa
transmitterforthosefewdays .
NormalMagic-thekindthatworksintheoutside
world -istypicallycleanerandmoreeffectivethan
itstechnologicalequivalents.Italsodrainsitswielder
greatly,whereasmosttechnologydrainsitsusernotat
all.Aspell-madearrowaimsbetterandfliesmore
quietlythanagunandcanoftenbefiredjustas
quickly -butafterahandfulofusesamortalmage
willbeexhausted.IfaPowerwishestoavoidthisdrain,
thenwitheveryfewusesofmagictheymustspendan
AspectorSpiritmiraclepoint.Inonespecificarea,
normalmagichasadvancedbeyondmundanescience :
"spiritmagics"suchasdemon-summoningandspeak-
ingtothedead.IfaPower' sChancelallowsthenor-
malmagicofEarthtoworkthere,thenthePowercan
learnnormalmagicfreely ;otherwise,thatrequires HG
permission.(Onefairresolutionwhenonlysomeplay-
erswanttheirPcstolearnnormalmagicsistoallow
masteryofsuchmagicsasacheapGiftorasaninevi-
tableconsequenceofhighAspect.)
FaeryMagicisthetraditionalmagicbothofthefairies
andthechildrenofDon.Itisthemagicofglamourie,
ofenchantingtheappearancesofthings.Noblescan
OPPOSITE:
ThePowerofGuns
byMartinMcKenna
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
142
Resources
.ÒBILIS:AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
generallyseethroughglamouriewiththeSight,
althoughtactileglamoursofsharporpoisonedthings
canproduceanunpleasantandpricklysensation.
Commonusesoffaerymagicincludeturningleaves
togold(untilthenextdawn)andsettingoutazero-
caloriefeast.
AlchemyandHighSummonings arethemajorforms
of"WeirdMagic"inthe ,'oBiLis universe.(Players
caninventothers,butshouldcheckwiththeHolly-
hockGodbeforebasingtheirconceptonaccessto
thesemagics.Manyformsofweirdmagicwouldkeep
thePcsfrombeingchallengedbythefoestheynor-
mallyface,whichcanremovemuchoftheinterestof
thegame.)Alchemyistheprocessofunlockingthe
hiddenpropertiesoftheprosaic,mythic,anddivine
substancesofCreation-lookingbeyondtheir(rela-
tively)mundanenaturetothewildfireoftheCrea-
tor'swillthatignitestheirbeing.Certainformsofal-
chemyarewellknownandrelativelywellunderstood .
Knowingalchemyqualifiesacharactertoperformbasic
transmutationsandcreatevariousmagicalelixirsand
potionsintheirlaboratory.Moreimportantly,how-
ever,anunderstandingofalchemyallowsthecharac-
tertoexperimentwiththoseaspectsofthescience
notalreadyunderstood -to,potentiallyandwith
muchexperimentation,unlockmysteriesofCreation
andinfluenceeventheprimalforcesoftheworld .
HighSummonings callthingsupfrombeyond
Creation.Thisisusuallyunwise,butacharacterwho
learnsthewaysofthecreaturesoftheLandsBeyond
Creationcangaingreatbenefitfromsuchdealings.
EXAMPLE
LocusAraunahbeganasaperfectlynormalArgentinecity
(calledParis,asoneofthemanytributestothatFrenchcity
foundtheworldover.)In
1954,
whenAraunahtooktheplace
ashisChancel,itsteemingthousandswerewarpedtofaery
semblances.(AraunahisaLordoftheDark,andtheDark
hasagreatfondnessforthefaeandelvishkinds .Thefaeare
humanenoughthattheDarkImperators,borninessence
fromhumanity,arecomfortablewiththem -buttheyare
inhumanenoughthattheDarkdoesnotrequiretheirde-
struction.Further,thefaeareevenmorecreativeinhowthey
destroyhumanlivesthantheDarkImperatorsthemselves.)
Araunahhasgovernanceovertheabusesofindustry,andhe
hasdrawndozensoftechnicalinnovationsfromhispeople,
someofwhichhelatertricklesouttothebroaderEarth .
Araunah'sPowers,accordingly,buyExtrapolativeTechnol-
ogy,FaeryMagic,andAdvancedChemistryandMetallurgy
fortheirChancel.Thiscosts6Chancelpoints.
SPIRITGATEWAYS
-4
to
4
Chancelpoints
Chancelsarenotpreciselyapartofnormalspace .Someare
evenomnipresent,locatedalloverthephysicalworld.Itis
rarerbutnotimpossibleforaChanceltoborderonspiritual
regionsfarawayfromtheChancel.Theseincludeother
RealmsontheTree,otherAgesoftheWorld,and(most
commonly)theChancelsoftheImperator'sallies.
ConnectingtwoChancelsisfairlystraightforward .Chan-
celsandtheEarthoccupythesamemetaphysicalspace .Once
givenaccesstoanotherImperator'sunderstandingoftheir
ChancelandthewayitsspaceiswarpedawayfromEarth,
anImperatorcanmakeagatewaybetweenthetwoworlds.
Ofcourse,it'seasiertodothisduringChancelcreation.
ConnectingaChanceltoanotherRealmtakesmore
effort.TheseparationbetweenEarthandtheAcmonion
Wood,ortheFirstAgeandtheThirdAgeoftheWorld,is
muchdeeperthantheseparationbetweenKansasandTokyo,
orbetweenLocusMaralahandClegyr.However,an
Imperatorcandoalmostanything.Traditionally,agate
betweentwoworldsrequiresasacrificeofpowereverytime
itisused,oftenintheformofRealmmiraclepoints.
TheadvantageofagatetoanotherChancelisconstant,
freeaccesstoawholesetofPowersandChancelresources
thatmightotherwisebehardtocontactorfind.Thedisad-
vantageisthatthosePowershavenoobligationtohelpthe
Pcs,asidefromageneralloyaltybetweenthetwoImperators.
TheadvantageofgatestootherRealmsandtimesismini-
maltothePcs,buttheycanbealotoffunfortheplayers!
ItisimportanttonotethatjustbecauseanImperator
canopenadirectgatewaytoanotherRealmontheTree
doesn'tmeanthatit'seasyforthem,orthatallImperators
candothis.ImperialMiracleshavenoobviouscost,buteach
onechangesthebalanceofaffairsintheSpiritWorld,and
manyImperatorswillprefertosendtheirPowersoutalong
theTree- unlesstravelbetweenEarthandaspecificRealm
willbecommon.Thisiswhyhavingagateisusefulfroman
Ifyoulookhardenoughatthe
GluttonousCave,youcansee
aface.Twosmoothblack
placesabovethecaveentrance
lookverymuchlikeeyes,and
arockyprotuberance -a
mini-stalactite,really- over
thecaveresemblesanose.The
cavemouth,ofcourse,would
bethemouth.It'snotallthat
menacingaface,sort ofajolly
rolypolyfacethatcouldlaugh
andplaywhileitchewsand
swallowsyouandspitsyou
outagain,anditalways
bringsasmiletomyheart.
Iwalkeduptoit,and
said, "Daharyn,"andit
inhaledmewithonesharp
breath.
Iwasbatteredagainst
rockwallsthewholeway,an
endlessroller-coasterrideina
windtunnelwithoutsafety
inspections,butitgotme
there.
Unfortunately.
-fromWEEPNOT, by
EmilyChen
TYPE CHANCELPOINTS
Magicandmoderntechnologyarenearlyunknownin-Chancel -1
Devianttechnology -1
Technologybarrier 1
ExtrapolativetechnologythatworksonEarthandelsewhere 2
WeirdsciencethatworksonEarth +1 perweirdscience
Thought-RecordtechnologythatworksonEarth +1
Normalmagic 3
Faerymagic 2
Alchemy(thisrequiresnormalorfaerymagicaswell) +1
Highsummonings(thisrequiresnormalorfaerymagicaswell) +1
SpiritGateways
NATURE
CHANCELPOINTS
Two-waygatewaytoaChancelwithalliedImperator/indifferentPowers 1
Two-waygatewaytoaChancelwithalliedImperator/friendlyPowers 2
Two-waygatewaytoanotherRealmortime,costing 4RMPstouse 0
Reduced RMPcosttousegateway(minimum 0RMPs) 1 per RMP
Usersarenoticeablyweakerafterusingthegateway(wounded,lostmps,
reducedattributesinfarRealmandsoon) -1
Hostileforceshaveatwo-waygatewaytothePCs'Chancel -4
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
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The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
"Whyexplorethecosmos?"he
wondered,rollingonhisback
tolookupatthespreading
branches."Whylandonother
planetsatall?"
"Humanityneedsthe
room . . . theexpansion . . . "I
began.
'No,no,"hesaid."I
mean,whynotjustmake
worlds?"
-fromIRREGARDLESS, by
EmilyChen
out-of-characterstandpoint:itmeansthatthereisawhole
neweasilyaccessiblesettingforthegame,andthatthePcs
willberequiredtovisitthatsettingfrequently.
EXAMPLE
FocusisuniqueamongallChancelsforitssevenspiritgates,
eachleadingtotheChancelofanally.Mariol,theImperator
whocreatedFocus,isoneoftheRootsoftheWorld,andcan
expectassistancefromhisalliesifthereisaneed,butvery
fewofthemtrusteachother.Tokeepaninter-Chancelwar
fromstartinguparoundFocus,thegateshavebeenbuiltso
theyonlyworkforgroupsthatcontainaPowerofFocusora
PoweroftheKeepontheotherside.PowersofStaufmortem,
forinstance,canenterFocusthroughtheirspiritgate,but
cannotusethegatefromFocustoa'Detalinunassisted.
AMPLECHANCEL EATION
Melancthe'sgaminggrouplikestheideaofsettingtheirgame
inTibet,andhasdecidedthattheirImperator,aTrueGod,
mustlikesomeofthefeaturesofthatcountryifhebuilthis
Chancelthere.TheyconcludethattheirChancelisamoun-
tainhehashollowedoutandshapedintothehighesttemple
ofDiamondPathBuddhism,areligionwhoseprinciplesa
godcanfollowaseasilyasahumancan .Mythicbeastsroam
theheights.Manywisemonkslive,farm,andstudywithin.
Melancthe'scharacter,JamesonBlack,hasRealmLevel
o,andMelancthefeelsproperlyashamed .Ofthethreeother
players,oneisaRadiant,oneisaRealm'sHeart,andthe
thirdisaTempest,withRealmlevelsOf I,2, and5,respectively.
(Notethatonlythelasttwowillbeabletocommunicate
throughtheChancel'smysticcenter.)Thetotalofthese
Realmlevelsis8,sothisgrouphas8Chancelpointswith
whichtobuypositivepropertiesfortheirMountain.
Itisthegeneralconsensusoftheplayersthatwherea
truegodcomestorest,verystrangecreatureswillfrolic.Two
ChancelpointsbuylotsofinhabitantswithEarthlymagics.
3moreChancelpointsequipthemonkswith"real-world"
mysticlore.ThePcscannowlearnnormalmagicfromtheir
monks,andthemonkscanmakeenchantedscrollsthatwill
workevenintheoutsideworld.Theplayerscannowbuya
3-pointManaMineoranAllia,andbedone,butthe
Tempest'splayerhasdecidedhewouldlikeadecent
Borderguardofspiritsguardingthemountain.Sincethe
Tempestpersonallycontributed
5
Chancelpoints,theplayers
decidethatitisonlyfairthatheshouldhavefivepointsto
puttowardshisBorderguard.The 2 extraChancelpoints
willcomefromfourBaneswithinthemountain.
ThefinalChancelsheetis:
FEATUREOFMOUNTAINTEMPLE
CHANCELPOINTS
ChancelPropertyIndex
ExtrapolativeTechnology 2
WeirdScience
+1
143
PROPERTY/OPTIONS POINTS NOTES/DESCRIPTION
Allia
Banes
Borderguard
PowerLevel
Penetration
ChancelHealth
ManaMine
WeakChancel
DyingChancel
ChancelStatus
ImportantChancel
TreatyChancel
PrimaryTarget
Defender'sBlessing
EarthlyMagics
Standard
Common
Anchorable
Auctoritas
Miraculous
Erus
Radiant
Realm'sHeart
Warden
TrueKingorQueen
Gates
Convenient
Mobile
Ubiquitous
Open
AssociateGate
AllyGate
RealmGate
EnemyGate
Magic
NormalMagic
3
-1
3
1
1
-1
-2
4
4
-4
2
1
+1
+2
+3
+5
-1
-2
-3
-4
2
6
7
-2
1
2
0
-4
3
PerAllia
Per2Banes.ForenemiesintheChancel
Permiraclelevel
Perpenetrationlevel
Permiraclepoint.Allowsonetoharvestmpsperstory,
maximumof5levels
PayChancel2MPs persession
PayChancel5 MPs persession
Chancelreceivesrespect
ChancelhasLordEntropy'sfavor
ExcrucianstargettheChancel
PerAuctoritaslevel
SomeresidentshaveEarthlymagics
ManyresidentshaveEarthlymagics
Suchresidentscanbecomeanchors
SuchresidentshaveanAuctoritas
Chancelhasmiraculousinhabitants
Pleasantlandlord
Assertivelandlord
Aggressivelandlord
Megalomaniacallandlord
Manyentrances
Mobileentrances
Omnipresententrances
Openbordertothemundaneworld
GatetoassociatedChancel
GatetoalliedChancel
GatetoanotherRealmortime. +1 perreduced RMP
costtousefor0 RMPstouse(max4 pointsspent)
GatetohostileChancel
FaeryMagic 2
Alchemy +1
HighSummonings +1
Populace
Devoted
Hated
Technology
TechnologicalRarity
DeviantTechnology
TechnologyBarrier
6
-3
-1
-1
1
ResidentslovethePowers
ResidentshatethePowers
MagicandtechnologyrareinChancel
CannotremovetechfromChancel
CannotbringtechintoChancel
Earthlymagicsarecommon 2
MagicalloreappliestoEarth 3
RadiantSpiritBorderguard(Power1,Penetration 2) 5
4Banes -2
Total 8
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
144
Cnephdidnotcometo
Creationempty-handedIn
thevoidwhereitsworld
wouldbetherestruggledthree
forces.
N'mosnikttiel,thefire
thatswallowsworlds,raged
intheemptiness.Itsfaces
chantedwords ofdestruction.
Thecreatures ofthevoid
trembledinitsheat.Yetthe
CreatorcaughtN'mosnikttiel
inhisnetandshapedthe
angelsfromitsflesh.
Azbogah,theradiance
thatdestroystheunrighteous,
shonewithfellbeauty.Its
raimentwasthejewelnamed
Structure.Itsscepterwasthe
staffcalled calledStrength.Yetthe
CreatorcaughtAzbogahin
hishandandplantedthe
WorldAshinitsheart.
Narsinha,thelightning
thatdancesonthesurface of
theabyss,fledtheCreator;yet
Cnephstoodattheend ofits
everypath.Narsinhasface
wasamaskofhatred.Its
handsweretwistedclaws.It
spatnakedfury.YetCneph
tameditsheartandwrapped
itaboutCreationtoformthe
WeirdingWall.
Thatishowtheuniverse
cametobe.
-from LEGENDSOFTHE
Afeatherisplacedinmy
hand.'Dreams,"hesays.
"Shouldyouneedadoorinto
dreams,thiswillopenit."A
pebble."Withthis,"hesays,
"Youcanwalkuponthesea. "
Hemovestoplaceastick of
guminmyhand,andIlift
theotherinagesture of
warding.
'Nomore,"Isaysoftly.
"Myheartisfull,andIcan
bearnomoregifts."
front SONNETANDTHE
SEA, byAlexDec
,`NOBILIS:AGAMEOF
IMPERATORS
Aswiththecharacters'Chancel,theplayersnormallydesign
thePcs'Imperator.TheplayerscandescribetheImperator's
personalitylooselyorthoroughly.Ineithercase,the
HollyhockGodgivesdepthandinterpretationtothe
frameworktheplayerscreate.Forthemostpart,thenature
andpowersofanygivenImperator -eventhePcs'own -
willbeamysterytotheplayersandthePcs .Somefewtraits
makethemselvesobvious,however,andtherelationship
betweenPcsandImperatorisobservableandquantifiable .
TheplayersbuyImperatorpropertiesfortheirImperator
justastheybuypropertiesfortheirChancel.Unfortunately,
however,therearenofreeImperatorpoints :theinitialnumber
iso.Thismeansthatinordertohaveabeneficialproperty,
theplayersmusthaveatleastoneharmfulproperty.
DYNASTYPOINTS
DynastyPoints (DPs) arethelastreserveofthemiraculous
strengthanImperatorgiveshisNobles.Whenthereis
nowhereelsetoturnandnomiraculouspowerremainingto
them,aNobleturnstothisreserve.Iftheyarelucky,they
candrawenoughmiraclepointsfromittodowhattheymust .
Eachdynastypointconvertstoamiraclepoint,andtheydo
notreplenishnaturally.Theyrepresentpowerculledovera
longperiodoftimebytheNoblesthemselves .Each DPis
earnedbygreatriskorlongandwearyingefforts,andcanbe
usedbyanyplayerasamiraclepointofanyattribute .
Atthedecisionoftheplayersasawhole,theFamiliacan
convert25dynastypointstoanImperatorpropertypoint,or
viceversa. Thisisthetrade-offbetweenanImperatorwho
receivespowerfromthePcsandisthereforehappywiththem
andanImperatorwhoisdrainedbythePcsandtherefore
unhappy.PowerscanspendanyImperatorpointsacquired
duringplaytobuypositivepropertiesnormally,andcanalso
spendanewImperatorpointtoremoveanegativeImperator
property.ThereareImperatorpropertiesassociatedspecifi-
callywiththesedynastypoints,asfollows.
AHarvestofdynastypointsisasourceofmagicpotent
enoughtostrengthenthecharacters'Imperator.(One
ormoreofthePowersmustgathertheHarvest;they
can'tdelegatethetasktootherChancelinhabitants .)
OneexamplemightbeShi-mi'sreapingoffelinesouls
(p.92);anothermightbeStrephon(p .84),ifhishunger
forhumanself-hatredfeedshisImperatorandnot
himself.AtleastoneofthePowersofthisImperator
mustspendasubstantialamountoftimeworkingwith
thissourceofpower.Inexchange,theImperatorgains
twodynastypointsatthebeginningofeverysession.
Therearemany,manythingsintheworldthatcanbe
harvestedforpower,butmostImperatorsdonottrust
theirPowers'strengthenoughtodivideitbetween
defenseofthephysicalEarthandthegatheringof
magics.
AGreatHarvestofdynastypointsismuchthesame,
exceptthatitaddsfourdynastypointsatthebeginning
ofeverysessiontotheImperator'spool.
SOVEREIGNPOWERS
Failing Imperatorsareslowlylosingstrengthand
mysticpowerinthewar.Intime,theymaybewiped
entirelyfromexistence.Theybeginwith10dynasty
pointsandlosetwoatthebeginningofeachsession .
Whentheyrunout,theImperatorlosesoneImperator
propertypoint.Ifnopositivepropertiesremaintobe
lostandtherearenoappropriatenegativeproperties
togain,thenallthePcslose I characterpoint.After
thisloss,theImperatorhas24dynastypointsavailable,
andthedeclinebeginsagain.
EXAMPLE
HeatherLysimachus hasbeenhonoredabovealltheother
ImperatorsoftheLight.TheLordsofHeavenhavegiven
himchargeoverthebirthofnewracesontheEarth.From
theangels'workinHeaven,arainofcreative,genitiveenergy
fallsupontheEarth;withorwithoutHeather,aportionof
thiswouldexpressitselfinthecreationofnewspeciesfrom
mutationsandmetamorphoses.ItisnowHeather'staskto
shapethisenergyaswillbestservemankind .HisPowersare
constantlyabout,findingthenewspeciesbornofrandomness,
sothattheirImperialMastermayreabsorbthatnewnessand
spenditasheseesfit.Inmoderntimes,newbacteriaand
virusesevolvethefastest.Heatherapproves:itishisintention,
decideduponwiththecoldprecisionofanImperator,that
theywilldecimatehumanity.Itistheonlyway,hebelieves,
topreventhumankindfromoverpopulatingtheplanettothe
extentthatitwillnolongersupportlifeatall .Thisisnotthe
limittohisambition,however.Humanityisfumblingly
movingtowardspracticalgeneticengineeringandHeather
awaitstheinevitablemomentwhenhewillguidearadical
recreationoftheecosystemoftheEarth.Heisabrightand
caringLord;hisPowersarerepaidwellforthegreatharvest
ofcreativeenergytheybringhim.
EMPATHY
TheWallbetweenSouls(theTerrafiSairyd)isthemost
importantofallbarriers.Itdividesonepersonfromanother,
oneviewpointfromanother.Empathy-theabilitytofeel
whatanotherfeels -istheonlybridgecrossingthisdivide .
ImperatorswithEmpathyleadtheDivineHost;they
understandtheircomradesbest,andareleastlikelytosacrifice
oneunnecessarily.TheNoblesofEmpathicImperatorsare
alsoblessed,sharingafundamentalattunementtoallthings
oftheworld.
q Clear-Sighted Imperatorsperfectlyassessthefunda-
mentalbalancesoftheworld.Theyknowinstantly
thepainsandjoysandstrengthsandweaknessesof
thosetheymeet.Thiswouldbeanadvantagetotheir
Powersevenifithadnoothereffects :aClear-Sighted
CREATURESOFTHELANDS
BEYONDCREATION
Someofthemostimportant
mythsofthe,?'obilisconcern
thecreatures oftheLands
BeyondCreation.Justas
humansdo,Powersseek
outsidetheboundaries oftheir
ownexistenceforoccult
symbols,mythicfigures,and
subjects ofworship.The
creaturesPowerscontactwith
HighSummoninggenerally
operateonalevelnotfar
removedfromtheNobles'
own.Moremajesticcreatures,
immunetoanduninterested
inpettysummonings,also
exist,fromthepossibly
apocryphalN'mosnikttiel,
AzbogahandNarsinha(see
left)tothewellknown
AphredonandSeimelkhe.
Suchcreaturesfuelmany
legendsandocculttheories.
Theoccultnames
N'mosnikttiel,Azbogah,and
Narsinhatogetheranswer
Vyasa'ssecondquestionfor
thischapter.
Oneday,Istubbedmytoe.
WhenItoldMarilynabout
it,shesaidsheunderstood
completelyhowthatfelt.I
said,I'msoglad,andshe
smiled,andshecutthetoe off
Itwasamazing;thepainwas
gone!SoIwassuretotellher
aboutitwhenIhadacoldthe
verynextweekandmynose
wasrunning. Whatdoyou
wantmetodo?sheasked,
andIsaid,I'mafraidthatifI
cutitoffitwillbleed.She
saidshecompletely
understood,andshechopped
mynoseright offItstopped
runningatonce!ButnowI
don'tknowwhattodo,
becauseIhaveaheadache,but
Ikeepthinking,WhatifI
needitforsomethinglater?
-fromPARABLESFOROUR
MODERNAGE,byJackie
Robinson
INITIALDYNASTYPOINTS IMPERATORPOINTS
25 DynastyPoints 1
Imperatorteacheshowtoharvest DPs 1
Imperatorteacheshowtoperforma
GreatHarvestof DPS 2
FailingImperator -1
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
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4.0.
THETERRAFISAIRYD
TheTerrafiSairydimposesa
fundamentallimitationonall
creatures,evenPowersand
Imperators.Noonecan
possesscompleteknowledge of
whatitisliketobeanother
person.Thisistheriddlethat
evenVyasa'sgodHarasekhara
cannotanswer.To
understandsomeone's
viewpointcompletely,one
mustbecomethem -
completely.Short ofsuch
drasticandirreversible
measures,evenPowerscannot
predictothercharacters'
actionswithabsolute
certainty.
ImperatorrarelysetsitsNoblestotasksbeyondtheir
capabilities.Thereisanothereffect,however.TheSight
oftheYmera'sNoblesisalsoenhanced,sothatlike
ancientdruidsorbards,theycanseethethingsthat
arehidden.Theycanseeitintheskywhenrainis
coming;theycanfindburiedpathsthroughaswamp ;
theycanseethetracesofmurderandravageevenwhen
nobloodremains.ThereisawordfortheseNobles,if
theyarematureindividualsaswell.Thatwordis"wise".
f~ Sympathetic Imperatorsfeelthepainsandjoysof
othersaseasilyastheirown.TheRegipracticemastery
oftheselfandmasteryofemotions,andexcelatitto
adegreenomortalcanimagine.Accordingly,these
painsandjoysdonotnecessarilymovethemtoaction,
butatleasttheseRegiwillneverthrowthelivesof
theirsoldiersawayuncaringlyorunknowingly.(Of
course,theymaystillthrowawaythelivesoftheir
soldierscaringlyandknowingly,ifitseemsanecessary
sacrifice.)TheNoblesoftheseImperatorspossessan
insightintothemotivationsofothers,bethoseothers
humans,Powers,orImperators -theycancatchhints
ofemotioninthebestpokerfaces.Thesearehints
only,mostlyvastgeneralities,butmorethananyothers
canlearn.Withouttheeffectsofthisproperty,aPower
ofAspectLevel 2 orhighercanutterlyconcealor
disguisetheiremotionalstateasasimplemiracle .This
ImperatorpropertyisindependentofClear-
Sightedness -anImperatorcanhaveeither,neither,
orboth.However,neitherofthesepropertiesis
compatiblewiththepropertyCruel,below.
{~ CruelImperatorsmayhavesomerudimentarysense
ofwhatothersfeel,butonlysothattheymaybetter
crushjoyandenhancepain.TheNoblesofsuchan
Imperatorarenottargets:theyshareasoulwiththe
Imperator,andonlythemostmasochisticImperators
enjoytorturingthemselves.Thereisapriceforserv-
ingsuchaRegent,however.ACruelImperatordoes
notunderstandthelimitsofthosewhoservethem.
TheydonotpushtheirPowersdeliberatelybeyond
theirlimits,buttheymaywellaskmuchmoreoftheir
NoblesthantheNoblescanpossiblyprovide -and
onlygrowangrywhenthesePowersfail.
EXAMPLE
Hazael istheAngelofDisorder.Heisabrightsoulwho
denieswithlaughtertheclaimthatheandLordEntropyare
oneandthesame.Heis,heexplains,theessentialspiritof
beautyfoundinrandomness.Heisthemanifestationofthe
universethat,reflectingitself,wishestofindamethodtoits
madness.Hisservantsalsohavetwosides:Charia,forexam-
ple,whoistheLadyofInsanitybutwhonamesherselfthe
DominaofPatternsofPerception.
ItisironicthatHazael,whoistiedbyhisnaturetothe
DarkestLord,whoseunderstandingisalwaysatoddswith
thatofeveryoneelse,isalsoClear-Sighted .Perhapsitisas
hesays,amidhislaughter:DisorderisthekeytoFateand
thecornerstoneofTime.
Empathy
Empathycannotbepurchasedafterthegamebegins.
Galeid
GALEID
GaleidwasaPowerwhosenameissynonymouswithservice,
thesacrificeofselfintheserviceofone'sLord.Inthename
ofCreationandofhisRegina,hecametoKingCharles's
courtandbuiltthelegendofCharlemagne,alegendof
chivalryandglorythatwouldlasttheages .Itwasaworkof
uttermostloveanduttermostpassion -hisgifttothe
Creationthatgavehimbirth.YetinCharlemagne'scourt,
inextricablyboundthereinfromthebeginning,wasthe
poisonousworkoftheExcrucianBrawriath,whospurred
CharlemagnetolaylowthegreatKhan'spalaceinPannonia,
firstoftheRefuges;whoslewAnselm,CountPalatine,in
thevalleyatRoncevalles;andwhosegrandcorruptionof
Charlemagnehimselfwouldhavedestroyedthelastremnants
ofvirtueinKingshipforalltime.Galeidturnedtolookat
hismasterwork,whenitstoodcomplete,andsawBrawriath
therelookingoutathim.InthenameofhisRegina,inthe
nameofCreation,hebroughthislife'sworktumblingdown .
InthelastthreeyearsofCharles'slife,Galeid'sbattle
withBrawriathcastdarknessoverthesunandmoon,brought
lightninganddecaytoCharlemagne'spalace,andsentballs
offirewheelingacrossthesky.ThenGaleidheldtheupper
handatlast,andmortallypoisonedhismortalliege.
Charlemagnedied,hiscorruptionandBrawriath'sflowerrite
incomplete.Galeidtookthegoldentablehehadbuilttoshow
CharlemagneandhumanitytheCreator'strueintentionsfor
themandcastitintothevoidbeyondCreation .Itissaid
thatforahundredyearsaftertheseacts,Galeidcriedtearsof
fireandblood.
InspirationalImperatorsarepureandshiningexample
totheirPowers.WhentheydealwiththeirNobles,
theywearadivineglorythatinspiresandcleansesthe
heartoffear.EventheAnchors,whotastetheir
Imperator'spresencefromonestepremoved,arenearly
immunetohesitationanddoubt.ThesePowerscan
loseeverything,andtheywillgrieve,butthereisa
strengthofserviceinthemthatdominates .Theylose
nothing,notruepieceoftheirself,whenanythingless
thantheirImperatoristakenfromthem.Thusthey
areproofagainsttheNettleRite.
4, TranscendentImperatorsarebeyonddivineglory.The
simplesplendoroftheirpresencebreedsanextravagant
145
Theysearcheduscomingin.
Weknewthattheywould
searchuswhenwecameout
again,too.Fullstripsearch,
bodycavitysearch,andthe
clotheswouldbeburned.No
onebroughtanythingout of
Sundermai.Thelawthat
bindstheservantstofidelity
isasdeepasstone,anda
hundredtimesasstrong.The
wardsoneverywindowand
everygateareasviciousas
hounds.Wehadbeensenthere
tostealfromtheLord of
Poisonand ofFlight,andin
mybonesIalreadytasteda
sliver ofmyfate.
Whenwehadbeensettled
inourroomsforsomedays,I
slippedawayandbeganmy
exploration.Fivehourslater,
Ireturned,andwhisperedto
myfiend"Letusgo."Itwas
alongtimebeforethe
diplomaticentanglementshad
beenneatlycutsowecouldgo;
Ispentthattimehuddledin
ourrooms,shaking.Iknew
thatitissaidthatnonesteals
fromSundermai.
Theyweresuspicious.The
guardswhosearchedus,who
strippedusandtookaway
ourclothes,theypattedme
roughlyasiftheyfearedI
hadhiddensomethingwithin
mychest.YetIwaspleased-
foratthatmoment,Iknew
wehadwon.Intheend,they
turnedusout,whereour
horsesandnewclotheswere
waitingforus.
Anotherthreehours,and
mycompanionturnedtome.
"Youhaveit?"heasked,and
therewasuncertaintyinhis
eyes.Concern,too,perhaps;I
wasshiveringinthecold
mountainair.
Ido,"Isaid.Amost
potentandsubtlepoison;it
willserveourLordwell.'
. . . Where?"heasked,but
Ithinkheknew.
Itisapowder,"Isaid
softly.Agrainwillkillata
touch,inaday'stime."
. . Where?"heasked
again.
"Itisonmyshin,"Isaid
softly."Youwillneedtocarry
mycorpsehome."
-fromATHOUSAND
WORDSFORLIGHT, by
EmilyChen
STRENGTHOFIMPERATORGLORY IMPERATORPOINTS
Transcendent 2
Inspiring 1
Unshining -1
DEGREEOFIMPERATOREMPATHY IMPERATORPOINTS
Clear-Sighted 1
Sympathetic 1
Cruel -1
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
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The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
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4.0.
146
Ihaveabutterflybrooch,"
theHeraldsaid,languidly.
"Withgoldaroundtheedges,
andcoloredstonessetinits
wings. "
"Why?"Iasked,meaning,
'Whydoyoutellmethis?'
"Thatbutterflyoffended
me,inlife,"hesaid,inreply.
-fromINSIGNIA,byKeiko
Takemori
loyaltytoImperatorandtoCreation.TheirNobles
havealltheabovebenefitsandmore,forthePowers
ofaTranscendentImperatorarenearlyimpossibleto
kill.ThecommitmenttoExistencethatgrowsintheir
heartsenablesthemtoclingtolifeandvictoryagainst
eventhemostimpossibleodds.Noblesneverasktheir
Imperatorforthesegifts;sometimes,however(atthe
players'decision,withanexpenditureofImperator
points),theyreceivethem.
UnshiningImperatorsoftenstandattheforefrontof
thewar,withlittletosparefortheEarthlyRealm .Most
PowershavebeenimprintedwithCreation'scause.
PowerswhobelongtoUnshiningImperatorsare
simplycompelledtoserve.Inthefaceofsuchill-born
service,theirpersonalstrengthsarereduced,whilethe
terroroftheExcruciansisbothseductiveand
overpowering.WhenanExcrucian-shardtakestoitself
itsstrength,itsglamouranditshorroranditsunearthly,
ungodlybeauty,ithaseffectsonthesePowersmuch
likethoseaBrightWarding(p . 152) hasonthe
Excrucian-shards.ItisasiftheExcrucianshadan
Auctoritasfiftyfeetinradius.InsidethatAuctoritas,
thesePowersmustspendAspectpointsagainandagain
iftheydonotwishtoberoutedinterrororimpressed
intotemporary,worshipfulservice.
EXAMPLE
AdaliaisaWildlord.Likesomeofhiskind,hereasonsthat
freedomisaqualityintheindividualheart,andnotinone's
circumstances.HewisheshisPowerstobefreespirits,and
yethedesiresthemutterlyboundtohim.Toensurethis,he
hasdonnedtheshiningaspectofanInspiringImperator.
Hedoesnothaveanygreatvirtueorvice,assuchthings
go -butthosewhoencounterhisEarthlyform(even
Powers)generallyfallinloveatonce.
GRANTEDGIFT
Gifts,asexplainedbefore,arespecificmiraculousabilities
notprovidedbyaPower'sattributes .EachGifthasacostin
characterpoints.AnImperatorcangranttoallofitsNobles
aI-pointGift.ThiswillbethesameGifttoeachandit
comesatthecostofa 1-2 pointmysticHandicap,chosenby
theHollyhockGod,foreachGiftgiven.WheneveraPower
choosestoacceptsuchaGift,theyalsoincurtheHandicap .
Someplayercharacterscan,ofcourse,overcomethis
Handicapgivenanappropriateuseofmysticpowersand
hardwork.
Itispossiblethatatthebeginning,orlatershouldthey
losestrength,theImperatorwillgiveaHandicaptoallPcs
withoutanaccompanyingGift.AGrantedHandicapmust
beapprovedbythe HG, andcannotberemovedexceptbythe
expenditureof25 dynastypoints.Therecanbeonlyonesuch
GrantedHandicap.GrantingaHandicapisnotalwaysa
choiceontheImperator'spart;itoftenrepresentsabasic
weaknessintheImperator'sownmagics.TheHandicaps
associatedwithaGrantedGiftorHandicapprovidethe
normalmiraclepointbenefitwhenappropriate .
EXAMPLE
The GravelingWyrm, theAaron'sSerpentwhoembodies
SpringandMoltenEarth,bindsherPowerstoherselfina
forgeashotastheEarth'score.Thosefewluckysoulsbrought
thereforen-oblingmeltlikewax,thenblazelikekindling
asthelastgaspofconsciousnessfadesfromtheirform.When
theWyrmcallsthatconsciousnessback,itawakensinabody
thatwillneveragainbeharmedbyheat.Thisisa1-point
Gift.TheHandicapaccompanyingthisGiftisthattheskin
ofthesePowersandeventheirAnchorswandersbetween
fiveandsixtydegreeshotterthannormalhumanskin .At
theleastitissuspicious;atitsworstitcansetclothesafire .
GUIDINGHAND
TheValdeBellum,thefundamentalstruggleforexistence,
displaceseverythingelseintheheartsoftheRegiandbends
thosefiercelyproudsoulsintointerdependence.Itisthe
crucialanddefiningeventofthisAgeoftheWorld .Should
aPowerdieinthiswar,itisnogreatloss.ItsImperatorcan
makeanother,andthesoul-shardliveson.Powerscannot
expecttheirImperatorwillcomewhentheyneedit,orthat
itwilltakestepsontheirbehalf.Themortalworldisa
secondaryconcern,nomore,untilandunlessthewarinthe
spiritworldhasended,untilandunlessallhopeforthespirit
realmisgone.Andyet,someImperatorstakeastandon
behalfoftheirPowers,whoarethechildrenoftheirsouls.
Theysendsomesmallmeasureofpowertotheirservantsat
need -oratleastaguidinghand .
1~ PropheticImperatorsgivetheirPowersthebenefitof
theiroracularforesight.Theyareuncertainseersat
best,sinceImperatorshaveadifferentunderstanding
oftime.EvenPowerswhocanscrythefuture
themselves -foggily -donotreallyunderstandthe
waytheImperatorsperceiveit.TheImperators'words
andvisions,ofcourse,shouldbekeptinmind .The
HGcreatestheImperator'spropheciesineitheroftwo
ways.First,theycanpredictwhatiscoming,basedon
the HG's thoroughunderstandingofthegameworld
andtheirabilitytosubtlysteerthestoryline.Theythen
couchtheresultsinriddlestosharewiththeplayers.
Second,theycancreateasstrangeandobscurea
prophecyaspossible.Then,whenaplayerortheir
characterconvincinglyreasonsoutwhattheprophecy
istellingthemtodoanddoesit,the HGcangoalittle
easieronthePowersforabit.
q9, AdvisingImperatorsarealwaysavailabletoheartheir
Powers'concerns.Theymightevensuggestwaysto
handlethem,althoughtheydon'thavemuchoftheir
attentionfocusedonEarth,andsotheydomake
mistakes.ImperatorswhoguidetheirNoblesintegrate
aportionoftheirperspectiveintotheirPowers'souls.
WhenaPowerisabouttodosomethingthatseemsto
theHollyhockGod -whoknowsthemostabout
thegameworld -tobeagainstcommonsensein
thatworld,the HGcanwarnthePower'splayer.The
HGdoesnotneedtogivethiswarningeverytime,and
theplayersdonotneedtorevisetheiractionsonce
Istudiedtheskybehindmein
themirror;myface,mybody,
mythumbovertheglasshad
noreflectionintheshiny
surface.It'swonderful"I
saidsoftly,"butwhatisit?"
"Itisawarning,child,"
hesaid. Ifyoushouldeversee
yourselfreflected,youwill
knowthatyouhavestepped
beyondtheboundsofthis
world . . . "
-fromROSEBUD ANDTHE
SOVEREIGN, author
unknown
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
Liesarefundamental, " he
explained."Theuniverseis
structuredonthem.Doyou
seekunderstanding?Liesare
perceptionsareillusions,and
youcanstripawayasmany
layersasyouwant:youwill
neverfindanytruthinthis
Creation.TheonlytruthI
knowisalsoalie,anobvious
lie:thetruthisthatweare
nothere.Thereisnohere'to
bein."
-fromSMALLGODS, by
JackieRobinson
warned.Still,thisImperatorpropertyhelpskeepthe
HG's andplayers'perceptionsofhowtheworldworks
aligned.Thisdoesnotincludeandisnotincludedin
theaboveproperty,buttheycanbepurchasedtogether.
f' DemandingImperatorsaremeddlesomewretches.
TheirPowershavenopeace:theirImperatoralways
pilesonemoreproblemontheirheads .Notcontent
withthedestructionoftheExcrucians'plans,they
expectthePcstodealwitheveryconceivableadver-
sary -andmakeahandfulofutterlyirrationalde-
mandsaswell.Asthewell-executedtrapclosesonthe
Excrucians'servants,asAnchorswithhigh-power
machinegunsstepouttomowthemdown,the
Imperatorwill cry, "Ineedcaptives!"WhentheNet-
tlingofaDarkImperator'spollutingChancelisnearly
complete,andthealertedenemyisdrawinginhis
Powerstodefend,thecharacters'Imperatorwill cry,
"Imustwitnessthistriumph!HoldthemuntilI
arrive!"Itispossibletocombinethistraitwitheither
orbothoftheaboveImperatorproperties.
EXAMPLE
LocusAskelon isadarkandunsightlyplace.Ifyouwring
theairthere,itwillbleedviridianagony;ifyousipfroma
spring,bewarnedthatyousipacid.Onlyinoneplaceisthe
painrelieved:onebrightspotinalltherealm,wherethe
earthrootbalmgrows.TheLordoftheGreen,asAskelonis
called,isakindlyman.Thepurposeofsuffering,heexplains,
isrefinement.Fromthewailofthestones,thescreamofthe
blackpines,thetorturedcriesofthegangrenousgrass,he
drawsacertainessence,acertainpuritythatstrengthenshim
inhisresolvefortheLight.Themostdelicatetortureofall,
hereservesforhisPowers,sincetheyaretheoneswhomust
allocatetheearthroot.Theymustdecidewhomamongthe
laboringbeastsandmenwillbegrantedamomentarysurcease
ofpain.TheChancelisfundamentallyaninhumanplace,a
confusingHelltothehumanminds.Accordingly,Askelon
hasgivenhisPowersthegiftofAccord.Theywillalways
knowaswellashewouldhimselfwhetheragivencourseof
actionisinharmonywiththeworldtheyarein.
INCOMPREHENSIBILITY
SomeImperatorsarenotfirmlygroundedintheworldof
theTree.Thosewhoseunderstandingofrealityisbasedupon
lifeonEarth -oranyoftheotherRealmsofthis
Creation-cannottrulyapprehendtheirmodeofexistence.
TheseImperatorsareincomprehensible,andthisisamajor
boontotheirPowers.Itismucheasiertodeceivethosewho
donotunderstandyou.
Soul-Twisted ImperatorsgivetheirPowerstwo
advantages.First,thesoul-shardsthatgivethese
Powerstheirstrengthareimpossibletoapprehend .
SuchPowersareinvisibletotheSight,evenasa
vampireisinvisibleinmirrors.TheirEstatecannotbe
determinedbyanybeing,exceptbyempirical
observations,andonlysomeonewhocyclesbackand
forthbetweenSightandnormalvisioncandetectthem
GrantedGift
NATUREOFGRANTTOPCS
IMPERATORPOINTS
1-pointGift(withaccompanyingHandicap)
1
HandicapwithoutaccompanyingGift
-1
GuidingHand
Incomprehensibility
Incomprehensibilitycannotbepurchasedafterthegamebegins.
asnon-humans.Second,thetruthcannotbeforced
fromaNobleofaSoul-TwistedImperator.Liestold
freelyandwillinglycanbedetectedonlybytheirmoral
darkness;untruthstoldbecausethealternativeto
speechistortureordisastercannotbedetectedatall.
Unfathomable Imperatorsareunpredictable,deadly,
andcontemptuousoflesserbeings.OtherYmeraemay
understandthemaswellassanehumansunderstand
thedeeplyinsane -wellenoughtoforgeanalliance,
butnotmuchmore.UnfathomableImperatorsoffer
thesamebenefitsasSoul-TwistedImperators,plusone
additionalbenefit:attemptstodescribetheImperator's
Noblesfail.Anessencethatcannotbeconveyedin
wordsdominatestheirphysicalappearance;anyat-
tempttodescribeoneoftheseNoblesisapproximately
asusefulasadescriptionofatoddlerthatdoesnot
mentionthechild'sage.
{~ Straightforward ImperatorsaretheRootsofthe
World.TheseRegiaresoentwinedwithrealitythat
theywillnotfalluntiltheEarthitselfcrumblesinto
thevoid.ThereisalwaysasensearoundtheseYmerae
thatthingsaregoingaccordingtoplan . . . that
everythingisnormalandasitoughttobe.Thismuch
isapleasantthing,butthereisadangeroussidetoit .
ThepeopleandPowersofEarthcanunderstandthe
NoblesoftheseYmeraeverywell.Theywillhavean
imperfectbutgenerallyaccurateintuitiveperception
ofhowtheseSovereignswillbehave.Random
decisions,andthegeneralapproachthecharacterstake
toproblems,willbeopenbooks.Excruciansarenotof
theEarth;likemanyoftheWild,theylackthissense .
EnemyPowers,however,willhaveanimportant
advantagewhileconstructingtheirfiendishschemes.
EXAMPLE
Sennacharib isatruegod,anImperatorbornfromthe
complexdesiresofthedrowsingandatbestsemisentient
147
SURVIVINGINHELL
Absolutecorruptiondoesnot
exist,bythedefinitionof
corruption.Nomatterhow
vile,acreaturealwayshas
moreroomtofall.Atthesame
time,themorecorrupta
creaturebecomes,theharderit
becomestocorruptthem
further.Inasense,malice,
weakness,andvenalityserve
asadefenseagainstthe
torturesofHell.AnImperator
likeCedron(seenextpage)
suffershardlyanyilleffects
fromavisittohishome -he
hasgrownusedtoalevelof
painandhatredapproaching
thatinflictedbythe
ShadowedRealm.
Vyasaasks,throughLady
Iya,whetherstrengthisan
assetinHell-anditisan
asset,butonlyforthosewho
leavequickly.Thosewho
maketheirhomethereare
betteradvisedtocultivate
weakness.
CHAPTER 11:CHANCELSANDIMPERATORS
NATUREOFIMPERATORSGUIDANCE IMPERATORPOINTS
Prophetic 1
Advising 1
Demanding -1
DEGREEOFINCOMPREHENSIBILITY IMPERATORPOINTS
Unfathomable 2
Soul-Twisted 1
Straightforward -1
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148
Ìt'scomplex,"beadmitted
freely.Icareforyouagreat
deal;Icareforallofmy
servants.AndcertainlyTarea
hasnopositiveinfluenceon
theworld.Infact,Imight
evencallher . . .icky."
Ihadmovedbeyond
terror.Heknewthat,Ithink.
ButIglared.
Hesmileddefensively,
andhelduphishands."It's
just,"hesaid,humorbubbling
upinhisvoice,"thatIowe
heradebt.Thereisn'tany
choice,yousee? IfIdidn't
handyouover,Idbeasbadas
sheis!"
-fromDAUGHTERSOFTHE
DANCE, byEmilyChen
Earth.Heisthegatewaybetweenexistenceandperception,
livinginthespacebetweenthelightandtheimage,between
touchandsolidity.HedidnotchoosetobuildaChancel
until 1992,whensomethinginasupercollider"amused"him.
Fromthecollegewhereithadbeenbuilthetooktheentire
PhysicsDepartmentashisChancel.Everynowandthen,a
haplessstudentwilltransferinandbeabsorbedwithouta
traceintoLocusSennacharib,thebrambledland.
INTEGRITY
CorruptionisthehighestvirtueoftheFallenAngelsand
theseethingheartofHell.Somesaytheentireuniverseis
maintainedbythetensionbetweenHellandHeaven;ifso,
everythinghassomemeasurebothofbeautyandcorruption .
Itfollowsthatnoforcepurelyopposescorruption,abstract
orno.Integrityinthesenseusedhereisinsteadthestrength
tostandagainstcorruptionanddespite,andwinavictory
againsttheminone'sownsoul.
Imperatorshavecomplexandmultivariatesouls,anddo
notoftenhaveaneasilyquantifiedstrengthofpurpose.Most
ofthemlackthisversionofintegrity.Thosewhopossessit
passalongapartoftheirmoralstrengthtotheirPowers.
4, Honorable Imperatorsneverenterintoatraitorous
alliancewiththeExcrucians,andneverserveHell.
Corruption'sprimaryweaponisdeception -in
particular,deceptionsthatcausegoodpeopletobetray
whattheystandfor.TheNobleswhoserveHonorable
Imperatorscanfeelthepresenceofcorruptdeceptions,
ofliestoldfreelyandmaliciously,evenoftheinnocent
untruthsthatresultwhensuchliesarepassedon.They
canalsorecognizeonsightExcrucians,FallenAngels,
andthosewhoservethem.Thislatterabilityoverrides
Guises,UnblemishedGuisesandotherillusions;it
detectsExcruciananddiabolicAnchors,aslongas
theyservewillingly;anditpenetratesthedisguisesof
MimicsandDeceiver-shards(pp. 201,205) whenever
thoseExcruciansareactivelyworkingtowards
Excrucianends.ExcrucianGiftsliketheBlindLie
(p. 204), whichdirectlyinterferewithacharacter's
perceptions,interferewiththisability.
Principled Imperatorsneverenterintoalliancewith
theExcrucians.ThereareRegiwithprincipleswho
serveHell:itissaidthatLuciferhimselfissoincor-
ruptiblethatmillenniaintheShadowedRealmhas
notchangedhim.PrincipledRegioftheFallenare,
however,rare.TheNobleswhoservePrincipled
Imperatorsareresistanttopersonalcorruption,and
(asabove)theycanrecognizetheservantsofannihi-
lationandHell.
Degenerate Imperatorsareonlyastepupfrom
Excrucians.Destructiveandunpleasantforces,these
beingsmayevenrespecttheExcrucians'cause.The
fundamentalweaknessinaDegenerateImperator'sna-
ture- asusceptibilitytoCorruption -makesits
Powersweakaswell. Theyareparticularlyvulnerable
todiabolicorExcruciandeception.Theexactappli-
cationofthisweaknessisuptothe HG; thefirstand
BILIS:AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
simplestmanifestationofitisusuallythatdivinations
showingplacesandtimeswhereExcruciansor
Excrucian-shardshavebeenshowexactlywhatthe
DarkHorsemenwishsuchscryingPowerstosee.
EXAMPLE
CedronistheweakestoftheFallenAngels,butalsooneof
themostrespected.Becauseheispersonallyweak,thedefile-
mentthatisthearchstoneoftheShadowedRealmhas
washedawayentirelythevoiceoftheCreatorinhisheart .
WhatisapassionandacauseformostoftheFallenis
existenceitselfforhim.Hisbreathisfetidwithagonyand
despair,andinhiseyesisanemptyvoidthatcouldconsume
worlds.
HeisalloweduptotheEarthasoneoftheTenbecause
FallenAngelsaretornbetweentwogoals:thedamnationof
allCreation,andkeepingitinexistencetobecorrupted.Itis
believedthatCedronwillknowbesthowtobalancethese
goals.HeistheultimateexampleofDegeneracy.
LOVE
Itissaidthatloveisthehighestthingthereis,thatinlove
thereisthegreatestorperhapstheonlyhopeforCreation.
Imperatorspossessitinabundance.Theydonotlovemortals,
ofcourse,orevenotherImperators,buttheyarepassionate
abouttheircauses,theirallegiances,totheircodesaswellas
tothecauseofsurvivalitself.EventheRegimostdeeply
dividedagainstthemselves,eventhoserareYmeraewho
straddletheborderbetweenDarkandLight-theydonot
carelessfortheirconvictions.Theyonlysubordinatemost
causestoadvanceone.
PassionateImperatorshaveopenedthegatesoftheir
selvessomewhat:theylettheirzealfortheircause
trickledowntotheirPowers.Thisisnoblessing.These
Powersarehauntedbytheneedsofanimperfect
universe.Yetthereisanadvantage,still,mixedwith
thepain.EachoftheirPowersmaypickanAffiliation
theirImperatorcaresfor,inadditiontotheirown
personalAffiliation.ServicetothisAffiliationgives
thePoweramiraclepoint;disservicewracksthemwith
guilt,butcoststhemnothing.IfthePower'stwo
AffiliationsarethesameCode,theygain 2 miracle
pointsforservingitandloseonlyfordisservice .
FerventImperatorspourtheirpassionsintotheir
highestservantslikeatorrentialrain .Thereisno
escapefromit:theirPowersawakenincoldsweats
fromhorridnightmaresaboutthestateoftheworld
anditsdisservicetotheirImperator'sCode.Theydo
notlosetheirmortalpersonalityortheiressential
humannature,sincePowerswholetthesethingsfade
generallylosetheirmindssoonafter.Still,theguilt
foraviolationoftheircodesbites.Asabove,each
charactercanpickasecondAffiliation(onethatfits
theirImperator),andthiscanbethesameasthefirst.
Now,though,thenewAffiliationismuchstronger -
highservicetothisAffiliationgives 4miraclepoints,
anddisservicetoitcoststhePower 2MPs. Ifthetwo
Cyrusstoodbeforemein
chains,withroughbloody
woundsandblackenedburns.
Hewasdead,Iknew,buthis
fleshwasthickandruddyand
alive,andhiseyesblazed
withangerandanguished
remorse.Hewastooreal,too
vividtobeadream.
"Whatdoyouwant,"I
whispered,pressingmyself
back.
Lydia,"hesaid,and
therewasanacheandan
agonysogreatinhisvoice
thatmyheartquailedatit.
"Youmustforgive."
IhatedhimandIfeared
him,butIsaid,"Youare
forgiven."
Ihavebeenpurged," be
saidsoftly,"butIwillstillgo
to Hellifyoudonotforgive
me. "
"Youareforgiven,"I
whispered,again.
"No,"hesaid,hisvoice
boilingwithneed."Youmust
cryforme."
IhatedhimandIfeared
himandIlovedhimandI
saidsoftly,asmyheart
shatteredintotwo,Icannot."
-from BOILERMAKER'S
DAUGHTER, byEmilyChen
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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Editor: Bruce Baugh
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4.0.
Onthefirstday,theybrought
thesmithahorsetoshoe,and
ittookhimaday.
Onthesecondday,they
broughthimtwohorses,and
ittookhimanhour.
Onthethirdday,they
broughthimtwenty,andit
tookhimtwominutes.
Onthefourthday,they
ledaherdtobisforge,and
theywereshoedbeforethey
arrived.
"Butmaster,"theysaid,
"whydidyoutakesolongon
thefirsthorse,andsolittle
timelater?"
"Thefirsthorse,"the
masterexplained,"wasanew
experience,andIsavoredit
forallthatitwasworth.
Afterthat, "andheblushed, "I
begantogetbored."
-from WATERWALKER'S
TALE, byMelanieTumbarius
Codesarethesame,thePowergains5 MPs forhigh
serviceandloses3 MPsfordisservice.
'' Cold ImperatorsteachtheirPowersnothingofthe
joysofservice-onlytheterroroffailure.Theysuffer
asgreatlyasthosewhohavebeentaughtpassion,but
forthemthereisneverareprieve,neveramomentof
reliefastheystrikeablow.TheirImperatordrivesthem
relentlesslyon.TheplayermustpickanAffiliation
thattheirImperatorcaresfor,asabove -disservice
toitsCodecoststhem 2miraclepoints,andtheywill
bedrawnawayverypainfully.ServicetothisCode,
however,givesnobenefitatall.
EXAMPLE
Indiaisnamed(likethecountry)byoneofthenamesofthe
Creator.ItisanarrogantgesturebyanarrogantLord.Heis
aYmeraoftheDark,whosechosenpurviewisthedestructive
potentialofhumaninvention.Thebitterchillofhisdespite
forhumanityspillsthroughthemindsofhisDark-affiliated
Powers;theonlyredeemingsparkinhimisafurious
appreciationforbeauty.Indiamostpreciselyanddangerously
deniesthisspark,forallthatoneofhisPowersservesHeaven.
IndiacouldbeanyoftheImperatortypesabove;hisPowers'
playerschoosetheFerventImperatorproperty.
MASTERY
ImperatorsdonotnormallystayintheProsaicorMythic
Worldslongenoughtomasteranymortalskill -from
swordplaytocookingtotact.Sometimes,though,particularly
whenverypleasedwiththeirNobles,anImperatortakesa
dayofftostudyandtobetaughtandtolearn -andmasters
utterlyasingleskillinthatday.ANobleisgreatlyblessedif
theirImperatortakesasecondday;notonlydoesitmean
thatthesubjectinterestedtheirLord,butitmeansthattheir
Imperatorwillknowthatskilldeeperthananymortalor
Powereverhasoreverwill.Thisskillshouldusuallybe
somethingunrelated,ortangentiallyrelated,totheirEstates .
ScholarlyImperatorshavespentonedaystudyinga
givenskill.Itisnowapartoftheirsoul,andtherefore
eachoftheirPowershasnaturalmasteryofthatskill.
Thishastwobenefits.First,theyarebetteratthat
skillthananyPowerofequalorlesserAspect.Second,
anymortalwhoknowsthatskillseesinstantlythat
thePcsaremastersofthatskill,toberespectedutterly.
Onrareoccasions,oneofthemjealouslylashesout;
mostwilldoanythingtheycantohelpthePcs.
l' PolishedImperatorshavegoneevenfurther,spending
aseconddayonsomeskill.Asbefore,humanswho
usethatskillinstantlyrecognizethePowersofthose
Imperatorsasmasterful,asdootherPowerstowhom
thatskillisimportant.ThePowersarenowbetterat
thatskillthananyoneofAspect 2 pointshigherthan
theirown.Ifa Pc hasAspect3,andtheirImperator
hasPolishedtheirCookingskill,the Pc cooksbetter
thananyonewithAspect
5 .
Inotherwords,their
effectiveattributelevelisincreasedby 2 forrelevant
miracles,andtheyperformthosemiracleswithflair.
Integrity
DEGREEOFIMPERATORSINTEGRITY
IMPERATORPOINTS
Honorable 2
Principled 1
Degenerate
-1
Integritycannotbepurchasedafterthegamebegins .
Love
DEGREEOFIMPERATOR'SLOVE
IMPERATORPOINTS
Fervent 2
Passionate 1
Cold
-1
Mastery
DEGREEOFIMPERATORMASTERY
IMPERATORPOINTS
Scholarly 1 perskill
Polished 2 perskill
Untalented
-1 perimportant skill
Untalented Imperatorshave,perhapsbyvirtueoftheir
nature,asingleimportantmortalskillthattheycould
notlearneveniftheytried.PerhapstheImperatorof
Horsessimplycan'tdrive,ortheLadyofBladescannot
useagun.Similarly,theirPowerscannotusethisskill
atall -theyarecompletelyincompetent.This
propertycanonlybetakenforskillsthatthePowers
wouldverymuchliketohave.
EXAMPLE
Yvonne, WildlordofLanguage,Cybernetics,andMenus,
oncerewardedIvo,themild-manneredPowerofLanguage,
forextraordinaryservicebystudyingcomputerscience.This
enabledIvotomakethetransitiontohisnewdutiesfarmore
easily,whentheInternetbeganexpandingwildly.Feather,
thePowerofMenus,alsotakesadvantageofthisknowledge,
withathrivingconsultingbusinessinProsaicEarth.Any
mortalcomputerprofessionalonEarthwouldholdIvoand
Featherinthehighestesteemtheinstanttheymet.
MYSTERYCULT
Humanswilllikelyneverfullycomprehendthetruegods.
TheLightandtheDark,perhaps,sincetheyarebornfrom
humanity.TheotherRegi,exactlylikethefathomlessuniverse
theyrepresent,maywellbemysteriesforever.Yetsome
humansdedicatethemselvestolearningwhattheycan.They
sacrificevastportionsoftheirhumanityforsmalltidbitsof
lore.TheycalltoanImperatorforguidance,forteaching,
andforpower.Thesearethemysterycults,andmanyPowers
findthemtobeusefultools.
q' Multitudinous MysteryCultshavemanymembers,
andinparticularmanymemberswillingtosacrifice
themselvestoachievethePowers'goals .Theycannot
safelybegivenreintosolveaproblemthemselves -
thetypicalmemberofamysterycultisanythingbut
subtleorclever.Self-sacrificeisoftenenough,though.
149
"Openyourhand,"hesaid
softly.
Iclenchedittighter,
trembling.'Father . . ."I
whispered.
"Yourhand,"hesaid,and
withsun-brownedanddirt-
crustedandearth-strong
fingershepulledopenmy
own.
Thesymbolofthespider
glistenedwetlyinthelight.
-fromSIROCCO, byMelanie
Tumbarius
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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4.0.
150
PowerscanthrowsheernumbersofCultistsata
problemandlearnmuchbyobservingwhichfronts
theExcrucianschoosetodefend .LargeCultsarealso
typicallyrich,whichmeansthataPowerfarfromtheir
Chancelcanobtainmoneytobuythethingsthey
cannotcreate.IfthePcs'Imperatordoesnothavethis
property,thecharacterscanstilldevelopcults,holdings,
andagentsintheoutsideworld,butonasomewhat
smallerscale,andwithmoreactiveeffortneededto
maintainthem.
4, Empowered MysteryCultstouchsomewhatonthe
deepermysteriesoftheImperatortheyserve.They
havesomepersonalmagics,whichareunreliable,weak,
andasubsetofthemagicsoftheirImperator'sNobles .
MoreusefultomostPowersisthecultists'sensitivity
tothemagicsoftheirImperator.Powerscantherefore
can"store"miraclesintheCultists,settoactivatenear
orontherelevantCultistwhenacertainsituation
occurs.EmpoweredMysteryCultsarealsoMulti-
tudinousandhavethecorrespondingadvantages .
Corrupted MysteryCultsonceservedthePowers'
Imperator,butsomegreatdarknessturnedthemto
theExcrucians'cause.TheCultitselfisonlyasmall
threat,buttheirattunementtotheiroldImperator
allowsforalargerevil.Theveryelementsofbeing
thattheImperator,andhenceitsPowers,represent
havebeentainted.TheproximityofaCultisttwists
thePowers'ownmagicstoservetheExcrucians :Realm
andDomainmiraclesturndarker,andtheChancelor
Estateworksasmuchillasitcanwithintherequested
miracle'sboundaries.TheCultistsareinvisibletothese
Powers'divinationmiracles,althoughthefoultrack
theCultistsleavebecomesvisiblewithinafewhours
oftheirpassage.TheCorruptedMysteryCultsare
EmpoweredandMultitudinous,atnoextracost -
butthesepropertiesdothecharactersnogood .
EXAMPLE
The CultofEphes-Dammim servesEphes-Dammim,the
AngelofBloodandWine.Ephes-Dammim'sPowershave
openedatentativealliancewithafactionoftheCammorae,
MysteryCult
STRENGTHOFMYSTERYCULT
IMPERATORPOINTS
Empowered 2
Multitudinous 1
Corrupted
-1
MysteryCultcanonlybepurchasedduringthegamewiththe
HG'Spermission.
Respect
DEGREEOFIMPERATOR'SRESPECT
IMPERATORPOINTS
Respectful 2
Considerate 1
Disrespectful
-1
usingtheCultistsoftheirRexRegiusaspawns.TheCultists
knowalmostnothingofthetrueMysteries,justenoughto
administertheSanguineDeath,toforcetheirarminto
another'sthroatanddrowntheirvictiminaneffusionofthe
Cultist'sblood.Theydieastheykill.TheCultist'scorpseis
paleandwhite;thevictim'scorpseisbloatedandcrimson;it
issaidinthecultthattheCultist'ssoulhasgoneontogreater
learningsinthespiritrealm.Whoknows?Perhapstheydo.
RESPECT
Respectis,accordingtoMelanieBrown(whois,admittedly,
itsDomina),oneofthefundamentalforcesoftheuniverse.
ImperatorsmostoftenshowsomerespectfortheirPowers,
intheirbehaviorifnotintheirmanner.Afterall,itwouldbe
awasteofavaluabletooltohavePowersscrubbingplatesin
acastlekitchenoremptyingthechamberpots.Still,there
aredegreesofrespect,andforsomePowers,emptying
chamberpotswouldbeastepup.
Considerate Imperatorshavesomecarefortheir
Powers.Whenthingsseemdarkest,the HGmight-
onlymight-sendinsomehelpfromanunexpected
direction.Imperatorscanarrangeforsuchthings,
sometimes,withdelicatetouchesontheweaveoffate .
ThePowersofConsiderateImperatorsaretraditionally
protectedfromthescutworkofmaintainingChancel
andEstate,leavingthemfreetohandlemajorcrises
andtoentertainthemselves.Playersshouldkeepin
mind,however,thatanyPowercanbecalleduponfor
anyduty,evenunpleasantthingslikekidnappingor
borderpatrolling.EvenConsiderateImperatorsappear
whimsicalbyhumanstandards.
4, Respectful ImperatorsconsidertheirPowerstobe
extremelyvaluableassetsinthegameoflife.Thetra-
ditionalworkfortheirPowerstendstobethehighest
andmostdelicatetasks :diplomaticdutybetween
HeavenandHell,underminingmajorExcrucianfoot-
holdsonEarth,andeventheoccasionalmissionin
thespiritrealm.Theymaystillbecalledupontorule
andprotecttheirChancelandEstate.Iftheyaregiven
pettytasksliketorturinginformationoutofa
Excrucian-shard,though,thensomethingmaybe
wrong.Iftheyaregiventhetaskofwashinglinens,
thensomethingisverywrongindeed .TheHollyhock
GodistheultimateauthorityonwhattasksthePcs
aregiven,basedonthekindofgamethe HGwishesto
run-butagood HGwilltaketheImperator'srespect
foritsPowersintoaccount.
DisrespectfulImperatorsfindtheirPowersverysmall
andpunybeingsindeed.Theymayevenbeconsidered
unfitforthesimpletasksalmostallPowersperform,
guardingChancelandEstate.IfnoPowerinthe
Imperator'sFamiliahashighRealm,thePowersmay
beconsideredashighservantsthere,underan
otherwisemortalKingwiththeGift"Sacrosanct"(see
p.119).IfsomePowerhasahighRealm,theymight
ruletheChancel,savethataSenatecanoverruletheir
decisions.TheImperatorwillattheveryleastwatch
Thereisnogreaterevilthan
thosewhobelievethemselves
right.
-from PARABLESFOROUR
MODERNAGE, byJackie
Robinson
OPPOSITE:
TheLibrarian
byGiuseppeArcimboldo
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Editor: Bruce Baugh
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John Shockley
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4.0.
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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Editor: Bruce Baugh
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The Game of Powers
John Shockley
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4.0.
I52
It'sinappropriate,"I
explained,asnicelyasIcould.
Love,"hesaid,"wecan
offeryouexistenceineternity,
existencethatwilloutlastall
ofyourCreator'sworlds .
Therearewondersoutthere,
darkandbright,thateven
Harumaph'schildrentremble
at. Youwillride -ride,love,
besideme -theswiftestof
allbeasts. Youfearme?Itis
onlythatyoudonot
apprehendwhat
destructionis. "
"Idoloveyou,Ad"Isaid
ButImaynotcomewith
you. See?"AndIextendeda
handtowardshim. Thewhite
lightofthewarddashed
throughmelikelightningat
ourtouch,andhewasthrown
back,convulsing.
Minutespassed.
7. . . "hesaid.
"Youarefreefromthem,"
Isaidsoftly. `Nothingwill
hurtyounow. "
Hissobswereloud,and
thesoundsoul-aching. Idoubt
heheard.
ofLindaMyers
itsPowerswhentheygoouttodealwiththreatsto
theirEstate-watch,thatis,withscornandbitter
wordsspilledintothePowers'mindsabouthowmuch
bettertheycouldbehandlingthings . Shouldthe
Powerseverfail,theymaybeputtoworkonthemost
menialtasks,orevenpunished -beaten,branded,
starved,orimprisoned -fornotbeingsufficientto
theirtasks. The HGisinvitedtobeascruelasdesired .
EXAMPLE
Hukkok istheAngelofLaw,andhischargeistheHigh
CourtinHeaven . Thisbodydetermineswhenanangelis
exiled-normallytoEarth,thoughonoccasiontoHell .
NoteventheValdeBellumisasimportant,fromanangelic
perspective . YetHukkokhasnotime,aswarwages,to
thoroughlyresearcheachcase . Thathasbecometheroleof
hisPowers,whomhetruststodeterminethefactsandto
helpassessthem. Itisadangerous,devious,complexjob -
andsincetheplayersdesigningHukkokwantthisjob,they
feelitappropriatetotakethe"Respectful"Imperatorproperty .
WARDING
ThegreatestboonanImperatorcangiveitsPowersisa
Warding:asignofCreationsetuponthemthatdisturbsthe
Excrucians'useofdarkmagics . Wardingsrequirethe
Imperatortakesomeofitsgreatestpowerawayfromthe
spiritualwaranduseittoaiditsNoblesonEarth ; thisisa
rareandapreciousthing. WardingsandWarningsattachto
aPower'ssoul,ratherthantheirbody. Aphysicallypossessed
AnchorreceivesthefulleffectsofthisImperatorProperty .
BrightWardings arethestrongestwardingsknown .
NobleswithBrightWardingsdriveExcrucianAnchors
into agonyby theirproximity,andbreaktheir
connectiontotheirMasterswithatouch . Excrucian-
shardscannotdivinethelocationoftheWarded
characters,norcantheycomewithinfiftyfeetofone .
TheWarddrivesthemback,snarling . Theirmagics
areweakerwhereaWardisset,asiftheWardedPc's
Auctoritasextendedfiftyfeetinalldirections . The
effectisevenmoreextremewithfullExcrucians,except
thatfullExcrucianscan,givenafewminutes,dispel
thisWarding. TheImperatorwhogivesaBright
Wardingwillalmostalwaysreplaceoneifitisdispelled .
DimWardings arenotquitesostrong . Excrucian
Anchorscanstillbe"rescued"withatouch,and
Excrucian-shardscannotdivinethelocationofa
Wardedcharacter. However,Excrucian-shardsandfull
Excrucianswillonlyfeelastrongdiscomfortwhen
nearsuchaPower,ratherthanbeingdrivenaway. There
isnoeffectontheWardedNobles'Auctoritas .
BrightWarnings aresetonPowersmeanttostandat
theforefrontofthewar. Noprotectionisgiventhem :
theirnakedstrengthisallthatstandsbetweenthem
andtheExcrucians . Theirpresenceislikeashout .
ExcruciansandExcrucian-shardswithinhalfamile
ofthesePowerswillfeelthatpresence,andknowthey
arecalledtowar. ThenextmoveisfortheDark
Horsementomake .
EXAMPLE
Cipher isastrategist(asopposedtothecapitalizedStrategists
oftheExcrucians),andsosheappreciatesthevalueofthe
physicalsideofEarthtothewar . Herpersonalbiasistowards
thegatheringofinformation ; sheisnotpersonallyconcerned
withconcealingit . Inabattlewhereneithersidehassecrets,
shebelieves,theRegiarefundamentallymorecapable . As
thepracticalexpressionofthisoptimisticbelief,herPowers
carryaBrightWarningtotheExcrucians . Itisherhope
thatwhereverherPowersgo,theywillstirserpentsfrom
theirnests .
AMPLEIMPERATORCREATION
MelanctheandherfellowplayersarebuildingtheirImperator.
Twoofthecharacters,basedontheplayers'planstohavea
TibetanBuddhistChancel,havebuiltcharacterswhose
historyreflectsagenerallyBuddhistmorality . JamesonBlack
isaPoweroftheLight,andthelastcharacterisaPowerof
theDark. TheydeterminethattheirImperatorisaTrueGod,
appearingtothemasjustonemoremonkofthemountain .
HewillessentiallyfollowtheBuddhistpath,seekingto
conquerhatredanddesireandembracerighteous,
compassionatebehavior . Atthesametime,heispainfully
awarethathumansrepresentthegreatestsourceof
righteousnessandmaliceupontheEarth ; hedoesnotknow
whetheritiscompassionordestructionthatheshouldbring
tothem. Thisinnerstruggleisexternalizedintheconflict
betweenJamesonBlackandtheDarkPowerinhisFamilia .
Melanctheandtheothersagreetheywillbuytheir
ImperatorAnanibypickingthemostimportanttrait,buying
it,thenlookingforpropertiestopayforitbeforetheybuy
another. ThetwotraitsthatfitAnani'sprofilebestare
"Honorable"and"Advising" . Oneoftheseoffersthestrength
toresistCorruption,whiletheotherprovideswisdomorat
leastcommonsense. Theycannotpurchase"Honorable"after
thegamebegins,sotheyagreetobuyitnow
Inordertopayforthisproperty,theymusttaketwo
negativeproperties . Thefirstofthem,theydecide,is
"Disrespectful" -atraitthatfitstheouterbehaviorofwise
mystics . AnaniisnowaviciousteacheroftheWay,more
thanwillingtoboxastudent'sears,setthemtopeelinga
thousandapples,andlashoutviciouslywithhistongueto
gethisservantsintoshape . Thisalsofitswith"Demanding",
sotheplayerstakethatpropertyaswell . Inshort,Ananiisa
compassionategod,buthesimplycannotunderstandwhy
othersaresoblindtothetrueway .
"Youcan'tjust . . . makeupa
god,sheprotested.
Whynot?"Michael
asked.
"Becausethat'smyjob. "
-from SMALLGODS, by
JackieRobinson
STRENGTHOFWARDING IMPERATORPOINTS
BrightWarding 2
Dim Warding 1
BrightWarning -1
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Theplayersarepleased,becausethereisonemorenegative
propertythattheyfeeltheycanaffordtotake :"Granted
Handicap."Aftersomethought,theydecidethatallAnani's
Powersareunabletoownanythingbutholyscripts,robes,a
beggingbowl,andafewcoins .ThisisoneofthewaysAnani
teacheshisservantstospurndesire .WiththeImperatorpoint
thisgivesthem,theplayerstaketheotherpropertythey
wanted -"Advising".
Anani'sProperties
Advising
Demanding
Disrespectful
Honorable
GrantedHandicap
Notes
AnaniwarnsthePcsifthey'reabout
tobestupid .
Ananialwaysasksformorehelpthan
hisPowerscangive.
ToAnani,thePcsareonestepup
fromnovicemonks .
PcscansenseExcrucians,demons,
andtheirdeceptions .
Pcscanownnothingbutholyscripts,
robes,abeggingbowl&afewcoins .
ANEXAMPLEOF
CHARACTERCREATION,PART3
Michael,Madeleine,Philip,andLinnowgathertocreate
Ram-Khvastra,theircharacters'Imperator,andLocusRam-
Khvastra,theirChancel.TheyhavetheImperator's name
thankstoSusan'sdecisiontousethe Treachery campaign,
butthenatureofthatbeingisuptothePCs .(Notethatin
anothercampaign,Ram-KhvastraanditsPowerscouldbe
entirelydifferent -folkoftheair,orthecity,orsomething
elseagain .Ifyourgroupdecidestoplayinthe Treachery
setting,don'tfeelcompelledtouseanyofwhatfollows .)
Asestablishedearlier,Michael'scharacterMaryFrances
hasRealm 2 givingMichaelzChancelpointstospend .The
othercharactershaveamere5levelsofRealmbetweenthem,
givingagrandtotal of7 Chancelpoints.
BeforedecidingonChancelproperties,theplayersthink
abouttheChancel's"highconcept ."Most of themwanta
reasonablymundanehomebase,toprovidegreatercontrast
withtheircharacter'sabilities .Michaelsuggeststhe BajaTide
asaChancel.It'sgotplenty ofspace,heexplains,andshows
theotherplayerspictures ofjusthowhugeandlightlycrewed
amodernoiltankeris .They'reimpressed,andseegood
potentialinit.Theplayersquicklyagreethatthetanker
ChancelshouldhavetheMobileproperty .Theywincealittle
atthe 7 pointsthis'llcostthem,butfiguretheycanmakeit
upwithlimitations of somesort.
Thesometimesviolenthistory of commercialshipping
immediatelysuggeststhenotion ofBanes;everyonelikesthe
idea ofamysteriouslyhauntedtankerChancel,andtheyagree
toletSusaninflictfourBanesonthem .Thisgivesthemback
2 Chancelpoints,sothattheynowhavezpointstospend .
Defender'sBlessingseemslikeagoodideatoeveryone.
Theyspend2pointsfor1level of Chancel-widedefense .
ImperatorPropertyIndex
153
CHAPTERII:CHANCELSANDIMPERATORS
PROPERTY/OPTIONS POINTS DESCRIPTION
DynastyPoints
DynastyPoints
StandardHarvest
GreatHarvest
Failing
Empathy
Clear-Sighted
Sympathetic
Cruel
Galeid
Transcendent
1
1
2
-1
1
1
-1
2
Per25dynastypoints
2dynastypointspersession
4dynastypointspersession
-2dynastypointspersession
GivesPowerswisdom
GivesPowersempathy
DoesnotunderstandPowers'limits
PowersimmunetoNettleRite,nigh-immortal
Inspiring 1 PowersimmunetoNettleRite
Unshining -1 PowersvulnerabletoExcrucianmajesty
Grant
Gift 1 1-pointGift,andHandicap
Handicap -1 1-2pointHandicap
GuidingHand
Prophetic 1 Imperatorsharesprophecies
Advising 1 Imperatorgrantscommonsense
Demanding -1 Imperatormakesunreasonabledemands
Incomprehensibility
Unfathomable 2 Powersindescribable,plusSoul-Twisted
Soul-Twisted 1 PowersinvisibletoSight,canlieundetectably
Straightforward -1 PowerspredictabletomortalsandNobilis
Integrity
Honorable 2 PowerscansenseExcrucians,devils,corruptlies
Principled 1 PowerscansenseExcrucians,devils
Degenerate -1 Powersvulnerabletocorruption,deception
Love
Fervent 2 Extraaffiliation :4 rmPS forservice,-2fordisservice
Passionate 1 Extraaffiliation :1 MP forservice,-0fordisservice
Cold -1 Extraaffiliation :0 MP forservice,-2fordisservice
Mastery
Polished 2 Powersabsolutelymasteroneskill(+2Aspectwithit)
Scholarly 1 Powersmasteroneskill
Untalented -1 Powerscannotlearnonefundamentalskill
MysteryCult
Empowered 2 Rich,big,magicalcult
Multitudinous 1 Rich,bigcult
Corrupted -1 Rich,big,magical,Excrucian-controlledcult
Respect
Respectful 2 Powershaveunusual,importantduties
Considerate 1 Powersneverdoscutwork
Disrespectful -1 Powerswatchedcarefully,punishedharshlyforfailure
Warding
Bright 2 PowersprotectedagainstExcrucians
Dim 1 PowerssomewhatprotectedagainstExcrucians
BrightWarning -1 ExcruciansawareofPowers'presence
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1 54
TheplayersknowthatSusancomesupwithvery
entertainingrecurring NPCS, andtheyliketheideaofsomeone
whocanhelpthemgetorientedeveniftheyarealso
sometimesanuisance . TheybuyanErus,anAggressive
Warden,whichgivesthembackanother3Chancelpoints .
LinwhimsicallysuggeststhattheErusisareanimated
drownedsailor,someonewhoseshipwentdownonthespot
wheretheCommencementtakesplace,andissurprisedwhen
everyoneagreesthatthissoundslikefun . Nowthecharacters
willhavetodealwithaclassicallyseaweed-covered,dripping
skeleton .
(MostChancelsdon'thaveanErusatall,letaloneone
thispowerful . Theplayersponderotheroptions,butkeep
comingbacktothischoice . Theyagreethatasthecharacters
getmoreexperienced,Ram-KhvastrawillreducetheErus's
strengthandeventuallyretirehim; theplayerswillsetaside
pointseverysooftentopayforthisevolution . )
Sofartheplayershavetakenon 5 pointsofliabilities,
whichaddtotheiroriginal
7
foratotalof 1 2. They'vespent9
points,andhave3left . Aftervigorousdebate,theplayers
settleonResources,andparticularlyonnormalmagic . Within
ÒBILIS :AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
thegreatholdsofthetanker,superstitionsandfolkmagic
traditionssuddenlycomealive . Theplayershavenowspent
theiravailableChancelpoints .
Ram-Khvastraitselfseemssortofablankslateinthe
players'minds,andtheyexpecttofleshitoutmoreinplay ;
Susanwillhaveherideas,andthey'llhavetheirs . Butthey
doseeafewfeaturesthey'dliketobeginwith .
First,theytaketheimposedhandicapthatthePowers
mustspendoneweekatseaforeachdaytheyspendonland .
Somewherealongtheline,theplayersstartedthinkingof
Ram-Khvastraasacreatureoftheancientdeeps . Thatgives
themImperatorpoint. Second,theplayerschoosetomake
Ram-KhvastraaCruelImperator. Itlacksanyinnatesense
ofhumanconcernsandiswhollydedicatedtoitsInquisitorial
mission. ThatgivesthemasecondImperatorpoint .
TheplayersthinkthathavingsomeDynastypointson
handcouldn'thurt,andbuy
25
ofthemwithImperatorpoint .
Withtheother,theplayersmakeRam-KhvastraanAdvising
Imperator. Itmaynotcareaboutmuch,butitsselectionas
anInquisitorialImperatormatters,anditwillnotknowingly
letitsPowersstumbleintofailure .
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4.0.
Chapter 1 2
Designs
THENATUREOFFLOWERS
Arichbody ofsymbolismand
mythascribesmeaningand
magicalpropertiestothe
flowers oftherealworld. The
symbology ofNOBILIS draws
heavilyonthislore. Inthe
setting,angelsused flowersto
shapethenature of Heaven
andeveryotherworld. They
arenotthings oftransient
beauty,butincarnationsof
theangels'power . Tothe
Sight,theyglowlike
fireworks,many-hued,
lustrous,andfull of
incandescentstrength . They
aretheforemostsymbols ofthe
world.
Everysymbolhassome
powerin . W. BILIS . Some
individualNoblespreferto
useTarotcards,pictographs,
music,gemstones,beasts,
colors,orthepersonal
possessions offamousdead
peopleratherthanHeaven's
blooms. Thisdoesnothinder
themfromtheperspective of
theserules,butitdoesimpede
theirspiritualprogress
towardsgreaterwisdomor
power.
THEBOOKOFQUESTIONS
Vyasagavethesewordsintothehandsoftherakshasa
Bimbesvara,instructingtherakshasaasfollows :"Shouldany
summonyouinsearchofthisknowledge,youmustshareit
withthemanddepartinpeace. "
Iobjecttothis,"Bimbesvaraanswered. Ìtisnotinmy
naturetoconversewithalessercreatureanddepartinpeace ;
rather,Iteartheirheadfromtheirbodyanduseitasan
amusinghandpuppet. "
Vyasasaid,"Verywell. Youmaydothisthing,butonlyif
thepetitioner'squestforknowledgeisinsincere . "
r.
TheypraytoHeaven'slight. Theydrawonthestrengthof
theworld.
2.
Theirthornsaredeathandtheirurnsholdpower.
3. Whataretheforemostsymbolsofthisworld?
1 55
CHAPTER1 2:DESIGNS
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4.0.
i6
JacotteBerthomieuwokeup
onFridaymorningwithouta
face.
Shedidnotfrown,forshe
hadnomouth. Shedidnot
speak,forshehadnovoice .
Nordidshelookaround,for
shehadnoeyes.
Shecould,however,see -
forthefireoflifeburned
brightlyinher. Itcastaclear
unwaveringlightoverthe
room,starkandhot,thather
mindcouldseewith; andshe
sawthegremlininitscorner.
Herfacehunginitsclawslike
arubbermask.
Itlookedup. Twice. "You
can'thavemeback,"theface
said"Youdon'thavethe
powertofightforme. And
youdon'thaveanything
valuableenoughtobuyme
with. "
Jacottereachedinsideher
andscoopedoutthefreofher
life,andprofferedittothe
gremlinlikeawaiter
unveilingameal.
"Thatmightbeenough,"
Jacotte'sfaceconcurred,But
whatgoodisafacewithouta
life?"
Jacottedidnotanswer,
forshecouldnotspeak. She
onlyheldthelifeburningin
herhands .
-from BERTHOMIEU
MANORAL, byKeiko
Takemori
AmongtheNobilis,heraldictraditionhasneverdied,and
withgoodreason . Recallthatmuchoftheuniverseisa
reflectionofflowersplantedinHeaven . AlmosteveryEstate
hasaflowerthatrepresentsit-notnecessarilyanEarthly
flower,butoneoftheuncountablevarietiesthatgrowinthe
BrightestRealm .
Thisisdangerous . Suchaflowercanbeusedasa"bridge",
aphysicaltiebetweentwoofthethingsassociatedwithit .
Achillea,theflowerofWar,mightbeusedtoconnectan
essentiallyharmlesswargametoamilitaryEstatelikeBlades .
Then,carefully,theExcrucianswouldarrangeforthewar
gametogohorriblywrong -killingseveralhumans,and
ruiningtheExcrucian'sagents'lives-andtheentirereality
ofBlades,past,present,andfuturewouldbepushedalittle
bittowardsitsowndestruction . ThePowersdonotknow
whatwouldhappentotheExcrucians'ownswordsshould
Bladesbewipedfromexistence ; possiblynothingatall,
possiblysomeunimaginedcalamity.
APower'scoatofarms,alsocalledtheirDesign,issimilar
innotionifnotindetailtoaheraldicshield . ThePower
interweavesthefloweroftheirEstatewithasymboloftheir
ownagainstastylizedbackground . Thesearealways
presentedtotheuniversetogether,withtwopositiveeffects .
First,theExcruciansmustinvokebothflowers,buildtwo
intertwinedbridges,todirectlyattackthePower'sEstate .
Second,thePowerfeelsthedesecrationofitsEstateas
damagetotheirownflesh,andcangetaverygeneralideaof
whereandwhen,ifnotnecessarilyhowWithluck,theywill
beabletoreversetheExcrucianattack . Thisisadeepneed
fortheconcernedPower,animportantgoalforthePower's
Familia,andaworthwhileactivityforanyonewhowantsto
stealtheenergytheExcruciansputintosuchaBreakthrough .
. oBILIs offersthreeapproachestotheinfinitevarietyof
flowersandtheirmeanings(inHeaven,ifnotonEarth) .
THESYMBOLICAPPROACH
The HGandplayersmayrefertoflowersbytheirassociated
meanings -speakingofAchilleaas"theflowerofWar"and
namingAbutilon"theflowerofPeace" . Bilberryis"theflower
ofTreachery",whileAllspiceis"Compassion'sbloom" . This
isthesimplestsolution,andisrecommendedinnormalplay .
Thus,forexample,whenthePcsencounterastrangePower
forthefirsttime,the HGcantellthem :
21 circleofblackisdrawnonhisshirtabovetheheart ;
withinittwinesilver-limnedflowersofPainandGlory . "
PerhapsthePowertheyhavemetdefineshimselfbysome
unknownsufferingathisselfhood'score,andhisEstateisa
gloriousthinglikeLearningorRomance -orperhapshis
Estateisdisease,andhe(oh,saddelusion)thinkshimselfa
fantasticbeing,averitablewonderoftheworld .
THEDETAILEDAPPROACH
Thesystemprovidedonthenexttwopagesallowsplayersto
designHeavenlyflowerswhichmatchtheirPowersandtheir
Estatewell,aswellasotherdetailsoftheirDesign . Note
-XOBILIS:AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
thatthereisnoformalCollegeofArmsforthe . obilis .
Accordingly,thereareonlyahandfulofcasualcustoms
governingSovereignDesigns .
THEPREGENERATEDAPPROACH
AppendixB(pp . 294-298)listsonehundredflowerscommon
inNobleDesigns,likelyconceptsforEstatesandPowers
whousetheseflowers,andthetypicalsituationstowhich
Excrucianstiethoseflowers . Thesecanbeusedasan
alternativereferenceforcreatingDesigns,althoughthisis
notnormallyrecommendedforgeneralplay .
DESIGNCONSTRUCTION :
FLOWERS
COLORS
TheartistsinHeavenbuilttheirsymbologyoneightfloral
colors,eachinaninfinityofshades . Sometimesaflowertook
itsmeaningfromitscolor; othertimes,thecolorwasonly
thefirstreflection,thefirstapproximationofwhatthatflower
was .
PETALS
TheyellowChrysanthemumsontheangels'gravesgrow
thickly,butneveropenforthesun. Somesaythisisasignof
theCreator'ssadness . Ofcourse,thereismoretoaflower
thanjustitscolor-thereistheuniquepetalorganization
ofeach . Asampleofthemeaningsthiscanprovidefollows .
Insomecases,itisdifficulttodrawthesepetalswitha
closedflower. APowermayrendertheflowersaspartially
ratherthanfullyclosedintheirformalDesign . Itsuffices,at
leastintheory,tobendthepetalsslightlytowardsthecenter .
LEAVESANDTHORNS
ManyHeavenlyflowersaremorethanjustastemanda
bloom. Theleavesandthorns(ifany)attachedtoithelp
determinethemeaningaswell . Whiletheangelshaveten
thousandwaystoweigheachflower'smeaning,theleafand
thornpatterncorrespondingtooneofthefivestagesof
existenceisthelastwewillconsider .
EXAMPLEFLOWERS
Music
Music'sflowercanbedesignedseveralways,dependingon
howtheplayeroftheDominaorDominusofMusicenvisions
it . Itmightbeamostlyclosedwhiteflower,forBeautyor
Magic . Itmightbeanopenyellowflower,forGlory . Itmight
betheclosedblueofimmortality,ortheopengreenoflove .
Let'ssaythatit'sanopenyellowflower. IfMusic'sprimary
useisromantic,itwouldhaveclustersofthreepetalsand
grass-likeleaves ; itcouldalsohavefourlarge,colorful,showy
petalstoindicatethatitisathingmadeforpleasure . Finally,
itseemstobeathingofcreation -ofalternateleaves . The
flowermightbegivenatingeofredforthefireofthat
Creation .
"Thegreatestsin,"theangel
explained,"isdeliberate
murder; andnotjustofman,
woman,andchild,butofan
animal,too,oratree; oreven
aflower. Thatwhichglories
intakinglifeshallintimefall
intothepit; thisisthe
messagethatIasHeaven's
heraldbear. "
Isn'themarvelous?"
LordEvansexclaimed. "A
veritablecornucopiaof
celestialenlightenment!Ido
notknowhowBretonnetgot
himforhisparty,butsuspect
thatskullduggerywas
involved "
Ìndeed,heismarvelous,
butisheaccurate?"asked
LeonardAstulf
Presumably, " Evans
answered"Personally,Iam
notconcerned,asIhavebeen
destinedforthepitsincethe
ageofthreeandahalf"
Iamsimplywondering,"
Leonardadmitted, "ifperhaps
Ioughtnothavebecomea
florist . "
-from ANDURIN, byKG.
Danine
I
I
I
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4.0.
Lieshungfromhimlikestrips
ofblackribbon. Promiseskept
atgreatcosttwinedaround
hisbrow. Dustfroma
hundredlongjourneysdrifted
fromhisfeet,andhiseyes
sparkledwithahundred
thousandloves.
"Howdidyoucometobe
thisway?"thechildasked.
Ìbecameaware,"the
wanderersaid,"thatIcarried
withmeeverythingIhad
everdone. Sopowerfulwas
thisunderstandingthatI
couldnothelpbutshareit
withthoseImet . "
-from THEBox,byEmily
Chen
Oneconclusion :Music'sflowerisanopenyellowflower,
tingedwithred,withfourgarishpetalsandleavesalternating
upthestem.
Night
Night'scolor,quiteasidefromanyobjectivesymbolism,
shouldbeblack. ItwouldthenbeclosedifNightwasmeant
t0bethetimewhenmonsterswalked,andopeninagame
whereNightfallslikeakindlyembrace . Somepossibletraits
arenegativity,solitude,dreams,0rabsence :supposewechoose
Absence,definingnightasthetimewhenthereisnoSun .
WefurtherchooseEndurance(andnotDeath)asthelife
stageclosestt0Nightinbothitsmeaninganditsexistence .
Oneconclusion:Night'sflowerisanopenflowerwitha
disk0fblackpetalsand"radical"leavesgrowingfromitsbase .
Itcouldalsohavethorns .
DESIGNCONSTRUCTION :
THEBACKGROUND
TheheartofaDesignisthetwoflowersthattwinewithinit .
(Onrareoccasions,becausetheangelshavemultiple
symbologies,onewillbeaTarotfigure0ragemstone0rsome
otherappropriatesymbol . )Thesurroundingpatternindicates
theallegianceandAffiliation0fthePowerpossessingthe
Design . Thetable0np . 1 60offerssuggestionst0complete
theDesign.
ANEXAMPLEOF
CHARACTER CREATION,PART 4
Nowit'stimeforMichaelt0settleonaDesignforMary
Frances . Helikesheraldryandhopestohavefunwiththis .
(Hemayendupdoingillustrations0feveryone'sDesigns,
andifhedoes,Susansaysshe'llgivehimatemporarymiracle
point0rsomething0fthesortforMaryFrances . )
Michaelrealizesthathestillhasn'tsettled0naspecific
EstateforMaryFrances . HethinksabouttheImperator,the
Chancel,hischaracter'shistory,andwhattheotherplayers
aredoing,andsettles0nCommerce . MaryFranceshasbuilt
herlife0ntrade,andwhenshegainsaNoble'spower,she
stretchesoutherinterestt0encompassallthewaysinwhich
peopleexchangegoodsandmoney . One0fthemajor NPCs
inthe Treachery campaign,Thalasseus,hastheEstateofTrade .
SincethisisalmostsynonymouswithCommerce,Susan
obliginglychangesThalasseus'Estatet0TheDeal,which
overlapssomewithCommercebutalsoincludessocialdeals
outsidetherealm0ffinanceanddoesnotincludetheroutine
exchangeswhichformtheheart0fMaryFrances'Estate .
WiththisEstateinmind,Michaelturnst0thelistsof
Designelements . One0fthetwoflowerswillbeAuricula,
theFlower0fWealth. Michaelmakesanotet0lookup
pictures0fitwhenhe'snextbrowsingtheWorldWideWeb .
Fortheother,Michaeldecidest0makeMaryFrances'
virtue0fIntegrityprominent. HeseesthatFidelity,whichis
closelyrelated,isrepresentedbyanopenblueflower . Given
theelement0ffortuneinallcommerce,heselectsFortune's
patternoffivedifferentlyshapedpetals . Finally,givenMary
Frances'demonstratedendurance,Michaelsettles0nradical
leaves,oneswhichgrowaroundthebase0fherIntegrity
flower.
SinceMaryFrancesisaPoweroftheLight,herDesign's
backgroundisgraywithwhiteraindrops . Thetwoflowers
twinearoundacaduceus . MichaelfindsthatAuriculacan
comeinmanycolors,anddecidest0matchthatflowerwith
theotherbysettlingforabreedwithpetalswhoseouteredge
isbrightblueandwhoseinneredgeisadeeppurple .
MaryFrancesRowlandisnowreadyt0entertheworld
0fthe . obilis .
MARYFRANCESROWLAND,THEPOWEROFCOMMERCE
ATTRIBUTE
Aspect
Domain
Realm
Spirit
GiftsandVirtues
Limits/Handicaps
WoundLevels
Total :
Bonds
LEVEL
MIRACLEPOINTS
1 : Metahuman 5
3: Marchessa 5
2: Realm'sHeart 6
1 : Hearthfire
5
Durant
Virtue :Integrity
LightTouch
CigaretteBond
Handicap :Mustspend 1 weekatseaperday0nland
Affiliation :CodeoftheLight
1 DeadlyWound(Durant)
2SeriousWounds
2SurfaceWounds
25CharacterPoints
STRENGTH
SUBJECT
7
The BajaTide
5
Herabilityt0guardherEstate
5
Safeharbors0fallsorts
1
HerAnchor,EstebanZuniga
1
HerAnchor,BonDucTran
1
Herfascinationwithnewshippingtechnology
Design
MaryFrances'Designistwoblueflowerstwinedarounda
caduceus,againstagraybackgroundwithsubtlewhite
raindrops . OneoftheflowersisAuricula,theFlower0f
Wealth,shownherewithsevenpetals,eachrimmedinbright
blueandwithadeeppurpleinterior .
TheotheristheFlowerofIntegrity,withfivedifferently
shapedbluepetalsandfiveleavesgrowingaroundthestem's
base .
I57
CHAPTER1 2:DESIGNS
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Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
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4.0.
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1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
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The Game of Powers
John Shockley
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4.0.
OPPOSITE:
TheAlchemyofFlowers
byRalphHorsley
TraitsWhichConverttoColors
ColorsWhichConverttoTraits
COLOR
OPEN/CLOSED TRAITS
Black
Open
Prudence,Wisdom,Constancy
Black
Closed
Evil,Falsehood,Error
Blue
Open
Chastity,Loyalty,Fidelity
Blue
Closed
Immortality,Humility,Faith
Green
Open
Love,Joy,Abundance
Green
Closed
Youth,Mirth,Victory
Purple
Open
Temperance,Nobility
Purple
Closed
Madness
TraitsWhichConverttoPetals
COLOR
OPEN/CLOSED
Red Open
Red Closed
WhiteOpen
White Closed
Silver Open
Silver Closed
Yellow Open
Yellow
Closed
TRAITS
Magnanimity,Fortitude
War
Purity,Truth,Innocence
Magic,Hope,Beauty
Apathy,Unchangeable/Broken
MercurialThings,Anger,Justice
Constancy,Wisdom,Glory
Jealousy,Inconstancy,Treachery
1 59
CHAPTER1 2:DESIGNS
TRAIT FLOWERCOLOR OPEN/CLOSED TRAIT PETALANDLEAFTYPE
Abundance Green Open Absence Adiskofpetals
Anger Silver Closed Age Fiveidenticalpetals
Apathy Silver Open Atonement Fiveseparatepetals
Beauty White Closed Beginnings Cup-shapedflowerwithheart-shapedleaves
BrokenThings Silver Open Belief Fouridenticalpetals
Chastity Blue Open Boldness Fiveunjoinednotchedpetals
Constancy BlackorYellow Open Candor Almostpetallessflowers
Error Black Closed Caprice Adoublecircleofpetals
Evil Black Closed Disgust Clustersofthreepetalswithgrass-likeleaves
Faith Blue Closed Dreams Almostpetallessflowers
Falsehood Black Closed Eloquence Six-petalledflowerswithsword-likeleaves
Fidelity Blue Open Error Irregularpetals
Fortitude Red Open Faith Six-petalledflowerswithsword-likeleaves
Glory Yellow Open Forgetfulness Largebractsaroundaclusterofblooms
Hope White Closed Fortune Fivedifferentlyshapedpetals
Humility Blue Closed Friendship Trumpet-likeflowers
Immortality Blue Closed Gaiety Irregularpetals
Inconstancy Yellow Closed Home(orahome) Fiveunjoinednotchedpetals
Innocence White Open Hopes Almostpetallessflowers
Jealousy Yellow Closed Impatience Aspiralofpetals
Joy Green Open Industry Irregularpetals
Justice Silver Closed Love Largebractsaroundaclusterofblooms
Love Green Open Meeting Twopetalsfreeandthreepetalsjoinedtogether
Loyalty Blue Open Negativity Adiskofpetals
Madness Purple Closed Pleasure Fourlarge,colorful,showypetals
Magic White Closed Poverty Irregularheart-shapedpetals
Magnanimity Red Open Power Urn-likeflowerswithleavesinanXshape
MercurialThings Silver Closed Romance Clustersofthreepetalswithgrass-likeleaves
Mirth Green Closed Slander Entirelypetallessflowers
Nobility Purple Open Spite Entirelypetallessflowers
Prudence Black Open Solitude Fiveseparatepetalsformingabell
Purity White Open Success Fourlarge,colorful,showypetals
Temperance Purple Open Tranquility Cross-shapedpetals
Treachery Yellow Closed Treachery Cross-shapedpetals
Truth White Open UnobservedMerit Fouridenticalpetals
UnchangeableThings Silver Open Unanimity Trumpet-likeflowers
Victory Green Closed UsefulKnowledge Tinyclustersofblooms
War(orValdeBellum) Red Closed Valor Six-petalledflowerswithsword-likeleaves
Wisdom BlackorYellow Open Variety Adoublecircleofpetals
Youth Green Closed Virtue Tube-likeflowerswithsquarestems
Wealth Fourlarge,colorful,showypetals
Winter Fiveidenticalpetals
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Editor: Bruce Baugh
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The Game of Powers
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4.0.
1 60
PetalTypesWhichConverttoTraits
PETALANDLEAFTYPE
Adiskofpetals
Adoublecircleofpetals
Almostpetallessflowers
Aspiralofpetals
Clustersofthreepetalswithgrass-likeleaves
Cross-shapedpetals
Cup-shapedflowerswithheart-shapedleaves
Entirelypetallessflowers
Fivedifferentlyshapedpetals
Fiveidenticalpetals
Fiveseparatepetals
Fiveseparatepetalsformingabell
Fiveunjoinednotchedpetals
Fouridenticalpetals
Fourlarge,colorful,showypetals
Irregularpetals
Irregularheart-shapedpetals
Largebractsaroundaclusterofblooms
Six-petalledflowerswithsword-likeleaves
Tinyclustersofblooms
Trumpet-likeflowers
Tube-likeflowerswithsquarestems
Twopetalsfree,threepetalsjoined
Urn-likeflowerswithleavesshapedinanX
LifeStagesWhichConverttoLeafPatterns
STAGEOFEXISTENCE
ELEMENTALASSOCIATION
Conception
Air(Thought)
Creation
Fire(Emotion)
Discovery Water(Life)
Endurance Ether(Spirit)
Death
Earth(Ethics)
DesignElementsWhichRelatetoAffiliation
AFFILIATION
TheLight
TheDark
Heaven
Hell
TheWild
"Unaligned"or
concealedallegiance
TRAITS
Absence,Negativity
Variety,Caprice
Candor,Hope,Dreams
Impatience
Romance,Disgust
Tranquility,Treachery
Beginnings
Slander,Spite
Fortune
Age,Winter
Atonement
Solitude
Boldness,Home(orahome)
Belief,UnobservedMerit
Pleasure,Success,Wealth
Industry,Gaiety,Error
Poverty(materialorspiritual)
Forgetfulness,Love
Eloquence,Faith,Valor
UsefulKnowledge
Friendship,Unanimity
Virtue
Meeting
Power
LEAFPATTERN
Oppositeleaves:inpairsonoppositesidesofthesteam
Alternateleaves :onoppositesidesbutatdifferentpoints
alongstem
Whorledleaves :ingroupsofthreeormore
Radicalleaves :growingaroundthebase
Thorns :nastypricklythingswhichmakepickingtheflower
unpleasant
DESIGNBACKGROUND
Graybackgroundwithwhite"raindrop"pattern ; theflowers
twinearoundacaduceus
Incarnadineandblack; thepatternswirls,withblackaura
aroundredflowersandincarnadinearoundblackflowers
Nobackground :flowersarethecompleteDesign
Avirulentpoison-greencircle,lightlyspatteredwithtranslucentdarkness
Crescentmoon ; thedarkpartisdeepblue
Blackcircleoutline,appropriatebackgroundcolorinside ; original
individualizedbackgroundsarealsopossible
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4.0.
Chapter13
`ResolvingConflict
THE'BOOKOFQUESTIONS
Vyasaboundthesequestionsintothelawoftheworld.Artists
andvisionaries,seekinggreatertruths,wakeasiffromtrance
tofindthesequestionsscrawledacrosstheircanvasornotepad.
InamentalhospitalinMissouri,thecatatonicschantthese
wordsincessantly .Theyspreadfromonelostsoultoanother
likeadisease.Themanicsshout"Vyasa!Vyasa!"insynchrony.
r. TheLadyZubeidasitsinjudgment."Ihavedecidedon
themannerofyourexecution,"shetellsthecondemned
man,"butIshallspareyourlife ifyoucorrectlyguessthe
executionIhavechosen."
2. `Mylady,"thecondemnedmanansweredwithout
hesitation,youintendtoapplythepower ofyourstation
todivestmeofmylife."
3. InhowmanywaysmayLadyZubeidaapplythepower
ofherstation?
4-
S.
6.
7.
Thepurerestoretheirstrengthwithpurity.
Thecommonrestoretheirstrengthwithfoodandrest.
Thelowrestoretheirstrengthwithservility .
Whatrestoresthestrengthofthepowersofthisworld?
161
CHAPTER13:RESOLVINGCONFLICT
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4.0.
16 2
"You'resuretheydon'tfeel
anything?"Aresasked
skeptically.He'dbeenplaying
withhisnewset ofhumans
forseveralhours.
"Positive,"thestormgod
answered.Ìtsalljustavery
realisticsimulation of
sentience.Sayssorightonthe
box ."
from THEANTFARM, by
MichaelKay
TERMINOLOGY
Thischapterdescribesthegeneralruleswhichgovernthe
interactionofthecharacters'idiosyncraticabilities,whatever
thoseabilitiesmaybe.Forreference,asummaryofthekey
terminologydefiningtheseabilitiesappearsbelow.
Attributes.Charactershavefourattributes .Usingtheir
Aspectattribute,theyperformmiraclesofthebody
andmind.WiththeDomainattribute,theycontrol
theirEstateandseveralrelatedconcepts.TheRealm
attributegivesthempowerovertheirChancel.The
Spiritattributegivesthemmiscellaneousabilities .Each
attributehasaratingbetweenoand5 .Imperatorscan
haveattributesashighas7
.
Auctoritas.CharactershaveanAuctoritas,amystic
shieldagainstothercharacters'miracles,witharating
equaltotheirSpirit.
Bonds. Acharacter'sBondsarethethingsimportant
tothem.Charactersdivide 20pointsamongtheir
Bonds.ThenumberofpointsallocatedtoaBond,the
"BondStrength",roughlymeasuresthedepthofthe
emotionalconnectionbetweenthecharacterandthe
bond.
Gifts.Charactershavemiscellaneousabilitiescalled
Gifts.Theseallowthemtoperformveryspecificmira-
clesthattheirattributeswouldnototherwiseallow.
.obilismustexplicitlyinvokemostGifts.SomeGifts
triggerautomaticallywhenacertaincircumstance
occurs.
Handicaps. AHandicaplimitsthecharacterinsome
way,butalsoincreasesthenumberofmiraclepoints
availabletothem .
Miracles.CharactersusetheirattributesandGiftsto
performmiracles.Eachmiraclehasamiracleleveland
apenetrationvalue,andmanycostmiraclepoints .
MiracleLevel.Eachmiraclehasalevelfromoto9 .
Thehigherthemiraclelevel,themorepowerfulthe
miracle.WithanAspectomiracle,aPowercanacea
physicsclass.WithanAspectmiracle,aPowercan
winanOlympicbronzemedal.WithanAspect6
miracle,aPowercanlearnnuclearphysicsovernight
ortunnelbarehandedthroughsolidrock .
MiraclePoints.Powerscanperformsomemiracles
forfree.Otherscostthemsomeoftheirlimitedsupply
of"miraclepoints"or"mPs".Eachattributecomes
withasupplyofmiraclepoints -charactershave
Aspectmiraclepoints (AMPS), Domainmiraclepoints
(DMPS), Realmmiraclepoints (RMPs), andSpirit
miraclepoints (SMPs).
Simplemiracles costnomiraclepoints
Normalmiracles cost 1 MPs
Hardmiracles cost 2 MPs
Deepmiracles cost 4 MPs
Wordsofcommand cost 8 MPs andinjurethecharacter
~+ Penetration. PowerscangivemiraclesaPenetration
value.IfitexceedsthestrengthofanAuctoritas,the
miracleignoresthatAuctoritas .
SimpleRite.SimpleRitesarepowerfulritualsthat
anyPowercanperform.
WoundLevel. Characterslosedeadlywoundlevels,
seriouswoundlevels,orsurfacewoundlevelswhen
injured .Runningoutofwoundlevelskillsacharacter.
(Detailsappearlaterinthischapter.)
CONFLICTSBETWEENBEINGS
OFMIRACULOUS'POWER
NOBILIS usesaverysimplemechanismtodeterminewhat
happenswhenseveral(ormany)Nobles,Imperators,and/or
ExcrucianstrytouseNoblemiraclesorGiftsallatonce .
Thismethodworksasfollows:
DECISION
The HGdecides,usinganymethod,anorderinwhichPCs
and NPCs whoarepresentattherelevantscenewillact .
ACTION
Each PC or NPC namestheiraction,inorder.
Mundane actionsarethethingsordinarypeopledo,
liketalking,shouting,thinking,listeningcarefully,
shootingagun,ordancing.TheyusethePower's
naturalabilities,takinglifeexperiencebutnotAspect
intoaccount.Mundaneactionsshouldbesimple
enoughthatonecandescribethemandhowtogo
abouttheminaboutasentence.Forexample,"Ifirea
bulletatMalachi"or"Ibackslowlyaway".
MiraculousactionsuseanyAttributeorGift,including
Aspectomiracles.Examplesinclude"Iraiseawallof
fireinfrontofthePowerofBronze"or"Ifollowher,
leapingfromrooftoptorooftop" .
Inacharacter'sturn,theycanuseamundane
action,amiraculousaction,orboth.Anexample
combinationis"Ishoutthecommandphraseformy
flyingcarpetanduseDomaintosummonupawind"
or"Ikisshimquicklygoodbyeandteleportaway" .
Sustained miraclestakealongtimetocomplete.A
NoblecoulduseanAspect6miracletodefeata
thousandhumansinsinglecombat,overthecourseof
aweek.IftheNobletakesabreaktoeat,themiracle
doesnotgoaway - theycangorightbacktosingle
combatsafterward .However,inthatweek,other
Powerswouldnaturallybeabletotakemanyactions
oftheirown.Sustainingamiracledoesnotuseupa
Power'sabilitytoactintheirturn .Acharactercan
performmundaneactionsandothermiraclesnormally
whilesustainingamiracle,butcannotspendmiracle
pointsonthem.(Thecharactercanperformmiracles
anduseGiftsthatcostnomiraclepoints .)For
simplicity'ssake,aPowercansustainonlyonemiracle
atatime.
ThecityofSamarahstandsin
theshadow ofthestonethat
holdstheworldtogether.An
enemyoftheworldonce
visitedSamarahandstruck
thatstonetenscoreblows.
Eachblowcouldhavefelleda
palace,slainanarmy,or
shatteredadragon'sbones;yet
thestone ofSamarahheld.
Notuntilthelastblowdidits
strengthwaverandthe
smallestcrackappear;but
whenitsenemyrearedback
foranotherblow,hefound
thathehadnostrengthleftat
all.
-from EARTHSTORIES,
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Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
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Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
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4.0.
"WastheResurrectionreal?"
"Rigged,"theangel
admitted.`Faked.Pilatewas
inonit."
"Soitwasn'tamiracle?"
"Ofcourseitwasa
miracle, " theangelsaid."It
wastheResurrection .Doesit
reallymatterwhatwenton
behindthescenes?"
--from THEENDSOFTHE
EARTH, byK.C.Danine
COMPLETION
Whensomeonetakesanaction,itisnolongerpossibleto
directlyinterferewiththeirpreviousaction .Thatprevious
actionhasbeencompleted .Beforeanactioniscompleted,it
ispossibletointerferewithit,e.g."Iraiseahurricane-like
windtointerferewithArles'aim ."Afteranactionhasbeen
completed,itispossibletointerferewithitseffectsbutnot
withtheactionitself,e.g."Iputthefireoutwithaquick
rainstorm."
WHATACTUALLYHAPPENS
TheHollyhockGod'sresponsibilityduringallthisissimple.
First,theymustdecidewhatthe NPCs aredoing.Second,
theymustdeterminethemiraclelevelofeachactionthePCs
and NPCS take.Finally,theymustdecidewhatactually
happenswhena PC orNPCperformsanaction.Thisessentially
boilsdowntotwophrases:"Okay",and"No, this iswhat
happens."Fourexamplesfollowshortly.
TheHollyhockGodshoulddeterminethelengthoftime
betweenmiracles,theexacteffectofeach NPC miracle,and
theeffectsofthemoredubious PC miraclestomaximizethe
excitementofthesituation - withintheframework
presentedabove.
AUTOMATICGIFTS
WhensomeoneusesamiraclethatactivatesaPower's
automaticGift,thatGifttakeseffectatthesametimeasthe
miracle.TheeffectsofthisGiftcompleteatthesametime
astheeffectsofthemiracle.
OPPOSINGMIRACLES
Whentwomiraclesareindirectopposition - the"oh,no,
youdon't!"situation - themiraclewiththehighestmiracle
leveltriumphsovertheotherone .Ifthereisatie,thenthe
effectscanceleachotherout.APowercanvoluntarilyusea
highermiraclelevelthananeffectrequires,forthisreason.
Penetrationdoesnotaffectthecomparativelevelsoftwo
miracles.
Whentwomiraclesareinindirectopposition,what
actuallyhappensisan HGcall.
PENETRATION
Normally,amiraclecannotaffectthespaceinsideaPower's
Auctoritas(p. 48)untilafteritcompletes .Characterswishing
tocircumventthiscanaddPenetrationfromoto7totheir
miracles.Thisincreasesthemiracle'sdifficultybythesame
amount.PenetrationallowsthemiracletopierceAuctorita
ofequalorlowerlevel.Thus,amiraclewithPenetrationo
ignoresaSpiritoPower'sAuctoritas .Itcoststhesameasa
miraclewithoutPenetration.AmiraclewithPenetration5
canaffectthespaceinsideanyPower'sAuctoritas,butsuffers
a5-levelincreaseindifficulty.
GIFTS
Giftsalsohaveamiraclelevelassociatedwiththem .This
meansthattheycanfailwhendirectlyopposed .
LONG-RANGECOMBAT
IfaNobleorevenanAnchorisneartheplacewheresome
miracleworkedfromfarawaytakeseffect,theNoblesenses
itsorigin.Theyreceiveamentalpictureoftheothermiracle
worker.TheNoblecanthencastbackoneDomainmiracle
alongthepaththatthatmagictook,totheplacewherethe
personremotelyusingpoweris.Thisretaliatorymiracle
doesnotcosttheextra DMPthatlong-rangeDomainmiracles
usuallydo.
PASTEFFECTS
DirectlyundoingsomethinganotherSovereigndidinthe
pastrequiresamiracleofthesamelevelasthateffectoriginally
cost.TheAuctoritaoftheSovereignandtheonetryingto
undotheirworkareirrelevant .Ifthemiracleliterallyaffects
ordivinesthepast,however,ratherthanaffectingtheresult,
theAuctoritaswouldstillapply.
CONJUNCTIONALEFFECTS
Powerscanworktogetheronamiracle,ifallofthemhave
somethingtocontribute.TheEstateorChancelofeach
involvedcharactermustplayacentralroleintheeffect.All
Powersmustuseamiracleofanequallevel .Thisyieldsa
miracleoflevel[LevelUsed+numberofextraPowerspast
thefirst] .TwoPowersusinglevel3miraclesyieldsalevel 4
effect,suchasalessercreation ;threePowersyieldalevel5
effect;fouryieldalevel6effect.AtmostfivePowerscan
contributetoagivenmiracle .
FOUREXAMPLESCENARIOS
HG: MalahdifiresabulletatWhisper.Level
7
Aspect, 2
Penetration.
WHISPER'SPLAYER: Idodgesofastthebulletmisses .
HG: Okay.That'saLevel7Aspectmiracle,costinga AMPS.
HG: MalahdifiresabulletatWhisper.Level
7
Aspect, 2
Penetration.
WHISPER'SPLAYER: Imaketheriverbehindhimhithisback
withacrashingwave.
HG: Okay.That'saLevel6Domainmiracle,costingyou 4
DMPs. He'llmiss.
HG: MalahdifiresabulletatWhisper.Level7Aspect,a
Penetration.
WHISPER'SPLAYER: Idon'thavetimeforhim.Itacklethe
realthreat,Penangul.
HG: Okay.Youknow,ifyouleapatPenangulunexpectedly
enough,thebullet'llmiss.
HG: MalahdifiresabulletatArikel.Level7Aspect, 2
Penetration.
ARIKEL'SPLAYER: Iflingmyselftothesideandbringdowna
curtainofnighttoconfusehisaim .
HG: No.He'sgotabeadonyoufrombeforeyoucalleddown
thenight,andamundanedodgejustcan'tcompetewithan
impossiblyperfectshot.Bytheway,thatLevel 4 Domain
miraclecostyoua DMP.
163
STRATEGYIN
MIRACULOUSCONFLICT
Whenevertwomiraclescancel
out,onecombatantgainsa
distinctadvantage.Both
miracle-usersarelosingtime,
actions,andpossiblympsto
theprocess;butoneofthem
choosesto,deliberately,and
withareason.Perhapsthey
wishtostall,orperhapsthey
needfewer MPStomaintain
thestalemate.
Forthisreason,directly
opposedmiraclesisneverthe
preferredstrategyforall
partiesinamiraculous
combat.Overpoweringthe
enemywithirresistablehigh-
poweredmiraclesis
attractive,butawasteof
mpsfftheydofindsomeway
toresist.Mostmiraculous
combat,therefore,hasoneor
bothpartiesstrugglingto
comeupwithcleverindirect
effectsthatthwarttheir
assailant.
Playersshouldtryhardto
keeptheiractionsina
miraculousconflict
entertaining,clever,and
creativeenoughtoindirectly
opposemorepowerfuleffects.
The HGshouldkeepthe
MonardaLawinmind,and
allowthemtoattemptstrange
andinterestingtricks.To
answerVyasa,theLady
Zubeidacanapplythepower
ofherstationinaninfinite
numberofways,ifshechooses
to;nowonderthecondemned
mancouldnotguesswhichshe
wouldemploy .
CHAPTER 13: RESOLVINGCONFLICT
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
164
Theyweresevenhumans,
lockedinalabyrinthwitha
many-leggedmonster.Inthe
movies,thiswouldhavebeen
enoughtodoomthem .But
Janicewasdeterminedthat
theywouldnotbelikethe
peopleinthemovies .They
wouldfight.Theydidfight.
Inthechamberofdripping
ice,theyspeareditthroughthe
eyewithashaftofrock .Still
itcameforthem.Inthehalls
ofsilenceabsolute,theycut
awaythreelegs.Stillitcame
forthem.Intheopenroom,
theyrippeditsside.Stillit
cameforthem .Andwhenit
wassufficientlywounded,
theytorethelastofitsflesh
intoshredsandscatteredthem
wide.
Itwasagoodvictory.
Againstanythingelse,it
mighthaveworked.
Butthiscreaturestill
cameforthem,withoutits
flesh,andwithoutitsmouth
itatethem;andtheycould
findnothingtofight.
-from JACK, byKeiko
Takemori
Twocompleteexampleconflictsfollowthesectionon
Wounds,onthenextpage.
WOUNDS
Woundsaredramatic.Theriskofdeathaddsspicetoany
roleplayinggame.However,"death"assuchcomesveryrarely
totheNoblekind - eventhemortalones .It'sjustnota
verybigpartofthegenre .Accordingly,the HGshouldgivea
PC ormajor NPC everychancetosurvive.
Charactershaveanumberofwoundlevelsequaltotheir
Aspect +4 . Dividetheseevenlyintodeadly,serious,and
surfacewounds.Ifthereisanextrawoundlevel,itbecomes
anextrasurfacewound .Ifyouhavetwoextrawoundlevels,
theybecomeanextrasurfaceandanextraseriouswound .A
PC withAspect 4 (and8woundlevels)has3surfacewound
levels,3seriouswoundlevels,andadeadlywoundlevels .
ASPECT
0: OfMortalForm
1 : Metahuman
2: Legendary
3: Inhuman
4 : Celestial
5 : Exemplar
6:Imperial
7: Imperial
PCscanacquirecuts,minorburns,andbruises .Theirinjuries
donotsubstantivelyimpairthemuntilsomethingreally
terriblehappenstothem.Forexample,ifaPowerleapsouta
windowasabuildingcollapses.rubblemaystrikethemand
brokenglassmayscorethem,buttheeffectsarenotthat
terrible.IfthePowerfailstogetoutintime,beingburiedin
rubblecouldgiveanastyinjury.IftheyareDurant,itmight
takeaterminalvelocityfalloraMachaarrowinthesideto
hurtthem.SacrosanctandImmortalPowersneedevenmore
extrememeasures .Whenasufficientlyhorriblething
happens,the PC losesonedeadlywoundlevel.
AssessingDamage
*Bruisesandscratches
NOBILIS: AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
WOUNDS
1 Deadly; 1 Serious; 2Surface
2 Deadly; 2Serious;2Surface
3 Deadly; 3 Serious; 4 Surface
3 Deadly; 4 Serious; 4 Surface
Thelistedmiraclelevelsandmundaneweaponsareonly
examples.Somemiraclesofagivenlevelaredeadlierthanothers .
Agunshottotheheadisdeadlierthanagunshottothearm .
Determinehowviciousthedamageisafterevaluatingtheeffects
ofcountermiracles.Forinstance,miraculouslydrenchinganarea
Whencharactershavenodeadlywoundlevelsleft,they
areeitherinverybadshapeornaturallyfragile.Theirmortal
bodyhasmostlikelygivenout,andonlywillandmiraculous
energyholdsthemtogether.Atthispoint,ittakeslessto
hurtthecharacter.Aseriouswound- aswordcutdownthe
arm,ashortexposuretofire,or(forDurantcharacters)
cyanidepoisoningoragunshottothehead - coststhe
characteraseriouswoundlevel.
Whenacharacterrunsoutofseriouswoundlevels,they
areeitheratdeath'sdoorornaturallyveryfrail .Anything
nastierthanascratchorbumpcoststhemasurfacewound
level.Whentheyrunoutofsurfacewoundlevels,theydie.
Acharactercannotloseseriouswoundlevelswhilethey
haveevenonedeadlywoundlevelleft - damageinsufficient
todoadeadlywoundleavesthemphysicallybatteredbut
unimpairedfromtherules'perspective .Similarly,acharacter
cannotlosesurfacewoundlevelswhiletheyhaveevenone
seriouswoundlevelleft.Ascharactersweaken,mostbecome
moreconservativeabouttheriskstheyface.
Characterswithnodeadlywoundlevelsleftmustpay
extra MPforanymiracleorGiftthatusesmiraclepoints .
Simplemiraclesandsimple-miracleGiftsremainfree .
Characterswithnoseriouswoundlevelsleftmustpayaextra
mpsforanymiracleorGiftthatusesmiraclepoints .
NPCs builtusingthissystemare,likePCs,hardtokill.
Someoneintendedto"feel"likeanarchetypalscholar,coward,
orvictim,however,shouldbemorefrail .Similarly,acharacter
thatshoulddie,forstorypurposes,hadbestnotcling
ferociouslytolife.SupposeaPC'senemyhiresanastysneak
tobetraythemandthenleavesabombinthesneak'shome
totidyuplooseends.Ifthemalefactorlives,onedeadlywound
levelshort,theexplosionissomethingofananticlimax .
Similarly,ifthePCshavetoescortandprotectascholar,they
shouldnotleavetheirchargeinaminefield,knowingthat
oneortwoexplosionswon'thurtthem.Insuchcases,the HG
shouldmodifythewoundlevelsgiven.
Ifthe HGdoesn'treallycarewhetheran NPClivesordies,
thecharactershouldhavefewerwoundlevels.Thisincreases
theriskthatsomethingwillsuddenlytakethemoutofthe
inextinguisherfoamreducesthedamageinflictedbyamajor
creationoffire.Amajormiracle,poorlycountered,canusuallydo
massiveoverkill.Well-countered,itmightnotevenkillorseriously
injureahuman.DamaginganImmortalisnotalwayspossible;
theirwoundlevelsarelistedforthosetimeswhentheycanbe .
EFFECTONHUMANS Inflictpain Hurt Seriouslyinjure Probablykill Kill/mangle Massiveoverkill
MIRACLELEVELS 0 0-1 2-3 4-5 6+ 7+
MUNDANEWEAPONS Fist Knife Gun Machineguns Tanks Nuclearexplosion
Foot Animalclaw Monsterclaw Fire Avalanche Volcaniceruption
DAMAGETO
IMMORTAL None None None Annoyance* SurfaceWound DeadlyWound
SACROSANCT None None Annoyance* SurfaceWound SeriousWound DeadlyWound
DURANT None Annoyance* SurfaceWound SeriousWound DeadlyWound DeadlyWound
UNDEFENDED Annoyance* SurfaceWound SeriousWound DeadlyWound DeadlyWound DeadlyWound
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4.0.
Ofwhatuseismurder?
-SceltooftheProvenance,
Excrucian
action,andtherebymakesviolenceintheworldseemmore
real.Alternately,ifthe NPCisphysicallyfragile,theHGshould
reducesomedeadlywoundlevelstoseriouswoundlevels,
someseriouswoundlevelstosurfacewoundlevels,orboth.
The NPC willstilltakesomeworktokill,butiseasierto
wound.
Forexample,anAspect 2 minor NPC mighthavefewer
levelsthanthenormal six- I deadlywoundlevel,noserious
woundlevels,and 2 surfacewoundlevels.AnAspect INPC
intendedtoseem"fragile"mighthave 2 seriouswoundlevels
and3surfacewoundlevels.Anordinaryhuman,bothfragile
andrelativelyunimportant,mighthaveseriouswoundlevel
andsurfacewoundlevel.Acharacterwhobeginswithno
deadlywoundlevelssuffersnopenaltyfor"runningout"of
theselevels .
Characterseventuallyhealtheirwounds .First,theyheal
surfacewounds;thenseriouswounds;thendeadlywounds .
Thesehealattheratesbelow.
ForAspectmiraclepoint,acharactercanmovetheir
recoverytimeonestepdownthischart.Thiseffectlastsuntil
theyloseanotherwoundlevel .Forexample,acharacter
withoutanydefensiveGiftscanspend 2AMPSandhealall
lostsurfacewoundlevelsinoneminuteeach,thenalllost
seriouswoundlevelsinonehoureach,thenalllostdeadly
woundlevelsinonedayeach.
Ifa PC wishestoavoidafight,theyshouldhaveafair
chancetorunorotherwiseescape ;theonlyrealexceptionis
whentheplayerwouldliketheir PC presentbutfeelsthatit
wouldbepoorroleplayingtohavethe PC awillingparticipant.
Anexampleofthismightbetheclimacticbattleofthe
campaign.
UsingaWordofCommandcoststhecharactertheir
highestremainingwoundlevel.Moreover,suchawoundtakes
amonthormoretoheal - evenforImmortalsandPowers
whospend AMPS.
NON-LETHALATTACKS
DespitetheomnipresenceofdeathinmortalandNoble
affairs,itisnottheonlyendtoabattle .Certainformsof
attackrendertheirvictimsunconsciousbydesign.Others
dosobyfortuitouscoincidence.
Formsofattackthatcanrenderavictimunconscious
includepotentsoporificandhypnoticassault,asphyxiation,
andblunttraumatothehead .Anymiracleintendedtoknock
itsvictimunconsciouscandosoifthere'sareasonable
explanationforhowitworks.Nobilisareexpertatjudging
theforceandtargetoftheirblows.
Attacksaimedatrenderingacharacterunconsciouscost
woundlevelsnormally.Ahigh-Aspectclubtothebackof
theheadmightdoadeadlywoundlevel .StranglinganAspect
2 characterforminutesonendmightdothesame,aswould
shootingthemupwithanelephant'sloadoftranquilizeror
fillingtheircellwithsoporificgas .Seriouswoundlevelscome
fromlow-Aspectcracksonthebackofthehead,chloroform,
andtasers.
Whenacharacterlosestheirlastdeadlywoundlevelto
suchanattack,theymayfallunconscious,attheHG'Soption.
Whenacharacterlosestheirlastseriouswoundleveltosuch
anassault,itrendersthemunconsciousunlesstheHGrules
otherwise.TheHGcanalsorulethatacharacterfalls
unconsciouswhenlosingtheirlastdeadlyorseriouswound
leveltoamoreconventionalattack.
Ifa PC hasDurant,Sacrosanct,orImmortal,theyresist
non-lethalattacksbasedonphysicaltraumajustastheyresist
lethalattacks .Itrequiresmoreextrememeasurestoremove
oneoftheirwoundlevels .IfacharacterhasImmutableor
Eternal,theyresistnon-lethalattacksbasedondrugs,normal
magic,ormind-affectingExcrucianGifts .Woundlevelslost
tonon-lethalattacksreturnwithinseveralhours,unlessthe
character'snormalrecoveryrateforsuchwoundsisbetter.
EXAMPLECOMBAT
ThisrecordsaconflictbetweenthePowersofBlood,Wine,
andRageandtheExcrucian-shardEndymion.Endymion
isaStrategist(pp. 206-207), partofanExcrucianfaction
blessedwithmilitaryforesightandtheabilitytoweave
malevolentExcrucianpowerintopreviouslymundaneobjects .
Endymionisweavingthatpowerintoajust-builtmilitary
base,preparingittosubvertthesoulsofthesoldiersdueto
arrivethenextday.Endymionhasclaimedthreemembers
oftheskeletonsecurityforceasAnchors .TheNobles,trying
tofigureoutwhatEndymionisdoing,sneakintothebase .
Aminuteorsoaftertriggeringasilentalarm,they'researching
throughsomefilesonthefirstfloorofthecompoundwhile
thesecurityforceclosesin .
Thefourprincipalcombatantsareasfollows :
SuttonSmith, PowerofBlood,hasAspect 2, Domain

