Copyright 1994, 2003 Philip Reed and Christopher Shy. All Rights Reserved.The Whispering Vault is a trademark of Philip Reed and Christopher Shy.The Sanguine Seal is a trademark of Mike Nystul, used with permission.

www.roninarts.comwww.philipjreed.comwww.studioronin.com

PAT COLEMAN MARK ERNST

EARL GEIER DANIEL GELON JEFF LAUBENSTEIN

ANSON MADDOCKS LARRY MACDOUGALL DAVE MACKAY

JIM NELSON MIKE NIELSEN MARK TEDIN

WHISPERING VAULT - ILLUSTRATORS

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE

Designed and Written by Mike NystulArt Direction & Layout: Mike NystulAdditional Material: Tom Dowd, Aaron Loeb,Geoff McMartin and Bryan NystulEditing: Bryan Nystul, Dawn Nystul

PLAYTESTERS

Joe Adlesick, Lee Calmino, Kevin Carroll, Tom Dowd,Jeff Fedderke, Mike Fortner, Bob Gundlach, Rebecca Hall,John Hartje, Chris Kubasic, Eileen Malony, David Mende,Thom Miller, Jeff Mills, Stan Nalinowski, Bryan Nystul,Marc Paterno, Lori Ralston, Rich Schaufuss, Brian Shefveland,Shari Smith, Kevin Stein, Doug Tabb, and John Tinio

SPECIAL THANKS

For helping me get the book out: Tom Dowd, Mark Ernst,Rink Heule of Print Systems, Jim Nelson, Mike Neilsen,Bryan Nystul, and Kevin Stein

For the moral support that kept me going: Lloyd Blankenship,William Spencer-Hale, Eileen Malony, Bryan Nystul,Rich Schaufuss, Lester Smith and Kevin Stein

For answering all my stupid questions: John Brewster,Tom Dowd, Todd Fisher, Rett Kipp, Sam Lewis,Jill Lucas, Jim Nelson, and Kevin Stein

For investing more than time: Joe Adlesick, Marc Blumberg,Todd Fisher, Mike Fortner, Rebecca Hall, Sam Lewis,Marie Prechodko, Rich Schaufuss, and Kevin Stein

Dedicated to Lauren's Mom –

VI: THE HUNT 59-76

VII: CAMPAIGNING 77-88

VIII: THE UNBIDDEN 89-100

IX: SHADOWS 101-114

X: MORTAL MAN 115-134

I: CHARACTERS 13-24

II: THE RULES 25-36

III: DISCIPLINES 37-44

IV: SERVITORS 45-52

V: SKILLS 53-58

TABLE OF CONTENTS

WELCOME

This book contains everything you need to share a dreamwith me and with one another. It is a strange dream aboutimmortal beings who travel through time to mend the fabricof reality and the nightmarish creatures who oppose them.Welcome aboard. I hope you enjoy the ride.

AN ASSUMPTION Most of the people who will buy this game are experiencedgamers, so no effort will be made to explain the concept ofroleplaying. Let's assume you know the basics. If you havenever played a roleplaying game before, you are better offlearning from other players than a rulebook anyway.

AN INVITATION

Despite the lack of introductory material, the WhisperingVault works quite well as a first game for horror fans whoare new to the hobby. The next time you are gathering agroup to play the Vault, consider inviting a couple offriends who have never played before.

GETTING STARTED

All you need to play is this book, a few open-mindedfriends, and a handful of six-sided dice. The Vault can beplayed with as few as two players and as many as six, butit seems to work best with three or four. The Gamemastershould familiarize himself with the rules before trying toplay, but he can fill the rest of you in as you go along.

DISCLAIMER – The Whispering Vault is an original work of fictioncreated for the sole purpose of entertainment. Any further significanceis the invention of the reader and is not the Author's responsibility.

Y ou were once human, a captive spiritclothed in the bonds of physical existence.What set you apart from the botched and

the bungled was uncommon insight and unbridledcuriosity. For years you struggled to make senseof a world that seemed insane by its ownstandards. When you happened upon evidence ofthe Unseen, you knew that you had your first realglimpse of the true nature of the universe. Foryears, you immersed yourself in the forgotten andthe forbidden, formulating theories that made youan outcast among the Unenlightened.

In time, you learned that eternity is composedof two Realms and the interaction between them.You were born into the Realm of Flesh, but beyondthe Mundane lies an Unseen Realm of Essence thatwould provide the missing key needed to unlockthe secrets of the Ancient Mysteries. Investigationof the Unseen revealed the recurring intrusion ofentities from the other side called the Unbiddenwho seemed driven to perform unspeakable acts.When you discovered the menace, you devotedyour life to protecting the innocent fools wholacked the insight to understand the danger.

For the balance of your mortal life, you didbattle with the Unbidden and their Minions,destroying their physical Vessels and driving theirspirits back across the Rift. In time you realizedyou were not alone in your crusade. Your effortsbrought you to the attention of the Stalkers,entities charged by immortal beings called PrimalPowers with the sacred duty of hunting theUnbidden and casting them into the Vault. Whenthey offered, you readily agreed to continue thefight as one of their Circle, sacrificing physicalform for Essence eternal. This is your story...

UNBEARABLE TRUTH

For years, I pursued evidence of what I know I had seen. When thebad days came, I wondered if I was trying to prove my findings tomy colleagues or to myself. The last leg of my journey brought meto an opium den in Singapore where several witnesses swore theyhad seen an “evil spirit.” Considering the source, it was hard to beoptimistic, but I had run out of good leads so I decided to give it ashot. The nightmare that lurked in the back room of the dismal hospiceshattered my preconceived notions of the Unseen and inspired acrusade for which I would one day forsake my humanity.

There is more to the world than what we can perceivewith five senses and instincts clouded with preconceptions.Those with the insight to look beyond the comfortable lieswe hide behind and the courage to accept that truth referto one another as the Enlightened.

The Enlightened share a common worldview and overthe course of centuries they have developed special termsto describe what they have discovered. This book is writtenfrom an Enlightened perspective and makes use of theirlexicon to establish a common frame of reference.

The key to understanding the world of the WhisperingVault is learning the secret truths known only to theEnlightened few. First among these truths, and hardest formost to accept, is that we are not alone.

According to Enlightened philosophy, our world exists inthe Realm of Flesh, bound by the physical laws necessary forform and substance. There is another plane of existancebeyond our own they call the Realm of Esssence which isunfettered by conventional physics. The Neitherspacebetween the Realms is inhabited by hordes of creatures calledShadows who can interact with both Flesh and Essence.

There is a tenuous bond between the Realms that allowscertain individuals to sense what lies beyond the Rift. TheEnlightened call these gifted individuals Sensitives andtheir glimpses of Essence the Unseen. Mankind hasdeveloped complex mythologies and rationalizations toexplain what they have seen but cannot understand.

For the most part, the Unseen has little effect on the day today lives of mortal men. Shadows are always watching us,but these ephemeral creatures are seldom aggressive enoughto interact with inhabitants of the physical world.

From time to time, these Shadows are Awakened by someexperience that inspires them to try to force their way intoour world. Those that manage to cross over assume physicalform and are able take a more active role in our lives. Becauseof their alien outlook, these creatures are often very dangerous.

Worse than Awakened Shadows are creatures called theUnbidden who come to the Realm of Flesh longing to fulfilltheir inhuman passions. These beings are powerful enoughto awaken Shadows, binding them to physical vessels. BoundShadows are known as Minions, creatures who exist only tohelp their otherworldly masters further their perverse ends.

Fortunately, mankind is not alone in his struggle. Since thedawn of history there have been tales of strange guardians whowatch over mankind, protecting him from the supernaturalhorrors that prey upon the unwary. These guardians are theStalkers, immortal defenders of the Flesh who Hunt the Unseen.

The mortals who will one day become Stalkers are Chosenfor reasons not even the Enlightened understand. Most who areChosen are both Sensitive and Enlightened and have dedicatedtheir lives to fighting the Unseen. When the time is right, theStalkers come for the Chosen one, freeing him of the bonds ofphysical form and forging his humanity into five keys. The Keysof Humanity are the symbols of the Stalker's office and thetools that allow him to return to the world of his birth .

IMMORTAL ESSENCE

Gone was the crude flesh that had weighed down my spirit for solong. Free of my mortal burden my mind soared, unleashing facultiesI had not realized I possessed. Concepts that would once have escapedmy feeble grasp were child’s play to my awakened insight. Elated, Ibathed in the blinding light of truth for the first time and wasoverwhelmed. To a neophyte Stalker, enlightenment is rebirth, andI was transfigured in an instant that will last an eternity.

When a mortal transcends the Flesh, the true nature of theuniverse is revealed to him. Even among the Chosen, thereare few with the insight to fully comprehend the ancientmysteries, but a typical Stalker’s comprehension exceedsthat of the most enlightened mortal philosopher.

Creation and Armageddon are aspects of a cosmic Cyclethat has always been and will always be. Of the countlessentities who inhabit the Realms of Flesh and Essence, few havethe Persistent Essence required to survive from one Cycle tothe next. The Enlightened call these beings Primal Powers.

In the beginning there is nothing but potential. Alone inthe void, the Powers hunger for the wonders rememberedfrom the previous Cycle. Invariably this desire gives birth tothe Aesthetics, creatures of pure Essence whose imaginationis an act of creation. Through their collective contemplation,the Aesthetic host Dreams the Realm of Flesh.

Having accepted their unlikely origins the Enlightenedsometimes refer to the Realm of Flesh as the Dream. The visionof the Aesthetics which inspires their contemplation andshapes our world is called the Dreaming, a term which is alsoused to describe the process of creation. The Dreaming is anorganic process that can be twisted by those who have learnedhow to influence the Dreamers, reshaping the Flesh. Thismanipulation of the Dream is what mortals call magic.

Ironically, it is the Aesthetics that pose the greatest threatto their own creation. Like mortal Senstives, some Aestheticslearn to gaze across the Rift. Unlike mortals, AestheticSensitives are able to see our world more clearly than theirown and are often tempted to neglect their duties to watch usplay in the savage garden they created for us.

It is the role of the Aesthetics to Dream, but in the Flesh theysee their Vision come to life. If they gaze too long at their creation,they are corrupted and develop a passion for the Flesh. Thesedesires are perverse and interaction forbidden.

Sometimes an Aesthetic who has grown weak withlonging for what he cannot touch is seduced by what hesees. Despite the consequences, he abandons his post andcrosses the Rift to indulge his passions. These renegadesbecome the creatures known as the Unbidden.

When an Aesthetic abandons his post, his absence createsa flaw in the Dream. The Enlightened call these flaws Enigmas.Enigmas manifest as all manner of supernatural phenonena,and though many are seemingly innocuous, they are woundsin the fabric of reality more dangerous than any mortalweapon. If an Enigma is not Mended, its Corruption willspread, threatening the course of the Dreaming.

To protect the Flesh from the Unbidden, the Powers grantcertain mortals Immortal Essence to serve as Stalkers. Becauseof their mortal origins, Stalkers can return to the Realm ofFlesh to capture the Unbidden and Mend the Enigma.

So it was that the Stalkers were born and will be rebornwith every new Cycle until their services are no longerrequired. Until then they are all that stands betweenmankind and the twisted passions of the creators.

Your character is a Stalker,immortal guardian of theDream. Though abandoned

long ago, your character’s mortalorigins provide a foundation thatwill help you decide how yourcharacter looks, acts, and thinks.

The following section outlines aseries of questions that will helpyou establish your character'sbackground. When you haveanswered all of these questions toyour satisfaction, you are ready togenerate your character’s statistics.

In many ways this is the mostimportant step in the charactercreation process. The rest of therules are tools to help you implementthe decisions you make here.

The world of the WhisperingVault is a strange place inhabitedby bizarre creatures. When creatingyour Stalker let your imaginationrun wild. An important element ofthe setting is the contrast betweenthe character's mundane origins

More than human but less than perfect, I am animmortal expression of divine justice, and this is mystory. This document is my first attempt to describewhat has become of me since I shed my mortal husk,and I fear it may be a less than adequete descriptionof my journey. When next I Hunt I will conceal thetext where it may one day be found by someone whowill know what it is and what it means.

I : CHARACTERS

and his immortal incarnation. Thisworks best when the Stalker isobviously otherworldly.

It is important for the players totalk with one another during thecharacter creation process. Whenso much of the game depends onhaving a distinctive style it can bedisappointing to have to "share thestage" with someone who createda similar character.

If your group decides to docharacter creation before you gettogether for the first sessioneveryone should create a "stable" ofStalkers with different backgroundsand abilities. You can put together abalanced group from these stables.

During game play, your conceptwill come into focus, allowing youto refine your creation betweensessions. Over the course of acampaign, characters tend to take ona life of their own, so don’t bothertrying to figure out everythingduring character creation.

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Time does not affect creaturesof Essence the same way it affectsthe Flesh so your character couldhave come from any place ortime. Try to choose a period thatyou are familiar with or one thatholds special romance for you.

It is possible to play charactersfrom the future, but it forces thegamemaster to invent a timelineso it is easiest to play charactersfrom the present or from the past.

WHEN AND WHERE WERE YOU BORN ?

I was a product of the latemiddle ages. For most, itwas a time of a change,but many were helplessagainst the tyranny ofinertia. The forces oftradition mired thedawning Renaissance inprejudice and dogma. Atthe time I was indignant,but from what I haveseen, I have come toprefer the ignorantdesperation of the DarkAges to the stark horrorof the modern world.Close your eyes whileyou still can.

WHO WERE YOU AND HOW DID YOU LIVE?

Stalkers come from all walks oflife, but characters with thestrength of conviction to confrontthe Unseen seldom lead mundanelives. While it is possible for yourcharacter to have been a plumberor farmer, he is more likely to havebeen a priest or a war hero.

Some professions or lifestylesare more likely to encounter theUnseen making it more plausiblefor them to become entangled inthe machinations of the Unbidden.Reporters and archaeologists aretwo examples of contemporarybackgrounds that could lead toparanormal investigation.

The setting allows for all kindsof characters so try to find some-thing that intrigues you. In thelong run the best background isone that tells a good story.

Befuddled by innocence,I misunderstood mycalling and joined thegood brothers of theOrder of the WhiteRose where I dedicatedmyself to exploringmysteries that thechurch would ratheroverlook. It was thispersistant curiositythat would lead me outof the shadows ofignorance into theterrible light of truth.

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Scarborough was farfrom the nearestchurch, so they wereforced to petition themonestary for help.As I was the only onefamiliar with theRoman Ritual, it wasleft to me to confrontthe abominationlurking in thecobbler’s barn.The creature took myarm and shattered myfaith leaving nothingbut a twisted obsessionthat gradually destroyedmy mortal life.

It will help you understandyour character’s motivations if youknow how he first came intocontact with the Unseen and whatdrove him to devote his life to thepursuit of the Unbidden.

Take the time to make somenotes about your character's careeras a mortal Hunter. This will giveyou a foundation to work from andmay provide the gamemaster withseeds for follow-up adventures.

WHY DID YOU HUNT THE UNSEEN ?

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HOW WERE YOU RECRUITED ?

It was your character's devotionthat eventually brought him to theattention of the Powers. OnceChosen, he was offered immortalityby a representative of the Circle hewould join. This is the major turningpoint in a Stalker's life. Try to figureout how it happened and how hewas affected by the experience.

When the strangeangels came for me thefirst time, I was notready to shed mymortal husk. Ten yearslater Trisha was dead,and I had avenged myfallen brothers. Withnothing to lookforward to but thefading of the light, Icould scarcely refusetheir generous offer.I have conquereddeath and face eternityunafraid...

When the flesh is strippedfrom the soul of the Chosen, hisspirit is freed to become what italways should have been. Thisspirit form is called the Avatar.

To determine the Avatar ’sappearance, try to turn yourcharacter inside out. Figure outwhat he is inside and use it to createa description that is an expressionof his spirit. Influenced as they areby their origins, Stalkers are often

WHAT DOES YOUR AVATAR LOOK LIKE?

By the time I wasChosen, my youth wasbadly tarnished. Iburied my smile withmy mother, and myrakish goatee gaveway to a long greybeard. Never given tovanity, I favored aplain brown cassocktied with a rope belt.As a mortal, I may havebeen mundane, butfrom all reports myAvatar is quite striking.The ancient Greeks callme "master night," andthe Apache know me asthe "burning man."Dawnsteel hasdescribed me as a"robed phantom whoseeyes burn withenlightened fire."A bit overstated, but itwill have to do –I have no mirrors.

clothed in some variation of thetrappings of their mortal life.

Avatars usually have a generallyhumanoid appearance but areobviously supernatural entities.Remember that Whispering Vaultis a horror game so the chosenform should be unsettling, but itneed not be gruesome.

Bear in mind that that functiondoes not necessarily follow form –it takes more than wings to fly.

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Once you have figured out whoand what your character is, try toimagine where he would live. AStalker’s Domain is as distinctive ashis Avatar. Unfettered by physicallaws, the Architecture of Essence islimited only by the imagination.

When you have a concept, tryto take your basic idea one stepfurther, making mountains out ofmolehills. When your descriptionstarts to sound outrageous, you areprobably headed in the rightdirection. There is no place for themundane on the other side.

Domains are only limited by thecharacter's needs. Most are isolatedlocations such as a tower, arena orcathedral that could be called"home." Few Stalkers need anentire city but anything is possible.

In many ways myDomain reflects mymortal existance. At theheart of my realm is atower, infinitely tall andtwisted as the course ofmy life which houses afew meager rooms and afabulous library.Each of the books in mycollection is a memoryof what has been or oneday will be, but I darenot read them for fear oflosing the present.

WHAT IS YOUR DOMAIN LIKE?

CHARACTER CREATION

AVATAR ATTRIBUTES

From the moment the Stalker’sEssence was liberated from thebonds of Flesh, physical formbecame a transitory consideration.The Avatar Attributes define aspectsof the character’s spirit which willdetermine the rest of his abilities.

To generate the Avatar’sAttributes divide 22 pointsbetween Awareness, Insight,Presence, and Willpower

There are no restrictions on howthese points may be spent, but it is agood idea to assign Attribute Valuesin the 3 to 7 range. The choices aplayer makes during this initialstep will determine what kind ofabilities his character will have, soevery point is important.

Awareness is a character’s ability toperceive and interpret physicaland supernatural stimulus. ThisAttribute also determines thenumber of Disciplines a noviceStalker will receive.

Insight defines a character’s intui-tive understanding of the truenature of things. This Attributealso determines a novice Stalker’sinitial Skill Bonuses.

Presence defines a character’s forceof personality which will deter-mine the influence he will haveover others. This Attribute alsodetermines which Servitors areavailable to a novice Stalker.

Willpower defines a character’sstrength of spirit which manifestsitself as determination and self-control. This Attribute alsodetermines how powerful theStalker’s Vessel will be.

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How good are you? Most players need a couple ofsessions to get a feel for what the various Attributelevels will do for them. As a guideline, assume thatmortal characters consider an Attribute Value of 2 or3 unremarkable, a 4 or a 5 exceptional, and a 6 or highersuperhuman. To most Stalkers, an Attribute Value of 2or a 3 is a liability, a 4 or a 5 is reliable, and a 6 or a 7 is anasset. Stalkers who indulge in an Attribute of 8 or betterhave to make concessions that make them very one-sided. Until you are used to the system, assign AttributeValues of 4 or better. This won't give you a lot of pointsto work with, but it is a good place to start.

Conjure : create small objectsDelve : read the minds of mortal charactersDisintegrate : destroy unliving matterDissipate : move through physical obstaclesDominate : mind controlForesight : read the immediate futureFrenzy : make multiple attacks in melee combatMorph : change the Vessel's shapeRend : make ranged attacksSavage : cause extra damage in melee combatTerrify : frighten mortal opponentsTranslocate : teleport the VesselWard : protection from physical damageWeave : heal damage to the VesselWhisper : initiate silent communication

DISCIPLINE SUMMARY

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CHOOSING DISCIPLINES

The Chosen come to the Realmof Essence with enormous potentialthat may only be realized throughthe teachings of the Primal Powers.In game terms, this knowledge takesthe form of Disciplines, techniquesthat give the character specialpowers in the Realm of Flesh.

Newly created charactersbegin play with a numberof Disciplines equal totheir Awareness Attribute

The Discipline Summary on thispage may be useful duringcharacter creation. Completedescriptions are contained in thesection that starts on page 37.

If you have been playing awhile, there may be additionalDisciplines available in yourcampaign. Be sure to check with yourgamemaster for an updated list.

Buying a Discipline represents arudimentary grasp of the requiredtechniques, but there is a deeper levelof understanding called Mastery. AMaster gains access to additionalpowers and may invent improvisedapplications of his MasteredDisciplines called Inspirations.

Mastering a Disciplinecounts as a secondDiscipline towards theStalker's limit

Normally a character with anAwareness of 5 starts his careerwith 5 Disciplines. If he decidesthat he wants to master 2 of hisDisciplines, he will only have 3: 2that are Mastered and 1 that is not.

CHOOSING SERVITORS

During the Hunt, Stalkers can callon the powers of the phantoms ofEssence known as Servitors. NovitiateStalkers will only have a few Servitorsavailable to them, but as their favorwith the Primal Powers grows, morecreatures will present themselves.

Beginning characters receivea number of Servitors equalto their Presence Attribute

The summary on this page maybe a useful reminder duringcharacter creation. Completedescriptions of the Servitors andtheir powers are contained in thesection that starts on page 45.

If you have been playing awhile, there may be additionalServitors available in yourcampaign. Be sure to check with yourgamemaster for an updated list.

Manifesting a Servitor’s powerin the Realm of Flesh requires theuse of the Evocation Skill and is sotiring that it causes damage to theStalker's Vessel. Stalkers have bettercontrol over the Servitors they haveMastered and do not take damage iftheir Skill use is successful makingit possible to call on them more often.

Mastering a Servitorcounts as a second Servitortowards the Stalker's limit

The balance of Servitors versusMastered Servitors is a questionof flexibility versus dependability.It is usually a good idea to haveat least one Mastered Servitor thatcan be called upon withoutdamaging the Vessel.

EXAMPLE : CHOOSING DISCIPLINES AND SERVITORS

Tom’s Stalker has an Awareness of 7 so he can choose 7 Disciplines.After perusing the list for Disciplines that would be appropriate forhis character, he chooses Conjure, Dissipate, Dominate, Frenzy andTranslocate. Instead of buying two more Disciplines, he decides thathis character has Mastered Dissipation and Translocation. The Stalkerhas a Presence of 3 so Tom can choose 3 Servitors. After perusingthe list for Servitors that would be appropriate for his character, hechooses the Chronovores and Spinners. Instead of buying a thirdServitor, he decides that his character has Mastered the Spinnerswhich will allow the Stalker to call them whenever he likes.

Chronovores: slow mortalsCloudlings: absorb moisture to create rainDevourers: consume unliving matterDreadwyrms: frighten groups of mortalsFerretters: search for an object described by the EvokerFlits: reduce the damage caused by ranged weaponsGlamours: mesmerize weak willed mortalsGlimmergaunts: make physical objects translucentGremlins: impair electrical devicesMarrowdires: weaken the defenses of ShadowsMartyrs: absorb Vitality loss in the Area of EffectNegators: erase traces of EssenceNightwings: create a patch of darknessRippers: tear the Husks off of MinionsRotlings: cause debilitating weakness in mortalsSlashers: attack everything in the Area of EffectSpinners: weave invisible webs that cling to mortalsTrackers: find the nearest creature of EssenceVampires: increase damage inflicted on mortalsVoidoids: absorb energy

SERVITOR SUMMARY

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SCULPTING THE VESSEL

Creatures of Essence require aphysical form to operate in theRealm of Flesh, so the Weaverscreate a Vessel by spinningsubstance over the Avatar. In gameterms, the Vessel is represented bythree Attributes that define thecharacter’s physical capabilities.

Dexterity defines the Vessel’sagility and is the Attribute usedfor physical Challenges such asAttack and Evade.

Fortitude defines the Vessel’stoughness and is used to resistdamage to the Vessel.

Strength defines the Vessel’s sheerphysical power and is thecharacter ’s base damage inunarmed combat.

A Stalker's Dexterity,Fortitude, and Strengthhave a Base Value of 3

At the start of each HuntStalkers may increasetheir Physical Attributesby a number of pointsequal to their Willpower

How strong are you? Strength is often subjected to closerscrutiny than the other Attributes because its effectsare obvious. For purposes of comparison assume thatmost mortals have a Strength of 2 or 3. Individuals withexceptional Strength such as Olympic weightlifters havean Attribute Value of 4. A few mortals have achieveda Strength Value of 5, but they are very rare. The Vesselis clearly superior to mortal flesh, imbuing an averageStalker with a Strength of 4 or 5. Any Stalker who hasa Strength Attribute of 6 or better can inflict as muchdamage as a gun with his bare hands and can performincredible feats of physical prowess.

Tom’s character has a Willpower of 5 which gives him 5 pointsto divide between the Vessel’s three Attributes. He raises theDexterity by 2, Fortitude by 2, and Strength by 1 giving theVessel a Dexterity of 5, a Fortitude of 5, and a Strength of 4.These Attributes are adequate but unimpressive for a Stalker.

EXAMPLE : SCULPTING THE VESSEL

Unlike the rest of charactercreation, this step may be repeatedmore than once. Every time theStalker journeys to the Realm ofFlesh, the character can give theWeavers different instructions,allowing the player to assignwhatever Attribute values he likes.

Dexterity determines the out-come of physical actions so it is agood idea to have at least 4 Dice oryour Stalker won't be able to Attackor Defend very well. Combat ori-ented characters usually have aDexterity Attribute of 5 or 6.

Fortitude determines if an attackis a glancing blow or a mortalwound. Going into combat with theBase Value is risky so it is prudent toimprove it by a point or two.Combat oriented characters willneed even higher Values.

Strength is only important ifyour character plans to engage inunarmed combat on a regularbasis. In addition, Strength is onlythe Base Damage and may beincreased by certain Disciplines soit is probably the least importantof the Physical Attributes.

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CHOOSING SKILLS

All Stalkers receive Bonuses incertain Skills that make it easier forthem to perform actions associatedwith those Skills. Assigning theSkill Bonuses is a three-step processthat will determine where theStalker's proficiencies lie.

Step One: Choose threePrimary Skills, and assigna bonus of +4 to each

When assigning the PrimarySkills, players should choose thethree Skills that are most importantto their character. These will be theSkills that will be used the mostoften so they should have a Bonusthat will make them reliable.

Step Two : Choose anumber of SecondarySkills equal to the Stalker’sInsight, assigning a bonusof +2 to each

When chosing the SecondarySkills consider assigning Bonusesto a few of the Skills that areimportant to all Stalkers such asBanishment, Binding, Mask,Mending, and Sensitivity.

Step Three : Divide anadditional pool of pointsequal to the Stalker'sInsight among the skillsin any fashion so long asno bonus exceeds +6

These additional points are usedto fine tune the character. They maybe used to improve Primary andSecondary Skill values or to assigna Bonus to a Skill the Stalker did notchoose during the first two Steps.

You will not be able to assignBonuses to all the Skills you wantyour character to have. Bear in mindthat your character has all the Skillson the sheet whether you assigna Bonus to them or not.

• FOCUS SKILLS

A character ’s past is mostlyforgotten but what remains is oftenvery important to him. At theplayer’s option, the character mayhave as many as three Focus Skillswhich reflect the character’s past.

To buy a Focus Skill, all youhave to do is decide what it iscalled, write it on the charactersheet and assign a Bonus to it. Formore on Focus Skills and what theycan do refer to the Skills chapterwhich begins on page 53.

Some gamemasters will requirethat each Stalker buy at least 1Focus Skill. This will force theplayers to do some thinking abouttheir background and will give thecharacters more individuality.

Some Focus Skills give the charactera bonus with any Discipline thatrequires a Challenge Roll. TheseSkills bear the same name as theassociated Discipline so a Focus Skillthat helps a Stalker use the DominateDiscipline is called Dominate.Novice Stalkers may only have twoDiscipline related Focus Skills butthey can learn more later on.

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THE FIVE KEYSWhen the Chosen are lifted up,

their humanity is forged into fivekeys. The Five Keys are thesymbols of the Stalker's Office andgive them many powers, not theleast of which is the ability toreturn to the Realm of Flesh.

Stalkers carry their Keys at alltimes. Even in the Realm of Essencethe Keys are things of the Flesh,material objects which anchor theirimmortal soul to the mortal world.

Each player will have to decidewhat form his Stalker's Keys take.Most are keys in the traditionalsense of the word, but the Five Keyscan also manifest as a similar objectthat suits the character's idiom.

A character who was once acatburglar could carry lockpicks, asoldier could wear his Keys asdogtags, and a character from anear future could wear five secu-rity cards pinned to his jumpsuit.

No matter what form they take,the Keys must be prominentlydisplayed. When the Vessel isRevealed, the Keys will blaze withotherworldly energy as the Stalker'sexcess Essence bleeds away.

• DEFINING THE KEYS

When a new Stalker is created,the player needs to decide what hisKeys represent. A Stalker's Keys arethe five things that defined hishumanity. All the player has to dois figure out what they are.

There are three kinds of Keys:Virtues, Flaws, and Memories.There are no prerequsites, but mostStalkers have at least one of each

kind. A common combination istwo Virtuous Keys, two FlawedKeys, and a Key Memory.

Virtuous Keys are personalitytraits characterized as desirable inthe Stalker's native culture. Courage,Generosity, Loyalty, and Patienceare all common examples.

Flawed Keys are personalitytraits that the character viewed asshortcomings. Anger, Avarice,Cowardice, Lust, Naivete, andPride are all common examples.

Key Memories are events thatchanged a character's life so pro-foundly that they define him suchas a love affair or the birth of achild. The visions of the past offeredby these Keys are often viewed asburdens or distractions that mustbe endured for the greater good.

Players must incorporate thechosen traits into the Stalker'spersonality, using the Keys asguidelines during game play. Newplayers should only be asked tocome up with 2 or 3 of the FiveKeys. The rest can be defined lateras the character takes shape.

THE FIFTH KEY For many Stalkers, theVirtue of Compassion is the

first Key forged and the last to be lost. These Stalkerscall Compassion the Fifth Key and believe that itprovides a crucial connection to the mortal world. It issuggested that the gamemaster insist that playercharacter Stalkers choose Compassion as one of theirKeys. Stalkers who are allowed to Hunt withoutCompassion are capable of souless violence that canreduce the game to a meaningless bloodbath.

• STOLEN KEYS

The Keys are physical objects thatcan be stolen, but their owner can callthem back at any time. Unfortu-nately, there are several obscurerituals known to a few Enlightenedmortals which can prevent aStalker from calling his Keys.

If a Stalker does not have hisKeys he cannot spend Karma, useany of his Disciplines, or call on anyof his Servitors. In addition, hecannot use Vitality to performStrenuous Skills such as Banishing,Binding, Mending, or Sensitivity.

A Stalker cannot take directaction against anyone who holds hisKeys. He will become apathetic as hisEssence slips away and will witherand die if the Keys are not regainedin two days' time, his Vessel reducedto a fine powder that will grantmortals longevity if consumed withlarge quantities of fresh blood.

When a Stalker's Keys are heldhostage, the rest of his Circle willdo everything in their power toregain them and will usually punishthe thief with death or worse.

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24

By this point, the player has mademost of the really important deci-sions, but there are still a few detailsthat must be dealt with before theStalker is ready for his first Hunt.

• VITALITY

Bound by Substance and the FiveKeys, a Stalker’s immortal spirit isvulnerable in the Realm of Flesh.Vitality is a measure of a character’slife force. Characters with highVitality scores have a powerful lifeforce and are difficult to kill.

As a Stalker takes damage anduses abilities that drain his Essence,the character’s Vitality will suffer.When the character’s Vitality isused up, the Vessel will begin todegenerate, which can lead to theStalker’s death.

Novice Stalkers begineach Hunt with Vitalityequal to twice theirWillpower Attribute

With experience, a Stalker'sVitality will improve substantially,but the Base Value will be enoughto get by for a while.

• KARMA

Karma is a special statistic onlyavailable to player characters whichgives them a pool of points that canbe spent to buy certain advantagesduring game play. Karma can beused to buy a second chance aftercertain failed rolls, and it can be usedto buy new uses for MasteredDisciplines called Inspirations.

Novice Stalkers have aninitial pool of 5 Karma

After every succesful Hunt theStalker will earn additional Karma.For more on using Karma refer topage 26 of the following chapter. Formore about Karma awards, refer tothe Campaigning section whichstarts on page 77.

• NAMES AND NAMING

This is the hardest part for manyplayers, but it is also very important.A good name will capsulize theStalker's personality, making it easierfor the player to "get into character"and for the gamemaster and theother players to relate to him.

