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Written by Monica Valentinelli Developed by Chuck Wendig
Layout by Mike Chaney
Art: Brian Leblanc, Sam Araya, Chris Shy, Juan Calle, Jim
DiBartolo, Jim Pavelec, Durwin Talon, Travis Ingram, Cathy
Wilkins, Mike Gaydos, Miguel Coimbra, & Vince Locke
2012 CCP hf. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the
purposes of reviews, and one printed copy which may be reproduced for personal use only. World of Darkness, Storytelling Adventure System,
and Storytelling System are registered trademarks of CCP hf. All rights reserved. This book uses the supernatural for settings, characters
and themes. All mystical and supernatural elements are fictional and intended for entertainment purposes only. This book contains mature
content. Reader discretion is advised.
Introduction
The supernatural arent the only scary beings that lurk in the World of Dark-
ness. Sometimes, the horror originates from those who work for, control, or expose
them for what they are: unnatural, powerful creatures that lurk in the shadows
and prey upon the living. For centuries, those terrors have existed just outside our
understanding. The public may know or even suspect creatures of the night exist,
but millions have managed to go on with our lives, focusing on the mundane, the
safe. Weve passed off the truth as a childs fairy tale or the ramblings of crazed
lunatics. Weve ignored the reality in order to survive.
Thanks to the actions of the passionate few, we can no longer pretend the super-
natural does not exist.
Now, perfectly ordinary people question what they see, what they hear, what
they feel. Theyre confused, lost, and lonely. Theyve turned toward their leaders
to help them find a way out of the darkness, but they need a shepherd, a guide
who is not afraid.
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Theyve found one: a powerful politician who believes society should open their
eyes to the truth, that the supernatural takes many forms and the only way to defend
society is to wage all-out war.
This is the final installment in Falling Scales, a two-part chronicle. While
these stories are meant to build on one another, they are also written so as to be
useful and playable on their own. The only book necessary to run Falling Scales
Part II is the World of Darkness Rulebook. If your troupe wishes to play through
this story using characters from one of the other World of Darkness games (or
even a mix of several!), information for doing so is provided.
Summary of Falling Scales
In part one of Falling Scales, the characters be-
came aware of the Unmasked, a cult that researches
and investigates the paranormal. The leader of the
cult, Anna Christopher, sought to indoctrinate
the group after their encounter with Maricel
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Introduction