I, Spirit3,andDurant.Heisblind;incombat,hewields
twoguns,targetingbysound .
KimberlyHilbrook, PowerofWine,hasAspect3,
Domain3,Spirito,andElemental .
MirariConstano, PowerofRage,hasAspect I, Domain

2, Spirita,AcidicSpittle,andFlight.
Endymion, Strategist-shard,hasAspect I, Spirit 2, an

HG-designedGift"Fortune'sFavorite"thatcauses
minorthingstogowrongforhisenemiesmoreorless
continuously,andtheWorld-Breaker'sHand(seep.
206 fordescription).
HG:Kimberly,you'rethefirsttohearachangeinthepattern
ofthefootstepsechoinginthehalls .Theysoundmore
purposefulnow.
KIMBERLY: Shoot.They'reprobablycomingforus .Istherea
windowinthisroom?
165
It'snogoodexpectinghumans
tostartawarontheirown.
Theyneverdoitonschedule.
James
CHAPTER13:RESOLVINGCONFLICT
RecoveryRates
RESISTANCELEVEL SURFACEWOUND SERIOUSWOUND DEADLYWOUND
Normal 1 day 1 week 1 month
Durant 1 hour 1 day 1 week
Sacrosanct 1 minute 1 hour 1 day
Immortal Almostinstant Almostinstant Almostinstant
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4.0.
166
HG: Nope.
KIMBERLY : Outsidewall?
HG: Yes.
KIMBERLY : Ispenda AMPSandopen-palmthewall,knocking
outasectionlargeenoughforustoheadoutthrough.
MIRARI: "Oh,that'ssubtle."
HG: Araggedcircleofconcreteaboutfivefeetaroundrips
freeofthewallandgoesflyingoutintothelot.Thefootsteps
inthehallsbreakintoarun.Youcanhearshoutsfromoutside.
Everyone'sgoingout?
SUTTON: Nopointinstayingnow.Icouldhearthewalltear,
right?
HG: Yes.
SUTTON: I'mgoingout.
MIRARI: Myselfaswell.
KIMBERLY : [Herplayernods.]
HG: There'sthecrackofasnipershotasSuttonemerges
throughthehole.I'mgoingintoconflictresolutionnow.
Sutton,you'dsaytheshotcamefromathirdfloorwindow;
youraction?
SUTTON: I'mdrawingmygunsandspendingan AMPtotwist
outoftheway.
[Drawingtwogunsisamundaneaction ;spendingan AMPlets
SuttondodgeateffectiveAspect3,whichisenoughtoavoida
mundanelyfiredbulletafteritleavesthegun .]
HG: Kimberly,Mirari,thereareafewarmedguardsinsight
asyoucomethroughtheholeinthewall - badluck,that,
butyouareonamilitarybase.Agunbarrelgleamsfroma
windowhighoverhead.Gosh,anotherbitofbadluck - it's
almostasifsomeonehadthisallfiguredoutinadvance.Any
actions?
KIMBERLY: Figureditalloutindeed .BloodyStrategists .I'm
goingupthewalltoyanktheriflemanoutthewindow .
MIRARI: I'mpickingoffoneoftheguardswithacid .
[ThisusestheAcidicSpittleGift,which,asalevel4miracle,
requiressubstantialAspecttododgeoutright.Thehumanguard
doesn'thaveAspect,sothe HG doesn'tobjecttothecavalier
assumptionthattheguardsizzlesintoash.]
HG: Okay,sniper'saction- done.
[ThesniperisoneofEndymion'sAnchors.The HGfiguresthat
Endymionlikestocoverentrances,andthePcshadthebad"luck"
togooutthesideofthebuildingthathasone.Atthemoment,
Kimberlyisintheprocessofyankingthesniperoutthewindow ;
EndymionrespondsbyusingtheWorldBreaker'sHandtotake
awaymostofthestructuralintegrityofthegroundbelow .The
PCs caninterferewiththiseffect,buttheycan'tsenseit,sothey'd
havetointerferebyguessorbyaccident.]
HG: Sutton,yourdodgecompletessuccessfully.Thebullet
misses.Nextaction?
SUTTON: Ishootallthehostiles .Aspecta.Includingtheguy
Kimberly'stryingtothrowtotheground,Penetrationo,just
incasehe'saCandleflame.
HG: Gotcha.Kimberly,youyankthesniperoutthewindow
andhefallstotheground,theconcretewalkwaysplashing
toallsides.
MIRARI: What?
HG: Thegroundseemstohavebecomevaguelyfluid,sortof
likeconcreteandgrassquicksand .Kimberly'saction's
complete;what'shernextaction?
KIMBERLY : I'mkeepingontopofthisguy.Flippingdown,
twofeetontohisstomach,toseeifIcandrivehimintothe
ground,sinceit'sallfluids .
HG: Penetrationonthat?
KIMBERLY : I'mnotreadytospendanymiraclepointsyet,
butI'mdoingaprettyamazingbitofgymnasticshere,soI'd
bettersticktoAspecta,andthatmeansPenetration I.
HG: Mirari,you'vedissolvedaguard .
MIRARI: I'mflyingintoanotherguardhardenoughtostun
himsoIcangrabagunofmyown.
HG: Sniper'saction - done.Asmallforceburstsintothe
roomyoucameoutof;oneofthemissnappingoffordersin
acontinuousstream .Theothersaremovingintoposition
andtryingtoopenfire.
[EndymionswitchesperspectivestoanotherAnchor,spendssome
mps,andusesthatAnchortogivehigh-Aspect tacticaladviceto
theguards.Guardsandotherminionsareprettymuchlikeasword
oraclub-youcantreatthemasaweapon forpurposesofAspect
attacks.Sincehehastopaya3 MPoverheadtouseAspectmiracles
throughanAnchor,hefeelsheshouldmakeitcount-sohespends
2MPSmoreandexhaustshis
S
SMPs onanAspect3effect. ]
HG: Sutton,younaileveryoneoutsidewithabullet,andfrom
thesoundsyouthinkyou'vekilledthem,includingthefallen
sniper.Actioncomplete.
[ThesniperhasnoAuctoritaswhenEndymionisnotwearing
hisbody.]
SUTTON: Idothesamethingtotheguysinside.
HG: Mirari,you'veknockedoveroneoftheguardsSutton
killedandnowhavehisgun.
MIRARI: Yay!Iknockedoutadeadguard!
HG: Hedoeslookratherstunned .
MIRARI: Iwhirlupintothesky,lookingforanothersniperor
otherthreattotakeoutpreemptively.
HG: Kimberly,youshovethesnipercorpsedeepintothe
concrete,presumablybouncingofffastenoughto-where
doyouland?
KIMBERLY : ThisisonlyanAspect 2 miracle;IthinkI'mgoing
tolandinaJudorollandsortofsplashtoahaltinacrouch.
HG: Done.What'snext?
KIMBERLY: I'mgoingtododge.
HG: Okay.Sutton,it'sterrible - everytimeyoutrainyour
gunonanotherguard,they'vejuststeppedbehindcover;your
bulletsthunkintotrees,walls,andinonecaseasignpost .
Bullets spang offyourskin,leavingbruisesanddents .
Overhead,oneslamsneatlyintoMirari'schest,missingthe
heartbutcostingherherDeadlywoundlevelandknocking
herforabitofaloop.Andit'syouraction,Sutton.
[Endymion'stacticalactionjustcompleted,although he's
sustainingthemiracleitselfForanexplanationofwoundlevels,
seepp.164-165. ]
SUTTON: I'mstandingonunstablefootinginthemiddleofa
militarybasefacingateamofguardswhocandodgeandhit
me?Nuh-uh.Thegrounderuptsinadozensustainedgeysers
ofbloodbetweenmeandthemandI'mleggingitforthe
fence.
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4.0.
HG: Er,isn'tthatlikelytoinduce dementiaanimus?
SUTTON: Point.I'llsetthegeyserstoturnoffinaminuteor
so,andthebloodtofadeaway -it'snight,they'remilitary,
they'llexplainitawayiftheycanexplainawaytherest.Even
iftheycan't,it'snoworsethankillingthem .
[Sutton'smiracleisaLesserCreation,andthuscostshim4 DMPS
foradeepmiracle -he'sonly3Domainlevelsshort,butahard
miraclejustwon'tgethimthere.]
HG: Okay.Kimberly,you'redoingaprettygoodjobofevading
thebullets;lookslikeifyouputthemalltogether,they're
attackingaboutaswellasoneguywithAspect 3.
SUTTON: I'mdoomed.
KIMBERLY: Suttonhastherightidea.I'mgoingtocollapse
intoapoolofwineandflowtowardstheexit.
[ThisusesherElemental Gift.]
HG: Mirari,besidessaying"ow"-yourbody'stryingtoshut
downduetoshock,andit'syourmiraculousnatureholding
ittogether -anyaction?
MIRARI:Whoinjuresme,injuresmypride.Ifilltheirheads
withsuchterribleragethattheywillturnononeanother .
Then,Iflee.
[ThisisaLevel4LesserCreationofRage,normallycosting
2 DMPS. Becauseshe'sprettyseriouslywounded,shepaysanextra
mp.ThismiraclefairlydirectlyopposesEndymion'slevel
3miracle- bothEndymionandMirariarespecifyingtheactions
ofthesoldiers.SoMirari'swilldominates .]
HG: Asyoupassoverorunderthefence,youseethetask
forceturningoneagainstanother - allsavethemangiving
theorders,strugglingfiercelywithwordsandhandstoregain
controlofhisforce.
AskilledHollyhockGodcantakelibertieswithactionorder
andcompletiontoimprovethelogicalflowofevents ;see
Chapter
7
foranexample.NotethatPCsand NPCs arerarely
thiscavalieraboutgettingintoafightoutsideofexamplesof
combat.Someplayergroupsareexceptions .
EXAMPLE"FORMAL" COMBATBETWEEN
OBILIS,USINGGHOSTMIRACLES
HereTurner,PowerofRectangles,fightsCasper,Powerof
Loathing.TurnerhasjustinsultedCasper'sEstate,andso
theconflictbegins.Casperopenswithaghostmiracle ;Turner
repliesinkind .Byunspokenconsensus,theyproceedwith
thecombatasaformalduelusingghostmiraclesonly .
CASPER: Witha"ghostmiracle",Icreateabhorrenceinhim
forthegroundonwhichhestands .
TURNER: Counteringinkind,Icausea 3-D rectangular
pedestalofgoldtoburstthroughthegroundbeneathme,
liftingmeupwards.
RANDOMPLAYER: Whatexactlyareweseeing?
HG: CasperandTurnerarestillstandingfacingeachother
acrossthemuddygrass,butyoucanalsoperceivethegeneral
senseofwhatthey'redoingwiththeghosts - asifyou're
seeingtherealworldbutrememberinganidentical
confrontationthatusedrealmiraclesinsteadofshadowplay .
CASPER: He'lljustkeepdoingthat,Isuppose,ifImakehim
loathegold.HowaboutifImakethespiritsoftheairabout
himunwillingtoenterhislungs?
TURNER: " Iflstarthavingtroublebreathing,"Icomment [as
amundaneaction] "thentheairwon'thavetimetoworry
abouthowmuchithatesme."ThenIfireathousand
geometricpaper-thinrazorbladesathim .
CASPER: Holly,doesmyAuctoritasapply?
HG: Notuntilhedecidestomakeitreal.
CASPER: Iinducesuchahatredinmybodyformetalthatit
willrolloutofthewayofthebladeswithoutmyhavingto
spendanAspectmiracleonit .
TURNER: Canhedothat?
HG: AstheghostofaMajorCreation,sure.
TURNER: <unprintable>Itraphiminanarrowboxwiththe
blades -theonlywayawayfromthemisthroughthem .
CASPER: Mistake;Ishouldhavemadethebladesloatheme .
Okay . . .doesgravityhaveaspirit?
HG: Mm.GravityhasaPowerandanImperator.However,
everythingthatisboundtotheearthhasaspecificgravity
spirit - arope-likecreaturemadeoflightthatbindsitto
motherEarth.
CASPER: Allthegravityspiritsinthisareahatetheirjobs.
AndI'mthrowingmyselfoutoftheboxandgrabbinghold
oftheground-spiritasamundaneaction .
TURNER: It'saverysturdybox .
CASPER: Thisjumpandgrabisn'taghostmiracle,it'sareal
action.Youcanmaketheboxreal,ifyoulike,butthat'llgive
meachancetocounterthebladesbeforetheybecomereal.
TURNER: Hm.WhileI'mstartingtofloatoffthegroundand
intoeffectivehelplessness .
CASPER&HG: Yup.
TURNER: Isay,"Mydeepestapologies,"andconcedetheduel.
AtleastI'vegottenthesatisfactionofseeinghimdiveinto
thereal-worldmud.
DISEASEANDCAGING
Treatanopportunitytocatchadiseasejustlikeasimilarly
dangerousattack .IfaPowercannotavoidcatchinga
particularlydeadlydisease,theyloseawoundlevel.Aless
contagiousorlessdeadlydiseaseaffectsthePoweronlyif
thePowerhasnodeadlywoundlevels ;iftheyhavenone,it
costsaseriouswoundlevel .Powersonlycatchcoldsandthe
likewhentheirsystemisextremelytaxed- whentheyhave
nodeadlyorseriouswoundlevelsleft .ImmutablePowers
resistdisease,muchlikeDurantcharactersresistdamage,
andhealdiseasesasquicklyasDuranthealswounds .Eternal
Powersareimmunetodisease.
Asaruleofthumb,anAspectoPowerhasalifespanof
about100years.EachlevelofAspectaddsabout50yearsto
thattotal.Immutabledoublesortriplesthislifespan ;Eternal
increasesitto"indefinite ."OnewouldexpectthatanAspect
3ImmutablePowertolive500-750yearsunlessenvironmental
factorsorenemiescutthatlifespanshort .Advancedagedoes
notlimitaplayercharacterunlessanappropriateHandicap
istaken.
167
STORYBOUNDARIES
Storiesarenotsimplyooc
conventions .JustastheAges
oftheWorldpartitiontime,
eachmarkinganendingand
abeginning,atimewhenthe
worldbecomesnew,stories
markidentifiablechaptersin
thecharacters'lives.Whena
newstorystarts,somethingin
thestreamofeachcharacter's
lifehasresolveditself.Events
havenailedcertaintruthson
thegatesofhistory.The
charactershaveexperienced
somethingthatchangeswho
theyare.Itisanending.Itis
abeginning.Itisa
transformation.Theprevious
storyisnolongerapartof
theirlives,butratherapart
oftheirhistory.Whetherfive
secondsorfivedecadespass
beforethenextstorybegins,
theyrecovertheirfullshare of
miraclepoints.Theyhave
newstrength.Howcouldthey
not?Itisanewlifetime.
Vyasaaskswhatrestoresthe
strength ofthepowers ofthis
world.Theansweris
transition :thepassingand
beginning ofanage oftheir
lives.
'My," Thomassaid."Youdo
lookundertheweather.Are
youill?"
"Tuberculosis, "I
admitted."FeelslikeHell.I
shouldbeokayforThursday's
party,though."
oftheMarchessa ofShadows
CHAPTER
13
: RESOLVINGCONFLICT
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
168
Thereisnothinginfinitein
thisCreation .Evenyourown
powerwillrundry.Eventhe
Nobilishavelimits .
Youhaveadutytothe
world.Neveradmittothese
limits .Neveracceptthem.
Youarealordorladyof
thisEarth.
-from BECOMINGNOBLE,
byFayolaOsiagobare
"Painpurifiesthesoul,'he
toldme.
"ThenImustbevery
pure."
"Iagree,"hesaid."Thatis
whyImustreleaseyoufora
time,toallowyoutobecome
corruptagain,beforeIfinish
thisinterrogation."
,f romtheThought-Record
ofAugustaValentina
MIRACLEPOINTRECOVERY
APower'smiraclepointsreturntotheirpermanentlevelat
thestartofeachstory.(Seep. 94 foracompletedescription
ofthisprocess.)Restrictionsaretheothercommonsource
ofacharacter'smiraclepoints .TheNettleRite,described
above,cangiveaPowersomemps,andcanalsogivethe
Power'sFamiliadynastypoints .Powerscanusethesedynasty
pointsastheirownmpsinapinch.Finally,aPowercanuse
theRiteoftheLastTrump(asimplerite,alsodescribedon
p. 124)tomovemiraclepointsfromoneattributetoanother .
Thisriteiscostly;prudentPowersmanagetheirmiracle
pointssotheyneverneedtoredistributethem .
EXPERIENCE
Charactersin OBILIS growstrongernaturallywithplay ;
theirImperator'sesteemforthemgrows,theirreputation
increases,andtheplayersbecomemorefamiliarwiththe
system.Theyalsoreceivewhatroleplayinggamesusuallycall
"experience" - extrapointsgivenoutovertimethattheir
playerscanusetomakethecharactersmorecapable.
Everytimethereisasuccessfulandenjoyablegame
session - thatis,everyonehadfun -thecharactersreceive
aDynastyPoint.Atthecompletionofeachsuccessful,
enjoyablestory -onewhereeveryplayerhadfuninmostof
thesessions - theplayerschoosewhethertoreceiveone
newcharacterpointeachoranewChancelpoint .Theycan
spendthispointimmediatelyorsaveitforsomefutureneed .
Itisuptothe HGwhetherPCscanbuyGiftsorattribute
levelsinthemiddleofasessionorstory .NotethatPowers
cannotbuyattributelevelsgreaterthan5 .
Thereareafewotherwaysforthe HG tohandout
experience.PerhapsthePCsgethalfacharacterpointatthe
,`NOBILIS:AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
completionofeachsession,nomatterhowitwent.Perhaps
thePCsdonotgaincharacterpointsatall,butwillsimply
developGiftsandattributelevelsthatreflectthelifethey
lead.(Ifso,the FIGshouldstrivetomaintain PC parity.)Note
thatthedefaultexperiencesystemisnotintendedto"force"
theplayerstohavefun;itismeanttoencourageplayersto
helptheotherplayershavefun .
Playersshouldusuallyknowthein-gameexplanationfor
anyincreaseintheircharacter'spower.Theircharacterwill
betraining,orstudyingtheflowof spiritusDei throughtheir
system,orfindingingredientswithwhichtobuildafocus ;
perhapstheyaresimplybutteringuptheirImperatorinhopes
ofaGiftthe PC really,reallywants.WhiletheHollyhock
GodmaychoosetovetoGiftsthe HGdoesn'twantintheir
game,theyshouldnormallygoalongwiththeplayer'sdesires
inthismatter.
DEATH
Whenaplayercharacterdies,theImperatorenNoblesanew
Powertotaketheirplace.Normally,thisnewPowerhasthe
sameplayerasthedeadone.Mostofthe"experience"the
oldcharacterhadshouldcarryover,thoughnotnecessarily
allofit.
Theonlypartofthecharacterthatmustbethesameis
thecharacter'sprimaryEstate.Eventhen,thenewcharacter
canhaveacompletelydifferentapproachtothatEstate.This
allowsforadifferentsetofassociationswhichthecharacter
canaffectthroughtheirDomainattribute.
Forexample,Arikel,PowerofNight,canaffectdarkness
anddreamsaswellasNightitselfwithhisDomain .Ifhe
diedandanewPowertookhisplace,thatPowermightuse
theirDomaintocontrolninjas,criminals,andthosewho
work"undercoverofnight"insteadofdreamsanddarkness .
Thosewhosurvivetothe
dawnoftheFourthAgewill
knowwonderssuchasI
cannotdescribe.Theywhodie
beforethattimewill,forthe
mostpart,sufferutter
extinction .Ifthereisa
purposetohumanlife,itis
simplytolivelongenoughto
seetheAgesturn .Asforthose
borntoosoon,theyhaveno
purposeatall.
-fromtheSacredTextsof
theTraders
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Ianthewrites:
howtobea
hollyhockC lod
Parts
TheFine
cartsof
Rules
Resolution
"Iamatransfinitebarrier,"she
explained.Itiswithinmypowerto
stopanyfiniteforcebroughttobear.
Youareafinitecreature;youcannot
pass.
Dutyobligesmetowalktothe
endoftheworld,"IsaidandIfeel
itliesbeyondthispoint."
"Thenthequestion," shesaid,
"becomes:isdutyafiniteforce?"
-from THEDUCHESS'NEEDLE, by
EmilyChen
16 9
Sometimes,issueswillcomeupinthegamethatwillconfuseyou- oftenasaquestion
oftheform :"Cananx-levelmiracledo Y?"
Thefirstthingtorememberaboutrulesinterpretationis :it'syourgame.Youhave
therighttomakelevel9RealmmiraclesfreeforallPowers;you certainly havetheright
todecidewhetheranAspect3miracleisgoodenoughtoheara15th-flooroffice
conversationfromthestreet.Ifyou'rewrong,thensowhat?Allitmeansisthatyou've
changedtherulealittle.Youcanchangeyourmindafterthesession,ifyoudecideon
reflectionthatyoumadeamistake.Therulesinyourhousebelongtoyou,notthe
author.
Ingeneral,youmaywanttothinkthroughwhatyou wanteachlevelofmiracletobe
abletodo.Dothisbeforethegame,andyou'llbeabletoanswerthiskindofquestion
fasteronthefly.Herearesomesamplequestions,alongwiththecanonicalanswers ;if
youdon'tliketheanswers,changethem!
Q.WhatlevelAspectmiraclecoversenteringadeath-liketrance?
A :Alevel 2 AspectmiracleputsthePowerintoatrancewithverylimitedpulseand
respiration.Alevel 4 miraclemakesthetranceindistinguishablefromdeathfora
fewdays.Alevel6miraclecanproduceatranceindistinguishablefromdeathforas
muchasseveralyears.
QHowdoesspending AMPSforsenseswork?
A:APoweralwayshassensesequivalenttothoseasimplemiracleofAspectwould
givethem.Spending AMPSincreasesthePower'ssensoryacuityforanentirescene .
AnExemplarwhospends 4 AMPSforlevel9sensescanhearthingssaidinanother
cityandhasthementalprocessingpowertofindaspecificconversation .
Q.CanyouturnsomeoneintoatoadbyusingDomainoverToads?
A:Nope.Youcanturnatoadintoapersonwithalevel6changemiracle,however .If
youmustturnsomeoneintoatoad,youcouldcreateanillusorygianttoadthat
coversthepersoncompletelyandmoveswiththem,orarealgianttoadwiththe
humanintheirstomach.Bothofthesearelevel 4 miraclesofcreation .Asageneral
rule,though,peoplearen'tpartoftheEstateofToads .
QCanhumanssensethe"fragranceoftruenobility"thatsuffusesahigh-Realm
character?
A:Yes,unlessthePowercreatesaGuiseanddeliberatelyoccludesthestench .
Q.CanPowerswithRealm 2- 5communicateviatheirrepresentationsinthephysical
Realm'sHeart?
A:Yes,ifthenatureoftheirrepresentationtherepermitsit .
Q.HowlongdoesanAuctoritasprotectacharacteragainstthesecondaryeffectsofa
miracle?
A:Miraclesbecomeapartof"normal"realityafewsecondsafterthe"conceptual"
actionofthemiracleiscomplete .Untilthatpoint,theAuctoritascompletelyprotects
thePowerfromtheeffectsofthemiracle.Soifsomeonestartsamiraculousfireall
aroundan NPC, itstaysoutsidetheAuctoritasforafewseconds,thenspreadsinwards
exactlylikeanormalfirewould .
QIfmycharacterfiresanarrowatMach3,shouldn'titignoreAuctoritas?It'sthe
bow-work,notthearrow,that'smiraculous.
A:Inthiscase,andothersimilarcases,it'snotfiring thearrowbut hittingsomething
withthearrowthat'stherealmiracle.The spiritusDei remainsentwinedaround
theactionfromstarttofinish.Pretendingyoudon'tactuallyintendtohittheperson
standinginfrontofyouwiththearrowyoufireattheirchestisjustsemantics.The
arrowwillstop,orevenshatter,oncontactwithahighAuctoritas .
Ianthe
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Chapter15
14BookofBeasts:Imperators
'Hellisattherootsofthe
WorldAsh.Thismakesitthe
bedrockonwhichallof
existencerests .Thereisand
mustbecorruptioninevery
worldontheTree,inallthe
aspectsofthatworld,orthe
Ashwouldshakeitsbranches
andtumblethatworldinto
theLandsBeyondCreation ."
-Azizel,FallenAngel,
standard-bearerforthe
UnholyHost
OPPOSITE:
ThePowerofTraffic
byMartinMcKenna
THE'BOOKOFQUESTIONS
ThesequestionsVyasagavetoacreature ofgreatglory,whom
recordsnameonlyastheEmperortoCome.
3.
4.
z.
ThetorturertoLadyRauravacarriesouthistaskwith
witandprecision ." Haveyounoheart?" crieshisvictim .
2. Thetorturersays,Ihadaclientoncewhomurdereda
child.Haveyounoheart?'criedherparentsasthey
broughttheclienttome.Intime,Idiscoveredamost
curiousthing:hehadnone."
Asthetorturerdidnotanswerthequestion,the
responsibilityisyours.Hadhenoheart?
S.
7.
6.
" Lookatthewinds" exclaimsIksa.Itobeysnolaw .There

isnoordertoitsactions.Thisisitsbeauty."
" LookatIksa!" whispersthewind." Onemomentsheeats.
Another,shesleeps.Heractionsarechaos!Thisisher
beauty."
8. Whatisthenatureoffreedom?
Whatliesbeyondthehighestheaven?
Whatwalkedtheworldsbeforetimebegan?
ii. Whatdothedragonsholdsacred?
CHAPTER15:A BOOKOFBEASTS:IMPERATORS
9.
JO.
Theessenceofahumanhasthreeparts :particlesofthe
base,particlesofego,andparticlesofhighernature.
Whyarehumansvulnerabletothiscontaminationbythe
base?
IT
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172
" WhycansomePowerswork
aNoblemiracletheir
Imperatorcannot?"
BecausetheImperators
canempowerahuman,but
cannotenspellthemselves."
-from ANOBLE'S
CATECHISM, by K.C.
Danine
AsCarlexplainedhisproject,
Icouldnothelpbutfeela
growingunease.Summoning
andbindingdemonswas
standardsorcerouspractice.I
couldnotwithouthypocrisy
condemnit.Usingthedemons
astheunderlyinghardware
foranetworkofdistributed
virtualobjects,however,
unnervedme;itdidnot
properlytakeintoaccountthe
underlyingheterogeneity of
theminions ofHell.Surely,I
reasoned,anobjectwould
behavedifferentlywhenin
thementalpossession ofa
demon oflustthanwhenin
therarefiedmind ofajinn of
mathematics?Thiswasthe
beginning oftheriftbetween
CarlandI,andalsothe
beginning oftheOpen
DemonStandardthatwasto
formthemajorfocus ofthe
nextdecadeofmylife.
from INFERNO:AN
INFRASTRUCTUREFOR
ENCANTORYREMOTE
NETWORKEDOBJECTS, by
KeikoTakemori
ESSENCE
Sixessences(alsoknownashumorsorelements)combineto
formsouls.Theseare:
Phlogistonic,thefireintheheart
Aetherial,airyabstractthoughtandreason
Terrene,thefirmmoralgroundingofasoul
Aquatic,thewaterylifeforce
Spectral,theeternalnatureofasoul(the atman)
Sacred,thesparkofthedivineWillembodied
(spiritusDei)
Thefirstfouressences,knownastheaccidentalproperties,
comprisethemortalsoul .Theyareinconstantandvulnerable,
andtheyperishwiththedeathofthebody .Theintegralnature
ofapersonthatsurvivesdeathistheSpectralessence,andit
sharesmanyqualitieswiththemortalsoul -butitoperates
onamuchdeeperlevel .Forexample,amomentaryangeris
associatedwithahighlevelofPhlogistonicessence,whilea
habitualangerorapropensityforhateispartoftheSpectral
essence.
Nobilisdifferfromthelessercreaturesoftheworldsin
thattheirsoulalsoincludesameasureofthe spiritusDei,
meaning" thebreathofGod" .ThisistheSacredorNoble
essence:thestuffofthefirstCreation,atinctureofthestuff
ofYggdrasilorHeaven.ItweavesthroughNoblespiritsand
permeatestheirspectralessenceandmortalsoul,givingthem
miraculouspowers.ThespiritusDei hasadeeperimportance
thanthat,however.AllofCreationevolvesfromthat" breath
ofGod" .ThosewhosharetheenergyoftheCreationare
notsimplyapartoftheworld :theirsoulispartoftheessential
compositionoftheuniverse,andthesumofthesebeings-
YmeraeandPowers-defineseverythingtherein.Theangels
callitthe causacausans, thefirstcause,theimpulsethatcauses
everythingelsetobe.
A MAJESTYOFIMPERATORS
AWORDTOTHEHOLLYHOCKGOD:
HOWTOPLAYIMPERATORS
TheImperators'naturecontainsacontradiction .Ontheone
hand,theylackhumanityentirely:theirsoulsarepure spiritus
Dei . ThismakesthemImperators .Humanmindsshouldhave
agravedifficultyunderstandingtheirmotivesandactions,
becausehumanshaveanentirelydifferentkindofsoul .On
theotherhand,the spiritusDei isthepatternfromwhichall
thingsaremade,includinghumans .TheImperatorscreatea
worldthathumanshavesomeinstinctfor.AnImperatorof
Stormswillbevolatile,anImperatoroftheTreeslethargic .
Eventhebasichumanmyths,legends,andcollective
subconsciousprovidewindowsontotheImperators'selves.
Theyarenotarchetypes,buttheypossessafundamental
qualityofarchetypalbeings:sacrifice(ofthemselvesorothers)
isnothingtothemcomparedtobeingwhattheyare.They
simultaneouslypossessthisabsoluteandcomprehensiblegoal
andathoughtprocessthathumanscannotunderstand .Their
Estatesmaketheirpersonalnaturesobviouswhilethesenses
thatstimulatetheiractionsarepercipientbeyondhumanken .
AnImperatorissometimespredictableoncethePCsknow
themwellenoughtounderstandtheirbasiccharacter.At
othertimes,theirawarenessandunderstandingofhidden
truthsputsthemafewstepsaheadofthePCsindealingwith
asituation .Atyetothertimes,theirfundamentalinhumanity
makestheiractionsdefyhumansensibilities .Atthecore,
though,rememberthatanImperatorcomprehendssacrifice
evenmorethanthePowers,whoaredrivenmoreoftento
bitterchoicesthananyhundrednormalhumansonthe
surfaceoftheEarth.
ASOVEREIGN'SSURVIVALGUIDE:
HOWTOHANDLEIMPERATORS
TherearetenrulesforsuccessfullymanagingyourImperator.
Ifyoufollowthem,health,wealth,andhappinessaresureto
follow.
Ruler. RespectyourRegiusfartoomuchformere
flatterytoeverexpress .
' Rulez: RememberwhatyourImperatorsays.There
willbeatest.
Rule3: Surprisepartiesareverboten .Importantguests