Stalkers tend to have descriptivenames such as “The Grey Man” and“Shadowjack,” but they can alsohave more arcane sounding nameslike “Abrax” or “Calaphon” thatare determined by the Powerswhen the Chosen are Reborn.

A few Stalkers keep their mortalnames or adapt them to suit theirnew life, preferring to be calledthings like “Mr. Drake” or “LovelyAnna.” There is a lot of room forexperimentation and nothing isreally out of place so try to findsomething you like the sound of.

When you have chosena name, your Stalker isready for his first Hunt

FINISHING TOUCHES

During the Crusades, I had seen more than myshare of bloodshed, but nothing could have preparedme for the carnage my Vessel was capable of. Craftedof uncommon flesh and driven by immortal essence,my chosen form was a powerful expression of mywill. New instincts guided my hands as I tore thelife from my enemies, effortlessly ripping their frag-ile bodies. There was no passion in it - no fear, noanger, no remorse. I simply did what had to be done.The only thing that bothers me is how easy it was...

II : THE RULES

25

Whispering Vault uses asimple task resolutionprocess which is sum-

marized below. This chapter containsmost of the rules you need to playthe game so try to familiarize your-self with the basic concepts beforeyou play for the first time.

• CHALLENGE ROLLS

Whenever a player characterattempts an action and the outcomeis uncertain, a Challenge Roll ismade to determine the result.

All Challenges are based on oneof the character's Attributes. Thefirst step in resolving a Challengeis determining which Attribute ismost appropriate. If this is notimmediately obvious, it is up to thethe gamemaster to decide whichAttribute the Stalker will use.

Challenges are not createdequal. After all, some tasks areharder than others. To reflect this,the gamemaster must choose theDifficulty that best describes thecharacter's intended action.

Difficulty Table

Routine — 8 Easy — 10 Average — 12 Hard — 15 Very Hard — 18

Sometimes the Difficulty of aChallenge is determined by a fixedvalue such as one of a non playercharacter's Attributes. In this case,this value is considered a base valueand should be modified by theDifficulty of the circumstances underwhich the action is performed.

• SPENDING KARMA

Stalkers have a special statisticcalled Karma, which is a pool of pointsthat may be spent to influence theoutcome of important Challenges.

Whenever a charactermakes a Challenge Roll,he may spend a point ofKarma to reroll as manyof the dice as he likes

There will be a temptation toreroll whenever possible, butplayers should try to save theircharacter's Karma points for adramatically appropriate moment.

Karma represents the favor of thePrimal Powers so the gamemastercan refuse to allow Stalkers a rerollif the expenditure seems frivolous.When this happens, the point islost, and there is no effect.

Modifier Table

Routine — -4 Easy — -2 Hard — +3 Very Hard — +5

It is important to remember thatplayers only make Challenge Rollsfor actions which have a directeffect on their characters.

It is up to the gamemaster todecide what the NPCs do withoutrolling dice. This may seem a littlestrange at first, but it allows thegamemaster to tell the story hewants without leaving the actionsof his characters to chance.

To resolve a Challenge,the player rolls a numberof dice equal to the valueof the Attribute chosen bythe gamemaster. The resultis the highest score on asingle die or the highesttotal of matching dice

If the result equals or exceedsthe Difficulty assigned by thegamemaster, the Challenge issuccessful, and the characterperforms the intended action.

• SKILL BONUSES

Characters improve theirchances of performing certainactions by acquiring Skills that areadded to the result of AttributeChallenges. The listing for eachSkill specifies which Attributeshould be used. Stalkers areassumed to be familiar with all ofthe Skills printed on the charactersheet. There is no penalty for nothaving a bonus with a given Skill.

• NPC CHALLENGES

Normally the GM determinesthe outcome of interaction betweenNPCs, but when the Stalkers areinvolved, he may choose to submitto the tyranny of the dice. This isfairly common in combat situationswhere the Stalkers have allies.

Any action attempted by onenon player character against anothercan be resolved by making a 5 DieChallenge against a Difficultydetermined by the situation andmodified by their relative ability.

The Difficulty Modifier is thedifference between the relevantattributes. So if a Minion has anAttack Attribute of 14, and itsvictim has a Defend Attribute of 12,the creature has a +2 advantage butif it only had an Attack of 11, the rollwould be made with a -1 penalty.

EXAMPLE : MAKING A CHALLENGE

A Stalker is trying to sneak past a night watchman, which calls fora Challenge against the guard's Perception Attribute of 12.Unfortunately, the area is well lit and there is not much cover so thegamemaster decides it is a Hard action, imposing a +3 Modifier fora final Difficulty of 15. Stealth is a Dexterity based skill, and the Stalkerhas a Dexterity Attribute of 6 so he rolls 6 dice, scoring a 1, 3, 4, 5, 4,and 3. The highest single die is the 5, the two 3s combine for a total of 6,and the two 4s have a combined total of 8 so the result is an 8 towhich the Stalker adds a +3 bonus for his Stealth skill for a total of11. This is less than the Difficulty so the attempt fails. It is importantthat the Stalker succeed so the player decides to spend a point ofKarma to keep the two 4s and the 5 and reroll the rest of the dice. Hegets a 6, a 3, and another 6. The two 6s and his Skill Bonus combinefor a total result of 15 which is just enough so the Challenge is asuccess, and the night watchman fails to notice the Stalker.

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doubt, and combat is no exception.When the Stalkers face obviouslyinferior opponents, don’t botherfighting it out. The WhisperingVault is about the primal strugglebetween Flesh and Essence – not thefights that happen along the way.

• RUNNING COMMENTARY

There are two ways to run acombat: the players can resolve thebattle tactically as a game within agame, or they can roleplay thesituation as they would any other.The horror genre is better suited tothe latter. Whenever possible try tolook beyond the rules to the storythey are helping you create.

When roleplaying combat, alloweach player time to describe hischaracter's actions once the dice haveshown him the way. The rules do notdescribe the battle, only its effects.The participants should use theresults as cues to set the tempo fortheir improvisation.

Conflict is the key to dynamicstorytelling, and combat is one ofthe most direct forms of conflictthere is. Other forms of conflict arejust as important, but combatrequires special attention becauseit can be difficult to adjudicate andcan result in the Stalker's demise.

Experienced gamers will noticethat this chapter does not containa lot of the rules they are probablyused to using. There are no hardand fast rules for things like rangemodifiers, recoil and reload times.

We have chosen to abandon thecumbersome dogma of special caserules in favor of simple axioms thatallow the players more latitude fordramatic interpretation. Some willargue that this approach lacksresolution, but we believe that theflexibility it offers will allow theplayers to improvise more detailsthan rules could ever provide.

The rules are used to adjudicatean action when the outcome is in

COMBAT

EXAMPLE : RUNNING COMMENTARY

The gamemaster declares an attack for a sword-wielding Thrallagainst a Stalker whose player makes his Defend roll, avoiding theblow. Instead of an “I attack / I dodge” exchange the gamemasterdeclares, “Your opponent gathers what remains of his courage andlunges with his sabre in a desperate attempt to fend off the unknown,”and the player responds, “Stepping toward him, I raise a wardinghand and allow the blade to pass through the palm, protecting myVessel’s more vital areas. I mourn his inevitable demise.”

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• CREATIVE LICENSE

The gamemaster should allowthe players to interpret the dice.They should even be allowed thefreedom to dictate specific effectscaused by their attacks so long asit is used to create a vivid scene.

From time to time a player willtake this principle too far, describingan effect that obviously contradictsthe judgement of the dice. Whenthis happens, the gamemastershould try to manipulate thesituation so it no longer provides thecharacter with an unfair advantage.

• STALKER ATTACKS

Trying to adjudicate the arsenalof strange abilities available to theStalkers can be a bit overwhelminguntil the gamemaster learns to stopworrying about game balance andfocus on genre conventions.

Fortunately, most Stalkers arelimited to unarmed combat orwhatever weapons are includedwith their Vessel when the Weaversbind Flesh to Essence. Those withthe Morph Discipline may changeform so they have the power tomanifest whatever weapon theydesire. This opens the door forsome truly gruesome variations.

Part of the fun of the setting isplaying supernatural entities withbizarre powers. After all, theopportunity to shoot chains out ofyour eyes only comes along so often.

If the players get carried awaythe gamemaster should indulgetheir enthusiasms but remindthem afterward of any limitationsthey should pay closer attentionto next time.

Combat should be FAST: most fights should be overbefore the victim knows what's happening. Try to recallthe action sequences from your favorite horror movies -more assault than melee. Pacing is critical. If anyoneseems to be losing interest, the gamemaster should wrapit up. There are a couple of ways to do this. Simplest isArbitrary Resolution where the gamemaster decideswhat happens without rolling the dice and describes theoutcome to the players. A little less manipulative isDouble Jeopardy where both sides get a bonus to hit orall damage is doubled (or both). This technique speedsthings up and lets everyone keep playing.

Combat should be BRUTAL: in many roleplaying games,combat is a give and take exchange of damage in whichthe combatants are slowly worn down until one siderelents. In the Whispering Vault, Vitality is blood andbone. If a mortal loses two or three points of Vitality,they have sustained wounds serious enough to requirehospitalization. Try to envision the relative severity of thewounds when describing an attack. (Never thud when youcan splatter.) One warning: try to be sensitive to the feelingsof the other players. If you know someone will havetrouble with certain imagery, leave it alone. A little bloodbetween friends can be a good time, but there is noreason to offend anyone. Butcher responsibly...

EXAMPLE : CREATIVE LICENSE

A player rolls fairly well, and his Stalker inflicts sufficient damageto cause a flying Minion to lose 2 points of Vitality. Inspired, hedeclares that his attack rips off one of the creature's wings. As thisis the first wound the Minion has taken, the gamemaster decides that 2points is not enough damage to cause the kind of effect the player ishoping for. The gamemaster could just say no and ask the player to tryagain, but he decides to let the player's description stand. Feigningsympathy he adds that the wingless Minion is enraged and willattack the Stalker in preference to all other targets and with suchviciousness that its attacks will cause an extra die of damage.

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• ROUNDS

Every combat is broken down ina series of rounds, which are arbi-trary periods of time about twentyseconds long. The actions taken ina given round determine its length.

Some rounds will be as fast asfive seconds while others willrepresent a minute or more. If itbecomes important, the length ofa given round is subject to thegamemaster’s interpretation.

• INITIATIVE

At the beginning of each rounda Dexterity Challenge is made forevery Stalker involved in the battle.The result of this roll is the character'sInitiative for the round. Non-playercharacters do not roll. Their Initiativeis a fixed value determined by theirInitiative Attribute.

During the round all charactersact in Initiative order. (The characterwith the highest Initiative goes

first, and the character with thelowest Initiative goes last.)

In the case of a tie, the playercharacter always goes first. If thetie is between non-player charactersthe gamemaster decides who goesfirst. If the tie is between playercharacters, the Stalker with thehighest Insight goes first. If this failsto resolve the tie, both players roll off.

If it is important to a player thathis Stalker take his action early inthe round, he can always spend apoint of Karma to reroll any or all ofthe Dexterity Challenge. This can getexpensive but is often worthwhile.

When a character surprises hisopponent he will automatically actfirst regardless of his Initiative score.Surprise is usually the result of asuccessful Stealth Challenge but canalso be caused by confusion or theuse of certain Disciplines.

It is up to the gamemaster todetermine when a Surprise situationexists and how long it lasts.

EXAMPLE : INTIATIVE

A Circle of three Stalkers is engaged in battle with the Unbiddenand four of his Minions. At the start of the round, the first Stalkerrolls a 12, the second rolls a 15, and the third rolls a 12. TheUnbidden has an Initiative score of 15, and his Minions are all ofthe same type so they all have an Initiative of 8. The highestInitiative this round is a 15, which is a tie between the second Stalkerand the Unbidden. The Stalker is a player character so he goes first,followed by the Unbidden. The next highest Initiative is anothertie, this one between the first Stalker and the third. The first Stalkerhas an Insight of 7 and the third Stalker has an Insight of 5 so thefirst Stalker goes first, followed by the third. The Minions have thelowest Initiative so they act last, ending the round.

• ACTIONS

There are limits to what a char-acter can do in a given round.Rounds break down combat intoindividual Actions, creating a blow-by-blow picture of what happens.

During the course of around every characterinvolved in combat canmake one SignificantAction and oneInsignificant Action

An Action is Significant if itrequires the character's full at-tention. Common examples in-clude making an attack, Evok-ing a Servitor and using mostDisciplines. Any task that takesmore than a Round counts as thecharacter's Significant Action everyRound until the is task complete.

An Action is Insignificant if itdoes not require the character’s fullattention. Examples are IncidentalMovement, dropping something,or talking to another character.

Incidental Movement allows thecharacter to maneuver about thebattlefield but cannot be used tocover large distances. Disciplinescannot be used to assist IncidentalMovement so Incidental Transloca-tion is impossible.

These are only guidelines andthere will be cases that do not fitneatly into this framework. Forexample, defending yourself is notconsidered an Action, and the FrenzyDiscipline allows Stalkers to makemore than one attack a round. Asalways, it is up to the gamemasterto resolve any ambiguities.

As we discussed earlier in thischapter, players make all Challengerolls, even in combat. Players rollfor both attack and defense.

Normally the gamemaster onlyrolls to determine the damagecaused by successful attacks. Eventhese tasks can be delegated to theplayers if the gamemaster favors a"hands free" approach.

To resolve an attack the Stalkermakes an Attack Challenge againsthis opponent’s Defend Attribute. Ifthe Challenge is successful, theattack hits, and the player rolls theappropriate damage.

To defend himself, a Stalker makesa Defend Challenge against hisopponent’s Attack Attribute. If theChallenge is successful the Stalker hassuccessfully dodged and the attackfails. However, if the Challenge isunsuccessful, he has been hit.

• ATTACKING AND DEFENDING

Sometimes circumstances willcall for a Modifier to the Attack orDefend roll. If the gamemasterdecides an attack is unusual insome way, he should adjust theDifficulty to reflect the situation.

Stalkers should be able to tryalmost anything. If a player wantshis Stalker to bounce a knife off awall so he can hit someone frombehind, let him try it, but impose ahefty Modifier. Remember, theseare not people; they are supernaturalentities who should be able to dothings that would be impossiblefor mere mortals like us.

On the other hand, there is a bigdifference between the impossibleand the ridiculous. Even Stalkershave their limits. If they didn't wewouldn't be able to understandtheir struggle, and they would nolonger be sympathetic characters.

EXAMPLE : ATTACKING AND DEFENDING

A Stalker is fighting a Minon in the woods. During the first round hewins the Initiative so he Attacks first. His opponent is flying so he isforced to Rend. The target has a Defend Attribute of 12, but it is at longrange and is partially concealed by some trees. The gamemaster decidesit is a Hard action, which raises the Difficulty of the attack by 3 pointsto 15. The Stalker attacks by making a Dexterity Challenge and addinghis Attack Bonus. He rolls and misses. Now it is time for the Minion tocounter-attack so it swoops down and tears at the Stalker with its razor-sharp beak. The creature has an Attack Attribute of 13, but thegamemaster lowers it to an 11 because it is Hard for the creature tomaneuver through the overhanging branches. The Stalker must defendhimself by making a Dexterity Challenge and adding his Defend Bonus.

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• DAMAGE ROLLS

The effect of a successful attackis determined by a Damage Roll.The Damage Roll is the only roll inthe game that is not resolved as aChallenge. When making a DamageRoll the appropriate dice are rolledand totaled to determine the result.

A Stalker’s Base Damagein Melee Combat is equalto his Strength in dice

Stalkers who have the SavageDiscipline receive 2 extra dice, andthose who have Mastered it receive3 extra dice. If a Stalker is using theRend Discipline, his Damage isbased on the Willpower Attributeinstead. (A Master adds 2 extra dice.)

A Mortal’s Unarmed Damage isonly 1 or 2 Dice, depending on hisstrength and skill. Exceptionalindividuals such as strong men andmartial arts experts can have asmany as 3 Dice, but they shouldbe rare. For this reason, mortalsare often forced to rely on weapons.

The damage inflicted by Minionsand Awakened Shadows varieswidely and depends on their attackform. Most have a Base Damagewhich ranges from 3 to 9 Dice, andmany can make more than oneattack a round with no penalty.

The attacks of the Unbiddenvary as widely as those of theirMinions. In human guise, thepower of the spirit strengthens theVessel, imbuing incredible Strengthwhich rivals that of the Stalker's.When the Vessel is destroyed andthe creature is revealed, its trueform will often use different attacksthat do even more damage.

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• DIE CAPS

Battling the Unseen is difficultfor creatures of the Flesh. Whenfighting creatures of Essence it isthe intention behind the attackmore than the attack itself that doesthe damage. This property isreflected in a special DamageModifier called a Die Cap.

A Die Cap limits theamount of damage thatcan be generated byeach die. Only dice thatscore less than or equalto the Die Cap counttoward the total. Dicethat score higher thanthe Die Cap are ignored

The Base Die Cap is determinedby the nature of the combatants.Die Caps are only used when oneor more of the combatants is acreature of Essence.

When a Mortal faces theUnseen or a Minion facesan Unmasked Stalker,his damage rolls have aBase Die Cap of 5-

A Die Cap of 5- means theaffected character counts any diewhich scores a five or less normally,but any sixes he rolls are ignored.This is only the Base Modifier –there are several factors whichcan affect the outcome.

Demoralized andTerrified characters lackthe will to take aneffective attack, reducingtheir Die Cap by 1

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A small party of witch hunters close in on the Stalkers, and one ofthem gets off a lucky shot with his blunderbuss. The witch Hunteris a mortal character fighting the Unseen so he has a Base Die Capof 5-. The hunting party is Driven which raises the Die Cap to 6-,but the use of ranged weapons lowers it to 5-. The gamemaster rolls6 Damage Dice which come up 2, 4, 5, 3, 6, and 4. The 5 and the 6don't count so the shot does 13 Damage (2+4+3+4) instead of the24 it would have done if the weapon had been fired at another mortal.

EXAMPLE : DIE CAPS

• THE LAW OF PROXIMITY

Ranged attacks are not aseffective against the Unseen as hand-to-hand attacks. This is becauseMelee combat is very direct, butshooting someone tends to beimpersonal. This axiom is called theLaw of Proximity.

Proximity also affects theranged attack forms of creatures ofEssence. The only time the Law ofProximity is not invoked is when amortal weapon is used against amortal character.

Reduce the Die Cap ofRanged Attacks made byor against creatures ofEssence by 1

The Law of Proximity alsoaffects Stalkers, reducing the DieCap of Ranged Attacks made withDisciplines such as Rend.

The only way for a Stalker to getaround the Law of Proximity is theuse of a mortal weapon, but theyare penalized for the use of suchtools and will receive a Die Capmodifier anyway (see page 36).

Mortal characters are usuallyDemoralized if they are wounded,if one of their companions is killedor they don't think they can win.

On the other hand, characterswho are Driven or Inspired aremore focused, making their attacksmore effective against the Unseen.

The Die Cap of Driven orInspired characters israised by 1 until theirresolve is shaken

Driven characters have a specialmotivation such as vengeance thatstrengthens their resolve. Mortalsare often Inspired by Enlightendleaders and will lose their Inspira-tion if the leader falls or showssome sign of weakness.

Mortals are pack animals whosebravado increases in direct propor-tion to their numbers. Some Stalkersrefer to this axiom as the Mob Rule.

When a group of mortalsfight together, their DieCap is raised by 1 untilthe majority are Demor-alized or Terrified

• TAKING DAMAGE

All characters have a FortitudeAttribute which determines howwell they resist damage. Thosewith high Fortitude Attributevalues are harder to hurt and kill.

To determine howmuch Vitality is lost to agiven attack, divide theDamage Result by thecharacter’s Fortitudeand round down

Mortals are frail creatures whoseFortitude Attributes seldom exceed4. Most humans have a Fortitude of2 or 3 and are easily crippled or killedby the attacks of the Unseen. Trulyexceptional individuals may havea Fortitude of 4 or even 5, but theyare few and far between.

Stalkers are much sturdier thanthe mortals they protect, havingFortitude Attributes in the 3 to 8range. Those who plan to do a lotof fighting should direct theWeavers to imbue their Vessel witha reasonably high Fortitude (6 orbetter would be advisable).

The Fortitude Attributes ofAwakened Shadows, Minions, andthe Unbidden vary but tend toequal or exceed those of theStalkers. The Unbidden in theirtrue form are extremely tough,having some of the highestFortitude scores in the game.

The world of the WhisperingVault is inhabited by manydifferent kinds of entities who allreact to damage in different ways.Gamemasters should make surethey understand this section beforethey try to run a combat scene.

• WOUNDING SHADOWS

Shadows are entities who livebetween the Realms of Flesh andEssence, able to manifest in both butinhabiting neither. An AwakenedShadow can manifest in the Realmof Flesh by assuming a physicalshell similar to the Stalker's Vessel.

If an Awakened Shadow isdefeated in combat, it is forced toabandon the Flesh and return to the Riftbetween the Realms where it ispowerless to affect the physical world.

When an AwakenedShadow loses its lastpoint of Vitality, it mustabandon physical form

Minions are Shadows that havebeen Awakened by the Unbiddenand bound to their service. All ofthe rules that apply to AwakenedShadows also apply to Minions.

The Unbidden sometimes encasetheir Minions in shells of Fleshcalled Husks that conceal their truenature by giving them an appearance

A Stalker is successfully attacked by a Minion. The Stalker'sFortitude is 6 so for every 6 points of damage he loses 1 point ofVitality. The attack does 24 points of damage so he loses 4 points ofVitality. If the Minion had rolled 28 points of damage, the Stalkerwould still have lost 4 points of Vitality, but if the creature hadrolled 30, he would have lost 5 points.

EXAMPLE : TAKING DAMAGE

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A squad of mercenaries opens fire on a Minion. The creature has aVitality of 15, but their combined attacks cause enough damage tobring its Vitality to 0. The Minion's Flesh is destroyed so it slipsback to the rift between realms leaving a nasty corpse. Sensitivecharacters can still see the creature, but they can only attack it withweapons of Essence. The Shadow's spirit form is unwounded so ifit is attacked it will have another 15 points of Vitality.

EXAMPLE : WOUNDING SHADOWS

A Stalker is fighting a wounded Priest of Kuln with a Fortitude of 4and a current Vitality of 5. The Stalker uses his Rend Discipline toconjure a storm of whirling glass shards that causes sufficient damageto reduce the priest's Vitality by 7 points. His Vitality is reduced to0, and the remaining 2 points are taken from his current Fortitudewhich drops to 2. The hapless priest is unconcious and will probablydie of blood loss unless someone tends his wounds right away.

EXAMPLE : WOUNDING MORTALS

sufficiently Human to invoke theprotection of the Veil. The first timethe creature takes damage theHusk is destroyed, and the Minionis revealed, its true form burstingfree of its human skin in a spec-tacularly gruesome fashion.

Awakened Shadows recoverfrom damage quickly, regaining apoint of Vitality for every hour ofrest, but Minions lack the power tomend their Vessel unless they havesome special form of regeneration.

Normally the characters areonly concerned with AwakenedShadows so the battle is over whenthe creature's Vessel is destroyed.

Formless Shadows can only beattacked by creatures of Essence.Fighting immaterial opponents isdifficult, but it is the only way to killthem. Formless Shadows have thesame Attributes as their Awakenedcounterparts, but they do lessdamage and are harder to hurt.

Attacks made by oragainst a FormlessShadow receive a -1 DieCap penalty

Formless Shadows are tenaciouscreatures who can recover a numberof points of Vitality equal to theirFortitude for every hour of rest.

When a FormlessShadow loses its lastpoint of Vitality, it dies

• WOUNDING MORTALS

Mortals are the weakest opponentsthe Stalkers will face during theHunt. Mortal Flesh is no match forthe weapons of Essence, but wellarmed Thralls can be a nuisance.

When a Mortal loses hislast point of Vitality, heloses consciousness

When a mortal runs out ofVitality, additional Vitality issubtracted from the character'sFortitude instead.

A Mortal character dieswhen he loses his lastpoint of Fortitude

Mortals who have lost one ormore points of Fortitude willeventually die if their wounds arenot treated. It is up to the gamemasterto decide how long they can holdon, but as a rough estimate, it is safeto assume that they can linger fora number of rounds equal to theircurrent Fortitude plus a D6.

Wounded mortals recover lostVitality slowly. The recovery ratedepends on the character’s Fortitudeand the medical technology of thetime. Without medical attentionmortal characters recover a numberof points of Vitality equal to theirFortitude every month.

Mortal characters who receivemedical attention may recoverevery week, and those who haveaccess to the advanced techniquesavailable in near future settings mayrecover every day. The gamemastershould adjust the exact rate to reflectthe period and the situation.

Lost Fortitude is more seriousthan lost Vitality and can incapacitatea character for months. It is up to thegamemaster when they recover.

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A Stalker whose Dexterityor Strength is reduced to 0cannot move

A Stalker whose Fortitudeis reduced to 0 is killed

Wounded Stalkers cannot recoverVitality in the Realm of Flesh unlessthey have the Weave Discipline.When next they return to the Realmof Flesh their bodies are rewovenso any damage they sustainedduring the last Hunt is gone.

The Stalker's Avatar wouldreturn to its Domain when theVessel is destroyed, but the Keysof Humanity bind Flesh andEssence rendering the wearer asmortal as those he protects. This isan unfortunate but unavoidableaspect of the Dreaming.

• WOUNDING THE UNBIDDEN

Like Stalkers, the Unbidden arecreatures of Essence encased inFlesh, but they are unfettered bythe Keys of Humanity, and their lifeforce is far more powerful. Unlessthey are weakened from transitionmost are more than a match for alone Stalker and can usually holdtheir own against an entire Circle.

The Unbidden steal the bodiesof human Hosts to use as theirVessels. The Flesh is strengthenedby the spirit within, but it is stillbasically human.

When the Host loses itslast point of Vitality, theVessel is destroyed, andthe Unbidden is forced tomanifest its true form

The true form of the Unbiddenis far more dangerous than theHost body, but it can be Bound. Ifthe Stalkers seem to have the upperhand and the creature is able toescape, it will try to find a new Hostto inhabit. Until it steals a Vessel, itcannot recover Vitality, it is notprotected by the Veil, and it isvulnerable to the Forbiddance.

It is up to the gamemaster todecide how quickly the Unbiddencan heal the Host Vessel. Thepacing of the adventure is often thedeciding factor. If it is dramaticallyappropriate for the enemy to makea full recovery in a single round,that should be what happens.

When the Avatar of theUnbidden loses its lastpoint of Vitality, it ishelpless

Once helpless the Unbidden canbe bound with ease but the Stalkersmust act quickly lest the creaturerecover and escape their justice.While it is possible to destroy theAvatar of the Unbidden, killing therenegade will end its rampage butis tantamount to blasphemy.

• WOUNDING STALKERS

In the Realm of Essence Stalkersare effectively immortal, but whenthey command the Weavers to givethem physical form, they accept themantle of mortality.

Stalkers do not lose consciousnesslike Mortals. When a Stalker runs outof Vitality, additional damage lowersthe Vessel's Attributes instead. It isup to the player to decide whichAttribute or Attributes will be reduced.

A Stalker Rends an Unbidden opponent for enough damage to causethe loss of 6 points of Vitality. It only had 2 points of Vitality left so theattack destroys the Vessel, forcing the renegade spirit to reveal itself. Inthis form the creature has a Vitality of 20. Rather than risk Binding, itmanages to escape and inhabit a new Host. If the Stalkers catch up,they will have to destroy the new Vessel before they can get at the Avatar.

EXAMPLE : WOUNDING THE UNBIDDEN

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A Stalker with a current Vitality of 3 takes enough damage to reducehis Vitality by 5 points so his current Vitality drops to 0 and he hasto reduce his physical Attributes by 2 points. He decides to lowerhis Strength and Dexterity by a point each. The following round hetakes enough damage to reduce his Vitality by 4. He is out of Vitalityso these points will have to come from his Attributes instead. Wincing,he decides to lower Strength and Dexterity by 2 more points.

EXAMPLE : WOUNDING STALKERS

• WEAPONS

The damage inflictedby most mortal charactersdepends on the weaponsthey wield. Because theHunt can take place in anytime or place in mankind’shistory, there is an infinitevariety of weapons thatcould be encountered bythe Stalkers. WhisperingVault uses a simple system that canaccommodate every weapon thathas ever been or ever will be.

To determine the Damage ratingfor a weapon, choose the classificationthat suits it best. These categoriesare rather coarse but bear in mindthat the focus of the game is thecharacters, not the gear they carry.

The Damage Ratings for thefirearms assume a modern frame ofreference. If the weapon is from amore primitive setting subtract 1 or2 dice; if the weapon is from thefuture, add 1 or 2 dice to reflect the"high tech" edge.

For example, a Blunderbuss is aHeavy Rifle from a primitivesetting which would give it aDamage Rating of 8 Dice, and aSlivergun is a Light Pistol from thenear future which would give it aDamage Rating of 8 Dice.

More dangerous weapons arecertainly possible, but 12 Dice is theupper limit of what humans willcarry under most circumstances.When a Stalker encounters morepowerful weapons such as thosemounted on vehicles or in staticemplacements, the gamemastershould use the Heavy Weaponstable to approximate the Damage.

WEAPONS TABLE

Melee Weapons

3D Light Melee Weapon 4D Heavy Melee Weapon 5D Very Heavy (2 Handed)

Small Arms

6D Light Pistols 7D Heavy Pistols 9D Light Rifles10D Heavy Rifles12D Light Assault Weapon

Examples: Ancient

3D Club 4D Broadsword 5D Two Handed Battleaxe 6D Heavy Crossbow

Examples: Modern

3D Nightstick 4D Louisville Slugger 6D .38 Special 7D .44 Magnum11D .50 Cal Sniper Rifle

Examples: Future

7D Palm Needler 8D Gyrojet Pistol14D Manpack Railgun

Heavy Weapons

14 to 16D : Heavy(Assault Weapons)

17 to 19D : Very Heavy(LAW Rocket)

22 to 25D : Devastating(Main Tank Gun)

27 to 30D : Absolute(Tomahawk Missle)

• MORTAL TOOLS

Creatures of Essence wieldfearsome power, but there will betimes when they will be tempted touse the tools of the Flesh. Stalkers,Awakened Shadows, Minions, and theUnbidden may use mortal weaponswith the following penalties:

When a Creature ofEssence uses a mortalweapon, its Die Cap isreduced by 1

This means that a gun totingMinion inflicts normal damagebut has a Die Cap of 4- (-1 forProximity and -1 because the gunis a mortal weapon).

In addition, most Stalkers willhave forgotten how to fight withthe tools of the Flesh and will be ata disadvatage when using them.

Stalkers receive a -2penalty when attackingwith mortal weapons

Stalkers with appropriate FocusSkills such as Fencing, SmallArms, or Sniper are an exceptionto this rule. Such characters donot suffer the attack penalty, buttheir Die Cap is still reduced.

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Disciplines provide insightsinto the true nature of theuniverse that allow Stalkers

to manipulate the Dream of theAesthetics, altering reality in subtleways. This knowledge gives theplayer characters supernaturalabilities that are often their mostreliable tools against the Unbidden.

Using a Discipline is surprisinglysimple – all it requires is an act ofwill and the application of theImmortal Essence from which thespirit is forged. Learning the truthis the hard part - using this knowl-edge is easy. Unless the descriptionstates otherwise using a Disciplineis a Significant Action.

The descriptions of many of theDisciplines are intentionally vagueto allow the gamemaster flexibilityin his interpretation of the rules.When adjudicating Disciplines,bear in mind that the WhisperingVault is a horror game. Try to give

players who use their Disciplinesin the spirit of the genre as muchlatitude as they need to create aneffective story.

• STRENUOUS USE

Some Disciplines require somuch Essence that they weakenthe Vessel, costing the charactera point of Vitality every time theyare used. These Disciplines areunusually powerful, and the loss ofVitality is intended to discouragetheir casual use.

• MASTERY

Buying a Discipline represents arudimentary grasp of the requiredtechniques, but there is a deeper levelof understanding called Mastery. AMaster gains access to additionalabilities and may invent improvisedapplications of his MasteredDisciplines called Inspirations.

For ages unknowable, I listened to the mutteredmusings of the Powers, and many wondrous secretswere revealed to me, powerful truth that couldforge Flesh with Essence, reshaping the veryfabric from which the universe was spun. Whennext I visited the world of my birth, I was able tomold the substance of my Vessel, allowing me toassume a form more appropriate to my purpose.