About the
Storytelling Adventure System
If this is your first Storytelling Adventure System
(SAS) product, youve chosen a fine place to start.
To keep this story kit lean and focused, though,
we havent included a lot of the core premises and
Storyteller suggestions that are at the heart of the
SAS. Whether youre a new Storyteller or an old
hand, be sure to read the free SAS Guide, found
at the SAS website:
www.white-wolf.com/sas
Here are some of the features available in
Falling Scales:
Interactive links. Clicking on anything in blue will
take you directly to the section referenced, or to an
appropriate character sheet or prop. It may also take
you to an external website that could be useful.
Scenes. Clicking on a scene name in the scene
flowchart or the page number in the scene card
will take you to the full write-up of the scene.
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Bookmarks. This PDF is fully bookmarked, so
you can jump to major sections at any time when
the file is open.
S At first glance, Vice President Evans appears to be benevolent in his motives.
Lazaro, a vampire (but non-Kindred) creature called an Aswang who tried
to kill them.
The characters survived the encounter with Lazaro and the cult, but did not
escape unscathed. Their minds were affected by a mental virus that is slowing
changing them from the inside out.
Treatment for Part II
Four, long months have passed since the fall of the cult. While the characters
have moved on with their lives, the group is reunited in Washington D.C.
To determine what the characters have been doing for the past few months,
focus on how the memetic infection and their experience with the Cult of the
Unmasked has impacted their personal and professional lives. Maybe a character
is overly paranoid about being watched. Maybe one of them swears someone is
trying to kill her. Maybe another has been on-the-run ever since. The location of
where these scenes occur doesnt matter as much as how it affects them. This is a
Storytellers opportunity to remind the players how dangerous knowledge of the
supernatural can be. Use that and the scenes leading up to Falling Scales Part II
will serve as a powerful experience for the players to draw on.
Instead of rewarding a large number of points to bring characters up to speed,
Storytellers should work backward and figure out how many dots the players will
require to be a part of this scenario. Once Storytellers figure out all thats required,
narrate scenes and reward players two to four dots for each. Some of these scenes
may be found in the Aftermath of Falling Scales Part I. Experienced Storytellers
will note that this an accelerated assignment of experience points, but the Aftermath
serves several purposes and these short scenes are a great way to set the mood for
Part II and place the characters in Washington D.C.
Characters dont have to be infected in order to participate in Falling Scales Part
II. However, the memetic infection has evolved and its become more prominent in
the overall conspiracy. Now, the virus can be administered artificially and, when it
mutates, the memetic infection can be spread by touch or blood. Storytellers should
reference the section on Virology and, if necessary, introduce shorter Aftermath scenes
to either infect the characters or advance it to a different stage prior to the storys
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Introduction
debut to help characters get more out of this scenario.
The motives of the Cult of the Unmasked are revealed through the whims
p l eof Vice President Evans, a former Senator from Colorado who believes that the
only way to protect American citizens is to expose the supernatural for what they
are terrorists. To do that, he has worked to cultivate a following to protect and
support him in his surprise bid for the presidency. Only then will he be able to
do what needs to be done.
Several of his allies flock to his no-nonsense approach and dont realize that join-
ing his side will require engaging in cult-like activities. Politicians, regardless of
what they believe, support the Vice President simply because their constituents
do. Evans knows this and uses their help to pick up right where the Unmasked
left off in a more subtle, but still effective, way by leveraging the power of his
political office.
Now Vice President Evans has teamed up with White Heart Pharmaceuticals to
achieve his lofty goals by forcing the American public to open their eyes to the truth.
This company has donated millions of flu vaccines that contain the mimetic infection.
To distract his opponents, Evans has fabricated rumors of assassination attempts, missing
senators, and has even gone so far as to frame the characters for murder.
Its up to the characters to stop the Vice President of the United States from
infecting millions of people in his bid for the presidency.
Themes: Faith and Trust
In Falling Scales Part I, the characters were forced to deal with the supernatu-
ral and a group of mortals attempting to control and catalog it. They no longer
have any doubt monsters are real. The only problem is: the word monster
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 has more than one definition. Life in the World of Darkness is not like a fairy
tale where the ending is black-and-white. Not everyone lives happily ever after
when the big, bad wolf dies especially if an even bigger wolf or a mob of unruly
villagers threatens to take its place.
How does a citizen know if the evil lurking on the corner is mortal or some-
thing else entirely? Is the definition of human based on biology or something
else? Are all supernatural beings damned and have to be eliminated? Or, does
the real monster lurk within every human heart, too?
These are some of the questions the characters will face in Falling Scales Part
II when they are compelled to question not only what they see, but what they
believe about themselves and each other. The themes in this story will work for
characters who balance instinct with investigation, who trust the other members
of the group, and wholl throw conventional wisdom out the window. The group
who spends too much time relying on stereotypes, old adages, and what theyve
been taught will send this story spiraling down into darkness and tragedy. Its up
to you as a Storyteller to reward or punish the characters accordingly.
Falling Scales II

Mood: Hall of Mirrors

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The characters discovered that the supernatural is real in Falling Scales Part
I, a certainty they could not forget no matter how hard they tried. By the end of
the story, the group came to grips with the fact that they will never be the same
again.
Even though the characters have moved on with their lives, Falling Scales
Introduction
for doing so. Additionally, under each scene, weve included any special considerations
p l eor rules that might be required.
Note, too, that the memetic infection has different effects on non-mortal char-
acters. These effects are noted under the Memetic Infection heading, below.