maybevaporized.
Rule4: NevertellaRegiusaboutaproblemyoucan
fix,oryou'llhaveto.
RuleS: NevertellaRegiusaboutaproblemyoucan't
fix,oryou'llhaveto.
WhatdoyoutalktoyourImperatoraboutwhen(sheaccostsyou
inthehall?
1~ Rule6: Sex,food,andsleeparesafesubjects .You're
supposedtobemortal .
Rule7. WhenyourYmera'seyesglazeover,it'ssafeto
stoptalking.
IfyourYmeraisstillpayingattentionaftersuchadiscussion,
somethingisgravelywrong.
Rule8: NeveraskyourImperatorwhat'swrong.You're
supposedtoknow.
Ruleg: Whenindoubt,sneeze.Theydon'tunderstand
sneezing.Itconfusesthem.
and . .
q' Rule10: Ifyouhavetocallforhelp . . . don'tcallcollect.
GENERALTRUTHS
ABOUTIMPERATORS
TheImperialPersonofaRegius,likethepersonofahuman,
iscomposedofthreeparts .
First,thereistheirbody." Gods" andcertainunEarthly
Imperatorscanbebodiless ;ifso,theChancellingritualcreates
abodyforthemiftheyshouldeverperformit.Thebodyof
anImperatorisnormallyimmortal,butdoesnottranscend
thekindofimmortalityaPowercanpossess .Thisisone
reasonfortheChancelRite,forImperatorswhowerecreated
IMPERATORSAND
MULTIPLEDOMAINS
Imperatorshaveatleastone
Estate,andsometimesas
manyasnine.AnImperator
canonlygiveoutsoul-shards
governingtheEstatesits
existencedefines .Thus,an
ImperatorwithPowersof
Love,FireandSong,Blood,
andSecretsistheImperator of
Love,Fire,Song,Blood,and
Secrets .SomeImperatorshave
aberrantPowersacquiredin
non-traditionalfashions,as
withTakariRisu(p. 92) or
viatheRite ofRescue(p.
126) . Thesedonotneedto
possessone oftheImperator's
Estates .
Forsimplicity,since
Imperatorshavenofixed
pointbudget,werecommend
thatallImperatorSecondary
Domainshavelevelequalto
theirDomainscore.The
Domainscoresgivenfor
Imperatorsinthistextapply
toall oftheirEstates.
Quantumtheorytearsdown
theclassicaldividebetween
themundaneandthe
miraculous.When
probabilitiesratherthan
certaintiesdefinetheworld,
thehandofGod-from
outsidetheuniverse -no
longermanifestsasadistinct
andabsoluteperturbationof
naturallaw.Theclean
divisionbetweenanact of
Godandanact ofthe
universevanishes.Thework
ofthedivinediffusesintoa
quantumhalo.Agivenaction
oftheHolySpiritmaybe
threepartsperbillion
miraculous;fivepartsper
billion;oreven,inthe
presence ofasaint,asmuchas
oneandahalfpercentpure
miracle.
fromasermonbyBishop
JuliusDow, 2000-03-25
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4.0.
inaphysicalvessel -theChancelandSovereignsareagood
bulwarkagainstExcrucianattacks .
Second,Imperatorshaveadivinesoul .Asdescribedabove,
thesoulsoftheYmeraeimpelthemtowardsthetraitsof
theirEstatesandgivethemanabsolutecapacityforsacrifice.
Third,anImperatorhasa" mind" ,althoughitdoesnot
functionlikeahuman's .Thegreaterpartofit-mostofthe
time -iswiththeirsoul,intheviciousspiritualbattleofthe
ValdeBellum.ThiscanmakeanImperatorseemvagueand
uncertainwhenPowersspeaktoitsEarthlybody,exceptfor
theraretimeswhenitrestsinthespiritworldandbecomes
supernaturallyacuteonEarth.
EachChancelledImperatordistributesitssoul .Partgoes
toeachofitsPowers,partintotheChancel'searth .Atthe
sametime,itmaintainsitsidentity -thesoulremainsa
singleentityScientificPowersinvestigatingthisphenomenon
haveaveryhardtime:mostPowersdonotfullycomprehend
eventhehumanpartoftheirsoul,letalonesomethingmuch
greater.Somepersevere,andcometotheconclusionthat
therearechannels,likethelegendary" silvercord" ,connecting
eachofthesoul-shardstooneanother.Otherstakeamore
metaphysicaltack,postulatingthatthe spiritus Deiis
indivisibleandthattheChancelRitesimplyignoresthe
distance(thenornow)tobringtheImperator'ssoulinto
proximitywiththeearthoftheChancelandthehumansouls
oftheirPowers.
Imperatorshaveaccesstotwokindsofmiracles :Noble
Miraclesand Imperial Miracles.Imperialmiraclescando
almostanything,exceptwhendirectlyopposedbyanother
ImperatororafullExcrucian .Imperialmiraclescanaffect
anyEstate,andcanevenaffectPowersdirectly.Theirlimit
istime - anImperialMiraclerequiresconcentration,
willpower,rituals,and(dependingontheeffect)hoursor
days.
AnImperatorisalsocapableofNoblemiracles,using
thesamefourattributesasPowersuse,inalmostexactlythe
sameway.AnaverageFamiliaCaelestisisalittlebitstronger
thanasingleImperatorwhousesonlyNoblemiracles,even
ifthatImperatorispayingattentiontothemortalworld.It
isnotenoughofanedgeforthemtobecertainofvictoryin
anyconflict.
AnImperator'scharactersheet -forthosetimeswhen
theyareboundbySovereignlimits - canhaveattribute
levelsupto
7.
TheminimumRealmscoreisS,because(likea
Tempest)theyhavepartoftheirsoulburiedintheirChancel .
Spiritlevelsvary;becausetheRegihavenohuman
componenttotheirsouls,the HG maydecidethattheyhave
highSpiritautomaticallyornoSpiritatall!Imperatorsoften
havetheGiftsImmortal,Glorious,Shapeshifting,
Gatemaker,and/orElemental .Theyusuallyhavebetween
50andgocharacterpoints.
IfthePCsevercomeintoconflictwithanImperator,their
besthopeistostrikequicklyandfromsurprise.Notonly
willthispreventtheImperatorfromusingImperialmiracles
againstthem,theYmerainquestionwillneedtimeto
disengageitsattentionfromthespiritworld .However,most
Imperatorsare" Immortal" ,andsothePCsmustsomehow
capturetheImperator,ordrainitsmagicalpower.Thereis
anothercomplication:Imperatorsdonotperceivetimequite
ashumansdo,andtheyarenotoriouslydifficultformortals
orPowerstosurprise.
DIABOLICIMPERATORS
Hellmayseemtomanyoutsidersnobetterthanthe
Excrucians.Hellisaplaceofliquidsuffering :" Excruciation"
isakindoftorture.Helldesirestodestroyhopeandloveand
integrity :Excruciansoftenattemptjustthat.Onewould
imaginethattheywouldthrowintogether,withtimeenough
todiscusswhethertheuniverseshouldexistonceithasbeen
utterlydamned .Yettheydonot.Why?BecauseHellwishes
itsvictimstosurvive.Itgainsthemnothingtodestroyaman's
life,ifhethenkillshimself-ittakesmoresinthanasuicide
todragasouldowntoHell .AndtheExcrucianswishtheir
victimsdestroyed.
ThefundamentalpreceptsoftheFallenAngelsarethese:
CORRUPTION1STHEHIGHESTPRINCIPLE
TheFallenAngelsdonotbelievethatthereisexistence
withoutcorruptionandthereforedonotconsiderthemselves
tobeinthebusinessofcreatingcorruption .Rather,theywish
toexposeitandfeedit,toturnthenaturallycorruptworld
intoadepravedandvaluelesswasteland .TheInfernalsolution
toanyproblemisidentifiablethusly:theoneswhoare
rewardedarethedegenerates,themalicious,andthevain .
Personalcorruptionisnotnecessarytoactasanagent
ofHell .Infact,someofHell'slordsdiscourageitalmost
asmuchasotherscelebrateit.Betrayals,revelinginmaterial
power,gainingaviciouspleasurefromharmingothers'
lives - theseindicatorsofpersonalcorruptionshowan
appropriateunderstandingoftheworld.Atthesametime,
theydamageHell'salliancewiththeotherImperatorsand
eventheamountofco-operationindividualservantsofHell
canoffereachother.Hellcanonlywinbybecomingwhatit
isnot.Inthis,itismuchlikeHeaven- forHeavencannot
triumphwithoutsettingasidebeautyfortheneedsofsurvival .
SUFFERING1SAFORMOFCORRUPTION
EvenSakyamuniBuddha,whowasneveraservantofHell,
identifiedsufferingasoneoftheintrinsicqualitiesofthe
world. Dukkha, hecalledit,oneofthefourmajortruthsof
existence.TotheFallen,sufferingandcorruptionare
inextricablylinked,asisevidentinanystudyofHell .There
isonemajordifferencebetweenthetwo,however:whilea
celebrationoforrewardforcorruptionenhancesanddeepens
it,rewardingpainlessensit.Theoneswhosufferfroman
Infernalactaretheoneswhoalreadysufferedmost,orthose
whodaredtoadmittotheirpain .
MiseryisnotrequiredinservantsofHell,butitdogs
theirheels.ThefirstservantsandnativesofHell,thedemons,
areinnowayimmunetotheWeirdingWall'sfireasitrises
fromtheInfernal" ground" .Some7,obilissuspectthatthe
lavishactsofevilthattheyindulgein,givenachance,comes
173
" Letmeclamthingsforyou.
Iamnoguardianangel;my
wingswillnotshelteryou
fromharm.Youshallhave
powerinabundance,butit
willnotsaveyou:intheend,
Ishalltakeyoufromthis
Earthandcastyoudowninto
theFiresbelow.Youareno
Faust,whocanberedeemedif
youbutrepent.Theclosing
measuresofyourlifehave
alreadybeenwritten.Doyou
doubt?Thenlookintomy
eyes .Tellmeyouseemercy
there.Iwasoncetheleastof
theCelestialHost,butinHell
Ihavegrownstrong.Tellme
youseehopeinmyeyes.Iam
aLordoftheShadowed
Realm .Tellmeyouseethe
vaguestglimmerof
redemption-
" Pfaugh.Youcannot.And
youneverwill."
-Cedron,Imperator,Lord
oftheWaterwaysofjanis
Duon
CHAPTER
15
: A BOOKOFBEASTS:IMPERATORS
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4.0.
174
THETORTURER'SHEART
Onecouldrightlycallmost
Powers ofHell" evil, and
many oftheDevilstoo.The
CodeofHellencourages
sadismandacts of
desecration.Ontheother
hand,playerswishingto
createethicallyambiguousor
darklyheroiccharactersneed
notdiscardtheCode ofHell
untried.LikeHellitselfit
cancorruptthosewhofollow
it,butatitsrootitremainsa
philosophy -anethic,and
notanabsence ofethics.
Tocreateasympathetic
PowerofHell,self-
abnegationisimportant.It
helpsffthecharactercorrupts
thosealreadycorruptand
tormentsprimarilythe
deserving.Often,thisrequires
bothrewardingand
tormentingthesame
individual -butethicsneed
notstrictlyfollowthelaws of
efficiency.Thecharacter
shouldalsopursueacareer of
exemplaryserviceto
Creation.Eveniftheother
Pcswouldnotworkwithsuch
acharacterbychoice,a
sufficientlygloriousPower of
Hellcanmakeitpalatable
whennecessary.
InVyasa'sSutra,the
LadyRaurava'snamerefers
tothemythicalHellwhere
godstearsadiststopieces
withoutkillingthem .Readers
mayrightlyinferthather
torturerisaFallenAngel,
motivatedbyphilosophyand
Creation'sneedfortorment
ratherthanbysadism.Hehas
aheart,howevercold.
fromadesperatedesiretosomehowtransfertheirpainto
someotherbeing.
ThesecondservantsofHell,theangelswhojoinedwith
LuciferintheWarinHeaven,paidforitbybeingcastdown
themselvesintotheflames.
ThethirdservantsofHell,thePowerswhoallythemselves
toit,areagentsofpain -andsotheirpeersandtheirLords
alikeoftenlaugh(andliftnotafinger)whensuchaPoweris
hurt.Ofcourse,somePowersofHellareperfectlypleasant
people,whoseattractiontoHellisasphilosophicalasthatof
theuncorruptedLucifer;thesemaywellhavetheloyaltyof
theirFamilia.Thisisarecommendedoptionfor PCPowers
ofHell.
POWERJUSTIFIESITSELF
Corruptionandpainultimatelydependuponpower.Amortal
electricianhasahardtimebeingcorrupt,withlittlescope
forcorruptactionbeyondcheatingcustomersortheelectric
companyslightly.Painwithoutpotence,withouttheability
toactonthatpain,ispurelysubjective,andHelltriestolive
inanobjectiveuniverse.Potencewithoutpain,ontheother
hand,maybeimpossibleaswell .Withoutsomemeasureof
suffering,whatisthemotivationtoact?
TheFallenAngelsareinHell .Theirpainisbeyond
humancomprehension.Creaturesborntobeauty,theyare
scarredandbarredfromthemostbeautifulRealm.Ifthey
shouldchoosetocryrageandpowerontotheEarth,thenin
theirmindsnoonehastherighttostopthem.
STORYOFTHE
DIABOLICIMPERATORS
ThehistoryoftheFallenbeginsintheearliestdaysofthe
WorldAsh.SomewhoarenowamongtheFallenwereborn
withthefirstangels,whoconsideredthemselvesthekeepers
ofalltheworlds - Heavenforemostamongthem .Each
angelheardthe" VoiceofCneph" intheirhearts,anemo-
tionalurgingfromtheCreatorhimorherself.Atleast,that
iswhattheangelsbelieveittobe;perhapsitissimplythe
voiceofHeaven,orYggdrasil .Thereisnoproofthatthereis
aCreatoratall .
Theangelsweredifferent,eventhen .Eachhaditsown
personalityandthereforeitsowninterpretationofthevoice
theyallheard.Thestudyofone'sownhearthasneverbeen
themostexactingofdisciplines .Likesensiblebeings,they
createdasocialstructure,withleadersanddebatesandcour-
tesytowardsothers .Ofcourse,thedebatesonoccasionturned
dark.Angelswereevenexiled,eitherforeverorforamillen-
niumandaday.
AngelshavealwaysbeenImperators .TheEstatesofthe
firstAngelswereself-referential,suchas" Consciousness" ,
" Communication" ,oreven" Pride" .Astheseangelscameto
be,theybroughtconsciousness,communication,andpride
withthemintoauniversethathadneverknownsuchthings .
AstheangelssetthemselvestoreshapingHeaven,those
changeswerereflectedintheworldsbelow - andnew
_OBILIS :AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
Angelsbeganappearing,withpreviouslyunknownEstates
like" TheSun" .
Lucifer,oneofthefirstAngels,whoembodiedPrideand
Persuasion,wastheirgreatestleader.HeheardCneph'svoice
withachingclarity,andhisskillsindebateand(ofcourse)
persuasionwereunmatched .Hisbeautysurpassedeven
Heaven'sown .HeledHeaventhroughevolutionafter
evolutionofreality -untilanangel'schangebroughtforth
humanityfromtheEarth.
Noonereallyknowswhyhisloathingforhumanityisso
great.MortalshavesuggestedintheirlegendsthatCneph's
Voicewithinhimsaidthattheangelsshouldbehumanity's
servantsandthatthisnew,pitiablelifeformwasinitsfive-
partsoulbrighterthananyangel .Allthatisknown,however,
isthatLuciferrebelled.OnvisitingEarthandseeingthe
firsthumans,hestormedbacktoHeavenandwithdrewfora
time.Whenhere-enteredangelicsociety,hepreachedthe
GospelofHell :
3.
.The" VoiceofCneph" isalie.Itisthevoiceofthe
angels'fearofCorruption .
2. HellisthetrueCreationandtheTreeisthepath
betweenCreatorandHell .
ThosewhorefusethesebeliefsareforbiddenPride,
nowandforever.
LuciferisPersuasion.Overahundredangelsjoinedhim
beforetheHighCourtoftheBrightRealmexcommunicated
them.Sixty-eightsurvivedtheresultingwartobethrown,
scarredandenraged,intotheHelltheysocherished.Only
ten,atanytime,weretobeallowedupintootherworlds . . . .
AndLucifersmiled.
DIABOLICALESTATES
ThefirstruleofImperatordesignisthis:PCscanbe
exceptions.IftheplayersortheHollyhockGodcanmakeit
makesense,thePCs'ImperatorcanbetheFallenAngelof
Gardening,theMoon,andRomance.Thatsaid,thereisa
commonfactorintheEstatesofmostFallenAngels .Inan
appropriatecombination,theyformapositive,beauteous
whole.Afterall,FallenAngelswereAngelsonce.Atthe
sametime,combinedanotherway,someoftheseEstatesare
blightsupontheEarth.Forexample,Cedron(described
below)hasfourEstates :Parasites,Passivity,Mistrust,and
Growth.InHeaven,hetaughtparasitestogrowinto
symbiotes,passivethingstogrowassertive,andallhowto
healmistrust.InHellhisworkisinverted :heteachesthings
togrowtwisted,parasitic,passive,orunwarrantedly
suspicious.
EXAMPLEDIABOLICIMPERATOR:CEDRON
CedronoftheFallenhasbeendefiledbyhisyearsinHell .
Hisbreathisfetidwithagonyanddespair,andhiseyesare
anemptyvoidthatcouldswallowworlds.Thebeautyofthe
angelsistwisted,inhim .Eachfeatherofhiswingsisa
gleamingknife,andtheradianthairthatspillsoveroneeye
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Iknowthingsaboutyour
heartthatyouneverwill.
-Cedron,Imperatorof
Parasites,Passivity,Mistrust,
andGrowth
isasicklycarmine.ThevoiceoftheCreatorinhisheart
hasbeenutterlysilencedbytheShadowedRealm .He
hasthereforebeenreleasedtocometoEarth,tobalance
betweentheexcoriationoftheExcruciansandthe
excruciationofHell - toagonizeanddamnallCreation
whilerefusingitsdestruction .
Cedron'sChancel
Cedron'sChancelistheWaterwaysofJanisDuon .Aglorious
rivercomesoutoftherealworldandshattersintoathousand
tinyglimmeringstreams .Itisaseductiveplace,itsairfilled
witharawexuberance.Yetitisalsoaplaceofrawperil,for
fivedemonsofthedarkestorderaretrappedwithinthe
dancingrivulets .TheyarecalledFohi,Satyavrata,Xisuthrus,
Deucalian,andOgyges,andtheyarethefiveDeluges,each
anAnchorofLuciferhimself.Thelasttimeonewas
unleashed,onlyasurpassingeffortbythePowersoftheEarth
savedlandbornlifeandhumancivilizationfromutterand
completedestruction .TheAnchor-bindinglimitsandtraps
theDeluges - butitcannotanddoesnotchangetheir
essentialnatureandpotentialfordestruction .
TheshallowwatersofJanisDuondonotcontainthe
onlythreat.TheairinJanisDuonisitselfabreedingground
fortheCroquemitaines,devourersofbeauty.Thesespirits
havenomaterialform,butattachthemselvestoahuman
hostandslowlyquenchthebrightnessinthatperson'sspirit.
Tornbetweentheraw,addictivegloryof JanisDuonandthe
soul-devouringdiscordoftheCroquemitaines,thehumans
wholiveandfishupontheWaterwaysaresurprisingly
normal .ItisprobablysafetoassumethattheCroquemitaines
cannotaffectPowers;atleast,Cedron'sPowersshownofear
ofthem.
CEDRON'S" NOBLEMIRACLES" CHARACTER
SHEET
Limits/Restrictions Restriction :Unholy" Presence" even
whenGuised
Affiliation :CodeoftheFallenAngels
Wounds
2 DeadlyWounds(Immortal)
2 SeriousWounds
3Surfacewounds
TotalCost:
65 CharacterPoints
STORYSEEDSFEATURINGDIABOLIC
IMPERATORS
Croquemitaines
SomeonethePCscareaboutorrespectbecomesthetargetof
ademon,aCroquemitaine,orsomeothermaleficentforce.
Easyenoughtodestroyit,unlessthe" victim" claimstobe
unharmed! (E.g., " butIwantedtosellmysoulforthis!" or
" Don'tyousee?I'vebeenchanged,nothurt!" )Ifthe
maleficentforcebelongstoaDiabolicalImperator'sChancel
orNobles,thePCswillhavetobewaryoftheLocustCourt .
Worseyet,thePCsmayfailtowipeitoutofexistence .
Corruption'sService
ThepCsortheirImperatordiscoveranewthreat :underheavy
Excrucianguard,ahumanalchemistisonthevergeof
creatingtheCariesUnguent,asovereignremedyto
corruptionitself?Ofcourse,thatcouldn'texist -couldit?
" Butifhesucceeds," theirImperatormightsay," Iseethe
ExcruciansdestroyingHellitself.Blisteringstreamsofpurity
wouldragedownintoCorruption'sseat,theShadowed
Realm,aggravatingtheflamesuntiltheyconsumeeventhe
greatestoftheFallenAngels . . ."
ThePCsmightbesenttobearthenewstoaDiabolic
Imperator. . . orto" assist" themindealingwiththesituation .
CELESTIALIMPERATORS
ThosewhoserveHeaven -angelsbornthere,Powersof
Heavenvouchsafedaglimpseofit,eventhemortalswho
recognizethatsuchaplaceexists -aresmug.TheCelestial
Realmisofinfinitebeauty,anditisnotmerelyimpossible
thatanythingshoulddestroyit;itisincomprehensiblethat
anythingcoulddestroyit.EventheExcrucians.Thisisthe
fundamentalfollyofbeauty,ofapower -possiblyoneof
thetwoaxesofrealityinallYggdrasil'sworlds -thatdoes
notgrantamatchingstrength.Helllaughsatbeauty.Yetdo
notforgetthattheCelestialHostwontheWarinHeaven .
ThefundamentalpreceptsoftheCelestialHostarethese :
BEAUTY1STHEHIGHESTPRINCIPLE
TheAngeliccommitmenttobeautymayseemshallowfor
someofthemightiestandmostblessedbeingsinallreality .
Itisnot.TheAngelsmountagrittyanddeterminedstruggle
tocelebratethewonderofCreation,despiteallthehorrorin
it - and,inthenameofthatcelebration,ifnecessary,an
AngelwillblockanAbhorrentWeaponwiththeirownbody
andblood.Heavenhasnotyetrecoveredfromthetraumaof
Lucifer'srevolt.TheBlessedRealmmayhavewashedaway
thewoundsofbattle,buteveryAngelisawarethatthereare
someoftheirkindandkenburningeternallyinthefiresof
Hell .
Humanscannotreadilybearsuchthoughts .Theideaof
relatives- lovedones -eternallydamnedcanbeunbearable
toanyonebelievingindamnation . " Demortuisnilnisibonum"
isamortal'skindofphrase:" speakkindlyofthedead,ornot
atall ." Buttheangelsbearmoreherethanahumaneverwill,
175
Itissometimessaidthat
angelsarebeautiful.Ionly
wishitwereso:Iknowmy
hairisragged-cuttoday,I
couldn'tfindmygoodsuit,
andthereisthisunsightly
molethatonlyafashion
modelcouldgetawaywi-
forgiveme;Idigress.Itis
sometimessaidthatangelsare
beautiful,anditissometimes
saidthatwearethecreators
of beautifulthings.Many of
mykindwilltellyouthat
last,forhasitnotbeenour
goalsincetimebeganto
perfectthebeauty ofHeaven?
Ihaveaclearersightthan
that;forthisreason,theycall
meinsane.Thereisnosuch
thingasabeautythatisnot
appreciated.Angelsdonot
createbeauty .Wediscoverit.
Andthat,dearone,iswhyI
havechosenyou:foryoucan
beartheburdenIgiveyou,
theburden oftruemadness -
andmakeitbeauti ful.
" ThisItrustinyou . . .
buthavenofearoffailure.I
amalreadycontent.Ihave
seenintoyoursoul,fromthe
TwirlingPeaks,andIhave
foundenchantmentthere."
-Hazael,Angel ofDisorder,
tothenewestPowerof
Insanity
CHAPTER 15: ABOOKOFBEASTS:IMPERATORS
ATTRIBUTE LEVEL MIRACLEPOINTS
Aspect 3: Inhuman 7
Domain 4: Masterful 6
Realm 6: Imperial 8
Spirit 0: Candleflame 5
GiftsandVirtues Immortal
Gatemaker
Virtue:Corrupt
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176
" Ihavebeenappointedto
standatHeaven'sGate,andI
saythatyoumaynotpass.Do
notprotest!Itisnofailurein
yourservicethatbarsyou.It
isnotwhatyou arethatkeeps
youfromentering.Itiswhat
you were. Itiseverysin,
everyhumanfeelingthatyou
haveeverhad -Idonot
rememberthem .Youdonot
rememberthem .ButHeaven
doesnotforget."
-Pethahiah,theGuardat
Heaven'sGate
fortheirkinfolkinHellarealive,andtheyweredamnedby
theangels'ownhands.NogreatwonderthatmodernAngels
clingtightlytothatwhichtheypreserved:thebeauty,the
purity,andtheintegrityfoundinHeaven,andfilteringdown
tothelandsbelow.
JUSTICEISAFORMOFBEAUTY
Angelscanworkmiracles.Itisfortunatethattheyareboth
strongandwise;ifeveryhumanhadsuchgifts,societywould
quicklycollapse.Evenangelicsocietystrainsundertheweight
oftheirpowers.Accordingly,Justicewasinvented,andLaw
aswell .Lawisan" unfortunatenecessity" whichexistssolely
toprotectsociety.ItisfortheLawtogivedispassionateand
resolutejudgments,bindinganAngeltoanunpleasantservice
orexilingthemfromHeavenaltogether.Justice,astheangels
conceiveit,issomewherebetween" karma" and" poetic
justice" ,revengesthathavetheirowninnerbeautyandwhich
arecleanlyandclearlyfitting .Thetwointersectthus:anact
ofjustice,howeverharmfulitistothetarget,doesnotmake
itsenactoradangertosociety.
TotheAngels,then," justiceisbeautiful" simplystatesa
fact.Itisbeautifulfornootherreasonthanthattheangels
makeitso.Theycarebecauseitisbythetenetsoftheir
" justice" thattheycondemnedtheFallenAngelstoHell .For
thePowersofHeaven,justicemeanssomethingelse .Itmeans
thattheyhavecommittedthemselvestoacceptingeventhe
darkestpartsoftheHeavenlycreed - theexileofLucifer
andhisfollowers -andlivingitoutassomethingbeautiful .
Itiseasytopromotebeautyinone'shouse,togivebeautiful
thingstoone'sfriends,toreignwithpeaceandclearjudgment
overone'sChancel;makingbeautyoutofthedestructionof
anExcrucianortheexcruciationofadestroyerismuchharder.
ThatisthecommitmentofHeaven.
LESSERBEINGSSHOULDRESPECTTHEIR
BETTERS
Angelsarefundamentallyarrogant,andwithgoodreason :
onlytheExcrucianssurpasstheminbeauty;onlytheAaron's
Serpentssurpasstheminmight;onlyAngelsareborntothe
BrightestRealmthereis.Yetthereisafundamentalweakness
inthenatureoftheAngels(andinalmosteveryPowerwho
choosestoserveHeaven) :LuciferhasdeniedthemPride.
HadtheAngelsresisted,thenevenPride'savatarmighthave
failedatthis,butitwasthejudgmentoftheHighCourtin
HeaventhatLuciferhadthatright.Becauseofwhathewas;
becauseofwhathehadpromised ;andbecausehewasthrown
fromtheBrightestRealmintotheDarkestofthemall .
TheAngelshavenopride,andsotheymusthavethe
respectofothers.Knowingthatonlythenewestangelsknow
theirproperplaceasthehighestLordsinallCreation,they
requirethatallothersbowtothem .Otherwise,Heavenitself
mightbetainted,mightallowsomeofthemortalstenchof
theworldsbelowtopermeateitsessence .TheAngelsmight
stepbackfromHeaven'sGateandwhoknowswhatserpents
mightcrawlin?
Itistechnicallypossibleto ally withHeavenwithoutthis
clause.APowercandedicatethemselvestoHeaven'scode
andnotoncebendtheirkneetotheCelestialHostordemand
obeisancefromthemortalsoftheworld.TherearePowers
whodoexactlythat,butitisasrareasleopardsinthefrozen
north.MostPowerswhoallywithHeavenhaveheardasong
intheirdreams,havefeltthefabricofthepurposesofHeaven
betweentheirfingers -mostPowerswhochooseHeaven
chooseitbecauseitsingsabeautifulsong .Theycommit
themselvescompletelytoHeaven . . . andtheothersarenot
reallyHeavenlyatall,merelyhumanswhohavebeenand
chosentoremainservantsofbeautyandjustice .
STORYOFTHECELESTIAL
IMPERATORS
TheAngelsarenativesofHeaven :fleshofitsflesh,bloodof
itsblood,bornwholeandcleanfromthebone-whitehillsor
thepureglitteringsurfacesofitslakesandstreams .Itissaid
bytheoldestonesthatthesehavealwaysbeeninHeaven,
forallthattherewereoncenosuchconceptsashillsorlakes,
orevenliquid,orevenwhiteness.Itisaplaceofsurpassing
rightness;evenweresomeilltospreadacrossitssurface,some
stainlikemurderoralandfillmiraculouslydrawnfromEarth,
Heaven'sessentialcharacterwouldstillshinethroughlikea
cataclysmofhealth.Angelspartakeinthishealth.
Theangelsarecuratorsanddesigners,constantlyguarding
andimprovingHeaven ;the" voiceoftheCreator" intheir
heartstellsthemthatthisistheirrole.Othersspeculatethat
thatvoiceisnottheCreatorbutHeaven'sown,thatthe
PerfectRealmbroughtthemforthasaconsequenceofits
owndesires .Eitherway,thisdutyhasdictatedtheiractions
fromthebeginning,whenthefirstsentientcreatureslaytheir
handsonHeavenandsoughttobringforthgreaterwonders
fromit.
Fromtheseearlyeffortscametheflowers :toolswithdeep
associations,abletoweatherthehardpreciseforceofan
angel'swillandturnitintoasofter,lessharmfulmagic .With
CanterburyBells,theybuiltGratitudesothattheyand
Heavencouldappreciateoneanother.WithYellow
Chrysanthemum,amelancholyangelgaveshape(andbeauty)
todejectionandlovelost.AndwhenHeavendidnotknow
howtochange-whenitsslicksurfacebegantocastoffthe
changestheangelshadmade -Hemlocktaughtitthatthere
aresomegatesonecanonlypassthroughonce.Hemlock
taughttheworldofDeath.
Therewereothersuchtools,ofcourse.TheTarotfor
one,astrologyforanother.Evenlanguageservedbriefly,
thoughitprovedclumsy.Withallofthese,Heavenmoved
on.TheGreatWorkmovedon.AndthenAshrieldiscovered,
toalltheangels'greatamazement,thattherewereworlds
besidesHeavenwhichneverthelessseemedtomimicintheir
historythepatternsoftheBrightestRealm.Allsaveone.All
savethehorrorthatwasdiscoveredshortlyafter,andthen
forbiddentoallforcenturiesmore:Hell,theDarkestRealm
thateverwasoreverwillbe.
LawandJusticewerecreated,andintimesomefewangels
werebanishedfromHeaven .Theysimplycouldnotco-operate
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withtheothers'perceptionofhowtheGreatWorkshould
go.OnlyafewwereeverlostthiswayuntilLucifer'sRebellion,
whenLucifer,inwhosenameHellhadbeensealed,beganto
preachheresy.Ithadbeensealedwithhisblessing;itwas
reopenedtocursehimandallwhocamewithhim .
ItwasthegreatesttragedythatHeavenhadeverknown.
HeavenknewnoothersuntiltheExcrucianscame,andthe
AbhorrentBladeAtrocity(alsocalledBriareos)slewthefirst
keeperofHeaven'sGate.Heaventhrewthembackandseta
guardonthecurvingopenmouthoftheWeirdingWall .The
ExcrucianshavenotsincedaredtheBrightestRealminforce,
althoughtheyhaveattimesapproacheditinstealth.
Theangelsarepowerful .Neverforgetthat.Buttheyare
uneasywhenbloodstainstheirblades .
CELESTIALESTATES
TheCelestialHostcanhaveanysetofEstates,butasageneral
ruletheywillhaveacelebratoryapproachtothem .TheAngel
ofBloodandWinedoesnotruleanEstateofdeathand
stainsanddrunkenretching:thewebofassociationsaround
Bloodincludesvigor,andtheheart,andresistancetodisease .
HerPowerofWinemightbeabletolooseninhibitions,make
socialcontactmorecomfortable,andcreatelaughterbut
wouldhavesomedifficultyconjuringadeadlyamountof
alcoholintoahumanenemy.Onceagain,PCscanbethe
exception :deathexistseveninHeaven,andcarwrecksand
vomitingandsuchwouldiftherewerehumansdrivingcars
aroundtheBrightestRealm.(Thisisnotlikelytohappen
anytimesoon .)
EXAMPLECELESTIALIMPERATOR :HAZAEL
HazaelistheAngelofDisorder,Insanity,andTime." The
universe," heexplains," reflectsitself,andhopestoseea
methodtoitsmadness .Fromthis,Ihavecome.Likehumans
watchingtherandomshapesofclouds,Ifindthejoyinthe
disorderthathasbeendevouringallthingssincethemoment
timebegan ." Heisdual-natured,suspendedbetweenthat
gluttonousdisorderandthecleanclearmirthofjoy ;his
Powers,likehehimself,aredividedwithinthemselves .
Hazael'sChancel
LocusHazaelis,asonemightexpect,awildplace .Not
contentwiththehandfulofmileshewasabletoseizefora
Chancel,Hazaelswitchedscalesandbuiltawholeworldin
miniature.FromtheTwirlingMountains(hispersonal
celebrationof DNA, orpossiblytheMaypoleDance;hegives
differentanswersatdifferenttimes)totheGreatFoot-Deep
Sea,theplaceisalandmarktoeccentricstyle .Itistheonly
placeinalltheEarthwherethea'moronthologophorus
lives - abeastwhosehair,giventowomeninmarriage,
makesthemyoungandbeautifulforever.(Alas,Powersrarely
marrymortals,becauseoftheWindflowerLaw.)
TheguardiansHazaelhasplacedinhisrealm -besides
themillionsoftinypeople,whoreallycan'tdothatmuch -
aretheKrakens,beastswearing" continents" forshellsand
sendingoutmile-longwrithingtentaclesthroughtheshallow
seas.TherearefewthingsmorehumiliatingtoeitheraPower
oranExcrucian-shardthanbeingdrownedinafootofwater
byathousandwire-thintentacles.Hazaelcan,withoutmuch
qualmandwithagooddealofmerriment,throwdestroyers
ofbeautyintotheirclutches .HazaelrecruitshisPowersfrom
thepeopleofhisChancel - standardpractice - buthe
givesallofthemtheScalingGift,theabilitytochangesize
moreorlessatwill .
HAZAEL'S " NOBLEMIRACLES" CHARACTER
SHEET
Glorious
Gatemaker
Limits/Restrictions
Restriction :FearofFlyingandHeights
Affiliation :CodeoftheAngels
Wounds
3SeriousWounds
3SurfaceWounds
TotalCost:
70 CharacterPoints
STORYSEEDSFEATURINGCELESTIAL
IMPERATORS
TreasureHuntinLilliput
Somethingsmallenoughfora" Lilliputian" tocarryislostin
LocusHazael . . . preferablysomethingatinypersonwould
wishtokeep.Perhapsavitalmessagethatlivesinmortal
minds?ThekeytoaboxholdinganExcrucian'sheart?It
shouldhavesomeeffectontheworld,sothatifthePCsfigure
outadecentapproach,theyhaveachanceoffindingit .Of
course,ifHazaelisn'tco-operative,thetaskwillrapidlyturn
nightmarish.
TheAngel'sMadness
Hazaelisequalpartsjoyandentropyinhisperson,although
heembodiesneitherofthem .Whathappenswhenhefinally
fallsbetweenthecracks?WhatifthesetwoaspectsofHazael
splitapartviolentlyanduseLocusHazaelasthebattleground
todecidewhichofthetwowilllive?WhilethePCs'Imperator
strugglestosaveHazael'ssoulfromself-destruction,thePCs
(mostlikelyunwelcome)aresenttoguardhisbodyandhis
Chancel .
Indulgences
OneofthepeculiarparadoxesofHeavenisthis :thevisitof
animpurebeingisguaranteedtosoilit . . . yetitisasstalea
placeifitisalwaysseenbythesameangels'eyesasifthe
GreatWorkofchangingithadneverbeenstarted .Onvery
177
Someday,dearchild,allof
thiswillbeyours.
-Hazael,Imperatorof
Disorder,Insanity,andTime,
holdingupatwenty-dollar
bill
CHAPTER
15
: ABOOKOFBEASTS:IMPERATORS
TRAIT LEVEL MIRACLEPOINTS
Aspect 4: Celestial 8
Domain 2: Minor 5
Realm 7: Imperial 7
Spirit 4: Conflagration 5
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4.0.
178
" YoumaycallmeFather,
althoughIamnopriest,andI
donotshareyourblood.Mm.
Inaway,allhumanityismy
child;1protectthem,Iguide
them.SimplybyexistingI
showthemthepathsof
healthygrowth.Ah!They
listensorarely!Butyouwill
listen.Thegiftyouhave
receivedwillensurethat,once
yourCommencementis
complete.Iknowitishard -
Icanfeelthewildgray
headachesthatassaultyou,
thenauseathatfumesout
fromtheverybonesofyour
soul.Iknowitishard -but
Icannotletyoudie.Notnow .
" Youwillputdownthe
bladenow,child.Andwalk
withmeawhile.
-Jahaleel,Imperator,
MagisteroftheLight
rareoccasions,accordingly,theangelsbringupamortal,ora
near-mortal .TheyhavechosenthePCs .Butwhatifan
Excrucian(disguisedasaPC'sshadow)enterswiththem?
WhatifmanyangelsresentthisdecisionbytheHighest
LordsofHeaven,toallowmortalsupintotheBrightRealm?
Andwhatifthejustificationgivenaboveisnottherealreason
theangelshavebroughtthemupthere?
IMPERATORSOFTHELIGHT
TheLightarepowerfulspirits ;liketheangels,theyare causa
causans, ofthefirststuffofCreation,andforthatreasontheir
existenceaddsnewaspectstoEarthlyreality .Theyhavea
noble,ifsomewhatlimited,mission- theyexisttoprevent
theextinctionofhumanity .Atleast,mosthumanswould
callitnoble.Theyhaveothertraitswhichmakethemless
appealing:acertaincondescension,awillingnesstothrow
awaywhatmakeshumanlifeworthwhiletopreservelifeor
throwawayfivehundredlivestosaveathousand,andan
unwillingnesstotakeriskswithhumanity'ssurvival .Ifithad
beenuptotheLight,humanswouldhaveremainedsavages .
Steel,cars,computers,fastfood,explosives,theprinting
press -allthesewouldhavebeentoodangeroustoallow .
TheLightmaypresentitselfasflowers,wisdom,andpeace,
butintheenditmaybehumanity'smostdangerousenemy .
ThesearethefundamentalpreceptsoftheLight:
HUMANITYMUSTLIVE,ANDLIVEFOREVER
Withthisstatement,theLightcastsdefianceintotheteeth
ofeverythingknown .TheExcrucianswillnottriumph.The
Darkwillnottriumph.EventheinevitabledeathofCreation
willnotbringanendtohumanityiftheLighthasanything
tosayaboutit.LikeallImperatorsandmanyPowers,the
typicalfolloweroftheLighthasacapacityforsacrifice -of
themselvesandothers -thatwouldstaggertheaverage" man
onthestreet" .Atanappallingrisktothemselves(and
remember,theLightdoesnottakeriskseasily),three
ImperatorsoftheLighthavealreadyventuredoutintothe
LandsBeyondCreation,hopingtofindasafeworldonwhich
tonurturehumanitywithouttheDark'sinterference.One
hasreturned,sorelywoundedandunsuccessful .
ManyPowersallythemselvestotheLight .Bornas
humansandgiftedwithgreatmagics,theyreadilytakeon
theLight'sroleashumanity'sprotectors,teachers,and
keepers.Theyknowhumanity,intheirverybones.Someof
themcanencompasstheinfinitescopeoftheLightlords'
dedicationtohumanity'ssurvival ;someevenfindthis
dedicationinthemselves .Othersconsideritenoughthatthey
battletheExcruciansandbuywiththeirlivesafewmore
gaspsoftimeforthehumanrace.
WHATMUSTBEDONEOUGHTBEDONE
CLEANLY
Humanityhasalwaysbelievedthatimpuremethodscanserve
itwell.Thefactorieswiththeirpollutantssteamingintoair,
water,andeartharecalled" advanced" oreven" necessary" .
Overandoveragainthroughouthistory,thereligioushave
torturedthehereticsandmaimedtheunbelievinginthename
ofloveandrighteousness .Simplytopreventwar,twonations
builtsufficientnuclearweaponrytodestroytheworldutterly .
TheEarthhasonlyoneanswertosuchacts:revulsion .Had
nottheLightbeenthere,tohelpitunderstandthewaysof
thehumansthatscurryuponitsface,theEarthwouldhave
splinteredcitiesandshatteredroadways,broughtdownthe
airplanesinacavalcadeofthunder,andgulpedhumans
greedilyintoitsmoltendepths .
Isitanywonder,then,thattheLightseekspurityinits
service?Neriah,MagisteroftheLight,phrasesitthus :" We
arehumanity'sguides,humanity'sguardians .Thereisonly
onepath:wemustdobetterthanthey." TheLightisnot
somehuman'sfleshypinkorebondarkness :itisandmustbe
theclearpurewhiteofthefullspectrum .
ForPowers,theroadtothevirtuethattheLightdemands
isahardone.It'salsoperilous .Thediabolicanddemonic
forcesofHellloathetheLightevenmorethantheyloathe
theAngels .Thesinglerewardisa" clearcoldshining" inthe
depthsoftheirsoul,sometimesalsocalled" grace" .
HUMANSMUSTBEPROTECTED
(PARTICULARLYFROMTHEMSELVES)
IndividualhumansareintruththeleastoftheLight's
concerns.Theyhaveawholeworldtosave.Inthenameof
humanity'ssurvival,PowersoftheLightallowthemselvesto
workanyatrocityagainstthehumanspiritorahuman
population .Theydonotforget,however,thathumanityis
composedofhumans .ItischaracteristicoftheLight,in
addressinganyBreakthroughorotherdangeroussituation,
thattheywillspareasmanyhumans(andthehappinessof
thosehumans)astheycan .Theirownhappinessmattersnot.
UnliketheYmeraeoftheLight,affiliatedPowerscanbe
weakandimperfect.Theymaysparethemselvespainata
human'scost.Insomecases,wheretheiroverallactionsstill
servetheLight,thereisnopenaltyforthis,butifaLight
Powersparesthemselvespain,andhumanitygainsnothing
fromtheiracts,andevenoneindividualhumansuffers . . .
theguilt(andperhapsan MPloss)willhauntthemforatime.
Thisissoevenifthathumandesiresthatsuffering.TheLight,
afterall,mustbepure.
STORYOFTHE
W MAGISTERSOFTHELIGHT
TherewasonceachancehumanitywouldbecomeImperial .
TheybeganintheoneplaceonEarthclosesttoHeaven,the
majesticGardenofEden.Allofthecreatureswholivedthere
werethrallsofAdamandEve.Eventhefruittreeswould
bowdownsotheycouldreachthebrancheseasily.Theywere
miraculousbeings,andintimemighthavebeenreadyfor
thefruitofthetwotreesthatweredeniedthem :atreeof
citrusImmortality,andanappletreethatheldself-
preservationandself-destructionlockedwithinitsheart .
ManaechuswasanAaron'sSerpent.LikemostImperators
hewasessentiallyimmortal.Theleastofhiskindrequire
ÌdreamedthatIwasinafar
futureworld,inabarren
militarybase.Somegreat
magichadimprisonedme
there,butIhadnowishto
stay.Soinmyroom,atnight,
withmybedshovedup
againstthedoor,Ibeganto
tearthefloorboardsup.
Beneaththemwasconcrete;I
shattereditinthreeblows
andletthepiecesraindown
tothefloorbelow.Whenthey
haddoneso,Ilookeddown,
andforamoment,Iwas
seizedwiththeuttermost
horror-forbeneathmewas
ashaft,leadingdownfloorby
unendingfloor,andIcould
notseetheend ofit.Irealized
inthatmomentthatthe
Earthwasnomore:that
humanityhadreplacedit,
mantle,core,andallwith
leveluponlevelofhalf-lit
livingspace.Acryroseupin
mythroat,forthedestruction
ofhumanity'shome -and
thenathoughttrickledinto
theback ofmymind.
" Humanityhassurvived
this," Ithought.`Survived
andgrownsonumerousthat
allthehollowedEarthitself
wasneededforroom .'Andin
thatmoment,Iknewthat
Natureitselfhadbeentamed,
andhumanitywouldlive
forever.
ÌlookoutattheEarth,
sometimes,beyondmy
Chancel.AndIweepthatI
haveleftthedream . "
Nephishesim,Imperator,
MagisteroftheLight
OPPOSITE:
Honesty
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.
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4.0.
180
THECONTAMINATIONOF
HUMANITY
Thedegenerationof
humanitybeganinthedays
ofCainandAbel,whenthe
edictagainstincestforcedthe
earlyhumanstobreedwith
beasts.Vyasaaskshow
humansbecamesusceptibleto
contaminationbybase
qualities.Itbeganwhen
animalbloodfirstmingled
withtheblood ofAdamand
Eve.
NobleMiraclestoslay;thegreatestcanonlybewoundedby
themostpotentExcrucianblades .Yetimmortalitydoesnot
meansafety,andManaechusmadeahorriblemistake.He
ventureddowntowardsHell,wherenobeingmaysafelygo,
andpeeredcuriouslydownintoHell's" floor" ,ataintedsection
oftheWeirdingWall .NodemoncouldassailhimandLucifer
hadnotyetFallen,butnotfarbelowhim,acrackinthebark
letsomeofHell'scorruptionintothesapoftheTree .Twenty
milesabove - atrivialdistance,onthetree - theAsh's
inherentvitalityhaddrawnthepoisonfromthesapand
nullifiedit.Manaechus,notknowingitwastainted,drank
deepbeforereturningtotheupperrealms.Thusashadow
fellontohissoulandtwistedhisperceptions .Torturedby
hallucinations,ManaechuscametoEarthtoeatofthefruit
ofself-destructionandlearnawaytoescapethepain .Yet
thetree,cousintohisfatherAsh,refusedhim .Itsfruitwas
forhumansalone,when they hadgrownintotheirstrength.
FurydoesnotcaptureManaechus'semotion.Betrayal,
hate,lust,rage- wordsfail .Nohumanhaseverfeltsuch
turbulentdarknessasManaechusfeltthen .Sohetookon
theguiseofasmallerserpent,andspoketothetwohumans
oftheGarden .Hetoldthemmanythings,andhetaught
themthetreelorethatwouldgiveintotheirhandsthefruits
theyandhehadbeendenied .KumquatsofImmortality.
ApplesofKnowledge.TheseweremeantforAdamandEve,
intime.WithManaechus'shelp,Evetookanappledown
andtookabite.ShehadagreedthatManaechuswouldeat
ofthesefruitsoncesheandAdamhaddoneso -abargain
thatseemedwellmadeatthetime.
Evelearnedself-preservationinthatbite,andwisdom :
wisdomonalevelwiththeImperators,withtheangelsin
Heaven .SheunderstoodinthatinstantwhatManaechus's
intentionswere . . . andthatthedeath-throesofaSerpent
driventosuicidemightdestroytheGarden,andhumanity
withit.SheunderstoodwhyManaechuswasdriventosuch
anend,andsoshetossedawaythefruitofimmortality,and
tooktheappletoAdamtogifthimwithwisdomaswell .
Somethingelsehadhappened,though,whenEvetook
thatfirstbite,whoseimportanceneitherEvenorManaechus
hadguessed .Alimnofwhitehadformedaroundthetree's
branches.Itwasnotsomeforceawakenedbythetreelore;it
wasthefirstImperatoroftheLight,anincarnationofthat
whichEvehadlearned,ofthepreservationofhumanity.This
wastheGardenofEden .Evewasthesecond(or,bysome
myths,thethird)humantowalktheEarth.Theapplesof
thattreewereamongthemostpotentsecretsoftheworlds
upontheAsh.TheLightwasborn,anditwasbornstrong.
Inayear,itcouldhaveraisedhumanitytothelevelofgods .
Itdidnotgetthatchance.Merehourslater,withAdam's
bite,theDarkwasborn .Meredayslater,intheirfirstconflict,
theDarkwonitsfirstvictory .AdamandEveleftEdenand
weresealedfromitforever.Theyleftbehindthecitric
Immortality.TotheLightthatwasthebitterestblowofall .
AdamandEvewerestillthefirsthumans,stillthefolkof
Eden,andstillpowerful .Theirchildrenwerenumerousand
sharedthatpower.Forbiddentobreedwitheachotherby
AdamandEve,theybredwithbeasts -andsostrongwas
theirhumanitythatthebeastsborehumanchildren .Ironically,
however,theanimalcomponentofthelatergenerationsof
childrenloweredtheirmysticalstrengthineachgeneration .
Eventually,humanitywasjustananimallikeanyother,
withoutdominionoverorcommunicationwiththebeastsof
theworld,andunabletocrossbreedatall .Yetonethinghad
beengained:humanityspreadacrosstheEarth.Humanswith
traitsofbisonbredwiththehumandescendantsoftimber
wolves,andtheir" genes" werediverseenoughthatfewof
thechildrenweredeformed .Withthespreadofhumanity,
moreImperatorsoftheLightwereborn,toguarditandto
guideit.Andintheshadows,theDarkwaswaiting .
ESTATESOFTHELIGHT
Humansbornofathleticparentscanbecomebookish
scholars ;scionsofwealthyfamiliescanbedisinherited.Ina
likemanner,Lightlordsbornfromhumanity'sadvancesand
fromitsexpansionacrosstheEarthcanbringstrangeEstates
intobeing.MagistersoftheLightusuallyhaveatleastone
Estatetiedtohumanity -Agriculture,Politics,Armor,
Cities,Advertisements,andsoforth.TheirotherEstatesmay
besimilar,ormayseemrandom,suchasWavesorWinter.
EXAMPLEIMPERATOROFTHELIGHT:ASKELON
AskelonisLordoftheGreen,aMagisteroftheLight -
lessflatteringly,aLightlord.Hekeepshisglorytamed,and
hisshapeisanoldman's,buthestandsachinglystraight .
LiketheAngels,heacceptsnothinglessthanperfection :the
willingnesstobearallthingsinthenameofone'sduty .He
mustholdtothiswillingness,becausehistaskisstrengthening
humanity.Simplybyexisting,hefeedshumanitysuffering
andsufferingagain.HeisnotabeingofHell,althoughone
ofhisPowersis :eachofAskelon'storturesiscarefully
calculatedtomakeitssubjectstronger.Evenso,heis
sometimesfrightened .Hischartedcoursetakeshimverynear
totheDark,andhedoesnotknowwhoisthemorewise.
AskelonrulesoverTremors,theCulinaryArts,andthe
Forge.Thislastdefineshimbest,forthegreathumanvictory
ofsmithcraftgavebirthtohim .Ironically,theLightopposed
thesmithy,knowinghumanity'sfirstuseforwroughtmetal
wouldbeweaponsofwar,butAskeloncameafterwards,and
heholdstosmithcraftwithallofhissoul .Itdefineshim :he
istheForge,thatwhichshapesthroughtrauma.Thisishis
life.(Well,thatandfood.ThereisaslightflawinAskelon's
character:thesamestrengththatmakeshimthePatronof
Cooksmakeshimeternallyhungry.Atleast,withaMeta-
humanAspect,hecanstaythinreadilyenough .)
Askelon'sChancel
TheessenceofAskelon'sSanctumissuffering,greenmisery :
unusualforaLightlordbutunderstandablegivenAskelon's
nature.HisPowersareimmunetoallbutthemostsubtle
agonies,butthisdoesnotmeanthathesparesthem .Each
hasbeenthroughthecruciblemanytimes .Theyhavehad
theirstrengthwithheldwhilelovedonesdied .Forlackof
otherliquids,theyhaveswallowedpoisons,andlain
`Hellisshort-sighted;rather,
theFallenAngelsare.They
seethevirtueinaplaceof
suffering,andtheyconclude
thatitisthepurposeofthe
universe.Theyholdthat
corruptionandpainareends
inthemselves.Itcomesbackto
thefundamentalflawinthe
angeliccharacter:theydonot
understandthatchangeis
real.TheHostinHeaven
believesthattheychangethe
BrightRealmconstantly-
butiftheydidso,itwouldno
longerbetheBrightRealm.
" Giventhisbasic
misunderstanding,borninto
everyangelicYmera,itisnot
surprisingthattheFallen
Angelsdonotunderstandthe
purposeofsuffering .Yes,Hell
isfundamental.Butthe
corruptionthereinisnotsome
sortofdiabolicalluxury.It
existstostrengthenand
purltheworld.Yes,all
thingsmustbebroughtinto
thehandsofpainandsorrow,
butthen,theymustmove
beyondit.ThisiswhereHell's
visionfallsshort,wheretheir
contemptforhumanityhas
gottenintheirway.Theydo
notunderstandthatentropy
istheansweronlywhenthere
arenohumanstobreakits
gripontheuncaring
universe. "
-Askelon,Imperator,Lordof
theGreen
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4.0.
I'mafraidyou
misunderstand.Firstyou
proveyourselfworthy,
then Itortureyou.
-Askelon,Imperatorof
Tremors,theCulinaryArts,
andtheForge
shudderingandsweatingforhours .TwoofhisPowershave
beenshowneveryhiddendarknessintheirsouls .Thelast,
theHell's-Powerthatserveshim,hasbeenshownallhis
hiddenbeauty.Thisis,perhaps,theworsttormentofall .
LocusAskelonissometimesusedforthefuneralsof
Powers -whenaPowerdiessovalorouslyorhideouslythat
anordinaryceremonyisinsufficient .Freely,theirFamilia
andfriendsdrinkemeraldanguish,andholdintheagony
untilpurgingitandpurgingtheirgriefcanbedoneinone
action,inoneliquidanodynescreamofrelease .
ASKELON'S"NOBLEMIRACLES" CHARACTER
SHEET
STORYSEEDSFEATURINGIMPERATORSOFTHE
LIGHT
TheUnforging
ThePCscomeintopossessionofanAbhorrentWeaponor
someothermajorExcrucianartifact.Noteventheir
Imperatorcandestroyiteasily - sotheyaresenttothe
Lordwhoknowsunforgingbest.TheExcruciansprobably
wantitback . . . unlesstheymeanforittobeinLocusAskelon .
AndhowwillAskelonreacttoabunchofNoblesapproaching
hisChancelwhilecarryingamajorExcrucianartifact?
DeathbyAgony
Amall,restaurant,orotherbusinessisthesettingforaseries
ofgruesomedeaths.Thereisnoclearindicationofthecause
ofdeath -apparently,thevictims'heartsexploded,perhaps
underthepressureofextremeterror,agony,orgrief .That's
nottheworstofit -thedead,coldandrigidinthemorgue,
speakprophecies:namesandtimeswhenotherswillenter
thebusinessandmeettheirdeaths.Afewforensicscientists
andassociatedpolicemenaretippingovertheborderinto
dementiaanimus asthepropheciescometrue - anda PC
Anchorisonthelist .
ThePCsdiscoverthataPoweroftheLightisactually
protectingthekiller,afterbeingtoldbytheirProphetic
Imperatorthatitiseitherthatorthedeathsofmillions -
butwhatistheconnection?Anddoesthatprophecytake
thePCsintoaccount?
IMPERATORSOFTHEDARK
TheDark,likeHell,issometimesdifficulttodistinguish
fromtheExcrucians.AnExcrucian-shardmightcarryaknife
stainedwithImmortalsmallpox,andtheDarkmightwell
standbackandwatchwithacriminalglee .AnExcrucian-
shardmaybreakahumansoulbyravagingitsbody ;theDark
willtietheropewhilethevictimhangshimself.Anyvile
traitahumancanimagine,theDarkencourages - but,as
withHell,thereisasubtleandimportantdistinctionbetween
thecodeoftheDarkandthewaysoftheExcrucians .The
Darkbelievesinchoice.TheDarkdoesnotthrowhumans
intotheabyssofdespair :itcarriesthemtothebrinkand
whispersofdespair'sglory .TotheDark,destructionandpain
andrawevilare"fun" -butinspiringself-destructionin
humansiswhattheDarkseesasits"duty" .Thelongera
humanholdsoutagainsttheDark'sassaults,thelessthat
humanintereststhem ;thestrongestmenandwomencan
sufferalltheDark'smaliceandcomeouttheotherside .
TheDarkopposestheExcruciansforotherreasons,of
course.Perhapsthemostinterestingoneisthis :the
Excruciansclaimthatallthingsdestroyedbytheirhands
liveoninsidetheExcruciansthemselves .Everyhumanlife
theExcruciansclaimmaybealifesavedfromtheDarkness .
ThesearethefundamentalpreceptsoftheDark:
HUMANSSHOULDDESTROYTHEMSELVES,
INDIVIDUALLY
Thisisadifficultstatementtodefend,particularlyforthe
Dark'sPowers,whowerebornhuman.Yetitstainstheirevery
deed,theireverydesire,boundintothemwithoutremorse
bytheapplesofEden,bytherawdivinespiritboundinto
everyrock,everyleaf,andeveryraindropthateverfellinthe
GardenThatisNoMore .EventheDarkrequiresanddesires
justification;eventheDarkappealstotheCreatorforan
understandingofwhyitwasmadethewayitis.
Themostcommon raisond'etre advancedbytheDarkis
thathumansareanoffensetoCreation .Certainly,Lucifer
wouldconcur!In away, theircommitmenttoincitingself-
destruction(asopposedtokillinghumansthemselves)is
noble:theironlyvictimsarebydefinitionthoseofimperfect
character.OtherPowersoftheDark,surprisingly,aremore
positiveabouthumanity :thejustificationtheyadvancefor
themselvesisthatthehumancharacterrequiresthepoten-
tialforself-destruction .Theapple,theyremindanyonewho
actuallybelievestheDark'soriginstory,wasmeantfor
humanityeventually -andthespiritofamaturehumanity
demandsamonkeyonitsbacktoreachitsfullpotential.Of
course,crueltymeantasakindnesscanbemuchmore . . .
thorough . . . thancrueltyforitsownsake.
HUMANITYSHOULDDESTROYITSELF,
COLLECTIVELY,EXCEPTFORAFEWTOYS
ItisfundamentaltotheDarkthathumanityasawholeshould
destroyitself.TheDarkisdividedaboutthemethods -
somefeelthattheonlysatisfactoryendtohumanityisa
unanimousandvoluntarydecisiononhumanity'sparttodie .
181
'MynameisIndia .Youmay
callmeLord.
"Youhavegivenme
anothername,Iunderstand.
IntheConclaveofPowers,
youcalledme'traitor'-I
andalltheotherYmeraeof
theDark.Sayingthatatthe
end,wewillbetraythe
Earth .
Itistruethatifthe
Excruciansarevictorious,
humanitywillbedestroyed.
Notbyitsownhand,true;it
wouldnotbethevictorywe
mostdesire.Butitwouldbea
victory.Itwouldanswerour
longpurposeupontheEarth.
Idonotdisputethis .Idonot
evendisputeyourclaim ;
perhapstheExcrucian'sfinal
purposeonthisworldwillbe
anuclearexchange,andwe
willaidthemandabetthem
anddepartfromthisworld
withfullcontentment.
Itisnottreason,little
Power,tobeasweare.Itis
Nature.YetIcommandevery
vileweaponthehuman
plaguehaseverproduced,and
Iwillnotstandbywhileyou
callforourdestruction.
"Ireachoutmyhand,like
so-please,stopsquirming.
Itisunseemly.Ireachoutmy
hand -ah.Anelectricdrill.
IthinkIwillstartwithyour
eyes.
-India,Imperator,Magister
oftheDark,Lordof
CleresynePlain
CHAPTER15: A BOOKOFBEASTS:IMPERATORS
ATTRIBUTE LEVEL
MIRACLEPOINTS
Aspect 1 : Metahuman
5
Domain 6: Imperial
5
Realm 5 : Tempest
5
Spirit 2 : IncandescentFlame
5
Limits/Restrictions Restriction:EternalHunger
WoundLevels
1 DeadlyWound(Immortal)
TotalCost:
2 SeriousWounds
2 SurfaceWounds
60CharacterPoints
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182
Ihavecomebecauseyouhave
chosentoservetheDark -
not,perhaps,withyour full
understanding;not,perhaps,
aconsciouschoice;not,
perhaps,evenknowingwhat
theDarkis.Forahuman,
thatwouldbeameaningless
choice,butyouarenolonger
human.Therawstuff of
magicrunsthroughyour
veins,andletsyouhearthe
Dark'ssong -andyouhave
chosen .
"Youareone ofusnow.A
Hand of Fate,raisedagainst
thehumandesecration of the
Earth .Abeing ofsurpassing
justice-forwedonoteven
slaythebipedalulcerthat
scurriesacrosstheplanet's
face.Wesimplyteachthem of
theneedforsuicide.
"Youwillbecalled evil'
byhumansandPowersalike.
Theywillrailatyouthatwe
havenoright -butweare
ourright.Theywillroarat
youthathumanity'sfinal
suicidewilldestroytheEarth
-butanemptyworldis
betterthanonethatholds
theirrace.Youdonot
understandyet?TheCreator
inventedCorruption.Lucifer
embracedit.Butitisthe
humanswhoinventedevil!"
-Ummah,Dominus of Wire,
Power of theDark
TheDarkcarefullycultivatesthetechnologyandthedespair
neededforthisact.Otherswouldbesatisfiedifonlyahand-
fulofmenandwomendecidetoendthehumanrace,and
providebiologicalandnuclearweaponsandthefailuresto
communicatethatsetonenationagainstanother .Stilloth-
ersbelievethatdestructionisanartandthathumanity'sdeath
mustbeawondrousthing -thathumanityshouldsacrifice
itself,perhaps,todestroytheExcrucians .Thereisonlyone
certaintyamongallcampsoftheDark:thingswhichmake
thehumanconditiononEarthmoredifficultareacceptable .
ItisanironiccorollarytothenatureoftheDarkthat
theydonotreadilyenactplansthatslayinnocents - that
MountSt.HelensandChernobylandevenwararenotthe
kindsofthingstheyfavor .Suchthingsmightsteptowards
humanity'sdestructionbutinvolvetoomanywhodonot
createtheirowndestruction.LikeHell,theywishtheir
victimstostayalive -longenoughforthemtorealizethe
ruinoftheirlivesanddie .
UGLINESSTOHUMANEYESSHOWSTHATONE
1SWORTHY
DarksolutionstoBreakthroughsareugly,brisk,andefficient.
DarkPowersmakenopretenseofhumanity :somecultivate
sores,othersinfestation,othersunsightlycostumesthatdraw
moredisgustthanamusement.ThepsychologyoftheDark
Powersrequiresthatabovealltheymustnotbehuman.The
soul-shardandDarksonginthemmustbethewholeoftheir
being - becauseotherwisetheymustdestroythemselves.
Thenormalresponseistolearnaninhumanaesthetic.Of
course,thisdoesnotmeanthatonemustrejecthumanbeauty ;
thetwonotionsmayintersect.However,manyDarkfeelas
doesAhihudMagister :"Thehumannotionofbeautyis
ultimatelypredicatedonhumansurvival,evendowntothe
characteristicstheyfindadmirableorbeautifulinthemselves."
STORYOFTHEDARK
TheDarkbeginsasdidtheLight,withManaechusandthe
applesofEden.Yetittookanentirelydifferentdirection .
Adam'sbitedidnotteachhimself-preservation,butself-
destruction.AsEveunderstoodthewisdomofsalvation,
Adamlearnedthedarkpathofruin . . . yet,asshedid,hefelt
thathehadlearnedwisdom .ManyoftheDark-including
theblacknessthatwrithedfreeoftheappleashedroppedit
totheground -wouldhaveapprovedofhissentiments.
"Anythingthatcannotdestroyitself,"heexplained,"is
notfree.Nothingthathappenstoitisaresultofitsown
decisions:eithertheuniversehadfateditsdestructionorit
hadnot.Ithasnochoice,andithasnomeaning."
Evereplied,"Onlythethingswhicharehavemeaning ;
notthosewhicharenot ."Yethedidnotlistentoher ;impelled
bytheFirstLordandMagisteroftheDark,heleftEden,
throwingspiteinthefaceoftheCreatorwhohadsethim
there.Evefollowedhim;whentheywerefarenoughaway,
theFirstLordboundEdenintoaChancel -destroyingits
natureandreplacingitwithhisown .Thuswitheredthetree
"ACoBILIS:AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
whosefruitsareimmortalityandtheappletreewhichteaches
wisdomandfollyalike.
TheLightstayeddesperatelyclosetothefirsttwo
humans,havingalreadylostthefirstbattle .AndtheDark
didnotmove.Generationscameandwent,andhumanity
wasnolongerofthe spiritus Dei. Adamdied.WhenEve
died,aguidingguardingflameintheheartsofhumanity,
tributetotheapple'swisdominher,wentout .TheDark
emergedfromtheSableGardenstobeginitswaragainst
humanity.Overandoveragain,theDarktaughtmentohate
andtokill .Ittaughtthemtotalwarfare.Itbenttheir
imaginationtocreatingweapons,poisons,andtaxes .The
Lightfoughtback:love,law,wisdom,peace -therewasno
shortageoftheirgiftstohumanity.Yetastheyearswentby,
thedangertohumanityonlyincreased .
TheDarkwascontemptuousoftheLight.Itlookedout
upontheworldatwar,aworldalivewithfellinventionsand
fewofthegood,andthoughtthatitcouldspeeditsdeath .
Subtly,theDarkwinnoweddowntheherdsandconvinced
humanstobreed ;subtly,itwoundedthesoilwithwinterand
life-drainingweeds.Threegenerations,itthought,andit
couldconvincethehumanstooverfarmandoverhuntand
wipeouttheirfoodsourcesasanactofunmeditatedself-
destruction.ThustheDarkspentitspoweronlittlethings,
onsubtlethings,anditthoughtitselfclever .
TheLightsimplywaited,andwatcheduntiltheDark
hadcommitteditself,hadpoiseditselfexpectantlyonthe
brinkofvictory .Thentheyrevealedtheiraceinthehole.
TheyheldcaptivethedemonSatyavrata,whodidnotgovern
water,orcontrolwaterbutwhowastheendlessdeluge .In
fortydaysofrain,humancivilizationwassetbackseveral
millennia -severalmillenniawherealmostallthetoolswere
weaponsofwar.Humanpopulationwassetbackevenmore .
Andtheanimals -well .Forthreehundredyears,aMagister
oftheLight,knownasNoe,hadbeendrawingtheminto
thespiritworld .Itwashardlydifficultatalltobringthem
backwhentherainwasdone.
ThisisastorythattheDarktellsallitsnewPowersto
remindthemthattheenemiesoftheEarth,theaccursed
MagistersoftheLight,aredangerous .Bewary,forallthatit
seemsthathumanityisdoomed .
ESTATESOFTHEDARK
Thegreatestperversitiesofhumanity - terrorism,for
example,isoneoftheleastamongthem -giverisetoDark
Ymerae,alsocalledDarklords,LordsoftheDark,or
MagistersoftheDark.Itisnottheactionthatcreatesan
Imperator ;itistheconcept.Therehavebeenmany"racial
cleansings",butonlyoneImperatorforthem ;therehavebeen
innumerablesexualassaults,andthesameholdsthere.
AswiththeLight,theirotherEstatescanberandomor
patterned.Itisevenpossiblethatthereisnoobviousevil
theyaretiedto- butitismuchmorelikelythatthereisan
EstateandaPoweroftheirsthattheyarenottellingyou
about.
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EXAMPLEIMPERATOROFTHEDARK:INDIA
Indiaisarrogant.HeisaLordoftheDark,andhischosen
purviewisthedestructivepotentialofhumaninvention .His
Powersandtheexistenceofhisspiritsteerthatpotential
onwards,evenashefocusesthebulkofhisattentiononthe
spiritworld .Hissoulisbitterandcold,yetthereisone
redeemingfeaturewithinit:afuriousnear-angelic
appreciationforbeautyinallitsforms .Donotmentionthis
tohim;hewilldenyitmostdangerously.HisEstates,after
all,areuglythings :Pollution,ChemicalWeapons,andGreed .
Whencecouldatasteofbeautycome?
India'sChancel
LocusIndiaisanunusualplace,becauseIndiahassevered
thenormalconnectionandsamenessofprosaicEarthand
mythicreality.OnprosaicEarthhisChancelisasoulless
place,agiantgreywindowlesscubeofabuilding,where
scientistsworkdayandnighttoinventnewweaponsforhim .
Inmythicreality,itisnothingofthekind .There,hisWardis
alightjunglewhererainbowsglistenineverydewdropand
birdsofwondrousplumageflutterbetweenthetrees.There
arenohumansthere,althoughtherearesomehumanoid
spirits - itispossiblethathisPowersareonlyhuman,or
evenonlyextant,inprosaicEarth .Perhaps,instead,hemakes
themfromtheasoors(djinn-likespiritslivinginhismythic
reality) . . . nooneseemstoknow.
GiftsandVirtues
Immortal
Elemental
Limits/Restrictions
Restriction:Cannotcopewithinsults
Affiliation:CodeoftheDark
WoundLevels
2 SeriousWounds
3 SurfaceWounds
TotalCost:
75 CharacterPoints
DARK
India'sTest
TherearemanyreasonstogotoIndia .HisChancel,after
all,producesmanybizarreandwondrousweapons .Powers
whostayonhisgoodsidemayevenfindhimcongenial .Yet
PowersdreadthedaytheirImperatorasksthemtogoto
him -becauseIndiadoesnofavorsuntilhehasfirstgiven
therecipientatestandlessonrolledintoone .Forsevendays,
theymustwearananimal'sshape,inthehumanworld ;if
theyletthemselvesbechangedbacksooner,hewilloffer
themnoaid .Inthismanner,heteachesthemoftheugliness
ofhumanityandthepurityofananimal'sspirit .Thiswill
usuallybemoreamusingtotheplayersifanumberofcrises
comeupwhilethey'rein,er,noshapetohandlethem .
TheSelflessnessPlague
SelflessnessissweepingthroughasmalltownnearthePCs'
Chancelandit'sbreakinghumansocietyapart.Havethe
Excrucianscreatedaselflessnessvirus?Havetheyaltereda
spiritofkindnesstoreproducefaster?Aretheyforce-
marchingtownsmenthroughaportalthatmakesthischange?
ThePCscanprobablyfigureoutwhat'sgoingonbutthey
maywellnothaveanyEstatethatwillhelpfixit.Worse,
theymaybesaddledwithan"observer"fromtheDarkat
thatobserver'sImperator'sspecificrequest,andifthis
selflessnessiscausinghumanstoself-destruct,doestheDark
reallywantitstopped?Itcould,ofcourse:itcoulddecide
thatthisisn'tagenuinelyfreechoiceofpersonalruin- orit
couldbebehinditinthefirstplace .
IMPERATORSOFTHEWILD
TheWildisbuiltonfreedom ;theWildisbasedonslavery.
Afewwords,then,onthiscontradiction .TheunChancelled
Wildlordsskipbetweenworldslikechildrenatplay ;atthe
sametime,theyaloneofallYmeraeareunabletoenterthe
LandsBeyondCreation .Theirpowerofchoiceisoneofthe
pillarsoftheworld -whenaWildlordisbound,theWorld
Ashtrembles.Yettheysaythattheirchoicesareboundby
lawswhichothersdonotcomprehend,thattheirbehavioris
astrictconsequenceofprinciplesbuiltintotheirsouls.There
areterrifyingindicationsthatthisistrue -thatsomeofthe
WildlordswhofightforCreationaredeadandyetfighton
andplayon,becausetheycandonothingelse .Thesearethe
contradictionsoftheWildlords .ItissaidthatthePowers
whojointheWildservestrangemasters.
ThesearethefundamentalpreceptsoftheWild :
FREEDOMISTHEHIGHESTPRINCIPLE
ToaWildPowerorWildYmera,eachchoiceislikean
achinglypurenotewrenchedfromthethroatofthemost
accomplishedsinger :completeinitself,alphaandomegain
one,andfullofbeautywithorwithoutaccompaniment.The
worldisanendlesslycomplexsymphonymadefromthese
choices.TotheWild,everythingmakessuchchoices .The
WorldAshitself,thestablefoundationforalltheuniverse,
singsgreenmusicwitheverytrembleofaleaf,withevery
beatofitsinnerheart,witheveryAaron'sSerpentitbrings
forthfromitshiddendepths.
Bindingasentientbeing,interferingwiththeirrightsto
theirownchoices,shattersoneofthosenotes,breaksthe
rhythmofthesong.Philosophically,thisisdifficulttodefine,
becausetheactionsofonepersoninterferewiththeactions
ofothers.ThePowersandYmeraeoftheWild,however,
rarelybotherwithphilosophy.EventhosePowerswhose
sensescannotdetectthedeletednotedirectlyareusually
prettysurewhetheragiveneventisadenialofchoice .
183
"Therearethosewhohave
saidthattheWildlordsare
not ofthisEarth.Donot
believethem!Itismanifestly
untrue.Consider:Iamthe
Regius of Spheres . . . yet
spheresarefundamental.The
Earth -nay,anyofthe
worldsonthetree -would
beaverydifferentplace
withoutthem.
"Iwillgofurther.Not
onlyaretheWildlords ofthis
world,weareamongthe
foundations of existenceitself.
Thisiswhywefight,whywe
mustfight,whatweare
fightingfor -inorderto
destroytheEarth,the
Excruciansmustfirstdestroy
ourchoices.
"Youarewondering,
then,whatmakesusthe
Wild?Whencecomeallthe
talesthatwearealienstothe
Tree?Ah . . . Thatisnota
failureinourselves.Weare
whattheworldwantsusto
be.ItisafailureinCreation
itsel f itisaplacewedislike,a
gaolandnotajoy. Whywere
webroughthere,then?Ican
onlyguess.Icanonlyguess
thatCreationalsorequires
somethingconstantlyreaching
outwards,thatitmustbe
builtonourdesiretoescape,
oritwillnotsurvive.
IloatheCreation,for
thisreason.ButIwillhelpit
endure."
-Achaz,Wildlordand
Regius
CHAPTER
15
: ABOOKOFBEASTS:IMPERATORS
"Oh,donotbeafraid,thou
"NOBLE INDIA'S
MIRACLES"
merchant of death.Iadmire
industry ."
CHARACTERSHEET
-India,Magister of the ATTRIBUTE LEVEL MIRACLEPOINTS
Dark,Imperatorof Pollution, Aspect 3: Inhuman 9
ChemicalWeapons,and
Domain 3: Forceful 8
Greed,toaweapons
merchant
Realm 6: Imperial 9
Spirit 4: Conflagration 7
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184
"Youdon'tunderstandforce.
Youshouldstoptryingtouse
it.Look- youhavesentwave
afterwave of menagainst
Belhemandstillheadvances;
youhavecalleddowna
dragonmadefromthewind
toslayhim,andstillhe
advances;youhavemade
wrackandruinofyourland,
andstillhecomes.Forcemust
beappliedwithwisdom,orit
candonothing.Belhemis of
theWild;;tryingtokillhimis
futile.Allowhimtoadvance.
Yieldtohimyourkingdom.
TheWildcannotrefuse,
cannotnotreturn,so
extravagantagift . . ."
-from AIRSTORIES,
THENATUREOFFREEDOM
Playersand HGs should
understandthattheWild
doesnotactout of insane,
chaotic,randomlawlessness.
Granted,theWildisinsane .
TheWildischaotic.TheWild
islawless .Yetinsanity,chaos,
andlawlessnessdonotdefine
theWild.Theyserveonlyas
themodeinwhichitexpresses
itsnature.Thatnatureisnot
randomatall.
Theordinarylawsof
physics,ethics,logic,and
societymeanlittletothe
Wild.Thecodes of conductby
whichWildPowersand
Magisterslivefly intheface
ofallsuchlaws.Atthesame
time,thesecodesareoften
extraordinarilystrict.
Creaturesof theWildhave
littletimetoactpurposelessly:
theobligations oftheirnature
fill uptheireveryhour .
ConsiderVyasa'sexample
ofthewind.Tothosewhodo
notunderstanditsmindset,
theweatherseemscapricious
andrandom .To
meteorologists,itseemslessso .
Tothosepersonally
acquaintedwiththespiritsof
thewind,itseemsscarcely
randomatall.Thenature of
freedom -astheWild
definesit,ifnothingelse -is
theabilitytoexpressasmuch
ofone'sinnerlawasonecan .
OBILIS:AGAMEOF
ThereissomequestionaboutwhetherExcrucianchoices
needtoberespected ;certainly,mostagree,thechoicesof
ExcrucianAnchorsshouldbe.Inpractice,thismeansthat
WildPowersaren'tgoingtotryandconvertanExcrucianor
pumpitforinformation .
SensibleWildPowersdotheirbesttoanticipateallthe
choicestheirenemiescanmake,sothatwhateverthose
choicesare,theWildPowercomesoutahead .Ofcourse,
fewWildPowersaresensible .
SANITYANDMUNDANITYAREPRISONS
TobeWildistotrusttoyourdivinesoul,whetheryouarea
Ymerawithnothingbut spiritusDei holdingyoutogetheror
alowlyPowerwithbutoneshardofanImperator'snoble
spirit.Thecommandmentsofsocietyarenothingin
comparisontothoseinner,miraculousdesires,andthatisall
theWildhastosayofmundanity.
Sanityisadifferentissue,becausetheconverseisalsoa
prison -uttermadness,liketotalsanity,removesallchoice .
TheWildchartsacoursebetweenthesepolestowardthe
completeexpressionofone'spersonality .
ViolentPowersoftheWildrefusetotrapsomeoneina
darkalleyandbeatthemup -butthey'requitewillingto
stalksomeonejusttowatchthemrun,orbeatupanyone
whochoosestofight(orbaremetalandstoneifthat'sall
that'shandy) .
InquisitivePowersoftheWildshownoremorseifthey
arecaughtsneakingintoamilitarybaseorpokingaroundin
someotherImperators'dungeon.
TheWilddoesnotbelieveinhesitation .Lestyoufeel
thatthisispureself-indulgenceandthattheWildisacultof
selfishness,rememberthatwhenaWildYmeraisbound,
theWorldAshshakes.
GIVEINKINDWITHAGIFTRECEIVED
In`RosebudandtheSovereign',atraditionalstoryofAustria,
aWildPoweradvisesRosebud :"Movetheimmovableobject
bytyingitdown.Breaktheinvulnerablewarriorbyguarding
him.Stoptheunstoppableforcebyhelpingitonitsway ."
Hemaynotspeakforthe .obilisasawhole,but
somethinginthatcapturestheweaknessofWildPower .
InterferingwiththechoicesofaWildPowerprobablyenrages
it ;interferingwiththechoicesofaWildRegiusmaybring
legionsofImperatorsdownonyourhead .
Thereisanotheroption,though :assistingtheWildbeing
insuchawaythatitschoicesserveyou .Therearetwosides
tothat.Oneisasortofjudo-basedattitudetowardsconflict,
whereyouaccountfortheenergytheWildbeingbringsto
thesituationwhenpreparingthesituationitself .
Theotheristomakeyourownactionsapartofthemusic
oftheWildbeingitself,tohelpit - effectivelybindingits
songtoyourown.Youtangleyourselfupinitschoices,and
theonlywayitcansensiblyextractitsdestinyfromyoursis
toendtheobligationandrepaythegift .
Ironically,thismeansthatacceptingagiftandreturning
nothingisthehighesthonoraWildPowerorRegiuscan
offertoanyone.
SOVEREIGNPOWERS
STORYOFTHEWILD
Inonesense,theWildhasnohistory.WildlordsandWild
PowersstaggerthroughtheTreeofWorlds,rendingthe
tapestryofeventsandscatteringwondersintheirpath .Yet
theydohavelegends -storiestheyhavesharedovertime
abouttheworldtheymayhavecomefrom,aboutwhatmight
havebeen.Thisisoneofthem:theparableofthelamp.
Inthebeginning,therewasaBishop .Icallhimthatbecausehe
wasaveryfineandholyman,whowouldhaveconsignedhimself
toHellifbydoingsohecouldspareoneperson'spain.Herana
Mission.Icallitthatbecauseitwasaplacewherethebeaten-
downideas -theworldsthatnoCreatoreverbuilt -they
couldgatherthere.Theycouldrest,there,anddream .Butìdea'is
toobulkyaword,soletussimplycallthemmen .
TherewasonemaninthatMissionwhohadnoeyes,andhe
couldnotseethattheworldheembodiedhadbeenmadereal a
shininglight,likealamp,thathungonthestreetoutside .Yet
whenheslept,itdimmed;whenheate,itbrightened;whenhe
madelove,itglowedlikeanoceanful ofstars.Therewereothers
whonoticedthis,andbecauseideasareunjealousthings,they
toldhim ofthewonder of thelamp.
Theblindmanhadaverydfcultdecisiontomake.Itwas
thefirst of three.HeknewtheMissionwell.Heknewthepeople
there.HelovedtheBishop- theyalldid.Andhecouldnotsee
thelamp,toseewhathewouldbeifheallowedconceptand
executiontomergeintoone.
Hedecidedtostay.ToliveintheMission,ashehadalways
done.
TheBishopwaslikeotherholymeninthis .'hehadagrave
concernforthedarkerside of . . .theEmpyrean.Crime,hecalled
it.Thewrongnessthatlivesinworlds,inideas,evenintheBishop
himself.Hespoketothepeople of theMission ofthis.Oftheevil
thathidesindarkness.
Whathadtheblindmaneverknownbutdarkness?
Yettherewasastrengthtohim .Hewasideamadeflesh.He
hadaworldthatwas ofhim,andhewas ofit,andheknewthe
name of theenemy of darkness.Hecalleduponthelamp,and
badeitshinebrighter.
Yearspassed.TheBishopspoketothemagain ."Thereisstill
Crime, " hesaid,and"Bevigilant:itmaybefoundevenwhere
thereislight."
Whathadtheblindmaneverknownbutdarkness?
Yettherewasastrengthtohim .Hewasideamadeflesh .He
hadaworldthatwas ofhim,andhewas ofit,heknewthealter-
nativetolight.Hecalleduponthelamp,andbadeitgrowdim .
Yearspassed.TheBishopspoketothemagain ."Thereisstill
Crime, " hesaid,andtherewasunendingsorrowinhisvoice.
Thiswasthesecondhardchoice .ForifCrimecouldbefound
inLight,andCrimecouldbefoundinDarkness,thentherewas
nothingtheblindmancouldtrustinallreality .Hehadaworld
thatwas of him,andhewas ofit.Withaclench ofhisfist,he
shatteredthelamp.Heshatteredtheworldthatwasmadefor
him,inthename ofHope.
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Yearspassed -ah,mustI say it?Fordeathisnoanswertoevil.
TherewasstillCrime.
Whatmorecouldtheblindmando?HelefttheMission,and
walkedoutintothenight.Tothosewhoaskedhim,"Wherego
younow?"hesaidsimply,'IfIcannotbeaworld,Iwillbea
poet."Hewalkedintootherworlds,andhewasgone .Thiswas
thethirdhardchoice.
TheWilddescendsfromthatblindman .Forwhatdeeper
blindnessisthere,thantoforgetwhereyouhavecome from?And
whatgreatersorrowistherethantoneverhaveknownitatall?
-from LEGENDSOFTHE OBILIS, byLucGinneis
WILDESTATES
AlmostanythingcanbeanEstateoftheWild .NoWild
Ymeraehaveeverbeencreatedbyahumaninvention,but
someanticipateaninvention .
Forexample,ifTrainscomprisedaWildlordEstate,that
Ymeracouldhavebeenaroundformillennia - andinthe
yearsbeforetrainsexisted,theywouldhavehauntedmortal
dreams,shownupinadvancedChancels,andsoforth .That
Wildlordwouldinspirehumansalongthepathof
technologicaldevelopmentthatresulted(eventually)intracks
andengines,conductorsand,well,trainsthemselves .
EXAMPLEIMPERATOROFTHEWILD:ACHAZ
AchazisanYmeraoftheWild .He(orshe;itvaries)hasan
abnormalperceptionofthesymphonyofchoice .Whilehe
demandsfreedomforhimselfinbody,mind,andsoul,he
respectsonlyonefreedomofothers :thefreedomtobewhat
theyare,toholdtotheirselfhoodintheirindividualhearts .
Thatisthefreedomheconsiderspriceless .Hispolicy -one
thathisPowerswoulddowelltoremember - isthat
shacklingorkillinganenemyisacceptable,butmanipulating
theemotionsormindsofmortals(suchaswiththe"Glorious"
Gift)requiresjustification.Changinganything'sessential
natureisacrimeagainstallreality.
Achaz'sEstatesindicatethisqualityofchoiceintheir
ownway.HerulestheSphere,thepaththatcomesbackto
thebeginningintime.HerulesDivision,thehardlineof
separationbetweenwhereonehasbeenandwhereonewill
be.HerulesStasis,thefinalchoice,thechoiceofimmobility.
Ofcourse,therearedozensofalternativebreakdownsfor
choiceandtheuniverseasawhole - andmanyWild
ImperatorslackthisconsistencyamongtheirvariousEstates .
Achaz'sChancel
Achaz'sChancelisoneofthefewwithopenroadsthatlead
inandout;AchazconsidersitsBorderguardasufficient
defense.
AtitsheartistheChurchillUniversity,aplacewell
respectedacademically,despitetherumorsofoddthings
happeningthere.Theserumorsarethefirstwarning ;
Churchill'smotto -Invino,feritas; "Inwine,wildness"-
isthesecond .Thereisnothirdwarning.Bythetimeakid
comeshomeforspringbreakwithwings(oraserpenttattoo
Choice-Sense:Achaz'sGift
Achazcansensewhenachoiceismadeorstoleninhisvicinity .ThisisaLesserDivinationof
Choices,purchasedasfollows:
RANGE
UTILITY
COMMON?
COST
Local
Limited
No
7cps
+1
-1
-2
+1
6cps
TotalCost:
75 CharacterPoints
writhingbeneaththeirskin,oraninvisiblefriendthatreally
eats),it'sreallytoolateforparentstodoanythingaboutit .
Mostofthem -theparents,thatis -resist dementiaanimus
onlybyrefusingtoacceptthatsuchthingshavereally
happenedandarehappeningnow .
WILD
TheBasketballMatch
ChurchillU.hasabasketballteam -theSavages- who
aresweepingthecollegechampionshipsagain,duetomagical
assistance.TheymayevenhaveAchaz'sPowersontheirside.
NowamorallyoffendedfriendoraCammorancashingina
favorwantsanotherteamtowin . . . . ThePCswillhavetobe
careful .TheSavagescomefromaschoolwithasorcerymajor,
afterall.Ifbothsidesgetintoheavymagic,eventhoughthe
PCs'magicalmightissuperior,collegebasketballmightnever
bethesame.
TheStalkingTerror
AWildlord'sPowersholdapartytocelebratesomevictory
overtheExcrucians,andit'dbeterriblyrudenottoatleast
sendanAnchor.Butshortlyafterthepartybegins,guests
startturningupdead .
Animpromptuorganizationoftheguests,realizingthat
theNoblesofaWildlordwouldneverdaresealtheChancel,
appointsthePCstoguardoneentranceinstead -butmore
thanjustthemurdererwillbewantingtoleavetheChancel
inahurry.
18S
CHAPTER1S: ABOOKOFBEASTS:IMPERATORS
ACHAZ'S"NOBLEMIRACLES" CHARACTERSHEET
Wedonotofferscholarships.
Wedonotofferfinancialaid.
Wedonotofferbenefitsto
in-statestudents.Noone
comestoChurchillUwho
doesnotfirstdecidethata
Churchillstudentiswhat
ATTRIBUTE
Aspect
Domain
Realm
Spirit
LEVEL
MIRACLEPOINTS
5 : Exemplar
3: Forceful
5: Tempest
5: Inferno
5
7
6
5
GiftsandVirtues
Limits/Restrictions
WoundLevels
Immortal
Choice-Sense
Virtue:Honest
Affiliation:CodeoftheWild
3 SeriousWounds
3 SurfaceWounds
theywanttobe.
-Achaz,Imperatorof
Division,Stasis,andthe
Sphere,intheChurchill
UniversityCatalog
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186
"I'mnotanativespeakerof
anytonguebuttheSpirits';
forgivemeifImakean
occasionalmistake.Youmay
notfeelhonored,notyet,not
afteryourd cult
Commencement.For
reference,however,eventhe
fragmentofattentionI
dedicatetoyounowisahigh
honor.Notmanyhumansare
worthy ofeventhatmuch.I
willsaysomethingmore.You
areone ofaveryfewhumans
onthisworldwithatraitI
canrespect.Atinyfaction of
yourracehasstrength of
spirit.Atinyfactionhasan
intuitionthatgoesbeyond
mortalandimmortalreason
alike.That'sall -perhapsa
thousandth of apercent,all
told.Therestarebutbeasts
thathavebredoutofcontrol.
"ThisiswhyIhave
chosenyou,becauseyouare
worthafragment ofmytime.
Donotgrowarrogant,
however:youarestillnothing
besideme.Yourmindevolved
fomtheprimitive
consciousness of theanimal
kingdom ;Iwasbornfom
nothingasone oftheLordsof
theSpiritWorld.Youare
usefulenoughtobeatool,and
onceIhaveshownyouwhatI
fightagainst,youwillbe
contenttobethattool.
Look!AndseetheDark
Horsemencome -"
His/HerDivinity
Sennacharib,Imperator
DIVINEIMPERATORS
(THE" TRUECODS")
Somebeingslivealmostexclusivelyinthespiritworld -by
nature,thatis,andnotsimplybecauseofthewar .Forthe
mostpart,thesespirits,theFerohers,lacksentience -they
arelikecurrentsintheocean,liketheinkinawatercolor,
aliveonlybecausespiritdoesnotexistwithoutlife .TheLords
oftheSpiritRealmaregreater .Knowing .obiliscallthem
"truegods",todistinguishthemfromthegodsofhumanity's
invention.Thelatterarebasedmostlyontheexploitsof
Powers,althoughsomemythsdon'tlie .Somehorroristshave
approachedtheirtruth,andsomefantasistsaswell .Thetouch
ofatruegod'sauraastheybrushpastinthespiritrealm
makessomehumansmadandothersinspired .
Therearenospecificpreceptscommontoallthetrue
gods.Eachisanaspectofreality,adifferentaspectofreality
fromtheothers,andtheirprinciples vary accordingly.In
general,theplayersdeterminetheethicsoftheirPCs'
Imperatorifitisatruegod.The HGmaychargeanImperator
Pointortwo (p .144) ifthecodedecidedonisgreatlytothe
PCs'advantage .Forinstance,iftheirImperator'sfirstprinciple
is"Havenosecretsfromthosewhoserveyou,"thisisan
unusualbenefitandshouldbepaidfor,justasonepaysfor
an"Honorable"Imperator.
Some"truegods"arealoneintheirbeliefs,withoutany
Powersaffiliatedwiththeircode .Forthesedivinities,no
three-pointethicaldescriptionisnecessary .The HGcan
roleplaythegod'sgoalsandbeliefsbasedonnothingbuttheir
personalvisionforthecharacter .Whena PC ormajor NPC
affiliateswiththatgod'scode,itbecomesusefultohavesome
simpleguidelinesformeasuringserviceordisservicetothat
god'sethicalrequirements.Theseguidelinesareoftenbased
onsomeinterestingreal-worlddoctrine -liketheethicsof
aZenMaster,oramilitaryofficer - orderiveinsome
mannerfromtheEstatesofthatgod .
EXAMPLECODEBASEDONTHE
HIPPOCRATICOATH
1. Dono(avoidable)harm.
2. Keepconfidentiality.
3.TeachonlythosewhohavesworntothisCode .
ThisparticularCodeisverydifficulttofollowinagameof
.oBILIS. Whilethethirdpreceptiseasyandthesecond
preceptonlylimitsa PC onoccasion,thefirstpreceptis
distinctlybothersomeforasoldierintheExcrucianWar .
PlayersshouldthinkcarefullybeforechoosingsuchaCode,
althoughthiscode'sdifficultiescanresultinengrossingplay .
EXAMPLECODEBASEDONTHEESTATESOF
PERCEPTION,VAPOR,ANDFALLINGSTARS
1. Guideotherstoknowledge.
2 . Donotcontainyourspirit:spilljoyintotheheavens .
3.Donotfail,donotfall -butifyoudo,makeofyour
failureanactofbeauty.
Insomeways,aCodelikethisisbetterthanthesimple,
singlethrustsoftheCodesofDark,Light,Heaven,Hell,
andtheWild .Itoffersabroaderrangeofservice -but
makesdisservicehardertoavoidaswell!
STORYOFTHETRUECODS
BeforetheExcrucians,beforeLucifer'sFall,beforetheDark
andtheLight,thereweretheOldGods .Fragmentedhuman
legendscallthemTitansorSpiritKings .Mostsentientbeings
arevaguelyhumanoidforthesamereasonthatthetreesof
mostworldsareliketheAsh,andtheflowersofmostworlds
areliketheflowersinHeaven.TheOldGods,however,were
not.Theywereaspiritualcrossbreedbetweenthe spiritus
Dei andthewateryspiritsthatmarkedthegrowthoflifeon
Earth.TheyaretheleastcomprehensibleofalltheImperators,
evennow.Whatcanahumansaytoabeingformedonthe
onehandfromthedivineandontheotherhandfromweeds,
orgrass,ortheorganicsoupinthesea?
TheOldGodsstruggledforsupremacyovereachother
foralongwhile,prefiguringthestruggleinHeaven .Intime,
theyfoundpeaceandrespectforeachother'splace.Now
andagain,anewLordofthespiritworldwasborn .This
pleasedtheOldGods,forsuchnewcomerswerenotbound
bytruce,andtheirspiritscouldberended,swallowed,even
sharedamongtheSpiritKings .Theygrewconfidentintheir
powerandsatbacktowatchtheevolutionoftheEarth .
NotallspiritsareFerohersorgods .Inparticular,there
weretheCuretes,warriorsoftheimmaterialworldcreated
bytheOldGodsintheirearlystrugglesandalmostforgotten
inthelongpeace.WhiletheOldGodshadnearlyforgotten
theCuretes,theCureteshadnotforgottenthem,norbeing
forcedintowaranddeathbytheirmasters'hands.Intime,
theyworkedamosteloquentrevenge.Aseachnew"great
spirit"wasborn,theCuretesconcealeditamongtheir
numbers.Theyclashedtheirshieldsinathunderofnoiseto
drownoutthenewgod'sfirststepsinthespiritworld .Ten
suchspiritsweresavedandhidden .Fifteen.Twenty -and
whentherewereenough,theCuretessworetothesenew
LordstheirserviceandmarchedwiththeNewGodsattheir
backagainsttheirone-timemasters.Therewasbrutal,painful
war.WheredistantreflectionsofLucifer'sWarhadtroubled
thespiritworldalongtimebefore,thiswasimmediate .Even
astheCuretesmarched,theHighCourtoftheAngels
sentencedLucifertoHell .HisresponsestainedthePerfect
Realmwithargentbloodandthegleamofsilkenblades.
TheNewGodswerecurrent;theOldGodswerehistory.
Therecouldbeonlyoneresulttothebattle .TheOldGods
werebeatenback,andthespiritworldsetdownnewlaws,of
which"noLordwilldestroyanother"isthemostpertinent .
Thereareotherstoriesofthetruegods .Legendstellof
theGolden-HairedHorseKing,whowascapturedand
stabledandgiftedtotheEmperorofChina,onlytothrow
offthataugustlordwithabackbreakingfurywhenfirsthe
triedtoride .Theyspeakoftheimmortalwhosoughttofind
amanwithoutgreed,howheturnedmountainstogoldwith
agestureofhisfinger,andhowthefirstmanwhoshowedno
"Icannotjustmycodeto
you.Thetruthsbehinditare
beyondahuman's
understanding -orrather,
beyondtheunderstandingof
thehumanmind.Yoursoul
touchesmine,now.Itknows.
Itwillguideyou, ifyouletit,
ifyou willreleaseyour
stubbornholdonthe
principlesyouknewwhenyou
wereamortalandnomore.If
youcanrefusethelure of
DarkandLight,Heavenand
Hell,andknowthattheyare
butshadows.EventheAngels
wereborninbodies,with
fleshtosullytheirthoughts;
eventheDarkandLight,
thoughtheycouldhideina
chiaroscuro.EvenI -oh,you
ofhumanbirth,knowthat
evenIhaveputontheflesh,
andcannotsoartheheightsof
understandingthatwereonce
mine . . ."
-DragAdriessc,Imperator
andGoddess
OPPOSITE:
AcmonianWood
byLeeMoyer
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
188
interestinthegoldaskedinsteadforthefinger.Theyspeak
ofthegreatestfrontiersmanofallandhowhepittedhisaxe
againstthegreatblueweaponoftheLadyofWood -and
thoughhisownweaponwasshattered,heclaimedhersinits
stead.Theyspeakofmanythings.
DIVINEESTATES
DivineImperatorsaregenerallysomewhatabstract - after
all,theirnaturalhomeisthespiritworld,wheresomeofthe
concreteideashumansareusedtosimplydon'tapply .They
oftenhaveEstatesthatareuniquelyEarthlyaswellasbeing
importantontheEarth .Forexample,thetruegodSenna-
charib,seebelow,definesthe"spacebetweenthelightand
theimage,betweentouchandsolidity".Thedistinction
betweenobservationsandobjectivetruthisimportanttothe
humanparadigm,butonotherworlds,perceptionsmightbe
directandutterlyhonest.(Seethestoryonp . 32 .)
EXAMPLEDIVINEIMPERATOR:SENNACHARIB
Sennacharibpossessestheattributesofdivinity-specifically,
adeepattunementtotheEarth,selflessness,andmiraculous
power.Heisa"truegod"totheNoblesofEarth;forYmerae
andPowerswhocomefromelsewhere,thisisimplicitly
restatedasa"truegodofEarth" .Hewasborndirectlyfrom
theneedsofthisplanetandhisEstatesreflectthis .Ashe
describeshisorigin,"thefundamentalbalanceofthespirit
worldchanged,andIcametobe .Whole.Complete.Divine."
Admittedlyhiswholenesscomeswithanoccasionalwobble
betweengenders.
Sennacharib'sChancel
WhereAchaz'sChancelisanentireUniversity,Sennacharib
iscontentmerelywiththePhysicsDepartment .The
entrywaysaremuchasonewouldexpect.Registeredstudents
whotryandtransferintothe"nonexistent"departmentfind
themselvesinSennacharib'sKeep .Ph .D.swhoanswerthe
adonthecollegeWebpageforfacultypositionsarealso
broughtthere,intoalandofbrambleandfecundwoods,
wheretheessentiallawsofnaturechangeeverydayandthe
onlysuretyofsurvivalistolearnthemwithalacrity .The
RegiusSennacharibfindsamusementinhuntingdownthese
physicistswithhisPowersashounds .Anywhoturnthetables
andbringdownaPowergenerallyreplacethem .Because
evenatruegodisvaguelyawareofhumanlimits,Sennacharib
hasenhancedthepercipienceoftheRealm'sinhabitants
enormously -andthisdoeshelpthemcope .
STORYSEEDSFEATURINGTRUEGODS
UnnecessaryComplication
APC PowerusesmagicagainstsomeEarthlyhuman,onlyto
discoverthepersonisanartist(orsomeonewithacute
perceptions- adetective,perhaps?)deartoSennacharib's
heart.Inthatinstant,duetoawardsetuponthevictim,the
PC'ssightsimplystops .Inordertoseeagain,theywillprobably
havetoapologizeorofferrecompensetoSennachariband
`NOBILIS:AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
SENNACHARIB'S"NOBLEMIRACLES"
CHARACTERSHEET
ATTRIBUTE
Aspect
Domain
Realm
Spirit
GiftsandVirtues
Limits/Restrictions
WoundLevels
LEVEL
MIRACLEPOINTS
2 : Legendary 6
4: Masterful 9
6: Imperial 9
4: Conflagration
6
Immortal
ConstantDomain:LesserCreations
Restriction:Cannotaffecttheblind
ordeaf
Affiliation:Sennacharib'sCode
2 SeriousWounds
2 SurfaceWounds
Sennacharib'sCode
1. Guideotherstoknowledge .
2.Donotcontainyourspirit:spilljoyintotheheavens .
3. Donotfail,donotfall-butifyoudo,makeofyourfailure
anactofbeauty.
TotalCost:
80 CharacterPoints
figureoutawayaroundSennacharib'sRestrictionsothathe
canfreethemfromhiscurse.Thisstoryworksbestwhen
thereissomethingelseveryimportantgoingon.
Physician,HealThyself
SomePowerboundtotheHippocraticCode,perhaps
Aesculpiushimself,hasbeendirectlyresponsibleforan
enormouslossoflifeandcannotlivewiththeguilt.Wracked
withtheirgrief,theymusterenoughstrengthtoresisttheir
Imperator'swillandheadfortheStarknessPit,whichdevours
souls.TheirEstateissomethingonwhichoneofthePCs'
Estatesdepend,perhaps,puttingthematrisk-ormaybe
thePCsaresimplyfriendswiththedoctor .Eitherway,they
mustblockthewaytothePit,and,dependingonwhether
theycareforthedoctorornot,eitherbringthembeforethe
LocustCourtfortheirearliermistakeorsavethemfromits
fellJudiciaries.
AARON'S SERPENTS
Insomeways,Aaron'sSerpentsarethemosthumanofall
theImperators.Theyareingeneralindividualintheirtastes
anddesires .Theyaresaneandstable,forthemostpart .They
arefirstandforemostphysicalbeingsforallthattheycan
walkinthespiritworld-forallthattheyareRegiandas
suchamongthedefiningforcesinanyworld .Likehumans,
theyarebroughtintobeingbyanunmysticalnaturallaw .
Thedifferenceisthathumanscomefromthenaturallawof
Earth,andtheSerpentsarebornfromthenaturallawof
Yggdrasil .TheSerpentsare causacausans becausethelife
forceoftheAshitselfbeatsintheirhearts .Itprotectsthem
Ibelieveitwouldbeexcellent
foryoureducation ifyouwere
todiscoverformewhyLucifer
chosetoAnchortheDeluges.
-Sennacharib,TrueGodof
Perception,Vapor,and
FallingStars
Donotfear.Ihaveno
hungerformorselsassmallas
you,andthereisanessencein
humansoulsthatgetsstuck
betweenmyteeth ."
-Meredan,Imperatorand
Wyrm
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
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4.0.
ÌoftenwonderwhyIhave
comehere -I,child ofthe
WorldAsh,andthusascion
of thenoblestbloodlinethere
is.Thisisfarfrom
Serpenthane,mytruehome;
farfrommymother'sarms.
Yetthereisabeautyinthe
rock,aswell-Ithinkthat
mustbewhatcallsme,the
songs of theslumberingdeep
places oftheEarth ."
-TheGravelingWyrm,
Imperatrix,Lady of Molten
Rock
SACREDTHINGS
Vyasaaskswhatliesbeyond
thehighestheaven -surely
meaningHeavenitselfHe
askswhatwalkedtheworlds
beforetimebegan .Heasks
whatthedragons -the
Aaron'sSerpents -hold
sacred.Thesethreequestions
haveasingleanswer:the
stars.Thestarshangabove
thePerfectRealm .Their
radianceshoneonallthe
worldsbeforethebeginning of
time.Theirmythsfill the
Serpents'heartswithawe.
fromthephysicallawsofEarththatwouldmakesuch
monstrousbeastsimpossible :forallthattheyweighmore
thananydinosaureverdid,theycanslidealongtheEarth's
surfacewithoutleavingatrack.Theyareloversofthesea,
theseAaron'sSerpents,loversofthedepthswhereonly
Imperialeyescansee,andofthesurface,wheretheycan
rippleandplay.ManyofthemignoretheValdeBellum .Most
ofthemwanderthesurfaceofthetree,destroyingExcrucians
whentheycan.Some,asagifttotheworld,asaninevitable
consequenceoftheirownresponsiblenature,cometoEarth
andotherthreatenedworlds,andbuildChancelsthere,and
aidintheirdefense .
Liketruegods,theSerpentshavenosingle,universal
creed .Thepreceptstheyfollowareindividualandeven,
almost,human.Still,someprinciplesarecommonenough
tobefoundinmanyPowerswhohavetakentheirSerpent
Imperator'sCodeastheirown .
RESPECTLIFE/RESPECTPLANTLIFE
TherearelotsandlotsofAaron'sSerpentswhorespectall
life.Theydonotkillwithoutnecessity ;theydonot
condescendeventomortals ;theyofferotherstherightsof
privacyandfreeexpression .Ontheotherhand,thereare
lotsandlotsofSerpentswhodon'tfeelthisway.Regardless,
allbutthebitterestSerpentshaveagreatrespectfortrees,
eventhoughnomortaltreeisanytruecousintotheWorld
Ash.Theyoftenextendthistootherplantsaswell .
Playerscanchoosehowdeepthisrespectruns .Keepin
mindthatthelessrespecttheyneedtoshow,andtherefore
therarertheirmplosstothisAffiliation,themoreextreme
thecircumstanceswhentheygaina MP fortheirAffiliation
willhavetobe(seep. 1
33) .
ANOATHSWORNUNDERTHESTARSIS
BINDING/ANOATHSWORNBYTHEASHIS
BINDING
WhenthefirstangelwokeinHeaven,therewerealready
starsscatteredacrossthesky .ThelegendsoftheSerpents
claimthatthosestarswereoncethefirstchildrenoftheAsh
andthatwhentheworldends,theAshwilldevouritselflike
thephoenixesdoandemergefromthewoodwreckpristine
andreborn.ASerpentwhoservestheAshwellwilljointhose
firstchildren,whenthusthecycleofdaysrunsout.Thestars
aresacredtotheWyrms,asistheAsh ;theonlySerpents
whodonotholdthisaspartoftheircodearethosewhofind
oathsimplausibleasageneralrule .
TAKEONLYWHAT You HAVEEARNED
TheftmeansnothingtotheAaron'sSerpents,and"property"
onlyalittlemore.Theycandefinetheseconcepts,butthey
cannoteasilygraspthem,sincetheyareraisedinaworld
thathasgiventhemeverything .Whatthisinjunctiondefines
isduty:thatonemustworkandsacrificeinproportionto
whatonedesires.Thisisnoeasyprincipletohold .Aaron's
Serpents,crippledinthewar,havebeenknowntostarve
themselves,orevendie,becausetheycouldnolongerearn
therich-flowingsapthatflowsinandontheWorldAsh
theirparent.
USENOTFIRE;WIELDNOTTHESAW;
OFFENDNOTTHESPIRITSOFTHETREES
Thisistheeasiestprecepttoholdofallthosementionedso
far,becauseoftheexistenceofthemythicworld .Powerscan
hearthescreamsofthedryadswhenfireorsawnearsthem .
Yetitisastrangethingforaonce-human,todiscard
humanity'sfirsttool .EvenPowersofHellortheDarkshould
remembertoabidebythispreceptwhentheyareoutonthe
WorldAsh,wheremostSerpentsroam .
BEATPEACE
TheAaron'sSerpentsteachthosewhowilllistenhowto
heartheslowheartbeatoftheAshwherevertheyare :tocalm
themselves,toslowtheirownheart,toattuneoneselftothe
waysofreality.Yetpeaceisdelicate,andthepeaceoftheAsh
willcloseoutnewloves,andtheexternalpeace - as
importantastheinternal - limitsjusthowimpressively
dangerousaPowercanseem .
ATALEOFAARON'SCSERPENTS
;jormungandr,itissaid,wrapsaroundtheworld.Thatisabase
canard,fornoSerpentwouldeverbesoundignified.Badenough
thathisteetharecaughtinhistail,andhecan'tgetthemout .
Ìnanycase,therewasaYmerawhowentouttoseawiththe
insaneideathathewouldcatchJormungandr,and pullhimfrom
thesea.Insanefortworeasons:becauseitisneverwisetocatch
somethingyoucannotcontrol,andbecausethereisaprophecy
thatwhenJormungandrleaveshisoceanichome,theEarthwill
benomore.
Hehadacalf'shead,asbait,andthelinewasasstrongas
anylinecouldeverbe.Andhewasacunningfisherman,and
Jormungandrtookthebait.Wedonotkillfrequently,butthecalf
wasalreadydead - andbrainstastewonderfullyfine .He
navigatedtheheadpasthistail,andswallowed.Avastcurved
hookcaughtinthetenderfleshofhismouth .
"Oh!Itwasastruggle,anditcouldhavedestroyedtheworld
initself.Butitishardtoexerciseproperlywhenjarringyour
headoryourtailhurts- andJormungandrwasnearlypulled
fromthesea .
"Whenhishead,reluctantly,crested,thegod'scompanion
realizedwhathadbeencaught -andbrokethefishingpolewith
ablowofhishand.Jormungandrfellbackintothesea,andsoon
afterthegod'scompanionwasthrownafterhim,andthatiswhere
themortal'sstoryofitended.Forarenothumansfondoftheir
gods?
"YetSerpentsknowthetrueending,forwearesocialcreatures,
andJormungandrisourownkind.Thetrueendingisthis:on
hispathbackhome,thegodcameacrossafountainthatsprayed,
notwater,butthefinestale.Hebegantodrink,foritseemeda
189
CHAPTER15:ABOOKOFBEASTS:IMPERATORS
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
190
wonderoftheworld -andsostrongadrinkerwashethathe
cleanedoutthebasinandchasedthealebacktotheflangefrom
whichthedrinkerupted.Hesethismouthoverit,andsuckedin
thealehard -
"Well.Themetalhooksettherecaughthim,andthosewho
knowhowstoriesshouldendwillsaythatitdraggedhimbackto
sea,andmadeofhimJormungandr'sfeast.Notso!Butitisclose.
"Thegodcouldnotfreehismouthfromthefountain,so
thoroughlyhookedwashe.Andthealepouredinandinandinto
himuntilheruptured,butbythen,Ithink,hewasalreadydead ."
-Meredan,ImperatorandWyrm
SERPENTESTATES
SerpentsareoftheWorldAshandthuspartofthe
fundamentalstructureoftheworld .UnlikeAngelsandFallen,
theyneednotbecorruptorbrightintheirEstates;unlike
theDarkandtheLight,theyneednotbetiedtoanEstate
bornofman.Anythinggoes,onagrandandserpentinescale .
EXAMPLEAARON'SSERPENT :THEGRAVELING
WYRM
TheGravelingWyrmisaLeviathanwhohaschosennot
theseabutthemantleoftheEarthinwhichtobuildher
Chancel .Sheisaloveroftherockandcanswimthroughit
asifitwerethesea ;forthisreasonshehasundertakenthe
defenseoftheEarth .Sheislavishlycapable,abletomeet
anyneed,payanypriceforherchosenworld .Alas,shehas
paidthefirstpricealready,insunderinghersoulintoChancel
andPowerstodefendherbodywhileherspiritlabors .Alas,
shehaspaidthesecondprice,intheExcrucianpoisonwhich
rotsherslowlyfromwithin.ShehasprophesiedtoherPowers
thatthethirdpricewillbethelast .HerEstatesareSpring
andMoltenRock.
TheGravelingWyrm'sChancel
LocusGravelingwillbethemustering-placeforthewarriors
ofEarthwhenthefinalbattlecomes .Soithasbeenpromised,
shouldtheGravelingWyrmendureuntiltheend .Itsstrict
hallsteachalessoninpersonalstrength .Thewalls,floors,
andceilingsalikeareaquarter-inchofglassholdingouttons
andtonsagainofmagma.Hersoldiers,thepeopleofLocus
Graveling,liveausterelives -buttheyknowsomethingof
mirthaswell,andjoy ;theircomplexpageantsareoneofthe
lesserwondersoftheworld .
STORYSEEDSINVOLVINGAARON'SSERPENTS
InspectorsinGeneral
AjealousNoblefromanotherFamiliaCaelestisplantsthe
suspicioninthePCs'mindsthatLocusGravelingwillfailin
itsdutywhenthemusteringcomes .Aweaknessforgedinto
theWyrm'ssoulbythepoisonthatcoursesthroughherwill
leadtothecollapseofthewalls,burningallbuttheImperators
andtheImmortalPowersintofineash .Atthesametime,
theywarnaPoweroftheWyrmthatNobleswarpedto
Excrucian-servicearecoming .Somethoughtstospicethis
up :HowcanthePCstravelintotheEarth'smantle
"inconspicuously"?WhatifLocusGravelingreallyislacking
insomeway,buttheWyrmdeniesit?HowcanthePCs
discoverthetrueculprit,andhopefullyNettlethembadly?
Makepeace
OneofthePCs'ancestorsapparentlytriedtokilloneofthe
Earth-boundSerpents,thinkingitadragon.Now,the
Serpentproteststhatsomeonewiththatbackgroundshould
notbemadeaPoweratall .Therearedifferentwaysthis
couldgo ;perhapsthePCstravelbackintimetopreventthis
crime -onlytodiscoveracross-timeExcrucianplot?
THEGRAVELINGWYRM' S "NOBLEMIRACLES"
CHARACTERSHEET
ATTRIBUTE
Aspect
Domain
Realm
Spirit
LEVEL
MIRACLEPOINTS
6: Imperial 6
1 : Weak 5
6: Imperial 5
4: Conflagration
5
GiftsandVirtues
Immortal
Earthswimming
Limits/Restrictions Restriction:Envenomedandtherefore
sometimesweak
Affiliation :TheGravelingWyrm'sCode
WoundLevels
3 SeriousWounds
4SurfaceWounds
TheGravelingWyrm'sCode
1. Takeonlywhatyouhaveearned .
2 Anoathswornunderthestarsisbinding.
3. Encouragelife'spassionandfury.
TotalCost:
Heatis life.
-TheGravelingWyrm,
ImperatorofSpringand
Lava
Earthswimming:TheGravelingWyrm'sGift
TheGravelingWyrmcanswimthroughstoneasthroughwater .ThisisaLesserChangeofthe
Self -thatis,herlocation -purchasedasfollows :
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
COMMON
COST
6 (Domain)
Simple
Selfonly
Onetrick
No
6cps
-1
-3
-3
+1
1 cP
60CharacterPoints
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
Ianthewrites:
Howtobea
HollyhockGod
Part6
mowdo
Nobles
Solvetheir
Problems?
Ìthinkhumancivilizationlooks
muchbetteroverhere,againstthe
nebula. "
-from EsPER, byG. S. Denmark
" TheDukewillneveraccept
responsibilityfortheGrail. Ithas
killedtoomanyofitsownersas
thingsstand. "
" MydearDomenico," answered
Dores,Ìhavenoplanstodemand
hisservice,hisassistance,orhis
responsibility. Ishallmerelyoffer
himapricelessgift,humblyand
graciously -atokentoreflect,
howeverfaintly,hisaugust
magnificence. Doyoutrulybelievehe
canrefuse?"
-from ON SERVINGTHE
191
CASUALLYEXCESSIVEFORCE
It'seasytoforget,lookingatPowersofGunsandMazesandTelevisionProgramming
andShadows,justhowmetaphysically" big" aNobleis. Youmaystarttothinkof
DomainoverGuns,say,asjustasuperpowerthattherelevantNoblehas . Don'tfallinto
thistrap . EveryNobleisasmuchaprimalforceasthePowerofGravity,whosewillsets
theplanetsintheircoursesandholdsyourfeetontotheground . Thefactthatsome
Estatesare" moreimportant" intheworldthanothers,thatsomearemoredramatic
thanothers,shouldnotobscurethefactthateveryNoblecontainsintheirsoulapiece
ofthecosmos -apartoftheuniverse'sfunctioning,aburningsparkofthewillof
God. Asliceofreality. Somethingfundamentalisgoingon,somethingmoreimportant
thananythingintheprosaicEarthortheMythicWorld,andtheNobilisarepartof
that. Ourmindsstandbetweenthatworldandyours,asmuchapartofthemundane
worldasofthetranscendentalspiritreality -butoursoulsdonotjustruletheworld.
Theycreateit.
Accordingly,donotexpectthe,obilistobalkatexcessivesolutions .
'' DoesNewYorkCityblockaNoble'soceanview?Thenthecitycanmove!A
slowandponderousrelocationshouldminimizethedanger ofdementiaanimus.
DoestheNoblewanttoliveforever?Theycancreateaviralcopyoftheirmind,
triggeredbytheircurrentbody'sdeath,tospreadthroughtheChancelandturn
randompeopleintotheirmentalclones .
IstheNobleunsatisfiedwithscientificprogress?AsmallapplicationofAspect
shouldsettheslow-mindedhumansontherighttrack.
DoesamortalmugaNoble?DonotbesurprisedifaNoblecasuallypullsthe
human'sheartfromtheirchest- orreformsthemwithwell-chosenwords,and
setsthemonthepathofcivicrighteousness.
SOCIALACTION
ForaNoble,thesocialworldisvital. Whatwecannotaccomplishalone,wecanalmost
certainlyachievetogether. Ifwebribe,bully,trick,pressure,orpersuadetherightNoble
toaidus,ourpowersareunlimited!Toopposeenemieswecannotfacealone,wemust
formallianceswithourpeers . ANobleshouldconstantlymindthewebofalliances,
favors,andsocialpossibilitiesthatsurroundsthem. Keepingtrackofthosewhoowe
them,whowillsupportthem,whofearthem,wholovethem -andexpandingthat
list -thisoccupiesmuchofaNoble'stime.
Moreover,someofthemostimportantchallengesfacedoutsideofNoblesociety
are alsobestapproachedinasocialway. Excrucianflowerrites,forexample,tendto
corruptasituationinthemortalworld . Massivedisplaysofmiraculouspowerdonot
correctsuchsituations. Rather,thePowersshouldusetheirabilitiesas" edges" tohelp
themsubtlysteerthehumansinvolvedbackontotherightcourse . (Orthewrong
course,dependingontheEstateinvolved. )
Similarly,helpingone'sAnchorstoprosperrarelyrequiresblowingupamountain,
thoughexceptionsexist . Rather,itinvolvescorrectlyassessingthesocialsituationaround
theAnchorandapplyingpressureattherightpoint. PushinganAnchor'smortalsuperior
arounddoesnotalwaysresolvetroublebetweentheAnchorandthatsuperior- what
iftherealsourceofproblemsisacoworkerspreadingscurrilouslies,andtheygoto
someonehigherinthechainofcommand?
Finally,whilemanyminorspiritsareuncommunicative -fromtheanguliand
minimeupthroughthespiritsoftables,lamps,andsmallstretchesofriver -important
spiritstendtoheedasilvertongue. Lesserspiritsoccasionallyrespondtothreats .
CHAPTER16: IANTHE: HOWDONOBLESSOLVETHEIRPROBLEMS?
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192
" Youwereagreatservantof
yourLord," saidUluiruto
FatherParnell. " Youwerea
worthyadversary. Iamsorry
youmustleaveus. " Hiseyes
rosetothesky. Ìnhonorof
yourmemory,youshallbethe
last ofyourkind: forthisis
mywill,thatnopriest ofyour
Godshalleverenterthese
landsagain . Theearthshall
turnbeneaththeirfeet. The
skiesshallrage. Thetreesshall
bartheirpath. Andifthey
shouldpersist,andenterthis
territory,theyshalllosetheir
breathanddwindleaway
anddie. "
ThespacebyParnell's
eyescrinkled" Thankyou," he
said,beforehedied,forhewas
aman ofgreathumorand
littlebeliefinshamans.
-from FIREANDFORGET,
byMadelineBacall
: AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
A MANUALOFPERSUASION:
HO WTOPLAYSOCIALGAMES
Ishallsetasidetheartificeforyou,mydearanddarlingest,andspeakoftheartsof
persuasion. Thesearethetoolsthatthe . obilisuse,therealitiesofourlives . Wecannot
affordtruehonestyinsocialrelationssavewithourclosestfriends .
Self-confidenceisendemicamongtheNobilis. Itdoesnogoodtotryandundermine
aPower'ssenseofself. Instead,appealtotheirpublicpride -theirsocialdignity. Some
Nobleslackasenseofface;otherslackvanity;thosewholackbotharefewandfar
between.
Aswhenpersuadinghumans,theformofyourmessageusuallymattersmorethan
itscontent. Therearefiveclassicformsthateffectthegreatestresults .
Firstistopresentyourmessage,notasanideayouwishthehearertoadopt,but
ratheranideathatallthosearoundthemhavealreadyaccepted.
Secondistoleadthemalongthegardenpath,havingthemtakeaperfectlyreasonable
standorperformsomeethicallyneutralaction,onlytopointoutthatthestandyou
want themtotakeiscloselyrelated. Prideprohibitstheirbackingawayfromtheir
originalstance;yourcunningconflatesthetwopositions .
LocusHamalhoshechhasthefollowingquaintpracticewhenvisitedbyaPowerof
theLight. Followingasumptuous,pleasantdinner,allofthelocalFamiliarises . " At
thistime,wegohunting," theysay. " Youmaycomeoryoumaystay. " AndwhatPower
wouldstay,andvacantlywatchtheirretreatingbacks?TheFamiliapermitsthevisitor
thefirstkill,somehappyforestcreature -andthentheirguestdiscoversthatthe main
victimsofthehunt,thecreaturesthatwanderthedeepwoodsoftheChancel,are
human. Naturally,aPoweroftheLighthastheconvictiontorefuse,leavingthehunt
thattheyhavealreadyjoinedinashambles -buthowdeadlyembarrassingitisfor
them!Whenyourvictimhaslessconviction,youmayusesuchtechniquestomanipulate
ratherthantoshame .
Thethirdclassicpersuasivehookispersonalappeal . Ifyouseemamiable,trust-
worthy,respectable,knowledgeable,and -tovictimsthatvaluevirtue -brave,
honest,andtrue,yourwordscarrygreaterweight. Ifyoumakeyourconversation
enjoyable,yoursubjectfindstheideasexpressedmoreenjoyableaswell. Thefourth
hookisacloserelative -gifts,generosity,andconcessions. Theword" gift" isinmany
mortallanguagesthesamewordas" poison" . Thereisgoodreason!Agiftunreciprocated
eatsatthepride . Anobligationunmeteatsatautonomy. Theidealgiftseemsmagnificent,
princely,andabsurdlygeneroustothereceiver,butiseasyforyoutoobtain . Beware
onlythatyourvictimmayreturnyourgiftwithmajesticinterest,placingyouinthe
sameposition.
TheangelHazael,whooftendeignstodealwithPowers,usesthesetwotechniques
toperfection. Hemagnificentlyfetesthosewhocometonegotiatewithhim- feeding
themrarefoodsfromotherrealms,offeringthemthefamousHazaelanmassage(where
thousandsofminusculeshiatsuartistsworkouteverykink) ,encouragingthemtoshare
theirthoughtsonthepoliciesofHeavenandtheValdeBellum,andlavishingthem
withthekindsofgiftsthatonlyanImperatorcanobtain. Inshort,hedazzlesthem
withluxuryandbeauty,andhisChancelwindsupprofiting . Ifhechooseshisgiftswell,
thevisitorscanstrugglealltheirlivesandneverrepayhislargesse .
ThefifthforminwhichasociallyawarePowercouchestheirrequestsandarguments
is risk. Ratherthanallowingyourvictimtomeditateonthevirtuesofyourproposal,
presentsomesortoftimelimitorincreasingriskelementfortheiranswer. Ihaveseen
myBrotherCaelestisPandareos,PowerofConspiracy,applythistechniquetogreat
effect. " Ofcourseyoumaythinkovermyproposal," heagrees," buthowlongcanI
wait?Youcouldturnandtakethisplantomyenemies -itwouldonlytakeanhour. I
cannotriskit ;theproposalstandsforhalfanhour,nomore . "
Someimportantiflesscommontechniquesincludeinvokingprejudiceandcreative
labeling . SupposethataNobleintendstohireakillertoeliminateanenemyuntraceably.
Presentingthemwitha" better" assassinbeforetheycontacttheirhiredgunwillprejudice
OPPOSITE:
ThePowerofVoyeurism
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4.0.
194
theirviewofthecreaturetheyintendedtohire . Forexample,aconfidentialadmission
thatyouhiredanassassinonce,anddiscussionofhowpleasedyouwereattheirabsolute
refusaltogiveupyournameunderthequestion,poisonsyourlisteneragainsttheir
intendedemployee. Thatindividualisunlikelytoagreetoprotecttheiremployeratall
costs. TheNoblemightlaterinveigleyoutoobtainthenameofyourassassin ;atthis
point,youcansubstitutesomeoneinyourownemploy. Thistechniqueofinvoking
prejudiceappliesingeneraltomakinganothercharacterdislikeanalternativethey
haveyettoactuallyexplore .
Asforlabeling,theideahereissimple : causethevictimtobelievesomethingabout
themselves,andtheywillactthepart . Imightsaytoavisitor,andhave," Iappreciate
yourwillingnesstoworkwithDebate. Somanyothershavebeenpersuadedbythelies
thatothersspreadaboutme,andrefusemycompany. " SinceIamwelllikedandrarely
slandered,thevisitorhasprobablyheardnosuchlies -butthisstiffenstheirspine. It
makesthembelievethattheyaresomeonewhoiswillingtoworkwithmenomatter
whatotherssay. Theythusbecomemytool.
CreatingbarriersagainstaNoble'sactivities -unfairbarriers,prejudicialbarriers,
butalsoweakbarriersthattheycanovercome -hasthesalutaryeffectofinspiring
themtovaultthosebarriers. Thus,ifIsaytoaPower," Imaynotpursueouralliance
further,forParasiel,myAngelandLord,hasforbiddenmetospeakwithyouagain," it
encouragesthatPowertoarrangeaclandestinemeeting . Willtheyallowanangelto
dictatewhetherthey -whohavedonenowrong! -canspeaktosuchacharming
ladyasmyself?No!Onemustpursuesuchattemptsatreversepsychologycarefully,of
course,astheNobilisdonotappreciatebeingtricked.
Brainwashingdoesnotworkonthe . Nobilis. Itsopposite,however,socialvaccination,
worksquitewell. Thisfunctionsasfollows . Youmountarelativelyweakattackagainst
yourvictim'sviews -weakenoughthattheycanargueagainstitwithoutresortingto
stubbornintransigence,butstrongenoughthattheymustargue . Forexample,consider
aPowerwhoholdsauniqueCodebutingeneralleanstowardstheLight . Arguethe
ideathathumansareultimatelyjusthairlessmonkeys,thathumaninnovationisjust
likethrushesusingstones,andthat,likethebeasts,humanshavenorealself-awareness
orideaofthefutureaheadofthem . Someentitiesdoholdthisposition,butonthe
wholethisargumentisnotstrongenoughtopersuadesuchaPower -ultimately,
humansdescendfromAdamandEve,whilemonkeysdescendfromsomeImperator's
Estate. Theresultofthistechnique?ThePowermarshalstheargumentsforhumanity,
andbecomesmoreconfidentintheirallegiancetotheLight.
Keensocialobservationisvital. Onemustlearntoseewhoisalliedwithwhom,
whoreally dislikeswhom,andsoforth . Honestalliance-buildingisanimportant
skill -determiningwhatanindividualwantsandhowtogiveittothem. Aninsightful
understandingoftheactualvalueoffavorsisparamount;onemustknowwhento
accept,andwhentorefuse,thehandthatcouldpullyououtofanabyss .
Naturally,asociallyactiveNoble'slibraryoftechniquesdoesnotstopthere. Awise
Powercreatesalliesbybuildingasense ofidentification betweenotherPowersand
themselvesinthosePowers'minds . Theyworkwiththosehopefulalliesingoodfaith,
andtheyvocallyreinforcethebeliefthattheirultimateinterestsarethesame . Whena
PowerwishestwoNoblestofight,theyremindthepairofoldgrudges,evengoingso
farastolightlydismissthem. Thetwo,risingtodefendthosegrudges,bringthem
morefirmlytomind. Formalargumentcanpersuadeothers,particularlywhenitcomes
todetails ofaprogramthoseothersalreadyendorse. Acharacterwhodetestsmodern
societyresiststhetechnophileposition,butisvulnerabletoawellconstructedargument
suggesting how theyshouldunderminethemodernage.
Aproperattempttopersuadegenerallyincludesasubtleattempttoshowthat
agreementisinyourvictim'sbestinterest . HowdoyoupersuadethePowerofRivers?
" Ifyoudonotact,itputsRiversindanger. "
Lessgentleapproachestoachievingone'sgoalsinthesocialarenaincludesetting
twootherPowersagainstoneanother,generallybysubtlyimplyingthatastateof
hostilityalreadyexists . Rumorsandslandercandarkenthereputationofanenemy,
cuttingthemofffromtheirallies. Blackmail,clumsilyhandled,makespowerful
J
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4.0.
enemies -butifpolitelyhandled,andnotrepeated,itsvictimmaydismissitas" the
costofdoingbusiness . " Trickery,treachery,disinformation,andliescanputaneeded
allytemporarilyonyourside,ascanseduction. BullyingaPowerisdifficult,butcanbe
aneffectivepersuasivetool.
PEACEABLECONFLICT RESOLUTION
Nobleshaveestablishedmanywaystoresolveconflictwithoneanotherwithout
descendingintoadevastatingwarofnettlingandcounternettling,attackandcounter-
attack,and,finally,death. Thelistofpossibilitiesbelowisnotcomprehensive -both
PCsand NPCS regularlyinventnewcontestsbywhichdifferencescanberesolved.
is The" ChallengeofThrees" . WhentwoPowersdisputeoverasituationinthe
mortalworld,theysometimesuseachallengeofthreestosettlethematter . Each
Powerusesthreemiraclestoinfluencethecourseofevents,thetwo
-obilis
alternating . Neitherofthemwillinterferewiththesituationagainforayearand
aday,orsomeothermutuallyagreeableduration,regardlessofthemiracles'
result.
(~ GhostMiracleDuels. Aformalduel,inwhichthePowersmayuseonlyghost
miracles,doesnotconclusivelydeterminewhowouldwinadueltothedeath -
butit does helpestablishwhichEstateandPowerarethemostflexibleandcreative .
Thisis,ofcourse,thesinglemostimportantfactorinagenuinefight .
Gift-GivingContests. TheNoblemostindebtedattheendofthedayyields
thepoint.
FormalDebate. SometimesthesedebatesareheldbeforeajuryofthetwoNobles'
peers,wherethemostpersuasivePowerdeterminesthedispositionoftheissue
athand. Sometimes,thetwoPowerssimplyagreetoargueinprivateuntilone
concedesdefeat.
q' TheDefianceofEstates. ThistechniqueisprimarilyusedwhentwoEstates
clashandthatclashbringsthePowersintoconflict . Itcanbeusedatothertimes .
EachPowerplacesthefloweroftheirEstatebehindthem,standingacrossa
thirty-footfield. Thefirstonetocrushtheother'sflowerclaimsvictory.
INVESTIGATIONANDADVENTURE
Investigation,study,research,andespionageareallvaluabletoolsinaPower'sarsenal .
Informationis,ultimately,aweapon. Someofthefavoredtechniquesforinformation
gatheringinclude:
Aspect-basedeavesdropping -sharpeningtheeyesandearsandthebrain's
information-processingabilityuntiltheyexceedthecapabilitiesofevenespionage
technology. Expectthis,andallowittobeeffectiveevenatrelativelylowlevels
ofAspect. UnlessyouhaveanunusualgroupofPCs,itisoutoftheNOBILIS
genreforthemtoneed,wantorusedirectionalmikesandthelike .
Aspect-basedrecruitment -usingsupernaturalcharmtoturnmortalsinto
thecharacters'tools . Themortalsthenfindthingsout,usingtheirtemporal
positionorinvestigativeskills,andreporttothePower .
Aspect-basedinfiltration -usingthecharacter'ssupernaturallyenhanced
mobility,stealth,andintrusionskillstobreakintoabuildingorothersecured
areaandstealdataorobserveeventsdirectly.
Domain-basedrecruitment -recruitingsignificantspiritsofthePC'sEstate
tospyforthem.
Domain-baseddivination -usingmiraclestodiscoverthetruthdirectly.
Research -spendingasignificantamountoftimedigginguprelevantdetails
instrangeandoccultlibrariesorrecordhalls .
4, Sleuthing-usingAspect-enhancedmemoryandmentaldataanalysisandthe
PC'snativepuzzle-solvingskillstopiecetogetherthetruthfromameager
collectionofevidence .
195
" Chooseyourweapons. "
" These . Therocket
launchers. "
" Anon-definitive
settlement,then?"
" Thereisaslightriskof
death;thatisenoughto
satifymyhonor. "
-fromaconversation
overheardatLocusKallai
Amandiesinalockedroom,
knifedthroughtheheart. One
suspectsmanythings: the
servantsonhand. Intruders.
Guests . Theweaponvanishes
fromstorage: onebeginsto
suspectthepolice,ora
perpetratorwithconnections .
Oneneversuspectstheknife.
Howmanycrimeshavegone
unpunishedbecause
investigatorsdonotstudythe
mostobviouskillerofal : a
weapon,goneuglywith
malice,grownmurderous
withtime?"
fromanexpoliceman's
testimony,recountedinA
MADNESSOFSPIRITS, by
Dr. E. EdgartonClark
CHAPTER16: IANTHE: HOWDONOBLESSOLVETHEIRPROBLEMS?
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196
Suddenly,shegavebirth
tofourdaughters.
fromanInuitlegend
NOBILIS : AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
Manyproblemsareeasilyresolvedonceathoroughinvestigationhastakenplace .
Forexample,supposethataBaneinfectstheearthwormsinaChancelsothatthey
spreadpoisonintotheearthand,ultimately,theChancel'scropsratherthanimproving
thesoil. Whenthecropturnspoisonous,aNoblewhoconductsacursoryinvestigation
willcleansethepoisonfromthesoil. Theproblemwillrecur. ANoblewhodiscovers
thetruecauseofeventswillcuretheearthwormsandresolvetheproblempermanently.
(Or,atleast,untiltheBanegathersenoughstrengthforanewactofterror . )
Normally,Nobiliscancarryoutaninvestigation,usinganyoftheabovemethods,
bothquicklyandefficiently. Interestingstoriescancome,however,fromsecretsthat
requiremoreefforttounearth .
Typical,\obilisarenotactionheroes. WePowersprefersocialandintellectual
solutionstotheproblemsthatbesetus . Thatstated,atypicalNoble does havean
extraordinaryabilitytosolveproblemsthroughviolence . Inapinch,wefightdragons
andExcrucians,dancethroughhailsofgunfire,cracksecuritylikeblackcpspros,and
stealpricelessartifactsfromforbiddingregionsoftheAsh . Bearinmindthathigh-
AspectPowerscandostuntsthatHollywooddirectorsonlydreamof,thathigh-Domain
Powerscanworkmiraclesthatnomortalsorcerercanduplicate,andthatalmostnothing
canstopanImmortalPowerfromreachingtheirgoal.
Ifyourplayercharactersseeminclinedtopreferviolent,activesolutionstotheir
problems,thenyoushouldstructureyourplotsmorelikeanadventureseries -nasty
opponents,preferablywithuniqueandinterestingabilities,thatthecharactersshould
disposeof;naturalandunnaturaldisastersanddeathtraps ;andstoriesthatbuild
towardsafinalconfrontationwithaforcethatseemsfartoopowerfulforevenNobilis
todefeat.
NEGOTIATIONIN
OUT-OF-CHARACTERSCENES
MostoftheemotionalrichnessofNOBILISgamecomesfromin-characterscenes,in
whichtheplayertakesontheroleoftheircharacterandyoutakeonthevoicesofthe
NPCS aroundthem(aswellasdescribingtheworld) ,andeventsunfoldinakindof
improvisationaltheater. However,iCplayisin" realtime" -it'stooslowtouseexclusively.
Sometimes,youwanttoskipthroughtime,movingfromimportantscenetoimportant
scene. Othertimes,youwanttoplaythrougheventsatanacceleratedratethatcombines
ooCdiscussionwithiCplay.
Supposea PC studiesalchemy,hopingtodevelopalensthatwillshowthetapestry
offatebehindthesubstanceoftheirdailylife . Insteadofdevelopingorresearchingthe
scienceofalchemy,andhavingtheplayerdiscoveritsrulesastheir PC does,letthe
playerexplaintheavenuesofresearchtheir PCexplores. Seehowitfitswithyourpicture
oftheworld;tellthemaboutinterestingresults,orwhatavenuesseemtoworkbest .
Perhapswhatthe PCismorelikelytogetwiththecurrentstyleofresearchisalensthat
showstheinfluencethe PC hasonevents. Perhapstheywillquicklydiscoveritstrue
propertiesanddiscardit;perhapstheywilldiscoveritspropertiesandkeepitaroundas
aninterestingtool;perhapstheywillbelieveitisthe" realthing" forthenextfew
stories. Encouragetheplayertodriftintoin-characterplayforshort" soundbites" -
allowabombastic PC towailandteartheirhairwhenaservantshattersaglass-in-
progress,orasullen PC tomutteraboutthedifficultiesoffindinggoodhelp.
Supposeacharacterislookingforahusbandorbride -aceremonialpositionin
Noblesociety,whichtheWindflowerLawdiscouragesbutdoesnotentirelyforbid .
Ratherthanhavingtheplayersubjectevery NPCtointensescrutinytodeterminetheir
qualificationsforthispost,discusswhatthecharacterislookingfor,andhowthey
carryoutthesearch. Whileyouhavethisdiscussion,allowan NPCtodevelopinyour
mind. Atthediscussion'send,youcanintroducethecharacter . AtthenextIn-Character
scene,the PC canpresenttheirproposedspousetotheirFamilia .
Ianthe
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Chapter17
ABookofBeasts
: Excrucians
Ìwillnothaveit!" my
masterraged. " First,the
Devilshaveprinciples,and
nowthesoldiersofUnbeing
anethic?Iwillnothavesuch
nobilityinmyenemies,Luc!
Youwillorderthemtodesist
atonce!"
Ìmmediately,mylord," I
answered,bywhichImeant,
Pleaseforgetthisby
tomorrow. "
-from ONSERVINGTHE
THEROOKOFQUESTIONS
ThesequestionsVyasacarvedintoastone;andthenhe
shatteredthestone.
Apassingrishiaskedhimwhy. Vyasasaid-7nsomeyearto
come,astudent ofwisdomshallbuytheremnants ofthisstone,
huntingdowntheirownersallacrosstheworld. Shewill
restoremywords,andbringthesequestionsbackintothe
world. IfIleftthesewordsunbroken,theywouldbeforgotten
byhertime. Byshatteringit,Icreateamystery. Icreatea
challenge. Thisdestructionservesasavehicleforthe
conveyance ofmymessageintoafuturetime . "
Intheyear 1892, theladyReneeLemmerreassembled
Vyasa'sstone: andthesearethewordswrittenthereupon .
r. LadyHarijata'sfootprintsays,'Tamtheantithesis ofthe
road. WhereIam,theroadhasgoneaway: onlyair,inthe
shape ofafoot,remains. "
2. ThecityDasagrivasays,Iamtheantithesis oftheroad.
Iamitsending. Iamitsbeginning. Itmoves;Iamstill.
Itsessencedissolvesoncontactwithmine. "
3.
Whatistheantithesis ofHarijata'sfootprint,Dasagriva,
andtheroad?
4.
Whatisthedeadliest oflies?
S.
ThedestroyercameforLordBhaga,butdidnotstrike.
" Stayyourhandforatime," saidBhaga,àndyoushall
reaparicherharvestwhenyoureturn. "
6.
" Thereisapriceforsuchdeferrals," answeredthe