III : DISCIPLINES

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38

EXAMPLE : INSPIRATIONS

A Stalker decides to execute a mortal thrall of the Unbidden byusing his Terrify Discipline to scare him to death. While this isnot one of the Discipline’s listed powers, the intended effect is areasonable application so the gamemaster decides to allow it, but heimposes a cost of 2 Karma. To resolve the attack, the Stalker makes aPresence Challenge against his opponent’s Resolve. If successful,the attacker rolls his Willpower in Damage Dice. If this damage isenough to kill the victim, his heart stops, but if the attack is notlethal, it has no effect.

Normally Stalkers must usetheir Disciplines exactly as they arewritten, but Masters have gainedgreater control over the necessarytechniques. These characters havethe flexibility to invent new uses fortheir Mastered Disciplines. Theimprovised abilities created by aMaster are called Inspirations.

When adjudicating Inspirations,the gamemaster should determineif the proposed application is areasonable use of the Discipline. Ifthe player's rationalization seems tobe stretching a point or the effectswould be too powerful, thegamemaster should disallow it.

The gamemaster is not requiredto explain why an Inspirationdidn't work. This policy will helpsome groups avoid rules debatesthat can only detract from the story.If a disgruntled player presses theissue, tell him that the Dream canonly be stretched so far.

The use of Inspirations alwayscosts Karma. Most of the time thecost is 1 point of Karma per use, butthe gamemaster can impose a highercost if an Inspiration seems rea-sonable but unusually powerful.

A lot of Inspirations will involveusing a Discipline as an Attack.When determining the effect, usethe character’s Willpower Attributeas the Base Damage.

Inspirations call for creativityand cooperation between theplayer and the gamemaster. Ifadjudicating special case rulesseems to be more trouble than it isworth, the gamemaster can alwaysdisallow Inspirations or raise theKarma cost to discourage their use.

In a campaign environment, thegamemaster should keep a writtenrecord of the Inspirations he hasallowed and any rules he impro-vised to implement them so he canmake consistent adjudications.

INSPIRATIONS • SPECIAL EFFECTS

When a Stalker calls upon thepower of his station to manifestsupernatural abilities, the resultingmiracles are significant events thatmerit special attention.

The player should describe thevisible effects of his Disciplines tothe rest of the group. Try to thinkof it as a special effects sequencefrom a movie. You don't need todescribe a gunshot (we all knowwhat one sounds like) but thepowers of the Unseen are moreexotic, and it is up to the players tomake them more interesting.

Stalkers have a theme definedby their Avatar. Whenever possibletheir powers should conform to theinfered limitations of this theme.For example, Chosen hacker willprobably have computer generatedspecial effects, but an immortalwitch hunter will be limited to adark ages motif (hot pokers galore).

To reinforce the importance ofthese improvised details, thegamemaster can reward trulyhorrific descriptions with a"bennie" that gives the Stalker anunexpected edge such as extradamage or a modified Die Cap.

On the other hand, if a lacklusterdescription makes the supernaturalseem mundane, the gamemastercan reduce the Discipline's effectsaccordingly. This technique shouldonly be used as a wake-up call touninspired players. It must neverbe used to penalize those who lackthe flair of their more outgoingcounterparts, or you will onlysucceed in discouraging peopleyou are trying to entertain.

After they have played a few times and are conversant with all of theexisting Disciplines, players are encouraged to invent Disciplines of theirown. When deciding to allow a new Discipline, the gamemaster shouldask himself three questions:

Is the power already covered by an existing Discipline?At first there seems to be a lot of room for expansion, but when youconsider how flexible Disciplines like Rend, Savage, and Morphreally are, you will realize that a lot of proposed Disciplines arevariations of these basic powers. For instance, Fire Breathing is justanother kind of ranged attack so it is covered by the Rend Discipline.New Disciplines should give the Stalkers new powers.

Does the proposed Discipline reinforce the horror genre?There are a lot of powers that are inappropriate for the setting. Whenevaluating a proposed Discipline try to picture a Stalker using it;Powers that seem better suited to four-color comic book charactersthan the denizens of the Unseen should be rejected outright.

Is the proposed Discipline too powerful?In the Whispering Vault, storytelling is paramount, but game bal-ance is still a consideration. If a new Discipline would give a Stalkerpowers that would eclipse those of the rest of his Circle, it couldcause resentment which will interfere with everyone’s enjoymentof the game. New Disciplines should be no more powerful thanthe basic ones.

If the proposed Disciplinepasses all three tests, itshould be allowed andadded to the campaign.New Disciplines shouldbe written up by theplayers who created themand be made available toeveryone.

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CREATING NEW DISCIPLINES

By manipulating the fabric ofthe physical world, the Stalker

can create small objects out of thin air. Conjurationrequires an Insight Challenge whose Difficultyis based on the sophistication of the desired object. Arelatively simple object like a crowbar is Easy,the patterns on a dollar bill are Hard, and electronicsand firearms are Very Hard. Conjured objectsare permanent, but a failed Challenge indicatesa flawed construct that will not serve its intendedfunction and will vanish in a matter of rounds.

A Master may createseveral small objectsat once or a singlelarge object no biggerthan he could carry.Large objects willgradually disinte-grate over the courseof an hour and a halfunless the Stalkerspends a point ofVitality to make thempermanent.

CONJURE

Stalkers with this Discipline canread minds by reliving their subject's

experiences. Delving requires physical contactand an Insight Challenge against the subject'sResolve Modified by his instinctive desire toprotect the memory. Mind reading is more artthan science and often yields ambiguous results.If the Stalker encounters a traumatic memory,he has to make a Willpower Challenge againsta Difficulty determined by the severity of theexperience or lose 1 or more points of Vitality.

A Master may speakwith the recentlydead. The Challengeis modified by thecondition of thebody (particularlythe head). If the rollis failed no furtherattempts may bemade. The corpseretains most of itsmemories, but it isbereft of personality.

This technique allowsthe Stalker to destroy

small objects with a touch and an act of will. Ifit must be done quickly, Disintegration requiresa Willpower Challenge against a Difficultybased on the mass and durability of the object.Light or fragile objects such as electronics orpaper goods are Easy, but sturdier objects likefirearms are Hard. This Discipline cannot beused as an attack form under any circumstances,but it can be used to dispose of dead flesh.

A Master has gainedsufficient control touse this Discipline ata range so long as hecan see his intendedtarget clearly. AMaster may alsoDisintegrate largeobjects such asdoors and cars, butsuch efforts areStrenuous and costa point of Vitality.

DISINTEGRATE

DELVE

2140

All around us was thegruesome evidence ofthe visitation. Makingour way through theshattered remains ofthe creature's victims,we searched for someclue that would leadus to its lair. LovelyAnna was first to hearthe sobbing of the littlegirl who was the solesurviving witness tothe hideous spectacle.She was in no conditionto answer the GreyMan's questions so itfell to me to retrievethe butcher's identityfrom what remained ofher mind. Preparingmyself for her pain, Icovered her eyes withthe palm of my handand breathed in hermemories. Sensesreeling from initialcontact, I tried to findwhat I needed withoutfurther violation.

Some Stalkers can gain aninstinctive understanding of

the near future by entering a meditative trance.Foresight is a Strenuous act that costs a point ofVitality and requires an Insight Challenge againsta Difficulty equal to the desired Duration (inminutes). During this time, the Stalker receives a+1 bonus to all Challenge rolls. A failed Foresightroll means the Stalker has lost track of "now" andhas difficulty coming out of the trance. How longthey are "gone" is up to the gamemaster.

A Master is able torecall some of whathe sees during histrance, receivingprecognitive visions.These visions areusually dreamlike,providing crypticclues that may helpthe Stalkers completetheir Hunt, but theywill never give thema direct answer.

FORESIGHT

If the Stalker mingles thesubstance of his Vessel with

physical objects that stand in his way, he may passthrough them with ease. A roll is only required ifthe character needs to move quickly, which callsfor a Willpower Challenge against a Difficultydetermined by the density of the obstacles in hispath. Passing through a modern interior wall isconsidered an Average task. If the Challenge isfailed, the character may not Dissipate thatround, and the Vessel loses a point of Vitality.

A Master can takeone large object oranother characterwith him when heDissipates, but theextra mass will slowhis progress to acrawl. Just passingthrough a wall cantake a minute ormore. Moving fasterwhile encumberedis impossible.

DISSIPATE

Mortal minds are weak andeasily bent to the Stalker’s

will. A successful Presence Challenge againstthe intended victim’s Resolve will overcome hisresistance. Most mortals will obey their newmaster without question for as long as their serviceis required, but those who are Driven can shakeoff control in a matter of rounds. In either case,a failed Challenge means the Stalker may notmake any further Domination attempts againstthat character for the remainder of the Hunt.

A Master may wrestcontrol of a Minion,but the Challenge isbased its master'sResolve, and eachattempt is a Strenuouseffort that costs apoint of Vitality.Maintaining controlof a Minion is verytricky and requires aSignificant Actionevery round.

DOMINATE

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Reweaving takes three minutesand requires an Insight Challenge

whose Difficulty depends on the extent of thedesired transformation. If this roll is failed, theVessel is deformed, and the character loses a pointof Vitality. Stalkers cannot mimic a specific form,but they can come close enough to invoke the Veilso they could pass as a wolf or a tiger, but theirVessel would be monstrous. Morphing cannotbestow additional abilities so a Stalker could givehimself wings, but they would not allow him to fly.

A Master can changeshape in a round andhas gained sufficientcontrol to assumehuman form if he sodesires, but he can-not mimic a specificperson. Inspirationsallow the Stalker totemporarily manifestabilities related toform such as venom,armor, and flight.

MORPH

This Discipline allows the Stalkerto move with inhuman swiftness

in melee combat. While using Frenzy a charactercan take two attacks a round but his Dexterityand Strength are temporarily reduced by 1 Dieeach. (A Stalker with a Dexterity of 5 and aStrength of 3 would roll 4 Dice to attack, and ifhe hits, he will inflict 2 Dice of Damage.) This isparticularly dangerous in combination with theSavage Discipline; the "Savage Frenzy" is one ofthe most potent attacks available to the Stalkers.

A Master can moveeven faster, taking asmany as 3 attacks ina single round. Whenmaking 3 attacks, theStalker’s Dexterityand Strength arereduced by 2 Diceeach. The Stalker canalways choose howmany attacks he willmake and need notuse this Discipline.

FRENZY

Stalkers who have learned thistechnique can manifest a ranged

attack whose Base Damage is equal to their Will-power and allows them to attack any target theycan see clearly. Bear in mind that the Law ofProximity also applies to the Unseen so the at-tack has a Die Cap of 5. This attack can take anyform the character desires so long as it suits theAvatar's theme. Use of this Discipline is obvi-ously supernatural and will automatically Un-mask the character, stripping away the Veil.

A Master adds 2 Diceto his Willpower todetermine his BaseDamage and mayimitate a mundaneattack form that willnot force him to revealhimself. A Stalkermay pretend to firea gun, but Sensitivecharacters will havea chance to see theattack for what it is.

REND

Tearing free of thepresent I plungedinto the timestream,immersing myself inthe Dream. At first theimmensity of theChronospheredisoriented me, but Iwas able to find thenow that I needed,sorting throughpossible futures for away out of thePentarch's trap.Finding my way backwas more difficult.By the time I came outof my trance the enemyhad located the Circle,trapping us in thelaboratory. When Iregained conciousness,I knew the way out,and I knew that itwould result in LovelyAnna's death.Without her bravesacrifice there wouldbe no escape.She will be missed.

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Most Stalkers eventually learn tomanifest a weapon that allows

them to add 2 Dice to their Strength whendetermining their Base Damage in UnarmedCombat. This Discipline requires a flagrant use ofpower that Unmasks the character, strippingaway the Veil and revealing his Avatar for all tosee. The weapon can take any form fromenhancements of the Vessel such as fangs ortalons to tools such as chains or swords, so longas the chosen weapon suits the Avatar's theme.

A Master adds 3 Diceto his Strength todetermine his BaseDamage and mayimitate a mundaneattack form. A Stalkermay wield a knife ora baseball bat, butSensitive characterswill always have achance to recognizethat the attack hassupernatural origins.

SAVAGE

Playing on the fears of the weakwilled, the Stalker confronts

his opponent with unbearable evidence ofthe Unseen. The player should describe thephantasms that assault the victim’s sanity. Asuccessful Presence Challenge against theintended victim’s Resolve indicates that theyare overcome. Most mortals will cower in abjecthorror or flee as fast as they are able but thosewho are Inspired or Driven are made of sternerstuff and will only hesitate for a few rounds.

A Master can Terrifya group of mortals bymaking a Challengeagainst the targetwith the best Resolveand a modifier equalto the number ofcharacters he is tryingto effect. This attackis impossible if thegroup is led by acharacter who isDriven or Inspired.

TERRIFY

This Discipline allowsthe Stalker to move

instantaneously to any point he can see clearly.A roll need only be made if line of sight is obscuredin some way. A Translocation attempt is resolvedas an Awareness Challenge against a Difficultydetermined by visibility. Distance is often afactor, particularly at night or in adverse conditionssuch as rain or fog, which will limit the effectiverange to a few hundred feet. A failed Challengemeans the character falls short of his intended mark.

A Master can take aanother character ora large object withhim if he spendsthree consecutiverounds preparingfor the effort. Thisalways requires aChallenge roll and isStrenuous if the rollis failed. Mortals areoften disoriented bythe experience.

TRANSLOCATE

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Stalkers use this Discipline toprotect the Vessel from the damage

caused by mortal weapons. Warding requires aWillpower Challenge against a Difficulty equalto the Damage of the attack the character istrying to resist. If successful, the Vessel is protectedand no Vitality is lost, but if the Challenge isfailed, the character loses an additional point ofVitality. Each Warding attempt requires anInsignificant Action so the Discipline can onlyprotect the character from one attack a round.

A Master does notlose Vitality fromfailing a WardingChallenge and mayresist the attacks ofthe Unseen, makingthe Discipline a potentdefense against theMinions of the enemy.Unfortunately thisDiscipline is uselessagainst the attacksof the Unbidden.

WARD

The weakness of the Flesh is aconstant concern to agents of

Essence. Stalkers who have learned the Weaverscraft may repair damage to their Vessel. Thisprocess requires two minutes of undisturbedconcentration for every point of Vitality he intendsto recover. (All points are regained at the end of thisperiod.) Every time a Stalker uses this Discipline, hisWillpower is reduced by 1 until he can returnto his Domain to recuperate. This loss will alsoweaken one of the Vessel's Attributes by a die.

A Master can workmore quickly, healing3 points of Vitality aminute. Masters mayalso heal the Vesselsof the other Stalkersin their Circle butthis is much harder,requiring 3 minutesper point and willreduce the character'sWillpower and thatof his subject.

WEAVE

The "silent scream" is a moreeffective means of communi-

cation than the crude organs of the Vessel. Thosewho have learned this Discipline may send brieftelepathic messages to any character they cansee clearly. The bond between Stalkers enablesthem to communicate with the other membersof their Circle at any range without the need forvisual contact. Those with the Dominate Disciplinemay issue commands without speaking whichcan be very useful when subtlety is required.

A Master may initiatetwo-way communi-cation with a singlesubject at any range,but this requires aPresence Challengeagainst a Difficultydetermined by theStalker's familiaritywith the subject(close friends areEasy but strangersare Very Difficult).

WHISPER

When first they spoketo me, I heard them inmy dreams, mutteringdisquieting suggestionsthat aroused a vicioushunger that hadlurked within me forsome time. In time Ilearned to listen,fighting back myrevulsion and my fear.Their voices becamemore familiar to methan the faces I sawevery day. Each had aflavor all its own, adistinctive bile that Iwas not permitted toforget. The boldest ofmy new friends calledhimself Wireless andgrated on my nerves,his every word anopen wound that leftme raw but aching formore. All he asked wasfreedom. All I had todo was pick the lockand open the Vault.What a fool I was...

44

Devotion to the PrimalPowers is rewarded withthe service of entities called

Servitors who may prove to be theStalker ’s most valuable allies.Novice Stalkers will only be able tocall upon a few Servitors, but theirexperienced brothers will havemany Servitors at their disposal.

• EVOCATION

Before a Stalker can commandone of his Servitors, it must be calledacross the Rift between the Realms.

Calling a Servitor to theRealm of Flesh requiresan Evocation Challengeand is Strenuous, costinga point of Vitality everytime the character tries tomake contact

Unless specified in the Servitor’sdescription, the creatures do notfully manifest in the Realm of Fleshso they are effectively invisible asthey go about their designated task.Only Sensitive characters will seethe Servitors for what they are.

The Difficulty is determined bythe conditions under which theEvocation must be performed. Ifthe Stalker has as much time as heneeds and there are no distractions,the Challenge is Easy, but conditionsare seldom this ideal.

For example, trying to Evoke aServitor in a single round amidstthe chaos of an ongoing melee isVery Hard, but if the Stalker takestwo full rounds and is not attackedduring this time, the Difficulty canbe reduced to Hard.

Surrounded by gunmen on all sides, the Circle wastrapped, and my Vessel was in jeopardy. Recallingthe secret names whispered to me by the Powers, Icalled across the Rift for aid. There was a flash oflight, and suddenly the courtyard was filed with anacrid smoke that caused painful blisters to erupt onthe faces and hands of our assailants. As they brokeranks, fatigue washed over me, driving me to myknees. Weakened as I was, the effort of evocationproved to be more dangerous than the weapons of theenemy, but at least the Circle was safe.

IV : SERVITORS

45

46

• MASTERING SERVITORS

When a character first acquiresa Servitor, calling on its power isdifficult. With experience, makingcontact with entities on the otherside of the Rift becomes easier, andthe Servitors answer more readily.

A Master only has tospend a point of Vitality ifhe fails the Evocation roll

Eventually the Stalker willgain sufficient Mastery over hisServitors to allow him to callupon their powers whenever hefeels he needs them.

• AREA AND DURATION

One of the advantages of usingServitors is that there is no limitto the area or duration of most oftheir powers other than thatposed by the Forbiddance.

Most of the time a power’s areaof effect will be the Stalker'simmediate area, andit will last aslong as the confrontation for whichthe Servitors were called.

If the Stalker wants a differentarea or duration, all he needs to dois specify what he requires duringthe Evocation process, but heshould keep it simple. (Servitorsare not particularly intelligent.)

It is up to the gamemaster howfar he will let the Stalkers gobefore reigning them in with theForbiddance. As a general rule,assume that the area of effectshould be no wider than a mile,and the duration of powers thathave a lingering effect should beno longer than a day after thecharacter has departed.

CREATING NEW SERVITORS

The guidelines for creating new Servitors are similar to thosefor creating new Disciplines. All of the guidelines that apply toNew Disciplines also apply to New Servitors, but there are someadditional concerns. New Servitors should be written up by theplayers who created them and be made available to everyone.

Is the proposed power better suited to a Discipline?It is important that the powers of the proposed Servitor fitwell with those that already exist. When you are trying to decidewhether a power would make a better Discipline or Servitor,remember that Disciplines tend to affect the Stalker, and Servitorsaffect his surroundings. If the proposed power affects the Stalkeror a single opponent, it is probably a Discipline, but if itaffects the Stalker's environment or small groups of mortals,it is probably better suited to a race of Servitors.

The Powers granted by Servitors must have limitations.Servitor powers tend to be more comprehensive than thosegranted by Disciplines, so they must be balanced by someform of limitation that keeps them from becoming toopowerful. One common balancing factor is that mostServitors are useless against creatures of Essence. Bear inmind that Servitors are strange creatures with peculiar quirksthat can give them limitations that have very little to do withtheir power, such as an aversion to certain sounds or aninability to function under certain conditions.

CLOUDLINGS

From the moment they appearthese tiny creatures begin todrink the moisture out of theair, bloating to monstrousproportions as they rise slowlyinto the air. When the airbecomes thin enough theyburst, releasing their cargoonto the ground below. Thisentire process takes ten totwenty minutes and creates abrief but furious rainstormthat can trigger a conventionalstorm if the conditions arejust right. Cloudlings can beDismissed before they burstif the Stalker desires, leavingthe air incredibly dry.

DREADWYRMS

The telepathic chittering ofthese bizarre creatures willrouse the primal fears ofmortal men. Any mortals inthe Area of Effect who have aResolve of 12 or less will beTerrified by the sound unlessthey are Driven or Inspired.Fear will lower their Die Capand prevent them from actingas a group. It can also cause apanic. Panicked mortals willsometimes respond violently,lashing out at anything thatthreatens them with a +2Attack and a -3 Defend untilthey are Wounded, whichusually causes them to flee.

CHRONOVORES

These entities can loosen thegrip of the Chronosphere onany Mortals and Minions inthe Area of Effect, causing timeto move more quickly aroundthem. This causes them tomove more slowly thanStalkers, Shadows, and theUnbidden, reducing theirAttack Attribute by 1, theirDefend by 2, and theirInitiative by 3. The Evokermust spend his SignificantAction, a point of Vitality, or apoint of Karma every round orthe Chronosphere will reassertits influence, destroying theServitors in the process.

DEVOURERS

The instant the call is soundeda horde of these creaturesswarm over any object orediface the Stalker desires,consuming it in a matter ofminutes regardless of size ordurability. They are forbiddento feed on living flesh, but theirappetite will accommodateseveral tons of inanimatematerial. Working invisibly,these termite-like Servitorsgnaw tirelessly until nothingis left. They cannot affect the"living magic" used by certainEnlightened Orders, and thetaste of fresh blood will drivethem back across the Rift.

47

The glow spread fromhis hands, liquid lightseeping into everycrevice. Wherever ittouched ,the hardthings went soft andfaded away leavingphantoms to show uswhat was gone.Wewatched as layer afterlayer was revealed. Theprocess was fascinatingas it was beautiful. Icould see straightthrough the house tothe garage. Some kidswere playing basketballin the next yard whiletheir parents made lovebehind closed doorsthree rooms back.Farther and farther, theurban jungle became abarren plane covered bya blanket of amber lightthat shimmered gentlylike a burning field. Wecould see everything,but it was impossible totake it all in.

FERRETTERS

These creatures can be orderedto search for anything. TheEvoker will have to describewhat they are looking for,where they should look, andhow long they have to search.Ferretters can fly and passthrough walls, making themvery efficient; they can searchan area ten times faster thanhumans could. If they findwhat they were told to look forin the allotted time, they willreturn to tell the master.Unfortunately, they are notvery bright, so they cannot begiven vague instructions suchas "find the Unbidden."

FLITS

These mindless creatures hurlthemselves at any suddenmovement with such forcethat they reduce the BaseDamage of all Ranged Attacksin the Area of Effect by 1 Die.This includes any Rend attacksmade by the Stalkers. The BaseDamage of high-velocityprojectile weapons is reducedby 2 Dice. Melee combat isonly affected if a Stalker triesto use the Frenzy Discipline inthe Area of Effect, in whichcase the Base Damage of bothAttacks is reduced by 2 Dice.The Flits tend to drift, graduallychanging the Area of Effect.

GLAMOURS

The luminous wings of thesebatlike creatures create a vividlightshow that can only beseen by creatures of Essenceand Sensitive mortals. Thestrobelike effect of these lightswill disorient the weak willed.Any Sensitive character in theArea of Effect with a PerceiveAttribute of 12 or higher anda Resolve lower than 13 willbe distracted, which reducestheir Initiative and PerceiveAttributes by 2 points each.This will enrage approximately1 in 6 Minions, triggering amindless frenzy that givesthem a +1 Attack bonus.

GLIMMERGAUNTS

The bodies of these creaturesemit Essence like a firefly,suffusing the Area of Effectwith a strange amber glowthat is only visible to creaturesof Essence and Sensitivemortals with a Perceive of 15or better. Under the influenceof this light physical objectsbecome translucent, allowingthe Stalkers to peer throughobstacles. This effect canpenetrate as far as the Evokerlikes, but excessive depth isconfusing. The glow irritatesother Servitors, driving themaway unless a point of Karmais spent to maintain them.

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GREMLINS

These tiny critters are drawnto electricity and live to wreakhavok on machines that relyon electrical components,disrupting any "high-tech"equipment in the Area ofEffect. Cars won't start, alarmsystems will shut down, andcomputer files will be erased.Unfortunately, the effectsof their meddling can beunpredictable. There is alwaysa chance a device that shouldbe affected will work properly.The gamemaster should treatthe Gremlin's influence as acurse that turns machines intounreliable tools.

MARROWDIRES

The Weavers have spawnedmany parasites that feed onthe uncommon clay used bycreatures of Essence toconstruct their Vessels of Flesh.Any Stalkers, AwakenedShadows, or Minions in theArea of Effect will be infested,which will temporarily reducetheir Fortitude by 1. TheServitors will be removed byany attack that results in theloss of Vitality. The victimwill be reinfested if he staysin the Area of Effect but notuntil the following round, sohis Fortitude will only belowered once a round.

MARTYRS

These creatures are afflictedwith suicidal empathy thatdrives them to sacrificethemselves rather than allowanother being to feel pain.Anyone who is Wounded inthe Area of Effect loses 1 lesspoint of Vitality; a coupledozen Martyrs die instead.At first they will limit theirefforts to the Area of Effectspecified by the Evoker, butthey will do their best toprotect whoever they can. Asingle Evocation will summonenough Martyrs to absorb atotal of 9 points of Vitalitybefore they are all killed off.

NEGATORS

A swarm of these creatureswill eagerly devour anylingering traces of Essencein the Area of Effect. Thiswill make it impossible touse Senstivity to "read" anarea and will reduce theeffects of mortal magic thatrely on these traces. TheseServitors will also attemptto devour the Essence ofany living creatures theyencounter. Negators are notpowerful enough to do anydamage, but their stingingtouch will irritate creaturesof Essence and causenausea in mortal Sensitives.

Of the Thralls only theforeman would knowwhere his master washiding, but the securitysystem would beinconvenient. Reachingacross the Rift, I calledupon my Gremlinallies. When thefloodlights began toflicker I knew they hadanswered my call. Theelectric fence shortedout, and the automatedcameras writhed ontheir mounts,tormented by myinvisible servants.Across the compound,the generator startedbreaking down,sending showers ofsparks across thetarmac. The office dooropened easily, but theforeman was sprawledacross the floorclutching his chest.A pacemaker—wouldn't you know it.

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NIGHTWINGS

At the Stalker's command avast cloud of these batlikecreatures will pour into theRealm of Flesh, blotting outthe light with their leatherywings. The resulting darknesscan be as intense as theirmaster desires, ranging froma twilight shadow to pitchblack. Darkness is a useful toolagainst mortal opponents whoare more easily Terrifiedwhen they cannot see theiropponents. Unfortunately,these Servitors are a bit tooeager to serve and maysometimes linger longer thantheir Master intended.

RIPPERS

These crawling horrors are nobigger than roaches, but theyare insanely violent and willtry to claw the flesh off ofanything that stands in theirway. Their attacks will tear theHusk from any Minions in theArea of Effect, and any mortalwith a Fortitude less than 3will lose a point of Vitality.Victims will be covered withtiny scratches that resemble aserious rash. The Unbiddenhave the power to wrestcontrol of these Servitors,commanding the creatures tomake a single 6 Die Attackagainst their former master.

ROTLINGS

These pestilent vermincarry strange diseases thatprey on human frailties. 1 to6 rounds after exposure anymortal with a Fortitude lessthan 4 falls ill, which reducestheir Attack, Defend, andIntiative by 1 point each,their Strength by 1 Die, andtheir movement to half theirnormal speed. The infectionwill run its course in an houror so unless the victim wassick to begin with, in whichcase exposure can be fatal. Thedanger is that one of thediseases will spread, causingan unintended plague.

SLASHERS

The moment they appearthese creatures begin spinningwildly, slicing anything in theArea of Effect with bonyprotrusions which do 4 Dice ofDamage to every creature.This is not considered aRanged Attack so it has a BaseDie Cap of 6-, which islowered to 5- against Shadowsand 4- against Stalkers and theUnbidden. As soon as thisattack is resolved, the Slashersreturn to the Rift. They willnot attack anything that isalready Wounded, so theyare most useful as a "firststrike" weapon.

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Having tracked theBeast to the waterfront,we were confrontedwith a daunting mazeof unmarkedbuildings. A searchwould have taken toolong. The enemywould have Thrallshere and would bealerted to our presencebefore we could findhim. Something moreefficient was called for.The Grey Man callsthem his "hounds,"but they are nothing ofthe sort. In less than aminute we heard their"howl," which wasmore like the wailingof the damned thanany dog I was familiarwith. It was LovelyAnna who noticed adrifter searching forthe source of theungodly racket.You find Sensitives inthe strangest places...

SPINNERS

These flying mites are theMindless spawn of theWeavers whose only talent isspinning a network of weblikestrands. These webs can onlybe seen by Sensitive charactersand will part easily forcreatures of Essence such asShadows and Stalkers.However, they will cling tothose of the Flesh, slowingMortals and Minionsencumbered by Husks to acrawl. The webs will endurefor an hour after the Spinnersare dismissed but can becleared by a living knife or thesound of churchbells.

TRACKERS

The most common species areknown as Essence Hounds. Assoon as they are called, a packof these invisible beasts willspread out in all directionssearching for traces of Essence.Their ability to pass throughsolid objects allows them tomove with preternatural speed.When one of them finds acreature of Essence, it will let outa howl just loud enough for itsmaster to hear, which can alsobe heard by any Sensitivecharacter who happens to be inthe area . This will usually allowthe Stalkers to pinpoint thenearest creature of Essence.

VAMPIRES

Once Evoked a swarm of thesecreatures lingers in the Area ofEffect specified by the Stalker.Whenever a mortal characteror the Host of the Unbiddentakes damage, the Vampiresflock to the wound and drinkthe victim's blood, whichdrains an additional point ofVitality. When the swarm hasdevoured 9 points of Vitalitythey disperse, their alienhunger sated. If they are notsated in 3 rounds, they are nolonger bound by the Area ofEffect and will also drainVitality from the Stalkersuntil they are Dismissed.

VOIDOIDS

These creatures resemblefloating jellyfish whose spinytentacles end in eyeballs.Only one will answer theStalker's call. It has theability to absorb energy ofall kinds in copiousamounts, but it feeds ratherslowly. This ability can beused to create many differenteffects. The only limitation isthat it can mute energy butcannot neutralize it. Forexample Voidoids have beenused to inhibit the spread offire, dim lights, and reduce theeffective range of televisionand radio transmisions.

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While Attributes definewhat your character is,Skills define what your

character knows. In game termshigh Attribute values improve acharacter ’s chances of rolling ahigher number, but a Skill Bonusis a consistant advantage thatproduces more reliable results.

• STRENUOUS SKILLS

Certain Skills allow the characterto manipulate Essence. These Skillsplace so much strain on the Vesselthat they require the sacrifice of apoint of Vitality every time theyare used. Banish, Bind, Evoke,Mend, and Sensitivity are allStrenuous Skills.

• FOCUS SKILLS

Some characters will rememberSkills learned during their tenure onthe physical plane. These specialtalents are called Focus Skills. Focus

Skills are invented by the player,but they must be approved by thegamemaster. Focus Skills thatgive the character special abilitiesthat should require the use of aDiscipline are inappropriate andshould be rejected.

Focus Skills tend to be morespecialized than the basic Skillsavailable to all Stalkers. Consideringthe generality of the basic Skills,overlap is hard to avoid. For ex-ample, Sniper is a valid Focus Skillbut could be considered a subsetof the Attack Skill.

The gamemaster should makesure that there is an advantage tohaving the specialized version ofa Skill, even if he has to resort toreducing the Difficulty of Challengesinvolving the Focus Skill. In theexample, a character with Sniper’sSkill could be awarded a +3Modifier when firing small armsfrom a concealed position.

When you are a prisoner of the timestream, you haveno idea how profoundly your mortality colors yourperception. Liberated from the Chronosphere by thePrimal Powers, the transient spark of my Essencebecame a blazing torch that illuminated the darkcorners of eternity. Transcending life and death I seethe Tapestry of Flesh as the Aesthetics intended and amhumbled by its beauty. If only I could show you...

V : SKILLS

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Many Stalkers are skilled warriors who hunttheir prey with savage efficiency. This is a “catch-

all” combat Skill that allows the Stalker to attack with any of theattack forms available to his Vessel. To resolve an Attack, the Stalkermakes a Dexterity Challenge against the opponent’s Defend valueModified by the situation (see Combat for details). If the Challengeis successful, the Stalker rolls Damage Dice equal to his Strengthunless he has the Rend or Savage Disciplines. Stalkers can useany mortal weapon they acquire during a Hunt but suffer a +2Penalty and a -1 Die Cap Modifier so they usually don’t botherbecause their inherent attack forms tend to be more effective.