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Part II builds upon their knowledge by challenging their notions of good and evil.
Not every situation in the World of Darkness is clear cut and not all supernatural Vampire: The Requiem
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entities are out to slaughter mortals. Sometimes, a creature is forced to attack,
aid mortals, or even ask for help. Other times, humans are the true villain wholl
stop at nothing to threaten the lives of millions for power and glory.
Introducing Kindred into Falling Scales Part II will be fairly easy, given that
the fundraiser is a masked ball which will allow them to hide their true appearance.
What will be difficult, however, are the political and more sinister aspects of the
The characters will quickly realize the monsters theyve encountered in Fall-
story. How will Kindred society react to a potential threat to the Masquerade?
ing Scales Part I may not be any different (or worse) than their mortal enemies.
What would a Prince do if he found out Kindred were being dissected for study?
In Falling Scales Part II, they will have to wrestle with their conscience to decide
Since this story focuses on a broader scale, coteries will have to leverage their
whose side they are really on: the terrifying creatures that creep in the shadows
allies carefully and figure out who they trust or they may wind up imprisoned
or the humans who want to expose them for what they are.
or on a laboratory table.
Coming to grips with the supernatural is terrifying enough. Painting inhuman
The main issue here is balancing the concerns of Masquerade protection
beings with a broad brush is downright dangerous. Sometimes, its the humans you
with the imposing threat against Kindred society. It will be a challenge for Kindred
should worry about and not just the monsters who creep in the shadows.
to guard their interests if White Heart Pharmaceuticals peers into their personal
backgrounds and figures out who they are. If that happens, White Heart may shed
Across the World of Darkness its faade and target the coterie for capture and experimentation. Additionally,
the Vice President has convinced certain members of the U.S. military that any
This story is meant for mortal characters, with no (or very little) supernatural supernatural creatures including ghosts, spirits, or mortals with gifts are a threat
influence. However, if you wish to play through Falling Scales Part II with characters to security. A patriotic general would have no problem targeting the coterie if she
that have already received supernatural templates, its by no means impossible. It just believed they were evil and had to be destroyed to protect the innocent.
requires a bit more work on your part. Below are some suggestions and considerations