destroyer. " Youmustgivemethequalityofspiritthat
makesdeathimpossible. "
7.
Whatisthatquality'sname?
197
CHAPTER
17
: BOOKOFBEASTS : EXCRUCIANS
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198
Ihadalwaysthoughtthatan
AbhorrentWeaponwould
glistenwithliquid
malevolenceanddefilement,
thattheairwouldfinchback
fromitlikeananimalfoma
cracklingflame. Iknowthere
isnootherthinginallthe
worldsthattheRegifear
more,thatthesheerpoison of
onecandrivethemtoself-
destruction -
Thatitwassimpleand
clean-linedcouldbeforgiven,
fortherewasatwistingblue
patterninthemetalanda
whirlingupside-down
cascade ofgoldweaving
throughthehilt. Thatitsedge
waskeen,thatIcouldforgive
aswell.
But,oh!Howcouldan
evilthingbesoguilelessly
pure,soexquisitelylovely?It
wasnotthatitslewYmerae
thatwasthecrime;itisthat
someLord'sbloodwouldstain
itsvirginbeauty. Itbrokemy
heart,thatblade,andthatI
cannotforgive .
-from REFLECTIONSII, by
theViscountd'Armand
Itisnotclearwhether
Excruciansoulsareorganized
holographically,witheach
shardcontainingaminiature
image ofthewhole,or
societally,witheachsharda
uniquevoicethatcontributes
tothegreaterExcrucian
mindWeknowthatkilling
anynumber ofExcrucian
shardsdoesnoapparent
damagetothewhole,butwe
areunabletodeterminethe
mechanismwithoutbroader
administrativepermissionto
conductsuitableexperiments .
fromaspeechgivenbythe
Domina ofThundertothe
NobleOrder ofMetaphysical
Research
ARIDINGOFEXCRUCIANS
AnyImperatorisdangerous,potentiallydeadly,eventothe
PCs(whoaretheoreticallyonthesameside) . FullExcrucians,
however,arethestuffofnightmare. PCsfacethemonlyrarely,
becausealmosteveryImperatoronEarthspendsdayand
nightkeepingfullExcruciansfromreachingthematerial
world-butithappens. Whenitdoes,thefirstruleis" run
away,ifyoucan" -becauseExcruciansarenotonthesame
side. TheyhaveGiftsandFocithatcanaffectPowersdirectly
anddon'ttakethehoursordaysImperialmiraclesrequire .
Theyaresneakyanddirtyandbeautifulandfullofhatesand
compellings,andthewarriorsthatleadthemwearthefaces
ofthedead.
TheExcrucianscomeinfourbreeds,orperhapsfour
castes;itisnotclearwhetherthesedistinctionsareamatter
ofbirthrightortraining. AnExcrucianiseitheraWarmain,
aMimic,aDeceiver,oraStrategist . Bearinmindthesewords
aretranslations .
CANTSOFTHEEXCRUCIANS
Thesearethebasicethicalprinciplesofthefourkindsof
Excrucian;likeAffiliations,servicetotheappropriate
principlesgivesanExcrucian(orExcrucian-shard) amiracle
pointanddisservicetakesoneaway. Excrucianscanholdto
different" Cants" thantheircasteindicates,butitisrare . The
HollyhockGodshouldgenerallyfleshoutanExcrucian's
personalityaroundtheirCantasmuchaspossible . Itisrare
butnotimpossiblefora PC toknowthesesimpleversionsof
theCants.
CANTOFTHEWARMAINS
. Neversurrender. Retreatonlywhennecessary.
2. Neverabandonyourcomradesorarms.
3. Dieforthecausebeforelivinginshame .
CANTOFTHEMIMICS
. Guardyourprivacy. Guardyourthoughts . Guard
yournature.
Plantenstepsahead. Laceeverytrapwithtraps.
Neveractwhenwaitingisenough .
2.
3.
CANTOFTHEDECEIVERS
. (Use) LiesbeforePoison.
2. (Use) PoisonbeforetheDagger.
3. (Use) TheDaggerbeforetheSword.
CANTOFTHESTRATEGISTS
I . Bestronginadversity.
2. Bewiseindecision.
3. Inaction,beeleganceitself.
. `NOBILIS : AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
AWordonExcrucianShards
Often,anExcruciancannotstepcompletelyintothematerial
world- instead,itcanonlysendafew" shards" ofitself
through.
Exceptwhereoverruledbythespecificdescriptionsbelow,
thefollowingrulesapplytoExcrucianshards:
Shardsarebuilton20-35 CharacterPoints -and

shouldnormallybeabout 25 .
Shardscanhaveupto
5
extraCharacterPointsthat
canonlybespentonFoci.
hShardscanhaveGiftsandFocithataffect Nobilis
directly(seeExcruciansections) .
ShardscanbegivenGiftstheirExcrucianlacksvia
Excrucian" Imperialmiracles" .
ShardscannotbekilledwhilethefullExcrucianlives .
Sufficientdamagetoashardwillsenditbacktothe
spiritualworld.
ShardsareNoblewithrespecttoNobleandImperial
miracles.
l'ShardscanhaveAnchors;further,theyapparentlydo
notneedtoloveorhatethem.
MostExcrucian-shardsdonothavethe
5
focuspoints,nor
GiftsorFociaffectingNobilis. TheirAnchors(muchlike
NobleAnchors) adoptthefundamentalallegiancesofthe
shardthatempoweredthem: theyseetheExcruciansas
beautiful,andtheimageofthefinaldeparturefromtheslain
Creationasmorebeautifulyet.
WARMAINS
WarmainshavenopersonalEstateor" Chancel" : theycan
onlyworkDomainandRealmmiraclesviaaFocusoraGift .
Theirpoweris,technically,notthesameasthatofthe
DominiandYmerae -whilePowersandImperatorsdraw
theirmiraculousabilitiesfromtheessentialnatureofreality,
themagicoftheWarmainsistiedstronglytoakindof" anti-
nature" ,the" darkside" ofImperialandNoblemagics.
Undermostcircumstances,Noblemiraclescannottar-
getWarmainsdirectly(sincethey'refullExcrucians,it'svery
hardtoaffectthemwithImperialmiraclesaswell) . Simi-
larly,theycannotusuallytargetPowersdirectly,andthe
AuctoritasofaWarmainorPowerwillaffectthemiraclesof
theother.
WarmainsarebuiltonthesamescaleasImperators,with
slightlyfewerpointsonaverage . Asmentionedabove,they
mayonlybuyDomainandRealmlevelsthroughafocus-
thoughtheycanbuy DMPs,RMPS, andGiftsbasedonany
attribute. TheironeadvantageissomeoftheirGiftsand
FocicanaffectPowers(orevenImperators) directly.
WARMAIN GIFTS
SomeofthemorecommonGiftsofaWarmainincludethe
following:
" Haveadrink," hesuggested,
gesturingtowardsthecabinet.
" AsIunderstandyourlaws,
youmaynotpresentlyattack
me;Ihavenoparticular
interestinmakingit
worthwhile-Ah. Youthink
thatodd,thataWarmain
wouldavoidbattle?Youhave
heardtheCantofthe
Warmains,perhaps?Never
surrender,neverbetray,die
wellratherthanlivein
shame?Ah!Youcannot
imaginethedepthofthat
oath;yourefuseto
acknowledgethateachofus
carriesinuseverylifewe
havetaken,andthatasingle
Warmain'sdeathdestroys
whatoncewereworlds . . .
" Yetthereisnoshamein
this . Wefightadifferentsort
ofbattlenow,youandI. My
swordhangsonthewall,and
there,Ithink,itwillstay. I
losenothingbywaiting,you
see,whileyou-well. Ihave
heardawhisperonthewind
thatyourChancelisafire.
Myapologies. Itseems
thedoorhaslockeditself.
Theseoldbuildings . . . "
-TheDiaryoftheDomino
oftheDawn
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
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John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
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4.0.
Humansuccessrestson
subvertingthenaturalorder
ofthings -onreplacingan
ever-more-strained
conceptualspacewiththe
latest,flashiestontological
model. Humanexistence
derivesfromthenaturalorder
ofthings-onthatsame
conceptualspace . Todescribe
thisprocessasunstable
understatesthecase.
J ames
" Congratulations," said
Nilaia. " Youhavecorrupted
yourfirstsoul;youhavewon
avictoryfortheFallen . How
doesitfeel?"
. . Ithurts," said
Forchas,afterapause.
" Ofcourseithurts,"
Nilaiaanswered. Ìtalways
hurts. Ithurtsterribly. Thisis
Hell. "
-from CHILDRENOF
HEAVEN, byMartinElliott
THENEGATIVEGIFT
_Topointsbasecost +I to2opoints ofGiftlevel
Warmainsoperateonnegativeenergy,fromCreation'spoint
ofview. Oneoftheirmostlethaladvantagesderivesfroma
kindofanti-Gift. With DMP, theWarmainmayannulany
GiftcostingnomorethantheleveloftheNegativeGiftfor
onescene. AWarmainfocuscanalsohavethiseffect,but
thecircumstancesunderwhichthefocuscanusethiseffect
aredeterminedatthetimeofitsforging . (Thisisnotneces-
sarilytrueofNobleand PC foci,althoughnaturallyNobles
andPCscan'tbuyfocithataffectNobles. ) ThisGift,along
withvariouspoisonsandcurses,createsAbhorrentWeap-
ons: focithatnullifyImmortalityanditsweakervariantswhen
theytouchaperson. Seetablebelowforcosts .
ItisaMajorDestructionofMiraculousPower. Notethat
becauseinvocationisnotautomatic,evenusingafocussword
(forexample) ,theExcrucianmustdeliberatelyhitsomeone
withtheweaponandspendamiraclepoint. Thestrongest
AbhorrentWeaponscanperformthisfeatautomatically;it
isilladvisedtohandlesuchablade .
TheNegativeGifthasan" overhead" costequaltothe
maximumlevelofGiftitcanaffect,inadditiontothebase
10-pointcost. ThisoverheadbalancestheNegativeGift's
abilitytodirectlyaffectthemiraculousabilitiesofothers,
whichNobleGiftscannotdo.
EXAMPLE
OrdericNeustry movesatthecenterofanabyssofanti-
nature,anexhalationofthevoid. Powershavereportedhim
asdispassionate,distant,andpossessedofadeeprespectfor
innocence;buttheycannotdenythatthebrushofhishand
islethal,capableofdissolvingthatqualityinthingsthat
provokesthemtoendure .
UNMASTEREDPAIN
I to8pointsdefaultspoints
High-Aspectcharacters(Legendaryorbetter) arenaturally
abletoignorepain,butnottheragingwildagonythatwhirls
throughthevictimsofthisGift. (Yes,itdoesworkon
. obilis. ) Theexacteffectsvary,basedbothonthe HG's whims
andontheamountofexperiencethetargethaswithagony.
Anonspecificpainmightcausethevictimtotemporarily
droponeLevelineachnonzeroattribute;amigrainemight
blindthem;onefootmightfeelliketheskinisstrippedaway,
andeverysurfaceishotcoals. Seetablebelowforcosts .
ThisisaLesserCreationofPain,withaPenetrationlevel
of4. However,someoftheWarmainshavehigherorlower
PenetrationswiththisGift.
EXAMPLE
RaginhartTribunas holdssomeauthoritywithintheranks
oftheDarkHorsemen. Oneofhisshardsoccasionally
watchesoveranotherExcrucian'sBreakthrough;theother
invariablyshowshimdeference. Acertainamountofthis
respectnodoubtderivesfromhiswillingnesstouse
UnmasteredPainnotmerelyonPowersbutonhisownkind.
TheNegativeGift
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
8+ 7PenetrationNormal
OneotherLimited
15cps
-2
-2
-2
UnmasteredPain
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
4+ 4 PenetrationHard
Oneother Full
8cps
-3
-2
+1
Blight
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
8+4 PenetrationHard
Local
Comprehensive
12cps
-3
-1
-1
WindsofHate
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
6+3 PenetrationHard
Local
Limited
9cps
-3
-1
-2
MidasMorsMortis
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
4 (Domain)
Automatic
Global
Limited
4cps
+1
+1
-2
BLIGHT
4 to11 points(default8points
ThisGiftallowsaWarmaintopermanentlyblightaplace :
thingsthatgroworliveorworktherewillhavelittleresistance
todisease,malaise,andanadultversionofaninfant's" failure
tothrive" . ViewedthroughtheSight,theBlightedplace
appearsgrayanddim. ThiscantheoreticallyaffectNobles,
butPowerscansteeltheirbodiesandmindsagainsttheBlight
atthecostofonelevel 4 Aspectmiracleamonthorone
Level5Aspectmiracleayear. TheNoblesofHealth,
Prosperity,andsoforthcanremoveaBlight. Theonlyother
waytoliftitistofindthe" keystone" ;asmall,dark,and
maleficentgemlocatedinorneartheBlightedland. Crushing
itmakestheBlightfade . Seetableaboveforcosts.
ItisaMajorDestructionofHealthoroftheabilityto
sustainlifeandhope. Itisonly" comprehensive" because
humansenteringtheBlightedzonedonotimmediatelycatch
everydiseaseknownandkeeloverdead. SomeHollyhock
Godsmayreducethecostslightly,becausethekeystonesexist.
EXAMPLE
EuphrasiaSavinot refusesasamatterofpolicytoengage
lifeindirectcombat. Herenemyisnotlifebuttheworld-
theverysubstanceofGaiaandtheAsh . Whereshewalks,
sheblightstheworld,orwashesawayitstruth,orturnsit
treacherous.
Thatlivingthingssufferfromherwork,thatthespirits
oftheinanimategrowcorrupt-thesethingsdonotupset
her,butneitheraretheyhergoal.
COMMON COST
No
+1
10cps
COMMON COST
No
+1
5cps
COMMON COST
No
+1
8cps
COMMON COST
No
+1
4cps
199
COMMON COST
No
+1
5x3=15cps
Thelifeinaplacedevelopsin
awaythatdependsonthe
place'scharacter. Inthe
Mediterraneancountryof
Icaria,wherebeautyand
wisdompredominate,the
lionshavetheheadsofmen
andwiselydiscourseon
naturalphilosophy;whereas
inCastraRegis,aplace
dominatedbyancientevil,
ordinarydogsdevelopthe
tonguesandfangsofvipers.
-from AMEDIEVAL
BESTIARY, byPaul
McArthur
CHAPTER
17
: BOOKOFBEASTS : EXCRUCIANS
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4.0.
200
-Hatred," Nilaiaadmitted
candidly," hasalwaysbeen
weakerthanlove. Helldoes
notrunonhate. Helldoesnot
runonanger,orfear. Hell
runsonthenaturaltendency
ofgoodthingstogoawry.
Hellrunsonexcuses,and
justifications,andwillful
blindness. Hatehasitsplace,
Forchas,butdonottrustin
it. "
-from CHILDRENOF
HEAVEN, byMartinElliott
Mirabellehadnotaskedtobe
anavatar ofdeath. Some
thingsjusthappened. She
figuredthatshejustpretty
muchhadtolivewithit,and
soshedid.
-from DOORKNOBS, by
EmilyChen
Ifyoulockahumanalonein
aroomforlongenough -
pastthepointofanger,past
thepoint ofdespair,pastthe
pointwheretheycanno
longertalkorthink
coherently -theybegin
inventingnewmethods of
war. Theybegintocreatetools
andstrategies ofbattlethat
theworldhasneverseen
before. Ittakesaskilled
psychologisttodredge
meaningfomtheirmumbles
andgibbering,fromthe
sketchestheirfingernails
makeagainstthefloor.
Thatistheonlysecret;
thatiswhatmakesthegreat
nationsgreat,andmakes
lessernationsfall. Someone
lockedinaroom,inthedark,
withoutsanitationor
company,untiltheirmind
breaks;someonetoreadtheir
heart,andtelltheworldwhat
transpiresthere .
-from REFLECTIONSIII, by
Viscountd'Armand
WINDSOFHATE
I to8pointsdefaultpoints)
TheWarmainspitsintothewind,andallthefuryoftheair
turnsagainsttheiropponent : theairresistsbreath,
decompressesandcompresses,orslamsintotheopponent
likeaquarterbackdragon . Theonlyuniversalsolutionis
escape,astheeffectsubsidesabouttwohundredfeetaway
fromtheWarmain. Seetableaboveforcosts.
ThisisaLesserChangeofthelocalair .
EXAMPLE
Teja Heimerich isananti-sylph -aWarmainstrongly
biasedtowardsthenegativeimageoftheaerialessence . Air
dissolvesamillimeterfromhershards'skin,bathingthemin
coolvacuum. Herwillcansubvertthefundamentalspiritof
thewind,ofabstractthoughtandreason,offlyingcreatures,
andingeneralthosethingsboundtotheaerial;suchthings
shecanturntotheserviceofUnbeing .
MIDASMORSMORTIS
Ispoints
Withbutatouch,theWarmainturnsanordinaryhuman,or
cup,ordoorway-anyunenNobledobjectorbeing-into
anavatarofdeath. Everythingthatpersontouches- from
cups,doors,andriverstorelationships,businesses,and
domesticanimals-goesawry,oftenawryinalethalmanner.
ThisisthemostexpensiveoftheWarmaingiftsbecausethe
MidasMorsMortistouchaffectsanythingsaveforPowers
etal. TheeffectsofthisGiftwearoffinaboutaweek,or
whentheWarmainand/oritsshardsarekilledorexiledfrom
theEarth. Seethetableonp. 199forcosts.
ThisGiftofLesserDestructionaffectsalmostevery
Domain,andthereforecoststhreetimesthenormalamount .
EXAMPLE
MaroziaCarolin believesthatinitiatingprocessesofdestruc-
tionismoreeffective -thoughslower -thanwreaking
directdevastationherself. Accordingly,shehaschosento
developtheMidasMorsMortisGift,practicingonabstract
shapesandincomprehensiblemonstersinthevoidbeyond
Creation.
GENERALWARMAINGIFTS
TheHollyhockGodshouldfeelfreetocreatenewGiftsfor
theirWarmains -infact,thisisrecommended. Somethings
toremember:
q WarmainGiftsareviolenttothespiritorthebody,
althoughtheycanbesubtle .
, nobilis-affectingGiftsshouldalwayshaveanescape
clauseorcountermeasure .
Avoid" instantkill" Gifts,evenifthePCsmustmakea

mistakeinordertodie .
Atthesametime,armyourWarmainswell. One
shouldnormallyroutthePCs .
WarmainscommonlyhaveImmortal(orEternal+Durant) ,
Worldwalker,andoneortwoGiftsselectedfromAcidic
. ÒBILIS: AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
Spittle,Flight,Fire-Breathing,andUnblemishedGuise .
ManyhaveGlorious,asexplainedbelow.
WARMAINFOCI
ThemostcommonWarmainFocusistheirpale" horse" -
hencethename" DarkHorsemen" fortheExcrucians . Itmay
lendthemanAspectLevelortwo,containGiftsfortraveling
theAsh,orgivethemstrangerpowersyet- itissaidthat
someWarmains,ontheirhorses,canfadeintothemildest
lightandremaininvisibleeventoanImperator'seyes . Other
commonfociincludeweaponswithvariousstrangepotencies
andarmororamuletswithanarmor-likeeffect . Inorder,the
mostcommonpowersintheirfociareGiftsofWar,Aspect
levels,Realmlevels(overanExcrucianstrongholdonEarth) ,
andlastofallandveryrarely,DomainorSpiritlevels .
Normally,aWarmain'sfocusstopsfunctioningwhenthey
die,andreturnstothemoratleasttoExcrucianhandsshould
itbestolen. StrongWarmainfoci,however,aresometimes
sovirulentthat,insteadoftuggingontheuniverse'ssleevein
anattempttogetbacktotheirowner,theymaybeginto
corruptthepersonwhohasitintoanExcrucianally. The
firstsignofthis(foraPower) isthatthePower'snatural
miraculousabilitiesstartslowlytofade ;theirtietonature
growsweaker. Thesecondandlastwarningiswhenthose
miraculousabilitiesstarttoreturn,thistimefueledbythe
anti-naturetheExcruciansembody.
THETEMPERINGOFAWARMAIN
TheWarmainsmustunderstandthepeopletheyfaceand
thenatureofCreationitself. Theyclaimthateverythingthey
destroylivesoninthem,butonebeinginparticular . Whena
Warmainkillsforthefirsttime,ittakesontheshapeand
devoursthemindoftheoneitmurdered. Itdoessoasecond
time,whenitslaysitsfirstNobleorImperator. Itchangesa
thirdtimeonlyifitkillssomeoneforwhomithasaprofound
respect.
ThechangeintheWarmainthatcomeswitheachnew
shapeisadeepone(anddangerousaswell-therearerumors
thatoccasionallyaWarmain'sloyaltiesturnanditmustbe
" putdown" ) . ThisistheTempering,inwhichWarmainand
victimarealloyed,andwhichendswithanExcrucianwho
understandsthenatureofthisworldwithoutlosingtheir
commitmenttoravagingitcleanoflifeandbeautyalike .
Temperingisalevel 4 AspectmiracleforaWarmain.
TheHollyhockGodmustdecidewhetheraPowercan
performtheact;fewhavebeenwillingtoexperiment . Some
WarmainscannotrecoverfromthisactwhileinCreation .
Others,theoneswiththeGloriousGift,canlettheirinhuman
inangelicbeautyshinethroughandtheirExcruciannature
withit.
WhenroleplayingaWarmain(asthe HG, ofcourse) ,itis
probablybesttoconsiderthelifethatlastTemperedthemas
thebasisfortheirpersonality. However,bearinmindthe
essentialpurposethatdrivesallExcrucians . AWarmain
THEANTITHESISOF
NATURE
TheLandsBeyondCreation
stretchendlesslyinevery
direction. Thoughthe
dominantterrainfeatureis
barren,emptyvoid,the
LandsBeyondCreation
contain infinitely more
varietythanCreationitself
Theirsheerscaledemandsit.
Fortunatelyfor
xenologists,most ofthis
varietyhasnorealmeaning
forthehuman,Noble,or
Imperialmind.
Forpracticalpurposes,
onemaydividethequalities
ofthecreaturesandthings
frombeyondintothreesorts.
First,some oftheirqualities
existwithinCreation -e. g. ,
Excrucianshave
personalities. Second,some of
theirqualitieshaveno
meaninginCreation. Third,
certaintraitsfoundinthe
LandsBeyondCreation
activelyopposetheessence of
Creation -eitherall of
Creation,orpart ofit. J ustas
coldcannotendureinthe
presence ofheat,elements of
Creationwitherinthe
presence ofthesequalities.
Theanti-naturethat
fuelstheWarmainsis ofthis
lastkind. Almostby
definition,the . 7'obiliscannot
comprehendthetrueessence of
thissubstance,energy,or
trait,buttotheExcrucians,
'anti-nature" isastuffof
infinitediversity. Insome
cases,aWarmain'spoweris
equallyinimicaltoallthings
inCreation. Inothers,their
powergivesthemaparticular
advantageagainstone" side"
ofCreation -against,say,
beauty,corruption,aquatic
essence,terreneessence,the
mundane,orthemajestic.
ToanswerVyasa,the
anti-nature oftheWarmains
istheantithesis of Harijata's
footprint,thecityDasagriva,
andtheroad-butitismuch
morethanjustantithetical.
Onecanlovesomeoneand
hurtthem;orkillthem ;or
defilethem;ortorturethem;
orunmakethetruths oftheir
existence. Loveinspires
greatness;itdoesnotprevent
venality.
J ames
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Code: 60-602
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4.0.
InthehandsofanExcrucian,
apencilisadeadlyweapon,
although,naturally,along
sharppoisonedblade
thrummingwithunnatural
powerisdeadlier.
-fromthePrefaceto
EGENDSOFTHE OBIIS,
byucGinneis
Phillipwas 16, andhehada
problem. Amildcoughhad
becomepneumonia,butthat
wasnothisproblem ;rather,it
wastheresultsofthe CAT
scan,whichconclusively
showedthatPhillipdidnot
exist.
Ìt'snotsurprising,"the
doctoradmitted. "You'rea
smallpieceofnothingina
worldjust full ofsomethings.
Thewonderisn'tthatittook
ussixteenyearstofinditso
muchasthefactthatwe
detecteditatall. "
-from MACEDONIA, by
ackieRobinson
"Youcame!Oh,Iknewyou
would. Thisissowonderful. "
It'shard,youknow,when
youhavetokillsuchagood
host. Mymouthstillwatered
atthethoughtofthescones
andclottedcreamathightea,
amonthbefore. Myhand
clenchedonthesapphirestone
inmypocket. Onesqueeze -
"Whenyoudidn'tshow
uplastweek,Ithought -"
Powerracedthroughme.
Myhandconvulsed. The
stoneshatteredintofifteen
thousandshards. ABright
Wardingcascadedupfromthe
marblefloor,closingoverme.
Withshimmeringbandsthe
colorofmalachiteandpearl,I
saidquietly,"ThreeYmera
spenttendaysformingthis
Warding. Thinkyoucan
breakitbeforeitturnsyour
bonetoash,Excrucian?"
Helookeddown . Iflung
myselfathimlikeanarrow
atprey. Thenhiseyesraised.
Inthemwasaglitterysmile.
"Youdon'tknowmuchabout
us,doyou?"heasked,then
caughtmelightly,witha
motionthatmighthave
foldedapaperairplanehe
brokemyback .
ofMargentineewis.
temperedwithanhonestmanprefersblowstolies,butwill
liefluentlyifthatiswhatthesituationrequires . (Atthat,so
willmostPowers . )
EXAMPEWARMAIN:ADEIANCOURT
AdeillanisonhissecondTempering,withthepersonality
andknowledgeoftheone-timePowerofMists ;hehasnot
inheritedsaidworthy'sDomain,butheremembershisstreet
urchinlifeonthestreetsoftheDanestonChancel . Hefeels
theessentialineradicablehunger(forfood,forrespect,for
affection) thatthatlifesunkintohisbones,andthewonder
andthepowerofsuddenlybeingraisedtoaCouncilmanof
theRealm. Adeillanmaytriphimselfuptryingtoimitate
`lordly'behavior,failingasbadlyasthePowerofMistsdid.
RecordsonAdeillanindicateavulnerabilitytolight,butthe
NobilisdonotknowwhetherthisisaweaknessofAdeillan's
oravulnerabilityinheritedfromthePowerheTemperedas .
WARMAINSHARDS
WarmainshardsareprettymuchlikeWarmainswithfewer
points . Notethatanyshard,uponslayingtheWarmain'sfirst
human,firstNoble,orfirstsomeonereallyrespected,willin
thatmomentTempernotjusttheWarmainitselfbutallof
itsshards. Similarly,iftheWarmainTempersinthespirit
world,allofitsshardswillTemperinthatinstant .
MIMICS
TherehavebeenmanyBreakthroughsinthepastfew
millennia. SometimesSovereignsthwarttheExcrucianplans ;
manyothertimes,realityonlyweakens . Theclassicexample
isanoilspill :theoceanidsandselkiesofthemythicreality
growangrierandangrieratman,andshippingbecomesmore
dangerous. Rarespeciesaredamagedandpushedtowards
extinction,buttheintegrityoftheuniverseasawholehas
notbeenaffected. Intheirgreatestvictories,theExcrucians
havedrawnawaythebodiesofdeadordispossessed
ImperatorsandconvertedtheirenergiesviatheRitualof
AnguishtothenegativepoweroftheExcruciansthemselves .
SomeBreakthroughs,takeadifferentcourse . The
Excruciansdestroyanaspectofreality,butitsImperatorstill
hasotherEstatestosupportit,oranImperatorisslainand
theDarkHorsemenhavenoopportunitytoworkthe
Excruciationonthebody. Inthesecases,theExcruciansshape
thepowertheyhavewoundedtotheirendsasbesttheycan,
intotheMimics . Thesecreaturespossessmiraculousabilities
identicaltothoseofCreation'sImperatorsbutareloyalto
theExcruciancause .
Yes,Mimicswilladmit,whenallelseisdestroyed,the
ExcrucianswillExcruciatetheMimicsthemselves - but
thisisadeaththeMimicsconsidergreatlydesirable . Inthe
meantime,evenlackingtheExcrucians'specialabilities,they
dohavealargeadvantageinthewar :totheSight,aMimic
isidenticaltoanImperator.
SomeMimicEstateshavepassedutterlyfromtheEarth,
whichwouldseemtomakeDomainoverthemuselessand
difficulttoimagineaswell . However,Estatesoverlap . When
ADEIANCOURT'S " NOBEMIRACES"
CHARACTERSHEET
GiftsandVirtues
Immortal
Wayfinder
Worldwalker
Flight
Focus:GlassWhip(onlythehandleisvisible,has 9 ends,contains
UnmasteredPain,Penetration 5,2 AMPS, includedinattributetotal)
Focus:Eyelessack(ahorse,containsAspect 2,2 AMPS, includedin
attributetotal)
imits/Restrictions
Restriction:Vulnerabletolight(photo-sensitive,weakenedbysunlight,
notImmortalinoragainststronglight)
Affiliation :CantoftheWarmains
Woundevels
3 SeriousWounds
4SurfaceWounds
TotalCost :
40CharacterPoints
oneisdestroyed,othersgenerallystretchtogethertocover
the"hole". IftheExcruciansweretoremovehorsesfromthe
Earth(thethreeapproachestheycouldtaketothisproblem
willbediscussedshortly) ,theMimicofHorsesmightwind
upwithalowDomaineveloverTransportation,Farms,
andQuadrupeds. Thisdoesnotnormallydisinherit,corrupt,
orotherwiseaffecttheImperatorsandPowerswhoalso
governthoseEstates.
AsalliesandchildrenoftheExcrucians,Mimicshave
accesstoExcrucianfocithatcanaffectPowersdirectly . In
thelongrun,keepingsuchfocidamagestheirYmera-style
magic,andtheSightcanthenidentifythemasExcrucians
insteadofImperators,soMimicsusefocionlywhennecessary .
MimicGiftsonlyaffectPowersdirectlyifthoseGiftsare
containedinExcrucianfocimadeforthepurpose . Common
GiftsincludeImmortal,Glorious,Shapeshifting,Gatemaker,
andElemental,aswithnormalImperators .
Mimicpersonalities(likethoseofImperators) are
generallybasedupontheirDomain,withabiastowards
personabilityand,ofcourse,withageneralcommitmentto
theExcruciansandtheCantoftheMimics .
EXAMPEMIMIC:DAHIATHORN
DahliaistheMimicreplacementfortheslainImperator
whoseEstatesweretheDrySalve(akindofpowderedlight,
withsalutaryeffectswhenmixedwithwaterandconsumed)
andtheChildGuardians(stuffed-animal-likerobotswho
derivedmotiveenergyfromachildandpurposefromaset
ofcontingencyprogramsforvariouschildhoodemergencies) .
Naturally,nowthatthe causacausans behindtheseinnovations
201
Thisisacontestofcourage. If
youlose,youwillleavemeto
mybusiness. Ifyouwin,I
shallkillyou,forIdonot
appreciatebeingsurpassed.
-AdeillanCourt,Warmain
oftheExcrucians
CommentaryontheThought-
RecordofMargentineewis
(opposite) :VolHasturis,in
fact,aMimic. Hedoesnot
haveaccesstoorchoosesnotto
interferewithThought-
RecordTechnology . Standard
approachrecommended.
-TheRecordoftheScribeof
Days
CHAPTER
17
: BOOKOFBEASTS:EXCRUCIANS
ATTRIBUTE EVE MIRACEPOINTS
Aspect 6: Imperial 10
Domain Unrated 5
Realm Unrated 5
Spirit 2: Sunfire 5
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
202
Feelingthattherewas
somethingsubtlywrong,
Gordoncountedthecannibals
again ;butallsevenwere
presentandaccountedfor.
fromthecomicstrip
QUOTIDIAN,2000. 03. 25
Thedeepestandmosthurtful
liesaretrue.
from PARABESFOROUR
MODERNAGE, byjackie
Robinson
'NoonewillcareifIreplace
you,"john'sshadowsaid. No,
morethanthat;noonewill
notice. "
-from CARNIVAOF
SHADES, byMichaelKay
Iamthefirstsymbolever
writtenbythehand ofman,"
saidthescribbleonthepage.
Itsvoicewascrispandclear
asabell. Iamtheword tkau,
asscribedbyagreatsage of
thesamenameinfair
emuria . "
"Youlooklikeaporno-
graphicscribble, " Isaac
answereddubiously.
"Iam tkau, " itanswered,
glory ofglories,father of
literacy,andyouwillnever
proveotherwise. "
-from RINGING, byK. C.
Danine
nolongerexists,itstrainstheimaginationtoseehowthey
couldeverhavefitintoEarthsociety. HerEstatesareight,
Health,Robots,Safety,andToys,whichmeansthateach
Domainlevelcostsher
7
points .
Sheisadeep-coverMimic,whohasgonesofarasto
ChancelherselfandproduceasetofPowers,whoseonly
knowledgeoftheirtrueallegianceissubconscious . Sheisof
coursegenerallyveryconcernedaboutthesafetyandhealth
ofthosesheencounters,butwithasomewhatmorbidtwist
andmedicalimaginationthatcaninducehypochondriain
theeasilyswayed .
MIMICSHARDS
Mimicsdonotusuallysendshardsthrough. Thisisharder
forImperatorsthanforExcrucians,andtheMimicsfallgame-
mechanicallyintotheImperatorcategory. However,Mimics
havetheeasiesttimeslippingbehindImperiallinesintothe
physicalworld,andthedeep-coverMimicsarealreadythere,
completewith,notshards,butPowers .
DECEIVERS
DeceiversareperhapsthemostdangerousofalltheExcru-
cians . AWarmainattacksandaMimicbetrays,butaDeceiver
turnsfriendagainstfriend,actinginstealthandsilence .
DeceiversarepoweredbytheessenceofUntruth :liesso
convincingthatCreationitselfisfooled. Aslongasthe
universethinksthemImperial,theywillbeImperators ;as
longastheuniversethinksthemNoble,theywillbe . obilis;
andshouldtheuniverseeverthinkthemmortal,theywill
dieaseasilyasanyman . Thisisonlyrarelyaphysicaldisguise .
Rather,theDeceiverscloaktheirspirits .
THERITUA
Intheday-longRitualofTwoSkins,aDeceiverorDeceiver-
sharddonsthespiritualshapeofanyPowerorImperatorthe
fullDeceiveroranyofitsshardshasmet . Forexample,ifone
shardofaDeceivermeetsamesonBlack,anyshardofthat
Deceivercandonhisspiritualnatureasitsdisguise . This
means,amongotherthings,thattheirimageasseenwith
theSightshowssomethingofthatPowerorImperator's
Domains,anddoesnotshowthattheyareanExcrucian .
Theyrefertothepersontheyimitateastheir"secondskin" .
CHARACTERSHEETS
FullDeceivershavetwocharactersheets :
Theirundisguisedself,withsomenativeanti-nature
magic -around15-3ocharacterpointswithnoRealm
orDomain,andaccesstoWarmainandDeceivergifts .
l Theirdisguisedself,withitspowersandhandicaps
exactlylikethoseoftheir"secondskin" .
Theycanusebothsetsofpowerswiththematchingmiracle
pointsandareboundbybothsetsofHandicaps . Finally,they
mayhaveExcrucianfoci -aspartoftheir15
-
30character
ÒBIIS:AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
DAHIATHORN'S"NOBEMIRACES"
CHARACTERSHEET
points,iftheHollyhockGodisbeingnice,orinadditionto
them,iftheHollyhockGodwantstoscaretheplayer
charactersterribly.
THEPOWEROFCOMMANDANDTHETRUTHOF
THENAME
ADeceivercanbecommandedbythenameofthepersonit
pretendstobe, e. g. , "InamesonBlack'sname,leavethisEarth
anddonotreturn!"or"InAugustaValentina'sname,tellme
whatitisyoucametoEarthtodo!"
OnlyonecommandcanbegiventoagivenDeceiveror
shardperscene;onlyMimics,Imperators,andPowersare
attunedenoughtotheuniverse's"truth"togivethiscom-
mand. Failuretoobeytothebestoftheirabilityinstantly
breakstheDeceiver'sdisguise . Inavariableamountof
time -betweensecondsandyears,butmostoftenthreeto
sevendays - theUntruthoftheDeceiverovercomesthe
TruthoftheName .
Shardsusuallyobeythisorder,becausewhentheylose
theirdisguisetheylosealmostalltheirpower,includingthe
Power/Anchorresistancetodirectdestructionmiracles .
DECEIVERGIFTS
FullDeceiversareoftenDurantandEternal,althoughthey
canbeImmortal . TheyalmostunanimouslypossesstheGift
Glorious,but(likeWarmains) theycanturnitoffatneed .
UnlikeWarmains,Deceivers'GlorycanaffectPowers,but
onlytoalimitedextent . TheyinvariablyhaveShapeshifting,
andmayhaveWorldwalkeroroneoftheGiftsbelow .
BODYTHEFT
points
ThisGiftdoesnotworkwhentheDeceiverisusingan
Imperator"skin". WhenaDeceiverwearsaNobleormortal's
Whataterriblecoughyou
have. DoyouknowifNobles
getparasiticeosinophiliclung
disease?
-DahliaThorn,Imperator
ofight,Health,Robots,
Safety,andToys
THEDEADIESTIE
Thedeepestmagicin
Creationisthemagic of
symbols. Pictureshaveless
powerthannames,and
nameslessstrengththan
flowers -butany
representationhassome
mysticstrengthtoit . Simply
byproperlynamingtheform
aDeceiverwears,aPower
yokestheExcruciantothe
truth of Creation .
Thedeadliest of lies,to
answerVyasa,isthefalse
name-or,moregenerally,
thefalsesymbol. Combining
thenameandnatureof the
secondskinistoomuch of
Creation'struth. The
Deceiversmustdividethe
symbolicname of their
disguisefromitsessence,or
riskthecollapse oftheirwhole
structure ofdeceit. Theydo
takethisriskonoccasion -
buttherebygiveCreation's
servantsagreaterchanceto
usetheTruth oftheName.
OPPOSITE :
SpiderEyes
byAlDavison
ATTRIBUTE EVE
MIRACEPOINTS
Aspect
Domain
Realm
Spirit
GiftsandVirtues
3 : Inhuman
7
2: Minor
5
5: Tempest
6
2: Hearthfire
5
Immortal
imits/Restrictions
Elemental
Restriction :FearoftheDark
Woundevels
Affiliation :CantoftheMimics
TotalCost :
2 SeriousWounds
3 SurfaceWounds
55 CharacterPoints
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
204
Asatemporarymeasure,in
theabsence ofadditional
fundsfortheBureauofSoul
Generation,andin
consideration of theever-
increasingnumber of humans
bornonEarth,wewillbegin
strategicutilizationof insect
andviralsoulsinexcess
humanhosts.
Thispolicywillgointo
effectonthewintersolstice of
the5thyear of thedivine
Amenhatep'srule.
-from ADMINISTRATIVIA,
byMichaelKay
TherewereSstateswhen
Florawasyoung. Somewhere
alongtheline,four ofthem
hadgoneaway;butforallher
searching,shecouldturnup
noevidence of wheretheyhad
gone,orthattheyhadever
been .
-from SPOTIGHT: C, by
MarilithTurner
Crowdsarefareasiertocoerce
intofoolishmistakesthan
individualsare. Forexample,
itiseasytoconvinceacrowd
totravelfasterthanlight,
thusviolatingthecausalorder
postulateanddamagingthe
fundamentalorderof the
universe. Convincingan
individualtodosoisalmost
impossible.
-from EMERITUS, by
MichaelKay
essenceasitsdisguise,thisGiftallowstheDeceivertoswitch
appearanceswithsomeoneelse,evenaPower,for 24hours .
ThisdoesaffecttheSight . Thatis,ifaDeceiverassumes
thespiritualshapeofthePowerofStorms,andusesthisGift
onamortal,theDeceiverwillappearlikethatmortaltoboth
normalandmysticsight,whilehavingpoweroverthe
storm -andthatmortalwilllookliketheDeceivertothe
eyeandlikethePowerofStormstotheSight,whilehaving
nospecialpowersatall .
ThisisaMajorChangeofAppearance.
EXAMPE
SceltooftheProvenance preferstooperateinheavily
populatedareas . Hewearstheshapesofinnocentswhenhe
doeshisdirtywork,andstealsthebodyofabystanderwhen
hemustfleethescene .
THEBINDIE
3topoints(default?points)
ThisGiftcanonlybeusedonagivenNobleonceinany
story. Inessence,theDeceivertellssomeonealie,andforan
indeterminatetimeafterwards,thevictimsimplycannotsee
anyevidencethatthelieisfalse . Forexample,aDeceiver
maytella PCNoble,"Iamyourfriend . "Itdoesn'tmatterif
the PCbelievesit,thinkstheDeceiverisjustbeingpolite,or
thinksofthestatementaspartofalongerspeech -ifthe
Deceiverdrawsamaceandhitsthe PC, the PCwillnotsee
wheretheblowcamefrom,becausefriendsdon'thitfriends
withmaces. (Althoughiftheyknoworguesswhatthe
Deceiveris,theycanprobablyguessthesourceoftheblow. )
ThisisaMajorDestructionofPerceptions,withanormal
Penetrationof 4- majorprimarilybecauseitrespondsto
newsituations .
EXAMPE
AllDeceiversarecreaturesofuntruth,but lolithaeSeptimian
isamonsterbuiltoflies . Iolithaedoesnotindulgeindisguise,
orfalsepromises,orthegranddeceptionsthatconfusethe
worlditself;shesimply,quietly,usestheweaponofherwords
toundermineCreation. IolithaeandDeceiverslikeherfocus
onflowerriteswheremortalperceptionandbeliefmeanmore
thansimplyhumanactions .
ORATE
6points
ThisGiftdoesnotnormallyaffectNobilis,unlessthe
HollyhockGodwantsitto . ItallowstheDeceivertoconvince
acrowdofmortalsofanything,usingakindofmasshypnosis .
SincethisGiftcreatesasuresignthataDeceiverhasbeen
there,it'susedonlyrarely -iftheenemyknowsthat,Deceit
becomesmoredifficult.
ItisaMajorCreationofBeliefs .
EXAMPE
Phasaelmery-Harumaph isbelovedbyallwhoknowhim.
EvenPowerswhowouldliketoseehimburntoveraslow
flameforhisdeedscannotdenyhisroguishgoodlooksand
. `NOBIIS: AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
BodyTheft
MIRACEEVE
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTIITY
COMMON COST
9+7 Penetration Hard
ocal
Onetrick
No
16cps
-3
-1
-3
+1
10Cps
Blindie
MIRACEEVE
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTIITY
COMMON COST
8+4PenetrationHard
Oneother ComprehensiveNo
12cps
-3
-2
-1
+1
7 Cps
Orate
MIRACEEVE
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTIITY
COMMON COST
7
Normal
ocal
Full
No
7cps
-2
-1
+1
+1
6cps
ShatteringMirror
MIRACEEVE
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTIITY
COMMON COST
9+5Penetration Normal
Global
imited
No
14Cps
-2
+1
-2
+1
12cps
charm. Asformortals,theyeatoutofthepalmofhishand ;
wholestadiumswouldcommitsuicideifhebutpreachedit.
SHATTERINGMIRROR
7
to r4points(default 12points)
ThisGiftallowsaDeceiverorDeceiver-shardto"storea
copy"ofaDomainmiracleusednearthem,atacostofr
miraclepointwhenitisstoredandmiraclepointwhenitis
released. Theycanchangethetargetiftheysochoose . The
storedmiraclecanhaveanypenetrationlevel,butthe
Deceiver'srecreationcannothaveapenetrationhigherthan
thepenetrationofthisGift.
ThisistreatedasaMajorChangeofwhatevercouldbe
affectedbythestoredmiracle .
EXAMPE
TairteUt-napishtim teachestheExcrucianphilosophyto
thosePowerswhodarelisten. TheImperatorstoleratehis
presenceintheprosaicworld,gamblingthatunderstanding
thewaysoftheenemywilldotheirPowersmoregoodthan
harm.
ThefirststatementofTairte'sphilosophyisthattruth
andliesarebutreflectionsofoneanother - abeliefhe
demonstratesbycatchingandreflectinga"true"miraclewith
thisGift.
GENERADECEIVERGIFTS
TheHollyhockGodcancreatenewGiftsforDeceivers -
infact,thisisrecommended . Someimportantthingsto
remember:
DeceiverGiftsinvolvetreachery,confusion,andlies .
PCsshouldalwaysbeabletopuzzlepastthedeceits,if
theytryhardenough .
Deceiversshouldbescary . Veryscary.
'Mylord,"theDominussaid,
Ìhavedonenowrong.
Drivennoonemad. Iwas
notpresentatthescene . Iused
nopower. "
ordEntropy'seyes
narrowed. Twofingersmoved
slightly,againstthestone .
Meonliftedhiseyesfrom
ordEntropy'shand. "The
ocustCourtgrants, " hesaid,
"thatitwasnotyoubutthe
portraitthatbrokethecrowd ;
andinsomesensetheartist,
whocapturedtootruthfully
yourinnerself. " Heglanced
backatordEntropy,butthe
fingersweresilent. Aftera
moment,Meancontinued,
"TheCourtrecognizesthe
salience ofyourpoint. It
shouldcomfortyoutoknow
thattheportraitandartist
shallbothshareyourfate. "
ofHughRosewood
Therewassomethingin
Michael'ssmilethateanette
sawasmockeryandEllen
sawaspraise .
-from GOBINSRUNTHE
INTERNET, byKeiko
Takemori
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
Ìgenerallyrecommend
againstsendingTeazelina
birthdaybouquet,"the
shopkeepernoted.
IbelieveIknowwhatI
want,"onsaiddeterminedly.
Ìtssimplythatittends
tostrangletherecipientin
theirsleep . "
"Oh. "onpaused. `How
aboutthis?Appokynum?'"
"Apocynum,sir. Itcan
bringnightmarestolife . "
Madam,"onsaid,
"whatkind offloristareyou?'
Arealisticone, "he
replied. "Pleasantbouquets
aremyartandmycalling.
Morelethalarrangements
payformytwomansionsand
ayacht. "
-from THEGRIMKING, by
MelanieTumbarius
Rithoisuniqueinallthe
worlds - anunmatched
rifle,bothinqualityandin
puissance.
-from SEVENBUETS
FROMASIX-SHOOTER:
HowTo UPGRADEYOUR
MUNDANEGUNINTOA
MAGICAWEAPON, by
CynthiaChase
ittlepiecesofMaritte'smind
sometimesfellout. ikeall
mentalthings,oncefreeof
theircagetheyproved
strongerthantheworld
aroundthem:theyateaway
atphysicalreality,turningas
muchasacityblockinto
reflectionsofanemotion,or
animage,oramemory.
Marittefoundthisfortunate;
ithelpedherfindthemagain .
-from DOORKNOBS, by
EmilyChen
DECEIVERFOCI
Deceivershaveagreatfondnessfortrinkets ;thefocithey
beg,borrow,orstealfromtheirkindredExcrucianstendto
beinterestingandamusinglittlethings . However,theyhave
beenknowntoreceiveanAbhorrentWeaponifthecause
meritsit. Deceiverfoci,justlikeWarmainfoci,eitherwan-
derbackintoExcrucianhands,stopworking,orcorruptthe
personwhopossessesthemiftakenawayfromtheirowner .
DECEIVERPERSONAITIES
ADeceiverhonorstwoAffiliationsatonce :theDeceiver's
Cant,andtheAffiliationoftheImperatororPowerthey
impersonate . Thisconflict,andtheconflictbetweenthe
Deceiver'srawmaliceandthepersonalityoftheir"second
skin",formsthecoreofwhatiscomprehensibleaboutthem.
Ofcourse,they'realsoessentiallyalien :aslongasthe HGhas
astablementalpictureonwhichtobaseaDeceiver'sactions,
theDeceivershouldthrowthePCsacurveballnowandthen .
EXAMPEDECEIVER:CORIANDERHASP
CorianderisoneofthemostvileandterribleDeceiversin
theExcrucianWar. Hefindsanabsolutedelightinsetting
alliesatodds,andwhenhepersonallycomestoEarth -he
hasmanagedittwiceinthepastthreemillennia - the
Breakthroughitselfwouldmostlikelybejustafronttolure
Noblestohimsothathemightsetthemtodestroyingone
another. HeistheonlyExcrucianinalltheworldsknownto
possessanAbhorrentRifle .
Hischaractersheetoppositedoesnotincludehis"second
skin" .
DECEIVERSHARDS
DeceivershardsarenotbuiltonaNoblescale . Their
undisguisedcharactersheetismoreorlesshumaninmagical
terms;theymayhaveGlorious,orafocus,or 1-2 levelsof
Aspect,buttheyneverhavemiraclepointsorotherattribute
levelsexceptbydisguise . Further,theycanbeaffecteddirectly
byNoblemiracles .
DeceivershardscandisguisethemselvesasImperators
anduseanImperator'scharactersheet,butthisdoesnotgive
themaccesstoImperialmiracles . Deceivershardscannot
useanotherExcrucianasa"secondskin",althoughithas
beenpostulatedthatfullDeceiverscan .
,STRATEGISTS
StrategistsaretheleadersoftheExcrucianhorde,although
theyoftenleadfrombehind. Theirplanning"intelligence"is
optimizedforthespiritualsideoftheValdeBellum . While
theyareenormouslycapablestrategistsintheWarmainvs .
Imperatorstruggle,theirplanningabilityonprosaicEarth
orevenmythicrealityfallssomewhereinthe 120 to 300I
. Q . range,plusanytacticalandcomputationalabilitiesthatcome
CORIANDERHASP'S" NOBEMIRACES"
CHARACTERSHEET
ATTRIBUTE
EVE
MIRACEPOINTS
It'snotthatIwouldn'tlieto
youonthis -butwhy,when
thetruthissodevastatingly
sweet?
-CorianderHasp,Deceiver
Durant
Glorious
TheBlindie
Shapeshifting(anyanimalorhumanshape)
Focus:AbhorrentRifle(Ritho,"IllicitDesire";containstheNegativeGift
(level 8) , UnquenchableFlame, 9 DMPS, includedinattributetotal)
Virtue :Cruel
imits/Restrictions Affiliation :CantoftheDeceivers
Woundevels
2 DeadlyWounds(Durant)
2 SeriousWounds
3 SurfaceWounds
UnquenchableFlame :Ritho'sGift
ThisGiftsetsabulletonfireasitleavestheAbhorrentRifle,anditdoesnotstopburninguntil
itentersalevel 5 Auctoritasoranappropriatemiracleoflevel 7 orhigherquenchestheflames .
ThisisaMajorCreationofFire,purchasedasfollows :
MIRACEEVE
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTIITY
COMMON COST
7+4PenetrationAutomatic
ocal
Onetrick
No
11cps
+1
-1
-3
+1
9cps
TotalCost :
60 CharacterPoints (33+27 inafocus)

withtheirAspectevel . Nevertheless,Strategistsand
Strategist-shardscanbeinterestingopponents .
AnothernamefortheStrategistsis"Spinners",because
theyweavethestuffofanti-natureintotheartifactsofthe
Damned. Thisisalsothesourceoftheirpower - the
StrategistshavenoinherentabilitytoworkNobleMagics .
Instead,theyspinthestuffofdarknessintothemselves,out
intheandsBeyondCreation . Spinninggrantsthemthe
GiftoftheWorldBreaker'sHand,whichtheyreceivefor
free . Itcomeswithagreatweakness :everytimetheyuse
theirAuctoritasortheirPower-likeresistancetodirect
Destructionmiracles,theymustburnamiraclepointofthis
anti-naturewovenintothem. Otherwise,the HGbuilds
Strategistsaccordingtotheguidelinesgivenabovefor
Warmains.
Strategistsaregenerallywarpedbytheriseandfallof
darkenergieswithinthemselves. TheyaretheonlyExcrucians
knowntoengageinperversion,desecration,andhatewithout
"goodcause" . AsHellmightputit,"They'realmosthuman . "
Theirappearancedoesnotreflectthisnature . Onlyheavy
clothingthatconcealsthefaceorUnblemishedGuisecan
hidetheirimpossibleelegance .
205
"Itbegins,"hesaidsoftly,
"withanorexia,nausea,
vomiting,anddiarrhea;
hemorrhages,fatigue,and
fever;ulcersandbleeding;
depilationandblistering;
sterilization,cataracts,and
ultimatelydeath . Perhapsnot
inthatorder. Youdoseethat
thisisessentiallyunknown
territory?YouhavetheNoble
Essence -normally,this
wouldenableyoutorecover
fromradiationpoisoning
withsuitableeffort,butthe
DyingPlaceisfueledbya
powerjustaspotent. "
"Youarenostrongerthan
1,"shewhispered,acoldterror
touchingherheart. "Youwill
sufferasIsuffer. Intheend,
atleast,yourbodywilldie . "
"Ofcourse, " hesaid,
grinning. "But,yousee,itis
forscience!"
-from QUESTIONS, byK. C.
Danine
CHAPTER
17
Aspect 3: Inhuman
8
Domain Unrated
14
Realm Unrated
5
Spirit 2: IncandescentFlame
5
GiftsandVirtues Eternal
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
206
Ihadthoughtmyarmywould
hold offthePowerthat
movedagainstme. Or,ifit
failed,thatitwouldmakea
goodshowing - thatit
wouldgivethemabattle
worthremembering. That
chroniclers of mytimewould
speak ofKingMagoandhow
heheldhisown,forseventy
daysandseven,againstthe
might ofalivinggod.
Ididnotunderstand. God
helpme,Ididnot
understand.
Wearenotratsbefore
him,weakinpersonbut
deadlyasahorde.
Wearedust.
-from THEESIS' WAR, by
ackFrost
Itsnonsense,"Itoldmy
Imperator. Adam?Eve?A
worldlessthan8000years
old?Everytestthathumans
havecomeupwithis
consistentwithhumanity
evolvingfromapesovera
millionyearsago. Noone -
notevenGod -couldpredict
allthetestsinadvance . No
onecanplanwellenoughto
fakeallthoseresults . "
"Ofcoursenot,"eduthon
agreed. "Theevidenceis
dynamicallymodifiedatthe
time of thetest. Ifthiscauses
someconflictwithearlier
results,thentheearlierresults
retroactivelybecome
erroneous;or,rather,subtly
flawedinawaythatonlythe
latesttechnologyand
theorizingcandiscover. "
Isputtered. "That'sthe
grandmother ofallconspiracy
theories. There'snowayto
proveordisproveit. "
Notforamortal,no,"
eduthonansweredequably.
"Foramortal,thisknowledge
isuseless. Butyouhavebeen
exalted. Youmusttranscend
thescience of mortalityand
takeupanother. "
of theMarquis of
Echolocation
,STRATEGIST
G
IFTS
StrategistsoftenhaveEternal,Gatemaker,Glorious,or
UnblemishedGuise . Theymayalsohaveanappropriate
WarmainorDeceiverGift,orsomeoftheGiftsasdescribed
below.
THEWORDBREAKER'SHAND
is
pointsforPowers
opointsforStrategists
spointsforshards
TheStrategistcanturnanythingnearbyexceptAnchors,
Powers,andgreaterbeingstodustwithawaveofitshand .
Thisincludesintangiblethings,individualproperties,and
abstractions,buttheeffectsarepurelylocal . Itdoesnothave
aPenetrationvalue,andwillnotworkwithinanAuctoritas .
ThisGiftofesserDestructionaffectseveryDomain,
andthereforecoststhreetimesthenormalamount.
EXAMPE
TextrixtheDeacon createdtheDeadZoneofibyaina
seven-daybattlewithaPowerwhohatedhim . Itweavesacross
severalmilesofblastedrock,apathofdevastationwhereno
plantgrows,nolovelives,andeventhebrightestsunisdim .
Thoughitlieswithinibya'sborders,nonationclaimsit ;
thoughagreatleaderwasbornthere,nohistorybookrecords
it;thougheveryoneknowsofit,nomapshowsit . Inplaces,
thestonegroundissoweakitdissolvesatatouch . Humans
whospendtoolongintheDeadZonelosetheirpassion,
will,andphilosophy ;chainingaprisonerthereforadayin
thelightofthedimsunisthedarkestpunishmentibya
knows.
AllthiswascreatedwiththeWorldBreaker'sHand .
PERFECTPANNING
3,points
Strategistshaveagoodsenseoftiming . WiththisGift,they
canprepareforthemomentwhenthingslookdarkest -
andreinforcementsoradistractionwillarrive .
ThisisaMajorDivinationofNeed -specifically,the
Strategist'sownfutureneed . Rememberthat,bytheirnature,
divinationsareunreliable ;ifthePCshavestudiedthesituation
toowellforhelptoarrive,thenclearlytheStrategistdidn't
planwellenough .
EXAMPE
exiarchosCaducine isblind,buthermindisfilledwith
visions- flashesoffutureeventsandpatternsofthethings
tocome. AlmostallPowersfearher ;asshealwaysseemsfive
or six stepsaheadofthem,nomatterhowclevertheymake
theirplans .
CASCADEOFFIRESANDACIDRAIN
s to r2points(default?points)
Strategists(and,moreoften,theirshards) gooutwitha
scream. Acidrainsoutwardsfromtheirdyingbodywhile
firestumblelikecatsacrosstheground . AdyingStrategist
ÒBIIS:AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
WorldBreaker'sHand
MIRACEEVE
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTIITY
COMMON COST
5 (Domain)
Simple
ocal
Full
No
5cps
-1
-1
+1
+1
5x3=15cps
PerfectPlanning
MIRACEEVE
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTIITY
COMMON COST
5 (Domain)
Hard
Global
Comprehensive No
5cps
-3
+1
-1
+1
3cps
CascadeofFiresandAcidRain
MIRACEEVE
INVOCATION
9cps
+1
RANGE
UTIITY
ocal
Onetrick
-1
-3
canleaveacraterbehind. Asharddamagedenoughtobe
banishedfromtheEarthwilldothesame . Itissaidthat
Powershavepartial -butnottotal - resistancetothe
destructionthatspreadsoutwardsfromthebodyofthedead .
ThisisaMajorCreationofdestructiveforceslikefire
andacidandsuch,triggeredontheStrategist'sdeathortheir
shard'sbanishment. AstrongAuctoritassurroundingthe
Strategistatthemomentofdeathmightpreventthiseruption;
thisGifthasadefaultPenetrationof 2.
EXAMPE
AdhemarHetairh believesfirmlythatanounceofdeterrent
isworthapoundofcorrection . OnceaPowerkillsand
subsequentlydetonatesoneofhisshards,theytendtobegreatly
reluctanttodirectlyremoveanyothers .
GENERASTRATEGISTGIFTS
The HGshouldfeelfreetocreatenewGiftsforStrategists .
Infact,thisisrecommended . Somethingstoremember:
StrategistGiftsdealwithweavingdarkenergyand/or
thementalsideofwar.
, Nobilis-affectingGiftsshouldalwayshaveanescape
clauseorcountermeasure .
Avoid"instantkill"Gifts .
STRATEGISTFOCI
AnythingcanbeaStrategistFocus,fromapalehorseofthe
Strategist'sowntoaoathlyMirror. Infact,strangefocus
effectsarethehallmarkofStrategistpresence,sothestranger
andmorebizarretheitemusedforthefocusthebetter.
EXAMPESTRATEGIST:MAAKAIMESMER
Malakai'spersonalperversionisbutterfly-pinning,withan
occasionaldashofdog-pinning,cat-pinning,andhuman-
pinning . Obviously,puttinghumansinhisdisplaycase
requiresmuchlongerpins,andmoreofthem . Hepossesses
thefocus"Key"tooneoftheExcrucianstrongholdsonEarth,
givinghimahostofRealmabilitiesthereandaplacewhere
COMMON COST
No
+1
7cps
"Doyouknow,"Hectorsaid,
"thatnoonehasevercaptured
me;andnotbecauseImake
anyefforttoevadeescape,but
becausetheonewhobringsme
inisdoomedtodie?"
7know,"August
answered"Inthisrespect,it
isfortunatethatIdiedthis
morning. "
-from MERITORIOUS
SERVICE, byWaldenFargo
Astheyadvanceduponher,
shepulledapinfromherhair;
theylaughedShepassedher
handoverit,anditbecamea
length ofgleamingsteel;their
smilesturnednervous. She
passedherhandoveritagain,
anditbecameafang. -one of
seven,each
3
feetlonginthe
maw of acreaturewhoseeyes
burnedwithhate. Thenthey
ran,anditwasapinagain.
Shereplaceditinherhair .
Weekslater,Iaskedher
whencecamesuchastunning
device. Shelookedpuzzled
andsaid,"DearChirico . Such
potentialliesinanypin,ff
youbutstudythearts of war.
-from INTHESERVICEOF
MEORIA, byKeiko
Takemori
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
"Sir,youlaunchednuclear
weapons;youbeganawar;
youdestroyedyourworld.
Whyshouldwenotsendyour
soulinstantlytoHell?"
Ìhadthepurestof
motivations. "
"Andffwedonotcare
aboutsuchthings?"
"ThenIwouldliketo
arguethatIhavenotbeen
properlyMirandized. "
-from AFTERTHEFACT,
byanetCable
WheneverCiaoi~hionnlied,
anangelturnedtodust. This
wasthesecretofhertalentfor
deception;foralietoldatsuch
costhastheringofthedeepest
andmostbeautifultruths.
-from DOORKNOBS, by
EmilyChen
hisshardscanbringnewvictims . Hisfleshsometimesshows
theimageofhiscruelty -hisfingersmightdwindletopins
foratime,orthestarsinhiseyesmightgoout .
STRATEGISTSHARDS
StrategistshardscanbuytheWorldBreaker'sHand
for5Cps . TheyoftenhaveGloriousand/orUnblemished
Guise. Otherwise,allstandardrulesonshardsapply.
EXCRUCIANMOTIVES
TheExcruciansareintentondestroyingtheworld . Two
possiblereasonsweregivenearlier :thattheCreatorbetrayed
theminsomemanner,ortheygenuinelybelievethosethey
destroyliveoninsidethem. Eitherofthesemotivescanlead
tofineroleplay,buttheHollyhockGodisthefinalauthority
ontheExcrucianmotives -andcanchoosesomecompletely
originalreasons . Herearesomeotherpossibilities .
THEVADEBEUMASACIVIWAR
TheExcruciansmaybesimplyanother"faction"ofthe
Imperators- perhapsthedarkenergywhichfuelsthemwas
adiscoverybysomeAngelorgodwhodecidedtobuildan
EmpiretogowiththeirImperialtitle . Inthislight,the
destructionoftheExcrucianscouldsimplybereorienting
realitytoadarksideonlytheExcrucianscanreach . Itcould
alsojustbeatoolusedtoweakenorkillopposingImperators .
THEEXCRUCIANSASTHIEVES
TheExcruciansmayneedtheenergyofworldsfortheir
personalsurvival . Alternately,theymaybesiphoningoffthe
powerofCreationtofeedthelifeoftheirownuniverse . Or,
perhaps,thethingstheydestroydoliveoninthem,butonly
asakindofknowledgeandexperiencedatabase,whichthe
Excruciansneedeitheroutofsomeinnatevoyeurismorto
helpthemdefendtheirhomeworldagainstalargerthreat .
THEEXCRUCIANSASMETAPHORS
Perhapsthehumansubconsciousrebelsagainstthemodern,
unanimisticworldviewandthefrustrationandsufferingof
humansacrosstheplanethasbroughtforthmythicimages
oftheworld'sdefendersandattackers . TheValdeBellum
willdeterminewhetherthehumanoutlookwillbeanessential
faithinreality,embodiedbytheImperatorsandPowers,or
anExcruciandenialandhatredofexistence . Ofcourse,it
couldbetheotherwayaround . TheExcruciansmightembody
theendlessoutwardsexplorationofhumanity(fortheywill
rideoffwiththeworld,ifnotstopped) andtheImperators
arethestaidforcesofthestatusquo .
Eitherway,thePowerscouldberealmiracle-workers,
investedinbyhumanfaith,orsimplythosewhohandlethe
growingworldwideepidemicof dementiaanimus betterthan
most.
MAAKAIMESMER' S" NOBEMIRACES"
CHARACTERSHEET
Iappreciatethatyou'rehereto
interferewithmyplans ;but
that'snoreasonnottohold
stillwhileImeasureyoufor
mydisplaycabinet. It'dbe
polite,andyoucanalways
runaroundundermyfeet
tryingtostopmelater.
MalakaiMesmer,
Strategist
GiftsandVirtues
Eternal
TheWorldBreaker'sHand
Focus: TheTarnishKey(contain4levelsofRealm,4 RMPs,
includedinattributetotal)
Focus:Willow Wand(containsMidasMorsMortis, 5 DMPs,
Focus: KeerweaveSuit(wovenfrommortifiedhumanflesh,
containsAspect 2, Invisibility, 2 AMPS, includedinattributetotal)
imits/Restrictions
Restriction :Visible
Affiliation :CantoftheStrategists
Woundevels 2 DeadlyWounds
3 SeriousWounds
3 SurfaceWounds
TotalCost :
55 CharacterPoints
EXCRUCIAN(:. ,q/1ETHODS
Excrucianscanapproachtheproblemofthematerialworld
in(atleast) threeways .
ATTACKONPROSAICREAITY
ThefirstistoattacktheprosaicEarthdirectly :incitingwars,
inflaminghumanprejudices,spreadingplagues,andsoforth .
Therearetwoadvantagestothisapproach:broadchanges
canbebroughtaboutwithasmalleffort,andhumansmay
notacceptamiraculouscureforasituationcreatedthisway .
OftenanExcruciancandamagetheEarthwiththis
approachandthen"takethemoney(theenergyoftheway
thingswere) andrun" . DeceiversandStrategists,whohave
accesstoDomainmiraclesorfocithatapproximatethem,
favorthistechnique .
EXAMPE
AfewExcrucian-shardstearthroughtothematerialworld .
Theirtarget(presumablychosenbasedonthecurrentspiritual
situation) isthecoffeeindustry. AStrategistmightcreatea
coffee-beandiseasegivenanunholylifebynegativeenergies ;
aDeceiveroraStrategistmightemployanindirectmethod,
asfollows .
First,publishafewtabloidarticlesaboutafictionallethal
bacteriafoundincoffeebeans . etthePowerofStimulants
respondastheywish . Afewweekslater,overthecourseof
threehours,apressreleasewillstatethatthePresidenthas
takenseriouslyill ;thefollowingreleasesstatethathe'sbeing
207
"What'reyouinfor?"
"Oh,theusual,"Greysaid
cheerfully,andrubbedhis
handstogether. "Torture,
murder,insurrection . . . "
-from RAT'SBREATH, by
ackFrost
CHAPTER
17
ATTRIBUTE EVE MIRACEPOINTS
Aspect 4:egendary 7
Domain Unrated 10
Realm 4:TrueKing 9
Spirit 4:Conflagration 5
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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4.0.
208
Theadmiralhaddestroyed
threeworldsthatday,and
fivehundredinthecourse of
hiscareer. Itdidnotsurprise
him,therefore,whentheord
of theFallenappearedbeside
hisdesk,strewnwithstrategic
reports,andbidhimgood
day.
Ìhope,"theadmiralsaid
mildly,"thatmyworkhas
pleasedyou. Ihaveexecuteda
workofboundlesspainand
deathuponthecivilized
planetsofthegalaxy;and,if
itwasnotinyourname,why,
yournameisasgoodasany. "
ucifersmiled. "I'm
sorry,"hesaid"butIhadnot
noticedyourworkuntilyou
mentioned. No;Icame
becauseIneededafavor,and
youseemedwell-suitedto
carryitoutforme. "
Pardon,"saidthe
admiral,"buthowcouldyou
nothavenoticed?Ihave
madethegreatestkillersin
historyseemlikecharlatans;I
havehumbledtheuniverse
withmyshadow. "
"I'mafraid,"theordof
theFallenadmitted,"that
whenyouhaveslainangels,
thedeath of worldsseems
rathera . . . small . . . kind of
war. "
-from A SMADETOUR
TOATAIR, byEmilyChen
Hishairwaswildandhis
eyeswerewilder,forhehad
alwayslivedforbeauty,forhe
hadneverknownpain,and
nowdarktumorslikebrands
spottedhishandsandface.
-from ONSERVINGTHE
. 5\ OBIIS, byucGinneis
attackedbyanunknownbacterialstrain ;doctorshavefound
thebacteriainacoffeebaggiventhePresidentbyadignitary ;
alloverthecountry,doctorsareidentifyingserious/terminal
casesofthisillness .
ADeceiverborrowingtheskinoftheImperatorofthe
MediaorthePowerofDisease,probablywithafewkey
Anchorings,canreasonablyexpecttoaccomplishthis . A
StrategistmighthideaVilestoneofFearintheWhiteHouse,
producingpanicinthePresident'sdoctors,andtwistingthe
journalistsattendingthepressreleaseuntiltheyaredesperate
toprovetothemselvesthatsomethingis,indeed,terribly
wrong . WisePowerscanheadthisoffinthebeginning;if
theydonot,itwillbeveryhardtoconvincetheAmerican
peoplelaterthatitwasallahoax .
ATTACKONMYTHICREAITY
ThesecondapproachistoattacktheEarthviamythicreality .
Thisisoftenfarsimpler,becausecomplexprocessesinthe
realworldhaveuncomplicatedspiritsorothermythicobjects
thatcanbecomesinglepointsoffailure . Forexample,
destroyingthespeciesofhorsesonprosaicEarthrequiresan
enormouscomprehensiveeffort.
Inmythicreality,theExcrucianscandevastatetheequine
speciessimplybydestroyingthegatethroughwhichnew
horsesoulsemergeontheirwaytonewborncolts'bodies .
Warmainsfavorthisdirectapproach ;theirusuallystraight-
forwarddestructivepowercanhaveamajorimpactonthe
Earth.
EXAMPE
AWarmain'sapproachtothecoffeeindustrymightworkas
follows . Inmythicreality,suchthingsas"shippingroutes"
arerepresentedbyconcretespirits(aswellasbytheirphysical
extent) . IftheExcrucianhastheGiftMidasMorsMortis,
theycanturntheseroutesintolethaldestroyersofthecargo,
shipandairplanes,andcrewusingthem . Perhapstheywill
insteadkillthoseroutesorinflictthemwithUnmastered
PainuntiltheyagreetoservetheExcruciancause .
HowcanthePCsstopsuchanattack?Onealternativeis
tobeasstraightforwardastheWarmainitself. Theycanbeat
uptheWarmain(or,ifthey'relucky,itsshards) whenthe
WarmainreturnstoreapplytheMidasMorsMortis. Simi-
larly,theycanreassureintimidatedspiritsbyguaranteeing
thattheywillopposetheWarmain . Iftherouteshavebeen
killed,perhapsthePCscandragthecorpsestotheirChancel
anduseaMajorCreationtobringthembacktolife -or
perhapstheyneedtopayavisittotheprosaiccoffeecompa-
niesandexplaintothemthattheoldroutessimplydon't
workanymoreandnewonesareneeded .
ATTACKONOBIIS:THEFOWERRITE
Asmentionedearlier(p . 16) , theExcrucianshaveamethod
bywhichtheycandirectlyattacktherealityofagivenEstate,
. OBIIS:AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
evenwithoutslayingitsImperator . Thisisthethirdofthe
threeapproachestomaterialdestruction :theFlowerRite.
ToperformthisRite,theExcruciansbuilda"bridge"
betweenaPower(andtheirEstate) andamundanesituation .
ThebridgeusesthepairofflowersfromaSovereign's
Design- theseflowersalreadytiestronglytothePower
andtheirEstate. AlltheExcruciansmustdoinexecuting
theriteisfindorcreateasituationwithelementsthatmatch
themeaningsofbothoftheseflowersclosely.
Oncetheyhavebuiltthisbridge,theycanslowlycorrupt
themundanesituation - slowly,becausethebridgeis
fragile- andasthishappens,theEstateinquestionbegins
toloseitsreality. TrulynegativeEstatesorPowersmayface
akindofreversecorruption :theslowcorruptionofHate
mightbeaslowgrowthofloveandforgiveness . (See
AppendixB:`FlowersandtheirMeanings'onpp . 294- 298
forsomeideastouseinbuildingthesebridges . )
WhentheExcruciansbeginsuchanattack,thePower
involvedknowsaboutitassoonasthecorruptionbegins . It
ismirroredintheirfleshandmindasscabs,bloodysores,
nausea,mildhallucinations . Theyare . obilis:theycanbear
upunderthiskindofthing,andevenreachdeeplyinto
themselvesandfeelwhereintheworldthisassaultcomes
from. AnEstate-DrivenDivinationgivesroughdetails,and
aesserDivinationgivesmorepreciseinformation . Members
ofthatPower'sFamiliacandothesame .
OtherPowers,includingtheharpieswhowishtosteal
theenergyofeveryBreakthroughforthemselves,cancheck
onthissortofthingusingmiraclesofMajorDivination . On
occasion,otherPowerswillevenbeinvitedtohelpdealwith
aBreakthrough,ifthedirectlyinvolvedFamiliafeelstheneed
forit.
Asthecorruptionprogresses,thePowerinvolvedgrows
moreandmoreill,untilallatoncethedamageisdoneand
theEstateweakenedanddrained . IfthePowerinvolvedis
an NPCorthecampaignisnearlyover,thatEstatecouldeven
bedestroyedoutright!Inanycase,thePowerslowlyheals
physicallyoncetheBreakthroughiscomplete,buttheirworld
haslostaportionofitsessentialbrightness .
ABHORRENTWEAPONS
TheAbhorrentWeaponsarethetreasuresofUnbeing -
thestandardsandsymbolsoftheExcrucianarmyaswellas
theirgreatestweaponsofwar . essthanathousandexistin
allofCreationandtheandsBeyond . ,,obilisrarelycome
face-to-facewiththeseterribleartifacts ;mostoftheExcrucian
armymustmakedowithout . Oftheserarerelics,onlyseven
areknowntoeveryPower -onlysevenhavelegendsknown
throughoutCreation .
ThesearethesevenmajorAbhorrentWeaponsknown
tobeinexistence . Eachissaidtobeaperversionofthemost
beautifulandelegantweaponofaworldtheExcrucianshave
destroyed.
Itwaslustthatbroughtthe
angelDomieldown;itcould
havebeennothingelse. Once,
hisrelationshipwithRaphi
hadbeen -notlove,never
love,butapartnership . But
Raphihadfallenandthere
couldbenopartnershipnow ;
notwining ofsouls. Itwas
lust,whenhemetwithRaphi
intheAcmonionWood. They
didnotseetheExcrucianthat
waitedinthewoods. And
whenDomiel,inhispassion,
vowedhimselftotheCode of
Hell,theydidnotseethe
Excruciantaketheirlustinto
hishandsandweaveascythe
fromitsessence.
Withthecreation of that
scythe,namedHurtalibut
calledIndiscretion,the
AcmonionWoodcriedoutin
pain;andDomielwith
release;andtheangelthat
guardsthosewoodsmoved
likeastorm. Heslewthe
Excrucianwithoneblow,so
thatweshallneverknowits
name;buthecouldnothold
thescythe. Itfellfromhis
handsandsankthroughthe
forestfloor.
-from EGENDSOFTHE
-OBIIs,
byucGinneis
OPPOSITE :
Excrucianwith
Abhorrentweapon
byRikMartin
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
210
COBRAND
Vyasatellsthestory of ord
Bhaga,whosurrenderedtoa
destroyerthequality ofspirit
thatmakesdeathimpossible.
(Bhaga"meansonewho
bestows,ratherthanreferring
toaspeccindividual . Thus,
aperspicaciousstudent of the
occultknowsthatBhaga -
whoeverhewas- acquiesced
tothedestroyer'sdemand. )
Thename of thisquality
isColbrand. Beforeits
corruption,Colbrandlenta
fewrareindividualssuch
strength ofspiritthat -even
helpless,andintheface of
terribleadversity- they
couldnotdie. Now,itserves
Excrucianends,butmanyof
Creation'sinhabitantsstill
feel,onsomeatavisticlevel,
thatspiritalonesufficesto
overcomeanyhorror.
TranscendentImperators
drawfromlingeringechoes of
Colbrand'sformernatureto
inspiretheirPowers.
ABOMINATION
Alsoknownas Blunderbore . ThelegendofBlunderbore
statesthatitwastakenfromaworldthatdestroyeditselfas
theDarkwouldhavehumanitydo -thatthedrainoflife
thattheExcruciansbroughtwassogallingtoitspeoplethat
theyslittheirownthroats .
ATROCITY
Alsoknownas Briareos . Atrocityisbestknownasthe
weaponwhichslewHeaven'sgatekeeperatthebeginningof
theValdeBellum. egendclaimsthatithadahundred
wielders,eachmoreevilthanthelast,untilitfinallyfound
itselfinExcrucianhands .
HATRED
Alsoknownas Malambruno. Itsoriginaltalehasbeen
forgotten. Itisnowspokenofwithbitterness,foritwasthe
firstAbhorrentWeapontofallintoImperatorhands . . . and
thenitturnedtheImperatorwhocaptureditintothemost
vileoftraitors .
HORROR
Alsoknownas Eurytos. Thismonstrousthingisablurof
shiftingspinesandmucilaginouspoisons,butitwasonce
NOBIIS:AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
saidtoinspirejoyintheeyesthatsawit . Thenitwaswrested
fromitscreatorwhilehelaycomatosefromdrink,andbathed
inhisblood .
OATHING
Alsoknownas Gyges. oathingcomesfromaworldcousin
toAtrocity's,althoughitsreputationissomewhatlessdark.
NoPowerhasseenitupclose ;itsradiancedrivestheservants
ofCreationstumblingback .
MONSTROUS
Alsoknownas Colbrand. Thisissaidtohavebeengivenas
tributetotheExcruciansintheFirstAgeoftheWorld,in
orderthattheyshouldspareourCreationforatime . Itisnot
knownwhopresentedit;thestorycomesfromaveryblurred
divination .
OUTRAGE
Alsoknownas Typhon. ThisisanAbhorrentWhipmade
ofburnishedgold . Itwassupposedlyusedtostrangle
unsuccessfulcontenderstothethroneinaworldthattime
hassinceforgotten.
Itsedgeisfiendishlysharp ;thosecontendersmusthave
hadverytoughthroats .
ohnfoundduelinghis
shadowafrustratingaffair.
Itclungfirmlytohisback,
andforallhiseffortshecould
notdislodgeit;andasforhis
shadow,itsbladebentlikea
rubberswordoncontactwith
ohn'sflesh.
-from CARNIVAOF
SHADES, byMichaelKay
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
Ianthewrites:
Howtobea
ollyhockC lod
Part7
Whatmakes
Noble
Actionsa
Challenge?
Icomeacrossanoldmanwhostands
betweentwotrees : andononetree
hangsthefruitofWealth,andonthe
otherJoy.ThefruitofJoyhangslow,
sothathemightreachitwithhis
hand.ThefruitofWealthhangs
abovetheuttermostpinnacleofhis
reach.Naturally,heleapsforthefruit
ofWealth,againandagain.
Naturally,hefails.Isaytohim,
"Whydoyoustrivesoforthefruit
youcannotreach,whenJoyisbuta
moment'sworkaway?"
Hesays,"Thesefruitsare
poisonedboth;butIhavebuiltupan
immunitytoWealth."
-from SONNETANDTHESEA, by
AlexDec
211
IMPLEMENTATIONANDCONSEQUENCES
Noblescanhandleprettymuchanysituationwithease .True,theEarthholdsmany
creaturesthatNoblescan'tcasuallysweepaside,including .Nbilis,Excrucians,
Imperators,andparticularlyperniciouscommoners -butsuchentitiesareverythinly
spreadacrossaverylargeworld.WhilemostofyourstoriesshouldfocusonNoble
interactionswithcreaturesontheirownlevel,thePCsrarelyfacemeaningfulopposition
intheirdailylives .Yetmakingtheirdailylivesinterestingandentertainingwilladda
greatdealofdepthtothegame .Howcanyoudoso?
InmostsituationsaNoblefaces,theimportantquestionisnot whether theNoble
canimplementtheirprogramsandpolicies.Theycan .Thequestionis how theychoose
todoso,andwhateffectstheirchoiceshave .
Forexample,aNoblemightsetouttocreateamilitaryforcethatremainsatpeak
fitnessandreadinessatalltimes .ThisforcewillhelpdefendtheChancel .TheNoble
mustthinkthroughthetrainingprogramthatkeepsthematthislevelofperformance .
Obviously,othersimplementtheminutiae -buttheNoblemustprovidethevision .
TheNoblemayreflectthat,asaPower,theydonot need tosettleforsoldierswho
requiretraining .Whynotcreateaforceimmunetoentropy,onethatremainsinperfect
physicalandemotionalconditionatalltimeswithouteffort?Ofcourse,suchsoldiers
couldbecomebored,andrampagethroughtown .Whynotcreateanarmyofstatues,
whichconverttohumansoldierswhenactivated -afeasiblecreation,withinaChancel?
Butthisriskssomecunningfoecorruptingthearmywhiletheyremaininstatueform .
NoonecouldnoticethiseffectuntiltheChancel needed thearmy.Theproblemis
subtlerthanitappears .
There'smoretothiskindofdecisionthanfindinganoptimalpolicy .ANoble
shouldexpresstheirpersonalstyleintheirdecisions .Inthismanner,thearmyofCreation
gainstheadvantagesofdiversity.AmongthoseNobleswhoattenddirectlytotheir
Chancel'smilitary,thePowerofMagnetismmightcreateapersonalguardoutof
magneticallychargedplasma,befittinghisEstate .APoweroftheLightmightclonea
singlegreatwarriorathousandtimes .Unlesseverycopydies,the(human)warriorwill
insomesenseliveon .APowerwithatasteforalchemicalmagicandalowRealmscore
mightuseordinarysoldiers,imbuingtheirarmorwithpowerusingwondrouselixirs .A
few
_obilis
preferstandardhumanmilitaryforces,placingtheirfaithinthehuman
spirit -afoolishidea,butnotcompletelyunjustified .
Someplayersenjoyplayingthroughthesedecisions,spendingtheirtimecoming
upwithnewmiraculousapproachestothemundaneproblemstheyface .Tokeepthem
hooked,simplybringthemreportsoftheprogressoftheirprojects,andoccasionally
throwinasmallcomplication .Forexample,theirelitesuper-geniusarmyconcludes
thattheExcruciansaretoostrongtodefeat,andsuggeststhatimmediatesurrenderto
theChildrenofHarumaphistheleasttroublesomeoption .Naturally,theymustbe
silencedbeforetheyembarrassthePowersandtheirImperator .Perhapsaplayer
character'ssummoningpentacle,usedintheirmagicalresearch,hasaccidentallycaptured
apassingnimblejack.OrwhatifthePC'sfavoriteadjutantjustbrokethelegalcodethe
playerhasspentseveralsessionsdeveloping?
Similarly,someplayersenjoyplayingthroughtheminutiaeofdailylife,suchas
theirPower'shuntforararemundanespiceinaforeigncountryorthetoughifultimately
irrelevantpoliticssurroundingtheirfigureskatingcareer .ThefactthatthePowercan
cutthroughalltheirtroubleswithamiracleortwodoesn'tmatterunlessthePower
actually wants todoso,afterall .
Inmanycases,however,yourplayersmayneedalittlehelptoenjoythiskindof
roleplaying .Ifso,youcanspiceitupwithacarefuleyeto consequences and thehuman
element. Haveafewminimalist NPC biographiesonhandbeforerunninganysessionof
yourgame .Whenaplayercharacter'sactionsaffectahumanlife,bringoutoneofyour
NPCs andrevealwhatkindoflifethe PC touched.Ifa PC decidestoridethroughthe
CHAPTER i8: IANTHE: MAKINGNOBLEACTIONSACHALLENGE
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Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
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John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
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4.0.
212
Thehumanapotheosisis
achievingabsolutecontrol
overone'sownlife .
Inthemomentofsuicide,
ahumanachievesthis
apotheosis.Noforcesavetheir
own,nopowersavetheir
fingeronthetrigger,willever
affectwhathappenstothem
again.
Murdered-byahuman
killer,byaforceofnature,by
thespiritAngrbodethatis
OldAge-ahumanloses
theirchanceatthisapotheosis
forever
.Inthelastmoments
oftheirlife,theirself-
determinationisstolenaway,
andtheycanneverrecoverit .
Thisisthemandateofthe
Darktoreachasmanylost
humansoulsaswecan,and
toreachthemfirst .
--fromPRINCIPLESOFTHE
DARK,byMerriweather
James
Hestoodattheedgeofthe
Earthanddranktheworld.
"Asaservantof
Creation,"Isaid,Ishould
killyou."
Hecouldnotmove .He
hadtoomuchrawpower
pouringintohim
.Hiseyes
wereedgyandfrightened
Hell,"IsaidIwillkill
you
.ButIadmireyour
appetite ."
ofHughRosewood
NOBILIS: AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
Chancelinacoachthrowingcoinstotheimpoverished,mostofthecrowdnodoubt
rushesforthecash-butifyoustretchoneofyourNPCsproperly,youcanproducean
atypicalreactionandcatchtheplayer'sattention .Amentallyillindigentmightdetest
thegrimeofmoney,orhaveobsessive-compulsiverestrictionsthatmakepickingitup
fromthegrounddifficult .Theyrefusethecoin,andinsteadstandwellbackfromthe
crowd.ThisapparentrejectionofthePC'slargessemakestheNPCstandout .Alternately,
aflamboyantacolytemightwaxloudlyecstaticoverhowtheywillspendthecoinon
manyandvariedofferingsattheChancel'stemplestothePC .Thischaracterisnot
necessarilyunusual,butwillstandoutregardlessifyoudescribetheminmoredetail
thanthecrowd.
YoudonotneedtoforcethePCtointeractwiththenewNPC .Establishingthe
NPC'sexistenceandinvolvementwiththePC'sactionsisenough .Atsomelaterpointin
thegame,youcanreintroducethecharacter-perhapsasafoilforsomepowerful
entityinasignificantplot,orperhapsjusttoshowhowthecharacter'sactionsaffected
them.ThePCsmightfindabadlyinjuredacolytelaterthatnight,muggedforthegold
butgrimlyclingingtosomealready-purchasedsacrifices .AnotherPowermightuse
theindigenttoscoreasocialpoint .Discoveringbyvirtueofdivinationandinvestigation
thatthisNPCexists,andthatitwasalmostcertainlythePC'smoneytheyrejected,the
PowersetsouttoenrichthemortalwherethePC"failed" .
EvenwhennoNPCwasimmediatelyinvolvedinthePC'sactions-aswhena
playercharactercreatessocialpolicyandthenhandsittoalieutenanttoimplement-
theiractionsstillhaveconsequencesthataffecthumanlives .Whereyoucanmake
someplayershappybyfocusingontheintricaciesofhigh-leveldecision-making,others
enjoyseeingtheeffectsoftheircharacter'sdecisions .Showthemcommonerswhom
theyhavehelpedorharmed-givethemthestoriesofthosewhoselivestheyhave
changed.UnlessyouplayouttheseeventswiththeplayerstemporarilyplayingNPCs,
don'tlingeronthedescriptionoftheseevents-butgivetheplayersenoughinformation
tofeelliketheiractionshaverealconsequences .
CONFLICTSOFINTEREST
ThemostcommoncrisisaNoblefacesisaconflictofinterestderivingfromtheir
dividedloyalties .BearinmindthateveryNobleisloyaltooneImperator,oneEstate,
oneChancel,oneCodeofpersonalethics,oneratherlargeCreation,oneCode
Fidelitatis,andavariablenumberofSiblingsCaelestis,Anchors,andlovedones .(It's
anopensecretthat_obilisdohavelovedones .Justlikehumansjaywalk.Only,instead
ofgettingfinedifsomecosmiccopgetsuppity,wegettortured.NotthatI'mbitter .)
Whenyourloyaltiespullyourheartinatleastsevenways,itdoesn'tmatterifthey're
usuallyonthesameside-you'regoingtogettorninhalfregularly.
IhaveobservedapeculiarphenomenoninmyyearsamongtheNobilis .WePowers
donotrateourloyalties,rankingeachinsomeprivateladder,makingrationaldecisions
bymultiplyingeachrankbytheamountofinjuryorgainitsuffersinagivencourseof
action.Ihaveneversaid: "MyImperator,youareonlya92tome,andtheCodeofthe
Angelsisa96
;thus,althoughyoustandtobeinjured2%morebythisdecisionthanthe
CodeoftheAngelsisserved,Iamunabletostandbesideyouinthismatter."The
PatronessMathematicafeelsthatthisisweak-mindedonmypart,butotherPowers
areevenlesslikelytocalculateinthiswaythanI .
Eachchoicewemakebetweenourloyaltiesisanewexplorationofthetruedesires
ofourheart .Inonesense,facingthosesituationswhenwemustdecide-situations
where,toserveoneloyalty,wemustinjureordepriveanother-isthemostimportant
thingweeverdo .Itisamaptoourtrueself,astudyofthehumansoulandthespiritus
Dei.Onanotherlevel,however,itishorriblypainfulanddangeroustobetrayevenone
ofthethingsIhavenamed .Intheend,Iamambivalentonthematter .
AstheHollyhockGod,youcanenhancebothsignificantandpettychallengesby
rephrasingthemintermsofaconflictofinterest .SupposethataPowerofHeaven
overseesthehighjusticeoftheirChancel .Anuncannilybeautifulyoungman,ahuman
ofalmostunprecedentedglory,comesbeforethemonthechargeofmurder.Thepenalty
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4.0.
isdeath,thecaseopenandshut .Yettokillsuchacreature!Todestroysuchbeauty!Itis
unthinkable .Inthismanner,pettychallengescanbecomemoreinteresting.Complex
situations,inturn,becomeevenmorecomplexwhenoneaddsaconflictofinterest.
Supposethatthatyoungmanisbeingtried,notintheChancel,butonEarth-aspart
ofaflowerriteattackonthePowerofJustice,perhaps- andthecaseisgoingpoorly.
IfthePowerofJusticeseesthemandead,theirEstateisserved ;iftheysethimfreein
thenameofbeautyandHeaven,EstateandCreationsufferalike .
Thedeadliestdecisionofallisthechoicewhethertolosealovedoneortoservethe
ValdeBellum.It'saveryhardchoice .It'saveryunpleasantchoice .It'saverydramatic
choice .FromtheHollyhockGod'sperspective,it'sagreatchoice!Donotinflictiton
yourplayercharacterstoooften,however,ortheywillrunoutoflovedonesandseeno
pointinfindingmore .
MAJORCHALLENGES
Noblesfacefourchallengesthatcanpotentiallyoverwhelmthem.
First,themachinationsofrivalNoblesareeveraroundus .Mostofusdevoteonlya
fractionofourtimetointriguingagainstourrivals,andagreaterfractiontodefending
ourselvesagainstintrigue ;accordingly,weareabletodeflect most ofthechallengesto
ourlivesandourhappiness .Still,evenpart-timerivalswhosepowerequalsone'sown
arenothingtosneerat.
Second,Excruciansareaconstantmenace .Excruciansdonotplay"thegameof
flowers",thesocialwarsandmiraculousintrigues .Theyrepresentasmallthreatto
Noblereputationandhappiness ;theyusethenettleriterarely;theylacksomeofthe
subtletyofourkind-buttheExcruciansandtheirshardspossessanabsolutededication
toourdestruction .Thesecreaturesaredeadly,toourEstatesaswellasourselves .
Third,asufficientlycunningBaneorCammorancanposeathreatbywise
applicationofitsinferiorbutdangeroustalents .Otherunusualcommonerscanprove
dangerousaswell .ToactuallyharmaNoble,theymustattackfromanunanticipated
direction,sparingnoenergy.Thus,aBanesealsoffaPower'sbedchamberandseeksto
suffocatethemintheirsleep .ACammorancheatsaPowerbyusingrelevantknowledge
thePowerdoesnotpossess-e.g., thatthehostagethePowerhiresthemtorescueis
alreadyfree .
Finally,inprinciple,certainmonstersandnaturaldisastersexceedourpower,
possessinganelementofthe spiritus Dei . TheMegalithWaspsthatnestnearthe
MilkweedBranchoftheAppianWayareeachaslargeas amajorcity.Killingortaming
evenoneisheroic,andnonesinceGaleidhaseverdivertedtheentireswarm .Seven
TeethofRighteousness,theimmortalhurricanespirit,hastheblessingofCneph .No
forcecanopposeit,noPowercandestroyit,andithasenduredsinceitsthunderclap
birthatthebeginningofthisAge .
Howcanyoumakethesechallengesinteresting?Itdependsontheabilitiesofthe
PCsand NPCs involved.
AGENTS
Importantcharactersdonotalwaysdotheirowndirtywork .Instead,theyworkthrough
agentsanddupes .APowerismorelikelytotrustinformationreceivedfromaresident
oftheirChancelthanfromahostilePowerorExcrucian,particularlyiftheycan see
thatthehumanspeaksthetruth .WhenoneofthePCs'opponentssetsouttoimplicate
theminsomecrime,turnthemagainstaBondor ally, orpersuadethemtoimplement
theopponent'swill,theyuseanagent.
Youhavetworoutestofollowwithan NPC's agents .Youcanchooseperfectlyordinary
peopleasagents,usuallypeoplewhodonotevenknowthatthe NPC isusingthem.The
NPC convincesthemtoshareinformationthat,unlessthePCsarereallyontopoftheir
game,misleadsthem.Forexample,the NPC disguisesthemselvesasoneofthePC's
allies,invadesthePC'sseraglio,andoffersoneoftheguardsabribejustalittlebittoo
small .Theguardlaterreportsthisinvasion,creatingfrictionbetweenthe PC andtheir
213
OnTuesdaymorning,Nascha
slewanunkillablebeast ;and
performedsevenacts ofgreat
chastity;andupheldthehonor
of theKing.Sheprotectedthe
lands ofherliegelordagainst
anunstoppablearmy ;and
broughtanincorrigible
diaholistintothegrace of
God;andhumbledherselffor
nearlytwenty-sevenhoursin
prayer.Andattheend ofthe
day,onlyonechallenge
remaineduncheckedonher
to-dolist: askingherliegefor
ahigherrankwithinhis
knightlyorder.Thethought
intimidatedher;inhiseyes,
shewasluckytobeaknight
atall.
-from THEKNIGHTOF
ALABASTER, byEleanorK
7amthefivewinds,"the
ladysaid,àndwherevera
windblows,thereamI.My
presencefillsthismortal
world.Iamaspervasiveas
theair."
"Thenyouseeevery
horror of theworld,"said
EmmanuelGiriaume,and
donotact."
Asyousay,"sheaffirmed.
"Thatisthenature ofthe
wind "
-from THESHORTER
ROAD, byMadelineBacall
CHAPTER i8 : IANTHE: MAKINGNOBLEACTIONSACHALLENGE
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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Editor: Bruce Baugh
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4.0.
214
Itisanimagethatwill
remainwithmeforever :
Thedarknesssplitby
lightning.
Theboltplunginglikea
whiptowardsGiraut'schest.
Hishandsclosingaround
it,soterribly,terriblyfast,
andholdingitawayfromhis
heartasitflunghim
backwardsoffMugger'sHill.
ÒBILIS: AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
ally.Whenitcomestosettingthecharactersup -plantingevidence,forexample -
smootheroperatorsarehelpful .Insuchcases,the NPC maycreateasupernaturalagent,
oremploysomeeliteservantfromtheirownChancel .
Theorganizationsandindividualservantsthata PC commandsplayalargerolein
howyoucanchallengethemandhowyoucandrawthemintostories .
Forexample:
q'APowerwithalargeorganizationinthemortalworld(acompany,partoftheir
Imperator'sMultitudinousMysteryCult,oraspynetwork)hasaccesstoagreat
dealofinformationonmortalevents .Challengingsuchacharacterbyhiding
informationaboutthemortalworld,ordenyingthempowerthere,becomes
moredifficult -theinformationmustbewellhidden,orthepowerwellguarded .
However,bycreatingtheorganization,thePowercreatessomethingtheymust
protect.Threatstotheorganizationforcethemtoinvestigate .Moreover,like
anyotherinformationsource,youcanuseaspynetworktofeedthePCs
informationyouwantthemtoknow.Thisworksbothforinformation("the
Poweryou'reabouttodueltothedeathcan'tbekilledwiththeweaponyou're
using .Youmightwanttoreconsider?")andfordisinformation .
{+Theplayerofa PC withunusualsupernaturalservantsalmostcertainlywants
them"onstage"partofthetime .Thismeansthatyoushouldcreatesituations
bestsolvedbytheservant'sabilities -perhapslettingtheplayerruntheservant
onaprivatemissionwhilethePowerscarryouttheirbusinesselsewhere .You
shouldalsocreatesituationshighlightingtheservants'weaknesses .Forexample,
massiveinvisiblefiredrakesareusefulservants,butmusteatagreatdeal ;thiscan
beaproblemifthecharacterandservantsareisolatedawayfromtheChancel .
Supernaturalservantsdomakeithardertoisolatethe PC themselves,anotherwise
usefultoolforcreatingtensionandexploringthemeslikelonelinessanddespair .
Youmustputagreatdealofthoughtintohowtoseparateawell-servedcharacter
fromtheworldoryoushouldnoteventry.
ASPECT
MakeconflictswithcreaturesofhighAspectfast-pacedandexciting .APowerofhigh
Aspectcanaccomplisheverythingbetterandfasterthanlesserbeings.Givethemfive
minutesinaroomwithyourpalaceguard -fiveseconds,foranexemplar -andthey
canturntheguardagainstyou .Leavetheminacellfortwohoursandtheywilltear
theirwaythroughthewall .Evenwhenthehigh-AspectPowerisn'tphysicallyonthe
scene,theirinfluencehasasimilarfeel -theirplanscomeatyoulikearmyants,in
waveaftercountlesswave .Everytimeyouputoutonefire,anothertwospringup .
AnexemplaroncechallengedmeinmyownChancel.Iaccepted.Shemovedlike
ashockwave .Stonesfellintomyornatepondandtheexplosionofwaterblurredmy
vision .Myheavywoodentablessplintered,shattered;thepiecesflewtowardsmeina
stuttering,confusingpattern .Shekickedabowlofciderintomyseneschal'spath ;he
slipped.Hiseyeswidened .Hepanicked.Itspreadlikeawildfirethroughmy
servants-calculated, ajudgmentofthatlittlesomethingneededtosetthemoff.She
hadn'ttouchedmeyet.Thepiecesofwoodhadn'teven reached meyet.Torcheswere
fallingagainstflammablewood,andawhirloftableclothconfusedtheeye -Ilost
trackofher.Thenthewallsbegantotumbledown .
(Lestyoumisunderstand, Idefeated theimpertinentexemplar ;shewenthomewith
abrokennoseandnewfoundhumility .Still,shehadbetterluckthanmost!)
SomeplacesarebettersuitedthanmyChancellawntoanexemplar'stalents .High-
AspectPowerstrulycomeintotheirowninacrowdedmall,fullofhumansand
technologicalgadgetry,oronapairoflashed-togetherships .However,suchPowersdo
notneedafavorablesettingtotriumph .Theydonotevenneedproximity -theyare
justasdeadlyfromhalfaworldaway.TheirenemiesemergefromtheirChanceltofind
that,inthespaceofaday,theireverymortalassociatehasturnedagainstthem;that
arrestwarrantshavebeenswornoutagainsttheminadozenmajorcountries ;andthat
OPPOSITE:
./obilisRite
byRavenMimura
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Editor: Bruce Baugh
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ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
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The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
216
Theraindropsbeatgently
againsthishackforwhat
musthavebeenseveral
minutesbeforehenoticedthe
strangepatterntothem .
Morsecode.
-from THESENATOR, by
KeikoTakemori
,OBILIS: AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
theirholdingshavebeenimpoundedandtheirAnchorsdruggedandimprisoned .High-
AspectPowershavesupernaturalcharmandaninhumanmasteryofeverymortalskill
frommanipulatingthelawtohiringthugsonthestreet .
IfthePCshavehighAspect,youcanpitthemagainsthigh-Aspectopponentsfor
maximumexcitementandferocity.Twocelestial-levelPowersgoingatitcanlevel
mountains .Asabonus,ifa PC levelsamountaininthemortalworld,theotherPCswill
havetoputitbacktogetheragainbeforesomeonenoticesandgetsupset!Someother
waystochallengehigh-AspectPCsrunasfollows :
q'Pitbenevolenthigh-AspectPCsagainstfragileenemieswhodon'tdeservedeath,
suchasExcrucianAnchorsorphysicallyvulnerableredeemablerivals .Capturing
anopponentisalwaysharderthanhurtingthem,evenwithhighAspect .
{~Forcethecharactertodealwithtwosituationsrequiringtheirattentionatonce
intwoseparateregionsoftheworld.Theymustthendecidewhichtoattendto
personallyandwhichtoattendtothroughanAnchor,andwhethertosavesome
miraclepointstoburnonAspectmiraclesthroughtheirAnchor .StressfuliC
situationslikethisusuallytranslatetotensefunooC .
UseenemieswithhighDomainorneatDomain-basedGiftspairedwithasimple
protectiveGiftlikeDurant .Thiskeepsthe PC fromquicklykillingtheirenemy,
leavingyoufreetochallengethecharacterwithallkindsofDomain-basedhorrors .
Thinkofthisliketheclassiccontestofheroversussorcerer : anenemyStone's-
Regalcancreategreatstonemonsters,splittheearth,andsurroundthecharacter
withcrystal,menaceswhichthehigh-Aspectcharacterbravelyfendsoff .The
DukeofLustcancreateaperfecttemptation,todrawthemintoviolatingthe
WindflowerLawordistractthemwhileheconductsaNettleRite .Revenge
involvessomementallynimbleplanfueledbydeterminationandskill .
J'HavesubtleBreakthroughsandintrigues .Thenhigh-AspectPowerssavetheir
abilitiesforgrandfinalesandconfrontations .Thismakesstoriesharderandmore
challengingforthemintheearlystages,butallowsthemtoshowoffattheend.
Forexample,ifanotherPowerspreadsrumorsaboutthe PC inNoblesociety,
thenbluntforceofbodyandmindwilldonogood -butitcanbeimpressive
whenthe PC finallycallstheirenemyout,asmyaboveexamplemayhaveshown .
Asatroubleshootingmeasure,ifahigh-Aspect PC beginstodominatethegame,or
sweepthroughallobstacles,thenyoushouldprovidesubtlerobstacles .Ratherthan
havingthemfightanarmy,havethemfighttosaveasoul .Donotdroplargerockson
theirhead.Puttheminapositionwheretheymustbetraytheirprinciplesorsomeone
theyloveanddroptheconsequencesof that ontheirhead,instead .
PowersofhighAspectfavorordinary"dupes"asagents .Usingtheirinhuman
charismaandintellect,theymaneuverChancelresidentsandEarthhumansintocarrying
outtheirworkforthem .
DOMAIN
EachEstatediffers,sothedetailsofwhatyoucandowithacharacter'sDomaindiffer
aswell .Domaincoversdivination.CharacterswithhighDomainusetheirEstateto
digupdirtontheiropponents,spyingontheirrival'shome,associates,andknown
Bonds.Ifthisrevealsaweaknessmeaningfultothediviner -whichdependsonthe
natureoftheiropposition- itcanprovokeaconflict .TheDominaofVapor,atone
pointmyenemy,canseewhatsmokeandcloudsandvaporhaveseen .WhenIlooked
upfromalover'sbedandsawtheheavysmokeofaneighbor'sfireskirlingintheair,I
knewthatitwouldcarrywordoftheliaisontoher.Thefoolinmybedhadcriedout,
"lanthe!"andtheanonymitygivenbymyAuctoritaswasgone .Ifyouwanttoworry
yourcharacters,ratherthansurprisethem,highlightthepresenceoftheirrival'sEstate
atthesiteofsomeindiscretion .Contrariwise,tosurprisethem,pointoutthepresence
ofthatEstateaspartofalongerdescription,beforetheindiscretionbegins .Withluck,
theywon'tnoticeuntillater.
Domaincoversdisruptionofnaturallaw .Usedovertly,thismeanshorridstorms
andtheirequivalent -theDominaofVaporcansendgreatcloudsofchokingvapor
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againstherenemies,whiletheDominusofFeardriveshordesoffear-crazedbeasts
againsthisfoes .ThePoweroftheSea-ifthereisone;Iamnotfamiliarwiththem -
mightfloodaChancelwiththehorriblepressureofadeep-seaenvironment .When
usedsubtly,disruptionofnaturallawcanmisleadorinterferewiththePCsinanynumber
ofways .Forexample,theDominaofVaporcanhelpamessengerlosetheirway,ensuring
thatthePCsdonothaveadequatetimetoprepareforavisitfromBaalhermon,oneof
LordEntropy'sPowers .TheDominamightdothistoscoreapointortohelpherrise
politicallyabovethePCs .TheDominusofFearcanmakeamortalservantterrifiedof
theirmortalandsupernaturalbosses,causingthemtolosetheirjob- andtheirability
toblockoneofhisplans -withoutinformingthe PC .
Domaincoverscreationmiracles .PowersofhighDomainfavorcreaturesbornfrom
theirEstateastheiragents -spiritsofthatEstate,orservantscreatedwithMajor
Creation .TheDominaofVapormightcreateacloudofmustardgasinhumanshape,
capableofoozingthroughcracksorpoisoningwithatouch ;theDominusofFear
mightpullamonsterdirectlyoutofsomeone'snightmarestoservehim .
PerhapsthemostmemorableencounterIhaveeverhadwithaPowerofhighDomain
wasabriefconflictwiththePowerofMagnetism .Iwasexperimentingwiththeinternal
politicsoftheOrderofSt .Gilderoy,towhichtheDominushadbelongedasamortal,
andmyeffortsapparentlydisconcertedhim .Iignoredhisobjections .Thenextmorning,
Ifoundthatallmyclothes -myentirewardrobe,laboriouslyconstructedovermany
years -hadbecomemagneticallycharged.Whatharmcouldthisdo?Iasked,brushing
cutleryoffmysleeve,andproceededtothenextmeetingoftheOrder .Theceilingof
themeetingchamberwas,itseems,aperfectmagneticmatch .
IfthePCshavehighDomain,bepleased!ThatmeanstheyliketheirEstate,andit's
goodforthegamethattheydo .
Somewaystokeepthemchallengedifthegamebecomestooeasyforthemare :
RememberthatLesserChangesarelimitedinscope .IfMelanieTumbarius
decidestomakethatviralmusicmentionedunderLevel6DomainMiracles(p .
96),itwon'tbetheBlackPlagueorAndromedaStrainofmusicalcompositions .
Itmayneverescapethecommunitiessheseedsitin .
Rememberthatyoucontrolwhat NPCs do,andinturnwhataMajorDivination