Scraping on the lockeddoor, it waited forsomeone to notice itlurking behind the boxof abandoned toys.Four families hadcome and gone, but noone dared empty theattic. There was agloomy kind ofemptiness in therafters that filled yourlungs with dust andsent you scurryingdown the stepladderfor the imaginedsaftey of your electriclights. Billy heard itand was too curiousto be afraid, so hepushed aside themildewed box andmade a new friend.Poor Billy. It onlywanted him for hisbody, but how couldhe understand? I sentit away, but it was toolate for the boy, hisdog, and his mother.

ATTACK

Stalkers can call on the power of their office toBanish Awakened Shadows to the Rift between

Realms. An attempt to Banish is a Strenuous action that costs apoint of Vitality and is resolved as a Presence Challenge against aDifficulty equal to the creature’s Resolve modified by its morale.Banishing a wounded or outnumbered Minion is Easy, but tryingto dismiss a healthy creature encountered in its lair is much harder.If this skill is used against a Minion, the Difficulty is determinedby the Resolve of the Unbidden modified by the creature's proxim-ity to its master. The Circle may make only one attempt to Banishany given Shadow or Minion during the course of a Hunt.

The Unbidden must be Bound before the Stalkerscan pass judgement. Before the spirit can be Bound

the creature's Vessel must be destroyed, which forces the Unbiddento reveal its true form. A Binding attempt is resolved as a PresenceChallenge against the target’s Resolve Attribute Modified by morale.Using this Skill is Strenuous and requires the sacrifice of a pointof Vitality for each attempt. If successful, the Avatar of the Unbiddenis bound in a sphere of Essence called the Radiant Orb whichmay be moved by any Stalker through force of will. This Skill isrequired to complete the Hunt, so it is important that at leastone character in each Circle have a good Binding Bonus.

BIND

BANISH

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Stalkers prefer to Hunt from the shadows, but theyare often forced to interact with mortals. This skill

is used for social interaction such as bribery, fast talk, persuasionand seduction. Charm attempts are resolved as a Presence Challengeagainst a Difficulty equal to the target’s Resolve modified by the situ-ation. Trying to convince a mortal to do something they would liketo do anyway is Easy, but trying to compel him to do something thatgoes against his basic convictions is Hard. Bear in mind that this is aSkill, not a Discipline, so the results do not dictate the target’sactions. Charm should only be used to influence roleplaying by de-termining how characters react to the Stalker using the Skill.

CHARM

The machinations of the Unbidden posemany puzzles that most Stalkers become

adept at solving. This Skill allows a character to draw a logicalconclusion from the available information. Deduction is resolvedas an Insight Challenge against a Difficulty determined by thecomplexity of the problem. The gamemaster should use this Skillas a tool to give the characters clues when they are stuck, but heshould be careful not to give away the entire plot. Wheneverpossible, let the players figure things out for themselves. Deductioncan also be used to solve more traditional puzzles, but these oftencall for an additional Dexterity and/or Willpower Challenge.

When a Stalker's Avatar is bound in Flesh hebecomes mortal, making the preservation of

his Vessel an uncomfortable necessity. This rather important Skillis used to evade incoming attacks. Defend attempts are resolvedwith a Dexterity Challenge against the opponent’s Attack ratingModified by the situation. (See the Combat section for details.) Ifthe Challenge is successful, the attack fails. If the Challenge isunsuccessful, the Stalker has been hit, and the gamemaster rollsthe appropriate Damage Dice for the attacker’s attack form. TheDefend Skill can only be used if the Stalker is aware of the attack.If a character is surprised he may only Defend with his Dexterity.

DEFEND

DEDUCTION

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The Stalkers' most reliable allies are their Servitors,mindless beings created by the Primal Powers to

help them during the Hunt. This Skill is required to call upon aServitor’s power unless the character has achieved Mastery ofthe desired creature. Evocation attempts are resolved by a PresenceChallenge against a Difficulty determined by the situation. Callingup a Servitor in a controlled environment where the Stalker isundisturbed and has as much time as he needs is an Easy task,but trying to summon a Servitor in the midst of combat is Hard.Calling to these creatures across the Rift is a Strenuous action,so each use of this Skill costs a point of Vitality.

They are always there forus, hovering just out ofreach like the imaginedhorrors that lurk at theedges of your vision verylate at night whenfatigue begins to gnawat the fringes of the Veil.To call them, you mustacknowledge theirexistence which is thehardest part for aNovitiate. The Powerstaught me their namesand the words thatcompel them.Servitors are not alive,not as you know it. Theylack the potential forchange that distinguishestrue life. They are as theyhave always been andalways will be. Kind ofsad when you thinkabout it. Because of thisdisquieting sympathy, Iam always hesitant tocall upon them, but mostStalkers use them likeany other tool.

HISTORY

EVOKE

The Hunt can take a Stalker to any point onthe Chronosphere, so in-depth knowledge of

the Ages of Man is often useful to the hunter in his quest. Use of thisSkill requires an Insight Challenge against a Difficulty determinedby the relative obscurity of the desired information. Rememberingthe rough outline of major events such as World War II is an Easytask, trying to recall details such as troop commitment in a specificbattle is Hard, and minutia such as the names of platoon leadersis Very Hard or impossible. This skill will only give the characterhistorical perspective; it does not provide sufficient informationabout "future" events to give the Stalker precognitive abilities.

INTIMIDATE This Skill is used to frighten or unsettlemortals and is resolved with a Presence

Challenge against the opponent’s Resolve. Remember that this isnot a Discipline, so the results should only be used to influenceroleplaying by determining how characters react to the Stalkerusing the Skill. A mortal’s reaction to an Unmasked Stalker willbe more profound than his reaction to someone he thinks ishuman, but revealing the Vessel can be dangerous. It is possibleto affect small groups, but two Challenge Rolls must be madewith an additional +2 Modifier. If one roll is successful but theother is failed, the skill only works on some of the group.

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This Skill is used to conceal the character’s truefeatures and the use of supernatural abilities when

the Veil fails to do so. Mask attempts are resolved as a PresenceChallenge against the target’s Perception modified by the extentof the Stalker’s indiscretion. Masking a subtle effect such as theuse of the Whisper Discipline is Easy, but concealing the flagrantuse of Essence required for the Evocation of most Servitors orobvious Disciplines such as Translocation is Hard. It is possibleto affect small groups, but two Challenge Rolls must be madewith an additional +2 Modifier. If one roll is successful but theother is failed, the skill only works on some of the group.

MASK

When an Aesthetic abandons its post, itsabsence creates a wound in the world called

the Enigma, which can be healed if the Stalkers can find the Fo-cus of the Corruption. Mending requires an Awareness Challengeagainst a Difficulty determined by the power of the Enigma. (Thedefault is the Resolve of the Unbidden who caused it.) Reweavingthe torn fabric of the universe is a Strenuous action that requiresabsolute concentration and costs a point of Vitality. If this roll isfailed, the Stalker can try again, but a second attempt costs twomore points of Vitality, and the process will take hours instead ofminutes. A third attempt by the same character is impossible.

Over the course of human history, Inspiredmortals of uncommon insight have learned

just enough of the true nature of their world to be dangerous. Theaccumulated teachings of these magicians form the blasphemouslegacy known as the Occult. Some students of the Occult learnforbidden techniques that allow them to manipulate the Dreamand give them limited power over the Unseen. This skill determineswhat the Stalker knows of these rites allowing him to recognizethe Occult when he sees it. Identification of rituals, tools, orsymbology requires an Insight Challenge against a Difficultydetermined by the relative obscurity of the desired information.

OCCULTISM

MENDING

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In roleplaying games, the gamemasterserves as the characters' senses, describing

their surroundings to the players. This Skill determines what theStalkers see and is often used to control the pacing of a Hunt bydetermining which characters receive important information andwhen. Perception attempts are resolved with an Awareness Challengeagainst a Difficulty determined by the subtlety of the quality thecharacter is trying to perceive. If a player specifies that his Stalker isactively looking for something, he should receive a bonus to findit, but if the player is rolling to see if his character stumbles acrosssomething, he should do so at a significant penalty.

The junkyard stank ofentropy. Humanvultures wanderedthe vast mounds ofgarbage, giggling likedelighted childrenwhen they managed tofish somethingrecognizable out ofthe dismal heap.We were also lookingfor something, but weneeded more than astick and a sack to findit. Closing my eyesand clenching my fistsover my ears to shutout the pollution, Ireached out with myinner senses, probingfor evidence that ourPrey had been thisway. Tastingabundant Essencenear a storeroomcovered in hubcaps, Isignalled the Circleforward, directly intothe lair of an AwakenedBehemoth.

PERCEPTION

The interaction of Essence and Flesh createsa disturbance that Stalkers and certain

gifted mortals can detect. Attempts to sense the lingering influenceof the Unseen are Strenuous, requiring a point of Vitality and anAwareness Challenge against a Difficulty determined by theproximity, intensity, and duration of contact with the source ofthe disturbance. A successful roll will tell the character the relativeintensity of any emanations (None, Weak, Moderate, or Powerful)but will not identify the source. While Sensitivity will provideclues that will help the Stalkers catch their prey, it is not a compassthat can be used to track the Unbidden directly to its lair.

Faced with the power of the Forbiddance andthe mortality of the Vessel, Stalkers must tread

the Realm of Flesh with care. This sometimes forces them to Huntfrom the shadows. Any use of this Skill is resolved with anAwareness Challenge against a Difficulty equal to the highestPerception Attribute of the characters the Stalker is trying to avoid,modified by the situation. Sneaking past someone with a lot ofconvenient cover, such as a forest or an unsuspecting crowd, isEasy but crossing an open field or an empty corridor without beingseen is Hard. There is an additional Modifier of +1 for everycharacter after the first who is actively watching the same area.

STEALTH

SENSITIVITY

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Every Hunt follows the samebasic framework. This frameworkwas established by the Powers toensure that the Stalkers duty willbe clear. Sometimes a Hunt willvary from this pattern but theseexceptions are very rare.

The Hunt begins when one ofthe Stalkers recieves a Call for helpfrom a mortal Supplicant who isendangered by an Enigma. Actingquickly the Stalker calls the rest ofthe Circle to his Domain.

Transport to the Realm of Fleshis facilitated by the Navigators,creatures whose peculiar stationallows them temporal freedom.When the Circle stands ready, theycall upon a Navigator and aredevoured, revealing the WindingPath that lies within.

When you are Chosen you tend to believe that yournewfound immortality will be spent in neverendingpursuit of otherworldly horrors. The reality is lessmelodramatic but far more interesting. We are morethan hunters, we are troubleshooters. Every Enigma isa new puzzle that requires a different solution. SomeHunts are very straightforward but those that I findmost satisfying are those that force us to test the limitsof our abilities. Most Stalkers dread an encounter with anArchitect but I take a perverse pleasure in outwittingthem and long for the challenge.

VI : THE HUNT

When the Circle is halfway alongthe Path a Barrier will bar their way.Each Barrier is maintained by aGuardian. Guardians take manyforms but all are powerful spiritsthat must be Dismissed before theRift can be crossed.

When the Stalkers near thethreshold of the physical the Circlecalls upon the Weavers, creatureswith the power to spin substanceover the Avatar, clothing Essence inFlesh. Their gifts are necessary forinteraction on the mortal plane.

Traversing what remains of theWinding Path the Stalkers return tothe world of their birth. Time andspace are meaningless to creaturesof Essence so they may find them-selves at any point in earths history,even in our future.

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Abandoning Structure : Some gamemasters will findthe framework of the Hunt restrictive. It is intendedto give the game a sense of structure that makes itclear to the players what they are supposed to bedoing. With a little work most gamemasters can devisecountless variations on the basic themes inherent inthe Hunt format but if you feel that your creativity isrestrained feel free to abandon as much of the formatas you like. One alternative is the Watcher Campaignoutlined in the Campaigning Chapter which beginson page 77. It is also possible to expand the definitionof Enigma to include any supernatural person, placeor thing and allow the Stalkers to travel wherever theylike fighting back the forces of the Unseen whereverthey find them. Doing this gives you an open field towork with but robs the game of a lot of its character.When all is said and done it is your game so dowhatever makes you the most comfortable.

Disguised as mortals, the Circlemust find the renegade and bringhim to justice. The Veil of ignoranceand the Mask of humanity willmute the Stalkers presence, makingmortals perceive them as mundane.

Stalkers must be careful not toreveal themselves for the collectiveunconscious of mortal man has thepower to reject that which does notbelong. The principle is called theForbiddance and it will cast out orunmake the unsubtle Stalker.

Upon their arrival the Circle willhave to find the Enigma anddetermine its nature. If the Enigmawas caused by the arrival of theUnbidden they must also try tocapture the renegade before theyreturn. In either case their firstpriority is Mending the Enigma.

The Unbidden have not theWeaver’s secret of form, so musttake refuge in a sentient creaturenative to the Realm. Though hiddenin a human Host the Stalkers willknow the enemy by his deeds.

When the Unbidden cross theRift, they are weakened by thetransition and must consume theEssence locked in the soul of man tomaintain necessary cohesion, forcingthem to become predators untilthey achieve physical expression.

When the enemy’s Minions aredefeated and the prey is Bound, theNavigator is summoned once againto return the Circle to the Realm ofEssence. When they return theStalkers consign their captive to theVault where he may contemplate hisblasphemy for the balance of eternity.

Her inner voice was sosoft that I might nothave heard it were itnot for the dogs.Straining to listen, Irealized that she waspraying. Not to us,but to her father's god,a nearsighted diety sheabandoned when hetook his own life.(I too have knelt beforea barren altar.)Her need was great, ofthat I was certain, butI could not tell whyher plaintive cries hadcome to my doorstep.In a case like this ,itwas up to me to decidewhether we wouldanswer the Call.My companionswould rather I hadignored her ,but some-thing about her strucka sympathetic chord.(Sometimes these Keysare more trouble thanthey are worth...)

RECEIVING THE CALL

Stalkers are empowered toenforce the will of the Powers in theRealm of Flesh, but they may notcross the Rift unless they areCalled by a mortal who needstheir help. The mortal who issuesthe Call is called the Supplicant.

The Call can take many forms.In a way, each Calling is unique. Allthat is important is that theSupplicant ask for help from a beingor beings he believes to beotherworldly and that his need stemsfrom the existence of an Enigma.

The Call has no power over theStalkers. There are Rituals knownto mortal magicians that can sum-mon Stalkers against their will, butonce they arrive there is no tech-nique that will compel them to dothe magician's bidding.

From time to time the Stalkerswill receive a Call that has nothingto do with the Enigma. These Callsare very rare because they requirethe intervention of the Powers.These special assignments are theexception, not the rule.

The Hunt begins when one of theStalkers receives the Call in hisDomain. The gamemaster has todecide which Stalker receives the call.He can choose a character at randomevery time, but it is suggested thatthe characters take turns.

The chosen Stalker will hear theCall as distant voices begging forhis help. If he answers the Call, thevoices will echo in his mind. TheNavigator uses this echo as abeacon to guide the Stalkers acrossthe Rift to the Supplicant's side.

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FORMAL PETITION Experienced Stalkerswill eventually come to

the attention of mortal magicians who will devise ritualsto summon them. These rituals are the most reliable formof Calling available to Enlightened Supplicants. It is upto each player to create a Summoning Ritual for hischaracter. These rituals are as distinctive as the Stalkersthemselves save for three recurring elements;

The Invocation: Formal Petitions begin with an Invoca-tion to whatever forces the magician believes he serves.Very few have the insight to know the Primal Powersfor what they are so they will usually be addressed asspirits, demons, or divine entities of some sort.

Naming of Names: All Stalkers have at least two names:the name given them by their parents and the namegiven them by the Circle when they are Chosen. FormalPetitions will always Call the character by their ImmortalName and will include the Mortal Name if the magicianhas been able to figure it out. Many Stalkers have alsobeen given more than one name by various cultures theyhave come into contact with. Mortal superstition holdsthat names carry power so the magician will work in asmany of these names as he can.

The Offering: Most mortal magicians believe that theirsupernatural allies will demand tribute in exchange fortheir intercession so it is customary for the Supplicantto offer some kind of gift. Ideally this gift should suitthe character's idiom, but insight is rare among mortalsso the tribute may be completely inappropriate. Variousforms of sacrifice and self-mutilation performed in theStalker's name are alarmingly common.

Creative players will add embellishments to make the ritualunique. Flourishes such as diagrams and incantationswill add atmosphere to the game. Gamemasters are notrequired to use the rituals sumbitted by the players "asis" but should base any Formal Petitions on this model.In most cases these rituals have no more power thanany other form of Calling, but there are rare exceptionsthat can bind the Stalker to the Supplicant's service.

THE SUPPLICANT

The mortal who calls for theStalkers is called the Supplicant. TheSupplicant is usually Sensitive butneed not be Enlightened. There areno prerequisites, but Supplicantstend to have high Perception andResolve Attributes (usually a totalof 28 or better between them).

The Supplicant will not alwaysknow that they have Called for theStalkers, but they will always havesome awareness of the Enigma orits cause or their Petition wouldnot have been answered.

If the Supplicant is Enlightenedand is aware of having made theCall, the Stalkers will usually appearin his presence but if he knows notwhat he has done the Stalkers willappear nearby. When this happensthe Supplicant is usually the firstmortal the Stalkers encounter.

The gamemaster should takethe time to develop the Supplicant.This character can be used to drawthe player characters into the storyso it is important to know what heknows and what motivates him.

Supplicants can take many formsfrom innocent children to savvymagicians. It is this very diversitythat makes them interesting. Somewill be sympathetic, others will be anuisance best abandoned early on,and a few will be openly hostile tothe Stalkers and their Hunt.

The Stalkers may react howeverthey like to the Supplicant and arenot compelled to obey him, butthey may not take any direct actionagainst him. Any attempt to so is aviolation of the Forbiddance.

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The entity'sapproach washeralded by adeafening roar andthe stench ofburning leaves.It manifestedslowly, settling overus in a cloud full oftendrils that eagerlyprobed the sweettextures of ourEssence. At first Irecoiled from its touch,but I grew accustomedto its monstrousfamiliarity.Its enormity wasoverwhelming.This was a creaturewhose impossibleexpanse stretchedacross the Rift,creating a livingbridge between theRealms. At mycommand, it openedwide the abyss of itsmouth, and we wereconsumed...

CALLING THE NAVIGATOR

Navigators are a specializedform of Shadow. Like all Shadows,Navigators are neither Flesh norEssence, allowing them to exist ineither Realm. Navigators areunique because they possess theability to track the Call and carrypassengers to its source.

Calling a Navigator is a simpleritual known to all Stalkers. It is notStrenuous and does not require aChallenge roll. Navigators can be calledfrom either Realm with equal ease. Inthe Realm of Flesh, the Ritual will takethree minutes, and the Navigatorwill usually arrive within the hour.

Most Navigators are wormlikecreatures of tremendous size. Inphysical terms, their mouths are 30yards across, and their bodies seeminfinitely long, trailing off into theNeitherspace between Realms.

Fortunately, Navigators neverfully manifest in the Flesh so theycan only be seen by Sensitivecharacters. A Vessel large enoughto contain one of these creatureswould require more mass than 20elephants placed head to tail.

There are other "species" ofNavigator. The descriptions ofthese creatures are left to thegamemaster's creativity. All arehuge and must have the ability toconsume their passengers. A flockof winged shapes could descend onthe Stalkers or a giant blob couldsimply ooze over them.

Navigators carry passengers byconsuming them, forming a livingbridge across the Rift. (An unsettlingexperience to be sure.) The Stalkerssimply travel through their bodiesand are disgorged on the other side.

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When the Circle is consumedthey will find an entire worldinside the creature's body. Theywill be standing on a path thatstretches off into the void, twistingand turning inexplicably. This iscalled the Winding Path, and italways leads to the other side.

All the Stalkers have to do isfollow the Path. If a character straysfrom the path, he will be lost to theRift and can only be recoveredthrough the direct intervention ofthe Primal Powers.

When the Enigma has beendealt with, the Circle can call foranother Navigator to take themback to the Realm of Essence. Theycan call for a Navigator before theyaccomplish their objective, but thiswill end the Hunt early.

If the Circle leaves withoutMending the Enigma they cannotreturn to finish the job unless theyare Called again. Retreat is anadmission of failure, but sometimesthere is no other choice. There areStalkers who would rather die thanretreat, but most of them are dead...

• THE OLD ONES

When Navigators touch downin the Realm of Flesh they aretemporarily affected by the lawswhich bind the physical world.This vulnerability forces them toundergo a peculiar life cycle. Thiskind of evolution is very unusualfor Shadows and is another thingthat sets Navigators apart.

Young Navigators are dull-witted beasts, but they graduallydevelop manlike intelligence and adistinctive personality. Theseindividuals refer to themselves as

"Old Ones" and view the Stalkersas longtime companions on theirjourney across time and space.

During the journey Old Oneswill manifest a Guide that joins theStalkers on the Winding Path andwill serve as their guide during thejourney. This is the creature's "innervoice" and will speak on theNavigator's behalf.

Old Ones have an empathictalent that allows them to manifesta Guide that the Stalkers will becomfortable with. Commonexamples are railroad conductors,ushers and tour guides.

A few Old Ones have the power tomaintain the Guide outside the "InnerWorld" of its body. These Navigatorscan actually join the Stalkers on theirHunts. Guides have no substanceand can only be seen by Sensitives.

These Guides eventually gainthe ability to possess mortals. TheHost will lose conciousness whilethe Navigator's spirit inhabits hisbody and will forget everything 24hours prior to the possession.

The Circle tends to use oneNavigator in preference to all others,so if they meet an Old One they willprobably try to befriend it. OldOnes respect the power inherent inthe Stalkers' office, but they aredrawn to the humanity that manyStalkers consider a weakness.

The down side to using an OldOne is that there are parasiticcreatures that tend to take upresidence in the Navigator'smammoth body. Some of theseparasites are powerful enough topose a threat to the Stalkers and mustbe dealt with from time to time.

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DISMISSING THE GUARDIAN

The Realms of Flesh and Essenceare separated by a kind of "no mansland" where the laws of neitherRealm apply. Stalkers call thismiddle ground Neitherspace, butEnlightened mortals call it the Rift.

Crossing from one Realm to theother is very difficult. To make thejourney the traveller must somehowbelong to both Realms but bebound to neither. These individualsare very rare. Other than theShadows, only the Stalkers andtheir prey have found the path.

Because interaction betweenthe Realms is dangerous, thePowers have forbidden it. TheHunts of the Stalkers are anexception to this rule because theStalkers enforce their laws.

The Powers have taken steps toensure that only their agents will be

able to cross the Rift unmolested.Anyone else will find the way barredand may even perish in the attempt.

The first of these measures is theBarrier. Midway between Flesh andEssence the traveller will encountera Barrier that intersects the WindingPath, making progress impossible.

Barriers can take many forms.Some are as simple as they areeffective. Walls of stone, steel, or fireare as common as are mazes. Nomatter what form, the Barrier cannotbe overcome. Walls will grow higheras characters try to climb them,flames will grow hotter as thetravellers approach and so forth.

The Barrier cannot be crossedbecause it is maintained by aGuardian. The Guardians arepowerful entities whose purpose isto prevent passage across the Rift.

We continued downthe Path, ignoring thephantoms that harriedus from the oblivion ofNeitherspace.As we reached thehalfway point a sheetof flame rose up beforeus, obscuring ourdestination.Drawn by ourapproach, a mechanicalcolossus rose from thedepths, its massiveframe blocking ourpath. It peered downfrom on high, obviouslyannoyed by ourpresence.The Grey Man strodeforward with his Keysin hand. Three timeshe commanded thecreature to be gone,and the third time itobeyed. Groaning itsdispleasure, thecreature descended,clearing the path thatwould take us home.

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Guardians can also take manyforms but are always massive andimposing. If they were not they wouldnot make an effective deterrent.Common forms include giants of allkinds, disembodied heads, and faces.When the gamemaster describes theGuardian, he should try to make thecreature sound as impressive as he can.

The Guardians have beeninstructed to allow the Stalkers topass, but they are stubborncreatures who will not readily openthe Winding Path for anyone.

In order to get the Guardian topart the Barrier, the Stalkers willhave to convince the creature thatthey are who they say they are andthat their need is great. Showing itthe Keys of Office is a good start.

The gamemasters should refuseto let the Stalkers pass until they actlike Stalkers. Simply telling theGuardian that they are Stalkers is notenough. They have to command thelesser creature with confidence andauthority, demanding obediencein no uncertain terms.

The function of this encounter isto get the players into the propermindset to play Stalkers. After a fewHunts it may no longer be neccessaryto play out this interchange unlessit is unusual for some reason.

There is the occassional Guard-ian who takes his job too literallyand refuses to let the Stalkers pass.These creatures need to be taughta lesson. Usually a couple of goodshots will be enough to teach itrespect, but sometimes the Guardianactually needs to be destroyed.

We followed the stenchupriver toward theBlack Sea, instructingour crew to row as fastas they could. It wasslow going, but myinstincts told me thatthe source of the riverwas the source of theEnigma. By nightfall,we sighted a monolithlooming in the distance.Winged Shadowswheeled overhead likecircling vultures,confirming mysuspicions. When wereached the east bank, Itouched the menhir,projecting my powerthrough my fingertips.The will of the Circlebecame a tangiblepresence that blindedme to everything butthe task at hand. As Istrained against thestone I could see thewound, a bleeding gashin the Dream.

MENDING THE ENIGMA

The Realm of Flesh is plaguedby countless flaws called Enigmas.It is the Stalker's duty to trackdown each Enigma, determine itscause, and Mend the Dream. With-out the Stalkers the Enigmas wouldproliferate, tearing apart the fabricof the Dreaming from within.

Enigmas can be created by awide variety of stimulus. There areeven "naturally occurring" Enig-mas (which seems like an Enigmain itself). Some Enlightenedphilospohers see the existence ofEnigmas as proof positive of thefallibility of the Aesthetics.

By far and away the mostcommon source of Enigmas is thearrival of the Unbidden. When anAesthetic abandons his Station, hisabsence creates a flaw in the Dream.This flaw manifests as an Enigma.

Enigmas can also be created bythe actions of mortal magicians. Whatmortals believe to be magic is actuallymanipulation of the Dream. If thefabric of reality is stretched too far,it will rip, creating an Enigma.

Magic creates an Enigma whenrituals are performed regularly inone place for a very long time,when a particularly powerful spellis performed, or when somethinggoes wrong causing a sufficientlypowerful backlash of Essence.

Scientific experiements can alsoopen holes in the Dream. Thesedangerous experiements tend toinvolve principles which define thelimits of man's knowledge.

All Stalkers need to familiarizethemselves with the principleswhich govern the Enigma so theycan carry out their duty effectively.

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SHADOWLANDS Corruption will not be toler-ated indefinitely. Eventually

the Dream will reject the Enigma, casting the afflicted areainto the Rift between the Realms, creating a microcosmknown as a Shadowland. When a Shadowland is formedeverything in the affected region simply fades out ofexistence, and the Veil confounds the memories of thosewho would miss it. These mysterious disappearances werethe inspiration for the legends of Atlantis and Avalon.

Geography: Shadowlands are worlds unto themselvesthat are no longer bound by the same rules as the Flesh.Save for their mortal origins, these regions resemble theDomains of the Stalkers. When designing Shadowlands,the gamemaster should let his imagination run wild. Thereis no reason to hold back; none of the old rules apply.

Touchstones: There is a tenuous connection betweeneach Shadowland and the Flesh that spawned it. Theseconnections manifest as physical objects called Touch-stones that can be used to move between the Realms. ATouchstone can take any form, but its nature is only ap-parent to Sensitive characters. Anyone who recognizes aTouchstone for what it is can use it to create a portal to theassociated Shadowland. There will always be an identicalportal on the other side that serves as the gate back.

Denizens: Initially the Shadowland is populated byanyone who lived their entire life under the influence ofthe Enigma. Shadowlands are the only landmarks in thefeatureless void of the Rift so they will draw Shadowswho will take up residence and may even become rulersof these otherworldly Realms. If the arrival of anUnbidden spirit was responsible for the Enigma it willbe trapped in the Shadowland it inadvertantly created.The new Realm becomes both refuge and prison wherethe prey may hide from the Stalkers for a time.

Mending the Enigma will destroy the Touchstones,severing any remaining ties with the Realm of Flesh.Sometimes this will also destroy the Shadowland,causing it to collapse. Stalkers exist to close the Enigmaso they have little choice in the matter.

• CORRUPTION

The Enigma twists the Dream,subverting the Vision of theAesthetics. This subvertion causes agradual alteration of reality whichmanifests as inconsistancies calledAnomolies. Most supernaturalphenomenon are actually Anomolies.

Exaggeration and Simplificationare common Anomolies. Under theinfluence of Corruption smallthings become tiny and large thingsbecome enormous. Guns getbigger, the night gets darker, andcities become labryinthine.

Many Anomolies are simplyinexplicable. A Corrupted areacould be filled with a cloying fogor be haunted by ghostly lights.Strange is good; bizarre is better.

Corruption will worsen overtime, causing the afflicted area tobecome increasingly unearthly.This process is fueled by mortalsorcery and the activities of theUnbidden, but it will advancemore slowly in areas with largenumbers of unenlightened mortalsbecause their unwitting faith inthe Dream will help maintain it.

When the Unbidden areinvolved, the Corruption will reflecttheir nature, recasting the Dream intheir image. This can result in trulybizarre environments. This is wherethe gamemaster has the mostfreedom to experiement with trulyhorrific settings and situations.

Fortunately the Dream is alive,and the Flesh can recover from anywound. If the Stalkers can Mendthe Enigma, the Corruption willgradually fade away over thecourse of the following year.

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• TEMPORAL ISOLATION

As the Enigma Corrupts theDream it creates an area which isneither Flesh nor Essence.

In practical terms this means thatevents that occur under the Enigma'sinfluence are not part of the Dream-ing so they are not protected bythe Forbiddance and the Veil willconceal them from anyone free ofthe associated Corruption.

For instance, the Stalkers couldfind themselves fighting the Battleof Black Hawk Hill. You won't finda "Battle of Black Hawk Hill" in thehistory books because the Hill wasCorrupted by a nearby Enigma sothe Veil erased the battle from theCollective Conciousness.

This axiom makes it easier forthe Stalkers to operate withoutinterfering with the Dream, but italso gives the Unbidden morefreedom to indulge their passionsin the Corrupted area.

Temporal Isolation frees theplayers from having to dwell on theconsequences of their every actionduring the Hunt's climax becausethis will usually occur in a Corruptedarea where the Forbiddance is lesslikely to punish them for usingtheir supernatural abilities.

The gamemasters should strive togive Corrupted areas a dreamlikefeel that will convey the subtext thatthe Stalkers are no longer Huntingin the world we know but in aparallel world where anything ispossible. This is a cue to the playersthat their characters can "cut loose"without fear of repercussions.

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• FOCUS MANIFESTATION

Corruption will spread from theEnigma in a roughly circular area,but there will always be anepicenter where the Enigma takesphysical form. This manifestationis known as the Focus.

The Focus can be just aboutanything but will usually be anaturally occuring substance orphenomenon that is somehowperverted by the Enigma such asa river that runs backwards or aman who cannot die.

Some Foci manifest as portableobjects but the Stalkers are forbiddento carry them beyond the Corruptedarea because they would be aidingthe spread of the Corruption.

Only the Stalkers have the insightto locate the Focus. They will knowthe Corruption by the Anomolies.Once inside they can figure outwhere the epicenter is or they can"home in" by using Sensitivity tomeasure relative Essence levels. Thesecond method is usually considereda last resort because it requires therepeated use of a Strenuous Skill.

Mortals caught in the Enigma'sinfluence are Corrupted by it - anyAnomolies they witness will seemnormal to them so they won'tknow that anything is wrong.

The Unbidden have an innateaffinity for the Enigma caused bytheir arrival, giving them anintuitive understanding of theFocus. They will seldom stray farfrom the Corruption because theinfluence of the Dream makes themuncomfortable so they tend to lairnear the Focus which allows themto protect it from the Stalkers.

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Awakened Shadows will be ableto remember the Dream before theCorruption perverted it and willrecognize the Enigma for what it is.These individuals can be usefulallies unless they harbor sympathyfor the plight of the Unbidden.

• SCRYING

There is a link between theEnigma and its cause that canprovide the Stalkers with usefulclues about its nature.

Examining the Focus is aStrenuous Action that requires aSensitivity Challenge against aDifficulty determined by the extentof the Corruption.

If successful the informationwill come in the form of a visionthat provides insight into thenature of the Enigma and its cause.If the Enigma was created by thearrival of the Unbidden it showsthe enemys current wherabouts.

The extent of the is vision andthe amount of information itprovides is up to the gamemaster.The clues may be cryptic, but theyare always true.