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 Werewolf: The Forsaken
It will be difficult for werewolves to deal with the more subtle aspects of
Falling Scales Part II. Since the majority of the scenes take place in high profile
areas of Washington D.C., werewolves may have to stifle their primal urges to
talk to a senator or charm an aide until they can find a worthy adversary to fight.
Werewolves may not understand why they have to infiltrate a fundraiser and sweet
talk guests for information especially if they dont care about the assassination
attempts revealed in the first scene.
To make the situation more frightening, drop rumors of werewolves being
kidnapped or toss the characters in jail for a confrontation with Abraham Churchs
spirit. Facilitate a situation where the werewolves may be forced to publicly Change
to deal with Church, a U.S. senator, or a trigger-happy cop. Emphasis the dangers
of what might happen if the police suspected they existed or if a believer saw
them change into a demon.
Mage: The Awakening
Falling Scales II
Mages in Falling Scales Part II will have few problems with this story provided
the Storyteller deepens the mystery and the threat here. Due to the widespread na-
ture of White Heart Pharmaceuticals, mages who discover that the Vice President
is to blame may wind up the target of the FBI or the CIA. Again, the cult here
is not as secretive as the Unmasked introduced in Falling Scales Part I because
the Vice President wants his beliefs to spread. How believers view mages will de-
pend upon the characters. Some may think the mages are witches and warlocks
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who worship Satan. Others may think they are avatars or miracle workers doing
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Gods work and may even go so far as to pray to them or ask them for help. Even
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those attitudes may change over the course of the adventure as the Vice President
continues to preach about a threat to national security on American soil and
increases the presence of Homeland Security on every street corner.
Since the memetic infection released in Falling Scales Part II appears in an
accelerated state, that aspect of this story will create a number of innocent victims
and potential threats. Mages can use their appropriate Paths of Magic to minimize
the damage and dampen public awareness. Unlike in Falling Scales Part I, the
spread of the infection is entirely random and can be used as cut scenes during
crucial moments.
Promethean: The Created
The Created may have a hard time with the social scenes in Falling Scales
Part II and may feel like theyre out of their element. Many Prometheans may be
attracted to the beautiful services and pomp and circumstance of the D.C. area.
Since the occult aspect of White Heart Pharmaceuticals is not well-publicized,
the Created may be drawn to unlocking that mystery and avoiding the watchful
gaze of the Vice President. Believers who recognize Prometheans for what they
are will flee in terror or worse attack them where they stand or call the police
and Homeland Security.
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The danger for Prometheans here is not the monster hiding under the bed,
its the throngs of infected mortals who will grab their pitchforks and run them
out of town. This realization may drive the Created mad as they feel to safety or
try to find a way to minimize the pain.
Changeling: The Lost
The Vice Presidents preachings to retain the purity and safety of all Ameri-
cans will likely strike different chords depending upon the changeling. Since Evans
is a charming man who truly wants to protect humanity, the group may support
and even further the Vice Presidents goals for a time. What happens when the
characters realize they are also a target?
Many scenes offer strong potential for internal conflict as each character
comes to grips with how they feel about themselves, their country, and the su-
pernatural. Additionally, its possible that some Changelings will seek to protect
the Vice President or help spread the memetic infection because they believe that
the world of the supernatural should be exposed.
Changelings who help White Heart Pharmaceuticals or work with the FBI
may breeze through the story until the very end. Let them. Then sit back and
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watch as the characters realize the horrors theyve committed by doing so.
Introduction
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f The Vigil
Hunter:
Similar to Falling Scales Part I, since hunters are human the story should
work as written. However, Conspiracies and Compacts, like The Cheiron Group,
will fit in perfectly with Falling Scales Part II and intensify the scope of the threat.
Savvy characters may soon realize that even with the vast resources at their disposal
there are some agencies, like the U.S. Pentagon, that has more power and reach
than they could ever hope to have. Itll be up to the characters to either work with
them or against them. Either way, hunters have a lot more to lose especially if
the military thinks theyre a threat, too.
The office of the Vice Presidency is the Compact here, with White Heart
Pharmaceuticals acting as the larger force behind it. Leverage character motiva-
tions in this story to deepen the interpersonal conflict since not every hunter
wants to deal with the supernatural in the same way.
Geist: The Sin-Eaters
Combined, the spiritual and ghostly elements of this story make this a
good thematic story for Sin-Eaters, even if Abraham Church isnt that much of
a physical threat for them. Here, Sin-Eaters are more at risk if and when their
true nature is recognized by the masses. Crowds of mortals pose a bigger threat
than one man with shamanic powers.
Storytellers may want to focus on the spread of the memetic infection and
the Vice Presidents patriotic, pro-humanity zeal. How will Sin-Eaters react when