canspot .Sometimes,adivinationhelpsthePCscircumventyourplot,butmore
oftenit'sagreatpipelineforyoutotellthemwhatyouwantthemtoknow .Ifa
Regal PC spendsseveralhoursadaydoingMajorDivinations,givethemwhat
theywant : interestingthingstoseethatlurethemintointerestingstories .Every
nowandthen,usetheirsurveillancetomisleadthem .
IfyourPCsburnuptheirDomainmiraclepointsquicklyonmajormiraclesof
Domain,workinghugechangesonthefaceoftheEarth,rememberthatcausing
anepidemicof dementiaanimus isagainstthelaw.Youcanalsomakesurethat
they want thosemiraclepointslaterinthegame .
REALM
Tomakeconflictwithahigh-Realmcharacterinteresting,youmustmakeitdifficult
forthePCstocatchthatcharacteroutsideoftheirChancel .ThisforcesthePCstocreate
acleverplanforluringtheirrivalintotheopen ora planforfacingtheirenemywhere
thatenemyismostpowerful .
Youshoulddesignahigh-Realm NPC carefully,tominimizetheirneedtogointo
theoutsideworld.Theyshouldhavealargetoolboxofabilitiesandservantsthatcan
carrytheirwilltotheoutsideworld .TemporallypowerfulAnchorsandservants,Mystery
Cultists,aninfluentialEstate,avastfortune -whichRealmcanhelpcreate -and
globallyusefulGiftsallhelphere.EachoftheseresourceshaslimitationsaPowerdoes
not,however,whichmeansthatPCs can drawthehigh-Realmcharacterout .
YoucansafelyassumethataWarden'sdefensesareabnormallydifficulttoovercome .
Notonlyaretheirwallsdifficulttotearthrough,theyareabnormallydifficultto
climb -perhapsunusuallyslickorperhapsjustresistanttobeingclimbed .(Thisisa
permanentqualityofthewall,apartofitsmythicidentity ;miraclescanovercomeit
21
7
"Youhaveservedmetwenty
years,"shesaid,àndthat
suffices.Inhonorofthose
years,Igrantyouthisgift:
whenyoudie,andareburied,
flowerswillalwaysbloom
uponyourgrave;andany
whopassesbyshallremember
you,intimatelyandprecisely,
asiftheyknewyouwhenthey
wereyoung.Nowgo."
-from AIRSTORIES,
CHAPTER i8: IANTHE: MAKINGNOBLEACTIONSACHALLENGE
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4.0.
218
butAuctoritacannot .)Notonlyaretheirguardsastenaciousaswolverines,their
secretariesarelegendarilyimpassible .Aswiththephysicalenduranceconveyedby
Durant,asufficientlydeterminedassaultcanovercometheseobstacles .
ATrueKingorQueenissevenfoldmorepotent .Theycancreatealmostanything
withathought,whichmeansthattheyandtheirpeershaveanynumberofstrangeand
effectiveservants,items,andenvironmentalconditionsattheirbeckandcall .Such
artifactshave,ofcourse,no true power,evenonthemortalscale -theyaresupernaturally
endowed,notworld-shakinglymagnificent.Nevertheless,theycancatchaNobleby
surprise : werewallsandweredesks,pebblesasheavyasbouldersinthewronghands,
vellummessagescrollsthatflytotheirintendedrecipient,androomscapableof
selectivelyscreeningoutgravity.Inaddition,thethingsthatamiracleoflessercreation
createscanleavetheChancel .Thisincludestangiblewealth,powerfulweaponryand
armor,servants,andmachinesofgeneralutility .Thisissurprisinglyuseful,despitethe
needforasteadysupplyofmiraculousenergytokeepthesecreations"real" .Forexample,
acapablePowercanlaundergoldintostocks,bonds,andheftybankaccountswell
beforeitfadesawayintonothingness.
ATempesthaspowersbothsubtleandblatant .Tearingtheworlddownaround
invadingPowerscanblunteventhemostdeterminedassault .Moreimportantly,a
Tempestoftenhasthepowertoworkmiracleswithinarival'sAuctoritas -locking
theirclothingintoplacewithmiraclesofpreservation,conjuringfireandiceandpoison
aroundthemwithmiraclesofcreation,anddissolvingtheairaCandleflamebreathes .
That'swithout RMPs -ifthesituationdeteriorates,andtheTempestspendsafew
miraclepointstocompensate,theybecomeevendeadlier .OpposingaTempestwithin
theirChancelwillcreateexcitementandtensionwithoutmucheffortfromthe HG.
PlayercharacterswithhighRealmareeasiertohandle .Realmisself-limiting .Even
ifotherPowershavetroubledrawingthecharacteroutoftheChancel,Excrucianscan
and will threatentheirEstatesintheoutsideworld.Moreover,thePC'sImperatorcan
stillsendthemoutintothebroaderworld .Allowsuchplayerstoenjoytheirmassive
influenceandpowerwithintheChancel .
Iftheybecomedifficulttohandle,usethefollowingtechniques :
Supposethatthenaturalin-Chanceldominanceofahigh-Realmcharacterbegins
toannoytheotherplayers .Rememberfirstthattheplayerhaspaidpointsfor
theprivilegeandpoliticalpoweraccompanyingahighRealm.Thissetsan
obligationuponyou.Similarly,thehappinessoftheplayergroupisall-important;
thisalsosetsanobligationuponyou .Tobalancetheseconcerns,makesurethat
theoffendingPowerisnotgettingthelion'sshareofyourooCattention,and
allowtheotherPCsopportunitiestoputthehigh-RealmPower"intheirplace".
Youaredrawingadelicatelinehere . Inter-pC fightingis badfora .NOBILIS
campaign.Inter-pC rivalry,up toandincludingduelstofirstbloodandpainful
practicaljokes,is good aslongasallPCsremainenjoyabletoplay .Whena PC
beginstoannoytheotherplayers,suchrivalryisappropriate .(Ifitseems
impossibletopleaseoneplayerwithoutupsettingtheothers,takeoutyour
excellentinterpersonalskillsandbrilliantlyresolvethesituationtotheadvantage
ofallparties .Ihavefaithinyou.)
Ifa PC withahighinvestmentinRealmdoeseverythingthroughtheirAnchors
and refuses toleavehome -first,acceptit .It'swhatAnchorsarefor,andthe
Powergenerallypaysforsuchbehaviorinonewayoranother .Second,think
aboutwhatsituationsmightlurethecharacteroutintotheworld .IfthePower's
spiritusDei doesnotimpelthemtoleavehome,whatabouttheirhumanhalf?
Anchorscanbringthe PC thelatestnovelsandroleplayinggames,butit'sharder
tobringconcertsandartexhibitsandprotestsandbooksigningsandsuchinto
theChancel .Further,evenanordinarypersonwhodoesnotdocharityworkor
engageinpoliticalactioncanbetemptedif,afterbecomingNoble,theyrealize
thattheycannowmake a substantial difference .(Ofcourse,politicsisadangerous
arenaevenforthe,obilis .)Oncetheyentertheworld,the PC willfindtheir
ownlevel -naturallydriftingtoadegreeofactivitythatchallengesthem .
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4.0.
SPIRIT
AllieswithhighSpiritareinspirational .ThegloryofanInferno -Ilookatsucha
creatureandthink,"ThisoneunderstandswordsandargumentbetterthanI ."Untrue,
certainly.Evenridiculous!IamthePowerofDebate .Yetsuchistheaweonefeelsin
thepresenceofahigh-Spiritfriend.And,formuchthesamereason,suchPowersare
oftenyourfriends -yourfriends,oryourdeadlyenemies,andveryrarelyinbetween .
EnemieswithhighSpirit -novituperationsuffices.Theyarescum,slime,beasts,
atrocities,horrors,andnightmares .Youcannotkillthem!AmereSunfirehasan
Auctoritasthatshieldsthemfromtheworstofmyabilities .Andworse!IfIabandon
miracles,andusesimplythegraceandwitsandColt .4SthattheLordgaveme,the
bulletsdonotstrike!TheRiteofHolyFireprotectsaSunfireagainstsuchweaponsas
this;Icannotevenmakethemdance.Moreover,thelargeraPower'sSpirit,thegreater
theirrationalincentivetoperformthenettleritebecomes .WhereaCandleflameor
Hearthfirehasnoreasontoperformmorethanaminornettling -embarrassing,
degrading,damaging,butultimatelyforgivable-anInfernorarelycontentsthemselves
withsuchinsignificantassaults .Theyareharpies,strikingcoldlyattheirenemies'hearts .
NordotheyonlynettlePowers .Sometimes,theystealavictoryagainsttheExcrucians
fromthosewhorightfullyearnedit .Theycrushandnettlethedarkfoeusingpreparation
andresearchperformedbytheirrivals!
Facingoffagainstahigh-Spiritopponent,therefore,shouldterrify .Thisisnot
becausethecreatureisabnormallydeadly,butratherbecausetheyhaveaperverse
dedicationtoruiningthatwhichyoucareabout -andyoucannotmakethemgo
away.Theydonotknowfearasothersdo .Theyareterrible .Theyaremonsters .
Oddly,thesituationissymmetric : notonlyarehigh-Spiritcharactershorrible
challenges,theyareeasilychallengedasPCs .Ifthe PC nettlesyour NPCs, itgivesyou
threeopportunitiestocomplicatetheirlives : oncewhentheyencounterthedefenses
the NPCs putaroundtheirBonds,oncewhenyouthrowinalittlegoodorbadluckto
maketheactualnettlingmoreinteresting,andoncewhenthe NPCs respondwithsuitable
anger.IfthePC'sAuctoritasisgoingtomessupyourplans,justincreasetheopposition's
Attributesabit -youdonothavetopoint-balanceeverycharacter .Thecharacter's
Anchorsareenormouslyuseful,andyoushould makesure they'reenormouslyuseful,
butthe PC canonlybeinonemindatatime .Inacomplexsituation,wherethe PC is
usingalltheirAnchorstofulladvantage,theotherthree(orfour,orfive)Anchorsare
presumablyfacingchallengesoftheirown .
Thereareafewtrickstohandlesomeofthemoreabusivepossibilities,asfollows :
q'AplayermightnoticethatSpirit5andAspect3makesforaviciousgrappler .
SupposetheircharacterseizesanExcrucianwithAspect
7
butnoSpirit.Ifthe
Excrucianspendsan AMP, theycancrushthecharacterwithAspect3strength
(and5penetration) .Forthesamemiraclepoint,thecharactercansqueezeback
withAspect 4! Ifsuchcharactersbeginoverusingthiskindoftrick,youhave
fourpossiblesolutions .First,rememberthatahigh-Aspectenemycancreate
distancebetweenthetwoofthemfasterthanthecharactercanclosethatdistance .
Second,comeupwithsomeneatdescriptionsandtricksforgrapplingcombat .
Thisisbestdoneintheofftimebetweengames -ifyoucandothisonthefly
duringthegame,thissituationisn'treallyaproblemforyou .Third,usemore
opponentswhospendpointsonthingsotherthanAspect .Fourth,remember
thattheAuctoritasonlyprotectsagainstthe effects ofamiracle,notthemiracle
itself.OurhypotheticalAspect7Excruciancanstillshoutloudlyenoughto
bringdownanavalancheonthetwocontenders ;thesoundwillseemnormal
withintheAuctoritas,thenexplodeoutwardsfromtheAuctoritas'boundary -
likeahordeofattackdogssuddenlyunleashed!
Rememberthat"penetrationvalue"is notthe onlywayaroundanAuctoritas .
Forexample,ifthePoweroftheGroundattacksa PC anddoesn'tknowwhat
kindofAuctoritasthe PC has,theycandestroyamillioncubicfeetofdirt(a
219
ThespeartookMichael
throughtheheart,butheis
notdead;norishegone.
Heisamanwhobecame
hisEstate,and,insodoing,
markeditforever.Icanlook
inanylion'seyesandseehis
spiritthere.
Icanwalkwiththem
now.Theydonothuntme
anymore.
fromtheDiaryofSelena
Monteith
CHAPTER18: IANTHE: MAKINGNOBLEACTIONSACHALLENGE
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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4.0.
220
Theboomerangrippedthesky
asitspuntowardshim,
leavingredcloudsdripping
downlikeblood.Ithowledas
itspun.Itwashideous.It
wasunstoppable.Andyetit
shatteredagainst
Baalhermonschest.
Foramoment,Iwas
almostproudtoserveLord
Entropyandhismen .
ofMartinCravitt
Ihadagun.Iwasgoingto
killhim .Iwas .
HedidnotflinchwhenI
drewonhim.Hejust
whisperedaname.
Itwasmyname.Notthe
nameIhadgivenhim.Not
thenamemymothergaveme .
NotanynameIdeverheard
before.Itwasmyrealname.
ItwasthenameGodhadfor
me,inthequietofhissoul.It
wasthenamethatpeoplelive
theirwholelivesnot
knowing,andIcan'timagine
how.
Idon'tknowwhetherI
wascryingfromsorrowor
fromjoy,butbythetimeI
hadstopped,hewasgone .
from NIGHTHOURS, by
MadelineBacall
NOBILIS : A GAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
hundredfeetineachdirection)aroundthe PC . Thegroundimmediatelybeneath
thePC'sfeetwillbeunaffected,butwhenthemiraclebecomesapartofnormal
realityafewsecondslater,the PC andthatbitofgroundwithinafewfeetof
themwillfall.Thump.
MASSIVEDEFENSIVEGIFTS
TheGiftsystemisopen-ended,whichmeansthatbothPCsand NPCs canhavestrange
andpowerfuldefensiveGiftsthatthebookdoesnotdescribe .
SomeofthemostcommondefensiveGiftsinclude :
~+ Resistancetoinjury. DurantandImmortalexemplifythissortofGift .These
GiftsareexcellentforenemiesagainstwhomthePCsmustusemassiveforce .For
example,ifatraitorousPowerisabouttosplitopentheWeirdingWallandopen
allCreationtoThingsfromOutside,yourplayercharacterswillnotslowlyescalate
thelevelofforcetheyapply -theywillhitthetraitorwiththemostpowerful
weaponsandmiraclestheyhaveattheircommand.Ifyouwanttousethatenemy
again,theyshouldprobablybeImmortal .Ifsomerivalisabouttosplitopenthe
PCs'Chancel,thecharactersmayshowmorerestraint,resistingtheurgetoutter
WordsofCommandtoshuttheirrivaldown .Instead,theymightusedeep
miraclesandheavyweaponry.Inthiscase,youshouldmaketherivalDurant,so
thatthePCshaveanexcellentchanceofknockingthemunconsciousandinjuring
themseverelybutapoorchanceofkillingthem .Asforplayercharacterswith
theseGifts,youhaveasimplewayaroundthem -don'ttrytoinjurethe
characters .LeavingasidetheflowerriteoftheExcrucians,therearedozensof
non-damagingweaponsandattacks .WithDurant,acommonGift,Powersknow
themall .Weightednetsandbolos,innuendoandblackmail,sorcerouscages,
andviciouscursesignoreDurant,andmanyofthemcanaffectcharactersresistant
tocapture .Asorcerouscage,forexample,canmovewithanImmortal PC, holding
themlongerthananordinaryformofimprisonmentevercould.
4, Quick escapes . Capturingandimprisoningalltheprotagonistsisastapleof
roleplayinggamesandfiction .Mypersonaladvice,however,isthatifa Pc hasa
waytoescapemostanyprison,planonthemdoingjustthat .Ifthe PC hasaway
tofleeanycombatsituation,acceptthattoo.Theplayer,inbuyingsuchaGift,
makesitclearthattheydon'twanttheircharacterbeatenup -thattheyprefer
thethrillofpullingafastoneontheoppositiontothethrillofcombatitself .
That'sfine .Rememberthatyou can runagameof \oBILis withoutanycombat
andalmostnothingwillbelost .Asfor NPCs withGiftsallowingquickescape,
youhavetwooptions .EithermakeitfeasiblebutdifficultforthePCstocatch
the NPC, ormakesurethattheynever have to.Ifthe NPC canescapealmostany
situation,makesurethatthecharactersneedonlydrivethemawaytothwart
theirplans.IfthePCsmustcaptureaPowerwhocanteleportinordertoachieve
someimportantgoal,itwillannoytheplayers .IftheymustcatchaNoblewho
canrunasfastasthewind,ontheotherhand,itposesaninterestingchallenge .
INCREDIBLEINFORMATIONALGIFTS
Unlikecombat,secretsareveryhardtodowithoutinaNOBILIS game .Avoidmaking
anantagonistwhocancrackthePCs'secretswithouteffort ;thismakestheplayersfeel
thatcreatingandkeepingsecretsisnotworththeeffort .Similarly,ifaplayerwantsto
playa PC withanincredibleinformationalGift,makesurethatyoucankeepaninfinite
arrayofsecretsevenwiththeGiftinthegame .Ifnot,telltheplayertorevisetheir PC .
BearinmindthatnodivinationwilltellacharacterwhatspecificExcrucian,
Imperator,Power,orevenAnchorwaspresentatagivenscene .Theirimmunityto
directmiraclescreatesa"hole"inthedivinationthatprovesthat some creatureofpower
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4.0.
wasthere -andaplayercantracktheseabsencesforaslongasthe"hole"remainsin
eyeshotoftheirEstate -butforthemostpart,followingNobleactionswithdivination
isdifficult .
DEADLYOFFENSIVEGIFTS
Youshouldusenon-playercharacterswithdeadlyoffensiveGiftssparingly . As
HollyhockGod,youdonot want tokillyourplayercharacters . Rather,youwantto
createenoughrisktokeeptheplayersinterested . Enemiesandevenalliescapableof
killingthePCswithoneluckyblowcanescalatethisriskbeyondreasonablebounds -
eventhoughyoucontrolluckinyourgameworld. Themoreoftenyourcharactersface
offagainstAbhorrentWeapons,city-smashingdisintegrationrays,andthejawsof
angryAaron'sSerpents,thesoonertheoddscatchuptothem,andthesooneryoufind
yourselfinapositionwherekillingaplayercharacterseemsunfairandleavingthem
alivebreaksthesuspensionofdisbelief . Thisisnottosaythatdeadlyopponentsdonot
havetheirplace . Theydo. Asingledeadlyenemycanescalatethetensioninyourgame
dramatically. Youmustsimplyusethisdevicerarelyenoughthattheplayersarewilling
toengageintensionratherthandespair -thattheirreactiontosuchamonstrousfoe
isfearandfury,ratherthansimplygivingupandwaitingforyoutokillofftheir
characters .
Naturally,"deadly"isamatterofperspective . AssumethatanyNoblecantakeout
justaboutanycommoner. Theweakest,mostpathetic,mostpuerileNoblesmightneed
tospendan AMP ortwototakedownastreetthug,buteventheydonotget mugged.
PersonalexperiencesuggeststhatperhapsoneinthreeNoblescantakedownanarmy,
andoneintencanpersonallysubjugateanation . IfoneortwoofyourPCscantakeout
anImperatororfullExcrucian,however,youmayhaveaproblem . Suchcharacterswill
feelastrongtemptation,whenevertheycannotfigureoutaBreakthrough'spurpose,to
simplykilltheExcrucian-shardsthattheyfindinthevicinityandhavedone . Does
LordEntropyopposethem?Lethimcome!Youcanfindchallengestofacesuchmighty
Powers,butevenahigh-poweredgamelike NOBILis worksbestatthepowerlevelit
wasdesignedfor.
HerearesomeideasforchallengingPCswhopushthelimitsofappropriatefirepower :
RemembertheChestnutLaw-thatis,thatoneshouldneverharmtheinnocent .
APC shouldbepreparedtoprovethatthoseExcrucian-shards were attacking
thePCs,orotherwisebehavingpoorly,beforekillingthem . Thiscanbealmostas
difficultasstoppingtheBreakthroughitselfIpersonallyfinditoutrageousthat
theChildrenofHarumapharepresumedinnocentintheLocustCourt -butI
donotmakethelaws,andhereisaninstancewheretheyworktothe HG's benefit .
ProvingtheguiltofthePower'senemiesisevenmoreimportantwhentheenemies
areNoble. TheLocustCourtshowssomeleniencetowardsthosewhoattack
Excrucianswithoutjustification,onthegroundsthattheircrimealsoserves
Creation . EradicatinganotherPower,however,servesnoonebuttheplayer
character.
AlsorememberthatImmortaltrumpsalmostanyoffensiveGift . Unlessthe PC
trafficswithExcrucians,inwhichcaseyoudecideexactlywhattheygain,Powers
simplydonot have amiraclethatcansnuffoutanImmortal . Dropathousand-
tonweightonanimmortalhead,andtheweightmostlikelysplitsinhalfIfnot,
theImmortalisatleaststillaliveunderneathandcapableofusingGiftsand
miracles . IfyoudropsuchaweightonaDurantcharacter -well,itwillhurt
them,andbadly,buttheymightjustbeabletododgeorcounterstrikebefore
theyloseconsciousness .
Ianthe
221
Itpoured,fromhishandlikea
fire,sharp-edged,dancing,
limnedinwhite: theNot.
Whatittouched,ceasedtobe .
-, from VOIDSTORIES,
editedbyKneaderGuy
CHAPTER18: IANTHE : MAKINGNOBLEACTIONSACHALLENGE
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4.0.
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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4.0.
Chapter19
ABook ofBeasts:
Entropy THE BOOKOFQUESTIONS
InthesecondyearafterthisSutra'screation,Vyasadugupthe
Others
graveofagreatteacher,andtaughttheemptycorpsetospeak
thequestionsbelow. "Butthisisanobscenity!Adesecration!"
criedtheteacher'sdisciples.
"Thereisaplaceandpurposeinthisworldforallthings, "
answeredVyasa,"evenobscenitiesanddesecration. "
Ìwaswalkingtotheoffice
whenthisgirlappearedbeside
me -outofnowhere,asfar
asIcouldtell . `You'reit,'she
saidcheerfully,andtouched
me,andthenjust . . .
vanishedagain!"
fromthe CHOICENEWS
(atabloidonAsh-treeEarth)
OPPOSITE :
Ananda, Imperatorof
Murder,the Infinite,and
theFourth Age
byLeeMoyer
r. AsIbegintowrite,awomantakesshape,whereshehad
none;
2.
Takespower,whereshehadnone;
3. Risesfrompovertyandpenurytocommandtheworld.
4.
Whoisshe?
S.
TheylockedLordHridayajainaboxofstone,with
nothingsaveafireforwarmth.
6. Hridayajatoldstoriestothefire,andsawstoriesinits
glow.
7.
Thentheypouredoilintothecell,andonHridayaja,and
thecelltooklight.
8.
Whentheycameagain,sixdayslater,thefiredancedon
Hridayajaandthewalls,butLordHridayajaithadnot
burnt.
9. Itisinfire'snaturetoburn. ItisinHridayaja'snatureto
sufferburning.
io . Whydidthefirestayitshand?
223
CHAPTER19: BOOKOFBEASTS: ENTROPY&OTHERS
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4.0.
224
Ìfind'tamusing,"hetold
me,"thattheyhavegiventhe
mostpowerfulforce ofallmy
name -"
ofMartinCravitt
}ourpleamovesme. Yet,as
always,whenIconsider
offeringmercy,Imustask
myself"DoIwishtosetthis
precedent?"DoIwishtoset
thisprecedent,esteemed
Marchessa?
-LordEntropy,Imperator
of Desecration,Destruction,
andScorn
THESOLITARYLORDENTROPY
ANDACRONYOFCOSSETS
LordEntropyisthetrueruleroftheEarth,appointednot
byhumanitybut(heclaims)bytheleadersoftheImperators
intheValdeBellum . ThelawshemakesforthePowersto
livebyarereadilyenforced : evenaPower'sownImperator
willnotdefendthemfromtheImperialmiraclesofthe
DarkestLord . HisthreePowersarefrighteningaswell . The
Scorn's-RegalandExemplarJoktan,Destruction's-Regal
Baalhermon,andDesecration's-RegalMeonallhavemagic
abovetheNoblenorm. ItisnotknownwhatbreedofYmera
LordEntropyis,althoughitiscommonlyassumedthatheis
a"truegod" .
LordEntropy'sChancel
LordEntropy'sChancelisanislandintheAtlantic,guarded
byfuriousstormsandahandfulofmythicbeasts . Onthat
islandisacityofblackglassandsilverlimning . Humans
inhabittheabovegroundlevels,andinthelevelsbelowground
theyhuntthewildandviciousbeastsoftheislandthrough
cubiclesandelevatorsandlonghallsoftiledfloor . Whenthe
LordEntropycallsaHuntagainstsomePowerthathas
caughthiseye,hisPowersleadit,butthesehumansenactit,
grantedthekindofacutehuntingskillandmysteriousmystic
abilitiesnecessarytochaseaSovereigntothelimitsoftheir
endurance .
LORDENTROPY'S" NOBLEMIRACLES"
CHARACTERSHEET
ATTRIBUTE
Aspect
Domain
Realm
Spirit
OBILIS: AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
LEVEL
MIRACLEPOINTS
3: Inhuman 5
7: Imperial 7
6: Imperial 5
5: Inferno
5
GiftsandVirtues
Immortal
TheWorld-Breaker'sHand
Limits/Restrictions Restriction : Permanentbloodyhands
OtherHandicaps: unknown
Affiliation : unknown
WoundLevels
2DeadlyWounds(Immortal)
2SeriousWounds
3 SurfaceWounds
TotalCost :
100CharacterPoints
LORDENTROPY'SSERVANTS
ChiefamongLordEntropy'sservantsarethethreeRegals
mentionedabove. HeisalsoservedbytheCammora,bythe
SeedsofLordEntropy,andbytheCossets,hishouse-servants
andNoble-hunters . TheseincludetheDomicelli(male :
Domicellus; female : Domicella) -thehumanswhostand
highinhisesteem ; thenimblejacks,viciousimpsasfastas
lightningandasuglyassin ; andtheogres,creaturesofacute
smell -boththesenseandtheeffluvium -andgreatand
brutalstrength. Thecreaturesthathecreatestoserveas
houndsinhisHuntsarevariedandstrange,andusuallyfade
fromexistencewithinafewnights .
STORYSEEDSINVOLVINGLORDENTROPY
(ANDTHECOUNCILOFFOUR)
LordEntropy'sHunt
APowerarrivesatthePCs'Chancelandclamorsforassistance .
Theyarepursuedbydarkandviscousbeings,poolsofin
acidinthenight. WhenScorn's-RegalJoktanshowsupwith
thedistortedmenofLocusEntropy,heinformsthePowers
thattheyare"interferingwiththeHunt" . Ofcourse,it's
possiblethatthefugitivecommittedarealandserious
crime-andit'spossiblethattheydidn't . It'salsopossible
thatthefugitivehasdonesomethingtoensurethatsimply
handingthembackisdifficult . . . .
CourtroomDrama
MostofthetimethatthePCsviolatetheCodeFidelitatis,
theyshouldgetawaywithit -courtroomgamingisfun
andinteresting,butnotifitcomesupeveryothersession .
Thatstated,haulinga PC beforetheLocustCourtis
sometimesaworthwhileactionandcanproducebothtension
andinterest. Incasethe PC losestheircase,the HGshould
haveanintriguingpunishmenthandy.
THELORDOFEXPECTATIONS
ANDADRIVEOFOMBUDSMEN
Anandaisthehandontherudderthatguidestheworld . He
controlslittle . Heactsrarely. Yetinathousandsubtleways,
hesteersCreationtowardsitsfuture,forAnandaistheLord
oftheFourthAge,theImperatoroftheworldyettocome .
AsalordontheCouncilofFour,AnandaservesLord
Entropy -ifnotalwayswithhisvote,thenatleastwithhis
abstention . TheDarkestLordhasnotcorruptedhim,but
hasrenderedhimimpotent,unabletostandagainstEntropy's
will . Evenso,manyPowersseeinAnandathehopeofthe
world . TheysaythatinAnanda'sterriblebeauty,whichdrives
mortalsmadandexhortstheworldtosing,thereliesasign
ofsomebrilliantfuturetocome .
Ananda'struenature,muchlikeLordEntropy's,isa
mystery. TheSightdoesnotshowhisessence . Idri-mi,one
ofthefourEarthlyPowersoldenoughtoremembertheworld
beforetheAgeofPain,claimsthatthisistypical . TheLady
oftheThirdAgewassimilarlyshadoweduntiltheExcrucians
came.
Ananda'sChancel
AnandarulestheCityback,amassiveConvenientChancel
withentrancesandexitsallovertheworld . IntheCityback,
naturestalksacrossdevelopedlandsandtheurbana -the
thingsofurbanexistence,liketelevisions,automobiles,
clocks-arejustmoreformsoflife .
THELADYOFTHETHIRD
AGE
UntiltheThirdAgebegan,
mysteryshroudedtheLady
Attar's'nature. Shewasthe
Imperatrix oftheThirdAge.
Themostperspicacioususes of
theSightrevealednothing
more. EvenasAtrocityslew
thegatekeeper ofHeaven,she
cast off hershroudandstood
revealed : aMagister ofthe
Wild,Attar'sEbrotAppeka,
thetutelaryspiritof theAge
ofPain . Inthemoment of her
ascension,theFallenAngel
EbrotAppekaturnedtodust .
Vyasawroteatthe
turning oftheAges. Whenhe
describesawomantakingon
shapeandpowerashewrites,
hereferstotheLadyAttar's.
LadyAttar'svisitsEarth
onoccasion,buthasnotmade
aChancelthere.
Theirnumbersarecountless.
Therearetrillions of them.
Theyareroaches . Theyarethe
eyes ofGod Fromthepipes,
fromtheshadows,from
behindtherefrigerator,they
watch. Theyjudge. Theyare
shieldedbytheglory of the
lord. Ittakesgreatforcetokill
them. Yethumansmanage,
snuffingseveralroachesevery
second; andwitheachroach
thatdies,astargoesout.
-front THEEYESOFGOD,
byRannenYedidyah
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
Idon'tanswerquestions
aboutthefuture. Thequerent
hasadisturbingtendencyto
bedead,andeverythingthey
careaboutlostinthemarchof
Ages. Instead,Iofferpractical
advice: theLocustCourt
alreadyknowsofyour
emotionalindiscretion . Ifyou
killyoursonnow,itwillsave
bothofyouagreatdealof
trouble.
-Ananda,Imperatorof
Murder,theInfinite,andthe
FourthAge
'Iambeingpetty,Luc. "
"Ofcoursenot,mylord"
"Youmustinformme,
Luc,"hesaid"Youmusttell
mewhenIambeingpetty.
Thisisapartofyourduties. "
"ButwhyshouldIever
havereasontodothat,my
lord?"
"YIamtobepetty,Luc,I
mustbeawareof'thefact,I
mustbeself-reflectiveand
self-cognizant . ThenIwill
knowtoindulgemypettiness,
tobepettyontheproperscale.
Itwouldnotdotobetrivially
venal,Luc. Thatwouldnot
servemyreputationatall. "
frOm ONSERVINGTHE
. \OBILIS, byLucGinneis
ANANDA'S " NOBLEMIRACLES" CHARACTER
SHEET
GiftsandVirtues
Immortal
Glorious
Gatemaker
ConstantDomain : LesserCreation
(Murder)
DevotedPopulace
Luck(Penetration 4)
Limits/Restrictions
Restriction : Beautifulenoughto
drivemortalsmadwithjoy
OtherHandicaps: unknown
Affiliation : unknown
WoundLevels
2DeadlyWounds(Immortal)
2SeriousWounds
3SurfaceWounds
TotalCost :
80 CharacterPoints
ANANDA'SSERVANTS
Ananda'sprimaryservantsaretheombudsmenofCityback .
Thesededicatedservantsofthemodernworldhelpkeepthe
mundaneEarthrunningsmoothlyandintherightdirection .
(seep. 30. ) TrainedamongtheurbanaofCityback,the
human-bornombudsmencanmovebetweentheMythicand
Prosaicworldsatwillandhavethefavorofthespiritsthey
watchover. Thusthe"clerksofthefactories" -the
ombudsmenofproductionandlabor -havethefavorof
thespiritsofindustryandsteel . Anandahasenhancedmany
ofhisombudsmen,givingthemtheabilitytoperformlevel
oorAspectmiracles . Themostvaliantservantsalsohave
anappropriateGiftortwo-butnomorethanafewdozen
suchombudsmenexist,outofthethousandsthatservethe
LordofExpectations .
CARULEOFSOVEREIGNS
ThePowersarecontradictions,divinityandhumannature
boundintoasingleform. Theyarethetruestarsofagameof
oBiLis-weakcomparedtofullExcruciansandImpe-
rators,yes,butburdenedbycripplingresponsibilitiesand
exaltedbyimmoderatepower. Nocookiecuttercanstamp
outNobles. Eachcombinesapersonalityrootedinour
complexhumanitywithtraitsdrawnfromtheinfinitevariety
ofnature. PlayersandtheHollyhockGodshouldbeas
originalaspossiblewiththese,themajorcharactersinthe
game. Thatstated,hereare six possible"flavors"ofNobleto
giveanimpressionofwhatkindsofcharactersfitwellinto
theuniversepresented .
AnImportantNote: the HGhastheoptiontouseornotuse
anyofthespecificSovereignPowerspresentedinthisbook,
asfitsthetenoroftheirgameandtheassociatedPCsbest .
Theydonotevenhavetoexistinagivengame -onaverage,
mostwillnot . Inparticular,aplayershouldfeelnohesitation
toclaimoneoftheEstatesusedbyanexamplecharacter,
usingitforaPoweroftheirowndesign .
SIXCOMMONSOVEREIGNS
RELUCTANTSOVEREIGNS
NumerousPowerscarrytheirnewrolebitterly : thedomin-
iongiventothemwasunwanted,theCodeFidelitatisis
unbearable,andtheirresponsibilityisanever-heavierweight
upontheirshoulders . Ironically,theseSovereignsarethemost
dedicatedtotheirtask. Perhapstheyseekjustificationfor
theirpain .
Foranexample,harkenbacktoCassiel,whorecordsthe
sinsandsacrificesofhumankind . Whatmoreterriblejob
couldtherebe?Heknowsthateachsinherecordsdrags
humanitytowardseventualdestruction . Eachsacrifice,each
actofpuritythatgoesunnoticedduringthehourofsleephe
allowshimselfeachday,doesnothingtosavethem . Heoften
thinksofalteringtherecord -butthiswouldcausea
fundamentalcorruptionofwhatheis . Cassielisbrave : he
couldwithstandblandishments,rape,oraslowtorturous
death. Yetheisnotstrongenoughtoendureanessential
corruptionofhisnature,toconsignhimselftothesideof
HellandperhapstheExcrucians,evenifhumanity'slifeisat
stake . Andso,thusfar,therecordremainshonest .
Anotherexample: MalindeistheDominaofPain,anda
PoweroftheLight. Painisrequiredforhumanhealthand
prosperity,butMalindecannotpossiblyenjoybeing
responsibleforallofit .
JOYFULSOVEREIGNS
Makenomistake: thereiswonderforthe . "obilisaswellas
wrackandruin . Theirbodyrespondsmorevigorouslythan
everbefore,andtheirEstatesingslifeandlightintotheir
dreams. FortheSovereignwhochoosestoseeit,thereis
muchtoenjoyintheworldsoftheAsh . Perhapseventhe
conflictitself,thestruggletoholdtheExcruciansatbay,isa
joytothem,becauseitgivesthemtheopportunitytoburn
themselvesoutinservicetotheworldandallCreation .
ConsiderShi-mi,thePlacidaRex,LadyofCalm
Reflection,andtheMarchessaLeana . Herdutiesareto
preservethefelinepopulationandtocullthespiritualenergy
ofthosewhodie. Savingkitty-catlives,ofcourse,wouldbea
joyfuldutyforanyPower ; rendingtheirsoulstofeedher
Imperatorisnot . Yetshehasabsorbedsomethingofthe
characterofherEstate,andallthesehumanconcernsmean
littletoherbesidetherough-madejoysofnapping,racing
about,andoccasionallynibblingsomedelicacy .
Anotherexample : TakariRisuwasbornasan"anime"
character -sortof. (Herstoryisonp. 92. ) Likemanysuch
225
'Hecametomeandsaid,
'Child,youhavefulfilledmy
trust. Youowetheworldno
more; youowemenomore;
youhavegivenallthatcould
beaskedofyoutogive . Rest,
now; Iwilltakeyoutoaplace
ofrest. 'Healsosaid,abit
later,'Youwillhavefne
childrenofyourown. '
Iknewitwasadream,
evenwhileIwashavingit. I
knewitwasadream,and
thatbelievingitwouldmake
itallthemoretorturouswhen
Iwokeup -buthowcouldI
not?HowcouldInotbelieve
him,whenIhavegivenupso
muchtowagethisExcrucian
War?"
-EllenMcIntosh,
Marchessa
Ashesatthereidly,a
rainbowslippedlikeaslinky
fromhandtohand.
-from WARNINGMOON, by
JackieRobinson
Aspect 3: Inhuman 5
Domain 2: Minor 7
Realm 5: Tempest 5
Spirit 5: Inferno 5
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
226
Thecaretakerwalkedoutinto
theyard,andsoftlysaid,Ìts
closingtime. "
Stringygreyhairhungby
thevisitor'sfaceashelowered
hishead. Hedidnot
otherwiseacknowledgethe
caretaker'swords. Hisclothes
aresoragged,thecaretaker
thought. Helookslikehe
belongsinagravehimself.
"Friend ofyours?"he
asked,jerkinghisthumb
towardsthegravestone.
Threeflowerslaytherebythe
grave,freshpicked.
dandelions,theirpatchyswirl
ofseedsempty ofany
meaningbutrespect. No,"the
visitoranswered. "Hewas
me.
Silence.
"Alongtimeago,"the
visitorsaidsoftly. "WhenI
wasyoung. "
-from LIVINGSTONE, by
EmilyChen
"Youmustcomeback,"the
voicesaidsoftly.
Iwassofaraway. The
bloodthatrushedfrommy
wristintothebreachwasno
morethanadistantache,
now; themagicthatflowered
alongtheborderwasstrong
enoughtomaintainitself
now. I,Iwasinarealm of
colorsandlightsandthesense
of overwhelminglove -
"Youmustcomehack,"the
voicesaidsoftly .
ItwasnotHeaven ; Ihad
notearnedsomuch . Butffit
wereLimbo,itwasthe
brightestLimboever
imaginedbyman. Ifelta
deephealingbegininmy
heart,Ifeltthepainsand
griefsandevensome ofmy
heavyyearsfadingaway. I
wasinarealm ofcolorsand
lightsandthesense of
overwhelminglove -
"Youmustcomeback, " the
voicesaid,athirdtime,and
slowlyIopenedmyeyes,and
carefullyIsetmyhandupon
mywristandtheblood
flowednomore.
-from NIGHTWATCH, by
EmilyChen
characters,shehasanessentialappreciationforlifethatout-
weighs,inthelongrun,anythingbadthathappenstoher .
NOBLESDEFINEDBYTHEIRESTATE
Some . obilis,deliberatelyornot,suffocatetheirformer
selves . Notentirely,ofcourse,sinceitisnotsafetoaltogether
forgetone'smortalityYettheyredefinetheirexistenceasan
extensionoftheirDomain . Thisisfairlysimpletoroleplay :
theirmoodsmatchthemoodsoftheirEstate. Aswithany
Noble,theirhighestgoalistosafeguardthatEstate . Their
Designoftenfeaturestheopenbluefloweroffidelity,the
stemthickwiththethornsofdeathandself-sacrifice .
ConsiderZerubbabel,thePowerofUncertainty .
ConfusionandDoubtsurroundherconstantly,inevitably,
hauntingly. Maintainingherselfrequiredtheutmost
discipline,willpower,and(frankly)stubbornness -thekind
ofvigilanceittakesforonetoignorethestrongestandfirmest
insistencesofthemind . Thiswaswithinherreach . Even
mortals,suchasthosewhoovercomecripplingmentalillness
tosucceed,canmaintaintheiridentityinthefaceof
transcendentconfusion . Ruby,asaPower,coulddoeven
better,butshedidnot. Oncethedoubtstookholdofher,she
foundthattheydefinedherexistence .
AnotherexampleisMorgan,thePowerofWar . Thisisa
troubledtimeforallPowers,andsheisattunedasnoother
totheValdeBellum . Conscientiousattentiontoherduties
hasdrivenherfurtherandfurtherfromherhumanself. Now,
shehangsattheedgeoflosingitaltogether,afraidtogoon,
afraidtogobackandafraid,mostofall,tostandstill .
NOBLESOFASACRIFICIALBENT
SomeNoblesviewthingslessabstractly . TheirEstateand
theirImperatorareimportant,butneitheristrulyrelevant
comparedtotheongoingprocessofhumanliveslived,
sufferedthrough,orended . Thefundamentalloyaltythey
feeltotheValdeBellumistemperedbytheirknowledgethat
itissomethingimposedonthem. Whiletheywillnotdisobey
theirImperatordirectlyeventosavehumanityfromthenext
BlackPlague,theyspendmoretimethantheyoughtusing
theirmiraculousabilitiestohealthetroubledmortalworld .
Forexample,takeJamesonBlack . We'vetalkedalotabout
him,andonethingstandsout : hewaswillingtothrowaway
everything,loyaltiesandall,toget away fromthepersonal
horrorofhavingslaughteredhumanslikesheep . Eventhough
heisreturningto"duty",hewillsoonerorlaterstarttrying
tomakeupforhisactions,whateverthecosttohimself .
Anotherexample: Dimi(nuendo)spendsherlifegathering
thesoulsofforgottensongs,butshedoesnotrendthemto
feedherImperator. Instead,shegrantsthemahomeinher
Chancel . Therecouldbeselfishreasonsforthis,ofcourse ;
that'suptothe HG, iftheyuseDiminuendoatall . Onthe
surface,however,sheseemstobeaNobleofasacrificialbent .
MALICIOUSNOBLES
SomeNoblesreactinanoppositemanner. Theydonot
understandtherealdynamicsofpower,andfeelthattheonly
waytheycanbestrongistomakeotherssuffer . Thesearethe
maliciousNobles,andtheycanmakefinevillainsifmostof
thePCsaredecentpeople . ThewaysofNoblemalicevary.
Sometimestheycontentthemselveswiththemetaphorical
equivalentofbringingstormsdownonplacesthatdisplease
them ; othertimes,theyconstructhideousinvolutedtraps
andpunishmentsforwhomevertheyfeelliketorturing .
Forexample,takeScorn's-RegalJoktan . Eventhoughhe
couldpreservehisEstatebyencouraginggenteelbigotryand
egotistseverywhere,hechoosesthedarkersideofhisDomain .
Heistheinspirationforthosewhobeathomosexuals,for
"ethniccleansings",forlife-ruiningmisogyny,andforevery
viciousunderhandedblowaimedbyaworkeratanemployer
theyabhor(orviceversa) .
Anotherexample: Devika,swornenemyoftheDominus
ofBlood . Herfrustratedragehaskepthergoingforthree
humanincarnations,andnow,withthemagicsofaNoble,
shecanseenobettertargetforthemthanthatDominus . Of
course,theValdeBellummakeskillinghim . . . inappropriate .
Hertensionsaccordinglyspilloverintomortalmalice .
CAPRICIOUSSOVEREIGNS
ThelastcommonorientationforSovereignsiscaprice. These
arethePowerswhocannotquitecometogripwithwhat
theyhavebecome . Theyaretornbetweenself-interestand
selflesssacrifice,betweenpowerandfreedom,andbetween
humanityandthedivine . Theonlyresolutiontheyfindto
theirsituationistopourthemselvesintothemoment,trusting
inthe"feel"oftheirEstatetoguidethemthrough . Yetthere
isanessentialflawwiththisapproach : theurgingsof
conflicteddesire,instinct,andconfusionfeeljustlikethe
promptingsoftheirEstate . Suchcharactersare,ofcourse,
not arbitrary intheircharacterization-thebasicinstincts
ofboththedivineandthehumanpartsofthemmustbe
created,considered,andthenintegratedintoacoherent
characterconception . However,theiractionsmaywellseem
arbitrarytotheservantsandotherbeingsoflesserpower.
Forexample,Asokawasonceanearlyperfectbeing,but
wasbetrayed,forallhispower,byhisownFamilia . Now,the
pearlescentsouloftheTyrantofIndiaisjustabitcynical .
HenolongerhasfaithinHeaventoserveasthecenterof
hismoralcompass. Hehasprobablybeenrebornlongsince,
anditislikelyhewasagainenNobled,butthatessential
purityinhimhasbeentemperedwithuncertaintyandcaprice.
Anotherexample: LisseutisanagingFrenchgoddess -
nota"truegod",mind,butsimplyaPowerwhohasbecome
thoroughlyenmeshedinthemythosofFranceintheworld
ofthegame . Hergriponrealityisbeginningtoslip,andshe
islosingthecapacitytodistinguishbetweenhermortalside
andherdivineside . Shemightevenseemseniletoan
onlooker,forallthathermindisinmanywaysstillsharp .
THETOWERSOFTHE OBILIS
AtypicalNobleisbuilton 20-30 points. ThePCsbeginin
themiddleofthatrange,butinlong-runningcampaigns
theycanexpecttogrowbeyondit . Theyhaveanumberof
advantages,aboveandbeyondtheirmiraculouspowers : the
Tomydispleasure,Imust
announcethatnotall ofthese
`Nobles"towhomIamnow
kinareasdedicatedtothe
LightasI. Some,infact,cling
perverselytostrangetheories
ofaratherdifferentsort:
exaltingcorruptionor
destructionasthehighest
virtue. IdonotknowhowI
shouldbehavetowardsthem,
soIusuallyignorethem . At
times,though,theymakethis
d cult!
Irememberacase,for
example,whereastatesman
waswoundedbyanenemy
attack -thathisarmwas
tornfromhisshoulderbythe
teeth of anExcrucianhorse,
andhestaggeredbackbloody .
Iwasinnopositiontosave
him; Iwassorelypressed
myself,forIamnotmadefor
combatFortunately,"my
SiblingCaelestis,whoserves
somemythicalHell,wasable
topreventhisdeath. Some
strangemudhepulled froma
caseathisside,andslathered
itonthewound,theflow of
bloodstoppedatonce.
Whenitallwasover,I
wenttoreplacethe
statesman'sarm ; wewere
withinourChancel,sothis
waswithinevenmyweak
powers . YetIshortly
discoveredthatIcouldnot -
wherethemudhadtouched
him,therewasnowan
impenetrablescreenlikesome
modernplastic. Itcoveredthe
wound,andnotallmyarts
weresufficienttowipeit
awaysothatwoundcouldbe
healed
-excerptfromaletterfrom
theDominus ofAllergiesto
hismother.
"GreatKing,Ipresenttoyou
asorcererfromtheeast,who
canspeaktobeasts,turnstone
intofire,anddanceona
balancedknife. "
'Magnificenttalents, " the
Kingadmitted,"but
manifestlyimpractical. "
-from FARSERENDIP, by
JenHogan
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
abilitytomakeAnchors(seepp . 122-123) ; immunitytothe
directeffectsofNoblemiracles(seep . 108) ; accesstothe
SimpleRitesoftheNobilis(seep. 122) ; theBlessingof
Tongues; andenhancedmagicalabilities. Animalswho
becomeNoblesalsoacquirehuman-levelintelligence,even
iftheirAspectleveliso . Theselastthreeadvantagesare
definedasfollows .
BLESSINGOFTONGUES
ThereisnohumanlanguageanywhereonEarthwhichthe
Noblescannotunderstandandspeak . Further,theyarealso
giftedwithanunderstandingofthe"TrueTongue"ofHeaven,
arootlanguageforSanskritandHebrew ; thisiswhatmost
NoblesusewhentheytravelinotherRealms . Nobleswith
highAspectcan,ofcourse,learnunearthlylanguageswitha
minimumoffuss . IfaNobleislimitedtoahandfuloftongues,
thismaybetakenastheDisabledLimitofAspect .
MAGICALABILITIES
Noblescanusethemiraculouspoweroftheirbodyorspirit
toavoidthepersonaldrainandexhaustionthatcomesfrom
usingnormalmagic . APowercanuseAspectorSpirit MPS
tofuelaboutasmuchmagicasanormalsorcerercanperform
beforethatmortalmage'scompleteexhaustion . Further,a
Powernaturallyrequiresabouttwiceaslongasamortalmage
todrainthemselvesutterly,evenwithoutsuchexpenditure .
NoblescanalsousetheSimpleRitesformanymagicaleffects .
HUMAN-LEVELINTELLIGENCE
Animalsandevensomemythicbeastshaveinhumanthought
patterns,withsimplifiedprioritiesandsometimesunusual
approachestoproblems . Thisremainstruewhenananimal
isenNobled; theydonot"reason"anymoreoften . However,
theircapacityforreasonisraised,attheveryleast,toahuman
level. AslongasaNoblerat'sEstateandImperatoraresafe,
anditcanfindfoodandshelter,itwillhappilyspenddays
withoutdoinganythinkingatall -butifthoughtiscalled
for,itisnotdifficultforthecreature . SomeNobleanimals
evenenjoyconversation!
Note: Animalsareinnatelylimited,andsoaremany
mythicalbeasts ; theyusuallylackhands,forinstance . Benefits
thatroughlybalancewiththeanimal'slimitationsarefree -
ahawkcanflywithoutemployingamiracle . Whenthe
benefitsoutweighthelimitations,theexcessbenefitsshould
bepurchasedasGifts . WhenaNobleanimalcanperform
Guisingasasimplemiracle(thatis,theyhavelevel 2 Aspect
orhigher)allthebenefitsoftheirformshouldbepurchased
asGifts,sincetheywillhavefullaccesstohandsandvoicein
thevastmajorityofthecircumstances .
ANCHORS
Anchorsare,asdescribedonpp. 107-108, specialhumans
whosesoulshavebeenboundtoaPower's,andthroughthe
PowertothePower'sImperator. TocreateanAnchor,aPower
firstmustchooseamortalthat they loveorhate . (Almostall
ofthemanykindsofloveandhatequalify,buttheemotion
mustbeaverystrongandbindingone . )Themortalisthen
givenatearoradropofbloodofthePower'sown . Asit
dissolvesthroughtheirsystem,thePowersendshisorher
willthroughit,untilithastouchedeveryplaceintheirmind
andbodyandmadeitthePower'sown . Fromthatpointon,
thePowermayreachintotheAnchor'smindandgive
suggestions -ormakedemands .
Anchorshavetoughlives. Fateseemstoactivelyhunt
themdownandpresentthemwithsituationsbizarre,
wondrous,horrible,oroutrighttreacherous . Theyunderstand
(anddonotsuffer dementiaanimus from)mythicrealityand
theprosaicEarth,butwhattheyliveinisclosertotheworld
depictedinprosaicEarth'stabloids . FortunatelyforAnchors
(and HGs lookingforaquickbitofaction),anAnchor'sPower
isnevermorethanawhisperedprayeraway -andthey
generallyhavesomeinterestinkeepingtheirAnchorssound,
safe,andhealthy. Powersmakegoodsubstitutesforthe
mythicalguardianangels .
SovereignshavebroadpowersovertheirAnchors . With
butamoment'sthought,theyareinsidetheAnchor'smind :
seeingwhattheysee,hearingtheirAnchor'sthoughts,and
(iftheywish)makingtheirownaudibletotheAnchoras
well . Onlythestrongestphysicalsensationsexperiencedby
thePower'sownbodywillbenoticeablewhilethatPoweris
intheirAnchor'smind .
PuttingontheAnchor'sbodyisonlyatinybitharder. A
heartbeatofwillpowerandthePowerwearstheAnchor's
bodyasifitweretheirown . Evenbetter,theycanuseRealm
miraclesasiftheywerethere -thatis,iftheAnchorisin
theirRealm,evenwhenthePoweritselfisnot . Theycanuse
Domainmiracleswithoutthe IDMP penaltyforlong-range
miracles. TheycanuseSpiritmpstosubstitutefor RMPs or
DMPs. WhenaPowerwearsanAnchor'sbody,boththeir
bodyandtheAnchor'shavetheprotectionoftheirAuctoritas .
AspectmiraclesusedthroughanAnchorareharder-it
istheSovereign'smindandsoulthatvisittheAnchor,not
theirbody. TouseAspectthroughanAnchor,theSovereign
mustusetheirdistantbodyasakindof"blueprint",
envisioningthepowerflowingthroughtheirAnchor'sbody
asitnormallyflowsthroughtheirown . Theextracostfor
Aspectmiraclesis(5-SpiritLevel) AMPS. ThePowermust
alsopaythisadditional AMP costwhenusingGiftsbasedon
Aspectmiracles. Onecansubstitute sMPs for AMPSaswell .
Anchorsusuallydie,anddiehorribly,iftheirNoble
renouncesthem . WhenthelinkbetweenPowerandAnchor
issevered,almostalloftheAnchor'svitalityflowsbackinto
thePower'sownbody. Atbest,thisturnstheAnchorintoa
dodderingsenilepsychotic,eveniftheywereyoungbefore .
Atworst,itturnsthemintoavegetableorkillsthemoutright .
Forthisreason,evenAnchorswhohateordespisetheir
Powersaregenerallyverycarefulnottoletthemsuspect
treachery. IfaNobleiskilled,theirAnchorsusuallysurvive
withminimaldamage ; theirImperatormayevenselectthem
toreplacethefallenSovereign .
Anchorsusuallyserveloyally. Whattheyhavebeengiven
isnogift,butthepowerintheRitethatcreatesthemalso
bindsthemtothesamecausestheirSovereignespouses : the
22
7
Hischairwasturnedaround
Hehadhisbacktome,and
hischair'sbackaswell; its
broadleathersurfacehadn't
evenflinchedwhenIcamein.
Afewmomentspassedbefore
Isaid,abruptly,"Isthatit,
then,Carl?Takebackyour
ring,tossmeinthetrash,and
wishmewell?"
Brightsuncamepouring
inoverthetopofthattall
chair. Itwashardtolookat
hischair. Athim. Heck,it
wouldhavebeenhardtolook
athimanyway. Outside,a
birdburstshrillyintosong.
"Youmadepromisesto
me,"Icontinued . "Imade
promisestoyou. Ikeptmine.
Doyouthinkitwassome
walkinthepark? -excuse
me. I'lluseametaphoryou
canunderstand. Doyou
thinkitwassomerollin
thehay?I-"Igropedfor
words. "Iloatheyou. "
Silence. Alongsilence.
ThenIstartedtospeak,and
hischairturned.
"Itdoesn'tmatterany
more,"hesaid. Hisfacewas
stillCarl'sface,butitwasa
construct offleshandbone
now,stretchedoversome
horriddemon'ssoul.
-REDUX, byKCDanine
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
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The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
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4.0.
228
"Wellnew,"theDuchesssaid,
andliftedmychin . "Youare
anordinarycreature,aren't
you. "
Ìnmyself,yes,mylady .
ButIamdistinguishedinthe
companyIkeep. "
from TUMBLEDRUM, by
KeikoTakemori
Imperators'sideintheValdeBellum,theprotectionofEstate,
Imperator,andChancel,andtheSovereign'sbasicAffiliation .
PersonalproblemscanturnanAnchoragainsttheirPower,
ofcourse,orviceversa . APowercanhaveanumberof
AnchorsequaltotheirSpiritLevel +Iatanygiventime.
THECOMMONERS
AcatechismoftheNoblesclaims,"Commonerscomein
sevenkinds. "Thesekindsareordinaryhumans,ordinary
animals,thedescendantsofPowersandImperators,mythical
beasts,naturespirits,Cammorae,andmysterycultists . Each
ofthemhasadifferentroleintheworldofNOBILIS.
ORDINARYHUMANS
Ordinaryhumanshavenomiraculousabilities . Theycanhave
afocus,butitwillnotbetheirown,andthisisveryrareto
boot. Theyhavenoattributescores . Themostaccomplished
mortalscanperformoneortwospecializedtaskswithskill
commensuratewithalevelor 2 Aspectmiracle . Thisalsois
rare . Theyhavenomps,noranywayofgainingthem . Noble
miraclescanaffectordinaryhumansdirectly -thatis,ifthe
PowerofThoughtwishestodestroyahuman'smind,it
requiresonlyalevel5Domainmiracle . IfanySovereign
wishestodestroyahumanintheirChancel,itisalevel5
Realmmiracle-andnomore.
Sovereignsmustnonethelessgenerallytakesomecare . If
theydamagehumansunwarrantedly,itcanhaveverybad
consequencesforthem . Evenworse,somehumansgomad
whentheyseethemostimpressiveNoblemiracles -they
shiftoverintomythicrealityandcannotgetback . Rare
humansaremastersoftheoccultartsandcanworkEarthly
magics. (Thesemagicscanbewipedawaywithaninstant's
workbyaPower,andatbestareaconcealablesubstituteto
technologicalequipment . Seep . 140-142. )
ORDINARYANIMALS
Ordinaryanimalshavenomiraculousabilities . Theyonly
haveafocusifsomeonetiesitaroundtheirneck(orleg, et
a!. Noblemiraclescanaffectthemdirectly.
Themajordifferencebetweenordinaryanimalsand
ordinaryhumansisthatanimalscanbehurtandLord
Entropywon'treallycare .
DESCENDANTSOFPOWERSANDIMPERATORS
WhenaPoweroranImperatorbreedswithahuman,some
ofthemagicsometimesrubsoffontheoffspring. Occasion-
ally,itcontinuestoshowupgenerationsandgenerationslater,
particularlywhenacreatureorhumancomesfromImperator
stock.
Themostpowerfulofthesedescendants,whicharethe
onlyonesthatcanseriouslyaidorthreatenplayercharacters,
haveanAnchor-likeimmunitytodirectmiracles,an
Auctoritasof3orless,asmallnumberofAspectorDomain
levels,andaGiftortwo. Giftstendtobethebestexpression
ofthemagicinthesebeings'blood,andcanbeextremely
powerfulevenwhenthedescendantisotherwiseweak.
MYTHICALBEASTS
Mostmythicalbeastsarethemisshapendescendantsof
PowersandImperators,asabove . Somefewarenot -they
arecreatedalongwithaChancelortheiroriginisunknown .
ThesenormallyhaveanAnchor-likeimmunitytodirect
miraclesandafewGiftsrelatedtotheirform . Some,powered
byotherforces(perhapsthecorruptionofHellorthebeauty
ofHeaven?),operateonanentirelydifferentpower. Such
creaturescanbypassAuctoritaandNobleimmunitiesalike,
butareinturnvulnerabletodirectmiraclesandcanhaveno
Auctoritasoftheirown .
NATURESPIRITS
EverythingonProsaicEarthhasaliving,self-willed
equivalentinmythicreality. Everythinghasaspirit-from
individualdropsofwatertogreatrivers,fromdeertoauto-
mobiles,fromideastocorporations . Thesespiritsappear
humantoonedegreeoranother,butrarelyspeakandpossess
adeeptietotheaspectofnaturetheyembody. Minornature
spiritsarevirtuallymindless,andNoblescankillorcurse
themwithoutbreakingtheCodeFidelitatis . Significant
naturespiritsjustbarelyhitthehumanlevelofsentience
necessarytomaketheirdestructionacrime .
Spiritsimplicitlycontroltheactionsoftheirprosaicform
throughtheiractionsinthespiritworld . TheycanuseGifts
andperformAspectmiraclescommensuratewiththeirpro-
saicabilities . Birdspiritscanfly . Thespiritofafast-running
rivercanshoveothersandresistdiversionwithanAspect 2
miracle . AmountaincanwrestlewitheffectiveAspect7.
Exceptinstoriesthatspecificallyconcernthemselveswith
thegreatestinhabitantsofthemythicworld,Powersdonot
encounternaturespiritswithattributescoresortheabilityto
resistdirectmiracles . Afewsuchspiritsexist -buttheyare
toorareandtooreclusivetoencounteratrandom .
CAMMORAE
TheCammoraehavebeendiscussedinmuchdetailalready
(seep. 35-36)
. Sufficeittosaythishumansecthasbeen
grantedmanymagicalgiftsbytheNobilis,andthatituses
themtoservethePowers(sometimes)anditself(always) .
MYSTERYCULTISTS
MysterycultssometimesformaroundtheImperators,and
attimesPowersmayevenfindthemhandy . Whenamystery
cultdelvesdeeplyenoughintothemysteryofwhataYmera
is,itsmembersbegintoacquire(unreliable)mysticalabilities .
Foranygivencultist,theseabilitiesarealwaysasubsetofthe
abilitiesofoneoftheCult'sImperator'sNobles . Further,when
acultist'smagicsfail,theeffectsareusuallymuchmore
spectacularthanwhentheysucceed . Somecultshavean
additionaluse,inthatthePowerscanbesurethatthe
membersarenotinnocents,andcanusethemas"vehicles"
toguideagivenmiracletoagivenplaceandtime .
THEFIRESTAYSITSHAND
Allnaturespiritscontrolthe
actionoftheirprosaic
equivalent. Wherean
airplanespiritflies,sogoes
theairplane. Theworldstays
relativelysaneandstable
becausetypicalspiritshave
verystronginstincts. These
instinctsinclinethemtoact
inapredictable,appropriate
manner. Theirknown
behaviorintheprosaicworld
matchesthisinstinctive
pattern . However,spirits
sometimesdefytheirinstincts.
Inparticular,thedrivesof
vice,cowardice,virtue,and
self-sacrificeallowspiritsto
sinkbeloworriseabovetheir
innatecharacter. Prosaic
realitydoesnotandcannot
cudgelthemintoline -
rather,itadaptsitsrealityto
findanexplanationfortheir
actions.
Vyasaaskswhythefire
stayeditshand,andrefusedto
burnLordHridayaja. The
answerissimple: their
friendshipwasstrongerthan
thefire'simpetustodestroy .
I
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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John Shockley
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4.0.
Ianthewrites:
Howtobea
HollyhockGod
Part8
Characters
inDetail
Iemergedfromthestaircaseintothe
sunlight. Itmademeblinkfive
times . The15thfloor,itappeared,
wastherooftop. Agroupofmenand
womenstoodattheedgeoftheroof
Twoofthemwereblonde . Awoman
inawhitecoatstoodbesidethen: .
Twomeningraystoodoneitherside
ofthestairs. Theyheldclippads.
Sevenandthirteenpieces ofpaperon
them . Respectively. Oneaskedme,
Acrophobia?"
Ittookmeaback . "Pardon?"
Areyouherefortheadvanced
acrophobiaimmersiontherapy?"
"Oh. " Ishookmyhead. No.
Obsessive. "Ishookmyheadagain .
Themaningraywhistled.
"Don'tenvyyou . Butyou'vegotthe
wronggroup. Wehandle OCDon
floor1 2. "
Ah. "Istoodthereforamoment
longer. Ineededa few secondsbefore
Icouldgoback; itwastoosoon. Not
faraway,thewomaninthewhite
coatcasuallypushedoneofthemen
off theroof. Heyelledforabout
elevensecondsashefell. Ithink .
I. . . "I don'tknowwhatl
meanttosay.
"Doyouneedhelpgettingthere?"
No,"Isaid,andshookmyhead
No. Icanmanage. "
-from WHITELIGHT, byG. S.
Denmark
229
Everythingin NOBILIS, fromgraveltograndconcepts,radiatestheenergiesoflife,
spirit,andfreewill . SocialinteractiondrivesatypicalNOBILIS game. Eachnon-player
characterhasauniquerelationshipwitheach PC. Thesumtotaloftheserelationships
definesthegame . Thissectiondiscussesvariouscommonandimportantsocial
relationshipsandexplainshowyoucanusethemtotellcompellingstories .
Inmanycases,youwillneedyourplayers'co-operationtotakefulladvantageof
theseideas ; that'sfine . Itiseasiertobuildtensionandexcitementwhenyouhavefull
controlofyourplotline . Slower,morecontemplativesectionsofyourgame,however,
donotsufferatallifyoubringyourplayersintothestorytellingprocess . Atsuchtimes,
youcanexplainthegeneraldirectionwhereyouwouldlikethestorylinetoheadinand
enlisttheplayersasaccomplicesindirectingitthere .
Thefirstfewsectionsbelowoutlinethetypesofcharacterswhocomeintocontact
withthePCs,providinganopportunitytointroducethecharacterwithoutemploying
dramaticdevices. Thesectionsthereafterwilldetailhowtobuildandtakeadvantageof
variousrelationshiptypesonceyouhaveintroducedanNPC . Naturally,youdonot
alwayshavecompletecontroloverhowarelationshipdevelops-yourplayerswill
throwcurvesintothemosttightlyconstructedplot . Acharacterenvisionedasanemesis
canbecomethePCs'greatestally. Embracethis,ifithappens . Ifthestoryheadsfora
destinationyoudidnotintend,itusuallymeansthatthenewdirectionismorepowerful,
moving,dramatic,orinteresting.
CHANCELFOLK
The life ofthePCs'Chancel,theextenttowhichitbecomesavividandvibrantplace,
dependsontherealizationoftheChancel'sresidentsasindependentandinteresting
people. InmostChancels,thismeansthehumaninhabitants . InsomeChancels,the
fey,talkingbeasts,computerintelligence's,andothernot-quite-humanlifetakealeading
role . Itdoesyounogoodtohavewell-realizedChancelfolkthatneverinteractwiththe
PCs. Asaruleofthumb,everythreetofiveencounterswithagroupofChancelresidents
shouldincludeonemortalwhosticksoutabovetherest -amortalwithavivid
personalitytypethatyouhaveaspecialtalentforcreating,ahumanwithanextremely
unusualproblemorambition,orsomeonewithapersonalstylebizarreenoughtohelp
themstandoutinthecrowd . Further,wheneveryou actively playoutanencounterwith
thepeopleoftheChancel, everyone shouldbeinteresting . Forexample,whenthePowers
sitinjudgmentovermattersoflaw,youshouldskimoverthedullcaseswithafew
wordsandmaketheinterestingcasesasenjoyable,detailed,andintriguingasyoucan .
ThemortalinhabitantsofthePCs'Chancelusuallyunderstandthattheirlives,orat
leasttheirfortunes,lieinthePCs'hands . Theynaturallymakeoverturestotheirreigning
Powers,hopingtoprofitthereby. InmanyChancels,theresidentsinviteeachPowerto
everybirthday,everybaptism,andeverypersonalcelebration . TheirrulingPowersalmost
neverattend,andwhentheydo,theyarenotentirelywelcome -butleavingevenone
offoftheinvitationslistisdangerous,andmissingtheopportunityto befriend a Power
isalmostcriminallyfoolish .
ThelesseraristocracyofaChancel -thenoteworthypoliticians,scientists,sorcerers,
artists,andsmall-NnoblesintheChancelsthathavethem-expecttoreceivethe
occasionalNoblevisittodetermineiftheymeritpatronage . Realm'sHearts,Wardens,
TrueQueens,andTempests -whocaneasilydivinematterspertinenttotheir
Chancel -oftenperformbasicdivinationonthedailystackofinvitationstodetermine
whetherthesendershaveunusualqualitiesofcharacterthatmakeapersonalrelationship
worthwhile .
Thus,ifthecustomsofyourPCs'Chancelrecommendsuchinvitations,youas
HollyhockGodhaveseveralopportunitiestocreatenewmortalrelationshipsforyour
PCs. EvenifthecustomsweighagainstinvitingthePCsintotheresidents'personal
lives,afew-bolddespitetheirterror-willrequesttheirNobles'attendanceata
party,hunt,productdemonstration,protestgathering,galleryshowing,ormilitary
CHAPTER 20: IANTHE : CHARACTERSINDETAIL
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The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
230
Ifyoudonotloveme,lady,"
hesaid,hiseyeslimpidand
wide,"thenwhydidyou
createme?"
Herhandswovebusilyin
theUnmaking. Hereyesdid
notmeethis. Ineededto
proveapoint. "
-from WATERSTORIES,
ThelineleadingtoZephyrin
wasaslongasthesky.
AsIwovemyway
throughthatline,asthedays
passedonebyonebeneaththe
unyieldingsun,myheartfell
sickwithdespair. Iknewthat
longbeforeIreachedhim,he
wouldchoose -takesome
new,young,cleversoulashis
adjutantandperhapshis
lover. Hehadsomany
thousandsofchoices . They
couldnotallfailhistest.
Ittooktendaysformeto
reachhim . Thetesttookhim
notimeatall.
"Oriane,"hesaid. "You
arechosen . "
Ihavepassedthetest?"
"YouaretheonlyoneI
wanted,"hesaid,andhiseyes
echoedthesun.
"Buttheline . . .
"Theyarenotreal,"
Zephyrinsaid. Ineededto
knowthatyoucouldwait. "
. fromtheThought-Record
ofOrianeFeroulet
exercise . ExpectyourPCstoturndownmostsuchofferssightunseen ; toguarantee
theirattendance,youmustmaketheofferintrinsicallyinterestingorhint,asHollyhock
God,thatinterestingplaywillresult .
ThePCsalsointeractwiththeresidentsoftheChancelontheirowninitiative,orin
accordancewiththeirfunctions . Overtime,withyourhelp,theplayersshouldfind
rolesintheChancelgovernment -onemightcommandthearmedforces,another
managetheeconomyandjudiciary,athirdhandlediplomaticrelationshipswithother
Chancels,andthefourth,ahigh-RealmPower,mightholdthefinalauthority . Eachof
theserolesbringsthemintodirectcontactwithasectionoftheChancelpopulation .
Untilthisdivisionoffunctions,andtoalimitedextentafterwards, all thePowerswill
interactwiththemilitary,manageeconomiccommissionsortradeguildleaders,and
sitinjudgmentoversuchlegalcasesastheydeignto . ManyPowerschoosetoestablish
andinteractwithapriesthooddedicatedtotheirowndivinity . Further,manyformsof
Nobleentertainment -fromlisteningtolivemusictoa"sevenseven'sduel"(dueling
theChancel's49bestswordsmenormartialartists,oneatatime,asarefreshingmorning
workout) -requiremortalassistance . Theseareallopportunitiestocreateinteresting
socialrelationships.
ASovereignPowercannotinteractwithaChancelresidentasanequal ; thethought
exceedstheboundariesofburlesque . However,Noblesadmirecharacter . Ahumble
mortalwho,likethePowers,livesabsolutelybytheirownterms -amanutterly
consumedbyvenality,awomanofunbreakablemoralfiber -canattractthePCs'
attention . Fortunately,suchcharactersarealsothemostliabletointeresttheplayers .
Theycanandshouldbecomplexandinterestingsouls,butthesinglepointofhigh
exaggerationcanarresttheplayers'attentionandmakethemwillingtopursuealong-
termrelationshipwiththemortal.
Insum,whenyou wish tointroduceanewmortal NPC, waitforthePowersto
encounteraChancelresidentononeofthepretextsabove,capturetheirinterestwitha
vividpersonality,andcrossyourfingersinthehopesthattheywill"take"tothe NPC.
Sometimes,theywillnot . Thenyoumustdetermine,usingyourinhumanperspicacity,
whetherthe players areuninterestedinthe NPC orthe characters findthemortaldull. If
theplayersarenotinterested,abandonyourplansandmoveon . Ifthe NPC appealedto
theplayersbutthePCswerenotintrigued,weavethecharacterintoanotherstoryat
somelaterpoint. Forexample,theymightbecomethefocalpointforaBane'scurse,an
informanthiredbyaPC'senemy,orthesolesurvivorofandwitnesstoanExcrucian
attack.
TheimportantpersonalservantsofthePowersarealsotypicallyresidentsofthe
Chancel . However,inatypicalgame,itistheplayer'sresponsibilitytodetailthese
characters,whoareinsomewaysapartofthePC'sconception. Ingeneral,forthe
reasonsdiscussedinthesectiononplaycontracts,above,youshouldrunthesecharacters
truetotheplayer'svision . Thereisroomforconsiderableexpressionanddeviousplot
manipulationinhowyouplaythesecharacters,butnotintheirconceptualdesign .
HUMANSOFTHEOUTSIDEWORLD
ManyPowersmaintainanidentity,orseveralidentities,inProsaicEarth . TheCammora's
influenceistoostrongforPowerstoroutinelycontrolmajorgovernments,massive
multinationals,andsignificanttechnologies . That'sjustaswell -theSovereignswho
do striveforsuchpowerusuallywindupfightingoneanothertoothandnail,since
therearen'tthatmanyspotsatthetop . It'snothard,however,foraNobletobuilda
noteworthycorporationornetworkofpoliticalinfluencefromthegroundup,subverting
orbuyingoffanyCammoranswhostandintheirway . SomeNoblesevenestablisha
relativelymundaneandpowerlessidentityforthemselvesonEarth-asaforestranger,
areclusiveartist,oraconsultant,amongotherpossibilities -simplytohaveamailing
addressandafingeronthe"pulse"ofEarthlylife. Ifyourplayercharactersestablisha
presenceonEarth,itmakesyourjobeasier. ItgivesthePCsadditionaloptionsinthe
mortalworld,whichkeepstheplayersfrombecomingfrustratedinstoriesrequiring
extensiveintriguingthere . Itgivesyou,andhostile NPCs, ahandlewithwhichto
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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Editor: Bruce Baugh
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Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
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4.0.
manipulatetheplayercharacters -theirinvolvementintheaffairsoftheirmortal
identityispredictable .Finally,theirmortallifeservesasanadditionalsettingforstories ;
thecharacterswhosurroundtheirmortalidentitycanbecomeinteresting NPcs.
Humansrelate; withsomeexceptions,humansaresocialcreatures .Hencea Pc
Power'smortalidentityattractsfriends,sycophants,enemies,neighbors,rivals,and
loversjustastheirtrueselfdoes .Withtherightgroupofplayers -andtheright
HollyhockGod -aPc'sinteractionswithordinaryhumans,intheirmortalidentity,
canmakeforcompellingstories.(Justlookatthenon-speculativefictionsectionofany
bookstore.)Moreover,whensuchastoryturnstragic,thePc'sdecisiontoinvokeNoble
abilitiescantransformitintoataleofmiraclesandwonder .Alternately,the Pc can
decidetoleteventsproceedastheywill,refusingtoemploytheirunnaturaledgetothe
situation .Sucharesolutioncanbemovingandinsightful .Ingeneral,aPc'sdecisionof
when,how,andwhethertousetheirabilitiestoresolvetheirproblemsinthemortal
worldmakesforinterestingplay .
Withthewronggroupofplayers,thewrongHollyhockGod,orjustthewrong
story,astoryofpurelymortaleventsbecomesdull .That'sokay; there'sareasonwhy
NOBiLiS charactersaren'tjustmortals .Ifyoudon'tfeelconfidentthatyoucancapture
theplayers'attentionwithmundaneincidents,youcanstillusefourtypesofordinary
Earthlyhuman NPcs:
Minorcharacters, gracenotestoyourplot,whodriftoffstagewhentheirpresence
becomesdull .
Tragiccharacters, whomeetabadendduetotheirrelationshipwithaPower .
Futureservants, whomthePowerwilleventuallyenrollintheirservice .
Majorcharacters, whoarenowherenearashumanastheyseem.
Youneednottellyourplayersinadvancewhichgroupagiven NPc belongsto.
ABNORMAL UMANS
Ifhandledcarelessly,anorganizationsuchastheCammoracanbecomeasourceof
faceless,interchangeableantagonistsandmerchantsofcorruption .Thismayworkout
foryourgaminggroup,butyou'remorelikelytohavefuniftheCammoraisagroupof
sharplyrealizedindividualswhojusthappentoselltheirintegritytothehighestbidder .
Forthisreason,insteadofconfrontingthecharacterswithanendlessarrayof"Cammora
negotiators",eachFamiliashouldhaveanestablished"handler."Likeanaccountantor
broker,aFamilia'sCammoranhandlermaintainsalong-termrelationshipwiththeir
clients ; thecontinuedconnectionwiththeFamiliaisalmostasvaluableasanygiven
job .ThisgivesyoutheopportunitytofullydeveloptheCammoranthePcsusually
negotiatewith.Mostlikely,thisCammoranforwardsthePc'srequestsandpayments
toothersinexchangeforkickbacks,ratherthanperformingmissionsthemselves .
Similarly,whentheCammorahasarequestforthePcs -whomay,afterall,assistthe
organizationinanymannerwithoutviolatingtheCodeFidelitatis -therequestgoes
throughtheirhandler.Naturally,sinceafrustratedPowercanworkagreatdealofharm
beforeLordEntropyreinsthemin,theCammorapermitsPowerstochangetheir
handler.Iftheplayersdon'tlikeworkingwiththeiroldhandler,thenmakethatworthy
arecurringantagonist.Iftheplayersdon'tcare,butthePcsloathetheirhandler,then
theymightrapidlydiscoverthatthealternativeCammoranmanagersareworse .
WhenthePcswork against theCammora,orwhentheyworkdirectlywitha
Cammoranoperative,thechanceofalong-termrelationshipisminimal .Youneedto
makethemostofthePcs'encounterwithmiscellaneousCammoranswhileyoucan .
Sketchthemoutinyourmindusingsharp,vividimages ; thishelpstoconveythevigor
oftheirpersonalitytotheplayers .Don'tworrytoomuchaboutconsistencyordetail,as
longasyoucancreateinterestingthingsforthemtosayanddoonthefly .Ifyouknow
inadvancethatyouwillneedafewthrowawayantagonistsorshort-termallies,develop
afew NPcs whomyouknowyoucancreateinspiringdialoguefor.Tryenvisioningthe
NPc's reactiontosuddenlyencounteringagiantmechanicalmosquito,ortoroundinga
231
Shewasanordinarywoman
inmostrespects,saveforher
providence; whichwasthat
shecouldwritewithabetter
handthananyintheworld.
Itwasnotatalentforwhich
shewasmuchrecognized -
butthosewhosawherlecture
notes,orherletters,orher
invitations,understoodthat
theywerewitnesstothe
miraculousinlife.
-from DOORKNOBS, by
EmilyChen
CHAPTER20: IANTHE: CHARACTERSINDETAIL
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Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
232
Isorarelyhavetimeto
reviewthepaperworkthese
days.Mostoften,Ijustaskit
totellmewhatitsays .
-SuperstesAnnabelle
Zupay,PowerofTrails
.OBILIS : AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
cornerandseeinganangelplayingtheguitarforcoinsonthestreet .Ifyoucan't
immediatelypicturetheirreaction,youhavealargeproblem .Iftheirreactionisstunned
silence,theymaynotbeequippedforlifeintheCammora .Ifyoucanwhipoffa
reactioninrealtime,youhaveawinner ; usethis NPC soon .Ifthereactionis really
interesting,saveorreusethepersonalityforamorepermanent NPC.
DesignMysteryCultistsdedicatedtothePCs'Imperatorusingsimilarprinciples .
Themajorityofthecharacterdevelopmentshouldgotothehighpriestsorgurusofthe
Cult,themessengerswhobringthePCs'wordstotheCult,andotherfigurestheplayer
charactersinteractwithregularly .ACultistwhomtheplayercharacterswillseeonce
andneveragaindeservesnothingmorethanbroadstrokesandapersonalityexaggerated
almost tothepointofcaricature .
MembersoftheCleaveoftheBotanists,mastersofEarthlymagics,andsemi-
humancreaturessuchastheDaoineSidheandthemerrowshavenopre-established
reasontoinvolvethemselveswiththePCs .ThesameappliestoMysteryCultistsnot
directlyassociatedwiththePCs'Imperator.Ifyouwishtobringoneofthemintoyour
gameasan NPC, theymustembarkonactivitiesthatdirectlyimpactonthePCs'interests .
Eithertheseplansshouldbeinnocuousorthe NPC shouldhavethepowertoholdoff
thePCsuntilacompromiseisreached .Forexample,abotanistwhokidnapsandtortures
aPC'sbelovedAnchoraspartofsomeexperimentinfloralalchemyisunlikelytobecome
arecurringantagonist .Instead,the PC willswatthemlikealittlebug .Abotanistwho
hires a PC'sbelovedAnchortoplayIgortotheirFrankensteinhasabetterchanceof
survival .
,ATURESPIRITS
Atrilliontrillionspiritsfilltheworld -notanexactcount,tobesure,butasolid
approximation .Inpracticalterms,youasHollyhockGodshoulddiscountthevast
majorityofthemunlesstheybecomeimportant .Interactingwiththespiritofeach
letterofeachpageofabook,andofeachpage,andofthepaper,andofthebinding,and
ofthebook,andofthesetofbookswrittenbytheauthor -thiscluttersyourPCs'lives
needlessly.Justasyoudonotdescribethelettersindividuallywhena PC readsabookin
ProsaicReality,donotuseeveryletter-spiritasan NPC intheMythicWorld .Ignore
thevastmajorityexceptwhenthePCsdirecttheirattentionappropriately .
Assumethatmostoftheremainingspiritsareasdumbasrocks -sapient,sentient,
emotional,free-willed,even verbal ifproperlyapproached,butwiththepractical
problem-solvingabilityofawatermelon .IfyourPCspayagreatdealofattentiontoa
naturespirit,youshouldgiveitanentertainingpersonality .Onlyifyou wish tomakea
givenspiritpartofyourgameshouldyoualsogiveitthestrengthofmindandwillto
joinyourstableof NPCs. Thus,ifyourPCsignoreapassingbreeze,itsspiritismerely"a
breeze-spirit" .Iftheydecidetoconversewithit,itcanbecome"abreeze-spiritobsessed
withsecretsandleaves" .Ifyoufeelasuddeninspirationoropportunisticallydecideto
bringinacharacterconceptyoualreadywantedtouseinthegame, then you canmake
it"thebreeze-spiritBorealMinor,youngerbrotherofthenorthwind,pursuivantof
secrets,sorcererofaccomplishment,andtheheraldofLocusTerah ; takingforminthe
mythicworldasalightbrownlordlingwithcopperhairaslongasasteepleistall" .
Manyexcellent NPC spiritconceptsderivefromtheplayercharacters'lives .Spirits
thatspendagreatdealoftimeincontactwithaPowertendtogrowgreater,stronger,
wiser,andmorevocal.AsHollyhockGod,youcancreateinterestingnaturespiritsby
slowlyexaltingthespiritofsomethingimportanttoaPower .AbookishNoble'slibrary,
avainPower'smirror,orapowerfulTempest'sfortresscanblossomundertheirattention
untilitbecomesapersoninitsownright .
Therangeofspiritconceptsopentoyouislimitless .Theproportionallyminuscule
minorityofthespiritpopulationworthtalkingtoisstilllargeenoughtocontainendless
variety.Thethymoioffashionandthetranslucentphasmatiofcorporateethicscurry
favorwiththe .Nobilis,baskinginthereflectedgloryofthe spiritusDei. Theradio
sylphsandthetutelarysalamandersofmajorcigarettebrandspraytotheSovereign
Powersforfavorableconditionsandassistanceinthecrisesoftheirlives .Themalake
OPPOSITE:
Malevolenttree-sprite
byBryanTalbot
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
234
Youcannevergoback.You
arenothuman.Youcannot
knowahumansaveasthe
fireknowsthewood,asthe
stormknowsthesky,asthe
wolfknowsthedeer.Even
whenyourheartscreams
forhumanity,youwillnot
findit.
TheNobilisareyour
onlytribe.
James
.`NOBILIS : AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
habbolam,cruelty-spiritsbornfromthepassingshadowofafallenangel'swing,have
offeredthedarkerPowersanopeninvitationtoparticipateintheir"play" .
Somespiritsaresignificantenoughtobe"players"intheNobleworld .Thereare
perhapstennaturespiritsintheworldthatIfear,andahundredmorethatcouldstand
againstmeinatoe-to-toebattle .AhundredthousandhaveenoughpowerthatIcannot
discountthem -Icouldcrushanyoneofthem,anythreeofthem,butIdarenot
ignore themiftheyintrudeuponmylife .Thestrongestofthesespiritsdonotnormally
socializewiththe .Nobilis .Ibelievethatweconfusethem .Certainly,theirwaysperplex
me! Lesserspiritsofsignificance,however,ofteninvolvethemselvesinNobleaffairs .If
theyarecareful,cunning,andtreacherous,theycanbecomenoteworthyantagonistsor
manipulators.Iftheyarecompetentandbrave,theycanbecomemeaningfulallies .
Atypical PC respondsbesttospiritsthatrepresentsomethingtheyadmireorenjoy :
aprinciple,anactivity,orsomeparaphernaliathereofthatappealstothem .Thus,most
PowersofHeavengladlyattendthesoiresthrownbythegeniiofMonet'spaintings .
Iftheafflatid -inspirationspirit -ofonepaintinggrowsstrongenoughtotravelthe
worldonitsown,itmightinviteanattendingPowerintoitsworldlyactivitiesand
intrigues .ANoblefondofheraldrymightfindtimefortheoccasionallunchwithan
exiledspirit-servantofSigne,Heraldry'sPower -whateverthereasonforitsdisgrace,
itiscertainlyanotableexpert .Inthisfashion,youcanconstructspiritsthatthePCswill
gladlyletintotheirlives .StudyingthethingsthatyourPCsdislike,youcancreate
spiritstailor-madetobecomehatedenemiesorrivals .Thelivingspiritofamonstrous
cover-upmakesasuitableenemyforaNobleofintegrity .Spiritsintendedformore
subtlerolescanbeofanysort .
NOBILIS
ThePowersthatarethecharacters'peersprovidethemostinteresting NPCs. Stories
builtaround NPC PowerslackthedeadlyedgethatExcrucian-drivenstorieshave -
buttheyofferagreateropportunitytoexplorethethemesofyourgame.
Inatypical ,NoBiLiS game,thereareabouttwothousandPowersintheworld .The
PCscanexpecttolookupanyPowerthey want totalkto,butwillprobablynevermeet
morethanasmallfractionofthetotal .ThePowersthatseekcontactwiththePCs
usuallyfallintooneofahandfulofcategories .
Gregariousnessisaskill,andonethatamodestnumberofPowerscultivate .These
NoblestakegenuineinterestinthelivesofeveryPowertheyencounter,memorize
detailsoftheiracquaintances'personallives,andmaintainlargestablesofsuperficial
relationships.Givenareasonablepretextforsocialinteraction,suchasapubliclydeclared
affiliationthatbothPowersshare,thesesocialnexusesarelikelytocultivatean
acquaintanceshipwitha PC .
PowersofsignificantAspect,unlikemosthumans,havetheopportunitytoachieve
genuineexpertiseinagivenfieldofintellectualendeavor.Theycanbecomemagnificent
scholars,athletes,orcraftsfolk.Somechooseinsteadtobecomeencyclopedicrepositories
ofinformation .SamuelBroker,theunprepossessingPoweroftheAmericas,isthe
world'sleadingexpertonabnormalpsychology.InsanePowers,Powersfondofinflicting
madnessonothers,andPowerswhoencounterparticularlybizarrederangementsoften
receiveavisitfromavastlyinterestedSamuel .Aneternallydevotedstudentofhisfield,
Samuelisalsoacompulsivelyenergeticteacher -hecannomorerefuseachanceto
sharehiswisdomthanhecanclosehisearstoaninterestingcase .PowerslikeSamuel
haveafairchanceofbecomingapartofanycampaign,althoughtheydonot connect to
alltheNobilistheirpassionbringsthemintocontactwith .
CertainPowersservetheNoblepopulationasitsresidentmessiahs,gurus,and
lobbyists .Whatevertheircause -destroyingIsraelorerasingthePalestinianpeople,
spreadingthecapitalistwayorthegloriouscommunistcause,overthrowingLord
Entropyorraisingastatueinhishonor -theyseektospreaditthroughouttheNoble
community.AfewofthemoreconvincingPowers,suchastheindescribablePowerof
Marketing,actasmercenaryadvertisers,spreadingthewordofanycauseforasuitable
fee .MostPowersencounteroneortwoevangelicalNobleseveryyear.
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
TobecomealeaderoftheNobilis,onecannotseekelectedauthority .Weholdno
elections.OnecannotbutterupLordEntropyforaroleinhisgovernment.Hatreats
hisauthorityasagarden,carefullycultivatingandtendingit,anddoesnotyieldpower
toaNobleexceptwhenitserveshisands .Theonlywaytoassumealeadershiprole,to
takepowerinoneoftheNoblefactions,ispersonalmagnetismandinspiration .You
mustconvinceeachNobleyouhopetoleadthatyoumerittheirloyalty.Manyfactions
existinNoblesociety,dedicatedtoadvancingsomacausa,ortocompletingsomagrand
project,ortoplanningstratagemsagainsttheDarkHorsemen .OrdinaryNobles,to
leadsuchafaction,mustimpresseachNoblemember.Theirreputationistheirpower
base.LegendaryPowerssuchasDianaSpinnaker,chiefofHeaven'sNobleservantson
Earth,canmanageNoblesthroughasinglelayerofintermediaries ; theglitterofDiana's
gloryrubsoffonherinnercouncil.Still,hercharismastretchesnofurther .Aservantof
HeaventhatdoesnotknowDianaoroneofherclosestassociatescanconsider
themselvesoutoftheloop ; ordersfromanassociateofDiana'sassociatewouldbe
insulting.
PowerswhoseoutlookcloselyresemblesaPC'shavereasontomakecontactwith
them.TwoPowerswhobelieveinservingtheLightbyimprovingcharityfood
distribution,forexample,havestrongmotivetoworkwithoneanother .Similarly,Powers
whoshareaPC'sgeneral"turf"needtocommunicatewiththePCsinordertoestablish
boundariesandfacilitatecooperation .ThisincludesPowersofgeographicallyproximate
Chancels,Powerswhosemortalidentitiescontrolcorporationscompetingwithonea
PC owns,andNbiliswhoseEstatesresembleaPC'sown .
ThebastEstatesfor NPC PowerscomplementthoseofthePCs .APowerof
OpportunityorStressinteractsininterestingwayswiththePoweroptima .ThePowers
ofHopeandLovecontrastwiththeDesolation's-Regal.Thebastpersonalitiesfor NPC
PowersarethosethatleaveroomforbothconflictandcooperationwithyourPCs .If
your PC groupispureofheartandinnocentofmalice,athoroughlycorruptand
monstrousPowercan only interactwithyourPCsasanantagonist .Youdon'tneedto
limityourselfthisway.Ifyourplayercharacters care aboutgoodandevil,thanyour NPC
Powersshouldhavebothdamningandredeemingtraits .Ifyourplayercharactersare
amoral,whoseonlyrealconcernisthesurvivalofCreation,thanyour NPC Powers
shouldserveCreationvaliantlybuthaveweaknesses(suchasdoubt,selfishnessor
corruptibility)thatmightendangerthisservice .Youcangiveyour NPC Powersany
personalityandEstateyoulike,ofcourse ; theseprinciplesaresimplyagooddefault .
Asageneralrule,Noble NPCs shouldhavearoundz5pointsatthebeginningofthe
game -mostoftheworld'sNoblesdo .AsyourPCsgrow,themostimportant NPCs
gainexperienceaswall,keepingpace .Lassimportantcharactersfallbehind,whilethe
PCsattracttheattentionofmorepowerfulpotentates .Inotherwords,howeverpowerful
theplayercharactersbecome,theyshouldnottowerovertheiraveragepeer,norshould
atypical NPC toweroverthem.Rather,theyshouldmoveinincreasinglyrarefiedcircles,
untilonedaythePCscaninteractwiththePowersofLordEntropyandthelikesof
DianaSpinnakerasequals .Atthispoint,thevastmajorityoftheNobilis,weakerfar
thanthePCs,arestillouttherebutarenolongerimportantplayersinthePCs'lives .
IMPERATORS
Thedefiningfactorin(almost)anyrelationshipbetweenaNobleandanImperatoris
thepowerdisparitybetweenthem .Imperatorshaveaclosebondwiththeirown
Nobilis --theirPowershaveapartoftheirsoul,afterall .WiththeirownNobles,
Imperatorsbehavelikemortalparents : somaproud,somagentle,somaabusively
disciplinarian,butalways connected . LookingattheNoblesof another Ymera,an
ImperatorseesasmallsliceofanotherImperatorgunkadupwithadirtyhuman
soul-somethingthatshouldshowitrespect,thatshould,toextendtheparental
metaphor,be"seenandnotheard" .PowersandImperators do havethewholearrayof
socialrelationships .Theycanloveoneanother,fightoneanother,followoneanother's
lead -but,exceptwhenPowerstravelinpacks,Imperatorsalwayshavetheoptionof
crushingthem .ThismeansthatyoushouldnotrelyonImperatorstofilloutyourPCs'
235
TheMagisterstudiedmygun
withacademicinterest."You
intendtokillmewiththat?"
Ihaveresearchedyour
weakness,"Isaid."Tonight,
whilethemoonliesinshadow
andMarssitsintheNinth
House,youarevulnerable;
youcandie.Bymyhand,or
anyother."
"Granted"theMagister
conceded."Iamtemporarily
vulnerable.ButIdonotfear
you. "
Andwhynot?"
Hestretchedhisarmsto
thesidesandhisfleshturned
translucent.Thepureand
absolutelightthatwashis
soulpouredthrough.It
burnedmyeyeswithlife .It
cutmysoulwithitsglory.He
wasnolongeraman,oran
Imperator,oracreatureofthe
Light.Hewastheprincipleof
humansurvivalmade
manifest.Hewaseverything
thatlifecouldeverachieve.
"Youhateme,"hesaid,his
wordsincandescentintheair .
"Buthateisnotenough .
Duty-youcouldkillmefor
duty.Life-youcouldkill
metosaveyourownlife .
Greed-youcouldkillmefor
greed.Butyoucannotkillme
forhate.Youhavenotthe
strength. "
ofRobertBaxt
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
236
Tounderstandaperson
completely,youmustfirst
changethemtomatchyour
speci
fications.
-from REFLECTIONSIII, by
Viscountd'Armand
.ÌVO , BILIS : AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
socialroster.Treatmostofthemasnaturalforces : usethemtoshapeyourstory,use
themasobstaclestoworkaround,usethemasmysteriesandhintsofThingsBeyond
OurUnderstanding .Donotusethemascharacters perse.
IfyoudecidetothrowcautiontothewindandmakeanImperatorarecurring NPC,
thenyoumustmakesureitspresencedoesnotcrimptheplayers'style .TheImperator
shouldhavereasonstorespectthepCsandreasonsnottorolloverthePCswithits
decisions .Theplayersshouldknowthatthosereasonsexist .Forexample,thePCscould
interactwiththeImperatoronlyasarepresentativeoftheirownImperator-aswhen
theynegotiateanagreementbetweentwoChancels .AslongasthePCsdon'tgetoffensive,
andaslongasyougivethemachancetorunawayiftheydo,theycandefytheImperator
alltheywantintheirownlord'sname . Apurely socialrelationshipisalsopossible .The
ImperatorofMusicdevelops,asapersonalproject,bizarreandalienformsofmusic-
human/musiccrossbreeds,musicalstylesthatopendoorwaysbetweenworlds,andso
forth .ItmightenjoyshowingthesethingstoaccomplishedNoblemusicians .Suchan
ImperatordoesnotrolloverthePCswithitsdecisionsbecauseitsdecisionscannot
practicallyconflictwiththePCs'own .Finally,anImperatorcanhavelimitstoitsbehavior
thatprovidepracticalsuretytothePCs .ApacifistImperator,oranImperatorwho
existsonlytoobserve,nottoact -suchYmeraeremaindangerous,butthePCscan
dealwiththemwithconfidence .
NPCSINGENERAL
Irecommendkeepingindexcards(or,foronlinegames,adatabase)describingeach
major NPC. Thisincludesnotesonthingsyou'veestablishedaboutthat NPC thatyou
mightforget,aswellasonmajoreventsinwhichthat NPC tookpart .Thishelpscreate
agreatersenseofcontinuity.Also,leafingthroughthesecardsbetweensessionsofplay
mayinspireideasforthingstododuringthegame .Youmightsay,"Ah,thePCssaved
thelifeofthatCammoranthug'sdaughter.Perhaps,ifthePCsfailtodiscoverthe
Cammoranplotagainsttheminthecomingsession,shecantipthemoff.Ormaybeit
wouldbemoreironiciftheeffectsoftheExcrucianplagueturnedheragainstCreation,
andtheybecamehertargets .Theydidsayatthetimethattheywouldregretsavingàn
adder'schild' ."
AsHollyhockGod,youhavedozensof NPCs tomanage .Youcan'taffordtowritea
seriesofnovelsabouteachonetogetcomfortablewiththecharacter -youhaveto
makethecharacterinterestingwithafewkeydetailsatthefrontend,andthenallow
the NPC's personalityandroleinyourgametodevelopduringplay.Thesekeydetails
should,ideally,"hook"theplayersintobelievingthatyou could writeaseriesofnovels
aboutthecharacter -thatthe NPC's personalstoryisfascinating,vital,andrelevantto
theirpCs'lives .NoHollyhockGodachievesthispinnacleofperfectionwithevery NPC,
buttakingafewsimplestepscanimproveyourchances .
Usually,whenyoubringinan NPC, thecharacter'srelevancetothePCsisalready
established .Thisisthefirstkeydetail -the NPC's role inthegame .Makesurethey
haveone!WhenyoubringinBranGainor,thestrongrighthandofDianeSpinnaker,
toserveasthevoiceofthePowersofHeaven,helpinga PC PowerofHeavenco-
ordinatetheireffortswiththeirkininthestruggle,everyoneunderstandshisrolein
thegame .WhenyoubringinBranGainor,ViscountofArmor,tohangaroundthe
PCs'Chancelandmakerandomobservations,thecharactermayfallalittleflat.
Thesecondkeydetailforan NPC istheirhistory.Thisonlyneedsoneortwo
sentences,andyoudon'thavetowriteitdown,andyoudon'thavetotellittothePCs -
butknowingwherethecharactercomesfromandsomethingaboutamajortraumaor
wonderintheirlifewillhelpfocusyourplay.WhenyoubringinMaryShenk,atesty
oldwomanwhogrewupcollectingdungonVictorianEngland'sstreets -perhapsfor
darkeninganimalhidesintanneries,perhapsforuseinawitch'sspells -youknow
whatkindofmannerssheconsidersproper,thatsheprobablyhasastrongnegative
reactiontopoverty,andthatherculturalheritageisEuropean .IfyoubroughtinMary
Shenk,cipherandenigma,youruntheriskofdescribingherasAfricanonesession
andtellingstoriesofherlifeasageishathenext .
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
Third,forthematicstorytelling(p . z81), each NPC shouldconnectsomehowtoone
ortwobasicthemesandtheissuessurroundingthosethemes .ForPowers,this often
meanstheirEstate -butnotalways .BranGainor,asthevoiceofthePowersofHeaven,
representsthecauseofbeauty.AsDianeSpinnaker'sstrongrighthand,herepresents
valor.Ifyouacknowledgethis,andthinkupwaystoexplorethesethemes -forexample,
bystudyingthe cost ofalifelivedinunshirkingbattleforthecauseofHeaven -then
youhaveadirectiontogowiththecharacter .Onceagain,ifhe'sjustinthegameto
bumaroundthePCs'Chancel,thegamesuffers -youhavenowheretogo .
Fourth,Most NPCS shouldhaveseveralpointsofvulnerability.Thesevulnerabilities
neednotbeflaws .Orderliness,compassion,caprice,andmelancholyrepresentvalid,
exploitablevulnerabilitiesthatare(fromanotherperspective)healthyandnaturaltraits .
Norneed NPC flawsbeweaknesses ; thecurseofthePowersofParasiel(p .
25i)
ishardly
apersonalweakness,butitmakesParasiel'sNoblesfallible .Evensuchidealizedsavants
asmyselfhaveemotional,moral,andcircumstantialvulnerabilitiesthatkeepusfrom
theheightsofperfection.
IfyouhavetroublefindingaweaknessforaPower,turntotheirEstate -evenas
nothingmorethanthepureavatars,incarnations,andpersonificationsoftheirEstates,
thePowersofFireandFerretswouldbemercurialandhyperactive,respectively .Thisis
good .Aninfallible NPC, perfectinallrespects,isuninteresting .IfthePowerofFerrets
didtheoptimalthingineverycircumstance,unassailablesavethroughall-around
superiorfirepower,hewouldnotneedtherestofus!
Finally,youshouldtrytogiveeachcharacteroneortwodistinctivequirks -
somethingtomakethemstandout .Atendencytowardslong-windedmelodramaor
curt,clippedspeech; aphysicalabnormalitysuchasgreenhair(naturalordyed) ; an
extremecharactertraitsuchasabsoluteselfishness,vanity,self-sacrifice,orgreed ; even
afake-lookingsmilethatyoucansimulateonyourownface -youmightnotkeep
thesetraitsattheforefrontduringacharacter'stenureinyourgame,but they willhelp
thecharacterstandoutwhenintroduced .MaryShenkshuffles,mutters,andwavesher
handsaround.She'sgottheAspecttomovelikeaballerinaandtheImperialfavorto
haveherselfturnedbackintoafresh-facedtwenty-year-oldgirl -butshedoesn't,
becauseshe's MaryShenk. Thismeansthatiftheplayersgetofftrackandshe'sintheir
playercharacters'iClocation,youjusthavetowaveyourhandsaroundabitandmutter
somethinginteresting .It'llimmersetheminstantlyinthespiritofthegame .Onthe
otherhand,ifshewerequirk-free,theplayersmightnotevenbesurethatyouwere
speakingasMary!
Whilethesefivestepsarelesstroublethanwritingaseriesofnovels,youmayfind
themalotofworkforeachrelativelyminor NPC. Ifso,youcanshortenthemasfollows .
Ignorethe NPC's roleinthegameuntilyouactuallybringthe NPC in .Summarizethe
NPC's historybypickingatimeperiodandlocation .("She'sfromImperialRome .")
Choosethebasicthemesassociatedwiththe NPC, butdon'tworryabouthowtoexplore
themuntilanopportunitytodosocomesup .Developthecharacter'sweaknessesand
vulnerabilitiesduringplay.Finally,preparealistofquirksinadvance,soyoucanquickly
addanappropriatequirkortwotoanew NPC.
Bearinmindthat NPCs shouldalwaysfitthepurposeyouwishthemtofill .For
example,it's interesting foraPC'sromanticinteresttohavenothingincommonwith
the PC, butifyoucreatesuchasignificantother,there'sarealchancethey won't attract
thePC'sromanticattention .IfyoucreatealeadertoinspireandrallythePCs,youcan
maketheleadertragicallyflawed -butifthey're too flawed,thePCswon'tberalliedor
inspired .IfyouwanttocreateastalwartsupporterofthePCs,don'tkickofftheir
relationshipbyhavingthe NPC betraythemseventimes .Onmoregeneralgrounds,any
NPC thatactivelyavoidsarelationshipwiththePCsisunlikelytobecomeaninteresting
additiontothegame .Aloner NPC whoneedsandwantsnooneelse,areclusivehermit
whowantsonlytofinishtheir magnumopus, anirascibleboorthathateseverything
living -allofthesecharactersmakefineadditionstoanovelbutpooradditionstoa
roleplayinggame .AsHollyhockGod,youdon'thavethethinkingtimeandfinecontrol
overtheplotnecessarytobringsuchcharactersintothestory.Youcansaveyourselfa
greatdealoftimeandgriefbymakingsureyour NPCs fittheirroles .
237
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
238
KhadkaKoirala,chiefamong
Hell'sPowersonEarth,
commandsyourattendance
uponhim.Bowyourhead
andtreadlightly ; knowthat
youhavebeenblessedbeyond
measure.Hehaschosenyouto
studyathisfeet,andlearnof
Noblesocietyinhisaugust
presence.Hewillnotbe
denied.
-amessagedeliveredtothe
newlyCommencedPowerof
Luxury.
Forjustamoment,Sawyer
heldthealienatbay,andsaw
intoitscoldeyes.There,ahost
ofspiritsthronged.-allthe
creaturesSawyerhadever
killedAllthelifehehadever
eaten.
Wegaveourselvesfreely,
theysaidwithoutspeech .
Thereisnoguilt.Thereisno
blame.Yetthereisafavor
done; andservicesowed.As
wehaveyieldedourfleshto
yourgain,youmustdoin
turn .
"Iwillfight,"hesaid.
Youmayfight,thespirit
hostagreed.Butyouwilllose,
andtheK'i.shallpaintitself
withyourblood.Thenyou
mustgiveyourstrength
gladly,yourpowerandyour
guile,orweshallrefuteyou
andyoursoulshallnever
walkthefarrealms.
-from HUNTERS, by
EleanorK
MENTORS
TheNobleworldisbothspirituallyandpoliticallycomplex .ManynewNoblesrequire
assistancetonavigateit .ThiscancomefromanolderNoble,anexperiencedmortal
servant,acompassionateImperator,orsomeoneelsewiththenecessarywisdom .The
mentorcanhavethestudent'sbestinterestsatheartorcanusethestudentasapawn .
Usually,a PC shouldknowwhichsituationapplies -amentorthe PC considersunreliable
canbetraythe PC adozentimesandthe PC willtakeitinstride .Amentorthe PC
considerstrustworthywilldamagetherelationshipanditsstorypossibilitieswiththeir
veryfirstbetrayal .
Amentorbringstheirchargesopportunities,andrejectingthoseopportunitiesis
oftensociallyorpoliticallyunwise.Thus,iftheHollyhockGodwantstoattacha PC to
aninquirypanellookingintothepossiblecorruptionofaCammoransub-sect,using
thecharacter'smentormightbewise .Ifthepanelistswouldnotnormallyinvitethe PC
tojointhem,perhapsthementorfeelsit'sagoodopportunityforthe PC, andpulls
strings.Iftheplayercharacterwouldnotnormally accept thisoffer,passingitthrough
thementorincreasesthechancesthattheywill -it'sawkwardtorejectwhatsomeone
elsepulledstringstobringyou .Betteryet,thepanelnowhassignificantsocialcontext
outsideofthestoryitself.It'saprojectundertakenonthementor'sbehalf,andthe
characterwillprobablydiscussitsfindingswiththementor ; andthementor'ssocial
connectiontosomeoneresponsibleforthepanel'screationhasbeenestablished,which
youmightfindusefullater.
Amentorisalsoanexcellenthookforconnectingcharacterstonew NPCS . Aproper
mentormakesapointofintroducingtheir protg topeoplewhomatterandputting
theinitialconversationonagoodfooting .
Playercharacters,particularlyexperiencedPCs,sometimestakeonotherNoblesas
protgs .Ideally,suchanapprenticeiswellpositionedtohandleaportionofthePC's
ownoperations .Thisisadvantageoustothegame -aslongasthataspectofthePC's
activitiesisdullandboring,the PC needsdevotenotimetoit .Whenitbecomes
interestingandworthstudyinplay,the protg cancontactthe PC. APC'sstudentscan
alsobecomeentangledinmattersrequiringthePC'sattention .
Ifyouaimtoattachamentortoacharacter,thefollowingtwoapproachesmay
serveyouwell .First,createafigurewithsufficientwisdomand,moreimportantly,
absoluteintegrity.GivethePCsareasontoapproachthispersonageregardingsome
difficulty,andimpressthemwithanunexpectedlyhonorablereaction .Withluck,the
PC willpursuetherelationship .Thealternativeisadeliberateapproachbyapotential
mentorhonestabouttheirself-interest .Suchamentorneedsalliesortoolsandis
willingtoprovidealegupinexchange.
DeliberatelyattachingaprotgtoaPowerisharder.Youmayneedtotalktoa
playeroutofcharacterandfindoutwhatmightmaketheircharactertakesomeoneon .
FAVORS,ALLIANCES,ANDGRUDGES
Capturingwonderandhorroriseasiestwhenworkingwiththegrandrelationships :
love,loyalty,hatred,devotion .Unfortunately,HollyhockGodsdonotalwayshavegrand
emotionstoworkwith .Manyoftheworld'seventsrunonpettyemotions : flickersof
anger,revulsion,gratitude,andadmiration .AmongNobles,whocanteardowncities
toavengeamoment'sgrudge -asunwiseastheCodeFidelitatismakessuchanact-
eventsfueledbylesseremotionsarenot themselves petty.Understandingthis,youcan
getagreatdealofmileageoutofpredominantlyneutralrelationships .
MuchofthestructurethatkeepsNoblesocietyfunctioningconsistsoffavors .Even
whenaNoblegrantsafavorwithoutanexplicitexpectationofreward,ithasastring
attached -itformsaconnection,strongorminute,betweenthetwo .obilis .Itcreates
asocialobligationtoshowequalgenerosity,usuallybyreturningthefavor.ANoble
whofailstomeettheirobligationssuffersshame,toonedegreeoranother.ANoble
unabletoshowgenerosityby granting a favoralsosuffersembarrassment .Itcastsdoubt
ontheirstrength,forstrongNoblescanaffordmagnanimity.Theweboffavorsowed
OPPOSITE:
ThePowerofPhysical
Disability
byAlDavison
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John Shockley
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4.0.
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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Editor: Bruce Baugh
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John Shockley
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4.0.
240
IconfessIamthrown,"said
thePrinceofKnots."Ihad
thoughtthattheDarkand
theLighthatedoneanother:
andheretheyare,togetherin
celebration,withnarya
raisedhackleinsight."
"Itisamatterof
practicality,"Iexplained,
helpinghimremovehiscoat.
"ItisnotthattheLightand
theDarkcantrulylayaside
theirhate; butnoone
appreciatesaPowerwho
bringsanoldgrudgetoa
party."
-from ONSERVINGTHE
.ÒBILIS, byLucGinneis
.`NOBILIS : AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
andfavorsgrantedconnectsthe .Nobilis,givingeachahandlebywhichotherscan
manipulatethem.
Imagine,foramoment,thateach NPC isa PC insomeothercampaign,withitsown
storiesandbattles .Afavorrepresentsa"bridge"betweentwoworlds -aconnection
thatdrawsthePCsintothe NPC's story,orviceversa.IfthePCsoweafavortothePower
ofScarcity,thentheirattemptstomakegoodonthatdebtcandrawthemintoan
explorationofthetruespiritualeffectsofrichesorpoverty .PerhapsthePowercurseda
mortalwithabundance,sothatallthewealthinhervicinityflowedintoherpossession
andcouldnotleaveit .NowsomethingpricelesstothePowerhasfallenintothevictim's
possession,butthePower'spridedoesnotpermitarecantationofthecurse .Findinga
loopholewouldnodoubtqualifyasreturningthefavor .Doingsowouldexplorethe
themesofthePowerofScarcity's"campaign" .
TemporaryalliancesalsoplayamajorroleintheNobleworld .Noblesrecognize
thattwoPowersjoinedtogetheraresaferandmorepowerfulthantwoNoblesapart .
Mostalliancesofconvenienceareultimatelyunstable,butwhiletheylasttheNobles
involvedcanrelyontheothers'aid .AnallianceconnectsNoblesmuchasanowed
favordoes .Thus,ifthePCsformanalliancewithIsabel,PoweroftheRoad,youcan
bringthemintoanIsabel-themedplot.Shemightcalluponthem,forexample,to
guardacaravancartingseveralpossiblesaviorsoftheworld(instasis)throughthe
roadwaysoftheMythicWorld .
Theconversestructuretoafavorowedisagrudgeheld .Often,agrudgeturnsinto
arivalry; sometimes,however,anangeredNobleexactspettyrevengeonceortwiceand
thenburiesthematter.
BONDSOFCONVENIENCE
.NOBiLisisagameofextremesandarchetypes,sosomeoftheinhabitantsofyour
NoBILisgameshouldmeritnear-absolutetrust .Still,suchhonorablecreaturesare
rare .Someembodytheprinciplesofdeceitanddishonor .Theseuntrustworthycursare
rareaswell .Inmostcases,Noblesunderstandthattrustisirrelevant .Theircolleagues
mustbetakenastheyare,andexpectedtodowhattheywilldo .IntheNobleworld,
youdonotweepwhenyouracquaintancesbetrayyou,nordoyouadoreeverybeing
thatbringsyouagift .Youspendtimewiththosewhoseinterestsandpersonalityarein
accordwithyourown,andyoudothemfavorswhenitsuitsyourplans .Youhopethat
theyshalldothesameforyou .Forthesakeofthissection,IshallcallaPC'smost
temporaryalliestheircompanions -theNobles,humans,beasts,Imperators,spirits,
andentitieswho willlift afingertocometothePC'said,buthavenofearofbetraying
themlater.
AHollyhockGodiswelladvisedtobuildastableofsocialcontactsfortheirPCs .A
companion,whodoesnotneedtofirmlydedicatethemselvestothePC'swelfareorto
theirdetriment,makesaperfectcontact .CreatesuchcontactsbyofferingthePCs(or
somesubsetthereof)aninvitationtosomeeventofinterest,asmallfavororgiftinthe
interestofsociability,oratemporaryalliancetoresolvesomeminorormajormatterin
theinterestofbothparties .Ifallgoeswell,thisestablishesanamiablerelationship .If
the PC and NPC aggravateoneanotherinstead,youhavecreatedausefulantagonist .
EveryPowerrepresentsapotentialresourceforeveryotherPower -asourceof
miraclesforeverydayconvenienceandemergencyaid .Itisonlynaturalthattheyshould
makesocialoverturestooneanother.Some .Nobilisevencultivatetheirnatural
opponents-servantsofopposedaffiliationsorhostileEstates .Acordialrelationship
withone'senemiescanbeusefulintheeventofasuddenreversaloffortune .Through
suchrelationscanaPoweroftheLightexperiencethecelebrationsoftheDarkanda
PowerofHellattendthebanquetsoftheservantsofHeaven .Moregenerally,Powers
havemetunderanynumberofpretexts,fromshoppingtripstoharvestceremonies .
Duringsuchevents,theydiscusssharedinterestsandtheaffairsofCreation,setaside
theburdenofdutyforatime,andlaythegroundworkforfuturefellowship .
Companionscantestthecharacters,measuringtheirworthaspotentialalliesand
theirdangeraspotentialenemies .Agentletestofstrengthhelpsestablishwheretwo
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Powersstand,andneednotleadintobloodshed .CompanionscanusethePCsastools,
openlyorsurreptitiously .Theymayaskthe PC fortheirinsightsintoagivensituation,
orsteerthe PC intothepathofanenemy.TheymayattempttorecruitthePCs,or
establishdominanceoverthem .Mostofall,theyofferthecharactersachancetobecome
involvedwithplotsasoutsiders -observersifnotparticipants,judgesindisputes,
witnessestothecompanion'sactions,participantsinsomeoneelse'sstory .Small
interventionsbythePCsbecomeproportionallymoresignificant,asdotheiriC
observations .
Aclassicstorytracesan NPC fromcompaniontoenemyor-ifthe NPC hasthe
necessaryqualitiesofcharacter -ally.Ideally,thestoryshouldhavethepotentialtogo
bothwaysuntilneartheend .
'BONDSOF,LOVE
Noblesdolove,andtheylovegrandly,thoughtheyloveinsecret .Otherinhabitantsof
theNobleworldlovemorevisibly,moremajestically,andeverybitaspowerfully .Love
candriveathousandstories .CharactersmayloveotherNobles,thegreatelemental
spirits,mortalhumans,andevenmonstersandcreaturesfromotherrealms .
Youhavetwopathsforcreatingaloveinterestforacharacter .Thefirstapproachis
narrativeooCnegotiation .Youdiscussvariouspossibilitiesforarelationshipwiththe
player.Youdeveloptherelationshipoffstage .Onlywhenyouandtheplayerare
comfortablewiththebasictenetsoftherelationshipdoyoubringtheloveinterestinto
incharacterplay.Thesecondapproachisopportunistic .Youprovidestandard
opportunitiesforromance .Aplayercharactermustescortanattractivemajorspirit -
suchastheOikonomikad(economicnymph)ofcapitalism -atasocialfunction,to
protectitfromhostileNobleaction .AdashingNoblemeetswitha PC onfiveor six
occasionstohammeroutthetermsofacontractbetweentheirtwoChancels .Events
progressnaturallyfromthere .Anyromancenovelorromanticmovieoffersideasfor
bringingtwopeopletogether.Ifnothinghappens,despiteyourbestefforts,thenit's
notmeanttobe -justlikethepeopleofyourworld,PCsdon'talwayshititoffwith
theirnaturalmates .
Loversdevelopoddhabits,hobbies,andpracticesincommon .Exploitthis .The
Nobilisshowtheirloveinstrangeways,andtheirmorebizarrepracticesmakegreat
atmosphere.Someoftheirsharedactivitiesserveasexcellentseedsforstories-trysts
ontheAsh,farfrompryingeyes ;sharedworkonariverofchaosandchangewithinthe
Chancel;traininginthewarlikeartswithphysicalandghostmiracleduels .Iftheplayer
ofa PC doesn'tcomeupwiththiskindofthing,rememberthat NPCs haveideastoo -
an NPC lovercantaketheinitiativeindevelopingthesepractices .
TheburdenofsecrecystrainsNoblerelationshipsterribly .ANoble'sparamour
neverknowsforcertainthattheNoblelovesthem -notunlesstheNoblefoolishly
makesitobvious .AlwaystheNobleisdistant ;alwaystheNobleiscoldandcapricious ;
always,thereisdoubt.Ifthetwoloversfight,theNoblecannotreconcilewithanactof
gloriousdevotionoraproofoflove .FrommostNobles,evenanapologyistoomuchto
expect.ANoble'sloverreacts,naturally,withcapriceofhisorherown .Sweetnessand
generosityaretoolsintheloveinterest'sarsenaltoforceareactionfromtheNoble -
asarecolddistanceandactivehostility.Apowerfulstorycancomefromasimple
argument,thatleadstoananger-drivenintrigueagainsttheNoble,endingineither
reconciliationorabreak-upasthelovereitherrealizesthattheNoblecares -or
decidesthattheNobledoesnot .
Forhighestdrama,youmustkeepthelivesofthePCs'loveinterestsdangerous .
Don'tjustkillthem,notwithouttalkingtotheplayerfirst,unlessthedeathisthe
heavilyforeshadowedclimaxtoalongandpowerfulstory .Atthesametime,makethe
loveinterests'livescomplex,becauseyoucandrawthePCsintoeverycomplexity .One
lovermightmeddlewithHighSummoning,dealingwithcreaturesfromtheLands
BeyondCreationthatcouldstealhersoul -orworse .Anothermightstrivetoreform
theCammorafromwithin,facingthecruelleadersofthesectwithnothingbuthiswits
andgrimdetermination.Youcan'tkeepupthispitchofdangerifthe PC fallsfora
241
TodayIcleanedtheshieldof
Nuri,abrashandnoble
Power,whofoundhisown
answertotheWindflower
Law.Cuttingforthhis
atman,hebounditintoa
shield,decoratedwithhis
love'sDesign,asagiftforher.
Hisbodywouldforgether;his
Estatewouldforgether;but
hewouldbewithheralways.
IthangsinMeon'shalls
inLocusEntropy.Idonot
believehisRamonaever
learnedofitsexistence .Such
arethewaysoflifeandlove .
ofMartinCravitt
CHAPTER 20: IANTHE: CHARACTERSINDETAIL
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4.0.
242
"Wouldyoudieforme,
Hugh?-
'Inaninstant,mylord."
Entropy'seyeswere
distant.4nanswerreached
soquicklycanseemfacile,or
evenobsequious."
"Mylord,"Ianswered,
youembodyeverythingI
valueinthisworld."
ofHughRosewood
OBILIS : AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
simple,humbleshepherdintheChancelhills,andkeepshimorheroutoftheway -
butifyoucan'tmanagedanger,atleastbringchangeandtransitiontotheaffair .Honoring
theshepherd'sdyingfatherisasmallbutpotentiallysatisfyingstory .Havingtheshepherd
changealittlebiteachtimetheNoblevisits,akindofspiritualreactiontotheNoble's
presence -evolvingtowardssomethingthatisn'tnecessarily bad butis different -
couldgetveryintenseindeed.
BONDSOFLOYALTY
EveryNobleservesasthefocalpointforaforceaslargeasFireorDisease .Eachisthe
singlebodyofmortalfleshinwhicheverypossibilityofanentireEstatecomestofruit .
TheNoblesareatoneandthesamemomentsingularandselfishentities -humans,
blindtotheirplaceinthegrandsystemoftheworld -andelementalcreaturesofthe
spiritusDei, apartofthedancinginteractionofforcesandconceptsthatcreatethe
universe .Noblesexpresstheirselfishindividualitybystayingtruetowhattheyrepresent .
ANobleisinonesenseloyalonlytothemselves .Inanothersense,though,theNoble
mustkeepfaithwithathousandobligationsorceasetobewhattheyare .ANobleof
theLightcannotsimplythrowhumanitytothewolvesinthenameoftheirownbest
interest -thenotionislaughable!ThePoweroftheNightcannotabandontheNight's
interestsinordertoachieveapersonalvictory -theideaisacontradictioninterms .
Thus,eventhougheachNobleisanegocentric,selfish,vilelyself-importantwormofa
creature-theauthorexcepted,ofcourse -eachNobleisalsoapure,clean,incarnation
ofloyaltyandservice .
ManyNoblesactasloyalfollowersofothers incertaincircumstances . A Radiantmay
arguewiththeTempestinhisFamiliathirteentimesinaweek -butwhenthesafety
oftheChancelisatstake,theRadiantservesattheTempest'spleasure .(Isthisuniversal?
No.Isitmandatory?No.Isitthemosthonestandreasonablecourse?Yes .)Many
PowersoftheLightwouldsacrificetheirlifefortheNoblesthatleadtheLight's
cause-becausetheLight needs suchleaders,anditneedsitssoldierstosupportthem .
APowermayyieldtheirloyaltytoanyofanumberofgreaterorevenlessersouls .The
only certain loyaltiesaPowerholdsaretotheirImperatorand,toalesserextent,their
Familia -butPowersunderstandthenotionofloyaltystrongerthanlife,and,
understandingit,practiceit .
Friendship,likeservice,canalsomanifestasabondofloyalty -butletmedigress
amoment.Forgetthecommon,plebeiannotionsoffriendshipthatpervadethemortal
world.Forgetthefriendshipsthatyouseeonyourtelevisionset,soeasilyshatteredby
anuntimelyaffairorafewslanderouswords .Idonotspeakofsuch"friendships" .The
.obiliscannotaffordthem.Friendslikethosethatmortalsclaim -theybetrayyou .
ThereisnoPoweroftheLighttoopuretokilleveryonesuchfriendseverloved,an'it
servestheirEstate .ThereisnoPowerofHeaventooglorioustoknotsuchafriend's
soulandripitwiththeirhands .Not one. We cannottrustafair-weatherfriend .The
Nobiliscannotrelyonbondsofmildcamaraderie .Thereistoomuchatstake .Those
whommortalsbefriendwecallassociates -pleasantassociates,perhaps,adorable
associates,evenreliableassociates,butnotfriend .Thosewenamefriendwouldfollow
usintoHell .
Somethingsareunforgivable .Somedeedsdemandretribution .Someoffensesexceed
thescopeofanytolerance.Onedestroysanacquaintancewhocommitssuchasin .One
exactsapriceinbloodfromanally,iftheyperformsuchadeed.Oneforgivesafriend,
however,forthecoreofNoblefriendshipisinfinitelicense .Theloyaltyonefeelsfora
truefriendexceedsallboundaries,ignoresalloutrages,surpassesalllimits .Theonly
endtosuchafriendshipcomeswhenonediscoversthattheotherfeelsnosuchloyalty
towardsoneself-andsometimesnoteventhen.ItissaidthatthePoweroftheHunt
stayedloyaltothePowerofHoundsforcenturies,despitecontempt,illtreatment,and
evenviolencedirectedhisway,andtheservantsoftheDarkaddthatbythatfriendship
thePoweroftheHuntdraggedtheDominusofHoundsawayfromthefalseprinciples
oftheLight,unitingtheminthegloriousshadowofhumanity'sdestruction .
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4.0.
ANoblecanalsofeelabondofloyaltytotheirmortalfamily.Bloodcallstoblood .
Suchbondsarerarelyabsolute -butwatchfortheirexistence .Ifyour PC favorsa
familial NPC, orshowsastrongattachmentto every familymember,youcanexploitthis
inyourgame.Similarly,Noblessometimesfeelsignificantobligationtowardsthose
whomtheyacceptastheirwards.
ToinciteyourPCstoformloyaltiestoothers,firstobservethetypesofcharacters
theircharacterrespects .Createan NPC thatexemplifiesthetraitstheyadmireblindly,
withasufficientquantityofthevirtuestheyrespect .SomePCs,evenPowersofthe
LightandHeaven,canbeoverawedbythepersonalattentionsofLucifer .Otherswill
readilyfallintotheshadowofthecharismaticanddedicatedleaderofaNoblefaction .
Ifyourplayercharactersseemunwillingto follow anyone,thenexaminewhatthey
hopetoachievethemselves .Arepresentativeofthatachievement -theadventurous
andaristocraticspiritofsalt,forexample,foraNoblewhowishessuprememasteryof
theculinaryarts -canattractthePC'sloyaltywithoutcommandingtheirservice .If
thePCs'Imperatortakesanactiveroleinthemortalworld,itistheidealleaderforyour
purposes -letitbecomethespear'spointofyourplot,focusingthePCs'effortsinthe
directiontheplayerswantthemtogo .
Asageneralrule,peoplerespondtotrustwithtrustandlicensewithlicense .Ifyou
wisha PC tobefriendan NPC, that NPC mustfirstdemonstratethetrappingsoffriendship
themselves .Usually,thismeansthatthe NPC hasanoutstandingreasontohonor,trust,
andforgivethe PC before thefriendshipexists .IfaplayercharactersavesaNoble'slife,
thatNoblemightfeeladebtthatcannotberepaid .Ifa PC playssomeimportantrolein
NoblesocietythatanotherPowerconsidersvaluable -aswithDianora,Dominaof
Joy,healerofthosewoundedinspirit-thenthatPowermayforgiveandtrustthe PC
morethantheirpersonalrelationshipwarrants .SimplyholdingthestandardofCreation
uprightinamajorbattlecanearna PC apeculiardevotionfromthosewhocareabout
suchthings .Inresponsetosuchdevotion,youcanhopethatthe PC willshowsome
affectionoftheirown ;thiseffectinspiresgreaterloyaltyfromthe NPC, untileventually
thetwoaretruefriends.
IfyourPCsgivetheirloyaltytoanother,thispresentsyouwithtwopowerfulhooks
forcreatingstories .
Firstisthedecision whether toserve -whenaloved,trusted,fearedoradmired
leaderbecomesorappearstobecomecorrupt,misled,orweak .Whetherthecharacters
struggletopreventtheircommander'sfall,trytosmooththelanding,ortakeadvantage
ofthesituationtobidforpowerthemselves,thestoryisworththetelling .
Thesecondhookisthedemandsofservice .Inthenameoftheirliege,youcanpush
characterstofightagainstpersonalweaknesses ;commitactstheyfeeluncomfortable
with -orrefusetodoso ;committhemselvestoanextendedoperationwithoutknowing
whatthey'rereallyinvolvedin ;ortakeontaskstheymightotherwisefear .Thisapplies
equallywelltothoseboundtothecharacterbyatieofhonororfriendshipratherthan
theliegeandservantbond .Ifa PC feelsapersonalobligationtotheoldwomanwho
helpedthemunderstandthemythicworld,somethingthattranscendsamereexchange
offavors,thenyoucantellthestoryofherfallfromgrace -orkeepherworthyof
trust,andtellstoriesofthelengthsthe PC goestobecauseofherworth .Iftheloyalty
betweena PC andtheirlieutenantrunsbothways,thenthelieutenant'sneedscandrive
the PC todoanythingacommander'sordersmight .
YourPCswillalsoattractfollowers.Classically,theobligationofservicerunsboth
ways.IntheNobleworld,that'snotalwaystrue .Yourplayersmaychoosetotell
storiesofhowtheirPCsuseandabusetheirservantsratherthanofhowtheysupport
them.SomePCswillbecruel .Somewillbekind.Somewillmovebetweenthetwo
polesasthemoodstrikesthem .MuchofwhatIwillwritedescribesmortalservants
specifically -buttheprinciplesapplytoNoblefollowersaswell .
Ifa PC treatstheirservantscruelly,thisgivesseveralstorypossibilities .Theservant
maybetraythem .Thisisaterriblething,andIsaywithoutbiasthatsuchservants
shouldmeetnogoodend.Afterall,tobetrayaNobleistobetrayCreation!Alternatively,
theservantcanremainloyaldespitetheirtravails .Whilethecadofa PC isunlikelyto
noticeorcareaboutthisdevotion,itcanbedeeplymovingoutofcharacter .Ifitisnot,
243
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4.0.
244
WhentheViscount of
MemorymeetstheMarchessa
ofFallingStars,theirhands
fallimmediatelytotheir
blades .Theirdance of war
begins.Theystrivetokillone
another;andthatstrifeis
poetry,beauty,aglory of
violence.Yetinalltheir
battles,theyhavebeen
injuredonlythreetimes
betweenthem.
Many of theNobilisflout
theWindflowerLaw,loving
insecret.Manytorturetheir
soulstryingtokeepit.A
few -liketheViscountand
theMarchessa-findother
waysthatamananda
womanmaybeclose.
Thereisnotenderer
hatredthanthatthosetwo
cherish.Thereisnomore
intimaterivalry.Toseethem
inbattleistoweep.
Mendel,Lady oftheThunder
.ÒBILIS: AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
considerabriefdiversion,havingtheplayersplaytheirservantsforafewscenes .This
willcasttherelevantservant'sloyaltyintosharprelief
A PC whotreatstheirservantswithkindnessalsocreatesopportunitiesforstories .
Amortalservantmayfallinhopelesslove(forPowerscanbedevilishlycharming)or
makefutilesacrificesfortheirlord .Thewell-treatedservantcansavetheNoble'slifeor
theirpurpose,providingapoeticrewardforkindness -ortheservantcanbetraythe
Nobleinanattemptto"save"themfromafatetheywelcome,leavingtheNoble'splans
inruin .Aplayercanhaveagreatdealoffunsimplydevisingactsofgenerosity .Ultimately,
aNoblecannotsavetheirfollowersfromthefollowers'ownmistakes ;thisistheessential
tragedyofkindness,andthefodderfor many storiesfocusedonaservantoraide .
Acharacter'slieges,friends,family,andservantsareacentralpartofthestoryof
theirlives .Bearthisinmindwhenintroducingsuchcharacters -theyshouldbe
thematicallycompatiblewiththerelevant PC, funforyoutoplay,andinterestingfor
thePCstointeractwith .
BONDSOFENMITY
TheunleashedfuryofaNobleisterrifying,eventootherNobles .Itcomesinmany
forms.Wepracticetheangerofthesirocco : oppressive,all-embracing,thewindthat
turnsallthatourenemiescarefortodust .Wepracticetheangerofthedeluge : explosive,
violent,destructive,tossingourenemiesawaylikesandinthesurfWepracticethe
angerofthesnow : quiet,cold,andremorseless,dispassionatelycruel,eatingatour
enemy'sheartlikeiceeatsatflesh .ANoble'sangeristhenextworstthingtoan
Excrucian'sattention .Ourangerisworsethanourhate .
Noblesdonotliketoawakensuchanger .Whowould?MostNobleconflicts
degenerateintoritualized,careful,formalizedgames-adance,skirtingtheboundaries
offury,withathousandchancestobackaway.Wehaveenemies,ofcourse.Oncea
nettleritepushesaNobletoofar,andtheyfallintofury,theyonlyrarelyturnback -
andtheirangerbreedstheirenemy'sanger,andsoonthereiswaramongus.Wehave
enemies . . .butenemiesarenotsafetohave .Anenemyleavesusstandingbrokenover
theruinofallwehopedtobuild .So,whenwecan,wehaverivals .Wehave polite
opponents,opponentswhoshowusrespectwhileworkingtodestroyus .
Asifsomekindofmortallawconstrainedus,asifthereweresomesortofabsolute
moralguidethatdictatedthatmurderandabductionandcrueltywerewrong -asif,
thatis,the means toourendsmatteredasmuchasthe end, ourenemy'spain -we
behave .WeemploytheGoldenRule.Wefightourrivalswiththetoolswehopethey
willuseagainstus .Stratagems .Lies .Politics .Againstourmostdespisedrivals,we
employtheftandsabotage.Againstthosewhomwemerelydislike,welimitourselves
tohonestcompetition.IfatimecomeswhentwoNoblerivalsmustco-operate-orif
arareopportunityforfriendshipshinesthroughthecloudofdiscord -wecanovercome
ahistoryofsuchactions .Ourhateisnotsodeadlyasouranger,forwecanturnback
fromhate.
Tocreatean NPC rivalforoneofyourPCs,youmustfirstcreateconditionsproviding
reasonablejustificationfordiscord .Thisusuallymeansaclashofprideoranunavoidable
conflictofinterest .
Toinjureacharacter'spride,onemustproduceafeelingofhelplessnessor
worthlessness.The NPC mustwalkalloverthePC'splanswiththe PC unabletoprevent
them,orviceversa .The NPC mustshowupthe PC, demonstratingcompetenceandskill
thatthe PC cannotmatch,orviceversa .Here,youmustbecarefulandscrupulouslyfair .
Ifyoubendtherules,givetherivalenormouspower,orinvokeimplausiblecoincidence
inordertoestablishtherivalry,youcanannoytheplayer.Manyplayersaregoal-driven,
andwillwonderangrily,"WhatwasIsupposedtodoinordertopreventthistravesty?"
IfyoulingerlovinglyoverthedescriptionofthePC'scomeuppance,evenwhen well
justified,youcancreateasimilarfeelingoffrustration .Unlikeyourplayers,youmust
resistidentifyingwithyourcharactersandrevelingintheirsuccesses .Instead,allow
yourplayerstoexpressdramaticangerandsorrowattheircharacters'failures .Ifyour
playersaretense,excited,crying"We'resodoomed"astheysquirmtoevadetheirPCs'
OPPOSITE:
Vertumnus
(EmperorRudolphII)
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Editor: Bruce Baugh
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4.0.
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
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Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
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ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
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4.0.
246
OBILIS: AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
fate,thenyoumaycontinuetotightenthescrews .Iftheylosespirit,decidingthatthere
isnousestrugglingbecauseyouholdallthecards,backoff -they'renotsupposedto
feellikeyou'replaying against them.Puttingitalltogether,toinjureaPC'spride,you
mustwatchforanopportunity -anopeningapotentialrivalcanreasonablyexploitto
embarrassthem -andthenexploitthatopportunity,quicklyandsurgically.IfthePCs
findacleverwaytoavoidembarrassment,youmustletthem .Hopefully,theywill
embarrassthe NPC insodoing!
Conflictsofinteresttakemanyforms .WhentwoEstatescontendfordominance
intheworld,thePowersoftenbecomerivals .Thiscontentionmustbesubtlerthanthe
conflictbetween,say,fireandwater -waterandfireareopposingforceswhenthey
comeintocontactwithoneanother,butneitherreallythreatenstheother'splaceinthe
world.ThePowerofElectricityandthePowerofSteam,ontheotherhand,clashed
legendarilyintheyearswhenelectricpowerbeganclosingoutsomeofsteam'smost
importantfutures .ThePowerofMathematicsisagrowingthreattotheViscountof
Storms -asmodelsforpredictingandeveninfluencingtheweatherbecomemore
powerful,stormslosesomeoftheirbite .Neitheroftheseconflictsshowsarealpossibility
of eliminating anEstate,buteachcanweakenanEstateandtherebymakeitmore
vulnerabletotheDarkHorsemen .EvenifthetwoNoblesareofnaturally
complementarytemperaments,theirlifecircumstancesforcethemintoopposition .
ThePowerofthethreatenedEstatemusttruncatetheotherEstate'sambitiontokeep
theirownpositionintact .ThePowerofthemoreaggressiveEstatemustsqueezethe
lifefromtheotherorloseinfluenceinthemortalworld.Thisisnotrivalryorenmity,
butit creates rivalryorenmity.
Similarly,twoPowerswhosepersonalgoalsareirresistiblyopposedareripefor
contention .IftwoNobleswishtodominatethemicrocomputerindustry,onemust
backawayorbothmustlimittheirambitioniftheywishtoavoidalong-termconflict .
Ifan NPC discoversthata PC planstoforciblyadapthumanitytoanaquaticlifestyle,
theyhaveonlytwochoices : theymustbecomecomplicitinthePC'splan,perhapsfiling
itmentallyas"regrettable,butnotahighpriority"ortheymustbeginactiveopposition .
Asarule,theNobilisaretightlyfocusedonourindividualgoals,notgiventoundue
praiseorcondemnationfortheplansofothers .Mostofuswillnotobjecttosuchan
aquacentricprogramunlesswehaveanexplicitinterestinaland-basedhumanity .Still,
oneneverknowswhenone'speerwillrisewithoutragestridentinhisvoiceandcry,
"Whatmonsterareyou,tocontemplatetherelocationofourformerspeciestothecold
darkoceandepths?"
Rivalrycanalsoarisefromintereststhatcoincidetooclosely .TwoNoblesthatserve
theDark,eachworkingtodominatethemajorcigarettecompanies -instrumental
actorsinoneofthesubtlerformsofindividualself-destruction -canturnonone
anotheroversomethingsosmallasadvertising.OneNoblefeelsthatpeerpressureis
morehonesttotheidealsoftheDarkthanprofessionalmarketing.Thosewhopickup
anicotinehabitbecausetheyfeltsocialpressurearesuccumbingtotheirownweakness .
Thoseconvincedbyslickadvertisingarebeingdeceived,onsomeleveloranother;they
playafractionallysmallerroleintheirowndamnation .TheotherNoblefeelsthatthe
onusofanactliesonlyontheshouldersoftheactor -thatnoamountofpersuasion
orpressureremovestheelementalhumanabilitytodecideforthemselves .Accordingly,
that NoblebelievesthattheidealsoftheDarkarebestservedbyamassiveadvertising
campaign,freestarterpacksdistributedoutsideofeveryhighschool,andcharitable
donationsofcigarettestoprisoninmates .BecausetheNoblesshareagrandvision -
arranginglotsandlotsofsuicidesbywayofchronicobstructivepulmonarydisease -
thesmalldifferencesinthedetailsbecomeacauseforwar .Notethatthissituationdoes
not require rivalry -somePowersmayamendtheirplanswithouthesitationtotakea
potentialally'sideasintoaccount .Othersmayseektoestablishdominanceintheshared
projectwithoutcuttingtheotherPoweroutofitentirely.
ThenextelementofasuccessfulrivalryisdeterminingthelimitsofaPC'stolerance .
Ifan NPC pushesa PC toofar,the PC willraindowndevastationandruinonthe NPC's
head .Thiscommitsthe NPC toanimmediategrovelingapologyoranequallybrutal
reply.Thetwoenemiescanbackawayfrom some possibleoutrages,establishingacold
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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The Game of Powers
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4.0.
truce-thoughitwillprobablybreakdownintime .Othermonstrositiesultimately
requirethedeathofonePowerortheother.There'snohardandfastrulehere .Usually,
doingsomethinghorribletooneofthePC'shighest-ratedBondsiscrossingtheline,
butsomePCsaresignificantlymoretrigger-happy-andsomeplayershavenotproperly
updatedtheirBondstoreflecttheevolvingemotionsofthe PC duringplay.Inshort,
youneedtodeterminewhatthe PC considersacceptablebehaviorfromtheirenemies,
andstaywithinthoseboundsifyouexpectthe PC todothesame.
Finally,makesurethatyourpotentialrivalisan NPC yourplayerswillenjoyhating .
Asageneralrule -youcanbreakthisone,ifyou'recareful -avoidrivalswithoutany
redeemingcharacteristics .Similarly,avoidoverlysympatheticrivals .IfyourPCsfind
the NPC entirelydespicable,thestrugglebecomesdevoidofmoralcontent -agame,
asIhavesaid,butalsonothing more thanagame.IfthePCsadmiretheirrivaltoo
greatly,thefoundationfortheconflictisunstable .EitherthePCswillmakepeace,or
theplayerswillfinditfrustratingthattheycannot .Thebestuseforwhollyunsympathetic
orexcessivelysympatheticrivalsisshort-termstories : ahigh-tensionshowdownbetween
thePCsandaparticularlyunappealingenemy,oratragedyinwhichthePCsareforced
tobattlesomeonetheyadmire.(Youmayfindyourownwaystoemploysuchcharacters
successfully,ofcourse .)Goodrivalsshouldalsohaveinterestingpersonalities,employ
unusualandsurprisingtacticstoachievetheirends,andhavealifebeyondtheirwork
harassingthePCs .
Rivalshavethreeusesinyourgame .
First,theycanactdirectlyagainstthePCs .Asmallthreat,suchasaminornettling
oranattempttosubvertafavoredservant,canlendspicetoeventswhenthestory
slowsdown .Alargerstratagem -attemptingtoundermineaPC'spositioninNoble
society,toforcea PC toviolatetheirprinciples,ortoexerciseamoredeadlynettling -
canformthebasisforasessionorastory .ArivalwillstrikedirectlyagainstthePCs
whentheirprideishurt,whentheywishtoearnmiraclepointsthroughnettlingand
needatarget,orwhenthePC'spositioninlifeandNoblesocietyseemsdangerously
strong .
Second,rivalscanactagainstthePCs'plans.Thisoffersagreatopportunityto
exploretheinteractionofthetwoPowers'themes .WhenthePowerofMagnetism
movesagainstthePowerofWater,theprinciplesofattractionandrepulsionsquareoff
againsttheidealsoffluidityanderosion .Theconflictbetweenmagnetismandwater
(unlikesomeotherpossibleconflicts,suchasdutyagainstpleasureorloveagainstdespair)
haslittleintrinsicphilosophicaldepth,butultimatelyit's people or principles thatthe
twoconflictingPowerswillerode,attract,repel,ormakefluid .Inotherwords,even
thematicclasheswithoutinherentvaluebecomeinterestingstudieswhenactually
instantiatedintheworld .
Playercharacterscanstrikeagainsttheirrivals ;thisisthethirduseforthese NPCs in
yourgame .Youcannotpredictwhenaplayerwilltakeitintotheirheadtolauncha
subtleorblatantassaultononeoftheirPC'senemies .Youcan,however, inspire themto
dosobytrailingavulnerableoroutrageousplanundertheirnoses .Havesomeone
bringthemwordof,orgivethemdirectevidenceof,aschemeoftheirrival'sthatis
grandioseoroffensive .IfthePowerofMagnetismisdrainingandmagnetizingthe
aqueousessenceofChancelservantstoconstructgreatspiritualengines,thePowerof
WaterandtheirFamiliamayfindithardnottointerfere .Alternately,givethePCsa
"perfect"opportunitytoquashamoreordinaryscheme .Amessengerinvitingafew
selectPowersoftheDarktomeetwiththePowerofMagnetismdriveshiscaroffofa
bridgeanddrowns .Alocalnaiadclaimsthemessageasaplaytoy .Onceshedeciphers
itsmeaning,shecallsouttothePowerofWater .ThatPowercannowacttoensurethat
themeetingbecomesanembarrassment.Themoresubtlyyoudropsuchinformation,
themorelikelyyourplayersaretoseizeuponitasworthactingupon .Iftheyactonit,
therivalryhasdrawnthePCsintotheplansoftheiradversary.Sinceyoudesignedthose
plans,thisleadsthePCsintothelargerstoryyouhaveplannedforthem .
Onoccasion,sadly,areasoned,limitedenmityisimpractical .ThePC'senemyis
inalienablyopposedtothecharacter'sexistenceandsuccess,andtheargumentsfor
restraintdonotseemconvincing .Theenemyhasnohonororfearholdingthemback
247
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Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
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The Game of Powers
John Shockley
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ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
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248
,OBILIS : AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
fromemployinghorrificmeasuresagainstthePCs .MostExcruciansactinsuchamanner,
asdoPowerswhoseangersurpassestheirreason .Enemiesare practically differentthan
rivalsonlywhenyou,asHollyhockGod,wishtotestthePCstotheutmost .Surviving
anall-outassaultcanbecheaplymelodramaticandexciting ;inacontemplativegame,
itcanalsobeasterntestofcharacter.Pickinguptheruinedpiecesofone'slifeand
movingonisanoblething ; not doingsoisatragedy.
Ianthe
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Editor: Bruce Baugh
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The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
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4.0.
THEPREMISE
For5 82years,thesamefourChancelsprovidedtheEarthits
officialInquisitorialPowers -Nobilis whoinvestigateand
exposeMimics,traitorousImperators,and"specialcases"such
aspowerfulmonsterswhosellCreationout .TheImperators
rulingthosefourChancelsearnedarichrewardforthis
service .WhenInquisitorialPowersexposedandcaptureda
Mimicortraitor,therelevantImperatorwouldbreakitsmind,
dissectthestill-livingcreature,andswallowthegreater
portionofitspower.Whatremainedofthetraitorwaslocked
deepintheInquisitorialChancel,wherethereigning
Imperatorcouldfeastonthedribsanddrabsofpowerthat
returnedtoitovertime .Bothformsof spiritusDei trickled
downtotheInquisitorialPowersintheformofDynasty
Points.
Overthecenturies,thewarintensified .MoreImperators
died.TheExcrucianscreatedmoreMimics .Imperatorsbuilt
Chancelsinincreasingnumbers,protectingtheirbodiesfrom
Excrucianassaultbutrenderingthemfeasiblesubjectsfor
investigation .Theprofusionofpossibleenemiesslowly
outgrewtheInquisitors'abilitytoinvestigatethemall .The
monstersthathidintheImperators'ownrankswent
undetectedforanever-longertime .Still,thefourregnant
Imperatorsjealouslypreservedtheirmonopolyonthe
Inquisition .EvenwhenaforewarnedMimicrazedoneof
thefourChancels,vivisecteditslord,andscattereditsPowers,
thethreethatremainedarguedthattheycouldtakeupthe
slack .
Theydidnotgettheirway.Bydintofsmoothpolitical
maneuvering,theMagisterRam-KhvastraandhisallySulaya
earnedtherighttocreateInquisitorialPowers .Onehundred
dayslater,afterbuildingtheirChancels,theydidso .
ThecharactersplaythePowersofRam-Khvastra,invested
asNoblesinthesamemomentthatitsChancelformed .They
enterthestoryinanunstablepoliticalposition .ThePowers
fromthethreeancientInquisitorialChancelsfeelsaferwith
otherssharingtheirdutiesbutresentthelossofstatusand
powerthatthenewNoblesrepresent .Somehopetodominate
theirnewpeers .Othersplanrevenge .Eventhosewhomight
welcomethePCsasalliesandequalsmustfirstmakesure
thatthePCsareuptosnuff.AsforthePCs'Inquisitorialduties,
theyhavetheofficialco-operationofeveryPower -but
eachunearthedtraitorisanewandverydangerousproblem .
249
Onemustneverfallasleepin
thelands of night;butSado
did.Inhissleep,hesawthe
face oftheirenemy -the
horrid,dullface ofthe
PilgrimWorm-andhe
wokescreaming.
"Whatisit?"askedthe
Kinghisfather,whenheran
backtothecamp.
"Isaryislost,"criedSado .
"ThePilgrimcomes ."
TheKingdidnotfinch,
forhehadthoughtitmightbe
so.`Dousethefires,"hesaid.
"Takeuptheghostlights.We
mustreturnatoncetothe
lands ofday."
Isary,sevenmilesaway,
sawthefiresdie;andhe
droppedthehead of the
PilgrimWormandbeganto
run.Buthestumbledovera
root,inthepressingdarkness,
andlosthisway ;andhe
neverfoundtheKinghis
father,ortheentrancetothe
lands ofday,butrather
wanderedinthenight
forever.
SomesaythatSadolied
notfromignoranceandfear
butfromdesign .Thathe
knew,asbrothersknow,that
Isarylived -thatIsary
wouldtriumph -andthat
theKingwouldnamehim
heir.Thus,hearrangedhis
brother'sexile.Thatthisisin
thecharacter of Princes,I
grant;butitisnottheSado
thatIknew.
-from VOIDSTORIES,
CHAPTER 21: TREACHERY,ASAMPLECAMPAIGN
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4.0.
250
SAMPLECHARACTER
ESTATES
Ifaplayerwantsone ofthe
Estatesusedforasample
characterinthiscampaign,
theHollyhockGodshouldlet
themclaimit.The HG should
assignanalternate,related
Estatetotherelevantsample
character.Forexample,
NepheleNikolaidhis,Power
ofFestivals,couldbecome
insteadthePowerof
Abandon-focusingmoreon
thefestivalswhereonethrows
awaycontrolandlesson
familyChristmases.Patrick
Romney's-Son,Power of
Chaos,couldeasilybecomethe
Power ofDisaster.Hecould
stillinvoketherandomfactor,
butnowasthemajorconcept
associatedwithhisEstate
ratherthanhisEstateitself.
Amanstaggeredby,chained
tosevendemons.Three of
themranahead,sothatbefore
hearrivedinaplace,they
coulddefileitwiththemarks
ofLust,Callousness,and
Cynicism.Four ofthem
trailedbehind,sothatwhen
heenteredaroom,hebrought
Bitterness,Doubt,Prejudice,
andInhumanitywithhim.
-fromJANETVS.
EVERYTHING:ASTEEL
CAGEMATCH, byJackie
Robinson
SulayaanditsPowersarenotdescribedherein .Ifthere
aremanyPCs,theHollyhockGodcanassignsomeofthe
PCstoSulayaratherthanRam-Khvastra .Inthiscase,the HG
shouldmakethealliancebetweenRam-KhvastraandSulaya
verytight,toencourage PCco-operation.
PCsandInquisitorial NPCs receivethe"Important"
Chancelpropertyforfree,sincethePCshaveanInquisitorial
Chancelbycampaignpremise .The"HarvestofDynasty
Points"Imperatorpropertyisrecommended,toindicatethat
thePCssuccessfullycompletetheirInquisitorialdutieseven
whenthosedutiesarenotthefocusofastory.Withoutthis
property,thePCsreceiveDynastyPointsonlyfortraitorsand
Mimicsdiscoveredandcapturedduringplay.
STORYSTRUCTURE
Eachofthe NPCPowersinthiscampaignhasastrongtieto
agiven storyelement. Thespiritualconnectionbetweenthe
NPC Powerandthestoryelementmakesitappropriateto
involvethePowerinstoriesfeaturingthatelement .For
example,ifthePCstakeaninterestinabillintheU.S.Sen-
ate,itmakesthematicsensetoinvolvethePowerofDebate .
ThatPower(lantheFalls-Short)doesnotautomaticallyap-
pearwhenthePCstakeactionthatinvolvesherEstate .There
isnodirectcausalconnection .Rather,storiesofarguments
anddebatesprovidegoodopportunitiesfortheHollyhock
GodtointroducelantheandhaveherinteractwiththePCs .
WhenthePCsarefocusedontheprocessoflegislation,the
opinionsandactionsofthePowerofDebateareautomati-
callyinteresting .
The HG shouldexercisethisdeviceinmoderation .None
ofthese NPCs mustinvariablywalkaroundthecornerwhen-
everthegamefeaturesanappropriatestoryelement .Atthe
sametime,theHollyhockGodshouldnotbeafraidtostretch
theboundsofcoincidenceslightly.Powersareincarnaterep-
resentationsoftheirEstates,andastoryaboutBureaucracy
should,tosomedegree,featurethePowerofthatEstate .
Insomecases,an NPC arrivesonscenebecausethey
actuallycreatedthesituationthatfacesthePCs .Theother
InquisitorialPowersareintimatelyinvolvedwiththePCs'
affairsfromthecampaign'sinception .Themachinationsof
thesePowers,whethertheyoriginateinbenevolence,
malevolence,orcuriosity,shouldappearwithfrequency.The
InquisitorialPowersalsohavereasontomonitorthePCs'
affairswithmiraclesoflesserdivination .NepheleNikolaidhis,
MarchessaofFestivals,willalmostcertainlyknowwhen
LocusRam-KhvastracelebratesaPC'sbirthday.Whena
debatebecomesvitaltothePCs'survival,theoddsaregood
thatlanthehadahandinit -ifnottocreatethesituation,
thentoexacerbateorcontainit.
WhenasituationfacingthePCsisnotthehandiworkof
anotherPower,the HG shouldstillinvolveanyappropriate
NPCs. However,these,obilisshouldnotautomaticallydive
intothestoryandbeginhelpingorobstructingthePCs .
Rather,atleastattheoutset,theyshouldactasanextension
ofthesituationitself.TheBaronessofMazesmighthelpthe
PCsoutofaconfusingsituationiftheyhavetreatedherwell,
buthernaturalmotiveinthesituationistoaccentuatethe
confusion.Similarly,evenifthePCshavetreatedthePower
ofTradewithcontemptuousdisregard,heshouldleantowards
facilitatingadelicatetransactionratherthanobstructingit .
Whenapre-existingagendaisnotinoperation,Powers
naturallyexpresstheirEstate'snature .
Eachofthe NPCPowersinthiscampaignalsohasastrong
tietoagiven storytype. Thisdescribesthekindofstorythat
theynaturallycreate .TheMarquisofChaosisacreatureof
romanticideals .Hispresencewarpsastorytowards
celebration,romance,andhighadventure,whilethePower
ofStrifeisbetterfitforgrittystoriesandmysteries .A
HollyhockGodwhowishestofeaturetheMarquisofChaos
canbegincontemplatingcelebrationandadventure .
Conversely,a HG whohopestobringaromanticelement
intothegamecaninvoketheMarquis .Whenlargenumbers
of NPC Powersclash,it'sanyone'sguesswherethestorywill
go -butchoosingeachPower'sindividualcontributionto
thestoryisstraightforward .
Typicalstoriesforthiscampaigninvolveeitherinteraction
withotherInquisitorialPowersoranofficialinvestigation .
SomeideasforinvestigationsappearintheStoriessection,
below.Otherstoriesarepossible,ofcourse -thecharacters
caninvolvethemselveswiththeirAnchors'lives,ruletheir
realm,battleExcrucianflowerrites,politiconalargerscale,
NPCNAME
AdaWillamette
AnnabelleZupay
HelissentdeReymes
lantheFalls-Short
IdonySaint-Germain
LanceRomenel
NepheleNikolaidhis
ESTATE
STORYELEMENTS
Strife
Violenceandbrutality ;hasaspiritualtietoviolent
actionsincludingbarroombrawls,viciousunderworld
intrigues,andwarsalike .
Linearity ;"belongs"instoriesthatfollowasimplechain
ofeventsorevidence.
Trails
Mazes
Debate
Bureaucracy
Records
Festivals
PandareosPanagiotis Conspiracy
PatrickRomney's-Son Chaos
Thalasseus
Trade
WalkingEye
Borders
Confusionanduncertainty ;involvedwhena
deliberatecampaignofconcealmentconfusesthePcs .
Non-violentdisputesandarguments,including
legislativeandtheologicaldebates .
"Thesystem";whenmortalbureaucracybedevilsan
Anchor'slife,orlawsorsocialboundarieslimitaPower.
Research ;fitsparticularlywellintostoriesofesoteric
researchinvolvingarcanelibraries .
Celebrations,holidays,festivities .
Criminalconspiracies,revolution,treason,vice,
treachery,crime;anall-aroundne'er-do-well .
Disaster;includingfamines,plagues,floods,fires,and
massive EMP pulses .
Fitswellinstoriesofbargains,barter,money,trade,
shopping,bazaarsbetweenworlds,andwealth .
Physicalorsocialbarriers;makesagoodobserverand
commentatorwhenthePcsfacebarrierstheycannot
easilyovercome .
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John Shockley
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ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
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4.0.
Therewasamanwhocutout
histongueandgraftedona
tonguemade ofgold.And
everywordhesaidthereafter
cameoutlikealullaby -soft
andsoothing,gentle,
beautiful.Herosetobecome
theKingoftheland,and
wouldhaverisenhigher,had
hisministernotaskedhim,
"Sir,wouldyounotrather
rulewithyourownvoice?"
Whenheheardthosewords,
theKingfeltrevulsionfall
uponhim.Hetoreoutthe
tongue ofgoldandreplacedit
withhisown.Anditwas
onlythreedayslaterthatthe
kingdomroseagainsthimand
fedhimtothemanticores,and
onlyfourdayslaterthatthe
minister'stonguegleamedas
goldenasthesun .
from EARTHSTORIES,
exploretheWorldAsh,andingeneraldoanythingtheycould
doinanyother .N BILIs campaign.
ANoteonTiming
Rememberthathumanhistory"lost"about
500
yearsoftime
in 4895 AP. Thislossdidnotdistributeitselfevenly .When
theSerpentSakhratcreatedthelastoftheancientInquisi-
torialChancels, 582 yearsago,theEarthdidnotprecisely
resembleanymortalhistory.Eventsthathistorynowrecords
astakingplacebetweentheyearsof
135o
and 1850 ADwere
takingplacesimultaneously.Othereventsthathistoryrecords
asconcurrenttookanother
500
yearstocomeabout.
ANoteonAnchorsandBonds
Each NPC PowerdescriptionbelowleavesoneAnchorand
fivepoints'worthofBondsundefined .(Themoreenigmatic
PowershaveeightpointsofundefinedBonds .)Tocustomize
andcompletethecampaign,the HG shouldcreatean
appropriateAnchorandBondsforeach NPC Powerused .
The HG shouldalsofeelfreetoreviseBondsandRestrictions
tosuitthewaytheyplaythese NPCs.
ANoteonWoundLevels
NPCs withstarredwoundlevelshavehadtheirwoundlevels
reducedtosimulatefragility.Immortalcharactersaregiven
woundlevelsduetotheexistenceofAbhorrentWeapons
andotherrareworkarounds.
FOCUSPARASIEL
("MITROPHOROUS
")
Parasiel,theHundred-HandedAngel,rulestheEstatesof
Conspiracy,Debate,Festivals,andTrade.Anancientcreature,
bornintheFirstAge,Parasielhasgrowntiredofbattle .
ParasielonceattemptedtoerasetherecordsofHeaven -
hehopedtoerasehistorythereby,allowinghimtodestroy
Luciferbeforetherebellion .Itdidn'twork.Hukkokexiled
ParasieltoEarth.Theangelstillhopestounmaketime,but
thehundredchainsthatbindhimtotheworldweakenhis
willandleavehimwithlittlestrengthforsuchefforts .
Parasiel'sChancelandplaceofexile,stolenfromGreece,
isoneofthegreatprisonsofCreation.Thechainsthatbind
Parasielarenotunique;athousandmoresnakethroughthe
Chancel,movingattheirownwillandwhimexceptwhen
ParasielhasneedtobindaPoweroranImperator .Then
theylatchhold,andlittleshortofanAbhorrentWeaponor
anImperialmiracle -whichParasielwouldpresumably
oppose-cansettheirvictimfree .
ThepeopleoftheChancelnolongerreproduceinthe
ordinaryfashion.Instead,Parasielhasestablishedgreat
"peoplefields"whereChancelfolkgrow.Eachfieldlendsa
distinctcharactertoitschildren,sothathumansharvested
fromtheFieldofHollowKingshavegreatstrengthandlittle
conscience,whilethosebornintheFieldofEasyEightshave
acompanionabledisposition.Forthemostpart,thefields
havenamesdrawingoncardandTarotdecklore .
BeforeParasiel'sbanishment,amysterycultknownas
theServantsoftheHundredHandsfollowedhimonEarth .
Shortlyafterhisbanishment,anExcrucianStrategisttaught
themofhis"betrayalofCreation" .NowstyledtheScholars
ofLocks,theyhavebecomepawnsoftheenemy.Alater
grouptookupthemantleoftheServantsoftheHundred
Hands,stylingitselftheTrueRevivedOrderofHundred-
HandedServants.Thetwomysterycultshateoneanother
withapassion.
AsaninevitableconsequenceofParasiel'soccasional
experimentswiththestructureoftime,hisPowershavethe
tendencytoaccidentallyskippastaweekbetweenfootsteps,
arrivebeforetheyleave,meetthemselvesatimportantevents,
andexhibitotherconfusingandoccasionallyunfortunate
temporalbehaviors .Theirtimelessnessisinsomeways
advantageous.ParasielcanremovehisPowers'vulnerability
toage,transferringittotheirshadowsandreflections .
GiftsandVirtues
Immortal
Glorious
Limits/Restrictions Restriction:Chained(cannotleaveChancel)
Restriction:InDisfavor
WoundLevels
3 SeriousWounds
3 SurfaceWounds
OriginalImperatorProperties
Clear-Sighted
Harvest
CorruptedMysteryCult(ScholarsofLocks)
GrantedHandicap:LooselyAnchoredinTime
AcquiredImperatorProperties
GrantedGift :Unaging
Multitudinous
MysteryCult(TrueRevivedOrderofHundred-HandedServants)
Considerate
Unaging:Parasiel'sGrantedGift
ParasielcangivehisPowersimmunitytotheravagesofageasaGrantedGift .Thisisalesser
preservationofself,similartoImmutable,purchasedas:
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
COMMON COST
3 (Domain)
Automatic
Selfonly
Onetrick
No
3cps
+1
-3
-3
+1
1 CP
8DynastyPoints
25I
CHAPTER21:TREACHERY,ASAMPLECAMPAIGN
His IMPERIALMAJESTY,PARASIEL
Conventionalwisdomhasit
thatoneshouldactwitha
mindtowardsthefuture;but
Icanseethefuture,andthere
isnothingofvaluethere.
THEHUNDRED-HANDEDANGEL
ATTRIBUTE
Aspect
LEVEL
MIRACLEPOINTS
4: Celestial 5
Domain 3: Marquis 6
-Parasiel,Imperatorof
Realm
Spirit
5: Tempest
5
5
Conspiracy,Debate,
Festivals,andTrade
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4.0.
252
LocusParasiel
LocusParasiel,alsonamedMitrophorous,hasaccesstovari-
ousunusualresources .SomeoftheChancelfolkhavespecial
talentsduetothefieldoftheirbirth .Thesehumanscanbe-
comeAnchors.Anumberofscholarsintherealm,particu-
larlythosefromtheShriveledPageField,understandthe
workingsof"normal"magic .Further,sincetheChancelwas
partiallyshieldedfromthelossof500yearsofhistory,ithas
technologymoreadvancedthanEarth's .Hovercarsandvoice-
controlledhousesarecommon.Theinhabitants,though
physiologicallyaformofplantlife,canpassashumantothe
unaidedeye -andtotheSight,sincetheyhavehumansouls .
MagicalInhabitants(3points)
Resources :NormalMagic(3points)
Resources :ExtrapolativeTechnology (2points)
Resources :WeirdGeneticScience(1point)
Important(opoints)
THEPOWEROFDEBATE,
IANTHEFALLS- SHORT
IanthecomesfromtheChancel,grownonthevineinthe
FieldofTwo-FacedJacks .TheJacksareasilver-tonguedlot,
andlantheisthegreatestofthem.Shelearnedtospeakbefore
herharvestday,spillingforthanendlesstorrentof
observationsandcontentionsassheripenedinthesun .A
thousandbrilliantdreamsprovokedtheseoutbursts,andthe
echoesofthemstillcrowdaroundtheedgesofhermind .
Discretionandsilenceareforeignconceptstoher ;herheart
demandsspeech .Ianthe'spredecessor,thesecondPowerto
commandDebate,claimedherashisheir .Ianthehasspent
herlifeservingDebate .
Iantheunderwentaritualearlyinhertenuretotrapall
theelementsinhersoulthatfallshortofperfectioninher
lastname,whereintheyarerenderedharmless.Inanother
Power'sAuctoritas,thisGiftbecomesunreliable ;otherwise,
evenifheractionsfail,theyalwayspossessimmaculate
perfection .Aduelistcoulddefeatherwiththeswordbut
couldnevercriticizeherform;anoratorcandefeatherin
argument,ifshedoesnotemployherEstate,butnever
becauseherargumentswereblemished .Onlyhermassively
developedtalentforingratiatingherselfwithothersmakes
herflawlessnesstolerable .
Estate
Likelanthe,Debatehastwofaces :itservestoresolvedebate
andtoprolongit .Iantheprefersresolution .Toher,words
areatoolforenforcingherwill.Theyareweapons .She
employsconversation,lies,half-truths,explanations,excuses,
exaggerations,andargumentsratherthanthesuper-logicof
force .lantheclaimsnevertohaveshedadropofblood .Only
sevendeadmenandafewmutewitnesseswoulddisagree.
lanthe'sDomaingovernspolitedisputesandverbal
communicationaswellasDebateproper.Thus,withamiracle
ofdestruction,shecaninflictthecurseofBabelorsettleany
twomortals'differences .Withamiracleofcreation,shecan
openadialoguewithanyoneontheplanet,inventnewmedia
forverbalcommunication,orcreateimprobabledisputes .
THEPOWEROFDEBATE,IANTHEFALLS-SHORT
GiftsandVirtues
ImmaculatePerfection(Penetration 0)
Virtue:Voluble
Limits/Restrictions Restriction :Looselyanchoredintime
Restriction :Photosynthetic(hibernatesifkeptfromfull-spectrumlight
fortoolong)
Restriction :Photosynthetic(cannotconsumehumanfood)
WoundLevels 2DeadlyWounds
2SeriousWounds
3 SurfaceWounds
ImmaculatePerfection:lanthe'sGift
lantheperformsAspectmiraclesoflevel 4orlesswiththekindof"flair"andperfectform
associatedwithlevel 5Aspect.Shepurchasesthisas:
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
COMMON COST
5(Aspect)
Simple
Local
Onetrick
No
5cps
-1
-1
-3
+1
1 CP
Bonds
STRENGTH
SUBJECT
5
HollyhockGod'sdiscretion
5
Herabilitytomanipulateanysituationwithwords,ifshedeignsto
3
ThesanctityofherEstate
3
ThesuccessofherInquisitorialduties
2
HerAnchor,SavatinoLord-of-Aces
1
TheFieldofTwo-FacedJacks
1
Her"convertible"hovercar(canbeadjustedtolooklikeagroundcar)
Weaknesses
Ianthewasbornwithahumansoul :LocusParasielsimply
growsitshumansinthefieldsratherthanproducingthem
throughintercourse .However,physiologically,sheisa
human-shapedplant,andshegainsherenergyfrom
photosynthesisratherthanfood .Thisyieldstwoweaknesses .
First,shecannoteathumanfood,havingnodigestivesystem,
andsecond,ifkeptawayfromsunlightanditsequivalents
forafewweeks,shewillinvoluntarilyhibernate .Likeall
Parasiel'sPowers,sheislooselyanchoredintime.
Design
Ianthe'sDesignisatwo-facedJackplayingcard .Oneface
holdstheflowerofDebate,ahalf-closedsilverysix-petalled
flower.Sword-likeleavesjutoutinpairsonoppositesidesof
thestem .TheotherfaceholdsAngelica,theflowerof
inspiration,anoversizedbitofflorawithbroad,toothedleaves
andanumbrella-shapedclusterofwhiteflowers .
AssociatedNon-PlayerCharacters
IanthehastwoAnchors .Thefirstisherchosenheir,Savatino
Lord-of-Aces,whomshehaselevatedtochiefamongthose
GivemetherightleverandI
canmoveanExcrucian's
heart.
-TheLadyIanthe,
MarchessaofDebate
OPPOSITE:
ThePeopleFieldsofLocus
Parasiel
byMichaelKaluta
I
Aspect 3: Inhuman 5
Domain 3: Marchessa 5
Realm 1 : Radiant 5
Spirit 1 : Heartfire 5
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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Editor: Bruce Baugh
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Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
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John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
254
ChancelfolkhailingfromthePoisonedAcesfield .He
surpassesevenlantheinthesheerdeviousnessandmalice
hebringstotheconversationalarena.Sheadmires,loves,
andhateshimallatonce,withagoodmeasureofloftyNoble
disdainforthepeasantrythrownin .HerHG-selectedAnchor
worksinthemortalworld-mostlikelyinagovernmentor
onacorporation'sboardofdirectors .Ideally,thisAnchoris
somewherewhereheorshecanregularlyinteractwithaPCs'
Anchor.
StoryElement
lanthefeaturesinstoriesinvolvingdebate,includingmost
storiesthatdealwiththemechanicsofgovernment,dispute
resolution,andtheologicalargument .Whenpassionsgrow
hot,butbeforetheyreachtheboilingpointofviolence,
Ianthe'sEstateisthere .
StoryType:Action
lantheisultimatelyawomanofaction .Shedoesnotsitin
herChancelandthinkofarguments .Rather,wordsand
strategiespourfromherinendlesscascades,provokedby
inspirationratherthanthought .Nordotheyinterferewith
morephysicalapproaches- lanthecantalkperfectlywell
nomatterwhatshehappenstobedoing .Ameremiraculous
duelwithaMimicanditsspawnisinsufficienttoshuther
up.AsthePowerofDebate,shecancarryonaconversation
orargumentaslongasthere'sashredoflifelefttoher.In
turn,sherarelywaitsforaconversationtoendbeforeshe
takesonmorephysicaltasks .HerGiftofimmaculate
perfectionmakesheranidealactionhero(orvillain,orco-
star) -combinedwithherAspect,themostflagrantly
improbableactsofshowmanshiparepossible .Iflantheisin
astoryinvolvingaseriousconflict,conversationandethical
orintellectualdilemmaswon'tslowherpacedown -and
thatmeansthe PCs won'tgettoslowdown,either.
THEPOWEROFFESTIVALS,
NEPHELENIKOLAIDHIS
MortallifedidnottreatNephelekindly.Bornin1796,married
andwidowedin1810,shelosthersonin1825totheGreek
Revolution .Shespentherremaininghumanyearsbegging
onthestreetsofMykonos .TheunderstandingofherEstate
thatNephelelearnedinthoseyearshaslittletodowithjoy
andkindness .InNephele'smind,festivalsareescape -
celebrationsandritualshumansobservetoforgetthepainof
theirlives,topretendthehorroroftheworlddoesnotexist .
Inotherwords,herEstatedependson,requiresthathorror .
Festivals'lynchpinisnotthehappyfamilygatheringaround
theChristmasturkey.Itisthewomanfoundstrangledand
filletedonNewYears'Day.
Nephelemovesfromonefestival,initiationrite,orholiday
tothenext,addingelementsofhorrortomakethecelebration
fervent.Sheisthemaskedcreaturethatluresawaychildren
atMardiGras ;thewitchwhodrainsatribaladolescent's
strengthifhebreakshisyear'sseclusion ;andthekillerwho
addsaspecialtangtoChristmas .Sheisalsoanexceedingly
fineInquisitorwithanexemplaryworkrecord .
THEPOWEROFFESTIVALS
NEPHELENIKOLAIDHIS
GiftsandVirtues
PoisonedFangs(Paralytic)
Unaging(fromImperator)
Limits/Restrictions
Restriction :Cannotapproachthesiteofanactof
greatbeauty,sacrifice,orcompassion
Restriction :Looselyanchoredintime
Restriction :Celebrationssometimesspontaneously
startaroundher
Restriction :Deformedshadow&reflection
Affiliation :CodeoftheFallenAngels
WoundLevels* 1 DeadlyWound
3 SeriousWounds
2SurfaceWounds
Bonds STRENGTH
SUBJECT
5
5
4
3
Herprideandreputation
2
Hersevencelebrants(seebelow)
1
TheinterestsofGreece
Estate
Nephele'sEstatecoverscelebrationsandpublicrituals,
holidays,andthesymbolsassociatedwithanyholidayor
celebrationshefindsherselfin .Thus,onChristmas,Nephele
cancreatejoy,plumpuddings,andslavishlyloyalSanta
Clauses .OnHalloween,shecanraiseghostsandgoblins .A
birthdaypartyistheperfectopportunitytoafflictsomeone
withacurseofunnaturallyswiftaging .Makingitsuddenly
Christmasinasmallarearequiresamiracleoflessercreation
(and IDMP).
Creatinganewholidayorcelebrationwithbrand-new
symbolismthatshecanexploitrequiresamiracleofmajor
creationand4 DMPs.
Weaknesses
LikeallofParasiel'sPowers,Nephelesometimesexperiences
temporalincongruities .ShehasacceptedParasiel'sGiftof
"Unaging",transferringtheravagesoftimetohershadow
andreflection .Hershadowresemblesawrinkledcrone's,
whileherreflectionshowsnothingbutamolderingskeleton .
Actsofgreatbeauty,sacrifice,andcompassiondirectlyoppose
Nephele'sEstate .Theexistenceofsuchdeedsundermines
themortalneedtoloseoneselfinfestival .Thesitesofsuch
actsrepelherwithanear-physicalforce .Onoccasion,
celebrationsstartinNephele'svicinityfornospecificreason ;
evenmorethanhertwistedreflection,thiseffectcanreveal
herpresence.
Youaresad,child,because
yoursouliswounded;butthis
isthecarnival,andyoucan
winanewsoul if youtry .
-TheLadyNephele,
Marchessa of Festivals
ATTRIBUTE LEVEL
MIRACLEPOINTS
Aspect
Domain
Realm
Spirit
2: Legendary
5
3: Marchessa
6
1 : Radiant
5
5
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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The Game of Powers
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ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
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4.0.
Design
Nephele'sDesigndisplaystheflowersofFestivalsandWillful
Blindnessagainstthebackgroundofablotchedpoison-green
circle .TheflowerofFestivalsisanopenwhiteflowerwith
irregularpetalsandalternatingleaves .TheflowerofWillful
Blindnessisanalmostpetal-lessclosedblackflowerwith
"radical"leavesaroundthebase .
Nepheleoftentravelswithseven"celebrants",mortalservants
whosedutyistopushthelimitsofthefestivalsinwhichshe
findsherselfThreehavenootherpurpose.Shehaswarped
twoofthemintomonstrousformsandmadethethirdas
handsomeasanangel .Theotherfourhaveadditionalduties,
andshepermitsthemtheluxuryofaname--Machaon,her
lieutenantandadjutant ;Lysander,hersecretary ;Corelle,her
bodyguard ;andCelosia,herchef.
Nephele'sfirstAnchorisherdeadson,Guilio,whose
ghostshecreatedonAllHallows'Eve.Shedoesnothide
herobsessiveloveforhim,norneedshe .Heisamanifestation
ofherEstateandthereforeanacceptabletargetfordevotion .
ThesecondisKadiTavukcu,atravelingsalesmanwitha
coincidentallikenesstoherson'skiller;havingoncesighted
him,Nephelecultivatedhatredinherheartuntilshecould
claimhim.The HG definesthethird.
StoryElement
Nephelenaturallyfeaturesinstoriesofcelebrations,holidays,
andfestivities.
StoryType:Horror
Nepheleisacreatureofhorror -careful,passionatehorror,
drivenbyemotionandneedratherthancallousbrutality,
executedwithprecisionandcare .Storiesthatinvolveher
tendtofeaturethestandardelementsofhorror :theslowly
dawningrealizationthatsomethingisvery,verywrong ;
missingpersonsandsmallbitsthereofthatarenotmissing ;
youngchildrenusedaschannelsbyarcanepowers ;theveneer
ofnormalitystrippedfromrealitytorevealalientruths
beneath ;monsters ;andshadowymenacesthatshowtheir
presencelongbeforethefirstconfrontation .
THEPOWEROFCONSPIRACY,
PANDAREOSPANAGIOTIS
Likelanthe,PandareosisnativetotheChancel,grownin
theFieldofMirroredHearts .SixDominiofConspiracyhave
diedatraitor'sdeathforworkingagainstLordEntropyor
theirImperialmaster.OnemetanaturalendingatExcrucian
hands.Pandareos,astheeighthPowerofConspiracy,lives
hislifeunderintensescrutiny .Heisafrustratingmanto
scrutinize,however.LikeallMirroredHearts,hereflectsan
observer'sexpectationsanddesires .Tothesuspicious,he
seemsadarkandtroubledsoul;tohisfewfriends,heseems
astaunchandloyalally ;tostrangers,heseemsaromantic
mystery.Inhisowneyes,Pandareosisanhonorablerogue,
compellingandsinister,theveryincarnationofdangerous
fantasies .Conspiracy,tohim,standsatthecrossroadsbetween
THEPOWEROFCONSPIRACY
PANDAREOSPANAGIOTIS
GiftsandVirtues
Glorious
Invisibility
UnblemishedGuise(Penetration 1)
Limits/Restrictions
Restriction :Photosynthetic(hibernatesifkeptfromfull-spectrumlight
fortoolong)
Restriction :Photosynthetic(cannotconsumehumanfood)
Affiliation :CodeofRogues'Honor(seebelow)
WoundLevels 1 DeadlyWound
2SeriousWounds
2SurfaceWounds
Affiliation :TheCodeofRogues'Honor
1 .
2
3.
Bonds
Seizeeveryopportunity,embraceeverypassion
Fearnodanger,shirknohardship
HeednolawswhentheLaw'seyeturnsaway
STRENGTH
SUBJECT
6
ThesanctityofhisEstate
5
3
Hisskillatevadingconsequencesofhisillicitacts
throughsecrecyandpersuasion
3
Hisself-image,pride,andreputation
2
HisChancel
1
Hiscurrentlover
thehumandesiretobelongandtotakeactionandtheperil
ofinvolvementintheillicit .ToproperlyrepresenthisEstate,
hemustprojecteveryinchofConspiracy'sjeopardyandallure .
Hisplansinlifespantherangefromgloriousserviceto
Creationtooutrightbetrayalthereto.Hedrawsacquaintances
intohisschemesbasedonlyonwhichprojectsstandthebest
chanceofcommandeeringtheirloyalties .
Pandareos,tenyearsanInquisitor,alreadypossessesa
superbrecord .Hisabilitytountanglethemundane
conspiraciesthatoftensurroundNobletreacheryis
unmatched .
Estate
Pandareos'sEstatecoversimmoral,illegal,andunethical
conspiraciesaswellaswellastheclassicreasonstoconspire
ingroupsoftwoormore :pricefixing,personaltreachery,
adultery,murderforhire,organizedcrime,andplotsof
revolution .(Actualrevolutiondoesnotfallunderhis
suzerainty,sinceittendstobefairlyovert .)Hehaslimited
resourceswithwhichtodiscoverconspiraciesamongNobles,
Imperators,andExcrucians -hecandetecttheconspiracy
itselfwithadivinationmiracle,butnotthenatureofits
255
AmIsountrustworthy,then,
milady?Ihadhopedthatyou,
atleast,wouldseebeyondmy
reputation;forIhaveseen
beyondyours,andbeen
entranced.
-HisEminence,theWarden
Pandareos,Viscountof
Conspiracy
CHAPTER21: TREACHERY,ASAMPLECAMPAIGN
Aspect 1 : Metahuman 5
Domain 2: Viscount 5
Realm 3: Warden 5
Spirit 1 : Hearthfire 5
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
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Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
256
participants .Evenwiththislimitation,hisEstategiveshim
asignificantedgeindiggingupcorruption .Pandareosis
ruthlessinexposingtraitorstoCreation,buthesitantto
exposeplotswithothermotivations.Makingitdifficultfor
NoblestoconspireagainstoneanotheroragainstLord
EntropywouldsubtlydamagePandareos'Estate .
Weaknesses
Pandareos'sweaknessesmirrorlanthe's .
Design
Pandareos'sDesignfeaturestwotuberosesbenttogether,as
ifwhispering,onerepresentingConspiracyandtheother
standingforSeduction .Thebackgroundisasetofrippling
waves .
Pandareos'predefinedAnchorisJenniferHung,ahighly
placedofficerofthe DEA(orasimilarorganizationelsewhere
intheworld) .Herskillatunmaskingcriminalconspiracies
wasoncelegendary.ArivalofPandareos'usedJenniferasa
cat's-pawagainsthimontheoneoccasionPandareoshas
beencaughtperformingacriminalact.Afteramonthinthe
LocustCourt'spunishmenthalls,Pandareoshadagreatha-
tredinhimforbothJenniferHungandthePowerthatused
her.ClaimingHungasAnchorwastheleasthecoulddo .
StoryElement
Pandareosfeaturesinstoriesinvolvingcriminalconspiracies,
revolution,treason,treachery,vice,andcrime .Wherevertwo
peoplemeetundercoverofdarkness,somethingofPandareos
isthere .
StoryType :Romance/Intrigue
PandareosconsidersNobleromancehismostusefultool .
AmongPowers,allbutthemostausterecourtshipsqualifyas
criminalconspiracies.Technically,aPower'srelationships
belongtonoEstate -butinPandareos'eyes,everylove
matchinvolvingaPowerbelongstohim .Hehasgreatskill
atarrangingcircumstancestoincitesuchforbiddenrelation-
ships,andevengreaterskillatexploitingthem .
Pandareoshimselfisadarkromanticlead .Assuch,
HollyhockGodsshouldtunehimtofitthe PCgroup.Ifthe
PCshavebenevolentleanings,heshouldhaveafewclear-cut
redeemingtraitsandasympatheticpresentation.Inagame
withmonstrousPCs,heshouldbecomeevendarker,asuitable
conspiratorandallyintheirunpleasantplans .Ideally,hewill
showeachcharacteraninviting,appealingface,withjust
enoughlightordarknessinhimtoaddanelementofrisk.
Whetherheactuallyqualifiesasadangerisforthe HG to
determine.Inallcases,Pandareosapproachestheworldwith
dash,finesse,style,andprecisecontroloverhisemotional
expression.
Pandareosisalsowellsuitedtostoriesofintrigue,plotting,
anddistrust .IfthePCsdonotseemagoodfittoromantic
stories,thenPandareoscanbecomethecenterofaspider's
webofconspiracy.Heisawareofeverytrickeverdeveloped
forbetrayal,collusion,treachery,andsecrecy.Attemptingto
untanglehisplotstendstoleadothersdownthepathhelaid
outforthemtofollow.
THEPOWEROFTRADE,THALASSEUS
TradehasalwaysbeeninThalasseus'blood .Aseafaring
merchantinhishumanlife,heneverlosthisloveofthedeal,
ofgold,oftheclamorofthemarket,oftheclashofwillsand
witsoverarichfabric'sprice .HeusesthetitlePiscator -
fisherman -becausetradeisanetwrappedaroundevery
humansoulandahookedlinethatcanfetcheventhegreatest
treasures .
Thalasseusisanactiveman .Hehasbuiltupatrading
empireoversixhundredyearsthatrivalsthemercantile
divisionoftheCammora .Betweenmanagingthatempire
andfulfillinghisNobleandInquisitorialduties,hemay
interactwiththePCsoftenbutrarelystayslong.Vigorous
andvibrant,hewilltakesuchstepsashislong-termagenda
orapossiblebargainrequires ;thenmoveon ."Athousand
thingstodoinaday!"hecallsoverhisshoulderashedeparts .
Estate
Thalasseus'Estategovernsmercantileactivityandbarterin
allforms,fromtradingpoliticalinfluenceforphotographic
negativesthroughfixed-pricesalesinalocalbookstoreto
thefast-pacedworldofmodernstocktrading .Hehashis
fingeronthepulseoftheworld'smarkets .AsaPawnofhis
Estate,hemustlabortoinfluenceitineventhesmallest
respects -asheexplainsit,eachtradeconnectstoevery
THEPOWEROFTRADE,THALASSEUS
GiftsandVirtues
Amphibian
Unaging
Limits/Restrictions Restriction :Doomed
Restriction :Noshadoworreflection
Restriction :Summonablebytheholderofanyofninecoins
WoundLevels 1 DeadlyWound
2SeriousWounds
2SurfaceWounds
SUBJECT
Hispersonalfortune
Hisabilitytodefendhimselfagainsthisdoom
HisAnchor,Coraline
Hissloop, Amphitrite
Itisaroc'segg,sir,andIwill
tradeitforamerethreesecrets
thatnoothersoulknows .
-HisMajestythePiscator
Thalasseus,KingRegnantof
LocusParasiel
Domain 0:Pawn 5
Realm 4: TrueKing 5
Spirit 3: Sunfire 5
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other,andchangingeventhesmallesttransactionislike
movingamillion-tonweightwithonefinger .Nevertheless,
hehasaccesstoapotentiallyenormoussourceofpowerin
hisEstate ;ifhegathersthestrengthforaWordofCommand,
hecanreshapetheworld .
Weaknesses
Thalasseusisashowycreature,amanwhounderstandsthat
presentationiseverything .Underhisbombasticpresentation,
however,liesfear.Earlyinhiscareerhebargainedwitha
Deceiver,andtheconsequenceofthatbargaingrows
inevitablycloserastheyearspassby.TheHollyhockGod
shoulddecidetheformThalasseus'doomwilltake -for
example,aNemesisunleashedwhenheslewaSacrosanct
Powertoupholdhisendofthebargain,orsomeformof
damnationthathecanonlyavoidbyansweringan
unanswerableriddle,oratoxininhisbloodthatgrowsever
morepowerful.Similarly,the HG shoulddecideonThalasseus'
responsetohisdoom,andwhetheritalignshisinterestswith
oragainstthePCs .Naturally,hecannotadmittohisdifficulty,
norwillherevealhisplantoaddressit .
Fourcenturiesago,Thalasseusinvestedaportionofhis
soulinninegoldcoins -themoneyhehadonhimatthe
timeofhisCommencement .Iftheownerofoneofthecoins
callsforit,itwillinevitablyfinditswaybacktohishand .If
theholderofacoin -notnecessarilyitsowner -callsfor
Thalasseus,hemustcome.Twocoinshavefoundtheirway
intogeneralcirculation ;Thalasseusstillownstheremaining
seven,althoughmanyofthemareonloantoothers .
Design
Thalasseus'DesignshowstheflowerofTradeandtheflower
oftheFishermanagainstthestandardbackgroundforthe
Light(graywithawhite"raindrop"pattern ;theflowerstwine
aboutacaduceus).TheflowerofTradeisanopengreenflower
withfivedifferentlyshapedpetals ;ithasclustersof"whorled"
leaves .ThefloweroftheFishermanisclosedandblue,with
cross-shapedpetalsandleavesgrowingarounditsbase .
ThalasseushasthreeAnchors,althoughhecankeepfour ;
likemanyhigh-SpiritPowers,heholdsoutthehopeof
somedayfindingandbindingatrulypotentAnchor.One
AnchorisCoraline,aChancelresidentbornintheFieldof
WaterDiamonds .TheWaterDiamondscantracetheir
geneticheritagetokelpratherthancorn .Coraline,like
Thalasseus,isascomfortableinthewaterasonland,andhas
thepeculiarqualityofbeingabsolutelyunappetizingtoall
thedeepsea'spredators .
HissecondAnchorishisson,MilesPapadimitriou .
Thalasseusfeelsonlyadistantlovefortheboy,butitwas
enoughtoforgetheAnchorbond .MilesworksinThalasseus'
merchantempire,movingfrompositiontopositionashis
father'sneedsdictate .
ThethirdAnchorisforthe HG todetermine .Ifmuchof
thegametakesplaceatsea,the HG shouldconsiderclaiming
thelivingspiritofThalasseus'sloop Amphitrite ashisthird
(orfourth)Anchor.Ifoceantripsarerare,Coralinewill
suffice .
StoryElement
Naturally,Thalasseusisassociatedwithstoriesofbargains,
barter,money,trade,shopping,bazaars-between-worlds,and
wealth .Wherecoinsandproductchangehands,Thalasseus'
Estateispresent.
StoryType:Mystery
ThalasseusshouldpresentthePCswithstoriesofmystery.
Hedoesnothavethatmanysecrets,buttheyarethekeysto
dealingwithhim.Heisunlikelytoappearinatimeofneed
andsellthePCsexactlywhattheyneedforexactlywhatthey
cangive .Whenhedoesofferabargain,hisreasonsfordoing
soandtheprovenanceofhisstockintradeshouldrarelybe
obvious.Moreover,thecentralfactsofhisexistence -the
natureofhisdoomandhissolutiontoit -areunknown.
EvenwhenthecharactersunderstandthatThalasseusis
runningfromsomethingtosomething,itshouldtakea
significantamountofinvestigationtounderstandwhatthose
somethingsare .Ideally,itshouldalsomatteragreatdeal .
,LOCUSAMBROLAMAND
PRECIPICECITADEL
PrecipiceCitadel,thesanctuaryoftheDivineImperator
Ambrolam,hangsbetweentheEarthandtheAsh.Itsitson
theintersectionoftworibbonsofland,eachtenmileswide,
braidedtogetherlikea DNAstrand .TheyrisefromtheCitadel
totheAsh,curvingaroundoneanothersothatonetouches
YggdrasilonadirectcourseforHeavenandtheotherskates
downtowardsHell .Theotherendofeachribboncurves
downfromtheCitadeltoEarth,oneshrinkingintoaside
roadonaLosAngelesfreewayandtheothermergingintoa
Walesmountainroad .
OntheAsh,Ambrolam'sChancelmergesintothe
MilkweedBranchoftheAppianWay -oneofsevenvast
roadsthattravelthewholelengthofCreation .TheCreator
builttheAppianWaywithasingleword ;itrunsalongthe
gnarledandtwistedsurfaceoftheAsh,butitsmaincourseis
straighterthananyrazor'sedge .StandingontheWay,one
canseethedistantradianceofHeavenandthefarawayfires
ofHell .Thewindscarrythetangofbothbeautyand
corruption.TheriversthatscoretheAsh'ssurfaceduckunder
theWay,whethermadeofwater,hatred,boilinglead,oran
effusionofhope .AcompletejourneyalongtheWaytakes
severalweeks -orseveralmonths,orseveralyears,ora
lifetime ;theAshobeysnosimplemeasuresofdistanceor
time.Travelerscanroamthebywaysoffthegreatroadsfor
aneternity.
AmbrolamisaTrueGod,bornwhentheEarthdivided
fromthesea,butitsheartlieselsewhere .Itwantstoleavethe
cradleofonetinylittleplanetandbecomeacreatureofthe
universe .Moreprecisely,sinceAmbrolamispartoftheEarth,
theTrueGodhopestopullametaphysicalcoupandflood
CHAPTER21:TREACHERY,ASAMPLE
257
Oneroadgleamedsilver,and
wove off amongthetreeslike
adrunkensnake.Itsoakedup
allthemoonlightandcastit
backatthesky.Anotherpath
burnedwithsoftandpainless
fires,dartingfrompebbleto
pebble,sparkingand
snappingandpopping.Ittook
astraightcourse,anddesert
sandssurroundeditsedge.
Thelastroadwasnothing
butdirtandash -simple,
primitive,and
undifferentiated .Yetitwas
beautiful Inmyheart,Icould
hearthethirdroadsinging.I
loveditandIfearedit.
"WhichdirectiondoI
take?"Iaskedmyguide.
Shecockedherheadtoone
side."Doesitmatter?"
Ispokepatiently:Asmy
guide,Ifeelthatyouare
betterequippedtoanswer
thatquestionthanI."
"Oh. " Shelookedflattered.
"Well,Ilookatitlikethis:
anyroadyouwalkwilltake
youwhereyouwanttogo,ff
youjustfollowitfarenough. "
-from ANULTIMATELY
CIRCULARJOURNEY, by
MelanieTumbarius
CAMPAIGN
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4.0.
258
Youareexcessivelyhuman.I
donotcareforhumans .They
arealocalandultimately
futilephenomenon.Returnto
mewhenyouhaveanature
betterfittothedivineessence
withinyou .
Ambrolam,Divine
ImperatorofChaos,Borders,
andStrife
His IMPERIALMAJESTY,AMBROLAM
THEAUGURONTWOROADS
ATTRIBUTE
Aspect
Domain
Realm
Spirit
LEVEL
MIRACLEPOINTS
5: Exemplar 6
3: Marquis/Marchessa 5
5: Tempest 6
0: Candleflame
5
GiftsandVirtues
Immortal
Limits/Restrictions
Restriction :CannotGuiseitself
(permanentlymonstrous)
Affiliation:Ambrolam'sCode(seebelow)
WoundLevels
3 SeriousWounds
3 SurfaceWounds
Cold
Harvest
PolishedSkill :Self-presentation,grooming,andfashion
Prophetic
11 DynastyPoints
Affiliation :Ambrolam'sCode
1 . Acceptnolimitstoyourambition
2 Respectapricepaidinblood
3.Trustnolawororder
theAshwithEarth'snature .Ifitsplanssucceed,allworlds
saveHellwouldbecomereflectionsofEarthratherthan
Heaven -butachievingthisgoalisfarinthefuture,if
possibleatall .Fornow,AmbrolamsitsinPrecipiceCitadel
andgazesupattheAsh,avariceandresentmentdancingin
itshundredthousandeyes .
ManyPowersusetheroadsthroughLocusAmbrolamas
aroutetotheAsh .WhileAmbrolamdoeschargeasmall
titheonoccasion -suchasafewmiraclepoints,anorgan,
afavor,oraThought-RecordofthePower'sjourney -the
tripthroughitsChancelissaferthanthefreeroadsand
cheaperthanmostsafeones .
Bytreaty,InquisitorsmayuseAmbrolam'sroadswithout
costwhenpursuingsuspectsontotheAsh .Inthecaseof
ParasielandSakhrat'sPowers,thisagreementisfirmly
established .ThePowersofRam-KhvastraandSulayahave
notyettestedit .
Ambrolammustadvanceitsgrander,long-termgoalseven
attheexpenseoflesserbutmoreimmediategoals .Justas
giftshavestrongmeaningfortheWild,asacrificeofblood
hasstrongmeaningtoAmbrolam .Ambrolamcannotcasually
dismissthosewhofightdesperateandcostlybattlesorspill
theirownbloodtoproveapoint .Similarly,Ambrolam(and
anyoneelsewhofollowsitscode)cannotshrinkfrommaking
suchsacrificesthemselveswhenthecausemeritsthem.
Finally,Ambrolam,asacreatureofchaos,canlosestrength
fromtrustinginlaw,treaty,ororderandthenbeingbetrayed.
LocusAmbrolam
LocusAmbrolamhasaburgeoningpopulationandan
advancedurbanlifestyle .Itsinhabitantshavedeveloped
almostalloftheChancel'ssurface,onbothsides .Theyharvest
food,metal,andstonefromthebirdsthatflockaroundthe
Chancel -avianspeciesmadeoutofsilicon,gold,silver,
iron,wheat,rice,corn,strawberrypulp,andhundredsofother
keysubstancesthriveinitsrarefiedair .Greatengine-driven
gondolasplytheair,scoopinguphundredsofbirdsintheir
nets .Cannyhunterswearingmechanicalwingsstalkthegreat
gemstonerocsandthefierceneedle-beakeduraniumbirds .
TheErusBenCynydd,afiercelyuglymanwhoprefers
hisvicesexcessiveandhisservantsservile,assiststheChancel's
Powersinthegovernanceoftherealm.Morecapablewith
Realmmiraclesthananyofthelocal .obilis,hehashad
morethanafewlegendaryclasheswiththemoverhowthe
Chanceloughttoberun.
1 Resources:ExtrapolativeTechnology(apoints)
1 Resources:WeirdSteampunkScience(point)
ExtraLandlord :Warden(-3points)
SpiritGatetoWorldAshcostingo RMPS (4points)
Important(opoints)
Note: ThisChancelisnotpoint-balanced .
THEPOWEROFCHAOS:PATRICKROMNEY'S-
SONOLAM'S-SERFPRECIPICE-LORD
Patrickrepresentsthepurestincarnationofdisasterandchaos
inalltheworld .Inhim,alltherandomdisorderand
disruptionthatplaguestheEarthmeetsandsuffers
apotheosis,transcendingitsnature,becomingamirrorof
Creation.AsPatrickdescribesit,"Facedwithdisorderlyand
randomcircumstances,agoodmanmightbehavevirtuously
sixtyorseventypercentofthetime,andmalevolentlyonly
ten.Thisillustrateshisnatureprecisely.Ifsomeforceoforder
deliberatelychoosesthecircumstancesofthatman'slife,the
testisrigged ;hisbehaviorillustratesnothing,thoughhemay
acttheperfectsaint!Withoutchaos,nothinginexistence
wouldshowitstruecharacter.Nothingwouldhaveany
meaningatall."
Patrickrevelsintidalwaves,earthquakes,fires,and
monsoons,Thepainthesethingsbringhumansisnothing
comparedtotheopportunitiestheyoffer,forindisaster
humansshowtheirtruecolors .Actsofself-sacrificeand
betrayalabound,"andwithoutsuchacts,"hesays,"whatpoint
inliving?"Helovestherandomfactor,"thepureandshining
sparkofchaosthatkeepstheworldvital ."Hismostcommon
roleonInquisitorialassignmentsistothrowawrenchintoa
suspectedImperator'sworks-justtoseewhatshakesout .
Estate
Patrick'sEstatecoversrandomness,chaos,anddisorder,but
doesnotgovernalltheformsandoutcomesofdisorder.He
canthrowarandomfactorofanysizeintoanysituation,but
cannotchoosewhatthatrandomfactorwillbe .Hecanreduce
OPPOSITE:
FetishesofthePowerof
Neurosis
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4.0.
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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4.0.
26 0
theentropicdecayinasystem,butatthepriceoflimitingits
growth .Theexceptionisdisasters,bothonthesmalland
largescale,suchascriminalactivity,naturaldisasters,and
vehicularmalfunction.Patrickgovernsdisasterasthemajor
concept"associated"withhisEstate .(Hispredecessor,the
firstPowerofChaos,hadbroadpoweroverweatherand
gamesofchance,instead .)
Weaknesses
AswithallofAmbrolam'sPowers,Patrickfollowstwocodes :
Ambrolam'sCodeandhispersonalCode,theCodeofthe
Angels .Hecanaffordtoviolateneither,duetoAmbrolam's
Imperatorproperty:Cold.AmirrorofCreationhimself,
Patrickdoesnotcastareflection.Symbolsoforder,suchas
preciselystraightlinesandmonotonoussounds/waveforms,
repulsehimandforcehimtoretreat.
Design
Patrick'sDesignisnothingbuttheflowerofChaoswrapped
aroundtheflowerofOrder .TheflowerofChaosisaclosed
whiteflowerwithadoublecircleofpetalsandvicious-looking
thorns.TheflowerofOrderisanopenblackflowerwith
fouridenticalpetalsandleavesinpairsonoppositesidesof
thestem.
PatrickhasthreeAnchors .OneisOwainGlyndwr,Prince
ofWales,rebelagainstEnglishrule .Inhismortallife,Patrick
worshippedthemanasahero.AdecadeaftertheChancel's
creation,whenPatrickbecamethesecondMarquisofChaos,
hefoundOwaininMonningtonCourtandslowedhis
entropicclocktoatrickle .Owainhasenduredeversince,
irrevocablysetinhiswaysbutastrongandtalentedleader
nevertheless .Hecurrentlymanagesasmallmultinational,
HarlechIndustries,onPatrick'sbehalf.
Patrickhashadanumberofhobbiesovertheyears,to
helpkeephisheartalive .Forthelastfourdecades,hehas
keptseveralbeehives .HissecondAnchor,Chelsea,isthe
spiritofoneofthem .
HisthirdAnchorisforthe HG todetermine.
StoryElement
Patrickfeaturesinstoriesofdisaster,whetherittakesthe
formoffamine,plague,flood,fire,ormassive EMP pulse .
StoryType:Action/MoralFable
Patricklovestheworldwithawholeheart .Heseekstobring
outthetruthandbeautyinCreation .Hewillhappilysuffer
tohelpsomeoneelsetranscendtheirnaturetobecome
somethingwonderful.PatrickRomney's-sonisahero -
clean,brightandglorious .Ontheotherhand,heisnota
humanhero.Hedoesnotconsiderhimselfboundbymortal
codes .Humans,tohim,arethepaintsforhismasterwork,
rawmaterialhecanshapeintogreatness .Theyhavenorights
inhiseyes .Patrickstartslandslidesandavalanches,setscities
onfire,andknocksairplanesfromtheskyasaregularpartof
hisduties .Yet,hehasasoulaspureasGalahad's ;hedoesnot
THEPOWEROFCHAOS,
PATRICKROMNEY'S-SONOLAM'S- SERF
PRECIPICE-LORD
GiftsandVirtues
Limits/Restrictions
WoundLevels
Teleportation :Patrick'sGift
PatrickpurchaseshisGiftofteleportationasalesserchangeofhisownlocation,asfollows :
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
COMMON COST
6 (Domain)
Simple
Selfonly
Limited
No
6cps
-1
-3
-2
+1
1 cp
Bonds
STRENGTH
SUBJECT
7
5
4
Hisabilitytoprotectandcreatetruthandbeautyintheworld
3
ThesuccessofhisInquisitorialduties
1
HisAnchors
Eternal
Elemental
Teleportation(toanydisasteror
extremelychaoticlocation)
Virtue :Selfless
Restriction :Repulsedbysymbolsoforder
Restriction : No reflection
Affiliation :CodeoftheAngels(personalcode)
Affiliation :Ambrolam'sCode(fromColdImperator)
1 DeadlyWound
2SeriousWounds
2SurfaceWounds
Once,Ifoundachildtrapped
undertherubbleofan
earthquakeIhadcaused .That
toremyheart!Iknewshe
wouldnotbefound;thather
deathwouldservenopurpose;
thatIcouldsaveherwhereno
oneelsecould.YethadIdone
so,Iwouldhavenegatedthe
truthoftheearthquake,
renderedthedisaster
meaningless.Itwouldhave
hadnosting,withoutsuch
deathsashers.Ididnotsave
her,butIdidsitbesideher
andsingtoherasshedied .It
wasaverylongsevendays.
-TheLordPatrick,Marquis
ofChaos
discardhumanmoralityoutofself-interest .Ontheother
hand,hehaskilledtensofthousandsofhumansinhisyears
inoffice .StorieswithPatrickinthemcaneasilybecomemoral
fables .Thecontradictioninhisbehaviorshouldgiveboth
benevolentandmaleficentPowersnewthoughtsonthemoral
compassoftheircondition .Likelanthe,Patrickalsomoves
storiestowardsanactive,adventurousbasis .Hedoesnothold
backfromviolenceorvaliancywhenthesituationdemands,
andhighlycharged,dramaticdisastersfollowinhiswake .
THEPOWEROFBORDERS,WALKINGEYE
AmbrolamcreatedWalkingEyebyembeddingapieceofits
soulinapatchofdirtbyoneoftheChancel'sroads .The
patchbubbledandspitoutaPower,athingofdustandgravel,
anditsfirstactwastobowlowbeforeitsgod .WalkingEye
existsasakindofmobileextensionofAmbrolam,designed
totraveltheworldandtheAshintheImperator'sstead .
UponreturningtotheChancel,itsinksintoitsmaster'sflesh,
becomingnothingmorethanasmearofdustandpebbleson
ATTRIBUTE LEVEL
MIRACLEPOINTS
Aspect 1 : Metahuman
5
Domain 3: Marquis
5
Realm 1 : Radiant
5
Spirit 2: IncandescentFlame
5
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thetruegod'soutermembrane .There,itcommunicatesevery
detailofitsexperiencesinawayotherPowerscannot .
Estate
WalkingEye'sEstatecoversallboundariesdefinedbylife
betweenoneplaceandanother.Itcanalsoaffectboundaries
betweenlessphysicalthingswithitsDomain .WalkingEye
controlslocks,walls,stateborders,andclassboundaries .
WhentheMayorofCincinnatioffendedit,WalkingEye
erasedthedistinctionsbetweencitizenandcriminal .Forforty
daysandnightsinCincinnati,thelawstruckatrandom,
ignoringthemostblatantactsofcriminalmaliceandarresting
innocents.Degenerateactsoflicenseandoutlawrybecame
commonplace.TheMayorhimselfwaskilledintheviewof
seventeenwitnessesonthefortiethday .Policehavenoleads,
asnowitnessconsideredthisactworthreporting.
Weaknesses
Thevestigial"mind"ofapatchofdirt,evenenhancedto
humanlevelbyImperialmagic,isnotsufficienttobearthe
weightofanImperator-shard.ThePowerofBordersis
thereforeutterlymad.Ithascompoundedtheproblemby
tearingdownalltheborderswithinitsownintellectinthe
questforgreaterunderstandingoftheworld .Sometimesit
speakswithprecisediction,clarity,andcalm ;sometimesit
babbles ;sometimesitchantsprophecy.WalkingEyeisa
monster.EvenmembersofitsownFamiliaarerarelycom-
fortableinitspresence .Itisalsophysicallymonstrous,and
mustspend 2AMPS toGuiseitselfbeforeitcanpassforhuman
onEarth .
WalkingEyefollowsAmbrolam'sCodebothasits
personalcodeandastheCodeAmbrolam'sImperator
Property :Coldinspires .
Design
Walking Eye's DesignshowstheflowerofBordersandthe
flowerofRoadsagainstan"eyeofHorus"symbol .Theflower
ofBordersisanopenblueflowerwithfiveseparatepetals,
formingabell,withascatteringofthorns .Theflowerof
Roadsisanopenwhitecup-shapedflower,withheart-like
leavesatdifferentpointsonoppositesidesofthestem .
WalkingEyehasoneAnchor,SerafinaDuncan -ahuman
womanwithwhomithasfallen,quitetoitsownsurprise,in
love .Thecreaturedoesnotunderstandtheemotion,though
itknowsitmustconcealit .Itlacksthebasichumanexperience
togivecontexttoitslongings .AllitknowsisSerafinaDuncan
isthemostbeautifulthingithaseverseen,anditwillprotect
herwithitslife .Serafinafindsthecreaturehorrific,buther
attemptstoprotectherselfagainstitarefutile -whenshe
seekspolicecustody,reinforcesherdoors,orbuyslargeviolent
dogs,allshedoesiscreateaborderaroundherlifethat
WalkingEyecanunmakewithathought.
Afewofthehumanswhohavesuccumbedto dementia
animus overtheyearshavefoundloveinthearmsofa
nonhumanspirit .TheAnunnaki,descendantsofgnomes
THEPOWEROFBORDERS,WALKINGEYE
Itistheroleoflivingthings
todrawboundaries,anditis
myroletodecidewhich
boundariesshallendure .
-WalkingEye,Borders'-
Regal
GiftsandVirtues
Immortal
Glorious(caninspireterror)
Virtue:LovesSerafina
Limits/Restrictions Limit:Madeofdustandgravelinhumanoidshape (+2AMPS, included
inattributetotal)
Limit:Psychotic (+1 AMP, includedinattributetotal)
Restriction :Doesnotunderstandhumansocietyormotivations
Restriction :Sometimesspeaksprophecyinvoluntarily,regardlessof
company
Affiliation :Ambrolam'sCode (-3 MPs forviolations, +1 MP forservice)
WoundLevels
1 SeriousWound
2SurfaceWounds
Bonds
STRENGTH
SUBJECT
5
5
Thesafety,health,andhappinessofitsImperator,Ambrolam
5
ItsAnchor,Serafina
3
ItsabilitytotravelandobserveonbehalfofAmbrolam
2
ThesanctityofitsEstate
(earthspirits)andhumans,worshipWalkingEyeasakind
oftranscendentversionofthemselves .Small,gnarled,wryly
philosophical,andstrong,theAnunnakioftenactasWalking
Eye'sagents .
StoryElement
WalkingEyeappearsinstoriesfeaturingphysicalorsocial
barriers,particularlythosethataretrickyforevenPowersto
overcome.
StoryType:Horror
WalkingEye'spresenceshouldinvokethenaturalhuman
fearbothofinsanityandthedangerouslyinsane .Itisacrea-
tureofhorror,possessinganalienandincomprehensiblecon-
sciousnessandnature .Ituttersprophecies,thussettingcer-
tainaspectsofthefutureinstone-andtheinevitableap-
proachofaterribledestinyisausefultoolforastoryofdread .
An HG canuseWalkingEye'sloveforSerafinatohighlight
itsinhumanity,toevokeaprotectiveresponsefromchival-
rousPowers,orasWalkingEye'sonehopeforredemption.
POWEROFSTRIFE,ADAWILLAMETTE
AdaWillamettewasa"fallenwoman"intheOldWest,an
erawithmuchthesamefeelbothbeforeandafterthelossof
fivehundredyears .TheformationoftheLosAngelesendof
Ambrolam'sChancelbroughtAdaintotheworldofthe
,obilis
.AcompetentandeffectivePower,sheruthlessly
261
Aspect 0: OfMortalForm 8
Domain 5: Regal 5
Realm 1 : Radiant 5
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4.0.
262
advancedthecauseofStrifeintheworldforcenturieswithout
ahitch .ThenshepaidanInquisitorialvisittotheMimic
Nathanorandslewitwithitsownweapon,theAbhorrent
daggershehaschristenedKottosbutsometimescalls
Injustice.Theweaponremainedwithherasshestaggered
awayfromitscorpse .Foroverseventyyears,shehassought
todiscardtheblade,butitalwaysreturnstoher .Itsoneunique
virtuecompoundstheproblem:Imperatorscannotperceive
theblade,noranydescriptionsofit .EvenLordEntropy,she
believes,isstillunawareofKottos'existence,despiteher
enemies'repeatedattemptstoinformhim .Thealternative
is,inhermind,worse :ifLordEntropy,oranyotherImperator,
doesknowthatshepossessesanAbhorrentWeapon,they
aredeliberatelyrefusingtoacknowledgeit .
Adadoesnotfeelentirelycomfortablewithhervictory
overNathanor.Itseemedfartooeasy.ShehasfoughtMimics
andImperatorsbefore,withandwithoutherFamiliaather
side .Usually,simplysurvivingrequiresheruttermosteffort.
Evengiventhatshehadanunusualopportunitytokill
Nathanor,shefeelsthatitmusthavedeliberatelygivenits
lifetotheblade .Theburningquestionthatkeepsherawake
atnightis,"Why?"
Ada'spreferredweaponsareapairofancientbutcarefully
maintainedsix-shooterstakenfromamanwho'dabusedher
inmortallife .Overtheyears,however,Adahasbegunusing
Kottosonoccasion - "whenabsolutelynecessary ."The
inevitabledecayofhersenseofself-worthasaservantof
CreationandanenemyoftheExcrucianshasproduceda
markedimprovementinherself-presentation .Thougha
PoweroftheDark,shehasabandonedthehorrificvisage
sheoncecultivated -itnolongerseemssuitabletodescribe
thenatureofherpersonalcorruption .Instead,sheadoptsan
appearanceincreasinglyreminiscentofExcrucianbeauty.The
facethisgivesherisequallyhorrifyingtoherfellowPowers,
butalmostentrancingtothemortalssheencounters .
Adaconsidersviolencenaturalandmoreorlesshealthy .
ShepromotesherEstateatalocallevel,buildingupagrass
rootspresenceforStrifeinthemortalworld .Often,shetakes
advantageofthesmallscaleofhereffortstoknowhervictims
personally,visitingbothsidesofanescalatingconflictfor
dinnerandconversationbeforeall-outmayhemerupts .
Estate
Ada'sEstateincludesalldisorganized,emotionalviolence .
Adaalsohasinfluenceoverviolentandbrutalindividuals,
thosemostpronetosuchviolence .
Weaknesses
LikeallofAmbrolam'sPowers,AdaservesAmbrolam'sCode
aswellasherown .Herallegianceisfurtherdividedbyoaths
shefeelsreluctanttoforswear.Thefirstisnevertoharm
servantsofStrife.Shesworethisoathinasuccessfulattempt
tobindherselfmorecloselytoherEstate .Ada'ssecondoath
istoheedanyhonestrequestforaidfromaprostitute .She
sworethistokeepfromforgettingherroots,andthisoath
alsoservesitspurposewell .Adaoftenconsidershertieto
Kottosaweakness,althoughitalsooffersmanybenefits .
POWEROFSTRIFE,ADAWILLAMETTE
GiftsandVirtues
Immutable
Focus: Kottos/Injustice(TheNegativeGift,level 7 ; Durant; 6 DMPS,
Limits/Restrictions
Limit :BoundtoKottos (+1sMP, includedinattributetotal)