There is a special connectionbetween the Unbidden and theEnigma so if the Stalkers examinethe Focus for more than a momentthe enemy will know it is beingHunted and will be able to flee ortake precautions.

Scrying is often the mostefficient way for the Stalkers tofigure out how to Mend theEnigma. It is also a good way forthe gamemaster to control thepacing of the Hunt. If the playersare lost he can use this opportunityto get them back on track.

• MENDING THE ENIGMA

If the Enigma was caused by aunique event such as a laboratoryaccident or a powerful ritual, theStalkers job is simple. As soon asthey find the Focus, they can try toshut it down. This is also true of"naturally occurring" Enigmas.

If the Enigma was caused by thearrival of the Unbidden therenegade must be Bound beforeMending can be attempted.

If the Enigma was caused by anongoing condition such as theoperation of an experimentalreactor or a madman's nightmaresthe trigger must be neutralized orthe Enigma will eventually reopen.

To Mend the Enigma the Stalkerhas to touch the Focus physically andconcentrate for several minutes tobegin the process. Mending is aStrenuous Action - each attemptrequires the sacrifice of a point ofVitality and a Challenge roll.

If successful, the Stalker will feelthe wound begin to close as theDream reasserts itself. If theCorruption is too serious to heal, theafflicted region will split off from theDream and become a stableShadowland with no Touchstonegateways to the Realm of Flesh.

As the Enigma shuts down theCorruption will begin to reverseitself. It takes a full year for thewound in the world to heal andsome scars will always remain.Sensitive characters will feel asharp pain if they stand where anactive Focus once stood.

When the Enigma is closed theHunt is over, and the Circle can callfor a Navigator to take them home.

The creature emergedfrom the ruinedVessel, a tumble ofengorged viscera thattore free with a mightyheave, a newbornabomination strewnacross the tiled floor.Talon was upon itbefore most of useknew what washappening, rippinginto the twitchingmass with that spikedclub he carries.Confident in hisability to keep thecreature occupied Ireached out withtendrils of Essence.Wrapping my desirearound it was difficultat first but Talon'sblows forced it into mygrasp. Calling on thepower of my Station Icompelled the renegadeto submit, forcing itsconsiderable energiesinto the Orb.

BINDING THE UNBIDDEN

When the Stalkers Hunt arenegade Aesthetic, they have toBind the creature before they canMend the Enigma and completethe Hunt. Binding may only beattempted when the Vessel of theUnbidden has been destroyed,forcing the Avatar to manifest.

The act of Binding requiresabsolute concentration. No mortaleffort comes close to the focusrequired for this feat. If not for thepower inherent in the Stalker'sStation, Binding an Aestheticwould be an impossible task.

As the Aesthetic is Bound, theAvatar loses shape, collapsing intoa glowing sphere whose sizedepends on the creature's power,ranging from a few inches to nearlya yard in diameter. This sphere iscalled the Radiant Orb.

The Radiant Orb has no physicalmass. It can only be perceived bySensitive characters and can only bemoved through force of will. Anymortal who touches an Orb will beseverely burned and risks possessionby the spirit trapped within.

Stalkers may communicate witha Bound spirit by touching the Orband spending a point of Karma. Theprisoner is usually repentant, eagerto beg its captors for mercy.

It is up to the Inquisitor todetermine why the Aestheticabandoned its post and in so doingbetrayed the Primal Powers.

When the renegade Aesthetichas been Bound and questioned, itis up to the Circle to determine itsfate. Passing judgement on thecreator is no easy task, but it is across all Stalkers must bear.

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There are several possibilities, butmost of the time the Orb is carriedwith the Circle until the Enigma isMended and the Navigator can becalled to take them across the Rift tothe Realm of Essence where theprisoner can be cast into the Vault.

• THE VAULT

All the Stalkers know about theVault is how to find the entrancebut even the most foolhardy dreadgoing there. It is a dead place thatreeks of corruption and madness.

When the Stalkers return to theRealm of Essence with a prisoner,they take it to the Black Abbott'sGate. The Gate is adorned with athousand locks, but the Keys ofHumanity will open any of them,revealing a seemingly bottomless pit.The Orb must be cast down, and thegate relocked quickly before any ofthe prisoners can find their way out.

A few spirits have learned toWhisper across the Veil from theirprison. This ability is used to seducemortal Sensitives, promising powerin exchange for their freedom.

Releasing an imprisoned spirit isa task beyond the ability of mostmortal magicians to complete in asingle lifetime, but there are ritualsknown to certain Enlightened ordersthat allow mortals to "pick the lock."

The symbol of the Vault is theSanguine Seal, a rune carved in theface of the Gate. (One version ofthe Seal is depicted on the cover ofthis book.) Escaped spirits will berepulsed by the Seal, avoiding allcontact with it. A Seal carved by anEnlightened mortal Sensitive intoa door has the power to reduce theprisoner's Fortitude by a point.

BANISHMENT

When a renegade is captured he is cast into the Vault to awaitthe end of the current Cycle. This is the default sentence - otheroptions should only be considered in extreme circumstances.For a creature that sought independence, imprisonment maybe a punishment more cruel than death, but the crimes of theUnbidden warrant the sternest possible measures.

GREAT BINDING

Many forms of Binding are possible. The Radiant Orb is only aTransient Vessel that contains the spirit while another Vessel isprepared. Presumably this Vessel is provided as a component ofthe Final Binding that shackles the renegade to the Vault, but thereare other possibilities. It is possible for the Stalkers to Bind thespirit contained in the Orb to any person, place, or thing, creatinga servicable prison in the Realm of Flesh. This form of Binding isStrenuous and Difficult, but it is permanent unless someone withthe Bind skill is able to extract the spirit and reverse the process.

BESTOWING MORTALITY

It is theoretically possible to transform a creature of Essenceinto a creature of the Flesh using a process similar to that used bythe Weavers. This process is called Fleshing and is attempted sorarely that some Stalkers believe it to be a myth. The Ritual involvesstripping the Aesthetic of most of its Essence and Binding it to aVessel of Flesh. This is a Strenuous effort that costs a point ofVitality and requires a Binding Challenge against a Difficulty of18. If the Ritual is successfully completed, the subject will beafflicted with mortality, but the Circle will lose half the Karmaawarded for that Hunt. Mortal Aesthetics are always exceptionalindividuals and will retain their Sensitivity.

EXECUTION

For a creature of Essence there is no death as mortals understandit. An Aesthetic can only be killed if it is made mortal first bymeans of the Fleshing Ritual. Tradition requires each member ofthe Circle to strike his victim three times with a mortal weapon,focusing their combined will on its death. Revenge may betempting but killing a Dreamer is tantamount to blasphemy. Onlythe most unrepentant foes whose acts have endangered the veryfabric of the Dreaming are subjected to the finality of this sentence.This deed amounts to an intentional violation of the Forbiddancethat costs each member of the Circle a point of Karma and all ofthe Karma they would have earned for that Hunt.

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Surrounded by themasked dancers itsuddenly occured tome what a peculiargroup we made.Fortunately the Veilwas always there forus. It protected us assurely as it did thosewho would rather notsee us as we truly are.We maneuveredthrough the crowd asquickly as we wereable, and despite oursudden appearance, nonotice was taken oftheir uninvited guests.Those few whoremembered our visitwould have difficultyrecalling details andwould eventuallyforget we were everthere. When wereached the master ofthe house, we revealedourselves and madesure that he wouldnever forget...

THE VEIL

The Dreaming shapes not onlythe Realm of Flesh but the mindsof those who dwell there. Thereshaping of mortal minds by theLiving Dream is called the Veil.

The Veil warps mortal percep-tion, forcing their thoughts toconform to the Dreaming. Underthe Veil's comforting shroud, thesupernatural seems mundane. If itwere not for the Veil, the intrusionof the Unseen would be a constantthreat to the sanctity of the Dream.

Creatures of Essence are notpart of the Dream so they are notaffected by the Veil and will alwaysrecognize one another for whatthey are. There are mortals who areSensitive to the Unseen who canpart the Veil, but they are rare, andtheir abilities unreliable.

• INSIGNIFICANCE

The Veil allows creatures ofEssence to walk freely amongmortals. This power is more likecamouflage than true invisibility -those under its protection can beseen, but they will not be noticed.

Veiled creatures are perceivedby mortal onlookers as a normalpart of their environment so longas they do not draw attention tothemselves. No one notices thembecause they look like they belong.

The influence of the Unseencauses subtle anomolies such as a"hot spots" or a "chill wind" that canonly be detected by Sensitivecharacters. These clues can be usedto Unveil creatures of Essence, butthis requires considerable insight.

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The Veil also confounds thememories of those subject to theDreaming, obscuring insight withrationalizations. This principlemakes it very difficult to alter theDream. Even if a large number ofpeople somehow realize the truth,they will eventually forget whatthey have learned.

It is more difficult to confoundpeople who want to believe theunbelievable, but the Veil hasfound a way. Myths are the lastresort of the irrational, creating aharmless explanation for theUnseen. Vampires, werewolves,angels, demons, devils, and ghostsare all creations of mortal mindsunable to deal with the truth.

The Stalkers themselves mayeventually become part of mortalmythology. If their actions duringa Hunt are observed by enoughpeople (and the Circle is spared bythe Forbiddance), these actionscould be subsumed into thefolklore of the region making thecharacters legendary figures.

• THE MASK

Interacting with mortals forcescreatures of Essence to abandonthe camouflage of indifferenceand rely on the Mortal Mask todisguise their true nature.

When the Stalkers don the Maskthey should describe how theircharacters appear to mortal observ-ers. Technically, the Stalker haslittle or no control over the Maskthe Veil gives them, but no one hasbetter insight into a character thanthe player who created him.

When describing a Mask theplayers should try to reconcile the

Mortal onlookers who werenot expecting creatures of Essenceto appear will probably beSurprised, losing the intiative fora round or more.

The Veil cannot be restoreduntil the Stalkers have droppedout of sight for several minutes.In any case those who havewitnessed the Unveiling will bemore resistant to the Viel and it'seffects for several days.

• EVIDENCE OF THE UNSEEN

Direct observation is not theonly thing the Veil has to contendwith. There are many forms ofevidence that must be confusedand obscured. Fortunately Essencelacks physical substance so itcannot be recorded by mortalinstruments such as cameras,making it difficult to documentthe intrusion of the Unseen.

Creatures of Essence who havewrapped themselves in Vessels ofFlesh can be photographed, but thepicture will only show the meat sothey will not match eyewitnessaccounts. Film will only recordindistinct phantoms which resemblethe traditional ghost sighting.

Anyone who examines physicalevidence of the Unseen will still beconfounded by the Veil so thephotographer will have troubleconvincing anyone that the ghostlyimage is anything but a hoax or aflaw in the film. This is why therehas never been widely accepted"proof" of the supernatural.

Even those who believe willprobably misinterpret what theysee, mistaking the blurred blob fora ghost or an extra-terrestrial.

Stalkers Avatar and Environment.They will still look like mortals,but they will no longer blend in.

Think of it this way; the Mask candisguise the Vessel but cannotconceal its nature. It is impossible fora creature of Essence to appearmundane. There will always besomething unsettling about them.

A Stalker Hunting in the DarkAges might appear as a grimswordsman or a leper but wouldnever be a nondescript peasant.The Mask will incorporate as muchof the Vessel as possible. (The bestlies have some truth to them.)

If the characters do something tochallenge the illusion of normalcy,mortal observers will have a chanceto see through the Mask. Thishappens most often when they usetheir supernatural abilities in public.

Stalkers can avoid exposure bymaking a Mask Challenge. If this rollis failed, the Veil is pulled aside. Inthis instance the Veil is notsubjective. If the Mask fails, it failscompletely, and the character'sVessel is revealed for all to see.

• DROPPING THE VIEL

Stalkers may step through theVeil at will for as long as they like.Unveiling is an InsignificantAction that is not Strenuous anddoes not require a Challenge Roll.

When a Stalker chooses toReveal his Vessel, the player shoulddescribe his characters suddenappearance which is usuallyaccompanied by disturbances suchas a rattle of chains or a gust ofwind. In a movie this would be anelaborate special effects sequence.Try to give it the same attention.

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Reason eclipsed byhatred, Eldred chasedthe creature out of thewarehouse and into thestreet. Deaf to ourWhispered warnings,he abandoned the Veiland revealed his Vesselto the Prey. He musthave wanted the enemyto know what wascoming. We tried topull him back into theshadows, but it was toolate. The Forbiddancewas already upon him.Ignoring the Fever, hestumbled into the townsquare where a crowdhad gathered to hear theSenator speak.Judgement struckswiftly with iron clawsand fangs of jaggedglass. With a stifledshriek, he vanished likea bad dream in thelight of day. Eldredwas dead, but theDream was safe.

THE FORBIDDANCE

Everything we have ever beenor ever will be is created by thecontemplation of the Aesthetics.Those who live within the Dreamare defined by it and cannot affectthe outcome any more than adoomed character in a story mayappeal his fate to the author.

The Unseen is another matterentirely. Creatures of Essence whoenter the Realm of Flesh are able totamper with the Dreaming.Fortunately, the Dream is moredurable than the events of which itis composed. It is a living thing thatadapts to any attempts to changethe Vision of the Aesthetics.

Stalkers are empowered by thePrimal Powers to enforce theirwill in the Realm of Flesh, butthere are limits to their authority.These limitations are collectively

known as the Forbiddance. Whena Stalker oversteps his bounds,the Forbiddance will ensure thesafety of the Dream, punishing therenegade for his transgression.

The Forbiddance is one of themost potent tools available to thegamemaster. The implied threat ofPrimal Intercession will discouragethe indiscriminate abuse of super-natural abilities and will help himkeep boisterous players in line.

Every gamemaster will use theForbiddance differently. If you wantan "over the top" game with fewrestrictions, the Powers will turn ablind eye to all but the most flagrantoffense, but if you prefer a moresubtle approach, the Forbiddancewill be a constant concern. Findingthe right balance for your group willrequire some experimentation.

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• MANIFEST DESTINY

The Dreaming encompasses theentire Chronosphere. There is no"present" from the Aesthetic pointof view. Any attempt to alter thecourse of history or any action thatwill cause such a change to occuris strictly Forbidden.

Gamemasters should use thisaspect of the Forbiddance to shortcircuit any time travel problemsthat may arise during play.

Obviously any interaction withmortal society will alter history insmall ways, but the flexibility of theLiving Dream can reconcile anyminute changes that may occur. Onlyevents that affect large numbers ofpeople are protected.

• INNOCENT BLOOD

The Primal Powers will notallow their agents to interfere withthe lives of mortals who havenothing to do with the Enigma.

If the Gamemaster feels theplayer characters are becoming tooarbitrary about how they use theirpowers and who might be affected,the Forbiddance should be usedto reign them back in.

Gamemasters can also use thisaxiom to prevent the Stalkers fromdoing anything he finds morallyobjectionable. The WhisperingVault is a horror game but theplayer characters are not evil andthe players should be discouragedfrom having their characterscommit evil acts.

Once the Forbiddance has beenroused the extent of its reaction mustbe determined by the gamemaster.There are four distinct stages.

STAGE ONE : AVERSION

The mildest and most common manifestation of theForbiddance is a dull ache in the fingertips that quickly spreadsto the entire Vessel. Stalkers call this condition "the Fever" andfear its touch for it can lead to more serious intercession. Thesensation is uncomfortable, but it causes no damage and has noeffect on the character's abilities. At this level, the Forbiddanceserves as a warning from the gamemaster to the players that theyare about to try something they probably shouldn't.

STAGE TWO : TORMENT

If the Aversion is ignored or the transgression is so serious thatno warning is possible, the Forbiddance will manifest as an intenseburning sensation that causes the Stalker so much pain that theDifficulty of all Challenge rolls is increased by 2. The afflicted characteris temporarily out of favor with the Primal Powers so he may notuse any Karma points until the Torment subsides. If the offensewas relatively inconsequential and the Stalker is quick to ceaseand desist, the burning sensation will fade within 1-6 rounds, butin more serious situations, the pain can linger for hours.

STAGE THREE : BACKLASH

In extreme circumstances, the Stalker's actions are so dangerousthat they create a Backlash of energy that can injure or even killhim. Backlash will claim a point of Vitality every round until theStalker relents. The visible effect can vary but is usually a nimbusof green flame that slowly consumes the Vessel causing the Keysto glow white-hot. Gamemasters should invoke Backlash when itis obvious that a Tormented Stalker understands why he is beingpunished but continues to defy the Forbiddance.

STAGE FOUR : INTERCESSION

When there is no other way to protect the Dreaming from thefolly of a renegade Stalker the Powers will Intercede. Any actionthat would require Intercession is so serious that the characterknows what he is doing, and the player should expect a reactionbut he should still be given a chance to take it back. The first timea Stalker forces the Powers to Intercede, he will usually be spared.The Vessel will be destroyed in some suitably spectacular fashion,but the character's Avatar will be returned to his Domain. If thePowers have to intervene again, they will destroy the Stalker'sVessel and either consume the Avatar or cast it into the Vault. Ineither case, the Stalker is as good as dead, and the survivingmembers of his Circle are forbidden to speak his name.

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The Whispering Vault wasdesigned to be a “pick-up”game that can be learned

quickly and played to a satisfactoryconclusion in a single session, butsome players will want to continueplaying their Stalkers.

In a campaign environment,characters will gradually becomemore powerful and versatile asthey explore the inner mysteriesof the Unseen. There are twomechanisms for measuring thisgrowth: Karma and Experience.

Karma measures the favor of thePrimal Powers, and Experience is agauge of how much the Stalker haslearned during his travels. Karma isusually used to buy temporaryadvantages during game play;Experience is spent between gamesto buy permanent improvements.

An intriguing element of the cam-paign environment is customizing.During a one-shot, most playerswill stick to the material presentedin this book, but during a campaign,there is plenty of time to devisespecial advantages and limitationsfor your characters.

Campaign characters should trynot to think of their abilities as optionschosen from a shopping list but asunique gifts that can be definedhowever they like. Campaigns workbest if everybody contributessomething, so the gamemaster shouldencourage the players to be creative.

The gamemaster can maintainconsistency by requiring the players towrite down how their abilities function.Game balance can be maintainedby adding a limitation for everyadvantage added by the players.

We struggled together against the corruption thatthreatens the world of our birth. Talon, Dawnsteel,the Grey Man, Lovely Anna, and many others havefallen since we began our crusade. Each life wasreadily sacrificed to the cause, and each sacrifice is aproud memory that burns bright in the memory ofthose who remain. I have heard of a technique whichallows the Circle a collective incarnation wheremany become one, if only for an instant. To aStalker, this would be the greatest gift of all.

VII : CAMPAIGNING

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AWARDING KARMA

Karma is a measure of the Stalker’s favor with the PrimalPowers he serves. If the Hunt is successful, he will be rewarded,but if he interferes with the cosmic laws he is supposed toprotect, he will be punished. At the end of each Hunt, thegamemaster awards Karma based on the following criteria:

• MENDING THE ENIGMA

Mending the Enigma is worth 1 to 6 Karma depending onthe difficulty of the Hunt. If the Circle met with little or noresistance, the Hunt is only worth 1 point; if the opposition wasa good match for the Stalker,s it is worth 2 or 3 points; if it wasa real challenge, it is worth 4 or 5 point; and if the charactersfaced seemingly hopeless odds, the survivors earn 6 points.

• FIGHTING THE UNSEEN

Banishing or Destroying Minions is worth 1 to 3 Karmadepending on how many creatures were encountered during thecourse of the Hunt and how dangerous they were. As a generalrule, Minions that were neither numerous or particularly powerfulare only worth 1 point, Minions who were either numerous orpowerful are worth 2 points, and Minions who were bothnumerous and powerful are worth 3 points. If the Circle fails todeal with any of the Minions of the Unbidden, no points areawarded for those that were overcome.

• FOLLOWING THE RULES

Invoking the Forbiddance is a sign of dangerous incompetenceand is considered a betrayal of the office. If a Stalker survives theexperience, he receives no Karma for the entire adventure. Stalkerswho adhere closely to the forms of their office should receive anextra point or two, but those who play fast and loose with theritual dogma of the Primal Powers should receive a few pointsless than they had coming.

An average Hunt is worth 5 Karma, but a good Hunt that resultsin the capture of a dangerous foe could be worth twice as much.These points are normally spent during the course of the nextadventure, but it is a good idea to hang on to a few in case thecharacter gets into a tight spot somewhere down the road.

TRANSCENDING FLESH

It is theoretically possible forStalkers to rise above their mortalorigins and become true Aesthetics,contributing their voice to thechorus that shapes the world.

Ascension is accomplished oneKey at a time. The first Key costs 5Karma, the second costs 10, thethird costs 15, the fourth costs 20,and the fifth and final Key costs 25Karma (a total of 75 Karma).

As the spirit grows strong, thebody grows weak. For every Key theStalker removes, he gains a +1 Bonusto all Skills based on Awareness orInsight but loses a die from one ofhis Vessel’s Physical Attributes.

Characters who set their sightson ascension must struggle toovercome the lingering shadows ofmortality represented by theirKeys. It is important that thegamemaster make this struggle adifficult one. In most cases theStalker will come to realize that it ishis humanity that makes him whathe is and will abandon his quest.

It is possible to backslide andregain a Key that has been lost or toreclaim a Key intentionally. Whenthis happens the Karma that wasspent to “buy off ’ the Key ispermanently lost, and if the characterwants to rid himself of the Key, hemust pay the price all over again.

If a Stalker successfully ridshimself of all 5 Keys, he is no longerhuman and is no longer a playercharacter. The character has achievedhis goal, and his story is over.

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AWARDING EXPERIENCE

Experience awards are based on roleplaying. To determine the baseexperience award for a single session, the gamemaster rates each player’sperformance in three categories on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is Poor, 2 isFair, 3 is Average, 4 is Good, and 5 is Excellent. The categories are:

• PLAYING THE CHARACTER

Did the player stay faithful to his character? A Stalker’s Keys are a handyguide to his personality and should be used to judge the player’sperformance. Because this award should be based on consistency rather thanflamboyance, the gamemaster should assign an average award for a coupleof sessions until the character’s personality and mannerisms are established.

• PLAYING THE GENRE

Did the character act like a Stalker? Players whose portrayal of theircharacters reinforce the horror genre should be rewarded, but if the charactercould be mistaken for a mortal, he has missed the point, and his award shouldreflect his performance. The gamemaster should look for menace in thecharacter’s interaction with mortals and authority in the face of the Unseen.

• PLAYING ALONG

Did the player contribute to the success of the adventure? A roleplayinggame is a team effort. If everyone cooperates, the session will go smoothly,and everyone will have a good time, but if the gamemaster is forced to spendmost of his time keeping the players focused, the game play will get boggeddown, and the story will suffer. Players who are on the ball and encourageothers to participate should be rewarded, but those whose minds seem to beon something else should not profit from their indifference.

Most of the time a character will receive somewhere between 9 and 12Experience Points for an average Hunt, which will allow the character tomake minor improvements right away, but a significant change willprobably take several adventures.

• DISCRETIONARY AWARDS

Additional Experience Points can be awarded by the gamemaster forachievements that deserve special recognition such as devising a cleverplan, a particularly effective scene, or saving the day with the timely useof a Skill or Discipline. The gamemaster can make as many of these awardsas he feels appropriate, but the total Experience from DiscretionaryAwards should never exceed a character’s Base Award for that adventure.

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USING EXPERIENCE

Accumulated Experience is spent to improve the character’s abilities.Experience can only be spent while the Stalker is in the Realm of Essence,either before or after a Hunt but never during an adventure.

• Improving a Skill Bonus by a point costs twice as many points as the newvalue. (A character who wants to improve a bonus of +3 to +4 would have tospend 8 points.) A Skill Bonus may only be improved a point at a time andmust be used successfully at least once before it is improved again.

• Learning a New Discipline costs3 times as many points as thenumber of Disciplines the characteralready knows. (A character whoknows 5 Disciplines would have tospend 15 points to learn a new one.)

• Acquiring a New Servitor costs4 times as many points as thenumber of Servitors the characteralready has. (A character who has6 Servitors would have to spend 24points to acquire a new one.)

• Mastering a Discipline costs 15points. To Master a Disciplinelearned after the character wascreated, the Stalker needs to useit successfully during twoconsecutive hunts.

• Mastering a Servitor costs 10points. To Master a Servitoracquired after the character wascreated, the Stalker needs tosuccessfully summon it at leastthree times.

• Increasing Vitality by a point costs a number of points equal to thenew value. (A character who wants to improve his Vitality of 12 to 13would have to spend 13 points.) The maximum Vitality for a Stalker isthree times the character’s Willpower.

It is possible to improve the Avatar Attributes, but this is very difficultand should be very expensive. The exact cost is left to the gamemaster'sdiscretion, but it should be between 5 and 10 times the new value.

So far we have only dealt withpersonal power, but a Circle ismuch more than the sum of itsparts. Experienced Circles willeventually develop special abilitiesthat may be used by all of theStalkers in the Circle. These abilitiesare called Group Powers.

If you are playing a one-shotHunt and you want to give GroupPowers a try, let the players picktwo or three of the Powers from thefollowing section. Group Powersmake a Circle much stronger sothey can be a useful tool forkeeping beginning players alive.

If you are playing a Campaign,there are stringent requirementsthat must be met. First off, GroupPowers may only be purchasedafter the Circle has gone on at leastthree successful Hunts together.

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As a mortal, I had afamily but nothing likethe Circle. Yourrelatives are an accidentof Flesh, but Stalkersare bound by commonpurpose. Myrelationship with myfellow Stalkers is likefriendship, but ittranscends thelimitations of time andthe vagueries ofemotion. So powerful isthis kinship that thereare times when we areactually able to act asone. I have shared theblood of my Vessel withmy brothers and sisters,I have crawled insidetheir flesh to hide fromour enemies, and I haveseen your worldthrough their eyes.There was a time whenI was uncomfortablewith the intimate bond,but now I am lostwithout it.

GROUP POWERS

Second, the Circle may only buyone Power at a time and may onlydo so after a successful Hunt that hasearned the favor of the PrimalPowers. It is up to the GM to decideif a Hunt qualifies, but any Huntwhere most of the Stalkers earn morethan 7 Karma should do the trick.

Buying a new GroupPower costs each memberof the Circle 5 points ofKarma

These restrictions are intended tomake Group Powers hard to get. Thismakes them good benchmarks tomeasure the success of your Circle.

If the Stalkers do spectacularlywell on a Hunt, the Primal Powerscan reward them with a free GroupPower. This should be rare and aclear indication of their favor.

The vulnerability of the Vessel is aconstant concern to the Circle during the

Hunt. This Power strengthens the Circle by allowing the Stalkersto share their Vitality with one another. Using the Bond requiresphysical contact and a round for every point of Vitality the donorintends to transfer. Sharing Vitality is a Strenuous action so thedonor loses a point of Vitality in addition to the points that weretransferred. Unfortunately, the Blood Bond can be a double-edgedsword. If one of the Stalkers dies, the rest of the Circle loses apoint of Vitality and are stunned for a round. Stunned Stalkersmay defend themselves normally but may not intiate any actions.

BLOOD BOND

When Stalkers Evoke their Servitors,they call across the Rift. This Power

allows the Circle to exploit the fact that several voices can call moreloudly than one. If two or more Stalkers in a Circle with this Powerhave the same Servitor, they can all make an Evocation roll to call it.All of the normal rules and restrictions regarding Evocation applyand all of the Stalkers involved in the attempt must spend a SignificantAction to do it, but only one needs to spend Vitality. This Power isparticularly useful when one of the Stalkers participating in theEvocation has Mastery over the Servitor they are trying to call becausehe can use the best roll, and if he is successful, no Vitality is lost.

This Power allows the Circle tocombine their Rend attacks into a

single blast. The Stalkers who intend to combine their attacks mustall have the Rend Discipline and must be able to see one another(unless they are using the Shared Perception Power). To determinethe damage of the combined attack, add the Willpower Attributes ofthe participants. (The bonuses for Rend and Master level Rend donot add to this total.) The character with the highest Willpower makesthe Attack Challenge even if he is not the best choice for the job. Thecombined attack will emanate from his Vessel and may take anyform he likes so long as it is obviously powerful and supernatural.

CLOSED CIRCUIT

CALLING CIRCLE

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We locked hands andfell into a mutualtrance that closed offour physical senses toenhance our empathicabilities. I could feelthe presence of mycompanions andsurrendered to them,losing myself in thedesire of the Circle.I could feel my Vesselsoftening around meas our bodies weredrawn together bythe force of ourcombined will. Oncethe process wasunderway, I gaveinto temptation andopened my remainingeye. What I saw wasan unlikelyjuggernaut of Fleshthat resembled ajumble of mismatchedlimbs braided into avaguely humanoidshape. Grotesque buteffective...

This Power allows the Stalkers to fusetheir Vessels, creating a powerful

but irreversible physical gestalt. Achieving Unity requires physicalcontact for 1-6 rounds. The Attributes of the Fused Vessel aredetermined by the Attributes of the individual Vessels of which it iscomposed. Use the best Dexterity, combine the two best Fortitudescores, the three highest Strength scores and total the Vitality scoresof all of the Fused Vessels. If the Vitality of the fused Vessel isreduced to 0, it is destroyed, and the Circle is slain. Like the SharedVessel, only one chacter can be dominant at any given time andonly that character can initiate actions or use his Skill Bonuses.

FRIGHTFUL UNITY

In many ways the archetypical GroupPower, Helping Hand allows up to

four Stalkers to combine their efforts to complete any given task. Anymember of the Circle can give any other a +1 bonus to any Challengeby spending a Complex Action to support his effort. Up to three Stalkerscan assist a fourth, providing a maximum bonus of +3. The Stalkersusing this power must be able to see the character they are trying toassist (unless they are using the Shared Perception power). Thispower is often used for Banishing, Binding, Evocation, and MendingChallenges. It is particularly effective in combination with FrightfulUnity because it allows the Circle to help the dominant Stalker.

HELPING HAND

Karma represents the favor of the PrimalPowers. Normally, Stalkers earn favor as

individuals, but successful Circles can earn more favor as a group. Ingame terms, this gives the entire Circle a Karma Attribute that allof its members may use. They still earn Karma individually, butat the end of a Hunt, they may contribute as much of their individualKarma as they like to the Pool. If every member of the Circle whoparticipated in the Hunt contributes at least one point to the Pool,the Powers will award the Pool an additional point. Any member ofthe Circle may withdraw as much Karma from the Pool as they likeat any time so long as no one who contributed to the Pool objects.

KARMA POOL

Karma is one of the Stalker's mostvaluable resources. Unfortunately, it can

be rather scarce, particularly if the character is trying to save hispoints. This power allows the Circle to offer the mortal blood oftheir Vessels in exchange for the favor of the Primal Powers,trading Vitality for Karma. The first time the Circle offers tributeduring a given Hunt, a point of Karma costs 1 point of Vitality. Thesecond time, a point of Karma costs 2 Vitality, the third time, it costs3 and so on. Offering Tribute does not require an Action, so the powercan be used at any time. The Karma earned through the use of thispower cannot be saved; it must be used immediately, or it is lost.

VITAL TRIBUTE

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This power allows the Stalkersto share their experiences,

seeing simultaneously through the senses of every Stalker in theCircle who is also using the power. It is not necessary for everymember of the Circle to share their perceptions, but when thepower is called upon the players must specify which Stalkers aresharing and with whom. The experience of sharing is very distracting,giving the Stalkers a -2 penalty to all Challenge rolls. This penalty isreduced to -1 during any round a Stalker spends his InsignificantAction adjusting to the sensation. This power is often used as ascouting tool and can come in handy if the group has to split up.

This Power allows any Stalker in theCircle to abandon a damaged Vessel

by transferring his Avatar to the Vessel of one of his comrades.Transference requires physical contact, a point of Karma, and threeminutes of intense concentration. When it is over, the abandonedVessel will shrivel, turning to dust in 1-6 rounds. While two or moreStalkers share a single Vessel, they may initiate telepathiccommunication with one another whenever they like but onlyone may be dominant at any given time. It is the dominantStalker that controls the Vessel's actions; the others cannot evenwatch unless they also have the Shared Perception Power.

SHARED VESSEL

SHARED PERCEPTION

WHERE AND WHEN?The most important thing is finding an environment that is

comfortable for everyone. Try to avoid exotic settings that most ofyour players know nothing about. When you get a chance, take atrip to the local library and check out some reference books aboutyour selection. Truth is often more interesting than fiction.