an innocent recognizes what they are? What will they do when they are captured
for study? Will they be forced to confront and possibly kill the Vice President?
Or will believers try to heal them and set the spirit free?
 Supernatural Tolerance
Some of the systems in this story refer to Supernatural Tolerance. This
is the trait that measures the strength of a characters otherworldly knowledge,
energy or potency, and though it goes by different titles in the various games (and
means different things), the trait is often added to contested resistance rolls. A
characters Supernatural Tolerance trait is Blood Potency, Primal Urge, Gnosis,
Azoth, Wyrd or Psyche.
Terminology
Throughout Falling Scales, we refer to non-supernatural characters (which in-
cludes the hunters of Hunter: The Vigil) as mortals. Strictly speaking, werewolves,
changelings and mages are mortal, but the word mortals makes for smoother reading
than non-supernatural human being. Likewise, we use the term supernatural char-
acter to refer to vampires, werewolves, mages, Prometheans, changelings, Sin-Eaters
and ghouls. Again, hunters dont fall under this umbrella.
Falling Scales II
Backstory and Set-up
For those Storytellers who are starting fresh with Falling Scales, keep in
mind that recent events have fueled the present. Its a good idea to revisit the
characters first brush with the supernatural or the Unmasked first introduced
in Falling Scales Part I to deepen the mood. This may also mean that certain
p l eforced to breed with one of the creatures. The company is, for lack of a better
scenes, like Downtown or Dig Deeper, may take more time to complete as the
players realize what theyve been swept up in.
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Abraham Church originally appeared in Falling Scales Part I and is familiar
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with the group. Storytellers are encouraged to keep a summary on hand of how
the groups relationship ended with Christopher from the previous session when
he is introduced.
Backstory
The cult of the Unmasked, led by Anna Christopher, was dismantled almost
four months ago during the events of Falling Scales Part I. Both Abraham Church
and Anna Christopher are dead by the time Falling Scales Part II begins.
White Heart Pharmaceuticals
White Hearts corporate history is spotless, employees are treated well, and
its drugs have survived the scrutiny of the scientific community. Its lobbyists and
highly-educated personnel, represented by the exceptionally charming Christian St.
John, are mortals with real political agendas and verifiable identities. Headquar-
tered in Hong Kong, much of its political focus is to reduce tariffs and increase
the size and efficiency of its U.S.-based distribution centers located along the
Eastern and Western seaboards.
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White Heart Pharmaceuticals runs a distribution center in Washington D.C.
that supplies several states with medicine, vaccines, and drugs. The citys 3,800
foot underground railway, which hasnt served passengers since 1908, was recently
purchased by White Heart for the sum of 300 million dollars.
A bizarre mosaic seal is cemented into the freight tunnels beneath Virginia
Avenue. The five symbols depicted in the seal are ancient: a virgin stag, a great
eye, a pyramid, a gold sun with bright rays, and a winged serpent. The careful
observer will notice that these symbols are ever present throughout White Hearts
organization. They are hidden in paintings, watermarked on stationery, and tat-
tooed on those who work for the home office.
To the general public and the majority of its employees, White Heart
Pharmaceuticals looks, smells, and feels like a genuine corporation. The reality,
Backstory and Set-Up
however, is so unbelievable those who have found the truth have been called
crazy or worse wiped completely from recent memory. Spies and traitors are
not only killed: the memories of everyone around them are altered and their
digital identities are erased.
Founded in the late 80s, White Heart Pharmaceuticals specializes in the
protection, representation, and cooperation with an ancient cabal of supernatu-
ral creatures. Employees like St. John who are aware of the supernatural entities
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behind-the-scenes know full well that they cannot ever hope to win or save hu-
man society from these beings. Those who try will wind up a midnight snack or
explanation, a sophisticated errand boy for the foulest and most ancient group
of creatures ever to have walked the earth.
The company isnt without its fair share of conspiracies, however, for recent
audits have revealed massive donations to Vice President Evanss political cam-
paigns and hundreds of accounts linked to questionable religious organizations
and cults around the globe. Despite of the rules of office, Evans is a primary
shareholder, an illegal act that would topple his Vice Presidency if it was ever
revealed to the American public.
Many of the employees do not have direct contact with those who run
the show. Rumors, secrets, and conspiracy theories run amuck in a corporate
environment where confidence is easily replaced by fear. Most of the workers at
their main base of operations sign life-long contracts and are often hypnotized or
brainwashed through more sinister means. Other personnel, like those who run
the freight operation in D.C., are on a need-to-know basis, but even part-time
drivers sign a non-disclosure/non-compete agreement.
Evidence of the occult exists only under the scrutiny of someone who hunts
for it. At every location whether its a distribution center or not the build-
ings are decorated with ancient hieroglyphs and life-like statues embedded into
the walls.
Most employees are blissfully unaware that they have been distribut-
ing the memetic infection to the general public for the past few months.
However, none of the White Heart Pharmaceutical employees have the
infection themselves.