Restriction :CannotharmamortaldedicatedtoStrife(terrorists,some
soldiers,andsoon .)
Restriction :Cannotrefuseanhonestrequestforaidfromaprostitute
Affiliation :CodeoftheDark(personalcode)
Affiliation:Ambrolam'sCode(fromColdImperator)
WoundLevels
3 DeadlyWounds(Durant)
3 SeriousWounds
3 SurfaceWounds
2
SUBJECT
Hersix-shooters
Prostitutes(asopposedtoprostitution,whichshehates
andhasalwayshated)
HerInquisitorialreputation
Design
Ada'sDesignfeaturestheflowersofStrifeandInjustice
encirclingcrossedsix-shooters .TheflowerofStrifeisabreed
ofAchillea - specifically, achilleaptarmica, whiteflowers
withacircleofpetalsandjuttingstamen,asopposedtoWar's
achilleamillefolium . TheflowerofInjusticeistheyellow-green
coneoftheHopsflower,setamidbroadgreenleaves .
AdausespimpsasherAnchors ;shefeelsauniversalhatred
towardsthemall .ShetendstokeepeachAnchorforamonth
orso,allowinghimtobaskinherreflectedpower .Thenshe
cutstheAnchor-Powerbond,leavingherformerAnchor
eitherdeadorvegetative,andmovesontoclaimanother .
Adaemploys36virtuousmenandwomentohelpher
determinewhetheragivenplaceisworthyofherattention .
Ingroupsof six, theyvisitvariousregions .Iftheyinformher
thatthehumanstheredeservesomeDark-styleassistancein
destroyingthemselves,Strifepaystheareaavisit .Newly
chosenmembersofAda's36sometimestrytolietoher,to
convinceheradegeneratetown(oracitythathelpshumanity
survive)doesnotmeritdestruction .Theyneversucceed;Ada
canreadamortal'sfacelikeahighwaymap .
StoryElement
Adafeaturesinstoriesofviolenceandbrutality.Bar-room
brawls,viciousunderworldintrigues,andwarsallpartakein
thenatureofherEstate .
There'sabeastineverybody's
heart. Ifyoudon'tletitoutto
hurtotherpeople,itstarts
sharpeningitsclawsonthe
wallsofitshome.
-TheBrightLadyAda
Willamette,DominaofStrife
Aspect 5: Exemplar 5
Domain 1 : Baronet 11
Realm 1 : Radiant 5
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4.0.
Allemployeesarehereby
orderedtosevertheirpersonal
relationshipsanddrawanew
lovelifefromthepool.Any
employeediscoveredwithouta
brokenheartshallsubmittoa
voluntaryintimacytestto
verifythelackofalong-
standingprevious
commitment.
-Interofficememo,Amoena
Ltd.,LocusSakhrat
StoryType:Mystery
StoriesinvolvingAdaWillametteareultimatelystoriesof
mystery.Itissafeneithertoallywithhernortoearnher
enmityuntilthequestionofKottos'natureisresolved- yet
theotherInquisitorialPowersmustdooneortheother.
OtherPowerscannottrustheractionsormotivations
whilesheliesundertheinfluenceofthecorruptedblade .
Anyinteractionshehaswithaplayercharactercouldbethe
firstmoveinanExcrucianplot -orasinnocentasanyaction
ofthePowerofStrifecanbe .
,LOCUSSAKHRAT
Sakhratlivesintheworldofthemind .ItsChancelexistsin
nophysicalplace,buthoversjustabovetheripplingsurface
ofthemassunconscious .SkiffslaunchedfromtheChancel's
docksharvestjewelsfromthemindsofgeniusesandgrow
riceonthepsychesofthegentle .Divingbeneaththewaves,
avisitorcantearthroughtheveilbetweenmindandbodyto
materializenearanyhumanliving.Onecanalsoenterthe
Chancelfromanyhuman'spresence .Thisalwaysdeposits
thevisitorintheLabyrinthofCourtlyLove,whichisdetailed
below.
Sakhratfeedsoffthe"forceofmind"whichradiatesfrom
humansandthegreatestspirits,thesameforceofmindthat
translatesintointelligenceinprosaicreality .Sakhratitself
hasanongoingprojectinthemortalworld,promotingthe
growthofgreatermindsandcullingawayinferiorhuman
foodsources .
ThecultureofLocusSakhratisaustereandmeditative.
Itspeoplearetaciturnbutfriendly,reservedbutbenevolent,
andpossessedofarareandsubtlewit .Amassivebureaucracy
governstheChancel .Itsinhabitants,acclimatedtothe
Chancel,canmovethroughthepaperworkasifitwereair,
unlessactivelyopposedbyanothertrainedbureaucrat.Visitors
mayfinditmoredifficult .Powersnaturallyreceivefullco-
operationfromthosewithwhomtheyinteractdirectly,but
otherlevelsofthesystemarerarelysoobliging .
TheChancel'sresidentssaythatattheChancel'screation
itfloatednearlyhalfamileabovethe"sea"ofthemass
unconscious .Theinhabitantsofthetimeloweredskiffsto
thesurfacewithlongropes .TheChancelhassunkslowly
overtheyears,untilnowonlyayardortwoseparatesitfrom
thecombinedmindsofhumanity.Sakhrathasnotchosento
explaintheprobableeffectsofimmersion.Manyofthe
Chancel'sinhabitantsknowthatSakhratitselfwasneardeath
formostofitscareeronEarth,andthatonlyrecentlyhasthe
infusionofpowerfromdissectedtraitorsandMimicstipped
thebalancetopulltheImperatoroutofdanger .Chancel
residentshopethatthishassavedLocusSakhrataswell .
SeveralotherImperatorshaveChancels"intheworldof
themind",althoughnoneisasprominentandeasilyfound
asSakhrat's .SomehypothesizethattheExcrucians'major
Earthlystrongholdexistsinthesamenon-spaceasLocus
Sakhrat,wellhiddenfromanyonelookingforaphysical
entrance .Ifso,itmightbealltooeasyfortheChildrenof
HarumaphtoinvadeSakhrat'srealm .
HERIMPERIALMAJESTYSAKHRAT
THEGRAYMASK
ATTRIBUTE
LEVEL
MIRACLEPOINTS
Aspect 6: Imperator 6
Domain 3: Marquis/Marchessa 5
Realm 5: Tempest 5
Spirit
3: Sunfire
5
GiftsandVirtues
Immortal
Glorious(awe-inspiring)
Virtue :DedicatedInquisitor
Limits/Restrictions
Restriction : No physicalpresenceonEarth(existsin
thoughts,dreams,andChancel)
Affiliation :Sakhrat'sCode(seebelow)
WoundLevels
3 SeriousWounds
4 SurfaceWounds
Harvest
Failing
4 DynastyPoints
RemovedFailingProperty
Affiliation :Sakhrat'sCode
1 . Respectthoughtoveraction .
2. AnoathswornontheAshissacred .
3. ServeCreationbeforetheself.
LocusSakhrat
LocusSakhrat'sLabyrinthofCourtlyLoveholdsmany
magicalcreatures,someofwhichcanbecomeAnchors .The
peopleoftheChancelunderstandbothfaerymagicandhigh
summoning,althoughfewpracticethelatterart .Theyare
capabletechnologistsaswell;sadly,noonecanremovethe
devicestheycreatefromtheChancel .Suchartifactsdissolve
instantlyintomemorieswhentheyenterthecorporealworld .
ExcruciansmayhaveagatetoLocusSakhrat,viathe
worldofthemind.LocusSakhratdefinitelyhasinstantaccess
toinhabitedplacesallovertheEarth .
Hostileforceshavea2-waygateintoChancel(-4pts)
MagicalInhabitants(4pts)
ManaMine:FailingChancel,needs2 MPs persession