WHO ARE YOUR ALLIES?Normally the Stalkers drift from Hunt to Hunt taking whatever

help presents itself. Watchers have the opportunity to establish asupport structure of non-player characters who are sympathetic totheir cause. Influential mortals can make the Stalker's job mucheasier. Not all of them will know what they are dealing with andmay turn on the Circle when they discover what they believe tobe the truth. There may also be some Awakened Shadows in thearea who can do the Stalkers the occasional favor.

WHO ARE YOUR ENEMIES?Many enemies will be of the one-shot "bad guy of the week" variety

but a few will escape or even defeat the Stalkers which means theywill be around for a rematch a couple episodes down the line. Not allof the Watchers' enemies have to be supernatural. They can becultists, misguided witch-hunters, the church, or even theauthorities. (Another "unfortunate accident?" Give me a break...)

WATCHERS

When they cross the Rift, theUnbidden can travel to any time orplace they choose, but there aresome places and some periods inhistory which seem to invite theintrusion of the Unseen.

Some of these "hot spots" posesuch a threat to the Dreaming thatthe Powers assign a Circle of Stalkersto return to the Realm of Flesh, livingamong Mortals as Watchers.

The relative stability of the WatcherCircle makes it an ideal campaignsetting. Instead of changing settingevery episode, the Watchers establishthemselves as a presence in a fixedarea and struggle for the well-beingof the people who live there.

Watchers can still go on Huntswhich span the Chronosphere, butthese adventures are the exceptionrather than the rule, and there isalways somewhere familiar to comehome to when the Hunt is over.

Setting up a Watcher Campaignrequires a little more work thanputting together a Circle. Like anycampaign environment, it worksbest if the Gamemaster has doneenough preparation to know what isgoing on no matter where the playersgo or what their characters try to do.

Try to get your players' inputbefore you start writing. Better yet,get everyone together and spend anevening setting up the campaign. Ifeveryone contributes a few ideasthey will have a vested interest in theenvironment which will make theentire campaign more engaging.

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CLOAKED

It is possible to wrap theVeil more closely around theSanctum, protecting it from thecasual scrutiny of the unworthy.

Mortals who locate theSanctum will forget they haveseen it, and those who ventureinside will forget the experienceas soon as they leave unlessthey are Driven to remember.

Memories confounded bythe Cloak will sometimes worktheir way into dreams, butthey are usually disregardedby the Unenlightened.

Hypnosis can be used tohelp recall faded memoriesbut the results are unreliable.

• DESIGNING THE SANCTUM

Stalkers who are chosen to serve as Watchers in the Realm of Fleshlive together in special lairs called Sanctums. It is up to the Circle to decidewhat the Sanctum is and what it looks like, but this will usually besuggested by the environment. This is another opportunity for the playersto work together to create something new, so the gamemaster shouldmilk it for all it is worth. Offer extra Karma for a map with a keydescribing all the special features such as trophy rooms and the like.

• ADDING ENHANCEMENTS

Sanctums are neither as comfortable or as well defended as theDomains. Some Circles spend a lot of time and effort trying to improvetheir Sanctum. These improvements are called Enhancements.

To purchase a new Enhancement, every member of the Circle has tospend Karma equal to the number of Enhancements the Sanctum alreadyhas, so the first Enhancement costs every member of the Circle 1 point,the second costs 2 points and so on. Karma is the only limit to the numberof Enhancements that may be placed on a single Sanctum.

Like everything else in the game, this list only offers some examplesto use as defaults. The gamemaster should encourage the players to comeup with unique Enhancements to give their Sanctum character.

CONSCIOUS

Most Sanctums eventuallydevelop self-awareness and anindependent personality calleda "Keeper" who can manifestas a ghostly apparition butmay never leave the grounds.

The Keeper is "born" withInitiative, Perceive, and ResolveAttributes of 12, but these willimprove as he matures.

Destroying the Sanctum isthe only way to kill a Keeper.

The Rend Discipline can bepurchased as an Enhancementunder the Keeper's controlallowing him to attack anyonewho violates the Sanctum.

(Attack 12, 6D Damage)

ELUSIVE

An Elusive Sanctum isimpossible for mortals to findunless they are Driven to doso, and even then, it willrequire days of searching.

To those confounded bythis Enhancement the Sanctumbecomes an architecturalchameleon, blending easilywith its surroundings.

If a mortal is shown the wayto the Sanctum three times heis no longer subject to theeffects of this Enhancement.

Shadows with a PerceiveAttribute of 12 or less are vulner-able to this Enhancement untilthey are Awakened or Bound.

INFESTED

These Sanctums becomeHives that generate manlikecreatures called Drones whoexist to tend to the mundanephysical needs of their Masters.

While there is no limit tohow many Drones the Sanctumcan produce, they can neverleave, and there will seldombe more than 2 for each of theStalkers who lives there.

Drones are as fragile as theyare mindless. They can carryout simple instructions but areincapable of independentthought. A single point of dam-age is enough to burst theirempty Husks, killing them.

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Despite its humbleappearance the OldeCuriosity Shoppe wasmore secure than anymortal structure.On several occasions,our enemies tried togain entry and eachtime they were forcedto abandon theattempt after hours offutile battering. Theyeven tried explosivesbut to no avail.Wood and glass mayappear fragile but forthose who can inspirethe dreams of theAesthetics, they are asstrong as steel.Only once did theUnbidden manage tostave in the door andcatch us unawares.Fortunately, theKeeper saw to it thatwe were not disturbed.We found thecreature's shatteredbody later that day...

INVASIVE

The Sanctum is connectedto the protected area by a seriesof portals which allow instan-taneous transportation.

When the Enhancement isfirst purchased, the players mustdecide where the portals are,where they lead, what they looklike, and how they are activated.

The Circle may construct anumber of portals equal to theWillpower Attribute of theStalker with the highest Insight.

The physical distance fromthe Sanctum to the terminus ofthe portal is unimportant solong as it is in the area underthe Watchers' protection.

LINKED

To return to the Realm ofEssence, most Circles mustsummon a Navigator. ThisEnhancement provides theonly known alternative.

Somewhere in the LinkedSanctum is a Gateway that canonly be opened by the Keysof Humanity. This Gate leadsdirectly to the Crossroads.

Stalkers with access to aLinked Gateway need notbother with the Barrier or theGuardian, greatly facilitatingtravel between the Realms.

Be warned: if the enemyfinds out the Circle has a Gatehe will be looking for a Key.

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PERSISTENT

The presence of the Stalkerswill eventually infuse the Sanc-tum with sufficient Essence toconfer architectural immortality.

A Persistent Sanctum canbe damaged, but it will alwaysrecover, regenerating thewounds like a living creature.

Reconstruction is automaticand seldom takes more thanthree days. The powers of theUnbidden cause damage whichis harder to repair. These woundscan take years to overcome.

A useful side effect of thisEnhancement is immunity tothe ravages of time. (The affectedstructure will never deteriorate.)

VENOMOUS

The Sanctum is hearth andhome to the Circle but can bedownright hostile to outsiders.

Any creature of Essencewho tries to enter a VenomousSanctum without the consentof the Circle will be afflictedwith a blinding pain so intensethat it reduces the creature'sInitiative, Defend, Perceive,Resolve, and Attack Attributesby 2 points each.

If the intruder stays for morethan two rounds the pain willbecome deadly. Starting thethird round, the creature loses1 point of Vitality a round untilthey leave the premises.

TRANSITORY

This Enhancement allowsthe Circle to move their Sanctumto a new building as often asonce a week so long as a suit-able structure can be found.

Moving the Sanctum costsevery member of the Circle 1Karma for every Enhance-ment on the Sanctum when itis moved (including this one).

If an Enhancement is notpaid for by all the membersof the Circle, it is lost forever.

When a Sanctum is movednone of its Enhancements willwork until sunrise of the nextday, and new Enhancementscannot be added for 6 months.

TRANSCENDENT

Simply put, TranscendentSanctums are bigger on theinside than they are on theoutside. There is no set limiton how much extra room isavailable to the Circle, butthere should be more thanenough space for their needs.

The only restriction onlayout and design is that thearchitecture of the additionalinterior be consistant withthat of the actual structure.

For instance, a Victorianmansion can have stables orextra bedrooms, but the Stalkerscannot logically add a computerroom or a bowling alley.

NURTURING

Critical for a Circle thatintends to remain in the Realmof Flesh for an extended periodof time, this Enhancement allowsthe Stalkers to regenerate.

For every hour spent in theheart of the Sanctum, theStalker's Vessel will recover apoint of Vitality. Damage to theother Attributes can be healedat the rate of one point a daybut only when the Stalker hasrecovered all of his Vitality.

Mortals may also be healed,but the process makes themimmune to the Sanctum's otherEnhancements so most Stalkersare hesitant to use this power.

LABYRINTHINE

The architecture of theSanctum will confound thesenses of Mortal intruders,causing them to become hope-lessly lost in its twisted bowels.

Mortals who become lost inthe Labyrinth may only findtheir way out if they are Drivento do so and even then it willtake them several hours.

The Circle must decidewhere the Labyrinth is, what itlooks like, and how it may beovercome. It is best if the meansto overcome the Labyrinth issomething easy to remember sothe Circle can provide their allieswith a key if they so choose.

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In the beginning, the Realm ofFlesh lacks form or substance. Outof the featureless void come

immortal beings called the PrimalPowers, who are the sole survivorsof the apocolypse that ended the lastCycle. It is the Primal Powers whoeventually rebuild the Flesh throughintermediaries called Aesthetics.

Aesthetics have the ability to moldthe Realm of Flesh with their thoughtsallowing them to shape reality byentering a dreamlike trance. Thecollective contemplation of countlesshosts of these creatures created ourworld and everything in it.

Unfortunately, this power is notwithout its price. Some Aestheticsdevelop an unnatural lust for the worldthey helped create and abandon theirsacred duty to indulge their passions.These renegades are the Unbidden.

• LIFE CYCLE

The Unbidden experience apeculiar life cycle during theirintrusion into the Realm of Flesh.This gradual evolution providesthe Stalkers with valuable insightsinto the motivations of the enemy.

The BeastWhen he first arrives, the renegadeis overwhelmed by hunger andmust hunt to survive.

The StrangerWhen his hunger is sated, therenegade is free to indulge thePassions that brought him to theRealm of Flesh in the first place.

The ArchitectWhen he learns to look beyondhis Passions, the renegade beginsto develop long-term ambitions.

Despite a challenging hunt, we finally tracked theprey to its lair. Sensing our approach, it knewjudgement was at hand and tried to flee. Thetechniques I had learned from the Powers were stilluntried, but the Essence came easily, flowing alongmy arm like an electrical charge. At my unspokencommand, a chain burst from my palm and struckthe renegade in the back, lodging deep between thethird and fourth vertebrae. A twist, a shriek, andanother lost soul was made ready for the Vault...

VIII : THE UNBIDDEN

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Each of these three stages isdescribed in further detail in thefollowing section. At each stage,the Unbidden will present adifferent kind of challenge.

The Attribute block for each stageincludes values separated by aslash. The numbers to the left of theslash are the attributes that shouldbe used when the creature isencountered in its Vessel; thenumbers after the slash are usedwhen the Vessel is destroyed, and theAvatar within is forced to manifest.

Below the Attribute block are twoboxes which contain the creature'scombat abilities. The top box lists theVessels Attack Skill and Strength.The bottom box lists the Avatar'sAttack Skill and Base Damage.

When introducing the Unbidden,decide which stage it has reached anduse the listed Attributes as a startingpoint, modifying them as you see fit.For example, add a couple of pointsof Fortitude to create a toughopponent or a few points of Resolveto make him hard to Banish.

You may also want to give theAvatar multiple attacks. As aguideline lower the creature'sAttack Skill by 2 points and BaseDamage by 1 Die for 2 attacks, lowerthe Attack by 4 points and Damageby 2 Dice for 3 attacks and so on.

It is important that the gamemasterrecognize this material is only ablueprint that he should use as aframework for his own creations.The Unbidden are more than stockmonsters, they are individuals whocan be fascinating opponents if theyare given the attention they deserve.

AVERSIONSFor some reason, the Unbidden are attracted to most things

of Flesh but are repulsed by others. The Enlightened call theseirrational fears Aversions. Some Stalkers believe that Aversionhas something to do with the post once held by the renegadeAesthetic. It may simply be that they are as flawed as mortals,but their flaws are inexplicable to us.

Aversion can take any form or intensity ranging fromdisomfort to paralyzing fear. Many renegads have an Aversionfor the Keys of Humanity that causes them to recoil if the Stalkerspresent their symbol of office. Strangely, some of the mostdangerous renegades have an Aversion to blood which forcesthem to satisfy their murderous desires with sterile precision.

FETISHES (LESSER PASSIONS)The Unbidden are driven by their passions. Most powerful of

these is their desire for Flesh itself, but they are also drawn to moreesoteric things. The Enlightened call these "lesser passions" Fetishes.The prey will always have at least one Fetish, and by the time theyreach the Architect stage, they will have acquired two or more. Thefirst, however, will be the most compelling.

When assigning Fetishes, gamemasters can draw on theSeven Deadly Sins for inspiration. Gluttony is a common foible.Other Fetishes drive the creatures to collect or hoard certainthings such as money, clocks, or even garbage. Many Beasts saveparts of their victims as grisly trophies, decorating their lairswith bone mosaics, stacks of skulls, or curtains of dried flesh.

IDIOSYNCRACIES (THE FLAWED MASK)No matter how long the Unbidden spend in the Realm of

Flesh, they never fully adapt to our way of life. Even the oldestArchitects will evidence the peculiar mannerisms that theEnlightened call Idiosyncracies. This strange behavior makes itdifficult for the renegades to blend in with mortal society andwill often lead the Stalkers to their prey.

Idiosyncracies often involve communication. Most of theseare minor such as a lisp or the tendancy to mispronounce certainwords or letters, but some are more profound such as speaking inrhyme or refusing to speak at all. Other Idiosyncracies arebehavioral. For example, all Beasts and most Strangers eat likeanimals, tearing at raw flesh with fingers and teeth.

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THE BEAST

From the shed came a noisemost unwholesome and aflash of light that witheredour remaining resolve.Abandoning mortal guise,we forced our way into theslaughterhouse and wereconfronted by a creaturemore Beast than man...

This stage begins the momentthe Aesthetic crosses the Rift andis defined by an overwhelminghunger that drives the creature tofeed on the life force of mortalvictims. Transition to the next stageis achieved when the creature learnsto sate his hunger by drawing onambient Essence which usuallytakes three to ten days but seldommore than a month.

• THE VESSEL

Newborn to the Flesh, the Beasthas not the skill to create a Vesselor to choose its Host, so it mustseize upon the first suitable victimit encounters. The creature has littletime to make its selection but willusually be able to find an adultsubject who is in good health.

At this stage, the process ofinhabiting a human subject is aterminal violation that kills thevictim and destroys his soul.

The Flesh is weak, but theenergies of the Unbidden lend theHost body inhuman strength thatis an adequate weapon againstmortal prey on which it feeds.

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• WITHERING

Mortal Flesh cannot bear theintrusion of Immortal Essence forlong. The Beast burns bright, andits presence will gradually destroythe Host, causing the permanentloss of a point of Vitality every 1-6days. This process is called theWithering and is unavoidable.

At first Withering resembles anillness that lends the Host adeathly pallor and a peculiar castto the eyes. This telltale conditionis sometimes called "the AshenMask" and is known to all Stalkersand a few Enlightened Mortals.

As the otherworldy energies ofthe Unbidden consume the Host,this condition will progress to anadvanced stage that resemblesleprosy. When the Host loses halfof its original Vitality, flesh will peeland extremities will wither and die.

If Withering destroys the Host,the renegade will be forced tomanifest its Avatar, triggering abrutal rampage that can end withits death. The rampaging Beastsuffers the permanent loss of apoint of Vitality every 1-6 hoursuntil it literally starves to death.

• VAMPIRIC TOUCH

The Beast can draw the Essencefrom the Flesh of mortal man. Untilit learns more subtle methods, thisis the only way the creature can feed.

Physical contact with a mortalvictim drains 1 point of Vitality every3 rounds until the Beast is sated orthe victim is killed. Any contact willdo but most prefer to bite or kiss theirvictims. If contact is broken, thefeeding is interrupted.

Human victims recover Vitalitylost to this attack at the rate of onepoint for every three full days ofuninterrupted bedrest. No trick ofmedical science can speed theirrecuperation, but the morale of thepatient will have a profound effect.Those who are Driven will recovertwice as fast, but those who havelost hope may never recover.

Those who experience thetouch of the Beast and survive thecreature's hunger are often af-flicted with sympathetic clairvoy-ance. When they dream, they willdream of the Beast. They can onlybe freed by the creature's death,but their visions can help theStalkers track their prey.

• ALLIES

Deranged by the sudden dis-sipation of Essence, the Aestheticis reduced to a cunning predatorwho prefers to hunt alone.

Toward the end of this stage, thehunger recedes, and the creaturemay decide to enlist others to help itgather food, but this is rare.

• PERSONALITY

The Beast is a desperate, savagecreature. Unable to think clearly orcommunicate effectively, it is forcedto rely on instinct alone. During thisstage, the Unbidden only has onegoal – to feed. Whatever passionsdrew it to the Flesh are surrenderedto its unrelenting hunger.

It is Essence that feeds the Beast,but hunger deranges the sensesand confounds reason, causingsome to believe that it is the bloodof the victim that satisfies. Thisgruesome behavior is responsiblefor the various misconceptionsabout vampirism that have en-dured through the ages.

After an initial feeding frenzy, thecreature will be able to regain someof its faculties, but this respite istemporary. When the hunger comesagain its reason slips away.

If the Host was particularlystrong willed, the Beast will retainsome of the memories of its victim.During these fleeting periods oflucidity, the personality of thedeceased will influence the actionsof his murderer. Confused by thesepersistent memories, the renegademay even forget who and what it is.

• AVATAR

The Avatar of the Beast willpersonify its hunger, resemblingsome sort of animal or monster. Thegamemaster should try to come upwith something truly shocking.

THE BEAST

Fortitude 3 / 8Vitality 7 / 24

Initiative 10 / 16Defend 11 / 15

Perceive 12 / 18Resolve 15 / 23

Attack 11Strength 4

Attack 17Damage 7

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THE STRANGER

The desiccated remains of themayor's body lie sprawledacross the bathroom tile in abloody heap, discarded by theStranger in favor of a formless familiar to us. It was onthe move again and all wehad to go on was the deskcalendar of the last victim.

When the hunger of the Beast issated, the renegade regains its sensesbut is still unfamiliar with the worldit has chosen. At this stage, thecreature retains the ability to drawEssence from Flesh and gains theability to transfer its Avatar to anew Vessel whenever it likes.

Transition to the next stage isachieved when the creature learnsto interact with the new worldwith the perspective of an insider.Because of the uniquely alienoutlook of the Aesthetics this cantake decades. Many renegadesnever transcend to this stage.

• THE VESSEL

Taming the hunger of the Beastslows the deterioration of the Vessel.The Withering will still consume theflesh, but the Vessel only loses 1point of Vitality every 1-6 weeks.

This process will force theStranger to take a new Vessel fromtime to time, but he will have theluxury of chosing when and wherehe will do it and whose body hewill take, a distinct improvementover the plight of the Beast.

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• TRANSFERENCE

When he conquers the Beast,the renegade Aesthetic gains theability to transfer his Avatar to anew Vessel at will, extending hislifespan indefinitely.

Transference requires extendedphysical contact during which thevictim's Essence is consumed andreplaced by the otherworldyconsciousness of the Unbidden.This process takes 30 minutes ofuninterrupted concentration.

Breaking the contact betweenthe Stranger and his victim beforethe transfer is complete is usuallydisasterous for both parties. Inmost cases the Unbidden reverts tothe Beast stage, and if its victimsurvives he loses his mind.

Once the transfer is completethe victim's spirit is destroyed,and the renegade steals his mortalshell. The abandoned Vessel willbegin to decompose immediately,rotting away ten times faster thana mundane corpse.

• PUSHING

The Stranger can use the powerinherent in his Essence to exceedthe limitations of the Vessel. If hespends a point of Vitality he mayuse his Avatar's Initiative, Defendand Attack values for one round.In addition, the Vessel's Strengthwill be raised to 4 for that round.

When the need is great, theStranger can drive himself evenharder. If he spends a secondpoint of Vitality, the Vessel'sStrength will be increased to 5,and he will be able to make 2unarmed attacks that round.

• ALLIES

The Stranger is unlikely to enlistmortal allies until it becomes com-fortable with its new environment,but it gains the ability to BindShadows to its service as Minions.

Before he can create a Minion,the Stranger must locate a suitableShadow which can be a tricky andtime consuming business.

Binding a Shadow is supprisinglysimple; all it requires is an act of willand three points of Vitality. One ofthe only limitations is that a Strangermay not Bind a Shadow that has ahigher Resolve than it does.

At this stage, there are limits tohow many Minions the Unbiddencan maintain at any given time. Forevery Minion under the Stranger'scontrol, lower the Vitality orResolve of both the Host and theAvatar by 1 point. The lost point isregained 1-6 hours after the Minionis banished, destroyed, or released.

THE STRANGER

Fortitude 4 / 7Vitality 11 / 21

Initiative 12 / 14Defend 13 / 15

Perceive 15 / 16Resolve 18 / 20

Attack 13Strength 3

Attack 15Damage 6

• PERSONALITY

Having conquered the savagemadness of the Beast, the Stranger isfree to pursue the Passions that drewhim to the Flesh in the first place. Inmost cases, these passions areabhorrent to mortal society whichforces the renegade to act in secret.

It is up to the gamemaster todefine the Passions of the Unbidden.This concept has been left rathervague to allow each group to adaptit to suit their tastes. Obviously, anoverwhelming desire for the Fleshcan involve mature themes andimagery that aren't for everbody.

Remember that the Unbiddenare inhuman creatures who haveno empathy for our values. If theenemy is allowed to become toohuman, he will become sympathetic,and the duty of the Stalkers willbecome morally questionable.

Passions often involve violence,but bloodshed is seldom the focus.Having the Unbidden eat humanFlesh is gory but uninspired. Havingthe creature vivesect its victims andreassemble them in strange newshapes is more in keeping with thespirit of the setting. Be creative – yourplayers will thank you for it.

• AVATAR

The Stranger has abandonedthe simple savagry of the Beastand has yet to assume the mortalpoint of reference, so his Avatar istruly bizarre. Gamemasters shouldstruggle for an otherworldly feel bymingling living and unlivingelements and incorporating sights,sounds, and smells that have littleto do with conventional biology.

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THE ARCHITECT

He waited for us like amechanical spider in the webof glass and steel that hadbeen its lair for more than sixhundred years. The renegadeknew we would come forhim one day and was readyfor us, but nothing couldsave him from the Vault.

The final stage in the evolutionof the Unbidden is the transitionfrom Stranger to Architect, whichinvolves a shift in emphasis fromsingle minded devotion to irrationaldesires to long-term goals.

The Stranger still considers itselfa creature of Essence, but theArchitect has embraced the Realmof Flesh as its home. It can takedecades for the creature to obtainthe insight necessary to completeits journey from Essence to Flesh.

• THE VESSEL

The Architect draws all thenourishment it needs from theAmbient Essence of the Realm ofFlesh. This process fortifies theVessel, halting the effects of theWithering and arresting the agingprocess. At this stage, the renegadeis effectively immortal.

Having accepted the limitationsinherent in physical existence theArchitect can only move to a newVessel if its current one is destroyed,but it can recover 3 points of Vitalityfor every ten minutes spent inrecuperative meditation.

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will exploit it as best they can. Forexample, their Lairs are oftenconstructed at the heart of theCorruption to take advantage of anyTemporal Isolation that may exist.

Some Architects forge a Life Linkwhich reinforces the bond betweenthe Unbidden and the Enigmaallowing the renegade to channelits power. Life Links are describedin detail later in this chapter.

• ALLIES

Over the years, the Architect willdevelop an impressive network ofallies, which will include manyMinions and human thralls.

By this time, the renegade is ableto Bind Minions without any of thepenalties suffered as a Stranger. Hecan Bind as many Minions as helikes and may Bind any Shadow nomatter what its Resolve.

Architects are very long livedand often have a lot of history

THE ARCHITECT

Fortitude 5 / 6Vitality 15 / 18

Initiative 15 / 12Defend 15 / 15

Perceive 18 / 14Resolve 20 / 18

Attack 15Strength 4

Attack 13Damage 5

• THE LAIR

By this time, the creature hasregained the Aesthetic's powerover time and space allowing himto create a Domain of sorts bytwisting the substance of theDream into any shape he requires.

An Architect's Lair will alwaysreflect the creature's personality.These are strange places devisedto appease inhuman tastes. Thegamemaster should make eachLair as bizarre as possible.

Initially, the Lair will be fairly small,such as an attic room or a woodlandclearing, but over the years, it will growlike the Corruption to encompassmuch larger areas.

Dealing with an Architect in itslair is as difficult as it is dangerous.The gamemaster should deviseunique powers the Architect canuse when it is in its Sanctum.

For example, many Architectscan manipulate the physical formof the Lair, changing its shapethrough sheer force of will. Otherscan Translocate from any room inthe Lair to any other making itdifficult to confront them.

Any of the powers normallygranted by Servitors would beappropriate, but the Architectwould be able to perform them atwill without their assistance solong as he remained in his Lair.

• THE ENIGMA

The Unbidden have a primalconnection to the Enigma created bytheir blasphemy but they are usuallyunaware of the bond until the finalstage of their development. Oncethey realize what the Enigma is, they

behind them, which makes theminto legendary figures. It is notunusual for cults to evolve fromthese legends either with theUnbidden as leaders or the focusof various forms of worship.

• PERSONALITY

At the final stage of its develop-ment, the renegade has achievedwhat it set out to do when it aban-doned its post. This success tendsto make the Architect complaisantand overconfident.

Few Architects are content tosimply retire. Most have grandambitions that involve restructuringthe Dream according to theirVision. Immortality allows them tomove more slowly than mortals,devising schemes that can takecenturies to unfold.

• AVATAR

Despite their considerablepower, Architects have more to losethan ever before so they tend todevelop an instinct for self-preservation that borders oncowardice. When they are forced toreveal their Avatar, they will oftenflee the fight, looking for a newVessel as soon as they are able.

Though they could assumevirtually any form, the Avatar ofmost Architects has a basicallyhumanoid appearance which reflectstheir acceptance of the Flesh.

Many Architects have spentcenturies in human form and areunused to the otherworldly powerof the Avatar. For this reason, theAvatar of the Architect is weakerthan at any other stage but is stillmore powerful than its Vessel.

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SPECIAL ABILITIES

As Aesthetics, the Unbidden werean intregal part of the mechanismof creation, a role that providesthem with unparalleled insight intothe inner workings of the Dream.With practice, this insight can beused to manipulate the Flesh,warping reality to suit their needs.

In time, the Unbidden willacquire supernatural abilitiessimilar to the Stalkers' Disciplines.It is up to the gamemaster to decidehow many special abilities thecreature has had time to learn, butthere are a few guidelines he canuse to help him decide.

The Beast has not had time foranything but his hunger so heusually has none. Toward theend of the stage he may acquire1, possibly 2, but this is rare.

The Stranger will usually have atleast 1 special ability and willprobably have 2 or 3. Towardthe end of this stage, it can haveas many as 4.

The Architect spends most of itstime and effort gathering power,so it will have at least 3 specialabilities and will eventuallyhave 6 or more.

The six abilities that follow are themost common, but this is by nomeans a complete list. The GMshould create at least 1 unique abilityfor every Unbidden he introduces.Unlike the new abilities for theStalkers, the gamemaster is under noobligation to make new powerdescriptions available to the players.

PARASITE

This technique allows theUnbidden to heal itself bydevouring the life force of itsMinions. Normally, this abilityrequires physical contact forone round at the end of whichthe Master will regain 2points of Vitality for every 5points taken from the Minion.This ability can be used at arange, but it is less efficient.The Master must be able tosee the Minion he intends tofeed on and will regain 1point for every 3 pointstaken. If this ability kills theMinion, its Master recoversan additional point of Vitality.

CHAMELEON

This ability allows the preyto hide in plain sight byclouding the perceptions ofthose who see its Vessel.Only Sensitive characterswith a Perceive Attribute of15 or better have a chance tospot the concealed renegade.Stalkers are also affected bythis ability. They can only seethrough the illusion if theymake a Difficult SensitivityChallenge. Once a mortalcharacter has overcome thisability, it will not work onhim until he has slept.Stalkers will be immune forthe rest of the Hunt.

HEALER

The Minions of the Unbiddenare often the creature's bestdefense so they must be care-fully maintained. This abilityallows the Master to heal thedamaged Vessels of his Min-ions by infusing them with hisEssence. Healing normallyrequires physical contact forone round at the end of whichthe Minion regains 5 pointsof Vitality for every 2 pointsthe Master spends. Healingperformed at a range is lessefficient. The Minion mustbe within line of sight and willonly regain 2 points for everypoint the Master spends.

PUPPETMASTER

This ability allows the Unbiddento project his consciousnessinto the Vessel of one of hisMinions by entering a medi-tative trance. This trance takes1-6 rounds to initiate and canlast up to 3 hours. While thisability is in effect, the Unbiddencan see everything the Minionsees and controls the Minion'sactions as if they were his own.The Unbidden loses a point ofVitality every time the Minionserving as host is wounded. Ifthe Minion is killed while underits Master's control, the Un-bidden loses 1-6 points ofVitality from the shock.

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SHAPESHIFTER

Renegades with this abilitycan mold the substance oftheir Vessel. Minor changessuch as face shifting or genderchange cost a point of Vitalityand last up to a day. Majorchanges such as assuminganimal form cost 2 points ofVitality and last up to an hour.Massive changes such asturning into an inanimateobject or a cloud of vapor onlylast a minute for every pointof Vitality he spends. It is upto the gamemaster how muchhe will allow Shapeshifters toget away with but should tryto create horrific effects.

SUMMONER

Once the Unbidden learns thisability, he may teleport one ofhis Minions to his side everyround. Distance is not a factor,but the renegade must be ableto see the creature or knowexactly where it is. Summon-ing requires a SignificantAction and a point of Vitalityfor each Minion called. Forcedtranslocation will damage theMinion's Vessel, causing theloss of 1-6 points of Vitality. Inaddition, summoned Minionswill be disoriented for 1-6rounds during which theymay defend themselves butmay not initiate any actions.

WEAVER

The Minions of the Unbiddencan be very useful tools, butthe Forbiddance places rathersevere limits on what they cando. This ability allows the Un-bidden to weave shells of fleshover its Minions that willmake them look sufficientlymundane to invoke the protec-tion of the Veil. These shells arecalled Husks and are usuallyhuman but can take just aboutany form. Insignificance willallow the Minions to movefreely among mortals, and theMask will allow them to inter-act without attracting toomuch attention.

LIFE LINKWhen an Aesthetic abandons

his post, his absence creates a flawin the Dream, which manifests asan Enigma. The Unbidden has abond to the Enigma he created thatgrows stronger with time.

The Beast has no awareness ofthe Enigma. The Unbidden willusually be "born" near the Enigmait created but will have no ideawhat it is or what it represents so itwill wander away.

The Stranger begins to feeldrawn to the Enigma but has noconscious understanding of whatit is. He will gravitate towards thearea where the Enigma is locatedbut will have no idea why.

The Architect will eventuallysense his connection to the Enigmaand will figure out what it is. Thisinsight is one of the things thatmakes the Unbidden more danger-ous at this stage than any other.

First off, the Architect will beable to exploit the protection theCorruption provides those normallysubject to the Forbiddance. Knowinghe will be safe if he can attainTemporal Isolation, he will work torip the Enigma as wide as possible.

Worse yet the Unbidden can cre-ate a Life Link with the Enigma bytouching it. If a Life Link exists, theUnbidden must be Bound beforethe Enigma can be Mended.

Once Linked, the Unbidden candraw on the power of the Enigma,which gives them several advantages.Architects with a Life Link to theirEnigma are the most powerful crea-tures in the game and should only betackled by experienced Circles.

• UNLIMITED MINIONS

Once bolstered by the power ofthe Life Link, the Unbidden mayBind as many Minions as helikes. Not only that, if he stayswithin a hundred yards of theEnigma, the Link can be used asa barrier that will prevent slainMinions from Reawakening toexact vengeance on him if hespends 1-6 points of Vitality perMinion turned back.

• CUSTOM ANOMOLIES

Normally, the Enigma rips atreality, twisting it at random.The Life Link allows theUnbidden to harness thisphenomenon, creating customAnomolies that suit his needs.This gives him the ability toalter reality by making subtlechanges in various physicallaws but is limited to the areaprotected by Temporal Isolation.