Set-up
By the time Falling Scales Part II begins, characters should have had a brush
with the supernatural. While the group does not have to be infected, its important
the characters know (or strongly suspect) that the supernatural exists.
Prior to the opening scene, the characters should be together in an open,
public space somewhere in Washington D.C. Strong possibilities for locations
may include parking lots, alleyways, bars, parks, piers, etc.
Here are some reasons why the group should meet:
The characters are having a reunion. The group separated after the end of
Falling Scales Part I and each character has moved on with their life. Theyve
decided to hang out and enjoy themselves on better terms. Maybe theyre
can be drawn in the middle of it. Many supernatural beings are afraid of the
Pentagon though theyre not sure why.
The Washington Monument is a phallic, four-sided structure built by Freema-
sons to worship Ra, the Egyptian Sun God. Believers speculate the Monument
acts as a giant, supernatural beacon that is charged whenever the sun touches
one of its sides.
The White House is situated at the nexus of five occult symbols: an inverted
pentagram, a Knights Templar cross, a freemasons square and compass, an owl
dedicated to the Egyptian Goddess Isis, and a hexagram. Visitors to the White
House report sightings of ghosts, cryptic messages that appear and disappear
in its walls, and supernatural beings. Rumors circulate that the President is

Backstory and Set-Up

throwing darts at a pub. Maybe theyre dancing at a night club. Give them the
chance to catch up and corroborate their experiences.
The characters must help someone in need. The characters have received a
strange phone call from someone they know and theyre obligated to assist. A
Falling Scales II
aware the supernatural exists and, since the days of George Washington, the
highest office in the land enforces a treaty with the community to prevent an
all-out war.
Dozens of Egyptian gods, goddesses, and symbols are represented throughout

brother has just been in a car accident and has been haunted by ghosts ever
since. A grandmothers house mysteriously burns down. A missing roommate
has just shown up after being lost for weeks. When the characters are in transit,
a woman bars them from going any further. If they investigate the phone call
further, theyll learn the call originated from the Pentagon.
Washington D.C. Isis graces the top of the Capitol building. Osiris can be
spotted as Mars, his Roman guise, at the buildings entrance. 16th Street is a
corridor of light, also known as the Aten-Ra, which marks the sun at its apex
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in the sky above. Many people believe that Washington D.C. was founded and
built to recreate the spiritual principles of Ancient Egypt.

A reformed member of the Unmasked asks to meet the characters. Whether

the group is together or not, each character receives a message from someone p l e Many occult symbols and hidden messages can be found on U.S. currency in-
cluding the Great Pyramid and the All Seeing Eye on the back of the dollar bill.
It is said that as long as these symbols exist, the treaty will remain intact.

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whos desperate. Maybe this cultist believes the group is in danger. Maybe theyre
trying to blackmail the characters, claiming they have evidence of the havoc These occult elements will help draw out the World of Darkness in this

characters show up, they find a dying woman. S

theyve wrecked. Maybe they are holding their loved ones hostage. When the scenario and give players something atmospheric to focus on when they research
during slower moments of this scenario.
While D.C. is not as physically large or as populated as other major cities
like New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles, it is the beating heart of the nation. The
The City of Washington D.C. world of the supernatural has not turned a blind eye to D.C.s powerful influence
on the mortal world. As such, many entities lurk around to ensure their interests,
Designed by French Freemason Pierre Charles LEnfant, surveyor Andrew
sometimes on a national or even global level, are protected.
Ellicott, and astronomer Benjamin Banneker, Washington D.C. is a city steeped
in American politics, conspiracy theories, and the occult. From the pentacle-
shaped Pentagon to the influence of Freemasonry, the area teems with mysteries
both real and imagined.
In Falling Scales Part II, many of the scenes take place in iconic areas of
Washington D.C. Quick internet searches will yield a lot of information to help
flush out details in this capitol city and inspire you in your game.
Conspiracy theories pinpoint the architecture and placement of several
landmarks. Falling Scales Part II leverages popular assumptions like:
The Pentagon is one of the most powerful occult symbols found in America.
Not only is this structure shaped like a pentagram, another invisible pentagram