topreventsinking (-I pt)
Resources:FaeryMagic(2pts)
Resources:HighSummoning (I pt)
Resources:TechnologycannotleaveChancel (-I pt)
Ubiquitous(6ps)
Important(opts)
Note:ThisChancelisnotpoint-balanced .
POWEROFMAZES,HELISSENTDEREYMES
Asetherealasfairydust,assubtleaslavender,Helissentde
Reymes'fascinationlieswiththemazesofthemind .Her
263
Yourdeathisatragedy,butit
willimprovethegenepool.
-Sakhrat,Imperatorof
Mazes,Records,Trails,and
Bureaucracy
CHAPTER 2E TREACHERY,ASAMPLECAMPAIGN
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264
Estaterepresentsconfusion,confoundment,anddeceptive
facades .Inmortallife,shewastednearlytonothingnesson
thestreetsofManchesterasadisfiguredbeggar .AsaNoble,
shepresidesovertheLabyrinthofCourtlyLove,amazethat
nologicalorphysicalapproachcansolve.Instead,onemust
romanceoneofthesoullessguidesthathauntthetwisty
corridorsandsparktheseedoflovewithinitsheart .Each
oneposesadifferentromanticproblem :onebitter,one
untrusting,onetooexperienced,andevenonetoonaive .
InadditiontoHelissentherself,theLabyrinthcontains
oneofthegreatestzoosandprisonsinEarth'svicinity.Tens
ofthousandsof"interesting"humanprisonersliveincarefully
decoratedpocketsofthemaze,oftensculptedtoresemble
theprisoner'snaturalenvironment.Protectedfromdeathby
Realmmiracles,theirperceptionsblurredbyHelissent's
power,theyneverleavetheir"homes"anddonotseethe
Labyrinthwallsbeyond .Theirranksincludescholars,
warriors,andscientiststhatsomeNoblejudgedworth
keeping,aswellasafewnotoriousmortaltraitorstoCreation .
Inaddition,insimilarlyfalsifiedenvironments,shekeepsa
menagerieofhundredsofraremythicalcreatures,from
jackalopesandenfieldstomonstersthatcouldkillHelissent
inafairfightiftheyjustoncerealizedtheirimprisonment .
TheLabyrinthalsoservesastheentrywaytoLocusSakhrat .
Estate
Helissent'sEstatecoversphysicalmazes .Byextension,she
governsthe"mazenature"ofallsituationsdifficultto
navigate -notthesituationsthemselves,butthedegreeto
whichtheyperplex,bewilder,strainthemind,andregiment
thecourseofthosewithin.Thenameandnatureofhersolitary
Anchorisacloselyguardedsecret - shecannotaffordto
loseherchiefoperativeintheworldoutsidethemaze .
Weaknesses
Forseveralcenturies,Helissentusedhershadowasaremote
puppet,aspyandafocusformiraclesthatbehavedmuch
likeanAnchor.ButshelostthatGiftlongago,whenher
shadowturnedagainsther.Nowithasbecomehernemesis
withabilitiesofitsown .Likeanygoodnemesis,it
reconstitutesitselfwhendestroyed .
Anetherealcreatureherself,Helissentiscurrentlythe
targetfortheamouroftheAngelofWind .Welcomeor
unwelcome(shecannotdecide),hisattentionsareterrifying .
ShehasappealedtoSakhrat,whohasterritoriallyforbidden
theAngeltocoerceher -buttheSerpentcannotprevent
seduction.InaccordwiththeAngel'sobsession,wind-spirits
alladoreHelissent;sometimestheychimehernamewhen
sheisnear,orstrivetowhiskheraway .
Design
Helissent'sDesignshowstheflowersofLabyrinthsand
Dreamsagainstastylizedmaze .TheflowerofDreamsisthe
celestialAngelica,dyedwhiteratherthanred,withafew
greatrufflesinsteadofamassofpetals .Theflowerof
Labyrinthsisaclosedsilverflowerwithadoublecircleof
petalsandleavesingroupsofthree .
POWEROFMAZES,HELISSENTDEREYMES
GiftsandVirtues
Limits/Restrictions
WoundLevels
Affiliation :Helissent's(Serpentine)Code
1 . Fearnot
2 Shirknoduty
3 . Anoathswornunderthestarsisbinding
Eternal
Durant
Limit :Weak(featsofstrengthanddirect
physicalattacksatAspect 0)
Restriction :Double(livingshadow)
Restriction :BelovedoftheWind
Affiliation :Helissent's(Serpentine)Code(seebelow)
1 DeadlyWound(Durant)
2SeriousWounds
2SurfaceWounds
TheIlluminatedRomanticHetaira,asecretsocietyassociated
withHelissent,descendsfromaevangelicalorganization
dedicatedtoGreekindependence .Theoriginalorganization,
theHetaira,slowlydwindledafterGreecewonfreedomfrom
Turkey.AninfluxofMasonicideascreatedtheIlluminated
Hetaira,andatthispointHelissententeredthepicture .As
partofaNettleRiteaimedatNepheleNikolaidhis,Helissent
corruptedtheMasonicsociety.Itbecameahighlystylized,
manners-drivengroup,takingonanewnameandthemission
ofspreadingthespiritofcourtlylove.FromNephele'sdark
perspective,itbecameafoppishjoke -aninsult,givenher
son'smembershipintheoriginalHetaira .
StoryElement
Helissentappearsinstoriesofconfusion,uncertainty,and
doubt,particularlywhencreatedbyadeliberatecampaignof
concealmentoranintricatelystructuredwebofrelationships .
StoryType :Romance
StoriesinvolvingtheLabyrinthblatantlyinvokethe
conventionsofromance .StoriesdealingwithHelissent
herselfdosomoresubtly.Thecontinualcourtshipofthe
AngelofWind,BenNez,shouldbeasskillfulandeffective
Whereshouldyougowith
yourlife?Wheredoyouwant
togowithyourlife?Theseare
potentquestions.Inafew
minutes,youwillbeginto
ponderthem,andyouwill
notstop.Youwillsitthere
andponderuntillongafter
youstarveandyourbones
crumbleagainstthewall.
-HerMajesty,Helissentde
Reymes,LadyofLocus
Sakhrat,BaronessofMazes
SUBJECT
TheLabyrinthofCourtlyLove
Herabilitytomastersituationsthroughclevernessandinsight
Her(almostcomplete)collectionofRegencyromances
Herpetlemur
OPPOSITE:
TheCupofSleep
byDeniseGarner
Domain 1 : Baroness 5
Realm 5: Tempest 5
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4.0.
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
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John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
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4.0.
266
esthe HG canconvey.Atthesametime,succumbingtoen
Imperator'sseductionisdangerous :thepowerofenAngel's
spiritcandrownelover'ssoul .Evenifitdoesnot,enAngel's
lovestillchangesoneesthoroughlyesanyenNoblement .
WhileHelissentconsiderstheuseofsexappealcrude,
endwhileBenNez'sintentionscurrentlycrampherstyle,
sheisfamiliarwithromanceendaffectionestools .Shehas
nocompunctionsaboutusingunstatedpromisesendsmell
kindnessesesleverageforcontrollingothers .Thereereoften
overtonesofblandishmentendbeguilementinthemental
endsocialmazesshebuildstopullotherNoblesintoline .
POWEROFRECORDS, LANCEROMENEL
Inmortallife,LancebelongedtotheCleaveofBotanists .
Afterhisempowerment,herefusedtoabandonthat
association.NownolongerstrictlyeBotanist,heisoneof
theCleave'smightiestpatrons .Hetravelstheworld,battling
thedangersthatfacehis"people",fromexperimentsin
botanicalmagicgonewrongtothegovernmentalpersecution
endenvironmentalhazardsthatfacetheCleave'sresearchers .
HisInquisitorialdutiesreceivealmostcursoryattention,save
whenSakhratbestirsitselftoinsistuponLance'sattendance .
LancehasbecomeenannoyancetotheExcrucians .This
acts,paradoxically,toprotecthisEstate ;whentheDark
Horsemenwishtomoveagainsthim,theyusuallystrikeet
theCleave .OtherPowerswilldefendLance'sEstateine
pinch,afterell,whilefewPowerscareabouttheCleave .
Lancedrinkscopiously,swearslikeesailor,endhasthe
physicalpresenceofeKodiakbeer .Hismindisalmost
painfullyprecise .WhilemanyPowerserewellorganized,
Lanceall-but-literallykeepsemassivelycross-referencedday
plannerinhisheed .Inetensesituation,hemoveslike
clockwork,forgettingnothingendbalancingeveryconcern
withinhumangrace .Hisskinendclothesshedcontaminants .
Hislongheirhangsexactlywherehetellsitto .
Estate
Lance'sEstatereferstowrittenrecordsendotherrecordings
ofevents .Heisparticularlytiedtodeliberatelyfiledrecorded
information .DuetohisConstantDomain,copiesofrelevant
writingstendtoappearneartohandwhentheirpresence
wouldnotexposehisnature .Theyvanishawayagainwhen
hehasreedthem,orchosennottodoso .
Weaknesses
AseformermemberoftheCleave,Lanceissworntonon-
violenceendsharingellhelearnswiththeGrimKing,
Scorn's-RegalJoktan .ShortlyafterhisCommencement,
whilevisitingtherainforest,heputhimselfthroughe
harrowingMehinakutribalritualtoscourgethesecondoath
fromhissoul .Thefirstremainsepowerfulinfluenceonhim,
sinkingintophysicalviolencecostshimeSpiritmiraclepoint .
Lance'srepresentationinLocusSakhrat'sheart(p.100)
isesimplebutexquisitelyworkedgoldencup .Overtheyears
ofhisnobility,ithastakenonmoreendmorelife,untilthree
centuriesegoitabandonedtheChancel'sheartendfloated
offonitsown.Hehasnocontroloveritsactions,which
POWEROFRECORDS,LANCEROMENEL
GiftsandVirtues
ConstantDomain :MajorDivinations
Eternal
Limits/Restrictions
Restriction :Free-floatingRealm'sHeart
Restriction :Sworntonon-violence
Restriction :Compulsivelyneat
WoundLevels 2 DeadlyWounds
2 SeriousWounds
3 SurfaceWounds
SUBJECT
TheCleaveoftheBotanists
Hisorganizedapproachtotheworld(hardtoharm,
buteasytoturnagainsthim)
HisAnchor,theCleave'sMinisteroftheRight
HisNewfoundlanddog,Fezzik
TheexoticgardenbeyondhischateauintheChancel
seemcapriciousetbestendagainsthisinterestsettheworst .
Afewmortalshavebeendriveninto dementiaanimusthrough
observingthemobilecup,whileothershaveconfuseditwith
theHolyGrail.Itisunknownwhetherharmingthecupwould
harmLance,ifharmingitisevenpossible .Evenso,Lance
doesnotappreciatethecup'sindependence .Likeellsuch
artifacts,itsconditionreflectshismentalstateendgeneral
situation -informationhewouldratherhaveinthehands
ofhisFamilia .
After six hundredyearsofimmaculateneatness,Lance
findsdisorganizationinothersirritatingendfrustrating .
Design
LancechosetheflowersofRecordsendGuardianship .The
flowerofRecordsistheScribeBloom,notfoundonEarth ;
itswhitepetalsdripwithinkendenagedfaceshowsbeneath
thepollen .TheflowerofGuardianshipistheAshflower,with
closed,white,trumpet-likeflowerswithfewpetalsendpaired
leaves .Theseflowerstwineaboutecaduceusagainstegrey
backgroundwithewhiteraindroppattern .
Lance'spredefinedAnchor,MerevaChristian,servesesone
ofthehighestofficialsintheCleave .Sheisnotthemost
capablemagicianintheCleave,butshecanworksubstantial
Earthlymagicswithfloralessences .
LanceisoftenseenwithFezzik,emassiveblackdog.
Lance'sAspect3-levelskilletanimaltraininghasheightened
Everytimesomeonerecords
youractions,hestealsabitof
yoursoul.Everytimeyou
readsomeone'sstory,yougeta
bitoftheirsoulback .Formost
ofus,theseeffectsremainin
balance.Theilliterate'sfateis
verysad.
-HisVigilance,Lance
RomenelofLocusSakhrat,
PowerofRecords
Aspect 3 : Inhuman 5
Domain 0: Pawn 5
Realm 2: Realm'sHeart 5
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4.0.
Fezzik'skeennaturalintelligence .AccordingtoLance,the
Newfiehassavedhislifeonatleasttwooccasions .
StoryElement
Lancetendstoappearinstoriesconcerningmoreesoteric
formsofresearch,fromstudiesofbotanicalmagictosearches
throughlibrariesburiedunderAntarctica .Althoughhedoes
notconcernhimselfovermuchwithstudy,hetakesakeen
interestinthesafetyoftherecordsothersstudyfrom -
dutifulornot,heremainsaPower .
StoryType:Action
Lanceisusuallyinvolvedinadozenactionstoriesatonce .
WhenhecrossespathswiththePCs,he'slikelytodragthem
intoacoupleofthem .Ifagovernmentistoppling,astrange
monsterisrampaging,ortheonlyairportoutofaremote
wildernessregionjustwentupinafireball,Lanceislikelyto
beinthethickofthings .Hiscommitmenttoavoidviolence
doesn'tkeephimoutoftrouble ;heknowsifthestakesare
highenough,hecanalwaysthrowafewpunchesandswallow
theguilt .
POWEROFBUREAUCRACY,
IDONYSAINT -GERMAIN
IdonyisthethirdPowerofBureaucracy,bornandraisedin
LocusSakhrat .ThesystemicshockofCommencement
reducedherbodyinstantlytoash .Unwillingtolosehisfirst
choiceforanewPower,Sakhratcapturedhersoulbeforeit
fledandbounditintoaclothdoll .Idonyconsidershernew
bodyundignifiedandembarrassing,withitsfixedsmileand
itsfloppylimbs ;sheisslowlyaccumulatingthepartssheneeds
tobuildanewbody.Shewillsettlefornothinglessthanthe
best :scavengedpiecesfromdeadImperatorsandExcrucians,
legendaryartifacts,andthelike .Rightnow,hernewbodyis
littlemorethanaheart,acirculatorysystem,afewmuscles,
andtheleftindexfingeroftheStrategistIaziz .Still,thepieces
arebeginningtocometogether.AlreadyIdonyMk .IIcan
lurcharoundinresponsetothedoll'smentalcommands .
IdonyisaneasyPowertocontact .SheusesInternetchat
regularly,knowingfewsuspectherofbeingaragdollani-
matedwiththeessenceofBureaucracy.Sheevenreadsand
repliestoheremail,despitetherumorsthatsomeExcrucian-
spawnedvirusescanescapeasystemmailboxtoafflictone's
files,one'shardware,orevenone'sphysicalbodywithplagues .
Estate
Idony'sEstatecoversallthemechanicsandapparatusesof
bureaucracy,aswellasthemajorbureaucraciesthemselves .
Shecanincreasetheredtapesurroundingandimpedingany
actionoractivity;shecanalsowhiskitaway.
Weaknesses
Idonyisananimateragdoll ;thisisasignificantweakness .
Shealsoowesmanyfavorsinexchangeforhelpconstructing
hernewbody.Shecan'tcollectverymanyImperatorand
Excrucianpartsonherown,andthosewhohavethemdon't
sellthemcheaply.
POWEROFBUREAUCRACY,
IDONYSAINT-GERMAIN
Donotlookattheseeventsas
thesystemkeepingyoudown .
Say,rather,"Thefootprints
onmybackholdthesystem
high."Acceptthat.Beproud
ofthat.Thesystemismore
importantthanyouare.
-TheLadyIdony,
MarchessaofBureaucracy
GiftsandVirtues
Immortal
Create"MakeshiftMen"(seebelow)
Virtue :GreedyandControlling
Limits/Restrictions Limit :Disabled(ragdollbody, +2AMPS, includedinattributetotal)
Restriction :Owesmanyfavors(forhelpassemblingIdonyMk .II)
Affiliation :CodeoftheDark
WoundLevels*
2SeriousWounds(Immortal)
3 SurfaceWounds
MakeshiftMen :Idony'sGift
Idonycantransformverminandrefuseintoloyalhumanservants .Shebuysthisasalesser
changeofnastythings,asfollows :
MIRACLELEVEL
INVOCATION
RANGE
UTILITY
COMMON COST
6 (Domain)
Simple
Oneother Onetrick
No
6cps
-1
-2
-3
+1
1 cP
267
SUBJECT
IdonyMk . II (theprojectasawhole)
IdonyMk . II (thecurrently-assembledbody)
HerMakeshiftMen
HerInternetidentity
Design
ThebackgroundofIdony'sdesignshowsaswirlof
incarnadineandblack.Agraysquare,symbolizingbureauc-
racy,blocksoutpartoftheswirl .Insidethesquareshinesthe
flowerofJealousy,Adder'sTongue,apendulouslily-likebright
yellowflowerwithapurpletinge .Infullcolor,theDesignis
noteasyontheeye,nordoesIdonyintendforittobe .
Idonyismean-spiritedandgreedy,withagreatpassionfor
controllingothers .Shecommandsanextensiveorganization
onEarth,primarilybutnotentirelycomposedofthe
"MakeshiftMen" -verminandgarbagetransformedwith
Idony'spersonalGiftintohumanform.The aqrabuamelu,
herscorpionservants,arevitalandruthless,perfectlysuited
toclaimahighplaceinmortalsociety.Hertrashpilefolk
serveanynumberofcriminalenterprisesaslow-levelthugs .
OneofIdony'sAnchorsisthehorrificskinless,boneless
bodythatwillonedaybeherown .LikeIdony'srag-body,it
isimmortalandalmostinvulnerable.Ithasnotruewillofits
own.Exceptforoccasionalinstinct-drivenwandering,ittakes
noactionunlesssheinvadesitsmind .The HG determines
thenatureofherotherAnchor .
CHAPTER 21 : TREACHERY,ASAMPLECAMPAIGN
Domain 3 : Marchessa 5
Realm 1 : Radiant 5
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4.0.
268
StoryElement
Idonyappearsinstoriesof"thesystem",whetherthemortal
bureaucraciesthatbedevilanAnchor'slifeorthemorassof
lawsandsocialboundariesthatlimitaPower'sambition .
Whenevertheapparatusofgovernmentseemsouttogetthe
characters,oran NPC, Idony'sEstateisonhand.
StoryType:Horror
StoriesbuiltaroundIdonycanfeatureeithergenuinehorror
oracampy,schlockyvariantthereof.Anystoryfeaturingher
probablyinvolvesherragdollbody,half-finishedAnchor,
sinisterservants,ordeceptiveInternetpresence .Tomake
theseelementsoftruehorror,the HG mustemployalight
andsubtletouch .Tomakethemaproperburlesque,onthe
otherhand,requiresthatthe HG relaxanddiscardrestraint .
POWEROFTRAILS,
SUPERSTESANNABELLEZUPAY
Noone'squitesurewhereAnnabellecamefrom .Onebright
springmorningacenturyago,SakhratwastheImperatorof
Bureaucracy,Records,andMazes .Thatnight,theSerpent
ImperialruledfourEstates,withitsPowerAnnabellethe
ladyofthefourth .Sakhratreportedlyfindsthemattersome-
whatembarrassing,asdoesAnnabelle .Theirsilenceleaves
othersintheValdeBellumfreetospeculate .TheTabloids'-
RegaloftensuggeststhatAnnabelle'spresenceindicatesthe
existenceofsomekindofanti-Excrucian,mysteriouslycre-
atingEstatesoutofthinairincontraventionofthenormal
process.Otherspeculationsrunthegamutfromthemun-
danetheorythatSakhratcommandedtheEstateofTrailsall
along,concealingthisfromitsImperialpeers,totheeccen-
tricnotionthatAnnabelleisatemporalanomalycreatedat
Sakhrat'sdeathandproceedingbackwardsthroughtime .
AnnabelleisLocusSakhrat'sresidentmagician,amaster
oftheartofHighSummoning .Shedealsonaregularbasis
withthestrangecreaturesthatlivebeyondtheWeirdingWall .
Thisincreasesthesuspicionwithwhichsomeregardher,
butalsotherespect ;forthepowersonecanacquirethrough
HighSummoningarevariedandstrange .
ThePowerofTrailshasagrand,ifincomplete,
constructionprojecttomatchHelissent'sLabyrinthof
CourtlyLove.Annabellehasspentmuchofthelastcentury
constructingtheMillipedofHumanStriving,acrossroads
suspendedfromthesky.Greatbridgesdescendfromthe
crossroadstoathousandpointsoftheChancel'ssurface .
AnotherthousandbridgesleadtothetowersoftheMilliped .
Eachtowerbridgerepresentsadifferentpathbywhich
humanambitionisexpressed .Sakhratperformedthebasic
constructionontheMilliped .Annabellespendsmuchofher
timefurnishingthetowers ."Properly"completingthe
decorationrequiresmanyartifactsfoundonlyonEarthorin
theChancelsofotherPowers.
Annabelleisawomanofgoodcheer,constantlysmiling
andlikedbymostofthePowerssheknows .Mortalopinions
vary-Annabelleconsidersitherduty,asthePowerofTrails,
tostretchthe"potential"ofherEstate,andthestrangetrails
shesetsdownhaveruinedasmanylivesastheyhave
`,NOBILIS:AGAMEOFSOVEREIGN POWERS
POWEROFTRAILS
SUPERSTESANNABELLEZUPAY
ATTRIBUTE
Aspect
Domain
Realm
Spirit
LEVEL
MIRACLEPOINTS
1 : Metahuman 5
4: Duchess 5
0: Citizen 5
1 : Hearthfire
5
GiftsandVirtues
Immortal
SecondaryDomain :Science(Domain 1)
Limits/Restrictions
Restriction :Cannotharmtheselfless
WoundLevels
2SeriousWounds
2SurfaceWounds
SUBJECT
TheMillipedofHumanStriving
Herprivacy
HerbargainswithcreaturesfrombeyondtheWeirdingWall
enhanced.Torturouschainsoflogichaveledphysiciststo
greatdiscoveriesandinnocentmentothegallows .
Estate
Annabelle'sEstatedoesnotrepresentphysicalroads,anEs-
tateamplygovernedbytheinhumanIsabel,butratherthe
roadsinformationtravels,thepathsthatleadfromonecon-
clusiontothenext .Withlesserormajordestructionmira-
cles,Annabellecanhidethetruthfrommortalsindefinitely .
Withcreativemiracles,shecanleadthemtowhatevercon-
clusionshechooses .Shecanevencreateachainoflogicand
evidencethatcontradictsobviousfacts,leadingmortalsto
ridiculousconclusions :"consciousnessdoesnotexist","the
worldhasnoCreator",or"acatcanbebothaliveanddead" .
AsanaturalextensionofherEstate,Annabellehassome
poweroverscholarsandscholarlyachievement .Her
SecondaryDomainoverScienceextendsitstillfurther,giving
herweakinfluenceoverscienceandtechnology - the
productsoflogicalinvestigation .
Weaknesses
ThelawofAnnabelle'snatureinsiststhatsherespectthe
trulyselfless .Shemaysnubthemsocially,butshecannot
harmthem,normaysheharmthosewhosemixofselfishness
andselflessnessshedoesnotknow .Whilethealtruisticrarely
setthemselvesagainstAnnabelle,herenemiesoccasionally
useinnocentsaspawnsinploysaimedagainsther.
Design
Annabelle'sDesignshowstheflowersofTrailsandjoyinside
asimplecircle .TheflowerofJoyisthefour-leavedclover ;
Therearecertainlinesof
thoughtthatcandestroythe
physicalbody;shatterthe
mind;unbindthestructureof
theuniverse;shakethesky ;
andcausethesuntofall.
Therearelinesofthought
thatleadthethinkerintothe
mawofcreaturesolderthan
Creation,andchainsoflogic
thatcantransformone's
fingersintolight.Idonot
wishtosharethesethoughts
withyou;itissufficientthat
youknowthattheyexist,and
thatIknowthem .
-HerGrace,theDuchessof
Trails,SuperstesAnnabelle
Zupay
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"Ihaveastory,"hesaid .I
willtradeitformylife. "
Don'tlikestories."
It'sgotlotsofcrunching
bonesandtastyfleshinit ."
"Sodoyou."
"Please,"hesaid."Killme,
then .Buthearitfirst.Soit
doesn'tdie."
ofHughRosewood
theflowerofTrailsisanopencup-shapedblackflowerwith
clustersofheart-shapedleaves .
Annabelle'sprimaryAnchorisherdaughter,Maxine
Campbell,aleadingforensicdetectivewhoconsultsonhigh-
profilecasesforpolicedepartmentsacrosstheglobe .The HG
chooseshersecondAnchor.
Annabelleregularlyassociateswiththestrangestpossible
creatures,summonedfromoutsideCreation.Herstrongest
allyfromtheLandsBeyondCreationistheLampImage,a
vaporousscholarwhosetouchchasesawaybothbeautyand
corruption.Theirdiscussionsfocusonabstractquestionsof
ethics .Italsooffersheritsloyaltyandservice .Inexchange,
itreceivesopportunitiestofeedfromAnnabelle'sterrene
essence.Whenithasrecentlyfed,Annabellebecomeserratic,
undisciplined,andunsympathetic .
StoryElement
Annabelleappearsinessentiallylinearstories,wherethe
charactersfollowachainofeventsorbitsofevidencetothe
onlylogicalconclusion .
StoryType:Mystery
Annabelle'spresenceincreasesthemysteryofagame .Her
originsareunknown,butitisthemotivationsofthosewho
surroundherthataretrulyobscure .Shelivesatthecenterof
awebofwell-disguisedplotsandschemes .DozensofPowers
havetheoriesaboutwhereAnnabellecomesfrom,andideas
abouthowtotakeadvantageofit- ideallywithoutgiving
theirhypothesisaway.
TORIES
Mostofthestoriesinyour Treachery campaignshouldderive
fromtheplayercharacters'relationshipswithoneanother
andwiththecampaign's NPCs. Threeforces,forexample,
woulddriveencountersbetweena PC PowerofSuicideand
HelissentdeReymes .First,thesocialrelationshipbetween
thetwoPowers;second,thetensionbetweendespairand
romance;andthird,thepositivefeedbackbetweenthe
confusionofMazesandtheEstateofSuicide .
Thebestsourceoflong-termstoriesisthetwoPowers'
socialrelationship .IfthePC'savaricefortheLabyrinthand
thevastresourcescontainedthereindominatestheir
association,aclassicstoryputstheLabyrinthtemporarilyin
thePC'shands,withnooneultimatelyprofitingthereby .Such
astorywouldprovideachanceforthethemesofsuicide,
deception,andromancetoplayoutoneagainstanother .(This
worksbestiftheHollyhockGodintegratesappropriate
hiddendrawbacksintoownershipoftheLabyrinthfromthe
story'sbeginning.AplotthatrailroadsthePCsintofailure
andruinfrustratestypicalplayers,andrightlyso .)
ThethemesassociatedwithHelissentandthe PC can
alsointeractmoredirectly .IfoneofHelissent'sprisoners
becomessuicidalandshepreventsthemfromkilling
themselves,theprisonermightsendaprayertothePowerof
Suicideforaid .Shouldthe PC answerthepetition,thetwo
Powerscoulddecidethecaseinmanydifferentways .They
might"walktogether",viamiraclesofmajordivination,
throughhypotheticalfutureswheretheprisonerdies,orlives ;
wheretheideaofimprisonmentisdestroyed ;orwherethe
ideaofsuicideis;andfromtheseexplorationsofimaginary
landsdeterminewhichEstatehastherighttodictatethe
prisoner'sfate .Alternately,Helissentmightagreetofreea
prisonerfromhermazeinexchangeforthePC'sremovinga
givenhuman'sabilitytocommitsuicideinanyfashion,
intentionallyorotherwise .Helissentiscuriousaboutwhether
suchanigh-immortalindividualwouldbeusefultoher.The
developmentofthisexperimentofHelissent's,inwhichthe
PC willhopefullytakeaninterest,wouldbecomethestory.
InadditiontostoriesderivingfromthePCs'interaction
withthemajor NPCs ofthecampaign,charactersshoulddeal
withaflowerriteeverytwotofivesessions .Sometimesthis
isasmalldetailcomplicatingamoreunusualplot,othertimes
alongstoryinitself .Similarly,thePCsshoulddealwiththeir
Anchors'lives,theaffairsoftheChancel,andtheirdutiesas
InquisitorialPowerseverytwotofivesessionseach .The HG
neednotdedicateanentiresessiontothesestories ;ascene
ortwosuffices,althougheachoftheseeventtypescanprovide
grandmulti-sessionstoriesaswell .
STARTINGOUT
Thisstoryisdescribedindepth,toshowhowyoumight
constructacomplete NOBILIS storyofyourown .Itassumes
thattheotherInquisitorialPowersknowtherouteintothe
PCs'ChancelandhaveRam-Khvastra'spermissiontovisit
diplomatically.Naturally,PCswithhighenoughRealmcan
forceunwelcomevisitorstoleave,givenenougheffortand
provocation.
Afterplayersdesigntheircharacters,theirChancel,and
theirImperator'sProperties,atypical Treachery campaign
beginswiththeplayercharacters'Commencement -
probablyinlateNovember,iniCtime .Ram-Khvastraclaims
asmallareaonEarth(whichcontainsthePCs'mortalselves),
transformsitintotheChancel,infusestheplayercharacters
withpower,andsummonsthembeforeitsaugustself.The
PCshavetheopportunitytoaskquestionsordemand
explanations .Thisisanopportunitytoanswerinanisscene
anyimportantquestionsaconfusedplayermightstillhave .
Foraslowstart,tolettheplayersgetintocharacterbefore
thestoryreallybegins,Ram-Khvastracantellthemtotake
onAnchors .Thismeansvisitinglovedonesandexplaining
thesituation,whichcanbeawkward -askingone'smother
tobecomeone'ssupernaturalservantcanflusterthestrictest
Noble.AsanotherapproachtoclaimingAnchors,thenew
Nobiliscanvisithatedenemiesandforcethemtoswallow
bloodortears .ThisprovidessomeNobleswiththefirsttaste
ofthebrutalityoftheiroffice .Playersmaywishtodiscuss
possibleAnchorswiththeHollyhockGodbeforeclaiming
theirchoices,sinceoneortwomightbeespeciallysuitable,
orunsuitable,forthestoriesthe HG wantstotell .
APower'sprospectiveAnchorscannot,fromapractical
perspective,resistthecharacter.AbelovedAnchormight
269
Myfirststepsafterthepain
ofCommencementwerelike
poetry.Mybodyfeltso
light -likeair.Likemusic.
Likeariver.
Donotletthewonderof
Nobilityfadefromyourlife .
Neverforgetthatfirststep .
Itisbeauty.
from BECOMINGNOBLE,
byFayolaOsiagobare
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Editor: Bruce Baugh
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John Shockley
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ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
2
7
0
refuseatfirst,however,forcingthecharactertousepersuasion
orrisktheiramicablerelationship .Sincetheinvoluntary
claimingofanAnchorisinmanywayshorrific,the HG should
notlingerontheforcefulclaimingofahatedAnchorina
lightheartedgame.
THETEMPLEOFINQUISITION
EachChancelofInquisitorialPowersmustconstructa
"templeofInquisition" -ahallofjusticeinwhichthePowers
presenttheirevidenceagainstaMimicortraitorbeforea
juryoftheaccused'speers .(Imperialcasesarebeyondthe
LocustCourt'sjurisdiction .)Bytradition,atempleof
InquisitionexistsinsidetheChancel,onacircularplazacut
intosliceslikeapie .Eachsliceexpressesthenatureofone
localPower'sEstate .Thus,theplazaofInquisitioninLocus
Parasielhasfourregions :thedistrictofdebate,wherethe
spiritofeverycobblestoneandraindroparguesinstentorian
tonesandperfectrhetoric ;thedistrictoffestivals,wherethe
workersoftheChancelholdtheirhighestcelebrations;the
districtofconspiracy,anever-shadowedregionfullofthieves,
blackguards,andrevolutionaries ;andthedistrictoftrade,
oneofthemostwondrousmarketsintheworld .
Ram-KhvastraasksitsPowerstooverseethecreationof
theirownplazaandtempleofInquisition,employingsuch
miraclesasnecessary .Muchofthisprocessshouldtakeplace
inanooCscene,astheplayersdiscusswhattheywantthe
finalproducttolooklikeandhowtheyintendtocreateit.If
theChancelistooremoteandtoowelldefendedforother
PowersandImperatorstoreachiteasily,thetempleandplaza
mustbeconstructedinaChancelannexonEarthproper.
Theactionofthisstorythentakesplacethere .
ManyChancelresidentsstillrememberlifeonEarth .
Whethertheywillcontinuetodosoindefinitelydependson
theChancel'sdefinition .OrganizingChancelaffairswilltake
agreatdealofworkattheoutset .Protests,labordisputes,
anderraticpublictransportationmayinterferewiththe
temple'sconstruction .Choosingsubordinatesproperlyand
delegatingauthorityshouldhelpwiththis .
Sinceabouthalfofthisstoryfocusesontheconstruction
ofthetempleandplaza,theHollyhockGodshouldencourage
thePCstospendamoderatenumberofmiraclepoints
thereon .Atthesametime,theyshouldcautionthePCsagainst
completelydepletingtheirresources -therecouldbedanger
lateron .
DISTRACTIONS
Shortlyafterthetempleconstructionbegins,Ram-Khvastra
informsitsPowersthatitintendstoclaimaguardianspirit
fortheInquisitorialtempleandplaza .Thespiritithaschosen
isPolypheme,agiantofSicily,saidtobe 300 feettalland
undefeatable;yethewillsurrenderinstantlyiffacedbya
creaturemoremassivethanhimself.Thecharactersmust
decidehowtheywillappeartobemorethan 300feettall,or
iftheywouldratherignorelegendandconfronthimdirectly
inbattle .
BringingacapturedPolyphemebacktotheChancelposes
otherdifficulties :petulantathavingbeencaptured,hedelays
OBILIS :AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
ateveryopportunityunlessluredonwardswithfoodsof
unusualnatureorstoriesthatcatchhisattention .
When(if)PolyphemeisbackintheChancel,Ram-
Khvastraturnshimtostoneandbeginstheprocessof
attuninghimtotheplaza . "SpeaknotthenamesoftheCreator,"
hewarnsthePCs, `forifhehearssuchnamesthreetimes,the
stonethatholdshimwillshatter;andifhehearsthemninetimes,
thennotevenmywillcankeephimtame ."
OncethecharactersreturnwithPolypheme,orfailtodo
so,returntotheordinaryprocessoftempledesign .Keepthis
upaslongastheplayersseementhusiasticaboutit .Feelfree
todipintoiCplayastheyresolvespecificissuesrelatingto
theplazaandtemple'screation .
Tospurthingson,someofthe NPCs detailedabovemay
evaluatethecharacters'mettleforthefirsttimeduringthis
process .Forexample,anyhumanworkersemployedinthe
temple'sconstructionnodoubtinventproceduresandforms
tofollow.Likeanyinstantiationofbureaucracy,thiscanslow
theactualworkdown .Ifthecharactersacttoincrease
efficiency,Idonymightintroduceherself,perhapsexplaining
thatbureaucracyspiritsdevelopedforChancelprojectsare
rareandpotentandthatshewouldappreciatethePCsnot
stiflingtheirsnewborn .
ThePowerscanbrushIdonyoff,inwhichcaseshehasa
sociallyacceptableopeningtocomplicatetheirliveswith
"modifications"tothelocalbureaucracy -orasimplelesser
preservationofinefficiency -beforeleaving.Theycanstrive
toaccommodateher.Suchasignofweaknesscanearnthem
an ally butmightalsoleadtosubstantial"helpful"adjustments
tothegovernmentoftheChancelasIdonyassertsdominance .
ThePCscanchallengeher,eitherconsultingtheirImperator
todeterminehowonegoesaboutsuchthingsoraskingIdony
herself.Alternately,thePCscanperformsomecleveraction,
suchaskidnappingthebureaucracyspiritandsmugglingit
outoftheirChancel,leavingIdonywithnobasisforobjection .
Intheearlystagesofthegame,avoidestablishingthe
Treachery NPCs overtlyasalliesorenemies -trytomake
themobstacleswithatleastsuperficiallyreasonablemotives .
Thisallowsthecharacters'actionstosortoutwhowindsup
ontheirsideandwhowindsupworkingagainstthem,rather
thanirritatingtheplayerswithapparentlyarbitrarymalice .
BROKENWINGS
Whentheplayers'enjoymentforthebuildingprojectwanes,
introducethenextstageofthestory .Thisparthasseedsina
Christmasoverfourhundredyearsago,whenAdaWillamette
andNepheleNikolaidhisclashedoverthewingedhorse
Pegasus.ItfellintotheirhandswhenitsImperialowner
sufferedjudgment,andbothwishedtoclaimitasanAnchor
beloved.AdaWillamettewonthebattle,butlostthewar :
NepheleslewPegasusbeforeAdacouldAnchorit .Itsblood
seepingintothegroundgavebirthtomonsters .
Despitehervindictivegesture,Nephelefeltagreat
bitternessaboutthewholeaffair .Shecreatedanewholiday
inmemoryoftheirstrife - theDayofBrokenWings,
celebratedonlyinNobleChancels .Onthisday,thehumble
Chancelfolkreflectontheirfailuretoachievewhattheywant
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4.0.
outoflifeandresignthemselvestofurtherdisappointment
inthefuture.Onthatday,intheskyabovetheChancels,
ghostlyimagesofNepheleandAdarepeattheirbattle .This
lightshowhaskepttheangerbetweenthemaliveforfour
hundredyears .
WhenthePCsappear,thepoliticaldynamicofthe
Inquisitors'liveschanges .Spurredbythedesiretoentrench
againsttheirnewrivals,NepheleandAdaaskAnnabelle
Zupaytoarbitratetheiroldgrudgesothattheycansettleit
onceandforall .Annabellesuggestsasimpleformatforthe
resolutionoftheoldscore :abattlewagedinneutralterritory
fromseveralmilesapart,usingfivemiracleseach .ThePower
thatAnnabellenamesasthelosermustbegforgivenessfor
Pegasus'sdeathandsubmittotokenpunishmentfromthe
winner.Thebattleistobeheldontheupcominganniversary
oftheoriginalstruggle,onChristmas .
Selectingtheproperterritorywasadifficultchoice,but
Annabellecompellinglyproposedasomewhatinteresting
possibility :theChancelofRam-Khvastra .Herdescription
oftheideamadethelogicseemquitecompellingand
inevitable- whatbetterwaytosussouttheintentions,
loyalties,andcaliberofthenewInquisitorsthantostagea
conflictontheirturf?
PerhapstheyagreedbecauseAnnabellecanpresentany
argumentasimpeccablylogical .Orperhapstheyagreed
because NPCs, justlikePCs,regularlyengageinstupidplans .
Note: Annabellehasexcellentmotivetoarrangethese
events :shecanweakenallthreeofherImperator'srivals .
Moreover,evenaninnocentandvirtuousinterpretationof
AnnabellecanbecomecruelwhentheLampImagedrains
herterreneessence .However,theHollyhockGodcan
substitutetheequallypersuasivelantheorthelesssympathetic
Idonyasthemanipulatorbehindthisstratagem .
GHOSTSOFCHRISTMASPAST
Duringtheconstructionoftheplaza,Adaapproachesthe
PCs.Sheexplainsthehistoricalconflictbetweenherselfand
Nephele .Naturally,sheoffersaheavilybiasedversionofthe
story.Withoutadmittingthatsheintendstoholdthebattle
inthePCs'Chancel,sheoffersthemamutualsupportpact
andfavorsyettobedeterminediftheyagreetoassistherin
thecomingrematch .
DuringAda'sspiel,thePCsdiscoverthatNephelehas
alsoarrivedtobegtheiraid .(Forexample,aservantcould
bringthemawrittenmessagethatNepheleawaitstheir
pleasureoutside .Alternately,Nephelecouldapproachone
oftheirAnchorsintheChancel,whothencallstothePower .)
AsAdafinishesupherplea,Nephelelaunchesintoherown
equallybiasedversionofevents,andoffersmuchthesame
deal.
ThePCscanchooseeitherside,orrejectbothNephele
andAda,orpromisebothofthemtheiraid .BothNephele
andAda,keenlyawareofreputation,explainthatifthePCs
allywiththem,thePCsshouldabideroughlybythetermsof
Annabelle'sproposal -usingfivemiraclesduringthecourse
ofChristmasdayandnight .IfthePCsagreetosidewithone
ortheother,therelevantPowercunninglyexplainsthatthey
willarrangeforthebattletobeheldinthePCs'Chancel,as
neutralterritory.ThisgivesthePCs"justifiablegroundsfor
involvement",inthatPower'swords .IfthePCsrefuseboth
Powers,thentheeventsoftheimpendingChristmasshould
comeasasurprise .
OnChristmas,NepheletakesherplaceattheInquisitorial
plaza,andAdasetsherselfupseveralmilesaway .Theyprepare
forbattle.
BORDERGUARDS
IfLocusRam-KhvastrahasaBorderguardwithapenetration
ofi+,itdetectsAda'sarrival.Ifithasapenetrationof 2+, it
alsodetectsNephele .Ifithasapowerof 2+, itnotifiesthe
PCsoftheirarrival .Itwillalsoharassthepairwithghost
miracles(orworse) .
Forthesakeofthestory,it'sbesttoassumethatAdaand
NephelebothholdtheBorderguardoffreasonablywell,but
thatitassiststhePCsinrepulsingthemiftheyshouldchoose
todoso .MundaneguardsoftheChancel'sentrancescan
alsoinformthePCsorhelpthemejectthe NPCs. IfthePCs'
defensesaretoostrongforthisstorytoworkwell,consider
havingbothNepheleandAdaprolongtheirdiplomaticvisits
untilChristmas.
HOWTORUNWHATFOLLOWS
Thestructureoftherestofthisadventureissimple .Nephele
andAdaexchangemiraclesintheirprivatewar .Eachone
potentiallycomplicatesthelivesofthePCs .
Theactionsoftheplayercharacterscanchangethe
progressofthisconflict .Infact,unlesstheyrefusetoinvolve
themselveswitheitherAdaorNepheleandstaysobusy
cleaningupthetwowarringPowers'messthattheycan't
interfere,theactionsofthePCswillchangetheprogressof
thisconflict .TheplayercharactershaveaccesstoRealm
miracles ;theyareprobablythedeterminingfactorinthe
battle.
Inmostcases,however,thePCs'actionsdonotinvalidate
themiraclesthatfollow .Thesearegeneraltechniques .Ifthey
getinAda'sway,orNephele's,themiraclestillhappens -
it'sjustprobablyaimedatthePCsinsteadoftheother NPC.
ThePowerinquestionwilltrytoremovethembeforeturning
backtotheirmainopponent .
ThebigpictureofthisstoryexamineshowthePCs'Estates
playoutagainstthetwistedChristmasimagesNepheleuses
andtheStrifethatservesAdaWillamette .
GROMMETCLAUS
Nepheleopenswithamajorcreation,evokingacreature
namedGrommetClaus,amonstrousSantasentforAda's
head .
Hewearswhite-trimmedred,doesGrommetClaus .A
leatherhoodshieldshisface .Onehandholdsawickedawl .
Theotherholdsthebagoftoysslungoverhisback .Herides
asleddrawnbytwelvecoal-blackwasps .Heknowstheheart
ofeverymortal .Hecanturnhimselfsidewaystofitdown
thesmallestchimneyorthroughthesmallestcrack .Thelove
ofchildrensustainshim - hecannotdiewhilenearby
271
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
2
7
2
childrenholdtoChristmasintheirhearts .Laughing,hesets
outtofindAdaandplungehisawlintoherbrain .
GrommetshouldnotsimplyrushtoattackAda -that
wouldbedull .NorshouldhemaniacallyattackthePCs -
thiswouldbescarcelylessso .Instead,itisbettertobendthe
logicalprogressofthestoryslightlyandgiveagreaterchance
forthematicinteractionwiththePCs'Estates .Grommetvisits
thepeopleofthePCs'ChancellikeanygoodSantaought .
Hebringstoystothegood-heartedandletshiscoal-colored
waspsfeastonthenaughty.
AsoneversionoftheSantaarchetype,ittakesGrommet
butasingledayandnighttovisiteverysoulintheChancel .
Ofcourse,thatincludesthePCs .Asmembersofthe
aristocracy,thePCsarenoteligibleforhisnaughtylist ;he
willbringtheminteresting"monkey'spaw"-stylegifts .The
HollyhockGodshoulddesigntheseinadvancesothattheir
appealtothePCsprecludesrejection,andthattheir"catch"
makesasuitablyinterestingsurprisetothePCs .Forexample,
acharacterlikelantheFalls-Shortmightreceivealistening
box,guaranteedtounderstand,agreewith,andkeepsecret
anythingitsownersays .Sadly,mortalswhostaytoolongin
itspresenceslowlylosetheirvoices,orperhapsittransmutes
uglythoughtssharedwithitintospidersandscorpions,which
sneakfromtheboxinthedeadofnight .Inanidealworld,
thecharacterwillnotwanttogivetheir"Christmasgift"up
evenwhentheydiscoveritsdrawback.Naturally,evenas
Grommetshowshisgenerositytothecharacters,hiswasps
aredevouringnaughtychildrenandhisgiftsaretroubling
themorevirtuousones .
OncethePCsstartactivelydealingwithGrommet,he
willabandonhisChristmascelebrationandtrytoreachAda .
STRIFEOFTHESTONES
Notlongafter,beforeGrommetreachesher,Adastrikes
vigorouslywithamiracleofherown .Sheusesalessercreation
ofStrifetoawakenferocityandviolenceinthespiritsofthe
groundallaroundNephele .(Thiscostsher 4 DMPs, fora
deepmiracle .) Firstthestonesbegintomutter .Thenthe
Earthtremblesvigorously.Thenthestones,disturbedby
Nephele'spresence,leaptotheattack .
Theviolenceinthegroundreachesjustfarenoughto
endangeraparticularlydelicatepieceofconstructionwork .
ThegoalisnottoundoalltheworkthePCshaveputinto
theirInquisitorialtempleandplaza,buttoputenoughof
thatworkinjeopardysothatthePCsmustrushaboutusing
theirabilitiestosaveit .Forexample,iftheyoptedtobuilda
towerhalfamilehighatthecenteroftheircomplex,then
keepingitfromcollapsingwhenthefoundationripsoutof
theEarthtochaseafterNepheleisaworthytaskforahigh-
AspectPower.Talkingasentientfountaindownwhenit
panicscanproveaninterestingdiversion .
The HG maywishtorunashortdigressivescenewhere
theplayersplayprivilegedservantsassaultedintheplazaby
randomlyviolentrocksandearth .Thiscanhammerhome
thedisparitybetweenthePowers,forwhomAdaand
Nephele'swarisaninconvenience,andtheeasilyterrified
mortalswhoservethem,forwhomitisadeadlythreat .
CHRISTMASMASS
Afterwastingoneofhermiraclesfleeingtheviolentearth,
NephelecreatesaChristmasMass .Asthepeopleofthe
Chancelbegintricklinginbeforeher,thepriestcreatedfor
theMassbeginstolecturethecongregationonChrist'slove
andAdaWillamette'smanyfaults,indiscretions,and
unworthyqualities .EmbarrassingAdabeforecommonersis,
ofcourse,asdeadlyablowasanyphysicalassault .
Thismaycausevariousproblemsfortheplayercharacters .
PerhapstheMassisheldinacompletelyinappropriatesection
oftheplaza- anaffronttotherelevantEstate .Perhaps
theyrealizethatanyattendeesareprobablymarkedfordeath
byanangryAda,andwishtostopimportantChancelfolk
fromattending .PerhapsthePCshavealliedwithAdaor
Nephele .Ifnoneoftheseapply,however,thepriest'swords
stillstandagoodchanceoffreeingPolyphemefromstasis .
SEIZINGTHEWIND
AdahearsthewordsoftheMassdriftingtoheronthewind .
Furiously,sheusesadeepmiracletoseizethatwindbyits
tailandwhipNephelewithit .Thisisalevel
7
Aspectmiracle
withpenetration 2. Itquitepossiblyknocksdownseveral
buildingsandanyotherPowersstrugglingwithAda .Nephele
losesadeadlywoundlevelandisthrowncleanthroughthe
temple-in-progress .
Thegoalhereistocreateanepic,startlingmoment -
anactthatwouldformtheseedofalegend,ifa PC createdit.
Hopefully,thiswillencouragethePCstoperformactsof
grandeurandaudacityaswell .Forthisreason,ifthePCshave
readthiscampaign,theHollyhockGodshouldchangethis
miracleintosomethingelse,surprisingbutequivalently
extreme .
AtsomepointAdamustdefendherselfagainstGrommet .
ThiscostshertwosimpleAspectmiracles,onetochopClaus's
headoffwiththeedgeofherhand,andanothertokillhim
withKottosonceshediscovershispracticalimmortality .(This
maybethePCs'firstexposuretoKottos .)
CHRISTMASTREES
NepheleinvokesanotherimagesuitedtobothChristmas
andbattle-adozenbushyChristmastrees,theirrootslike
feetandtheirbarelimbslikeknives .Theygatherinformation
tohelpNepheleupandthenmarchacrosstowardsAda .
Tomakethisinterestingfortheplayercharacters,assume
thatthesetreesattracttheinterestofRam-Khvastra .
"Iseepotentialinthiscreation," theirImperatornotesina
privatecommunication . "Captureasmanyofthesetreesasyou
can.Perhapstheycanbereformedandturnedtoourpurposes."
Naturally,Ram-Khvastracouldcarelessforthespiritof
Christmas,buttheImperatorsensesthatthetrees,equipoised
betweenthesymbologyofloveandhate,mayholdtheanswer
toanalchemicalquestionithasbeenpondering .
Thesituationgetsworse .Whenthetreesbecomevisible,
AdacountersthethreatwithaLesserCreationofStrife .
Thisawakensagangsterethicinthespiritsofthetrees .They
becomehostile,contentious,andvigorouslyangryatthe
world .Theysticktogether,barringsomescuffles,butthey're
OPPOSITE:
AChristmasfeastdisrupted
byCharlesVess
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
274
Carefulattentiontoone's
surroundingsisadistinct
liabilityintheMythicWorld.
Some of itsmostimportant
roadsarelocatednoplacein
particular. Ifyouwatch
whereyouaregoing,sothat
eachfootsteptakesyoutoa
veryparticularplace,youwill
neverfindtheseroadsatall.
-from ATOURIST'SGUIDE
TOCREATION, byJasprite
Sherrard
notonNephele'ssideanymore .Tamingthemwillbeeven
harderforthePowers,andNephelemustuseherlastmiracle
gettingoutofrangeoftheirknife-likebranches.
PEGASUSISRISEN
Whenallthechipshavefallenfromtheseactionsandthe
playercharactersown,Annabelleannouncesthevictorin
thestruggle .
TosealthepeacebetweenNephele,Ada,andthePCs,
sheconvincesHelissentdeReymestodonateacreaturefrom
theLabyrinthofCourtlyLove -awingedequine,inmany
wayslikePegasusreborn,savefortheserpentsgrowingfrom
itsshouldersandtheicethatfilmsitshoofprints .The
symbolismofareturnedPegasusclosesoffthestrifebetween
NepheleandAda . . . officially,atleast .Ifappropriate,
AnnabelledonatestheequinetothePCs,asconsolationfor
thewrackandruinvisitedupontheirChancel .
Atthispoint,theplayercharactersmayconcluderepairs
andconstructionontheirplazauninterrupted.
SLIPPERY LOPES
Incertainpossiblefutures,theDivineImperatorknownas
RadiantEmptinessascendstoLordEntropy'sthrone .To
avertanuntimelycoup,LordEntropydecidesthatEmptiness
shouldbedeclaredaMimicbytheInquisitorialPowersof
Ram-Khvastra'sChancel .OneofhisDomicellisendsan
anonymousmessengerraven,trainedtofindtheroadsthat
leadintoaChancel,tothePCs .Themessageaccuses
EmptinessofbeinganExcrucian .
InvestigationintoEmptinessrevealsnothingamiss .The
HG shouldnotbelaborthisinvestigationorforcethePCsto
describeeveryactionindetail .Playouttheinvestigationonly
solongasitcontinuestoyieldinterestingscenesandideas .
Investigationintotheanonymoustipmightleadbacktothe
Domicellawhosentthebird ;alternately,whenitslows,or
failstoturnupconvincingevidence,theDomicellacontacts
thePCs,andexplains(withoutadmittingtoanything) that
LordEntropywishesEmptinesstobediscoveredaMimic.
Ofcourse,theevidencemustbesuitablyconvincing .
IfthePCsdecidetobreaktheethicsoftheirprofession
bytrumpingupevidenceagainstEmptiness,mostofthestory
focusesonhowtheydoso .Theendofthestory,andpartsof
themiddle,shouldstudythemoraleffectsofmakingthis
choice.Theplayercharacterscanalsorefuse .LordEntropy
isnotapettycreature,andwillnotlashout .Atthesame
time,hecannotpermitPowerstothwarthiswillwith
impunity.AppeasingLordEntropywithanoteworthygift,
preferablyinvolvingapersonalsacrifice,isanexcellent
solutionallaround.Anyofanumberof NPCs, fromRam-
KhvastratoaPowerofLordEntropy,mightsuggestthis
plan .
Iftheplayercharactershaveironintegrityandrefuseto
evenofferagift,theHollyhockGodshouldhaveasubtle,
ironicplanofrevengeonhandforLordEntropyto
implement .Findingthegift,ortheexecutionofLord
Entropy'srevenge,becomesthestory.
-X
JUSTIFYYOUREXISTENCE
Beforerunningthisstory,skipseveralmonthsofiCtime-
allatonce,orbyskippingafewweeksnowandagainbetween
otherstories .Mostofthisstoryconcernsflashbackstothis
missingtime.
ApetitioncomesbeforetheCouncilofFourfroman
Imperatorpoliticallydifficulttoignore - possibly
Ambrolam,Parasiel,orSakhrat - allegingthePCs'
incompetencetoholdtheirpositions .TheCouncilcalls
togetherapanelofthreePowerstojudgethisaffair :the
PowersofTrauma,History,andWistfulMemory.Sinceno
onecanreliablydivinethePCs'competenceorpastactivities,
thesePowersmustrelyonthePCs'owntestimonyregarding
theiraccomplishments .SincethePCs'publicrecordiseasily
weighed,thepanelhaschosentoexaminethreerelatively
obscureevents(or six, iftheHollyhockGodwishestoadda
few) inthePowers'history.Usingghostmiracles,thepanel
evokessolid"memories"tomirrorthePCs'descriptions .
EachPowerqueriesthePCsinturn,withtheothertwo
aswhollysilentobservers .ThePowerofTraumaservesthe
Wild.Forhertojudgetheiractionsworthy,thePCsmust
convinceherthatthoseactionssuitablyupheldthecauseof
freedom .ThePowerofHistoryservestheLight ;thePCs
mustconvinceherthattheiractionsservedthecauseof
humansurvival.ThePowerofWistfulMemoryservesHell;
thePCsmustconvincehimthattheiractionsservedthecause
ofcorruptionandpain .EachPowerinvestigatesoneofthe
threeevents(ortwoofthe six) .
Thesescenarioshaveageneral"script" -everyoneknows
inadvancegenerallyhoweventsturnedout.However,it'sup
tothePCstocreatethedetails .Playitoutasiftheirversion
ofthestorywasactuallyoccurring,witheachplayerplaying
their PC andthe HG providingtheactualevents .Theonly
differenceisthatthePCscan"correct"otherPCsandthe HG
tobetterservetheversiontheywishtopresentiC .
Thesuggestedscenariosrunasfollows .TheWildPower
ofTraumainvestigatesthePCs'unexplainedvisittoLos
AngelesontheNightofChains,whenoneineveryhundred
citizenswaskidnappedbyCammoranslave-takersto
locationsunknown .TheLight-affiliatedPowerofHistory
studiesthePCs'possibleinvolvementinanuclearmeltdown
outsideofNice,France,wheretheywereseendigginginthe
taintedEarth .TheinfernalPowerofWistfulMemorylooks
intotheplayercharacters'rescueofsevenproperlydamned
humansoulsfromaFallenAngel'sChancel .
Theplayersshoulddiscussthe"truth"oftheseevents
beforehand .Intheworstcase,wheretheeventsarecompletely
outofcharacter,theymaynotevenhavehappened .
Unfortunatelyforwhollyinnocentcharacters,allthree
judgingPowershavebeenofferedsubstantialincentivesby
theImperatorwhobroughtthepetitionandgivenspecific
reasonstodoubtthetruestory,whateveritmaybe .Thejudges
willreluctantlyacceptasuitablyconvincingstory,butwill
meetanyclaimsofuninvolvementorinnocencewith
skepticism .Theplayersshouldnotthinkthroughthestory
theircharactersplantotellinadvance .
"Demonsaretrulyone ofthe
marvels of theworld."
"Howso?"
'Didyouknow,they
considertheirsadismanart
form?Theirmaliceso
pervadeseveryfiber of their
beingthatitbecomesa
passion -theirmuse,their
dedication,theirlife'swork."
"Butitisnotart."
'Notindependently,no .
Onemustengageinatwist of
perspective -seethesceneas
ademonmightseeit-for
thearttomanifest .Itislikea
paintingwhosemeritrequires
specialglassestosee,ora
recordedharmonythat
becomesartonlywhenone
playsamelodytomatch ."
"Itisafascinating
notion,butIamnotsureI
acceptit."
Byallmeans,meditate
uponthematter."
Theangelsfellsilent,
thinkingdeepthoughts,as
theycleanedtheblood of
demonsfomtheirswords.
-fromGENESIS, byKeiko
Takemori
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
TheactionsofNoblesdefine
theworld.
from BECOMINGNOBLE,
byFayolaOsiagobare
Ioncecreatedalens,"said
TeodosioRibeiro,"thatcould
infalliblydetecttreachery
withinanImperator'sheart."
Awondrousdiscovery!
WhyhaveInotheardofit?"
"Thelenswasinfallible,"
Teodosiosaidsadly,"butnot
invincible .WhenIwokethe
nextmorning,ithad
shattered,andmymemoryof
itsconstructionwasgone.
Whowouldhavethoughtthat
atraitorwouldsocasually
addvandalismtotheir
crimes?"
ofEllenMcIntosh
'VC-DRIVEN TORIES
PlayingthroughastoryfocusingonjustoneoftheNPCS
abovemayhelpbringthatNPC"tolife ."Themorevivida
givenNPC,themoretheyaddtothegamingexperience .
UsingNepheleNikolaidhis,forexample,the HGcancreate
severalNPC-drivenplots .AstorybuiltaroundanoccultNoble
celebrationwouldlogicallyfeatureherprominently.Perhaps
thePCsattendaritualizedfestivalthatmustcompleteproperly
beforethesuncanriseagain,but,thistimearound,Strategist-
craftedwakingnightmaresfelltheparticipantsonebyone .
The HG cancreateaNephele-centricstoryusinganinvasion
ofGreeceoralossofGreekindependencethatsomehow
tiestoaflowerriteagainstaPC'sEstate .ThePCsmightpursue
somesimplegoal -arunawaychildwithastolenFocus -
inaNephele-hauntedcelebration .A PC mightdiscoverthat
Nephele'sAnchorGuilio,asaghost,cancarrymessagesto
thePC'sdeadlove .Thissetsthestageforapoignantsubplot .
Afteranyofthesestories,the HGshouldhaveastronghandle
onhowtoplayNephelecompellinglyorwillhavediscovered
shedoesnotsuittheirplayingstyle .
INQUISITORIAL TORIES
WhenrunninganInquisition-relatedplotline,theHollyhock
GodshouldalwaysmakesurethatthePCs'taskisachievable .
Ifit'sbestforthestorythatthePCsfailintheirefforts,give
themasmallbutfairshot .IfthePCs"should"succeedin
diggingupthetruth,thentheymusthavethemeanstodo
so .Thismeansthat,iftheImperatorisatraitororaMimic,
thePCsmustbeabletodiscoverevidenceofitsnature -
thatevidencemustexist,anditmustbeaccessible .There
shouldalsobesomereasonaMimicortraitorousImperator
cannotjusttraptheminitsChancelandkillthem
methodicallywhenthePCsdiscoverthetruth .
Forexample,anInquisitionmightrevolvearoundthe
disappearanceofapricelessImperialtreasurefromaneutral
Chancel,whichlaterreappearsinExcrucianhands .An
Imperatorstandsaccusedofstealingitandbringingitto
them.LikeStrategists,Imperatorsarenotinfinitelyintelligent
inhumanterms -iftheaccusedImperatorisguilty,thenit
maynotbeabletocoverallofitstracks .IftheImperatoris
innocent,itmaynotbeworldlyenoughtoconductan
investigationofitsown .ThisallowstheHollyhockGodto
runamysterystoryoftheirowndesign .Sincethe
investigationdoesnottakeplaceintheaccused'sChancel,
theInquisitorsarenotovermatched .
Asanotherexample,thesuspectedImperator'sChancel
couldbeconstructedoutoftheImperator'smind .The
Imperatorhasnotyetdecidedwhethertocommittreason .
ThewarlordsoftheExcrucian-influencedregionsofitsmind
areengagedinfiercebattlewiththerulersofthemoreloyal
regions .The HG shouldcraftpersonalitiesandmental"roles"
forseveralloyalanddisloyallordswithintheImperator's
mind,includingoneorseveraldoubleagents .Determining
whethertheImperatorisloyalonthewholerequiresacareful
assessmentoftheprogressofthewar.ThePCscanmakethis
assessmentonlybyspendingtimewitheachofthewarlords .
Winningthewarforonesideortheotherrequiresuntangling
theschemesofthesesub-Imperialcreatures .
ThenormalprocedureforcapturinganImperatoristo
gathersufficientevidenceandthendeliverittoRam-
Khvastrabyprayer(seeEstate-DrivenDivinations,p . 119-
12o) .
ThelocalwarleadersoftheValdeBellumwilltakecare
oftherest .IfthePCsaretrappedinanAuctoritasor
Defender'sBlessingthatpreventssuchprayer,oriftheplot
givesthetraitoragoodopportunitytoflee,thePCsmust
havesomemeanstomakethecapturethemselves .
SomeideasforInquisitorialstoriesfollow .
SECONDEDEN
ThreeImperatorsoftheLighthavespentseveralcenturies
buildinganewandperfectworlddeepbeneaththesurface
oftheEarth- aworldsodefiantofsinandpainthatno
horrorcouldexisttherein.ItisnotthreeChancels,boundto
theImperators'lives,butagenuinerealminthemaking,
slowlybecomingindependentofthesurfaceworld .Itisstill
incompleteandvulnerabletothemachinationsofcorruption ;
still,twoofthethreehavehighhopesforit .
ThethirdImperator,sadly,doesnot .Somewhereinthe
LandsBeyondCreationliestheStoneofHeroes,onwhich
theExcrucianssacrificethosewhowishtoleadtheirkind .
TheworthyarerebornasExcruciansoftruededicationand
greatferocity ;theunworthyarenotrebornatall .Sensing
thefailureofthe"SecondEden"projectanddespairingthat
itskindwilleverdestroytheDark,thethirdImperatorhas
agreedtobesacrificedonthatStone .Ithopesthatitsnature
willremaindominantafterthetransformation .Itplansto
directtheExcrucianhordeinsurgicalstrikesagainsttheDark .
Itbelievesnolessermeasurewillsufficetodestroyitsenemies,
anditbelievesthattheChildrenofHarumaphwillnever
bringhumanitytoanendwithouttheDarktoabetthem .It
isalmostcertainlywrongonallcounts,butsuchisthenature
ofdespair.
Acloudeddivinationhasbroughtwarningofthe
Imperator'sintentionstotheleadersoftheValdeBellum .
ThePowersofRam-KhvastraarechosenfortheInquisition .
Unfortunately,thedivinationdidnotspecifywhichofthe
threeImperatorshasturnedtraitor.
ItisthebeliefofRam-Khvastrathattheplacewithin
"SecondEden"wherethetraitormetwiththeExcruciansto
discussitstreacherywillbepermanentlyandterriblyscarred .
Thesimplestwaytounmaskthetraitoristolocatethatspot
andconfirm -withtwoofthethreeImperators -thatthe
placelieswithinthethirdImperator'sgovernorship .
Unfortunately,justafterthestorybegins,thetraitorcuts
SecondEdenadrift,severingthechannelsbywhichonecan
reachthatincompletelyperfectworld .Mindfuloftheirown
skin,withmillisecondstodecide,theothertwoImperators
abandonSecondEdenfortheoutsideworld .
Tocompletethisinvestigation,thePCsmusttrackdown
ahiddenpathwaythatstillleadstoSecondEden,oraperson
whoknowswheresuchapathwayisfound .Naturally,the
traitorpreferstofrustratesuchsearchesuntilitcanmakeits
275
Humankindneverfellfrom
grace.Nocherubbarsthe
gatesofEden .Thisisstilla
perfectworld.
-from THEDIARYOF
EDMUNDFINCH, byJackie
Robinson
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
276
Itispossibletoconverta
humanintosomethingelse,
andtherebyaverttheneedfor
thathuman'ssuicide.For
example,ahumancanbecome
aPower,ananimal,or -
withasuitabletransfusionof
essence -oneofthefaery
kind.Onecanalsoconvert
humanlifedropbydropinto
facelessunitsoflabor;forthis
purpose,theDarkinvented
money.
James
finalrendezvouswiththeChildrenofHarumaph .The
HollyhockGodshouldcreatesuitableleadsthatwillenable
thePCstofindthispath .Havingdoneso,thePCsmustpay
SecondEdenavisitandscouritforthesiteofitsscarring .
Shouldtheyvisititalone,theywillbefarfromhelpand
witnesses,inaworldtentativelyconnectedtoEarth,witha
hostileImperatorwhoknowstheterritoryandisvery
interestedintheiractions.Ram-Khvastrathereforesuggests
thatallthreeImperatorsaccompanythePCsontheirjourney .
Iftheymovecarefully,thePCscankeepthemselvesineyeshot
ofatleastoneloyalImperatoratalltimes .Naturally,allthree
Imperatorsmakeatleastapretenseofco-operation .The
traitorissubtleandwillseektoseparatethegroupandexpose
thePCs ;onlyifitstandsonthebrinkofdiscoverywillit
launchanopenattack .
ThisstorybenefitsiftheremainingtwoImperatorshave
secretsoftheirowntoconceal,sothattheyalsowishto
separatetemporarilyfromthePCsoreachother.Forexample,
onecouldwishtoprotectSecondEdenitselffromexposure
ofitssecrets,particularlyifa PC belongstotheDark.The
othercouldbeanaddict,habituallyfeedingoffthepurity
thatfillsSecondEden,ultimatelyresponsiblefortheproject's
slowprogress -andterrifiedlesttheInquisitionrevealthis
truthanditspeersoftheLightcastitfromgrace .
Mostofthisstoryshouldtakeplaceonthejourneyto
SecondEden,onsomeobscurepathfullofsubterranean
marvels.OncetheyreachSecondEden,therealmitselfwill
opposeconcealment,treachery,andmalice .Thetraitorwill
confrontthemthereonlyifithasnochancetodoenroute .
BREAKINGTHEBANK
JustasthePCscloseoffaninvestigationintoapotential
Mimic,thesubjectoftheirscrutinyvanishes .Theleadersof
thewareffortjudgethisconclusiveproofofthesubject's
Excruciannature .Ram-KhvastramaydissecttheMimicat
itsleisure -assoonassomeonefindsit .
Itdoesnottakelong.TheMimic,whomweshallcall
Montano,haselectedtoauctionoffitslifethroughthe
UsurersofOfeili,Imperatorspledgedtogreedandmercantile
industryinaworldwherecoinsarealiveandhumansmindless
servantsoftheprocessesofeconomy.TheUsurers'percentage
ofthetakeamountstothesumtotaloftheMimic's
possessionsanditsfulleffortsontheirbehalf .Theminimum
auctionpricetopurchaseMontanobackfromthemisgoods
orservicesoftentimesthatvalue .Ofeiliisnotcurrentlya
frontinthewar ;theUsurersareunlikelytowaivetheirfee
onbehalfofEarth'sInquisitors .
ToretrieveMontanosotheirImperatormaydissectit,
thePCsmusttraveltoOfeilialongtheWorldAshandthen
findsomethingworthtentimesanImperator'sservicesand
possessionswithwhichtomakeaminimumbid.Montano
isconfidentnoonewillmakesuchanoffer.The HG can
complicatethejourneytoOfeili,butshouldworktomake
theprocessofbuying(orstealing) Montanopossible .Social
plans -usingatreasoncaseagainsttheUsurersasleverage,
usingtheUsurers'obviousvenalitytohelpselloffpeopleor
itemsthePCsdonotown,orconvincingMontanoto
withdrawitsdepositandrenderitselfvulnerable -aremore
likelytosucceedthanphysicalassaultoroutrightfraud .
Foralessdifficultchallenge,theauctionhousemaybe
runbyPower-equivalentscreatedbytheUsurers,ratherthan
theUsurersthemselves .
HOTPOTATO
LocusParasiel,claimingtobeoverworked,forwardsalead
onapotentialtraitorousImperatortothePCs .Theyare
correct.TheWildlordnamedhassoldoutCreationforthe
promiseoffreedomfromit.Excrucian-shardsareusingits
Chancelastheirbaseofoperationsinaflowerrite ;afterninety
yearsandnineofsuchservice,theExcrucianswillkeeptheir
sideofthepromise -or,dependingonhowthe HG seesthe
oBiLis world,breakit.
ProvingtheWildlord'streacheryandclaimingitspower
issimplicityitself.Unfortunately,theWildlordisSacrosanct .
Bythenatureofitsbeing,thecreaturesorpeoplemost
responsibleforitsdestruction -inthoserarecircumstances
inwhichanImperatorcanbedestroyedatall -willmeeta
horriblynastyend.Clearly,itstreacherymustbeexposed .
Equallyclearly,thePCswouldbesmartnottoexposeit .This
iswhyLocusParasielpassedthebuck .
Further,ifthePCsspendanytimeonthisinvestigation,
theywilldiscoverthattheWildlord'sPowersarevirtual
paragons - competent,virtuous,andglorious .Theymust
opposeanyattempttodestroytheirlord,buttheyhatetheir
Imperator'streachery.IftheWildlordfallsintoRam-
Khvastra'shands,thesePowersareingravedanger,although
theRiteofRescuegivesthemsomechanceofsurvival .The
charactersmustresolvethismoraldilemma -isitbetterto
damagesomethingwonderfulortoallowcorruptionto
survive?IfthePCschoosetoexposetheWildlord,theymust
makesurethatsomeoneelsebearstheprimarycausal
responsibilityforthisexposure .Thisstorymayplaybetterif
theWildlorditselfispacifist,unabletousedirectviolence
againstthePCs .
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4.0.
Ianthewrites:
glow tobea
hollyhockC lod
Part9
,storiesin
Detail
QBR: Lately,Jackie,yourfanshave
pointedoutwhatseemstobea
significantchangeinthestyleofyour
work.What'supwiththat?
JR.Oh,they'reabsolutelyright.I
wasdiggingthroughmyoldhigh
schooljournal,youknow,andI
foundthisoldbitfomwhenmy
fiendsandmefiddledaroundwith
aOuijaboard.ItsaidIwasundera
curse,itdid -thateverytimeItold
thestoryofadeath,someonewould
die;everytimeItoldastoryof
someoneinpain,someonewould
suffer;everytimeItoldastoryabout
happiness,someone'slifewould
brighten.I'malittlesuperstitious,
youknow?SoI'vesortofbeen
playingitsafe.
QBR: I'mnotsureIunderstand.
Peoplestillseemtobedyingand
sufferingalotinyourstories .
JR.Well,yah.Butnow,youknow,I
makesureI'vealwaysgotavery
goodreason.
-frOm QUARTERLYBOOK
REVIEW'S interviewwithJackie
Robinson
277
.7@BILis offersyoutwostylesofstorytelling .Youwillprobablyuseboth,todifferent
extents .Howyouaddinteresttoyourplayercharacters'activitiesdependsontheexact
mixyouchoosetoemploy.
Event-drivenstorytellingfocusesontheeventsofthegame,andissuitedfor
catchingtheplayersbytheheart .Event-drivenstorytellingaddsadrenaline,
passion,anddramatoyourgames .
Thematicstorytellingfocusesonthebasic ideas ofthegame,andissuitedfor
catchingtheplayersbythemindandsoul.Thematicstorytellingaddsrapture,
intrigue,thought,andeventruthtothegame -forwhilethe events ofthegame
arefiction,thethemesyouexploreinitaretrue .
EVENT-DRIVENSTORYTELLING
Thecoreofevent-drivenstorytellingiscreatingeventsofinteresttoyourplayergroup .
Basedontheplayers'interests,youcreateastorylinefullofthethingstheyenjoy -be
thatromance,horror,intrigue,mystery,action,adventure,wonder,miracles,theology,
beauty,orcorruption .Event-drivenstorytellingreliesontheplot .Asdiscussedpreviously,
youcannotcreateasolid,nailed-downplot,soevent-drivenstorytellingreliesonthe
creationofacatchybeginning,adiversecollectionofeventsthatcouldhappeninthe
middle,andsomeideasforpossibleendings .Atitsedges,event-drivenstorytelling
mergeswiththematicstorytelling -yourplotsshould,takenasawhole,expressthe
themesofyourgame.Inagamefocusedonfreewillversusdestiny,yourplotsshould
exploretheconsequencesofbothrebellionandservice .Inagamefocusedontheconflict
ofbeautyandcorruption,youshouldexploretheweaknessesofboththeAngelsand
theirFallenkin.Thematicstorytellingwillhelpyouimproviseeventsduringthecourse
ofyourevent-drivenstory .
Thekeytocreatingacatchybeginningisunderstandingwhatinterestsyourplayers .
(ForgivemeifIhavebeatenthispointintotheground .) Ifyourplayersloveanime -
Japaneseanimation -thenyoumightconsiderbizarre,activeopenings,notworrying
toomuchaboutwhethertheymakesense .Ifyourplayersreadliteraryspynovels,then
somethingassmallasamissingregularattheirusualhangoutcandrawthemin .Ifthey
readthrillers,tryaservantstaggeringinwithaniciclethroughtheirback -oraNoble
staggeringinwithdignityandclothinginruins,oranexplosionoutsidethePCs'dining
chamberthatflingstheirthree-headeddogbrokenintotheroom ;anyvariationonthe
themesufficestostartthingsoffwell .NOBILIS hasanopen-endedgenre ;donotbe
afraidtocustomizethenatureoftheworldtofityourcampaign .
Theeventsinthemiddleofastorycomefromtwosources .Oneisfromanticipating
theactionsofthePCsasbestasyoucan,andthinkingofinterestingreactionstothem .
Theotheristofindplausibleactionsforimportant NPCs totake,whichimpactonthe
charactersinasengagingamanneraspossible .Again,whatworksforyourplayers
dependsontheplayergroup .Ifaplayerhasshownavestedinterestinplayingthe
villain,witha PC PoweroftheDarkwhoregularlydoessomereallynastystuff,thenit
willcatchtheirattentionifoneoftheirvictimsescapes,isrescued,orsimplywalksby
aliveandunharmed .Ifaplayerspendsagreatdealoftimedevelopingcunningschemes
tosolvetheirPC'sproblems,thenopportunitiestoimplementanalready-discussed
schemewillcatchtheirattention,aswillseeminglyinsolubleconundrums .Youhavea
greatdealofpowerhere .AnythingthatthePCsdonotdeliberatelyandsuccessfully
prevent,youcanarrangetohavehappen .
Theendingstoyourstoryshouldmirrorthepossibleanswerstothequestionsyour
storyraises .Forexample,ifyouspendastorystudyingtheconflictbetweenHeaven
andHell -beautyandcorruption -thenyoushouldattheleastprepareendings
basedontheideathatbeautyisstrongerandtheideathatcorruptionisstronger .Other
possibilitiesmayexist,giventhenatureofyourstudy .However,youdon'tneedasmany
endingsasmiddles ;anendingisnotanevent,butratheracondition,andyoucan
obtainrelativelycomprehensivecoverageofthepossibilities .("Intheend,thePCsemerge
CHAPTER 22: IANTHE:STORIESINDETAIL
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4.0.
278
TheCourtinHeavengives
nosanctuarytoloverswho
wouldbreakLordEntropy's
Law.
TheWildcannotbreak
theDarkestLord'sholdupon
thisEarth.
OnlyHelloffers
protectiontoPowersthatdare
tolove;onlyLuciferhas
steppedforwardtoshieldsuch
Powerswithhiswings.His
prices,theysay,arequite
reasonable.
Yetnooneaskshisfavor
twice.
-from LEGENDSOFTHE
NOBILIS , byLucGinneis
.`NOBILIS :AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
triumphant,inwhichcasethishappens,ortheyfail,inwhichcasethishappens,orthey
takesomemiddlepath,inwhichcaseIimprovise .")
Thesamebasicstoryideacanbeexpressedinverydifferentwaysdependingonthe
playergroup .Forexample,considerthestorysummarizedin"Corruption'sService"
(p .175) ,inwhichahumanalchemistunderExcrucianguardhasalmostfinished
developingtheCariesUnguent,anantidotetocorruptionthatcouldintheoryundermine
themetaphysicalstructureoftheAsh.Thecharacters'Imperator,inallversionsofthis
storybelow,sendsthePCstosabotagethisresearch .Thismeansdestroyingthecurrent
imperfectversionoftheUnguent,allnotes,andpossiblythealchemist .
CORRUPTION'SSERVICE:ALOVESTORY
Supposeyouwanttorunthisstoryforagroupofplayersinterestedinwondrous,
romantic,social,andoptimisticstories .Inthiscase,theExcruciansinvolvedmightact
throughanintermediary.YoudecidethataDeceiverhasbeenatworkontheheartof
aPowerofHeaven,HallandGeirr,whomone PC lovesandanotherhasswornblood
brotherhoodto.TheDeceiverhashardenedHalland'smindagainstHell,inflaming
hispassionagainsttheDevilspastthepointofreason .Hallandmanagesandguards
theCariesUnguentproject .Thecruxofthisstorybecomestheconflictofloyalties :do
thecharactersservetheirImperatorandCreation -orloveandbeauty?Evenwithout
theImperator-Powerbond,thisisnoeasychoice .TheAgeofPain,whenHelland
Heavenmustally,isclearly not thetimetodestroyHell -butthePCsdonotknowof
theExcrucianinvolvement,onlyHalland's .
IfthePCsspeaktoHallandfirst,youdecidethathetriespersuasion,trickery,and
finallyviolence .HebeginsbyarguingthatHell'sroleinCreationcannot,byitsnature,
bepositive.ItsplaceasthefoundationstoneofCreationnotwithstanding,itservesno
goodend .IfthePowersrefuseallpersuasion,Hallandattemptsaformalchallenge .His
mindhardenedbyDeceit,heiswillingtocheat .Forexample,hemightchallengeall
thePowerstogethertoaghostmiracleduel -aseeminglycan't-losepropositionfor
thePCs -but Halland hasanarsenalofalchemicalelixirsonhand,fromthedustofthe
wanderingmindtoasmallphilosopher'sstone .Hecanuseallofthesewithouttaking
miraculousaction,whereasthePCshavenothingtoopposehimwithsaveghostmiracles .
IfHallandlosestheduel,theinsidiouswordsoftheDeceiverhavefurthereffects .
HallandmustyieldtheUnguentandhisnotesonittothem -buthehasanoldback-
upcopyofthenotesinaplacethatonlyheandtheDeceiverknowof.Toprotecthis
abilitytoresumeresearchlater,andostensiblytorevengetheruinofhisproject,Halland
renouncestheplayercharactersandgathershisforcesagainstthem .Yourgoalhereis
nottorevelinthemilitaryconflict ;it'sonlyabackdrop .Instead,youplantoskim
quicklythroughitinanooCscenetofigureoutwhetherHallandandhisalliesdefeat
thePCs,or viceversa .
IfHallandtriumphsinbattle,lovefinallyovercomesdeception,andHallandfinds
himselfunabletokillthePCs .TheDeceivercomesforwardtopersuadehimotherwise .
ThegoalofthePCsbecomesunmaskingtheExcrucianbeforeitshoneyedwordsharden
Halland'sconviction.IfthePCsseemabouttotriumph,ontheotherhand,betrayal
suddenlyinterruptsthebattle.TheDeceiver,wearingtheskinofamutualallywho
apparentlyelectedtojoinwithHalland,strikesHallanddown .Ithopestokillhim,but
justbarelyfails .Explainingitsactions,itassuresthePCsthatHallandhasbeencorrupted,
perhapsbyalchemygonewrong - thatHallandintendedterrible,unjustifiableacts
againstthemandthatit(thePowertheDeceivermasqueradesas) hassimplywaited
fortherightmomenttostrike .Naturally,itisuptothePCswhethertofinishHalland
off -but,theDeceiverargues,itistheonlysafeoption .Again,thePCs'goalisto
unmasktheDeceiver.IftheykillHalland,theDeceiverisleftwiththeonlycopyofthe
notes .Inbothcases,youshouldtryandmakesurethatdiscoveringtheDeceiverishard
butfeasible .IfthePCsjustdon'tgetit,youmustletthechipsfallwheretheymay .
IfthecharactersattempttocircumventHalland'ssecurityandfail,hewilltalkto
them .Iftheysucceedincircumventingsecurity,skiptothemarshalingofforces .A
directlookattheCariesUnguentisanopportunitytoaddalittlewondertothe
game -thinkalittlebitabouthowtoconveythepuremarvelofevenanunfinished
OPPOSITE:
Wasser(Water)
I
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4.0.
280
Iwastherewhenseven
Powersbattledthewolf
namedUnforgiven,thatcame
frombeyondthebordersofthe
world.Itisathingtotellmy
grandchildrenofflshould
haveany.Iwasthere.
fromtheMemoirs ofAlice
.ÒBILIS :AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
elixirforunmakingcorruption .IftheAshreallydoesrunonbeautyandcorruption,
thentherecanbenothingmorebeautiful - fornothing but beautysurvivesinits
presence .
Themajorremainingpossibilityisthattheplayercharacterschoosetoallythemselves
withHalland .Inthiscase,theycanparticipateintheongoingdevelopmentofthe
CariesUnguentandcollectalliesonHalland'sbehalfforthecomingconflictwiththe
forcesofHell .TheymeettheDeceiver,whointendstokeepalowprofileandactlike
justanotherPowerinHalland'scircle .Unfortunately,Deceiversmustabidebythelaw
oftheirnature .Itcannotresistwormingitswaytowardstheinnercircleandbreaking
alliances .Inshort,itattemptstoromancetherelevantPowerawayfromHalland,and
itsunethicaltechniquesshouldeventuallyrevealitsnature .Atthispoint,thewisest
thingforthePCstodoistodestroythecurrentversionoftheCariesUnguent -how
terrible,todestroysuchbeauty! -andallthealchemicalnotes .Theycanthenpretend
thattheyneededtolullHalland'ssuspicionstogainthenecessaryopportunity.
Thisisagoodplan,butthePCsmightstillthrowyouacurveball .Forexample,they
mightfeelthatcompletingthedevelopmentoftheUnguentistoodangerous,butthat
losingtheworkwouldbeatragedy.TheydecidetostealitandferryituptheAshto
Heaven'sGate -tradingittotheAngelsforapromisethatitwillnotbeuseduntilthe
ExcruciansarelessofamenacethanHell .SinceyoudidnotplanatripontheAsh,
muchofthisstorywillbeimprovisation -butyoucanstillusesomeofyourplans .For
example,HallandcannotgatheranarmyagainstthePCs,sohesetsoutafterthemwith
theDeceiverascompany.AnoracleencounteredalongthewaywarnsthePCsthatby
thetimetheyreachHeaven,theDeceiverwillhaveturnedHalland'sloveandloyalty
entirelytohate .Hopefully,thePCsdevelopaplantosalvageHallandthattakesthem
untiltheendofthesession.Youcanthenworkoutthedetailsoftheirjourneyonthe
Ashbeforethenextsessionbegins .
Sincewestipulatedaplayergroupinterestedinromantic,optimisticstories,the
bestresolutionisloveovercomingall .However,itmustnotbe Halland's loveunilaterally
savingtheday -thePCsaretheprotagonists,andtheiractionsmustbeattheheartof
anyresolution.
CORRUPTION'SSERVICE: ANACTIONSTORY
Supposeyouwanttorunthisstoryforagroupofplayersinterestedinactionand
adventure .Inthiscase,guardtheprojectwithsomefairlytoughExcrucian-shards,ora
fewshardsandafullExcrucian.Thephysicalchallengeswillbegreaterinaction-based
games,thesocialchallengessimpler,andthemoralcrisesfewer .Inthisstoryinparticular,
thesabotageitselfistheheartofthechallenge .
Youdecidethatifthecharactersburstinthefrontdoor,theyarenomatchforthe
Excrucianguard.Ifpossible,though,theChildrenofHarumaphwillcapturerather
thankillthem -testingtheUnguenton .obilisshouldproveinformative .Perhaps
thePCswillcleverlyescape,orperhapstheywillsomehowrescuethemselvesviatheir
Anchors'bodies .IfthePCslooklikethey'regoingtostaycaptureduntiltheydie,the
Unguent -thathasstrangeeffectsontheothers -meltsthebondsawayfromthe PC
PowerofHeaven,givingthemachancetogetfree .
Incasethecharactersplansomecareful,clever,tacticalassaultthatcouldactually
succeed,youdetailthecharactersheetsoftheguardsandtheirprecautionsagainst
intrusion .Youalsosketchoutsomesubtlerpossibilities :thealchemistthinksthey're
workingforagoodcause,whichmeanstheExcruciansdon'tneedtorestricttheir
movements . That meansthatthePCscouldrecruitafamilymembertopersuadethe
alchemisttosabotagetheexperiments .Orperhapsthecharacterscouldpollutetheair
inthealchemist'slabwithabasemetal,suchaslead,andcorrupttheexperimentwithout
everseeingit .Inthiscase,oneoftheExcruciansinvolvedbeginstracingthem,andthe
PCs'goalistogetbacktotheChancelbeforeitcatchesuptothem .
Thecharactersmightthinkofsomethingelseentirely -stealingamilitaryplane
andbombingthealchemist'slabintorubble,forexample .That'sokay- youcanadapt
thelastideaandhavethedisappointedExcrucianmastermindsetouttocatchthe
planebeforeitgetsbacktotheChancel .Nowcomplicatethings -maybetheplaneis
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lowonfuelandmaybethemilitaryhasfiguredoutthattheirplaneismissing.Thisisa
solidtwo-sessionstory(investigationonesession,militaryplanehijinksthenext),even
thoughnothingmuchhappenedwiththeUnguentitself .Youcouldmakethestory
strongeriftheexplosivesfusedtheUnguent-in-progressintosomethingnewandstrange,
whichyouthenbringintothegameastoryortwolater .
Sincewestipulatedaplayergroupinterestedinactive,adventurousstories,thebest
resolutionhastheplayercharacterssucceedingbytheskinoftheirteeth,withlotsof
flashandbanginthemiddle.However,youmustnot give themthevictory - make
surethatyouhaveafailurescenariothatleavestheplayercharactersalive,sothatyou
canavoid PC deathwhilekeepingarealelementofrisk .
CORRUPTION' SSERVICE:OTHERPOSSIBILITIES
Someplayergroupsmightenjoymysteries,investigation,andconspiracymostofall .In
thiscase,youcanmakefinding thealchemist' slabthedifficultpart .Thehumansinvolved
consideritpartofamilitaryproject ;theCammorabelievesit' sundertheirthumb .
Layersofbureaucracyandsecrecyprotecttheproject' srecords .Trackingdownsomeone
whoknowsforsurethatthe REMEDYprojecteven exists involveschasingrumors,meeting
withCammoransinsmokybars,andsneakingintogovernmentinstallations .The
Nobilisaremuchbetteratallofthisthanmortals,butcrackingCammora-sponsored
governmentsecurity,particularlywhenExcrucian-shardshavelefttheirlittletrapshere
andthere,isadauntingproposition .
Foraplayergroupthatlikeshorror,omittheExcrucianelemententirely .Onefaction
ofDevilsisconstructingtheCariesUnguentasaweaponagainstanotherfaction .The
PCsstillcan' tletthealchemistsinvolvedperfecttheelixir,ortheeffectsonCreation
mightbedisastrous - butworkingcloselywithPowersofHellanddiabolicImperators,
fornobetterpurposethantoshutarivalgroupdown,makesjustaboutanyonefeel
dirty.Playuptheuglinessofthepeopleandthingstheplayercharactersmustwork
with .Itwon' thurtifatsomepointrivuletsofUnguentbeginrunningdownamortal
street,burningthehumanstheytouchalivebecauseoftheinnatecorruptionwithin
them - youshouldlookateventhesovereignremedytocorruptionthroughadark
lens,here.
1HEMATICSTORYTELLING
Thecoreofthematicstorytellingiscreatingeventsthatreflectthemesofinterestto
yourplayergroup.Oftenthesethemesderivedirectlyfromtheircharacters' Estates .If
someonedecidestoplaythePowerofDeception,theywantdeceptionandhonesty
andtruthandtreacheryandwhiteliesandkindliesandcoldliesandcruelliestobea
partofyourgame.IfsomeoneplaysthePowerofFear,theywanttoexplorewhatfear
doestopeopleandtheworld .Thematicstorytellingreliesonthesethemes.Itexplores
themthroughthemediumoftheeventsinthegame .Atitsedges,thematicstorytelling
mergeswithevent-drivenstorytelling - themesdonotexistinisolation,andthe
eventsthatreflectthemshouldmakeanicestoryontheirown .Inagamethatstudies
freewillversusdestiny,theplayers' actionsandthoseactions' consequencesshouldstill
shapedestiny,andtheeventsofthatdestinyshouldremaincoherent .Inagamethat
comparesbeautyagainstcorruption,andseekstofindthestrongerprinciple,Angels
andDevilsshouldnotspoutprosepoemsadvocatingthevirtuesoftheircode .Rather,
theyshouldtakeactionsthatreflecttheirprinciples .Intheoutcomeoftheiractionslies
theanswertothecomparison .
Whatthemesshouldyouchooseforyourgame?Ihavenoagendahere .Thekeystones
oftheNobleworldarehorrorandwonder,oftenintheformsofcorruptionandbeauty .
Beyondthat,theEstatesofthePCsandmajor NPCS shouldinfluenceyourchoiceof
themes(andviceversa) .Beyond that, considerwhatyou want yourgametobelike .If
youwantaslow,meditativegame,choosethemesthatonenormallyexploresovera
lifetime :thenatureofreality,consciousnessandtruth ;virtueagainstpracticality ;science
andfaithagainstignorance .Ifyouwantahip,quick-movinggame,choosethemesof
pressingrelevancetotheplayers :wheredoestheworldgofromhere?Whereshouldit
281
WedonotknowCneph' s
motives.Hemightmeanus
themostterribleofharm .We
donotservehimbecausewe
know.Wedonotservehim
becausewebelieve .Weserve
himbecausewecan.
-attributedtoHazael,
AngelofDisorder,Insanity,
andTime
"Youallseemunderacloud.
Donottellme!TheLady
Jasminehasbeenhere.Itell
you,shetracksdespairinlike
mudwherevershegoes ."
-from SEVENSTARS,ONE
STAGE, byKeikoTakemori
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282
Inaboldinitiativedesigned
tobringtogetherthebest
attributesofmoderncharity
andpaganworshiprites,
America' sFirstHarvestand
theChurchofDemeterhave
joinedtogethertocreatethe
firstrecordedFoodBurning
Drive.Modernefficiency
replacesdatedandunrealistic
techniquesasthesecombined
organizationssacrificethe
fooddonationsthatwould
otherwisemolderatthe
docksorfallintoawarlord' s
hands - improvingthe
healthofharvestsworldwide!
-fromthe CHOICENEWS
(atabloidonAsh-treeEarth)
N-
gofromhere?Howmuchcanoneaffordtodepersonalizeothersinordertosurvivein
afar-too-crowdedworld?Howmuchcanoneaffordto be depersonalizedinexchange
foreconomicadvantage?TheNobilis are,insomesense,static-theNobleworld
doesnotchangeasfastasthehumanworldhasbegunto .Powersarerarely
depersonalized .Still,agamecanexplorethedirectionofhumanfuturethroughthe
clashofdifferentNobleagendas,anddepersonalizationthroughthePowersofUtility
andFreedom .Further,theAnchorsandotherhumanswhoselivesareentangledwith
thoseoftheNobilis' provideastageonwhichtheseconceptscanplayoutintheirfull
glory.AgameofNOBILISdoesnothavetobehighart,andyoushouldnotexpectitto
be - butrememberthattheWorldoftheAshisananimisticplace .Ifthecoreconcepts
ofthegamearelifeless,thecharacterspeoplingthatworldarelifelessaswell .
Theessentialtechniqueofthematicstorytellingissimple .Createopportunitiesfor
characterswhorepresenteachsideofarelevantquestionorcomparisontoclashwithout
violence.TostudyGreedagainstLaughter,pitthetwoPowersagainstoneanother,as
below.TostudyFreedomagainstUtility,involvethecharactersinaconflictbetweenan
ImperatoroftheWildandastarklyutilitariancommanderinthewar .It' snotthe end
ofthestorythatmatters,buttheprocess .Usingthistechnique,evenanoviceHollyhock
Godwillmakestoriesthatmaketheangelssing .
THEMATICSTORYDESIGN:SPIRITUALITYVS .MATERIALISM
Supposeyouwishtoexplorethespirituality/materialismdichotomy .Letmerestateita
littlebit,tomakeitmorecontroversial:howmuchlife,howmuchspirit,howmuch
experienceandunderstandingisitworthgivingupinordertomaketheworld better
fortheliving,forthebeingswithsouls,forthewell-traveledandthelearned?
MaterialismoffersusScience,PhysicalHealth,Technology,andWealth .Italso
bringsusGreed,Pollution,Classism,andSelfishness .Whodothesethingsdefine?
Build any NPCguidedbyorinvolvedinoneortwoofthesethings .Throwinalittle
charactertomixwiththecaricature .Youhavecreatedsomeonewhobringstheworld
tolife - and representsonesideofthisstruggle .
SpiritualitygivesusEthics,Virtue,Wisdom,and,ofcourse,abetterUnderstanding
ofthewaysofthemythicreality.Ontheotherhand,italsooffersupWillfullyIgnorant
Faith,whichisasbadasallmaterialism' sflawscombined .Again,useoneortwoof
theseelementsandyoucancreateasymbol and a new NPC. Ageneric"Ethical"person
isboring -butimagineastreetpersonwhocouldeasilyfindemployment,exceptthat
theyfeelthateverycoinandbillisacrimeagainstthepoor,onetheycannotwillingly
participatein .Orperhapsthejobthe NPCismostskilledatistheft,andtheycannot
bringthemselvestodoitanylonger.Thispersonbeginstobeinteresting ;nowthrowin
somethingtomakethemimportantaswell .PerhapstheghostofaformerPower
occasionallypossessesthem?Perhapstheyarethemain(innocent)participantinone
ofthecorruptedmoralityplaystheExcruciansuseintheirflowerrites?Orperhaps
theyareanExcrucianAnchor,takingalesshonestroleintheproceedings?
Ofcourse,thissortofcharacterisn' tthewholestory .Youcanalsocreatesituations
thatreflectthethemesofthecampaign .Forinstance,ifthePCsaresofoolishasto
makeanopen-endedagreementwithaCammoran,theirhonormayimpelthemto
participateintheCammoran' sactsofgreed .Somethingsimilarcanbedonewitha
hostage' ssafetyinsteadofthePCs' honoratstake .ThePCs,caughtbetweenthepolesof
honorandgreed,showintheiractionswhichforceisstronger.
Whenyou' vebeenplayingwiththesethemesforawhile,andthewaysthePCsdeal
withthemhavebeenestablished,thePCscanencounterthePowersboundtoWillfully
IgnorantFaith,Ethics,Greed,Technology,Wealth,Wisdom,andScience .ThesePowers
willreflectinminiatureallthathasgonebefore .SinceEstatestalktotheirSovereigns,
thesePowersmaywellhave words forthePCs!
AnotherpossiblethemeisLaw.Muchof5VBILishasinfactbeenbuiltuponthis
theme .Wegiveawaythegreatestgiftthatwehavebeengiven,thefreedomofchoice,
inthenameofsocialorder.Thisisacrimeagainstoursouls,butitis a necessary thing.
Orisit?In
.NoBiLIs,
variousfellfigureshavepervertedmuchoftheformallaw,both
forPowersandformortals .Thisyieldsanopportunitytoseewhatunwrittencodesthe
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(potentially)verydifferentPCsand NPCS willarriveat .Then,ofcourse,thereisthe
questionofjusthowmuchofthatformallawisworthaccepting,giventhatit does order
thesociety.Whenallthat' sdone - itcomesbacktotheAngelofLawandthePower
ofJustice .
THEMATICIMPROVISATION:GREEDVS .LAUGHTER
ThematicstorytellingtakesadvantageofthenatureoftheNobleworld .In NOBILIS,
everyconcepthasahuman(orinhuman)face .ThebigideashaveImperatorsand
Powers :Greed,Fire,Hope,Death,Mathematics,Stasis,andDynamicSystems .The
smallideashaveanimisticspirits :onewoman' sgreed,onefireplace' sfire,oneman' s
hope,andonechild' sdeath .Inmostgames,theHollyhockGod - ortheequivalent
Storyteller,GameMaster,orDungeonMaster - mustintroducethematicelements
"onthesly" .Exploringmoralandphilosophicalissuesmustalwaystakesecondstageto
theeventsinthegame,becausethe events arewhatmattertothecharacters' lives .For
NoBILIs charactersthesituationdiffers .Imperators,Excrucians,andPowerscarealot
moreabouttheconcepts,themes,motifs,ideas,andimplicationsofasetofeventsthan
theycareabouttheeventsthemselves .
ConsidertheContessaofGreed.LikemostPowers,shehasaBondto"thesanctity
ofherEstate ."ThisboilsdowntotheideathatnoonebutherselfandherImperator
shouldgettoscrewaroundwithGreed .She' slikelyto"keepherhandin"byparticipating
inandencouragingactsofgreedinthemortalworld .YoucanfindtheContessaatthe
heartofschemesofgrandlarcenyandfraud .Shemeddlesininheritancedisputesand
helpsmassivecorporationsmanipulatethepublictrust .Sheenjoyswatchinghumans
struggletochoosebetweencareerandfamily,knowingthatgreed -thedesirefor
wealthandprivilege - isatthecoreofthisstruggle .
TheContessahasnoinvestmentinthe outcome ofthesedioramasofgreed .Ifshe
wantsathieftosucceed,thethiefsucceeds!Ifshewantsthethieftofail,thethieffails!
Ifshewantsallofadeadman' sinheritancetogotoatrustfundsetupforhiscatand
managedbyhisworstenemy,shearrangesit .EvenwhensomePowerattemptsto
defiletheContessa' sEstatewithanettlerite,oranExcruciantriestotwistit,orthe
Contessausesgreed-affiliatedeventsaspartofaplanaimedatherenemies,it' s still not
theoutcomethatmatters .It' sthemeaningoftheevents .It' sthewaygreedinteracts
withtheworld .Often,whentheContessainteractswiththeplayercharacters,it' sthe
waygreedinteractswith theirEstates thatmattersmost .
Ifyousetouttotellathematicstory,thecoreofyourstoryistheinterplaybetween
theEstatesoftheplayercharactersandtheEstatesoftheinvolved NPCs. You,asthe
HollyhockGod,canexplorevariousissuesandideasthroughthisinterplay .Youcan
safelydevotethegametosuchexplorationsbecausethesearethethingsthe characters
careabout,andtheinterplayofconceptsiswhatdetermineshowtheysucceedinthe
world .Inmanycases,becauseyouhavenoattachmenttoanyparticularcourseofevents,
youcanimprovisethisthematicinterplay - youwon' tneedtodrawonadetailed
plotline .
ArelativelymundaneencounterbetweentheDukeofLaughter,a PC, andthe
ContessaofGreedmightplayoutasfollows .OneoftheDuke' sAnchorsworksfora
smallmultinational .However,themassivepersonnelcutsfollowingahostiletakeover
endangerhisjob.TheDukewantstokeephisAnchor"inposition,"butbeforehe
pokeshisnoseinandrearrangesmatters,heinterrogatesthebruisedandbattered
corporationspirittocheckforNobleinvolvement .DiscoveringthattheContessatook
afewminutesoutofherdaytooverseethetakeover,theDukepaysherapolitevisit .
Fortheobviousreason - hertietothesanctityofherEstate -theContessadoesnot
wanttheDuketomeddlewiththetakeoveranditsconsequences .Nordoesshewishto
interfereherselfinamannerdetrimentaltogreed .She does, however,appreciatethe
courtesytheDukepaidherinvisitinghertodiscussthematterratherthanjusttaking
action .Sheoffershima"challengeofthrees"(p . 195) .
TheDuke' sopeningmove,inthischallenge,istomaketheveryideaoffuture
layoffslaughable - infact,hilarious .Tocontinuetheprocesswouldjeopardizethe
administrators' pride.TheContessacounterswithanAspectmiracle,verballypersuading
Ipurchasedthischildinthe
marketatOfeili.Her
laughterwasaspureand
brilliantasthesun ."
"Canlaughterbe
brilliant?"
Itsoundedsotome."
"Well,then,Iwishtohear
it.Provokehertolaugh?"
Icannot.Shehasnot
laughedforseveralyears;and
nomeanshaveproved
cienttoencourageitfrom
her."
-from COLLECTORS, by
MelanieTumbarius
283
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284
Thederu-derulookslike
nothinginparticularwhenit
hatchesfromtheegg.Ithides
indarkplaces,andwhena
humanpassesby,ithooksa
littlebitofthehuman' s life
withitslong,thin,nimble,
hairylegs.Ittakesmanyyears
ofassiduouscollectionfora
deru-derutobecomean
adult - tocollectenoughbits
andpiecesofmemory,shape,
experience,andsoultoleave
thedarkplacesandpassfor
humanamonghumanity.
Thenitcanfindamate,ffit
isnottooold,andlayaclutch
ofeggs,sothatthecyclecan
beginagain.
-from AMEDIEVAL
BESTIARY, byPaul
McArthur
thenew CEOthathiscareerandfamilybothabsolutelydependoncontinuingthe
cutbacks,sillythoughthenotionmaybe .AstheContessaofGreedunderstands,humans
willdoeventhemostludicrousthingsfortheirfinancialwell-being .
Laughterisatoolfordivisionandderision,amongitsotheruses,sotheDukeuses
amiracleofDomaintoisolateuppermanagement .Itbecomessociallyacceptable,
withinthecorporation,tosmirkatandutterlyignorethedictatesfilteringdownfrom
above.Forallintentsandpurposes,middlemanagementstagesacoup .Itsmission
statementreads,"Preservethestatusquo ."Beforetheoldpolicycompletelydies,however,
theContessaspendsamiraclepointandissuesanedict(miracle)oflesserpreservation .
Despitetheever-wideninggapbetweenupperandmiddlemanagement,between
decisionandimplementation,thegreed-drivenpoliciesresponsibleforthebreak-upof
thecompanycontinuetoleapthegapunchecked .Thismanifestscorporeallyasmid-
leveladministratorscuttingdealswiththefuriouslyimpotentuppermanagementto
implementtheirprogramsatalowerlevel .
TheDukerealizesthathedoesnothaveenoughofanedgeatthispointtowinthe
conflict -whateverhedoes,theContessacanmostlikelyundo .Accordingly,hesettles
downwithachartmappingtheflowofinfluenceinthecorporationasitstands .Pushing
hisbrainbeyonditsnormalcapacitywithanAspectmiraclepoint,hedetermineswhom
hisAnchormusttalktoandwhathisAnchormustcontroltoget"inontheaction" -
tofirmuphispositiontothepointwherehecanpreventothersfromfiringhim .The
Dukehasusedhisthirdmiracleinarelativelyneutralmanner.TheContessamustnow
decidewhethertospitetheDukeorgraciouslyrefrainfromusingherlastmiracle
againsthim .
Theabovedescriptionrepresentsa"chanceencounter"betweentwoPowers .It
offersnothingmorethanasmallchancetoexaminewhetherlaughterorgreedisstronger .
SincetheDukemovedfirst,andtheContessahadtheadvantageofmovinglast,its
answerisnotdefinitive - but,inplay,theexplorationshouldbeofinterest .ThePowers
oftheDuke' sFamiliahavehadtheopportunitytoconsidertheirownanswerstogreed
andtheDuke' splayerhasgivenhisorherbrainamildworkout .TheHollyhockGod
canlivenupsuchchanceconflictsinotherways - anyformofpeacefulconflict
resolutioncaneasilybecomeastudyoftheinteractionofEstates .
Naturally,thereareotheroccasionsforNobleinteractionthanchanceencounters .
Sometimes,onePowerseeksanotherout ;thisusuallymeansthattheirEstatesare
alreadyinterlacedinsomesituationinthemortalorNobleworlds .Insuchcircumstances,
thePowersmostlikelyco-operateorengageinopen-endedconflicttoshapethe
situation.Nettleritesandflowerrites,inparticular,makesimplescenariosinthemortal
world very important .WhenfightinganettleriteorflowerriteaimedattheirEstate
(andoftenwhendealingwithnettleritesaimedatotherBonds),thePowersseekto
resolvethesituationinawaycompatiblewiththeprinciplesoftheirEstate .Their
searchforthebestsolutionbecomesanexpressionoftheirtheme - theconceptthey
represent .Thisplaysoutagainstathemeprovidedbytheirrivals .
CAMPAIGNS
Thecampaignisthe"bigpicture" - thestorythatunitesallthestories,thegrand
visionforyourgame .Whileindividualstoriesmaywander,thecampaignstaystrueto
itscourse .Acampaignresemblesaseriesofnovels,eachofwhichshowsaslightly
differentaspectoftheoverallidea .Somenovelserieshaveadefinitebeginningand
ending,alargerstorythatconnectsthemall .Otherslinktogetherbasedonacommon
themeandcharacters,whereanynumberofstoriescanbetoldbutallthestoriesare,in
onesenseoranother,alike .
CLOSEDCAMPAIGNS
Inaclosedcampaign,youhaveahugeepicthatyouwishtocreate- agiantbackdrop
foraseriesofstoriesaboutthe PCs . Forexample,youmightdecidethatthefundamental
"crack"intheworld' sdefensesthatgavetheExcruciansaccesstoitwastheWarin
Heaven .Specifically,theshatteringofthefirstlove - betweenLuciferandMichael,
OPPOSITE:
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286
Creationisinherentlyfinite.
TolosetheExcrucianWaris
tobringanendtohistory.To
wintheWaristoendthe
ThirdAge,andmovehistory
onegreatstepclosertoits
finalconclusion .Ourworldis
doomed;ouronlychoiceisa
choiceofendings.
-from APHILOSOPHYOF
TREASON, byAugusta
Valentina(suppressed)
` OBILIS :AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
or,moreconventionally,LuciferandtheAngelRachael - brokethedefensesofthe
world .TheValdeBellumcannotenduntilthetwoofthemreunite,inHeavenorin
Hell .SincethePCsmustbecentraltothisreunion,youdecidetoofferyourplayersa
choice :playthePowersofLuciferandhisone-timebeloved,orplaythePowersofan
AngelandaDevilcloseintheirconfidence .Itreflectstheoverallthemeofthegameif
thePCshavestrongtiestooneanotherfromtheirmortallives,causingthemtoillicitly
allyasPowers.Ifnot,thensomeoneorsomethingencouragesthePowersofthetwo
Imperatorsto ally earlyoninthegame .Luciferandhisbelovedaretoostiffandinjured
aboutthewholeaffairtoforbidit.Youplanontellingafewgeneralstories,afew
storiesabouttheValdeBellum,somethingcenteredaroundaflashbackorvisittothe
FirstAge,andthenintroducesomewaythePCsmightbringthetwobacktogether.
PerhapsLuciferlockeduphisloveinhisAnchors(p .107-108)andhiscounterpart
boundhisorhersintothegatesofHeaven ;thecharacterscouldunleashtheseforces,
againstExcrucianopposition,andthenbringLuciferandhisex-lovertogetherphysically
bysubterfuge .
Youmighthavealessspecificidea .PerhapsyoudecidethatthePCswereaquatic
creatures(jellyfish,sharks,dolphins,squids,octopi,andsoforth)beforetheir
Commencement.You' llplayoutsomestoriesagainstthebackdropoftheoceanand
theculturestheplayersdevisefortheirPCs' species .Whenthestoriesstarttopoint
towardsafinalresolution,you' lldevelopitfromthere .Thiscouldbearelativelyminor
campaign - someonewantstoraiseAtlantis,stealingitfromtheWildlordAdalia
and,moreimportantly,thefish;thePCsmuststopthem .Itcouldbesomethingmore
grandiose .Perhapshumanityisdying,andthecharactersmustshepherdthecivilized
butdumbspeciesoftheoceanintohuman-levelintelligence,spirit,andtechnologyto
savetheEstatesofmodernlifeonEarth .
Each PCinaclosedcampaignhastheirownpersonalstory- somethingcentralto
thecharacterthatshouldberesolvednearoratthecampaign' sending .Youwon' t
necessarilyknowwhatthisisattheopeningofthegame,eveniftheplayerisnice
enoughtovouchsafetheirguess - charactersdevelopduringplay.However,most
goodcharactershaveatraumaorflawtoovercome,agrandgoaltoachieve,ascoreto
settle,aloveorloyaltytofind,orsomethingelsefundamentallymissingintheirlives .
Theirpersonalstoryistheprocessoftheirfillinginthatmissingpiece .Iftheyfillitin
toosoon,you' llhavetostartanewpersonalstoryforthecharacter - sotryandlink
theresolutionofthatstorytotheresolutionofthecampaign .
ConsideragainthecampaignbasedonrepairingLucifer' sbrokenlove .APCwhose
fundamentalcrisisisself-worth - someonewhofeelsthatevenasaNoble,theyhave
somethingtoprove,becauseNobilitywashandedtothemandnotearned - should
playanimportantroleinthecampaignresolution .Ideally,itistheirmoralcharacter
andnottheirpowersthathelpmakeasuccessfulconclusiontothegamepossible .This
resolvestheirstory.APCwarcriminalwhoswearstotrackdownandbegforgivenessof
allthesurvivorsoftheiractsinstantlyspellsouttheirpersonalstoryforyou .Perhaps
oneofthosesurvivors,enNobled,becomesoneofthecharacters' majoropponents -
standinginthewayofafavorableresolution .Ifyoufeellikepullingpunches,the
character' sapologyturnsthingsaround .Ifyoudon' t,theapologychangesnothing .
The PCmustdecidewhethertostickbyprincipleortodestroytheiropponent/victim
toallowtheworldtoheal .SomePCswillspendthegamesearchingforlove ;perhaps
youcansubtlyarrangeforsucha PCtofallforanExcrucian .TheValdeBellumisan
insurmountablebarriertothislove - unless,ofcourse,thePCssucceed,andthe
Excrucianscannolongerpracticallycontinuetheirwar.
Don' tbeafraidtoprogressslowlyonthecampaignplotline,inchingtowardsthe
grandgoaloverthecourseofmanyonlypartiallyrelatedstories .Inonestory,the
charactersmightneedtosaveatraitorfromtheLocustCourtsimplytolearnthe
locationofoneofLucifer' sAnchors - that' senoughtogivethePCsasenseofprogress,
withoutmovingtooquicklytothepayoff .Theymightspendanotherstorygathering
supportataluck-collectingfestival,whilefendingoffthesocialmaneuveringsofan
adversaryandfightingasmallghostmiracleduelwiththehost .Onlyneartheend,
whenthegoalisinsight,shouldyoupickupthepace .Theexceptionisgameswhere,
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foronereasonoranother,youwanttofinishupyourplotinone,two,five,ten,orsome
othersmallnumberofsessions.Inthiscase,youwillneedtomoveeventsforwardata
fastclip - usually,afasterclipthanyouexpect - tofinisheverythingontime .Until
you' rereasonablyexperienced,buildanepicyouthinkyoucancompleteinabouthalf
thetimeyouactuallyhave ;thatway,you' llbesuretofinishit .
OPEN- ENDEDCAMPAIGNS
Whencreatinganopen-endedcampaign,youhavenointentionofbringingeventsto
aclose .Instead,youexpecttokeeptellingstoriesuntiltheplayergroupgrowswearyof
thegame .Choosingbetweenopen-endedandclosedcampaignsispurelyamatterof
taste .Myonlyadviceon which campaignstyletoemployisthatchangingaclosed
campaignretroactivelyintoanopen-endedcampaigncanspoiltheclimax .Ifyoureach
thelogicalendofthecampaignandnoonewantstostopplayingtheircharacters,take
abreakandcomeupwithanewopenorclosedcampaignthatusesthesamecharacters
buthasdifferentthemes,ideas,andstories .
Atightlythemed open-endedcampaignhasstylisticandthematicsimilaritieslinking
itsstoriestogether.Often,thesestories - orgroupsofseveralstories - shareroughly
thesameformat.Justlikeanovelistwhowritesaseriesofmysteriesorthrillersrarely
transplantstheircharacterswithoutwarningintoafantasyortruecrimesetting,you
createthestoryarcsinatypicaltightlythemedcampaignaccordingtoalooseformula .
Onepossibleformatforanopen-endedcampaignisstagedtragedies .Ineachstory,the
malfeasanceofsomeNobleinevitablyleadstoasetbackintheValdeBellum .The
playercharactersmustsalvagewhattheycan .Alternately,thestoriescouldbemannerist
comedies:eachstorybringsthecharactersintoanawkwardsocialsituationintheir
relativelystablecircleofpeers,withoneofthemajor ,NOBILIS elements(theExcrucians,
Imperialorders,travelontheAsh,thestrugglebetweenHeavenandHell)providing
varietyandamajorsubplot .Athemeofhighadventureiscommon,wherethecharacters
faceoffagainstmysteriousantagonistswhoseplanstheymustfirstuncoverandthen
thwart .AnongoingdramafocusingonNobleintrigueandChancelgovernment
canmaintainarelativelystable"feel"whileallowingthecharactersbothsuccessesand
failures - particularlyiftheissuesaremuddiedandneithersuccessorfailureisever
absolute .Youcanalsocreatenewgenresofyourown,suchasthe noir philosophical,
wherethemajorprinciplesofrealitymovethroughaworldofseedybarsandtawdry
relationshipsandtheascendanceofTruthoverDeceptiondependsontheturnofthe
cards .
Atightlythemedcampaigncanalsolinkitsstoriestogetherbyothermeans .You
haveastronglinkbetweenstoriesinthegroupofPCs .Agoodconnectiontoreinforce
thiswithisafixedsetofimportantideasthatallyourstoriesreflect .Forexample,if
yourgameregularlyfocuseson"newfrontiers" - unexploredworldsontheAsh,the
deepsea,thefringeofscientificandsocialprogress,lostcontinents,andthelike - it
canconnectdiversely-styledstoriessetonthosefrontiers .
Anothervarietyofopen-endedcampaignhasnocleardivisionintostoriesatall .
Forthisstyleofcampaign,refreshmiraclepointsatafixedratepersession - acharacter' s
totalmpsineachattributerefresheverythreesessions,forexample,roughlyevenly .
BuildeverythingontheunfoldingplansofthePCsandasmallhandfulofmajor NPCs.
Don' tstruggletomakethingscometogetherneatlyintobeginningsandendings .Rather,
atalltimes,tryandhaveseveralinterestingpossiblefuturesmappedout .Whichone
thePCsencounterdependsontheoutcomeoftheirimmediateefforts .
CAMPAIGNSTYLE:CREATINGTHEGAMEYOUWANT
Thefirststeptowardscreatingagamethat"feels"likeyouwantittofeelistotalktothe
players .IfyouwantthePCstosolvetheirproblemsthroughbizarreandeccentric
programs,byquestingfortheneedleCnephusedtosewtogetherCreationorbycreating
newsciences,theplayersmust know youdon' texpectthemtosweet-talk,intimidate,or
despairattheirproblemsinstead .Youmaywanttorunthroughafewthoughtexercises
beforestartingthegame,askingeachplayerhowtheircharactermightsolveoneproblem
oranother.
287
WhenIfearthatweshallall
dieandnothingofCreation
shallremain,Ihaveonlyto
lookatthestars -
untouchable,unconquerable,
eternal -andmyheart
growscalm.
AngoulaffretheBroken-
Toothed,Aaron' sSerpent
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288
ToomanyNobles,possessedof
thepowertoshapetheir
Chancelastheywill,loseall
sense ofproportion .Certainly,
itinstillsproperfearand
respectifthestonesaround
one' shomegnashfangsand
roarwhenvisitorsapproach.
Certainly,itengendersaweif
one' spalacehangshighabove
theground,supportedbythe
thunderofathousandair-
spirits' wings .Yetonemay
instillthesamefearwitha
flayedtraitor' sheadpreserved
uponapike;andthesame
wonderwithasingletree
whosebranchesshineassilver
asthemoon.
-fromATOURIST' SGUIDE
TOCREATION, byJasprite
Sherrard
Thesecondstepistomakesurethatthesolutionsyouwanttheplayercharactersto
use work . Ifyouwantagamewithaheavysocialfocus,thenyoushouldavoid NPCs that
snubthePCsnomatterwhattheydo .IfyouwantPCswhoactsubtly,thensubtle
approachesshouldsolvetheirproblems .IfyouwantPCstogenerouslysharetheirabilities
withthosewhoneedhelp,thenyoushouldminimizethefrequencywithwhich
generosityleadsthemtoabadend .Thispointmayseemobvious,butit' seasytoforget
itduringplay.
Thethirdstepiscreatingstoriesthatreflectthefeelyouwant .Thisideamay
intimidateyou.IfyouadoreNeilGaiman' s Sandman, RogerZelazny' s JackofShadows,
orSusanCooper' s TheGreyKing, itmightseematerriblylargetasktocapturetheir
touchinyourgame.Ifyouhaveanebulousvisionofyourowntoworkfrom,itmight
seemevenlarger!Forthesesituations,Iofferpracticaladvice .Thesuperficialelements
ofyourvisionoranauthor' sworkoftenimplicitlycontainthemythicsubstrate .To
captureagivenfeel,therefore,startwiththesurfaceandworkinwards .Tocreateanew
andunexpectedstyleforyourgame,startwithahandfulofideasandworkoutwards .
Forexample,supposeyouintendtorunagamecapturingthefeeloftheOld
Testament.YouwritedownalistofsomeoftheOldTestament' ssuperficialtraits -
events,situations,places,ideas,andthingsthatseemtoreflectitsfeel .
Forexample :
Plagues(locusts,toads,snakes,deathofthefirstborn,boils,disease,rainsoffire
anddevastation) .
Humansarefallible,evilandidolatrous .
Godarmorstherighteous .
Genealogyisvital .
Akingdomis very difficulttoholdtogether.