• IMPROVED VITALITY

The Life Link will increase theVitality of the Unbidden by 2points for a weak Enigma, 4points for an average Enigma,and 6 or more points for aparticularly powerful Enigma.They gain half as many pointsif they are more than a milefrom the Enigma but twice asmany points if they stay withina hundred yards.

• REGENERATION

The Link allows the Unbiddento recover 1 point of Vitality every10 minutes. If the renegade stayswithin a hundred yards of theEnigma, it can regenerate 1 pointa round. If he is in physical contactwith the Focus Manifestation,he may recover D6 points ofVitality, but if a 6 is rolled, thereis a feedback, and the Unbiddenloses 2D6 Vitality instead.

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100

Look for thetruth wherethe darkthings dwell.Look in thecloset.Look underthe bed.Nothing willhurt you.There isnothing todread.Only the lightthat comesfrom within.You are alonein the dark.

Alone withyour sins.

Shadows are creatures whoare not part of the intendedVision of the Aesthetics.

Part Essence and part Flesh theyexist in neither Realm but can beencountered in both. Only thePowers know for certain wherethe Shadows came from.

The Stalkers know the Realmof Flesh was created by thecontemplation of the Aestheticsand they believe the Shadows areunitentional manifestations oftheir individual desires. Accordingto this theory the world of men isthe Dream and Shadows areDaydreams and Nightmares.

To mortal man Shadows are thestuff of legend. Angels, Demons,Ghosts and Vampires all areattempts to explain the existance ofthese supernatural creatures.

Wading through the slime under an unfriendly skytormented by the staccatto glimmer of tracers wehad little choice but to trust our strange new guide.Despite her mundane appearance the Vietnamesegirl was not what she pretended to be. Brushing upagainst her I noticed that her limbs had been sewn toher torso with barbed wire and something dark andwet glistened beneath. As we trudged after her shemused aloud, singing an odd little song thatsounded like a lullaby gone horribly wrong...

IX : SHADOWS

Shadows live in the featurelessNeitherspace of the Rift between theRealms and are drawn to any signsof life. These creatures flock to anyShadowlands they encounter butmost can only watch the Realm ofFlesh, lurking invisibly at the fringesof the mortal world.

Unaffected by the vise of time thatslowly crushes things of the FleshShadows are effectively immortal.Regrettably most Shadows havepoor long term memory so theywill not learn much despitecenturies of observation.

Since all Shadows are Sensitive theycan interact with one another, and mostwill recognize the authority of theStalkers. Most Shadows encounteredduring the course of a Hunt will becompletely neutral but a few willturn out to be useful allies.

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Creatures who spend theirentire lives watching would seemto be ideal informants, but Shadowscan be unreliable witnesses. Theirotherworldly origins will tainttheir perceptions giving them analien point of view that makescommunication difficult.

It frustrates most Shadows thatthey can peer into the Realm ofFlesh but they cannot interact withit. They tend to think of the Realmof Flesh as a world of wondersthat have been denied them.

This frustration usually inspiresa resentment of the Aesthetics andtheir Vision and will sometimes beextended to include the Stalkers,who they see as enforcers of thelaws that made them outcasts.

• AWAKENING

If a Shadow is given the propermotivation it can force its way intothe Realm of Flesh. This process iscalled the Awakening, and thoseShadows who have achievedphysical expression are called theAwakened.

Different Shadows are Awak-ened by different stimuli and willhave no idea what Awakening is orhow to achieve it. When it happensit is almost always an accident.

Mortal magicians have learnedsome of these triggers and canAwaken certain breeds of Shadow;a dangerous endeavor to be sure.

Awakened Shadows can bealmost as dangerous as theUnbidden; in some ways they areworse. Since they were unforseenthey are not subject to the Lawswhich empower the Stalkers,therefore they have few limitations.

Unable to reach back across theRift for allies the Unbidden areforced to use Shadows. When theUnbidden Awaken and BindShadows they create the mostpowerful servants available tothem in the Realm of Flesh. Thesecreatures are called Minions.

Minions are another form ofAwakened Shadow. The onlydifference is the nature of theirAwakening. Normally, Shadowsare Awakened by a desire forsomething of the Flesh (somethingthey share with the Unbidden).Minions are Awakened by the willof their Unbidden master.

Minions no longer have desiresof their own because Binding requiresthe subjugation of the Shadow's will.In a very real sense they exist to servetheir master. When dealing withMinions loyalty is never an issue.

The only way to free a Minionis to destroy its Awakened form.This will force it back to Rift whereit will revert to its original state.When freed some Minions will beso enraged by their ordeal that theirdesire for revenge will Awakenthem, turning them against theirformer Master.

• HUSKS

Minions have monstrous formsthat limit their usefulness to theirUnbidden masters. The Unbiddencan disguise their servants by en-casing them in a shell of flesh thatwill cloak them in the Veil.

If a Minion wrapped in a Husktakes damage the Husk will burstand their true form will berevealed. This is usually aspectacular transformation thatwill terrify mortal onlookers.

BOUND SHADOWS: MINIONS OF THE UNBIDDEN

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The basic game includes a fewof the more common Shadowsexploited by the Unbidden duringtheir time in the Realm of Flesh, butthere are countless possibilities.

After a few sessions enterpris-ing gamemasters will probablywant to design a few Minions oftheir own to spring on the players.

In general, the best advice is tolook at what we did with theShadows in the following sectionand try them out against yourplayers. When you figure out whatmakes a Shadow tough and why,you will be ready to create your own.

• ASSIGNING ATTRIBUTES

Initiative, Defend, Percieve andResolve are easy to figure out.These Attributes provide theDifficulty for any action the Stalkerstake against them so assign themvalues based on the Difficuty table.

For example, if you want it tobe Hard for the Stalkers to sneakpast one of your Shadows give ita Perceive of 15. If you want it tobe Easy to Banish, give it a Resolveof 10, and so on.

• FORTITUDE & VITALITY

These Attributes will determinehow hard the Shadow is to defeat.When trying to figure out theappropriate value it helps toknow the opposition's capabilites.

Characters whose focus is onDisciplines or Servitors will do 4to 6 dice of Damage, but those

whose focus is combat canusually inflict 7 or 8 dice ofDamage with a single attack.

You should base your estimateson these front line fighters. It is safeto assume that there will be at leasttwo characters in any Circle whocan inflict 28 points of damage onan average attack (8 Dice times 3.5,the average roll on a single die).

Once you know the damagecaused by an average attack it iseasy to estimate how much Vitalityyour creation will lose every timeit is hit. For example, a Shadowwith a Fortitude of 4 will take 7points but a Shadow with aFortitude of 8 will only take 3.

Now that you have an estimateof how much damage the creaturewill take from each attack, you willbe able to determine how muchVitality you want the creature tohave. For example, a Shadow witha Fortitude of 4 and a Vitality of 21will only be able to withstand 3attacks but a Shadow with aFortitude of 8 and a Vitality of 21will last for 7 rounds.

The goal is to assign thecombination of Fortitude andVitality that best suits the creature'sintended function. If you aredesigning a race of Shadows thatattack in large packs they shouldprobably go down after taking acouple of solid hits, but a Shadowthat usually fights alone should beable to take at least as many hits asthere are Stalkers in the Circle.

• COMBAT

The Attack value will determinehow hard it will be for the Stalkersto defend themselves from thecreature's attacks. For the most partstay in the 10 to 15 range. Use theextremes for special effects, such asan unreliable attack that doestruly impressive Damage but hasa really low Attack value.

Many Shadows can make morethan one attack a round. As ageneral rule, as you give a Shadowmore attacks, reduce their damage.A Shadow that only has oneattack should do respectableDamage, but a Shadow that canmake 4 or more attacks shouldonly do 2 or 3 dice with each one.

The Whispering Vault combatsystem was designed to be simplebut flexible enough to accomodateany attack form. The down side is thata lot of attacks look and act the same.One way to give your Shadowsmore character is designing aspecial attack of some kind.

• SPECIAL ABILITIES

Another way to make a Minioninteresting is creating a uniqueability for it. The examples in thissection have a wide variety ofabilities that range from Armor andCamoflauge to the ability to turninto water. Be creative, but makesure the Stalkers have a chance.

If you think a Special Abilitymay be too powerful give it alimitation or assign it a Vitalitycost. This will keep the Shadowfrom using the Ability wheneverit wants which will help youmaintain game balance.

DESIGNING SHADOWS

103

GAVANDHAR (BEHEMOTH)

Rare as an honest man these night-mares are drawn to the works of menbut cannot abide their presence,seeking out desolate remains of lostcivilizations where they can brood insolitude. They lair in the ruins ofGreece and Rome, near the Egyptian

pyramids and the monoliths of Easter Island. The influence of aGavandhar's Shadow will inspire acute depression in weak-willedmortals that can be dangerous if they are left alone for too long.

Behemoths are seldom Awakened by anything but the direct influenceof a mortal magician or one of the Unbidden. Those reborn to the Fleshbecome enormous creatures with thick grey hides covered in thousandsof sickly pink tentacles that twitch like living hair.

If the Unbidden desire a Behemoth as a Minion they must seek oneout, which is often more trouble than it is worth. Only Architects havethe time and influence to consider such a venture.

Behemoths are best suited to a bear Husk but this is only useful incertain situations. They can be Bound in a human Husk but the processof compressing its considerable mass into such a small shell requirestwenty-eight leather straps and the result is an obese figure that will onlypass as human from a distance. Close scrutiny will automatically partthe Veil, revealing the bulbous horror within.

COMBAT: 3 Claws (Attack 15, 6D Damage each) Cannotattack an opponent with more than one claw in a singleround, Invulnerable to Firearms (-1 Die Cap).

SPECIAL ABILITIES : Chameleon (May disguise itself as alarge structure or menhir if it does not move. A success-ful Insight Challenge against a Difficulty of 12 by aSensitive character will penetrate the illusion.)

VULNERABILITIES : Vampire Servitors can drink theBehemoth's blood (they drain an additional point ofVitality every time the creature is wounded).

Gamemasters can work a Behemoth into a Hunt if they want a toughfight, but they should only use more than one if they want the Stalkers tolose. Small Circles or those that lack powerful Warriors may have troubledefeating a single specimen unless they spend a lot of Karma.

Fortitude 30Vitality 12

Initiative 8Defend 11

Percieve 12Resolve 18

104

These foul creatures prey on theweak-willed, seeking out those withpoor mental health. Some claim thatthey were actually created by thefevered nightmares of Sensitivemortals driven insane by what theyhave seen. So long as they are in the

area the victim's condition will gradually worsen, becoming incurableunless the Athkar can be driven off or the victim is Inspired to recover.Badly run mental institutions are often infested with theseotherworldly predators, especially the "snake pits" of the latenineteenth century. The sterility of modern facilities keeps them incheck but there is still the ocassional intrusion.

If a Phantasm can actually drive its victim to commit suicide theexperience will Awaken it. Having tasted death the creature will doanything to feel the sensation again. Smart enough to realize that theywill be stopped if they draw too much attention to themselves theyhunt carefully. When an Awakened Phantasm gets loose in an asylumthere will be a rash of seemingly accidental deaths that will only endwhen the creature is killed or heads for greener pastures.

When they take physical form Phantasms resemble massive eelsthough their oddly segmented bodies are more worm than fish. Theyprefer aquatic environments suchas sewers but can "swim" throughthe air for short periods of timeby undulating their whiplike tails.

The relationship between theAthkar and the Unbidden is astrange one. The Athkar seem toconsider the renegades potentialprey and the Unbidden keepAwakened Phantasms as pets. Itis believed that some of theUnbidden can see the illusionsgenerated by these creatures andenjoy the hallucinations.

Weaving a Husk for one of thesecreatures is very difficult. It wouldfit into a large bird such as an eagleor vulture, but the tail will alwaysbe too long and the wings willseem too fragile to work properly.

Fortitude 6Vitality 10

Initiative 12Defend 18

Percieve 14Resolve 15

COMBAT2 Pincers (Attack 14, 2DDamage each), Tail Lash(Attack 16, 4D Damage).

SPECIAL ABILITIESIntangible and Invisible(Awakened Phantasms canpass through physicalobstacles and only be seenby Sensitive characters);Can project illusions thatparalyze mortal opponentswith Resolves of 11 or less.

VULNERABILITIESIllusions cannot affectthose Inspired by theirfaith in science; Aversion todirect sunlight (Attack,Defend and Initiatiativereduced by 2 each , Percieveand Resolve Reduced by 3).

ATHKAR (PHANTASM)

105

Fairly common in small towns beforethe advent of television blunted theimagination of the young, the Bazrethare harmless unless provoked. Theycan be found hovering over sleepingchildren, fascinated by the dreams ofinnocence. Unfortunately, children are

often Senitive, and though the creatures mean them no harm they canbe seriously traumatized by the "monster under the bed" that theirparents cannot see or understand. Fortunately the presence of an adultwith a flashlight usually scares the Bogey Man away.

Some Bazreth become involved in the lives of the children whosedreams they watch. In time those Sensitive to the Unseen will befriendthese sympathetic Shadows. When this happens a traumatic change inthe childs life can sometimes trigger a response, Awakening the creature.Once roused a Bogey can be very dangerous. There are many stories ofabused or murdered children avenged by their "invisible friends."

In the Flesh the Bazreth are little more than a fanged orifice surroundedby a cluster of mismatched eyes mounted on two powerful arms. They movewith an awkward grace, making suprisingly agile leaps when necessary.These foul creatures emit a peculiar stench that can be easily recognized byanyone who has smelled it before. Only curdled milk can mask the reek. Onthe other hand, the disarminglybeautiful voices of the Bogey Menhave a musical quality that hasbeen described as angelic.

The Unbidden often use theBazrith as sentries; they are easyto find in populated areas andtend to submit to Binding morereadily than most Shadows.

Bound in a proper Husk theBazrith can pass for large dogs orcats but there will always be strangelumps around the neck where thecreature hides its extra eyes. Theyprefer a human Husk that allowsthem to pose as a child. Such childrenhave strange eyes and an unsettlingmaturity. In Europe these creaturesare sometimes mistaken for thechangelings of legend.

Fortitude 5Vitality 8

Initiative 15Defend 15

Percieve 18Resolve 13

COMBAT2 Claws (Attack 10, 2DDamage each) Must attackthe same opponent withboth attacks; If both hit,automatically Bites for anadditional 6D Damage.

SPECIAL ABILITIESInvulnerable to Frenzy andRend (-1 to Die Cap againstattacks using either of theseDisciplines); Can flee com-bat by leaping up to 100yards in any direction.

VULNERABILITIESWill not attack a child;Enthralled by the laughterof children (will notinitiate any action for 1-6rounds after hearing it butmay defend itself.)

BAZRETH (BOGEY MEN)

106

Aberrations of the communications age,the first of these bizarre entitiesappeared during the premiere broadcastof "Our Show of Shows," but they didnot come into their own until the adventof satellite telecommunications. Theycan be found in any major market

during the modern era, and by the year 2000 there is one in nearly everyhome in North America and Japan. For some reason they are repulsedby the BBC and as a result they are very rare in Great Britain.

Sitting inside television sets the Rethrett spend most of their timewatching the watchers, recording everything they see for a "report" tosome imagined superior. Cameramen are Awakened when a viewerloses the ability to distinguish between reality and the phantomsflickering past on the face of the electronic basilisk.

Once Awakened the Rethrett changes shape continuously as itmoves. They can take just about any form but will obviously be madeof tubes and wires and will have at least three limbs. This shapeshiftingability is very useful to the Unbidden because they can be forced intonearly any Husk when they are Bound. No matter what shape theychoose, their tubes and wires will be a dead giveaway to Sensitivecharacters, but the Veil will complete the disguise.

Cameramen have excellentperception and nearly perfectrecall so they are often used aswatchdogs or guardians. Whenthe Hunt brings the Circle to thecommunications age the Stalkerscan expect to encounter one ormore of these creatures in theservice of the enemy.

Cameramen are very shy untilthey feel safe with someone andare only dangerous if they feelthreatened. Independent Rethrettcan be useful informants for theStalkers, but sometimes confusethe plots of their favorite showswith what they have actuallyseen. This can be entertaining butis usually annoying.

Fortitude 4Vitality 16

Initiative 9Defend 14

Percieve 18Resolve 14

COMBATWire Lash (Attack 15, 3DDamage) As Minions theyuse whatever attack ismost appropriate to theirBound Form (Attack 12,4D Damage).

SPECIAL ABILITIESConstant Shapeshifting(Disorients any mortalopponents with Resolvesof 13 or less, reducingtheir Attack, Defend andInitiative scores by 3points each.)

VULNERABILITIESWater shorts them out,causing 2D Damage everyround unless encased inan undamaged Husk.

RETHRETT (CAMERAMEN)

107

These creatures can usually be foundlurking about graveyards near any largeEuropean city. A few "migrated" to thestates around the turn of the century andhave thrived in the american southwest.Hangmen can be Awakened by anoffering of blood and silver. There are

also certain songs of Celtic origin that will draw the spirit of a Hangmaninto a murdered corpse. This is usually done deliberately as part of aritual of vengence, but one of these songs fell into common usage duringthe late 13th century resulting in a few unpleasant surprises.

When they are first Awakened these creatures have very little substance,making their fragile Vessels very weak. These Hangmen have Fortitudeof 3, a Vitality of 9, and may only attack with their hook for 2D Damage.To realize their full potential they must bury themselves in a fresh grave,rising again on the third day with their full powers.

Flesh is repulsed by the foul Hangmen, leaving their Vessels gauntand twisted. They must consume meat on a daily basis to keep theirbodies from withering away. More hideous than the crawling of theirskin is the hideous grin that is their only expression. They fight with ashort hook in one hand and a length of rope in the other and can conjureeither of these weapons at night by using an Insignificant Action.

Hangmen are erratic creatures,even for Shadows. There are twodistinct aspects to their person-ality that vie for control. Thedominant persona is usually amoron with a peculiar and oftenviolent sense of humor. Thesecond is always a humorlesspsychopath who takes controlwhen there is killing to be done.

The Unbidden employ Hang-men as assassins, but know theyare no match for Stalkers so theywill only send them to eliminatemortal foes. Few Hangmen havebeen forced into a Husk. Thosethat have could easily pass asmortals but their strange behav-ior made the Veil worthless.

Fortitude 5Vitality 15

Initiative 15Defend 14

Percieve 15Resolve 16

COMBATHook (Attack 13, 4DDamage) If Hook hits,may attempt to Noose(Attack 15, 6D Damage)Noose victims are hungfrom any suitable branchor rafter and suffer 2DDamage a round untilthey are cut down.

SPECIAL ABILITIESInvulnerable to the attacksof mortal characters withResolves of 11 or less (-1Die Cap Modifier).

VULNERABILITIESWill celebrate for oneround following eachhanging, taking no usefulaction and lowering itsDefend Attribute to 12

GHANN GALOWEY (HANGMEN)

108

THRITCH KALVARR (PAIN MOTHERS)

Manifesting during a society's declinethese creatures are carnal predatorswho desire sex and violence in equalmeasure. Their ability to affect the Fleshis limited to whispered enticements, butthey can sometimes inhabit weak-willedmortals who are under the influence of

certain narcotics. Legions of these creatures haunted the Roman Empire.Most of those living in the modern world can be found in Amsterdam andShanghi though there will usually be one or two lurking in every major city.

A Pain Mother is sometimes Awakened if she witnesses a crime ofpassion, drawing her substance from the vital fluids of the victim. Mortaldeviants who desire their cruel gifts may seek them out with a mirror ofpolished gold and may attempt to Awaken them with ritual scarification.

These creatures are nearly human but they have no eyes and translucentbodies. All Pain Mothers have an instinctive knowledge of alchemy andmay perform the "Promethean Experiment." This gives them a newVessel so perfect that no Husk or Veil is required to pass as human. TheExperiment requires iron bones, innocent blood, and a murder's skin.

The Unbidden use these creatures as warriors and those with theproper Passions may even take them as lovers. If the Experiment hasbeen performed no Husk is required, but since Pain Mothers lose their al-chemical talents when Bound, as Minions they are usually given a hu-man shell. These Husks cannot conceal the creatures' empty eye sock-ets so they usually wear some kind of mask or pose as blind women.

COMBAT: Armor (subtract 12 from damage beforecomparing to Fortitude); Fetid Blade (Attack 15, the firstattack does 2D Damage, the second and third attacksagainst the same opponent do 3D Damage, and any attacksafter the third do 5D Damage) Mortals who have beenwounded by her blade cannot attack her unless they areDriven or have a Resolve of 15 or better; Wounded Stalkersshare this reluctance to harm their attacker and suffer a-2 Attack Modifier if they attempt to retaliate.

SPECIAL ABILITIES : May Translocate up to 100 yards indarkness if they spend 1 point of Vitality.

VULNERABILITIES : Every successful hit by a Stalkerusing the Savage Discipline destroys 4 points of Armor.

Fortitude 6Vitality 9

Initiative 12Defend 15

Percieve 13Resolve 19

109

SAGUINALIN (LURKERS)

First encountered by the builders ofthe pyramids these creatures aredrawn to subterranean structures.They prowl the London Undergroundand many North American subways.By the year 2012 there are so many ofthem in the deep tunnel project in

Chicago that their very presence invokes the Forbiddance, wiping outthe entire nest. A particularly powerful Sanguinalin lived in anabandoned military facilility near Seattle where it was worshippedby an odd cult of drug addicts who called it the "red god."

Under normal circumstances the nearly mindless creatures wanderaimlessly until some random act of fate Awakens them. There is no patternto their Awakening; it seems to be a matter of time. Once Awakened theLurkers become hunters, preying on those who dare to travel alone inthe deep dark places that it now considers its territory.

Lurkers are as big as they need to be, shifting from minute to enormousat a moment's notice. This gives them the ability to sneak up on theirprey no bigger than a mouse, and when they are close enough, pouncewhile swelling to the size of a whale. No matter how big they are theyremain amazingly agile, keeping their vital organs well protected.

The Unbidden will recruit Lurkers to serve as guardians. They can becompressed into a human Husk but the fingers will always be a little bittoo long and the eyes will shine in the dark like those of a cat. The Huskwill burst in 2-12 days so it must be rewoven on a regular basis.

COMBAT: 2 Tentacles (Attack 14, 3D Damage each) If aLurker loses more than 3 Vitality to a single attack it goesberserk for 1-6 rounds. This reduces its Attack to 10 butallows it to make 3 attacks a round for 4 Damage.

SPECIAL ABILITIES : Can turn its body to water at a thecost of 1 point of Vitality a round. In this form it canmove very quickly by flowing, pouring, and squirting.The living puddle can only be attacked with RendDiscipline against a Defend of 12 and a Fortitude of 8.

VULNERABILITIES : The lightshow caused by GlamourServitors causes 2D Damage a round for the first 1-6rounds the Lurker is exposed to it. Fortitude is reducedto 5 in bright light (4 in direct sunlight).

Fortitude 6Vitality 20

Initiative 15Defend 12

Percieve 12Resolve 15

110

These shy creatures are drawn tomortals, but fear them greatly. Theyoften lair in attics, basements, and fruitcellars so they can be close enough tohear their hosts without having toencounter them. The only evidence oftheir presence are strange noises that

are often dismissed as "settling" by ignorant homeowners. Ogyrs arebasically harmless but believe they will be killed if they are discovered.They will panic if they are confronted, Awakening to defend themselvesagainst those they believe to be their executioners.

In their Awakened form Ogyrs are hulking mounds of Flesh with ironbones and incredible strength. Their Vessels are inherently corrupt andtheir pores ooze fluids that carry horrid diseases (plagues are often anunfortunate side-effect of their appearance). They rot away ratherquickly, losing a point of Vitality every 1-6 days. There are ritualsknown to certain mortal magicians that can sustain them by feedingthem specially prepared meat in alarming quantities. Even these ratherextreme measures will only slow their inevitable deterioration.

Once Awakened the Zelun Vhori either flee the world of men, hidingout in a ditch or a cave until everything rots away but their bones, orthey decide to strike back. Unfortunately, it is hard to reason with thesethick-headed creatures, so the bestway to deal with their misguidedcrusades is to destroy or Banishthem. Music will sometimes soothethem but it can also enrage them(lowering their Defend to 10 butincreasing their Attack to 13 andtheir Damage to 6 Dice).

The Unbidden use Ogyrs asmuscle, which is all they are good for.They are slow-witted so must begiven simple instructions or they willbecome confused. Husks can bestretched over them but the creaturesfind them uncomfortable and willscratch them off in 1-6 hours.

These creatures are very toughso the gamemaster should only usetwo or three at a time unless hewants the Circle to lose.

Fortitude 8Vitality 15

Initiative 10Defend 11

Percieve 8Resolve 10

COMBATPummel (Attack 12, 5DDamage) If victim failsStrength Challenge againsta Difficulty equal to theDamage inflicted he isStunned and may take noaction the following round.

SPECIAL ABILITIESInvulnerable to the SavageDiscipline (Stalkers do notadd their bonus dice);Entropy (Their touchcauses organic materials torot and metal to corrode).

VULNERABILITIESConfused by the use of theFrenzy Discipline (Lowerstheir Defend to 9 againstthese attacks); Vitality cannever be recovered.

ZELUN VHORI (OGYRS)

111

112

• PERSONALITIESNot all Shadows will belong to

one of the "races" outlined in thepreceding section. Many are uniqueindividuals who provide excellentfoils for the player characters.

NPC Shadows encountered bythe Stalkers during the course ofthe Hunt can turn out to be alliesor enemies. One of the mostinteresting things about them isthat they may have nothing to dowith the current plot but may bringnew subplots to the adventure.

These Shadows are designedlike any other but can be even morefocused. After all, you only have toworry about one at a time so youwon't be setting any dangerousprecidents you can't undo.

Most NPC Shadows will havebeen Awakened before they areencountered by the Stalkers, butsome will be Awakened bysomething that happens duringgame play, which can be anunexpected plot twist.

A few Awakened Shadows havebeen around so long that they haveachieved legendary status. Thesepowerful beings eventually learn totraverse the Chronosphere so theymay be encountered in many timesand places. These Shadows mayencounter the Stalkers more thanonce and will help give campaignsa sense of continuity.

For example, there is an ancientShadow who calls himself theLibrarian. He collects books thatcontain many secrets that he willshare with anyone who can findhim, but there is always a price...

SHRIEKBLACK AND GUZZ

These Awakened Shadows havetravelled together since the beginningof time. Shriekblack has learnedsecrets from the Navigators that allowsthem to travel along to Chronosphereto any time period they desire. Theyhave seen as much of the world as anyCircle (maybe more). Since anunfortunate encounter with anArchitect in the Dark Ages they haveheld a grudge against the Unbiddenand will do anything they can to helpthe Stalkers against them short ofrisking their lives in combat against therengade or his Minions.

Shriekblack is a dark-skinned creature who stands nearly eight feettall. His body is a hollow shell that he uses to store the few possessionsimportant enough to carry with him. When he speaks his eyes burn withan amber flame. Guzz is mostly fangs and claws wrapped in a tight bundleof muscle and sheathed in a tough hide. Shriekblack is intelligent andinsightful, almost urbane in his bearing. The only language Guzz seemsto understand involves ripping flesh and crunching bone.

The pair are valuable allies during any Hunt that involves theUnbidden. Shriekblack calls himself a sorcerer and has the power to backit up. He has an Occult Skill of 18 and a History Skill of 20. He can performmany rituals learned from mortal magicians and can formulatecounterspells that prevent mortal magic from working.

COMBAT: Shriekblack wields an obsidian knife (Attack 14,3D Damage); Guzz fights with 2 Claws (Attack 15, 4DDamage each) If Guzz hits one opponent with bothclaws he can Rip for an additional 4 Dice.

SPECIAL ABILITIES : Shriekblack is a sorcerer. Guzz hasa high pain tolerance which means he only loses Vitalityfrom attacks that inflict more Damage than his Resolve.

VULNERABILITIES : Shriekblack turns to stone whenexposed to the light of the full moon and will onlyrecover during the dark of the moon. Guzz is blood-thirsty and easily goaded into combat.

Fortitude 5Vitality 18Initiative 15Defend 16Percieve 10Resolve 16

Fortitude 7Vitality 9Initiative 13Defend 12Percieve 18Resolve 20S

hri

ekbla

ck

Guzz

113

ABBALLOR – THE BUTCHER OF BAKER STREET

This creature was Awakened by thescreams of a dying child and thriveson the sound, eagerly feasting on theagony of innocents. Abballor wandersthe Realm of Flesh in human guise, adark figure that stalks the streets ofplaces like Ancient Rome, Victorian

London, and South Central L.A. looking for prey. Like most ShadowsAbballor is immortal. If Abballor is defeated he will be driven back to theRift just long enough to reawaken, reborn in a new time and place. Unlikemost Shadows he will be a recurring villain that will cross the Stalkers'path time and time again until they figure out how to destroy him andput an end to his bloody rampage. It is up to the gamemaster to figureout how Abballor can be killed. An obvious answer is the Fleshing Ritualbut it should probably be something more esoteric that requires researchand experimentation across three or more encounters.

Since his first Awakening, Aballor's various incarnations have beenshaped by his desires. Most of his bodies have been those of children.Despite the pretention of innocence he is clearly a wolf in sheep's clothing.Anyone with a Perception of 12 or better will realize that there issomething wrong with him, and Sensitive characters will be unsettledby his approach. Remember that many children and pets are Sensitive tosome degree, which may provide his victims with some warning.

COMBAT: Abballor is incredibly strong and is a skilledhand-to-hand combatant (Attack 15, 5D Damage), but ifhe has had time he will manufacture knives imbued withhis Essence (Attack 15, 3D Damage, 5 Dice if he spends 1Vitality, 7 Dice if he spends 2).

SPECIAL ABILITIES : The Butcher can regain 2-12 pointsof Vitality by reducing his Resolve by 1 for a day. Hemay do this as many times as he likes, but will seldomallow his Resolve to drop below 18.

VULNERABILITIES : Abballor thinks he is a demon soallows himself to be affected by rituals and traditionsthat are supposed to have power over such creatures. Anexorcism works the same as a Banishment against him.

Fortitude 6Vitality 24

Initiative 13Defend 15

Percieve 18Resolve 21

114

In many ways, the WhisperingVault is about Immortality.During the Hunt, the Stalkers

return to the world of their birthwhere they are confronted withtheir lingering desire for theworld they left behind. Mortalcharacters embody this conflict,providing an unsettling contrastto what the Stalkers have become.

Most mortals are insignificantbackground characters who arepart of the environment. These"extras" are living obstacles whomust be avoided if the Circle hopesto complete the Hunt withoutinvoking the Forbiddance.

Even though they are no matchfor the Stalkers in a fight, mortalscan still be interesting characterswho can add a lot to a Hunt. Theymay be fragile creatures, but thatis no reason to short change themwhen you are developing a plot.

The Hunt affords us little time to formrelationships with those we protect, but there areoccasional flirtations with mortality. There areeven a few humans I am honored to call friend. Ofthese only Rodger Prentiss is worth mention here.We have crossed paths on several occasionsduring his one-man crusade against the Unseenduring the first world war. When next we meet, Iwill lift him up so we may fight together forever...

X : MORTAL MAN

• MORTAL MAGIC

There are several references inthis chapter to mortal magic. A fewgifted mortals are able to affect theDream, creating subtle alterationsof reality that appear magical.

To perform magic, a mortal mustbe Sensitive to the Unseen andmust have a Resolve of 13 or more.

The techniques required tomanipulate the Dream are onlyknown to a few individuals andorganizations and are closelyguarded secrets. Even if he couldbe a magician, a man could spendhis whole life seeking the truth.

There are no hard and fast rulesfor spellcasting. It is up to thegamemaster to decide what hischaracters are capable of. TheEnlightened Organizations havesome sample spells that shouldgive you a better idea of the kindof feel mortal magic should have.

115

• RESOLVE

Most mortals are weak-willedcreatures with Resolve Attributesin the 8 to 10 range. Characterswhose lifestyle requires courage orstrength of will have higher values,and there are a few extraordinaryspecimens, such as magicians andthe Chosen, who will have ResolveAttributes of 15 or more.

• ATTACK

All characters have a generalAttack Attribute that determineshow Difficult it is to defend againsttheir attacks. Some characters willhave Skills, such as Brawling, thatprovide higher values when thecharacter uses the attack formdescribed by the Skill.

• STRENGTH

Strength determines how muchdamage a mortal can inflict inunarmed combat. Most mortals havea Strength of 1 or 2, but it can go ashigh as 3. See the Damage rules onpage 31 for more information.

• SKILLS

Like Stalkers, many Mortalshave special Skills that give themknowledge, insight, or abilities thatother characters do not have.

To give a mortal character a Skill,simply give it a name that defines theproficiency you want the characterto have, and assign a Value to it.There is no standardized list of Skills;if the gamemaster thinks a mortalcharacter should be able to dosomething well enough that it isworth noting, he should give thatcharacter an appropriate Skill.