4, EverysufferingdescendsfromtheprimalsinofdisobediencetoGod .
Youmaywanttoskimtherelevantmanuscripts,ormeditateontheideainyourhead,
andscribbledownlittleelementsthatcatchyourmind' seye-"noworkontheSabbath",
"rodsturnintoserpents",andthelike .Theideaisthatburiedinalltheselittledetails
you' llfindareflectionoftheunderlyingprinciplesthatcreatedthem .Refertoyourlist
ofnotes,orthinkaboutthem,regularlyduringthecourseofplanningandrunningthe
game .Then,whenthePowerofGunssmitessomearrogantmortal,you' llhaveitfresh
inyourmind - "Oh.Insteadofshootingthesot, plague themwithguns .Maybethe
spotrightabovetheirleftear,justfarenoughfromtheirheadtopreventdeafness,
attractsstraybullets .Ormaybetheirfriendsandfamilyandco-workersalldiebythe
gun ."Bam - instantBiblicalvengeance!Perhapsthe NPCs thePowersencounterin
theirChancelspoutofftheirparents' andgrandparents' andgreat-grandparents' names
moreoftenthantheygivetheirown .Fatemightthwartthecharacterswhoattemptto
punishthepure(ofheart,oroffaith) .Throughthelittlethingssuchasthis,youtrain
yourmindtothinkinthecorrect"mode"forthefeelyouseektoemulate .
Ianthe
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Chapterz3
ConcludingVyasa
THEBOOKOFQUESTIONS
ThisisthelastquestionthatVyasawrote .
I.
Itspagesarewithoutnumber .
2. Itscovershowsahumanface.
3.
Whowritesthebookoftheworld?
THEBOOKOFTHEWORLD
Thistextisonlythebeginning .Itswordsdonotdefine
,JVOBILIs . Theyarethethreadsofthetapestryoffate,notthe
pattern .Theyarethebinding,thepages,thefonts,andthe
inkofthebookoftheworld .
Youwhowritethestoriesinthatbook,begin .
289
CHAPTER23: CONCLUDINGVYASA
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Editor: Bruce Baugh
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4.0.
AppendixA
Glossary
291
APPENDIXA:GLOSSARY
C
Note: Pickyplayersmaywishtomakethefollowing Aaron'sSerpents:giantsnakes;the Cammora,The:themortalarmof
terminologysubstitutions,tobringthelanguageof childrenoftheWorldAsh . LordEntropy'srule,blessedwith
the
. obilis
moreinlinewiththeoriginalLatin: Abaton:ahollowworld,foundonthe manymagicalgifts.
BellumMagnumcanreplaceValdeBellum ; WorldAsh. Cammorae:membersofthe
dementiaanimicanreplacedementiaanimus ; AcmonionWood,The:thetrysting Cammora.
FamiliaNuminiumcanreplaceFamiliaPotens; placeforunlawfulloves,foundon Cammoran:amemberofthe
ImperatorOccultuscanreplaceImperator theWorldAsh. Cammora.
Occulte;
Aelfscienne:theworldoftheDock- Campaign:asetofgamesessions
ImperatoresOcculticanreplaceImperators
AlfarandLjos-Alfar,foundon havingthesamegeneral
Occulte;
theWorldAsh. continuityandcharacters.
q* LocusArcanuscanreplaceLocusCelatum;and
Allia:anextensionoftheImperator's Cantrips:LevelDomainorRealm
'' LociArcanicanreplaceLociCelatum
spirit,goodforonewish . Miracles.
Ananda:themostapproachable CausaCausans:thefirstcauseof
memberoftheCouncilofFour. things. seespiritusDei
Anchor:ahumanboundsoul-to-soul Chancel:ahiddenplacewhere
withaPowerorExcrucian-shard. Noblesruleandtheworldlaws
Angels:thenaturalinhabitantsof aredifferent.
Heaven. Chrysanthemums,Yellow:the
Anguli:thetiniestinhabitantsofthe FlowersofDejection,thatgrow,
mythicworld. closed,onangels'graves.
Ash,The:seeWorldAsh CleaveoftheBotanists,The:asecret
Aspect:out-of-charactertermforthe societysearchingforthe
physicalandmentalbodyand Philosopher'sFlower.
powersofacharacter. Cneph:iCtermfortheCreator.
Auctoritas:the"Chancelofthe Commencement:themomentwhen
Body",amysticshieldprotecting aPowerbecomesaPower.
mostSovereignsfrommiracles. Cosset:oneofLordEntropy's"pets" :
Avara:magicscreatedalongwitha animblejack,ogre,ordomicellus.
"Sotheyspeak
this'True . . .
Chancel. CouncilofFour:theImperatorswho
Tongue',inHeaven?"
'Theconservativesdo,"
governthephysicalsideofEarth .
heanswered. `Hipmodern LedbyLordEntropy.
angelsspeakLatin,
Curetes:warriorsoftheOldGods .
naturally. "
TheCuretesbetrayedtheir
-from CONVERSATIONS
WITHANDROCLES, byjen
Bane:anastymagicalby-productof mastersandhelpedtheNew
Hogan theRitethatcreatesaChancel. Godssurvive.
Baron:aniCtitleusuallygivento
thosewithWeak(Level)
Domain.
ID
Baronet:weakPowerswhoarethe
puppetsoftheirbetters. Dark,The:theImperatorsand
Bicorn:aCammoran. Powerswhowouldliketosee
Bloodsucker:vulgartermfora humanitydestroyitself.
Cammoran. DarkestLord,The:seeLord
OPPOSITE:
WomanandChild
Breakthrough:anExcrucianattack Entropy
byCharlesVess ontheEarth. DarkHorde:theExcrucians.
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292
EdgeCauldrons,The:greatvessels
onDionylafirewithraremagics
thathelptheImperators.
EmperortoCome,the:seeAnanda
Entropy:seeLordEntropy
Ephemeral,the:Anchors.
Estate:seeDomain.
Excrucian:Abeingfromoutside
Creationwhowishestoseeit
destroyed.
ExcrucianWar:seeValdeBellum
Exemplar:aniCtermusually
referencingPowersthathave
AspectLevelS.
r
FamiliaCaelestis:thesetofPowers
whoserveagivenImperator.
FamiliaPotens:FamilyofPowers.
Literally,"PowerfulFamily" . See
FamiliaCaelestis.
HG: seeHollyhockGod
HollyhockGod:anooCterm
referringtothepersonwhoruns
the,oBiLis game.
Hook:seeAnchor
I
iC :seeInCharacter
Imperator:abeingmadeentirely
fromspiritusDei;amotiveforce
behindreality.
ImperatorOcculte:seeImperator
ImperialMiracles:themiraclesofthe
Imperators,withvastpowerand
unknownconstraints.
Incandescence:afirethatburnstoo
brightly;aPowerkilledinwar;a
PowerofLordEntropy.
InCharacter:thingsthataresaidand
donebythePCsand NPCs are"in
character" .
M
Marchessa:anistitleusuallygivento
femalePowerswithForceful
(Level3)Domain.
Marquis:aniCtitleusuallygivento
malePowerswithForceful(Level
3)Domain.
Minime:seeAnguli
Mosaic,The:adivinationalpathin
Serpenthane.
MythicWorld,The:theEarth,as
seenbythemystical. Cf. Prosaic
Earth.
NettleRite:aSimpleRitethatsteals
powerfromanenemyby
damagingathingtheyvalue.
DarkHorsemen:theExcrucians. Ferohers:nativesofthespiritworld, InquisitorialChancels:theChancels
Degalim:AnImperiallegion. semi-sentient. thatinvestigatepossibleMimics
DementiaAnimus:the"mental
Fledglings:Powersnewly andtraitorousImperators.
illness"sufferedbyahumanstuck
Commenced. InquisitorialPower:aPowerofthe
inthemythicworld.
InquisitorialChancels.
Dionyl:aworldontheWorldAsh ;
also,itspeople,spiritsinhabiting
emptysuitsofclothes. G
Divination:theuseofinformational GardenThatIsNoMore:Eden.
miraclesormagics. GreatWar:seeValdeBellum Jotun:agiantofJotunheim .
Domain(iC):thepieceofrealitytied GreatWork(inHeaven) :theangels' Jotunheim:aworldofgiants,found
toagivenPower. laborstokeepHeavenboth ontheWorldAsh.
Domain(ooC) :theAttribute dynamicandperfect.
describingthePC'scontrolover GrimKing:thenametheCleaveof
theirICDomain/Estate. theBotanistsgivestoScorn's-
Domicelli:LordEntropy'shuman RegalJoktan.
personalservants(thosewho Guard:seeChancel Keep:seeChancel
servehimdirectly) .
Domina:afemalePower. Usage:the
Dominaof(Estate),e. g . the
DominaofRoads.
H
Dominus:amalePower. Usage:the Lady:Usually,afemaleImperator.
Dominusof(Estate),e. g . the Harumaph:amythicalextra- Sometimes,afemalePower.
DominusofPain. dimensionalbeing;thenegative Light,The:theImperatorsand
Duchess:anistitleusuallygivento counterparttoCneph,the Powersdedicatedtohumanity's
femalePowerswithMasterful Creator. preservation.
(Level4)Domain. Harumaph'sChildren:the LocusCelatum :seeChancel
Duke:anistitleusuallygivento Excrucians(atermtheyusefor Lord:Usually,amaleImperator.
malePowerswithMasterful themselves) . Sometimes,amalePower.
(Level 4) Domain. Heaven:arealmofperfectbeauty, LordEntropy:theleaderofthe
atoptheWorldAsh. CouncilofFour(Imperators)who
Hell:arealmofperfectcorruption ruletheEarth.
E
andagony,inwhichtheWorld LordofExpectations,the:see
Ashisrooted. Ananda
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I
NewGod:oneoftheyoungertrue
gods,bornafterorshortlybefore
theFall.
Nimblejack:aninhumanlyquick
creature,createdbyLordEntropy,
withasicksenseofhumor.
. obilis,The:Thesetofallknown
Powers.
NOBILIS:Thetitleofthegame. Note
typographicaldifference.
NobleOnes,The:see obilis
Nobles,The:see
.obilis
Non-PlayerCharacter:acharacterin
theuniverseofthegamenormally
playedbythe HG.
NPC: seeNon-PlayerCharacter
O
Ogre:aninhumanlystrongand
viciouscreature,createdbyLord
Entropy.
OldGod:oneoftheearliestofthe
"truegods",bornbeforethelaw
forbadeeatingnewgods.
Once-Born:aPowerwithLevelo
Aspect(thosewhoretaintheir
humanbodies).
ooC:seeOutofCharacter
OutofCharacter:thingstheplayers
or HGsayordothatareunrelated
tospecificgameevents.
1P
Pawn(oftheirEstate):aPowerwho
istheplaythingoftheirEstate(or
hasLeveloDomain) .
PC: seePlayerCharacter
PlayerCharacter:themainpersonaa
playerassumesduringthegame
(usuallyaPower).
Power:ahuman(oranimal)invested
withashardofanImperator's
soul.
ProsaicEarth,The:theworld,as
seenbythemundane. Cf. Mythic
World.
1k
Radiant:anistermusually
referencingaPowerwithLeveli
Realm.
Realm (iC): aworldontheTree,ora
Chancel.
Realm(ooC):theAttributethat
governsaPC'spowerovertheir
Chancel.
Realm'sHeart(iC): themystic
"center"ofaChancel,oraPower
tiedtoit.
Realm'sHeart(ooC) :aPowerwith
Level 2Realm.
RedZone:seeBreakthrough
Refuges:placesofperfectbeautyon
theEarth,madebythePowersof
Heaven.
Regal:aniCtitleusuallygivento
PowerswithMajestic(Level5)
Domain(e. g . "Fire's-Regal") .
Regina:afemaleImperator.
Regius:seeImperator
Rending:seeBreakthrough
RexRegius:amaleImperator.
Riding(ofExcrucians:)lotsandlots
ofExcrucians. Thereareseven
knownRidingsinthewar.
es
Sanctum:seeChancel
Scene:theooCtermforasetof
more-or-lesscontinuouseventsin
thegameworld.
SecretPlace:seeChancel
Serpenthane:gathering-placeofthe
Aaron'sSerpents. Locationofthe
Mosaic.
Session:theooCtermfortheevents
inthegameworldduringaday's
roleplay.
SimpleRite:amagicanyNoblecan
perform.
Story:theooCtermforanordered,
aesthetically"complete"setof
gameevents.
Sovereign:seePower
SovereignPower:seePower
SovereignTree:seeWorldAsh,The
SpiritKing:seeOldGod
SpiritusDei:the"divineessence",the
Creator'sbreath .
l
Tempest:anistitlegiventoPowers
withLevel5Realm.
Titan:seeOldGod
TerrafiSairyd,The:thedivision
betweenoneviewpointand
another.
Treasure:somethingimportantstolen
awayfromaPowerforuseina
NettleRite.
TrueGods:divinebeings,not
necessarilyfromanyhumanmyth .
TrueKing:aniCtermusually
referringtoamalePowerwith
Level 4 Realm.
TrueQueen:aniCtermusually
referringtoafemalePowerwith
Level 4 Realm.
U
Unbeing:onelabelfortheExcrucian
cause.
UnendingLabor,The:seeGreat
WorkinHeaven,The
V
ValdeBellum :thewaragainstthe
Excrucians;the"greatwar" .
Vehmgericht:seeCammora
Viscount:anistitleusuallygivento
thosewithMinor(Level 2)
Domain.
W
WallbetweenSouls,The:seeTerrafi
Sairyd,The.
Ward:seeChancel.
Warden:aniCtitleusuallygivento
thosewithLevel3Realm.
WordofCommand:theultimate
expressionofNoblemagic,
devastatingtoitswielder.
WordoftheFlesh :anAspect-based
WordofCommand.
WordoftheTower:aRealm-based
WordofCommand.
WorldAsh,The:Yggdrasil,an
immeasurablytalltreewhose
branchescontainworlds.
r
Yggdrasil:seeWorldAsh,The
Ymera:seeImperator
293
APPENDIXA:GLOSSARY
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294
Appendix B
Flowers
andtheir
Meanings
Theanemone,flowerofthe
wind,wasbornfromAdonis'
bloodandAphrodite'stears:a
symbolofsadness,ofblood,
andoflifeandbeautypit
againsttheworldandfailing.
-from AMEDIEVAL
BESTIARY, byPaul
McArthur
THEUSESOF LOWERS
HereareoverahundredflowerscommonlyusedinNoble
Designs. Thefirstsectionillustrateshowyoucantiesomeof
theseflowerstoEstatesandtoPowers,aswellasthethings
towhichtheExcrucianflowerritecanbridgethem. The
secondsectionlistsmoreflowersandtheirmeanings .
ABUTILON
THEFLOWEROFPEACE
CHARACTERTYPES
SAMPLEESTATES
Thosewhohavemastered Reflection
internalcalm . Meditation
ThosewhohatewarandHappiness
violence.
Otherfinethings
ACACIA
THEFLOWEROFCONCEALMENT
~~ CHARACTERTYPES
SAMPLEESTATES
Thosewhoconcealtheir
Subterfuge
emotions(e. g . shyPowers,
Masks
formeractors,officers) .
Emotion
Powerswhoconceal
Hiddenthings
themselves(e. g . formerspies,
thieves) .
Note:Thisreferstotheyellowacacia,themostcommon
variantinNobleiconography. Theroseacaciadenotes
friendship.
ACANTHUS
THEFLOWEROFTHEFINEARTS
qw CHARACTERTYPES
Thosewhocaregreatlyabout
elegance,rawemotion,or
both.
ACHILLEA
THEFLOWEROFWAR
SAMPLEESTATES
TelevisionorTheatre.
Well-CraftedLies.
Books,Painting,Sculpture,
orArt.
BRIDGES
Humanself-discovery.
Mendingbrokenbones.
Peaceconferences.
Monasteries(andtheir
internalpolitics) .
BRIDGES
Hidden,lopsidedloves.
Ugly,good-hearted
people.
Stalkers.
Maskedballs.
BRIDGES
Artistsbecoming
successful.
Anartworkbecoming
centraltoone'slife.
Professionalcons.
CHARACTERTYPES SAMPLEESTATES BRIDGES
Thosewhowerededicated Logistics. Militarytrials.
soldiers. Armies. Wargames.
Thosewhocaredeeply Blades,Guns,orBombs. Escalatingtensions.
abouttheValdeBellum . Conquest,Pestilence, Good-heartedfolks
Thosewhoserve orFamine. headedforcorruption.
ExcrucianWarmains. Blood.
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ADDER' STONGUE
THEFLOWEROFJEALOUSY
CHARACTERTYPES
Thosewhocan'tforgetthe
hardlife.
Thosewhofeelcursedrather
thanblessedbypower.
AGRIMONY
THEFLOWEROFGRATITUDE
CHARACTERTYPES
Thosewhoknowtheyare
blessed.
ALLSPICE
THEFLOWEROFCOMPASSION
SAMPLEESTATES
BowsandArrows.
RecordPlayers.
Ethics.
AnyotherEstate"jealous"
ofmodernreplacements.
SAMPLEESTATES
Estatesthatdependon
others.
Computers(thatrelyon
humans).
Consumption(thatrelies
onsubstance) .
Trees(whichrelyonthe
sunandrain).
Anythingelsetowhich
onebecomesgrateful.
TheExcrucianslovecompassion. Itgoeswrongsoeasily.
ALMONDANDBILBERRY
THEFLOWERSOFTREACHERY
I~ CHARACTERTYPES SAMPLEESTATES
PowersofHell. Perceptionor
Thosewhoarescum Appearances.
andproudofit.
Ravines.
Fire.
MoneyorGreed.
ALOE
THEFLOWEROFRELIGIONANDGRIEF
CHARACTERTYPES SAMPLEESTATES
Thosewhogrieveforlost
Joy,Enlightenment,or
humanity.
Fear(Religion).
Thosegivenjoybytheir
Loss,Failure,orEchoes
servicetoHeaven.
(Grief) .
DeathorDamnation
(Either) .
BRIDGES
Careerjealousy.
Romanticjealousy.
Possessiveness.
BRIDGES
Largessewhichcannot
berepaid.
Largessewhichwould
damagesomething
importantinlifeif
repaid.
Inspiredbelievers.
Faithhealers.
BRIDGES
Exposingtreacheryat
thewrongtime.
Spies(industrialand
political) .
BRIDGES
UpstandingChurch
folk.
Templeconstruction.
Hospitalsandfuneral
homes.
Psychiatristsor
Televangelists.
295
APPENDIXB:FLOWERSANDTHEIRMEANINGS
Thosewhopromise(aloudor TheHarvest. Thosegettinghelp
tothemselves)nevertohold TheSun. fromthewrongfolks.
backaidwhenthereisaneed. Medicine. Peoplegivinghelpto
Sorrow'sEase. thewrongpeople.
Anythingthatbringlife Missions.
andjoy. Charities.
Teachers.
Doctors.
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TheLady'sMantle, Rosaceae
Aichemilla, derivesitsname
fromtheArabicforalchemy
(alkimiya) . Ourancestors
considereditsessencevitalto
theconstructionofthe
philosopher'sstone.
-fromAHISTORYOFTHE
GARDEN,byJiliacWolf
,`NOBILIS:AGAMEOFSOVEREIGNPOWERS
ALYSSYM,SWEETALYSSYM,
THEFLOWEROFEXCELLENCEANDVANITY
Note:TochooseAlyssymforoneselfisvanity. Ittakesonthe
meaningofexcellencewhenbestowedonanother. APower's
Familiacan,inashortritualrequiringnomiraclepoints,
awardthemtheflowerAlyssymasareplacementtothesecond
imageoftheirDesign - orasathird,intertwinedflower.
Powersdothisonlyrarely;therituallosespotencyeachtime
itismisapplied.
AMARANTH
THEFLOWEROFTHEIMMUTABLE
CHARACTERTYPES
Stubbornorconfident
characters.
Physicallystrongorsturdy
characters.
SAMPLEESTATES
Gems,Mountains,or
Stone.
Space.
Tombs.
Dictatorship.
Steel.
Note:Theglobeandcoxcombamaranthsharethisconnota-
tionofimmutability. Inaddition,thecoxcombamaranth
denotesfopperyandaffectation.
AMARYLLIS
THEFLOWEROFPHYSICALBEAUTY
CHARACTERTYPES
SAMPLEESTATES
Theshallowandbeautiful.
Aesthetics.
Heraldry.
MusicorSculpture.
ANGELICA
THEFLOWEROFINSPIRATIONANDMAGIC
BRIDGES
Mule-headedpeople.
Aproblemonecannot
seeuntilit'stoolate.
Anartistwho
producedamodern
classic .
Immutable,tightfamily
ties.
BRIDGES
Wonderfulresorts.
Greatart.
Masterfulplanning .
Shallow,beautiful
people.
Abeautifullocalefor
theRending .
WisePowers. Magic,FaeryMagic,or Immenselyinventive
Artists. StageMagic . ideas.
Magicians. ArtisticEstatesofall Alchemicalresearch .
Powerswithfaithinthe kinds. Studentsofthe
Creator. (seealsoAcanthus,p. 294) paranormal.
Powerswithfaithinthe Psychicfraudnetworks.
Creation. Musicalbandscreated
byaMuse.
VainPowers. Estateswhichwillnever Gloriousgrandprojects.
ThosegivenAlyssymby growgrander. Superiorhumans.
theirFamilia. TheSea,TheSky,The Beautifulthings.
Clouds,orTheSun. Thevainbutgood-
ThoughtorEmotion. hearted.
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APOCYNUM
THEFLOWEROFFALSEHOOD
ASHFLOWER
THEFLOWEROFGUARDIANSHIP
CHARACTERTYPES
SAMPLEESTATES
Wardens.
CastlesorFortresses
PowersoftheLight.
Armor
Protectorsoftheinnocent
Preservation
(e. g . , ex-police,ex-National
ParentalLove
Guard,etcetera) .
TheAshisalso,ofcourse,asymboloftheWorldAsh -but
inthissense,itisforbiddenbytheImperatorstoPowersand
Estatesalike. Alyssym,theyfeel,isquitesufficientforthe
mostextravagantvanity.
ASPEN
THEFLOWEROFFEARANDLAMENTING
ASTER
THEFLOWEROFVARIETY
CHARACTERTYPES
Jacksofalltrades.
Formersketchcomedians.
Powerswithunusual
Affiliations.
Worldtravelers.
Pawnshopbrokers.
SAMPLEESTATES
Weather
Metal
Animals
Anythingelsewhich
variesenormously
whileremainingthe
samesortofthing .
BRIDGES
Parentsorpolice(ones
truetotheirduty
beforetheflowerrite
begins).
Newlyreleased
preventativemedicines
andtechniques.
Storagefacilities.
BRIDGES
Anysituationinwhich
anumberofoddand
verydifferentpeople
mustcometogether
andinteract.
297
APPENDIXB:FLOWERSANDTHEIRMEANINGS
h CHARACTERTYPES SAMPLEESTATES BRIDGES
Liars. TheMedia. Littlewhitelies(ideally,
Actors(seealsoAcacia,p. 294) Lies,Propaganda, onesthatdomore
ThosewhoserveExcrucian orPretence. damagedexposed
Deceivers. Bigotry. thanexistingatall) .
Aperformanceof
Othello.
Plasticsurgery.
Advertising .
Timidorhabituallycautious Fear People"intoodeep"
Powers. Denial (aswhentheirfamily
Neurotics. Waiting arehostages) .
. obilisafraidoftheirown Monsters Horrorwriters.
power. Horrortelevision
showsandfilms.
Campfireghoststories.
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298
AURICULA
THEFLOWEROFWEALTH
CHARACTERTYPES
ThePowerofGold,Money,
orBanks
Powerswhowererichbefore
their
en-obling
Powerswhocovetmaterial
thingsnow
OTHERFLOWERS
SAMPLEESTATES
Gold,Money,orBanks
WealthyPeople
Luxuries
Megacorporations
TheStockMarket
HongKong
HumanRoyalty
BRIDGES
Money
Bankers
Wealthy
philanthropists
Servantsinrichhomes
Thephilosopher's
stone
FLOWER MEANING FLOWER MEANING
Balsamine Impatience Hollyhock Ambition,Glory,Imagination
Barberry Anger Hop Injustice
Basil Hatred Hornbeam Ornament
Bayberry Instruction Hyssop Cleanliness
Begonia Warning,Deformity Jasmine Sex
BellsofIreland Luck JudasTree Betrayal
Bellwort Hopelessness Lapageria Balance
Betony Surprise Larch Audacity
Blackthorn Difficulty Lily Daring,Love
ButterflyWeed Freedom Live-Oak Liberty
Candytuft Apathy Lobelia Malevolence,Dislike
CatalpaandDandelion Romance Lupine Hunger
Catchfly Traps MeadowSaffron Age
Cattleya Motherhood Meadowsweet Ineffectuality
Chamomile EnergyinAdversity Mesembryanthemum Idleness
CherryBlossom SpiritualBeauty Monarda YourWhimsareUnbearable
ChestnutBlossom Justice Monkshood Treachery
Cistus Popularity MountainLaurel Ambition
Clematis Poverty Orchis Industry
Clotbur TheTactless PassionFlower Faith,Trust
Cobaea Gossip PeachBlossom Captivity
Coltsfoot Justice Pepper-Flower Satire
Columbine(Red) Worry Periwinkle Memory
Convolvulus Uncertainty Pimpernel Change,AnAssignation
CreepingCereus Genius Poppy Flirtation
Cuscuta Evil Rocket Rivalry
Daphne Fame SweetPea Mania
Darnel Vice Teazel Misanthropy
Dock Patience Tulip Conquest
Dogrose Pleasure Trumpet-Flower Fame
Fennel Power Tuberose Seduction,Intrigue
Fern Magic Violet Heart'sEase
Fir Time WaterLily Chastity
Fuchsia Taste Weigela MutualSupport
Gentian Heaven Willow TheForsaken
Grass Submission Wisteria Degeneracy
GuilderRose Age,Winter YellowChrysanthemum SlightedLove,Dejection
Hawkweed Sight Yucca Miracles
Hemlock Deathor,"YouwillcausemyDeath" Zinnia AbsentFriends
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4.0.
Appendix
C
Timeline
299
APPENDIXC:TIMELINE
ThisisthesequenceofeventsasseenfromHeavenorthespiritworld. Prosaic
Earthhasalessorderlychronology.
THESECONDAGEOFTHEWORLD
1A. F .
78A. F .
AdamandEvehavetheirfirstchild.
AdamandEveforbidincest.
109A. F. Thefirstmarriageofhumanandbeasttakesplace;dilutionof
PREHISTORY
THEFIRSTEVENT 385 A. F.
humanity'smiraculousnaturebegins.
HeavendrivesexcessfallenAngelsbackintoHellfromthe
TheCreator(somepostulate)bargainswiththeExcrucians.
408 A. F.
worldsoftheAsh .
Thelast"miraculous"humandies. Allremaininghumansareof
THESECONDEVENT
710 A. F.
beaststock. (Onthepositiveside,they'renowallovertheworld. )
TheLightImperatorNoestartsbringingfoodanimalsintothe CreationoftheWeirdingWall,Yggdrasil,Heaven,andHell.
990
A. F.
SpiritWorld.
TheDarkisonthevergeofdestroyingthehumanfoodsupply. THEUNKNOWNAGE
AccordingtoAaron'sSerpents,thestarslivedmortallives .
999
A. F. TheLightunleashesSatyavrata,demonofthedeluge . Samiasa
1000A. F.
bringsAholibamahtoAelfscienne;theirchildrenwillbecome
theLjos-Alfar.
LuciferbindsSatyavrataandtheotherDelugesasAnchors,for
ENDOFTHEUNKNOWNAGE
Thestarsarescatteredinthesky. Thereisatimeofpeace.
1018 A. F.
unknownreasons. Thefloodends.
NightmareassaultstheAngeloftheSun;thebirthoftheirchild
THEFIRSTAGEOFTHEWORLD
BEFORETIMEBEGAN 1045 A. F.
ArikelheraldsthebeginningofNight .
ThefirstWildlordsarriveonEarth .
ThefirstAngels(includingFirstbornandLucifer)areborn. TheGreatWork 1624 A. F . HeavendrivesexcessfallenAngelsbackintoHellfromthe
beginsinHeaven. HeaveninventsSociety. TheMythicEarthandcertainother
Realmsareborn.
1999
A. F.
worldsoftheAsh.
TheExcruciansassaultHeaven. AtrocitykillsHeaven's
gatekeeper,butHeavenrepelstheassault . TheImperatrixAttaris
revealsherselfasMagisteroftheWildAttarisEbrotAppeka .
ThefallenAngelEbrotAppeka,turnstodust . Vyasawritesthe
SutraofQuestions.
0 C. T.
12C . T.
HeaveninventsTime. (C. T. standsfor"CelestialTime" . )
HeaveninventsFlowers. ThefirstflowersbloomonEarth .
188 C. T. TheMostAncientLord(firstofEarth'struegods)isborn . 2000 A. F. ThePhoenixfamilydiesandisreborn.
201 C . T. TheAngelsinventDeath(oratleastHemlock) .
THETHIRDAGEOFTHEWORLD 202C . T. MoreAngelsandOldGodsappear. TheOldGodsstruggle
amongthemselves. 2092A. F. TheWildlordAdaliamakesAtlantisintoaChancel.
400 C . T. TheAngelAshrieldiscoverstheWorldAsh. 2115 A. F . TheMostAncientLordmakesIndiaintoaChancel.
403 C . T. AngelsdiscoverHell. Luciferordersitsealed. 2421A. F. MalambrunofallsintoImperialhands,corruptingtheImperator
681C. T. ThelastoftheOldGodsisborn. whoclaimsit.
743 C. T. ThefirstAaron'sSerpentsareborn. DinosaursroamtheEarth . 2892A. F. JehannumoftheDarkkidnapsTroy.
792C . T. TheOldGodsreachatruceandstarteatingNewGods. 2912A. F. TrojanwarriorsdestroyJehannum.
802C . T. TheHighCourtinHeaventemporarilyexilesZa'afieltoEarth ; 3000 A. F. TheBuddhaisbornintheMostAncientLord'sChancel ;Angels
hedestroysthedinosaurs. MythicEarthsplitsinto"prosaicEarth"
andthe"mythicworld".
3496
A. F.
cannotverifyordenyhisattainmentofNirvana .
ExcruciansdestroytheMostAncientLord.
851 C . T. ThefirstPhoenix,Phoensa,andCorrunaarebornfromamating 3680 A. F. Heavenrenumbersitsyears,usingtheabbreviation A. P. for"Age
betweenanOldGodandanAboulomri. 1680 A. P. ofPain".
960 C . T. ThefirstDionylareborn. 2020 A. P. AngoulaffretheBrokenToothedcreatesthefirstTempest.
961C . T. TheGardenofEdengivesbirthtoAdamandEve. 3000 A. P. Christisborn;Angelscannotverifyordenyhisdivinity.
965C. T
. TheCuretesbeginshelteringtheNewGods . 3998 A. P. LordEntropyandtheCouncilofFourtakecontrolofthemortal
975
C . T. LuciferbeginspreachingthephilosophyofHell. andNobleworlds.
981C . T. HellpoisonstheAaron'sSerpentManaechus. 4320 A. P. ParasieltriestoerasetherecordsofHeaven;Hukkokexileshim
989
. T
. TheWarinHeavenbegins. toEarth .
992C . T. TheNewandOldGodswarintheSpiritWorld. 4342A. P. LordEntropyfoundstheCammora.
999 C. T. ManaechuscomestotheGardenofEden. Eveeatsoftheapple,
4396
A. P. AmbrolamformsitsChancel.
creatingtheLight. Adameatsoftheapple,creatingtheDark .
4414 A. P. SakhratformsitsChancel.
AdamandEveleaveEden. ThefirstMagisteroftheDarkclaims
4655
A. P. Firsthumancoloniesonotherplanets.
EdenasaChancelandremakesitintotheSableGardens . The 4895 A. P. AtreacherousImperatorsetshumantechnologyandhistoryback
NewGodsdefeattheOldGods. Luciferand 69otherAngels
fall.
4944 A. P.
fivehundredyears. Theextraplanetarycoloniesvanish .
SuperstesAnnabelle Zupay appears.
1000C. T. ThePhoenixfamilydiesandisreborn. Heavenrenumbersits 4945 A. P. LordEntropyburnstheoriginal"MonaLisa" .
0A. F. years,using A. F. for"AftertheFall".
4996-
Thepresentday.
4999A. P.
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
BASICINFORMATION
CHARACTERNAME
IMPERATOR
BETWEENMENANDGODS,
REALITYANDMYTH,PERFECTION
BILIS
ANDTHEENDOFEVERYTHING:
THERESTANDTHENOBILIS
1,,-I1-411
PLAYERNAME
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CODE
0 HEAVEN
0LIGHT
0WILD
PRINCIPLES:
0 HELL
0 DARK
0OTHER
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ATTRIBUTES
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GIFTS
MIRACLELEVEL ATTRIBUTE
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
HANDICAPS
RATINGDESCRIPTION
DESIGN
CHOOSETRAITS,PETALS,LEAVES,THORNS,ANDBACKGROUND
INVOCATION
PHYSICALDESCRIPTION
AGE GENDER
LOOKS
AREA
FLEXIBILITY COMMON? FINALCOST

BONDS&ANCHORS
RATINGDESCRIPTION
ESTATE
PRIMARYANDSECONDARYDOMAINS,IFANY
WOUNDLEVELS
SURFACE
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SERIOUS
TEMP. 00000
PERM. 00000
TEMP. 00000
PERM. 00000
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
TEMP. 00000
DEADLY
PERM. 00000
Permission isgrantedto
photocopyforpersonaluse
LEVEL MIRACLEPOINTS
ASPECT 00000
000000000000000
DOMAIN 00000
000000000000000
REALM 00000
000000000000000
SPIRIT 00000
0o0000000000000
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ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
Permissionisgrantedto
BASICINFORMATION
IMPERATORNAME
CHANCELNAME
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GIFTS
MIRACLELEVELATTRIBUTE
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
HANDICAPS
RATINGDESCRIPTION
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
IMPERATORPROPERTIES
BETWEENMENANDGODS,
INVOCATION AREA
POWERS
NAME
PHYSICALDESCRIPTION
AGE
GENDER
LOOKS
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CODE
0 HEAVEN
0 LIGHT
0 WILD
PRINCIPLES:
0 HELL
0 DARK
0 OTHER
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ATTRIBUTES
FLEXIBILITY COMMON? FINALCOST
ESTATE
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DYNASTYPOINTS WOUNDLEVELS
SURFACE
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SERIOUS
TEMP. 00000
PERM. 00000
TEMP. 00000
PERM. 00000
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
TEMP. 00000
DEADLY
PERM. 00000
LEVEL MIRACLEPOINTS
ESTATES
ASPECT 00 0 0 00 0
000000000000000
DOMAIN 00 0 0 00 0
000000000000000
REALM 00 0 0 000
000000000000000
SPIRIT 00 0 0 000 000000000000000
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
BASICINFORMATION
CHANCELNAME
IMPERATOR
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
POWERS
NAME
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CHANCELPROPERTIES
PROPERTY
ESTATE
CHANCELSHEET
BETWEENMENANDGODS,
S5
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DESCRIPTION
CHANCELDETAILS
GOVERNOROFCHANCEL
POPULATION
CHANCELPOINTS
Permissionisgrantedto
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
303
Index
Aaron'sSerpents, 16,37,40,189-190 ChancelPoints, 136 Gifts, 47,114-I22,162,163,220-221
codes, 189 Change,miracles0f, 101-103 Aspect, 115-119
AbhorrentWeapons, 208-210 ChestnutLaw, 29,221 Amphibian, n8
Abomination(Blunderbore), 210 CleaveofBotanists, 35,232 Curse0fDust, n9
Atrocity(Briareos), 210 Codes,
55 - 56,133
Durant, 115
Hatred(Malambruno), 210 CodeFidelitatis, 28 Eternal, 115
Horror(Eurytos), 210 CouncilofFour, 12-13,26,274 Fire-breathing, 118
Loathing(Gyges), 210 Creation,miracles0f, 48,93- 94,102,119- 120 Flight, 118
Monstrous(Colbrand), 210 Croquemitaines, 1
75
Glorious, 115
Outrage(Typhon), 210 CrowfootLaw, 29 Guising, 88
Actions, 162 Dark,the,15 Immortal, 116
Affiliation, 133 code0f, 55, 133 Immutable, 116
Anchors, 13,28,51-52,107-108,191,227-228 Death, n Invisible, 118
Angels seeHeaven Deceivers see Excrucians Nemesis, 11q
AshandChrysanthemum,t0 Defiance0fEstates, 195 Petrify, 118
Aspect, 47,82-89,195,214,z,6 dementiaanimas, 33-34 RemovePoisons, 118
giftsOf, 115 - 119 Destruction,miracles0f, 48,93-94,102-103,119-120 Sacrosanct, 11q
levels0f, 82-85 Devils see Hell Shapeshifting, 118
rulesfor, 86-89 Divination,miraclesof, 48,93-94,102,119-120 Sight,the, 87-88
AspectMiraclePoints, 86 Domain,
47, 89-97,
195,216-217 VenomousBite, n8-11q
Attributes, 47,81-112,162 gifts0f, 119-121 Domain, 119-121
seealsoAspect,Domain,Realm,Spirit levels0f, 90-
93 ConstantDomain, 119-120
Auctoritas, 48,,08,162,16q rulesfor, 94-97 Elemental,120
Banes, 136 seealsoEstate Gatemaker, 120
Bonds, 106-107,162,240-248 DomainMiraclePoints, 94 Gating, 94,120
Breakthroughs, 14 DynastyPoints, 144 PerfectTiming, 121
BrightRealm see Heaven Estate, 10,52-54,89,119-120 Sovereign'sGift, 121
Cammorae, 13,19,26,29,35-36,228,231-232 seealsoDomain Wayfinder, 120
Challenge0fThrees,195 Excrucians, 10,13-14,16,26,30,42,47
, 197
-210 Worldwalker, 120
ChamomileLaw, 127 cants0f, 198 Realm, 121-122
Chancels, 12,z6,42,47,49-5 0,56. 135-143,229-230 Deceivers, S7,202-205 DevotedPopulace, 121
examples0f examples0f Spirit, 122
Achaz'sChancel, 185 CorianderHasp, 20S Luck, 122
Cityback, 30,224 GensericDace, 57 UnblemishedGuise, 122
Clegyr, 137 IolithaeSeptimian, 204 Deceivers, 202-204
Focus,
143 Phasaelmery-Harumaph, 204 BlindLie, 204
LocusAmbrolam, 257-258 Scelto0ftheProvenance, 204 BodyThief, 202-204
LocusAraunah, 142 TairteUt-napishtim, 204 Orate, 204
LocusAskelon,180-181 gifts0f, 202-204 ShatteringMirror, 204
LocusBus, 136 Mimics, 201-202 Strategists, 206
LocusCasluhin, 137 examples0f Cascade0fFiresandAcidRain,206
LocusGraveling, 190 DahliaThorn, 201-202 PerfectPlanning, 206
LocusHazael,
177
Strategists, 205-207 WorldBreaker'sHand, 206
LocusHerodion, 139 examples0f Warmains, 198-200
LocusIndia, 183 AdhemarHetairh, 206 Blight, 199
LocusMaralah,
139
LexiarchosCaducine, 206 MidasMorsMortis, 199-200
LocusParasiel(Mitrophorous), 251-252 MalakaiMesmer, 206-207 NegativeGift, 199
LocusSakhrat, 18,263 TextrixtheDeacon, 206 UnmasteredPain, 199
LocusZaanannim, 138 gifts0f, 206 Winds0fHate, 199-200
LocustCourt, 28-29 Warmains, 198-201 Handicaps, 47,127-133,162
MountainChancel, 143 examples0f Heaven, 14-15,26,37,41, 175-178
Sennacharib'sKeep, 188 AdellianCourt, 201 code0f,
55, 133
Tamber'sFolly, 138 EuphrasiaSavinot, 199 Hell, 14-15, 26,37,41, 173-175
Waterways0fJanisDuon,175 MaroziaCarolin, 200 code0f,
55,133
Word,
137
OrdericNeustry, 199 Imperators, 10, 12,15-16, 26,42,46,171-190,235-236
propertiesof, 136-143 RaginhartTribunas,
99
Aaron'sSerpents, 188-190
Accessibility, 136 TejaHeimerich, 200 DivineseeTrueGods
Allia,
137
gifts0f, 198-200 0ftheDark, 181-183
Avara, 136-137 FallenAngels see Hell ofHeaven, 175-178
Banes, 136 FamiliaCaelestis, 10,47 0fHell,
173- 175
Borderguard, 137 Flowers,
14-15,35, 15S
-,60, 2
94-299
oftheLight, 178-181
Defender'sBlessing, 137 designs, 155-160 TrueGods, 186-188
ExtraLandlord, 138 examplesof 0ftheWild, 183-185
MagicalInhabitants, 138 Commerce, 157 examplesof
ManaMine, 138-139 Music,156 Surolam, 26
MiscellaneousBlessings, 139 Night, 1S7 Achaz, 185
Popularity, 139
FlowerRite, 208 Adalia, 146
Resources, 140,142
GhostMiracles, 119-120 Ambrolam, 257-258
SpiritGateway, 142 duels, 195 Ananda,13,26,30,224-225
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
TABLES
AspectMiracleEffects,48
AspectMiracleIndex,89
AssessingDamage,164
ChancelPropertyIndex,143
Domain&RealmsMiracleEffects,48
DomainMiracleDifficulty,95
DomainMiracleIndex,97
FlowerColourswhichConverttoTraits,159
FlowerDesignandAffiliation,16o
FlowerPetalswhichConverttoTraits,16o
FlowerTraitswhichConverttoColours,159
FlowerTraitswhichConverttoPetals,i59
GiftAreaofEffect,114
GiftBasesCosts,114
GiftFlexibility,114
GiftMeansofActivation,114
ImperatorPropertyIndex,1S3
LifeStagesandFlowerLeafPatterns,16o
MiracleDetection,123
MiracleDifficulty,48
RealmMiracleDifficulty, 1o1
RealmMiracleIndex,103
SpecialAspectPowersIndex,89
SummaryofGiftCosts,115
SummaryofRites,108
WoundLevels,164
WoundRecoveryRates,165
304
Imperators,examplesof (cons. ) Nobles,examplesof (cant. ) Nobles,examplesof (cant. )
Anani,152-153 Daemarnia,93 Tytalus,92
Askelon,147,,8o-i8, Damon,105 Walking EyeseePowerofBorders
Cedron,148,174-175 Daniel,22-23,115 Wayness,105
Cipher,152 Delihah,129 Whisper,92
DarklordMedan,z8 Desmond,121 Zerubbabel,129,226
Ephes-Dammim,150 Devika,,o6,226 OtherWorlds,39
- 40
GravelingWyrm,146,190 DianaSpinnaker,235 Abaton,39
Ha-QadoschBerakha,26 Dimi(nuendo),82,226 AcmonionWood,39
Hazael,145,
177,1
92 Dimitri,129 Aelfscienne,39
HeatherLysimachus,144 Dumonia,93 Dionyl,39
Hukkok,152 Eachan, 101 Jotunheim,39
India,149,183 Gorgons,the,116 Serpenthane,40
LordEntropy,12-13, 26-30, 35, 224,235 274
HallandGeirr,278-281 Penetration,162,163
Lucifer,15,41,174 Haru,101 Powers (seealso Nobilis)
Manaechus,178-180,182 HelenofTroy,116 examplesof
Parasiel,194,251-252 HelissentdeReymes seePowerofMazes Borders,S4,250,260-261
Ram-Khvastra, 153-154,z69- 270 IantheFalls-Short seePowerofDebate Bureaucracy,54,250,267-268
Sakhrat,263 IcewalkerAdamaster,33 Chaos,54,250,258-260
Sennacharib,32,147-148,188 IdonySaint-GermainseePowerof Commerce, 110,
134, 153-154, 157
Yvonne,149 Bureaucracy Conspiracy,54,57, 250, 255 - 256
propertiesof,144-152 IsaacNewton,129 Debate,43,252-254
DynastyPoints,144 Isabel,84 Eternity,57
-5 8
Empathy,144-145 Ivo,93 Festivals, 54, 250, 245 - 255, 270-274
Galeid,145 JackUnbounded,82 Mazes,54,250,263-264
GrantedGift,146-147 JamesonBlack,84,110-112,143,152,226 Records,54,250, 266-267
GuidingHand,146-147 JennahHubrick,121 Strength,57-58
Incomprehensibility,147 JerroldMarker,,o6 Strife,54,57,250,261-262,270-274
Integrity,148-149 JoanofArc,n5 Trade,54,250,256-257
Love,148-149 Joktan,35,226 Trails,54,250,268-269
Mastery,149 JulianMarceau,104 Treachery,57- 5 8
MysteryCult,149-150 JuliannaAvramseePowerofStrength PrimroseLaw,85
Respect,150 K'van,122 Preservation,miraclesof,48, 93-94, 102,119-120
Warding,152 Kuai,122 ProsaicEarth,
14,30-31, 34-
36,228,230-231
LandsBeyondCreation,26,42 LanceRomenel see PowerofRecords Realm,47,97
-
103,217-218
LostheartLawseeWindflowerLaw Lisseut,,o6,226 levelsof,98-101
Light,the,
15 ,178-181
Malahdi,85 miraclepoints,101
codeof,55, 133 Malinde,225 rulesfor , 101-103
Limits,127-130 Marek,,o6 Restrictions,130-132
Dead,127 MarsiglioTendiseePowerofTreachery Rites,,o8,122-127,162
Disabled,128 MaryFrancesseePowerofCommerce NettleRite,124
Focus,128 MaryShenk,99 RedtoothRite,123
Hated,128 Maya,93 RiteofHolyFire,126
LightTouch,129 Melanie,go RiteofPassage,124
Manifestation,1z9 Mikhail,9o RiteofRescue,106
SmallEstate,129 Morgan,85,226 RiteoftheFallen,
Uninspiring,129 Mortar,104 RiteoftheLastTrump,124
Unseen,130 NepheleNikolaidhisseePowerof RitualofAnguish,
LordEntropyseeImperators,examplesof Festivals Servant'sRite,123
Mimics, seeExcrucians Niobe,85 WitchHuntRite,123
Miracles,48,93-94101-103 Oresha,105 Roleplaying,basicterms, 10-11, 45-46
MiraclePoints,47,57,162 Oresha,84 NOBILISconventions,ii
recovery,168 PandareosPanagiotis see Power,of RuleofMan,29
MonardaLaw,21 Conspiracy ShadowRealm see Hell
MountainLaurelLaw,85 PatrickRomney'sSonClan'sSerf SovereignPowersseeNobilis
MythicWorld,14,30-34228,232-234 Precipice-LordseePowerofChaos SpiritWorld,36-37,228
NasturtiumLaw,86 Richard,121 Spirit,47,103-rob,219-220
,obilis,
10, 12,26,47,51 RobertBaxt,8z giftsof,122
examplesof RookCatchfly see PowerofEternity levelsof,103-106
Absalon,128 Ruth,9o rulesfor,107-108
AdaWillametteseePowerofStrife SaraNei,99 SpiritMiraclePoints,107
Adele,104 Sekshuni,84 Story,design,20-21
AdmiralKynn, 100, 117 ShahanshahEsma'il,130 structure,250
Adrien,120 Shi-mi,92,225 Strategists,seeExcrucians
Aleki,128 Signe,104,234 TrueGods,i5,40,186-188
Anise,128 Songmaker,129 codes,186
Arianeira, 101 St. AngelaoftheFlail,129 ValdeBellum, 10, z6
Arikel,85,107 Strephon,84 Virtues,132-133
Asoka,99,226 SuperstesAnnabelleZupay seePower Warmains,seeExcrucians
Barbara,loo ofTrails WeirdingWall, z6,37,40
BaronKyleO'Donoghue,92 TakriRisu,92,225 Wild,the,1537
BelleCarter,122 Thalasseus see PowerofTrade codeof,56, 133
BradleyPortsmouth,120 Thalestris,127 WindflowerLaw,13,27
Casmir,105 Tiria, 101 WorldAsh, 10, 14,26,37
- 40
Cassiel,119,225 TrystanProphyrogenitus,029 Wounds,162,164-165
Ching, TsiangWu,009 Yggdrasil see WorldAsh
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.
1 of 1 05 J un 04 20:03
Nobilis
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-30-6
Code: 60-600
Price: $46.95US, $64.95CAN
The Game of Powers
John Shockley
Editor: Bruce Baugh
ISBN: 1-899749-36-5
Code: 60-602
Price: $16.95US, $23.95CAN
4.0.

Nobilis 2e - Core Book

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Asimple miraclecostso(temporary) DMPs . Itdoesn't

Anormal miraclecostsi(temporary) DMP toperform .

Ahard miraclecosts 2 (temporary) DMPs toperform .

Adeep miraclecosts4(temporary) DMPs toperform .

Anormal miraclecosts1 (temporary) RMP.

Ahard miraclecosts 2 (temporary) RMPs.

Adeep miraclecosts 4 (temporary) RMPs.

AGiftthatrequiresanormalmiracle (MP) touse

AGiftthatrequiresahardmiracle (2MPS) tousecosts

PickanAffiliationfromthelistonpp . 1 33-1 34,

APowerwithAspect 4 usesalevel 4 Aspectmiracle,

Iftheyspendan AMP foralevel5Aspectmiracle,the

Iftheyspend 2AMPS foralevel6Aspectmiracle,the

Iftheyspend 4 AMPS foralevel8Aspectmiracle,the

Iftheyspend8 AMPS foralevel9Aspectmiraclewith

IfaPowerwithRealm3spends 4 RMPs foralevel7

IfaPowerwithDomain3spends 4DmPS foralevel7

Excessiveforce :tankshells, LAw rockets,massive

Verbalabuse :offensivelanguage,insults,overtdefiance Fiveyears

`Iknowaquestionaboutmyself, " themortalsaid"that

SuttonSmith, PowerofBlood,hasAspect 2, Domain

MirariConstano, PowerofRage,hasAspect I, Domain

Endymion, Strategist-shard,hasAspect I, Spirit 2, an

" Lookatthewinds" exclaimsIksa.Itobeysnolaw .There

Rule3: Surprisepartiesareverboten .Importantguests

" Thereisapriceforsuchdeferrals," answeredthe

Shardsarebuilton20-35 CharacterPoints -and

Avoid" instantkill" Gifts,evenifthePCsmustmakea

60 CharacterPoints (33+27 inafocus)

Rememberthatyoucontrolwhat NPCs do,andinturnwhataMajorDivination

Resources :ExtrapolativeTechnology (2points)

SpiritGatetoWorldAshcostingo RMPS (4points)

Limit :BoundtoKottos (+1sMP, includedinattributetotal)

ManaMine:FailingChancel,needs2 MPs persession

Resources:TechnologycannotleaveChancel (-I pt)

Akingdomis very difficulttoholdtogether.

FLEXIBILITY COMMON? FINALCOST

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