ASSIGNING ATTRIBUTESThe Values for the Initiative, Defend, Percieve, Resolve

and Attack Attributes of mortal characters are based onthe standard Difficulty table, ranging from 8 to 18. Mortalsseldom pose a threat to the Stalkers, so these Attributesshould usually provide Routine, Easy, or AverageChallenges. Rare individuals will have an Attribute in theDifficult range, but values will seldom go higher than this.

• FORTITUDE

As discussed in the Combatchapter on page 33, mortals are notas tough as creatures of Essence. Assuch, their Fortitude values shouldnot be as high. Most have Fortitudevalues of 2 or 3, but exceptionalcharacters can have a 4 or even a 5.

• INITIATIVE

This is used as the Difficultywhen determining the order ofactions in the Combat Turn. Acharacter's Initiative is determinedby his combat experience andreaction time. Mortals who have nocombat experience or training willusually have an Initiative of 8 to10. Particularly agile and/orexperienced opponents will havehigher values, but they will seldombe higher than 15.

• DEFEND

Defend provides the Difficultyfor most attack challenges madeagainst the mortal character.Values for the Defend Attributeare similar to those for theInitiative Attribute, and for manyof the same reasons. Mortalcharacters often have identicalDefend and Initiative values.

• VITALITY

Start with a Base Value equal totwice the character's Fortitude.Decrease this value by a point ortwo to represent frailties such assickness or old age. Increase thevalue for characters with somekind of combat experience.

A gang member or beat copshould get an extra point or two.Veterans such as professionalsoldiers should get 3 or 4 extrapoints. Really tough charactersand leaders should get 5 or 6,points but these should be rare.

These ranges yield Vitalityscores ranging from 4 to 8 fornormal characters to 12 or more fortruly exceptional individuals.

• PERCEIVE

Stalkers sometimes refer tomortals as "blind," a reference totheir lack of Sensitivity that alsoapplies to their lack of awareness.

Most mortals go through lifewith blinders on. These hopelessmundanes have Perception At-tributes in the 8 to 10 range. Thosewho have learned to really watchthe world around them will havevalues in the 12 to 15 range.

116

Essence and Flesh are intertwinedbut do not normally overlap. Allcreatures of the Flesh have someawareness of the Unseen. This ismore prominent in animals as theylack the capacity of the human mindto dismiss what it cannot under-stand with rationalizations.

All mortals have some degree ofsensitivity, but it is not reliable. Thisability is stronger in children thanadults because of their lack of pre-conceptions. It is easier for a childto accept the Unseen because theydo not yet consider it impossible.

True Sensitives are rare. Thepotential exists in roughly one outof a thousand individuals. Potentialcan be affected by a person's blood-line, so it is possible for the "gift" tobe passed to the seventh son of aseventh son or to be more commonin a particular family than another.

Like Shadows, Sensitive mortalsneed to be Awakened. Awakeningrequires three things: the Sensitivecharacter must be able to see theUnseen, he must be prepared toaccept it, and he must have theopportunity for revelation.

Awakening is more common insome eras than in others. Particu-larly Enlightened or Superstitioussocieties produce more AwakenedSensitives than others. In the mod-ern era, belief in the supernaturalis rare and viewed with skepticism,so potential Sensitives dismisswhat they experience as an opticalillusion, an overactive imagination,or some form of mental illness.

All Sensitives can peer beyondthe Veil, giving them the ability toview the Unseen. At first they onlysee fleeting glimpses, but withtraining or experience, their "second

sight" becomes more reliable, giv-ing them the ability to part the Veilat will. Many potential Sensitivescannot accept the truth and spendtheir lives denying what their eyesplainly show them. These unfortu-nate individuals often go mad.

Sensitivity is a double-edgedsword. Sensitive characters canexperience the Truth, but their liveswill never be the same. Some of thepowers of the Unseen will not workagainst Sensitives, but others aremore effective against them.

• THE CHOSEN FEW

All Stalkers were once mortalswhose devotion to fighting theUnseen was recognized by a Circleof Stalkers during a Hunt. OnceChosen they were freed of the flesh,shown the truth, and changedforever. There is no turning back.

During campaign play, theCircle may eventually encounter amortal worthy of this gift. Theseindividuals are very rare, but whenthey appear, it should be fairlyobvious that they are exceptional.

It is up to the players to decideif a mortal is to be Chosen, butthe group should use the follow-ing guidelines:

The mortal should be sound ofmind. Physical form is irrelevant,but the mind must be strongenough to accept what is to come.Most important, the mortal mustbe worthy and able. There aremany of strong mind whose livescross with the Unseen, but fewdeserve immortality.

THE GIFT: SENSITIVE MORTALS

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TEMPLATES There are many different kinds ofmortals. Most are of little consequence,

content to live their lives in endless cycles, unaware of the Truth.Some, however, have a noticeable spark that sets them apart fromthe crowd. Ultimately, they themselves are usually of little import aswell. Lastly are those mortals who rise above the morass. Those withdrive, direction, and strength to confront the Unseen.

MINOR CHARACTERS

These are the nameless horde whopopulate most of the world. Theyhave no special strengths or skillsand present little or no threat to theStalkers. They are only dangerousin large groups or if they are com-manded by Driven or Inspiredleaders. Alone, they are helplessagainst the Unseen.

Fortitude 2Vitality 4

Initiative 8Defend 10

Perceive 10Resolve 10

Attack 8Strength 1

These characters are the proverbialexception to the rule. These are themortals most likely to interact withthe Stalkers. They may have anumber of Focus Skills, some withexcellent values. A few have thepotential for Sensitivity. If they areAwakened they will be able to seethe world as it truly is.

PRIMARY CHARACTERS

There is more to these charactersthan to most mortals. There issomething brighter about them, apotential missing from nearly all ofthe rest of humanity but unless fateintervenes, they are destined toremain as the rest of the cattle.These characters usually have oneor two Skills of moderate value.

SECONDARY CHARACTERS

Fortitude 3Vitality 7

Initiative 10Defend 12

Perceive 12Resolve 12

Attack 11Strength 2

Fortitude 4Vitality 11

Initiative 12Defend 14

Perceive 14Resolve 14

Attack 13Strength 3

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ENLIGHTENED ORGANIZATIONS

Seperated from the restof the Circle I draggedmy mangled Vesselthrough the streets ofParis, struggling tomaintain the focus Ineeded to keepmoving. For the firsttime in three centuriesI was in pain.Demoralized andexhausted I wanted togive in but I knew thata moments pausewould mean my death.Talon tells me I wouldnever have made it tothe rallying point wereit not for theSisterhood.I vaguely remember ayoung girl coming tome as I collapsed. Shecalled me "TerribleMaster," and gave mea pendant that I wearto this day.

Confounded by the Veil, mortalman has struggled to make sense ofthe Unseen since the dawn of time.The countless misconceptions of themundane are often refered to as thesupernatural or the occult.

From time to time a particularlygifted investigator or philosopherwill achieve a valuable insight intothe nature of the universe, and willpass on what he has learned toothers. These glimpses of the truthcan lead others to Enlightenment.

Stalkers sometimes encounterEnlightened Organizations duringthe course of the Hunt. Someorganizations will be allied withthe enemy, but there are a few thatknow what the Stalkers are and aredevoted to helping them.

Often, the motivations of thesegroups are confused or misguided.Circles wisely avoid these groupsand keep them in the dark aboutwhat is unfolding around them.Most know just enough to makethem dangerous.

Because of the need to operatein secret and their dependence oncharismatic leaders, most of theseorganizations are short-lived.Those that manage to endure canbe encountered many times, givingthe time-hopping Stalkers a bettersense of continuity.

When creating an organization,just answer the questions in the fol-lowing section as best you can.Three sample groups follow.

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WHEN AND WHERE DID THE ORGANIZATION THRIVE?

Enlightened Organizationshave existed for as long as mortalshave had the capacity to pierce theVeil and pass on what they havelearned. Most organizations of thiskind appeared after the advent ofwritten language but beforemodern science tried to provide it'sown definition of enlightenment.

By their very nature theseorganizations can only exist insecret, making them more commonin remote places or those considrered"backwards" for their time.

My first experiencewith the Adjen wasa brief encounter inAncient Egypt. Thismodern incarnationwas a misguidedshadow of its formerself, twisted bycorrupt leaders.My duties are veryclear, but I madesure that the Hunttook us close enoughto silence themforever.Despite my flagrentuse of Essenceduring the attackthe Forbiddanceremained quiet. TheNeo Adjen musthave posed more of athreat than we eversuspected. I willnever underestimatemy mortalopponents again.

WHAT IS THE ORGANIZATION'S ETHOS?

What all organizations, regard-less of when or where they may be,have in common is a convictionshared by their members that drivesthem and binds them together.

The most important thing youwill have to figure out when creat-ing a new organization is why itexists; what its goals are.

Most of the Enlightened Orga-nizations that Stalkers encounterare either Inspired by revelationor Driven to seek the Truth nor-mally denied mortals.

Other organizations are Drivenby fear or hate. They seek to destroy,not learn, afraid of what they canbarely understand. The persistenceof these misguided organizations isan unfortunate reality.

I lowered my Mask butthe Prefect did notrecoil. This should nothave surprised me - forcenturies theBrotherhood has usedshards of colored glassto pierce the Veil but Ihave grown accustomedto inspiring fear in myenemies, and mustadmit annoyance atthis simple act ofdefiance.

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WHO ARE THE ORGANIZATION'S LEADERS ?

During the decade Ispent in the DarkAges as one of theGuardians of theTrue Cross, I had theopportunity to hearPious Benedettospeak.History wouldultimately bequeathhim a reputationsimilar to that of themad monk, but theydid not understand.He brandished thelight of Truth like atorch, dangerousand beautiful.Were it not for hiswords, my fear ofthe unknown wouldhave prevented mefrom embracing mydestiny.

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For an organization to be effectiveagainst the Unseen its members needto be Driven or Inspired. It is theresponsibility of the leaders toprovide the necessary motivation.For this reason organizations thatlacked strong leadership fail thehard tests of time, but those blessedwith true visionaries endure.

Most organizations are bornwhen mortals are drawn to acharismatic leader who provides afocus for their convictions. Someare fortunate enough to attractmore than one of these exceptionalindividuals, but internal strife oftenresults from such groupings.

Even if the Stalkers never encoun-ter these leaders, understanding theirbackgrounds and motivations can givethe gamemaster valuable insight intothe organization and how it functions.When the Stalkers actually meet oneof these leaders it will lend additionalsignificance to future encounterswith the organization.

Try to avoid making Enlightenedleaders out of characters withhistorical significance. It may betempting to create a spellcastingEdgar Allan Poe , but it is easier toavoid anomalies if you restrict theoccasional brush with greatness tothe membership at large.

An organization is more thanthe sum of its members. Over itslife span, the cause usually acquiresmore than a reputation. The mostobvious resources are financial, butthe most useful are often contactsin local government or lawenforcement.

Easily overlooked is the value ofthe most important resource: infor-mation. Most mortals have no ideawhat truly lies beyond the Veil, andany information about those mys-teries is to be coveted and pro-tected. Enlightenment is hard tocome by.

WHAT ARE THE ORGANIZATION'S RESOURCES?

Talon tried to convinceus to take actionourselves, but anyunnecessaryconfrontation is apotential violation ofthe Forbiddance. Atmy suggestion wemade contact with anagent of the EternalFlame who was able toarrange for the releaseof our mortal ally. Allthey asked for was ademonstration of thepower of our office,which Talon was morethan willing toprovide them. Futureincarnations of thesociety adopted Talonas a kind of totemfigure. He pretends tobe offended by this,but I think he issecretly pleased bytheir devotion.

Andre told us the fortwas built during themissile crisis but wasabandoned during theNixon administration.Since then it laiddormant. TheAugust Brotherhoodclosed off the westwing and prepared itfor their rituals. Itwas squalid but safe.

WHAT IS THEIR HEADQUARTERS LIKE?

Depending on the period inwhich the organization operates andthe social standing of its membershipand leaders, meetings can be heldalmost anywhere.

Not every organization is runlike a gentlemen's club out of aVictorian mansion. Explore thepossibilities by devising unusuallocations that could provideinteresting settings for yourencounters. The least likely areoften the best, and the mostsurprising. Seekers of truth gatherwhere they can. (Imagine trying toexplain to the manager of a hoteljust what his main meeting roomis going to be really used for).

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Many Enlightened Organizationsdabble in the occult, but only afew have access to actual magic.Those that can use magic are moreof a threat to the Dream, and aretherefore of more concern to theStalkers and their prey.

An organization's use of magiccan take any of three forms; Spellsavailable to certain members,Artifacts that they use or protect,and Traditions that give some or allof the members special powers.

Spells are the most commonmagical element shared by members.It is not necessary to provide a com-plete list of all the spells known byall members, but the gamemastershould keep notes about what kindof spells they favor. The knownspells of the organization are oftencollected in a tome or grimoire thatis only accessible by the leadershipand those they allow to see it.

Most organizations gatherartifacts for study or use in rituals.They are often very cautious withthem because many relics havehidden or secondary powers thatthey are unaware of. These itemsare also closely guarded by theleadership, though they are oftenlent to members with specificmissions or tasks.

The most powerful of these or-ganizations have ritual Traditionsthat imbue certain members withspecial skills or abilities.

DO MEMBERS HAVE ACCESS TO MAGIC ?

Having overcome thebodyguards stationedoutside his lair, Iforced my way intothe penthouse andallowed myself asmile. They plannedto capture me. AnIntricate Rune ofDomination had beenprepared in the spacewhere the rug oncewas. Cords ran fromthe rune to thecorners of the room,violet flames avibrant testament tothe power they hadtried to raise. Despitetheir false sense ofsecurity, they drewback as I approachedtheir clumsy trap.Wise, I thought, as Iturned the power ofthe rune againstthem...

When designing a special abil-ity of this kind, bear in mind thatthe mortal magicians alreadyhave a wide variety of powers.Traditions are often used to givesupernatural abilities to memberswho are not magicians.

Most organizations have somekind of initiation members mustcomplete before the real secrets ofthe organization are revealed tothem. The initiation itself, de-pending on an organization'sEthos, could be merely symbolicor truly perilous. In all cases theinitiation is taken very seriously,as is oath-breaking.

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• LEADERS

The Masters run one of the fewEnlightened Organizations largeenough to have subgroups ondifferent continents.

England has known two of theorganization's most notoriousleaders. The first of these wasEdgar Murell, a well-placedclergyman who came to power inthe late 14th century. He wasknown for his brutal disregard for"mundane cattle" and orderedthirty-two murders during atwentyyear tenure which ended with hisassassination.

Murell was physically imposingand totally corrupt. He desirednothing save his own advancementand he had no loyalty to anything.It is generally believed it was theother Masters who had him killed,

From the beginningAnna realized thatsomething was wrong.Talon and the GreyMan were too anxiousto heed her warnings,but I have learned torespect her instincts soI kept an eye out foranything that seemedout of place. The trutheluded me until I heardthe preacher speak. Itwas the same voice thathad issued the Call.Outraged that a mortalwould have thearrogance to lure usacross the Rift, I tookhim by the throat anddemanded to know whyhe had forced our hand.Eyes wet with tears ofjoy, he explained that heneeded to know that weactually existed.We gave him moreproof than hebargained for...

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THE SECRET MASTERS

Over the course of history,different misconceptions about thenature of reality have spawnedmany organizations.

The Secret Masters was foundedby a group of Magicians whobelieved the world to be a DivineTest. Only those who learn andmaster the Inner Mysteries aretruly worthy of immortality.According to this philosophy, life isa struggle to prove one's worth,and lack of insight is damning.

The difference between the Se-cret Masters and other organiza-tions is their Enlightened under-standing of the origins of the Worldand the Flesh. This knowledgegives them power because theyknow the rules well enough tobreak them without getting caught(or so they think).

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though a rival organization wasultimately blamed. The result wasfive years of near open warfare be-tween the two groups.

Ten years after Murell's deathone of his acolytes, a womanknown only as "Sharp Beth," roseto power in the English SecretMasters. It turned out she wasobsessed with learning the deepsecrets of the Flesh, and waseventually committed to an asylumafter acquiring the skins of thirteenmembers of the organization.

The American Secret Masters''most notorious leader was a mannamed Honorable Delany, whooversaw the organization from1867 to 1900. He is best known forthe Inspired Feast of 1887 whichprompted a six-state manhunt byFederal Authorities.

The current international headof the Secret Masters is a mannamed Johann Bryce, a multi-cul-tural European who also heads theContinental Secret Masters. Bryceis a bitter, humorless man who be-lieves that physical exertion andthe associated prices are one of thekeys to Enlightenment.

The Secret Masters can be usedeither as allies of the Unbidden (do-ing their work in exchange forsome piece of arcane lore) Or asenemies in their own right.

Their attraction to the Myster-ies quickly bring them into contactwith the Unknown. Unfortunately,the nature of the organizationforces many of its members to takeill-conceived chances in the pursuitof Enlightenment.

• RESOURCES

Over the course of centuries, theMasters have accumulated wealthand influence which rivals that ofmany nations where they operate.

Assume that important mem-bers can get as much backing asthey need for any operation thatpromises to benefit the Masters.The only limitation is that the Se-cret Masters do not approve of fla-grant public displays or any actswhich might draw attention to thegroup. This includes members(other than the highest of the En-lightened) enjoying anything otherthan simple lifestyles.

By the turn of the century, theMasters have worked their wayinto secular agencies in America,Canada, England, France, Irelandand Scotland. Their influencedepends on the area in question.The Secret Masters hold a greatdeal of power in the finance andtrucking industries, but have thusfar been stymied in their efforts togain influence in law enforcementor government.

• HEADQUARTERS

Secret Masters meetings areusually held in the homes or hold-ings of the sub-organization's lead-ers. Formal meetings, includingthose other than the Highest of theEnlightened, are held with thechange of each season. Less formalmeetings, where the most impor-tant decisions are made, are heldwhen needed.

MAGIC USESpellcasting is only common

among the Most Enlightened, thesecond highest tier within the SecretMasters, and the Highest them-selves. It is a reward used to teaseand provoke the lesser members ofthe group and is offered with thefull knowledge that most will im-pair or corrupt themselves in pur-suit of that knowledge.

One area where the secret mas-ters are fairly advanced is in theiruse of technology. The group usesadvanced technologies to recordand maintain their secret formulae.It is rumored that the total wis-dom of the organization is storedon six CD-ROM disks carried atall times by Johann Bryce.

• RITUALS

They allow all but the lowest oftheir members to participate in therituals of Affirmation and SecondHope. The first requires the sacri-fice of the blood of every memberinto the Golden Cauldron. Thisbroth is then used in the Ritual ofthe Second Hope which renewsand revitalizes those of the High-est Enlightenment. It is this ritualwhich gives those elders their re-markable longevity and vigor.

The most Enlightened of theSecret Masters also know the Ritualof Incarnation which allows themto prepare a vessel into which theirsouls find refuge upon their death.It is rumored that there is a greatvault somewhere holding thevessels of the organization'sgreatest members.

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ARTIFACTS

• THE AEGEAN CODEX

Written in 1305 by an inmate ofa rather primitive mental hospital,this book contains many insightsinto the nature of the Unseen.

Some of the information in theCodex is so dangerous that the Veilwill twist the text making it difficultto read and nearly impossible toabsorb. If the reader is not alreadyEnlightened to some degree, thebook rarely makes any sense andmay in fact be dangerous to read.

Deriving truth from the Codexis only possible for Driven charac-ters with a Resolve of 15 or better.

The Masters have destroyed allcopies of the book not in their pos-session save one and have madesure that the copies they possessare carefully watched. They arealways on the lookout for anymissing copies and will kill to seethem destroyed.

• THE RAGING KEY

This Flawed Key was takenfrom a Stalker by an ambitiousMaster who saw it as a shortcut toEnlightenment. The Stalker was abestial creature whose violent heartwas used to forge the Key.

Sensitive characters will noticethat this simple brass key seems tobe stained. On closer examination,there is crusted blood that cannotbe cleaned off. When held up to thelight it bleeds.

Any mortal with a Resolve lessthan 15 who comes into contactwith the Key will eventually besubverted by its influence.

The Raging Key has been usedas a subtle weapon against theorganization's political enemies. Ifthe Key is kept near the victim for15 days, he will become unstableand will eventually be driven toperform violent acts that are usu-ally sufficient to discredit him.

• BLOODY JARS

During the French Revolutionthe Masters decided to try and finda way to preserve the knowledgeof the world's geniuses for laterexploitation. They sought out ex-perts in various fields and mur-dered them, Binding their spirits inglass jars filled with their ownblood. These jars were then sealedin ceramic urns bearing complexsigils and signs that kept themfresh and vital.

Though it is generally believedthat the captive spirits lost what-ever personality survived deathwithin a year of their demise, someof the Masters theorize that someecho of the original life still remainsin each of the jars.

Any mortal who drinks fromone of these jars will share theknowledge of the captive spirit,temporarily gaining whateverskills the spirit had.

If a bottle is more than half full,and a mortal with a ResolveAttribute lower than 15 drinks allthe blood that remains, he will bepossessed by the spirit. Most of thetime the spirit has becomeapathetic, causing the victim to fallinto a catatonic coma, but it ispossible for a dominant spirit totake control of the mortal for 1-6 days.

The Reborn are either gratefulto the Masters for their brief tasteof immortality, or despise them forcenturies of disembodied captivity.

Fortunately, the Masters whoknew the Ritual to create thesebottles were only in power for eightyears, and when their methods fellout of favor the technique was lost.

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• MIND THRUST

Some Masters have learned toattack creatures of Essence with noweapon save their minds. ThisSpell may only be used by Sensitivecharacters with a Resolve of 15 orbetter who are Driven or Inspired.

The mage focuses himself on theStalker and attempts to force hisintended target back to the Realmof Essence through sheer force ofwill. The effort is Strenuous andcosts a point of Vitality, whichcauses the caster to become verypale and may cause rivulets ofblood to run from the temples.

The spell has an Attack Valueequal to the caster's Resolve. TheStalker uses his Willpower insteadof his Dexterity to resist, and hemay not add his Defend Bonus.

Mind Thrust has a Base Damageof 4 Dice. If the caster is Driven orInspired, the spell does 5 Dice ofdamage. If the caster uses this spellwhile acting as the focus of a ritualgroup of five or more members whohave been Inspired by him, thedamage is increased to 6 Dice. If theCaster has one or more of the victim'sKeys the attack automatically hitsand causes 7 Dice of damage.

The spell is a ranged attack witha Base Die Cap of 5, lowered to 4because it is used against theUnseen. However, this is raised to6 if the caster is Driven or Inspired.

If the intended target is a Stalkerwho has the Ward and WhisperDisciplines at Master level, he mayattempt to turn the attack back atthe caster. To do this requires aWillpower Challenge against thespellcaster's Resolve.

• LIVING BARRIER

When the Masters discoveredthat their headquarters could beinfiltrated by creatures of Essencecapable of Dissipation, they deviseda terrible precaution that wouldensure their privacy.

To create the barrier, the magemust flay the skin from three humanvictims into thin strips with aceremonial knife or speciallyprepared scalpel. These victimsprovide the necessary Essence.

Theses strips of human skin arethen woven into a web that coversthe wall to be protected. The walltakes on a reddish tint, but appearsnormal to most eyes. Sensitivecharacters can see a thin membraneof living tissue stretched over theprotected surface.

So long as the Barrier ismaintained, creatures of Essencemay not Dissipate or Translocatethrough it. The Barrier is also proofagainst Servitors with powers thatcould affect the wall such asDevourers and Glimmergaunts.

If the characters are able to figureout that a Barrier is in place, they mayattack it with powers such as Savage.The Ripper Servitor is particularlyeffective against Barriers; it may bedirected to strip away as much of theBarrier as the Stalker can see.

An unpleasant side effect of theliving wall is its hunger. The Barriermust be fed a small quantity ofblood every week or it will beginto moan, a hideous sound that canonly be heard by Sensitivecharacters. If the wall is not fed forthree weeks it will wither and die,the skin peeling like old paint.

• IMMORTAL EYES

Frustrated with the timeconsuming and often dangeroustask of locating and recruitingSensitives, the Masters devised ameans to pass on this valuable giftfrom one generation to the next.

When a Sensitive dies, the Ordersends a magician to take his eyes.This must be done within six hoursof death, or the Ritual of Preservationwill not work and the eyes are lost.The harvested eyes are kept in glassjars suspended in a solution of rareherbs, where they keep for decadesif tended properly.

The gruesome Ritual used to Giftan Initiate with Immortal Eyesrequires a devotional act of self-mutilation that can be fatal. In themodern age, the Gift of Vision issupervised by a surgeon wheneverpossible to minimize the risk.

Within three days, the ImmortalEyes graft themselves to thesubject. Once in place, the eyesfunction normally and grantSensitivity. If the subject wasalready Senstive he becomesOversensitive; an overwhelmingexperience that few mortals cansurvive with their sanity intact.

Three weeks after receiving theGift, characters with a Perceive of13 or better but a Resolve of less than15 will begin having strangehallucinations. These are phantomsof the past; images seen by previousowners. These glimpses of the pastare considered sacred visions.

Immortal Eyes are unusuallydark, with dark pupils and whitesgone grey. This is a telltale thatmust be carefully concealed.

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answering several questions beforeleaving them with even moremysteries than they had before.

Stalkers began to rely on theOrder for information and mortalassistance. This relationship grewas the Order grew in insightand understanding. By theRenaissance, the eldest of the Orderlearned to part the Veil andcommunicate with Stalkers still intheir Domains.

The only friction between theOrder and the Unseen happened in1212. The Order decided to abolishrestrictions regarding membershipand begin a recruitment programto give them enough followers todirectly combat the Unbidden andtheir Minions. They went so far asto open a school in Athens. Duringa major ritual, the magic triggeredthe Forbiddance, destroying theschool and everyone in it. Sincethen, membership has been verycarefully monitored and anyattempts to Enlighten dreamers arepunished by death.

In the modern age, faith in theUnknown became a rare virtue,resulting in the near-dissolution ofthe Order. By 1970, membershipdropped to an all-time low, leavingonly a small group of Masters totend their library.

Strangely enough, the longawaited "information highway"revitalized the Order in 1996. Theeasy exchange of information putSensitives in contact with oneanother in an environment where

The Order knows the truth.They do not understand all of it,but they can see glimpses ofRevelation. They gather the secretsof the Veil and work to see beyond.

Because they understand con-cepts like the Veil and theForbiddance, the Order has beenvery careful to operate within theLaws. They understand theconsequences of making a mistake.

Of a l l the Enl ightenedOrganizations, the Order is theSta lkers ' most re l iable a l ly,especially when the Hunt re-quires an investigation to revealthe Unbidden.

HISTORY

The Order was founded inancient Greece as a forum forphilosophers dedicated toexploring the unansweredquestions of the Aethyre. Amongthem was a Sensitive namedOrestes who described an "invisibleworld" that few men could see. Itwas his intuitive leap that providedthem with the Inspirationnecessary for insight.

Examination of the Unseenset them on the road toUnderstanding. Over the years, theOrder gradually matured, learningmore of the truth with everypassing generation.

The first encounter between theOrder and a Circle of Stalkersoccurred in London in 1028. TheStalkers saw the potential in theseEnlightened allies and allowedthem to see beyond the Veil,

THE ORDER

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they are free to discuss theirexperiences. The Masters monitorthe network and quietly observethose who seem to have promise.

By the year 2000, the Order isstronger than ever before, and isactively seeking out the Unbiddenand their Minions, and thenalerting the Stalkers of theiractivity. But then, suddenly, in 2004the Order vanishes. Their librariesand meeting places are empty, theirfollowers disappeared. Their fate isa mystery.

MAGICAL GIFTS

The Order understands the truenature of their world and respectsthe sanctity of the Dream. TheMagic they practice is subtle andquiet, with minimal risk ofForbiddance.

• TALENTS

Knowing as much as they doabout the Veil, the Order is able toawaken Sensitivity in any characterwith a Perceive Attribute of 13 orhigher. The process requires mentaltraining and a simple magic ritualinvolving the birth-water of one ofthe female members.

The Masters teach theirSensitives how to recognize thescent of the Unseen, and how tolook for signs of the Unbidden andthe taint of their Minions. They are,however, instructed to watch andobserve, not interfere. There are fargreater powers capable of that.

Sensitives of the Order withPerceive Attributes greater than 15are also able to see through the Veiland need no Challenge to do so.

• AFFIRMATION

Any Master may attempt toBanish a Minion by spending a pointof Vitality. If the Minion's Resolve isless than the Master's Resolve, it isBanished. If the Minion's Resolve isgreater, the Master loses anotherpoint of Vitality. If their Resolvevalues are identical, both lose a pointof Vitality.

• RITUAL OF SEEKING

The Order is able to perform aRitual that allows them to track aparticular Unbidden. To do this,they need some form of physicalsample from the Unbidden whichmust be used before the sun risesor sets again. Additionally, theyneed a map of the world drawn innatural inks (such as squid, etc.) onthe hide of a large mammal killedwithin one day. The completion ofthe ritual destroys the hide map,but shows the location of theUnbidden upon it just before itsimmolation. The ritual takes twohours, and if there is enough timeand enough samples and hides, itmay be attempted multiple times,each time with a map of smallerand smaller scale.

• ROSE COLORED GLASSES

The Order is also able toconstruct simple wire-frameglasses with rose colored lensesthat allows the wearer to look upona Stalker without revulsion.

Some pairs have been speciallyenchanted to allow the Unawakenedto see beyond the Veil, but they arerare and are rarely used.

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• ETHOS

The Black Harvest believes thatthe world is on the brink ofArmageddon. They also believethat it is the world that will bejudged, rather than the individual.They have taken it uponthemselves to rid the world ofwickedness so the faithful canachieve a state of grace. They callthis crusade the Black Harvest.

The followers of the BlackHarvest are fanatics who believethat their actions, and their actionsalone, will determine the fate of theworld. If they fail the world will bedestroyed, and the souls inhabitingit will be cast into the Terrible Fireto burn for all eternity. This makesthem very devoted to their cause.

In their eyes, the wicked arebeyond redemption.

The Black Harvest is a cult thatachieved limited Enlightenment andnotoriety. There have beenthousands of such cults throughouthistory. This is an example of arelatively small organization thatwill only be encountered in a limitedgeographic region during certaintime periods. The gamemaster mightnever use this particular group, butit can serve as a model fororganizations of his own creation.

It is worth noting that this cult isnot only misguided, the centralbeliefs of its founders are just plainevil. As they involve the potentiallycontroversial issue of race hatred, wemust emphasize that this belief isunacceptable in any form and thatthe Black Harvest must never beportrayed in a favorable light. Theyare always the "bad guys."

Talon told us that hechased the robed manthrough the busheswhile we freed hisintended victim.When it was obviousthat he could notescape, the mandecided to turn andfight. Talon seemedembarrassed andclutched the wound inhis shoulder. Withoutwarning, his opponentstruck him with arusty scythe, but thedamage it caused wasso serious that he feltit necessary toWhisper to the GreyMan for help. Asusual the old soldierresponded with a blastfrom that pistol hecarries, but the robedman did not falter andthen fled. His originsand desires remain amystery.

THE BLACK HARVEST

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• HISTORY

The twisted beliefs of the cultthat would eventually be known asthe Black Harvest were drawn fromthe Bible and the rantings of MorrisTetch, a protestant minister whobelieved the world would end onthe 4th of October in 1420.

The Black Harvest was formallyborn during the Civil War. EthanPrice was the eldest son of a wealthylandowner who dabbled in theoccult. He was not called upon tofight because of a bad leg and somewell placed political muscle. Whenhe received word that he had lostmost of his family during the battleof Shiloh, his guilt turned on him andhe lost his mind.

Price decided that the Civil Warwas the Apocalypse predicted byReverend Tetch and that the blackrace was descended from Caineand must be eradicated before thejudgement day. Driven bymisguided hatred, he was ableto convince others of hisrighteousness. With a war goingon, it was easy for Price and hisfollowers to slaughter entirefamilies in the name of divinejustice.

When the war ended and theApocalypse did not come, Pricelost many of his followers. Thosewho remained were simply racistslooking for some kind ofjustification for their murderouscrusade. Eventually, driven byguilt, Price took his own life.

After the suicide of its founder,the cult dwindled away to nothing.A new Harvest would be calledevery few years, but these were pale

imitations of the original that diedas quickly as they appeared. The cultwas effectively dormant for decades.

During the Depression, a conman named Clarence Beddowsresurrected the Black Harvest,selling answers to lost souls whowere all too eager to buy.

Over a four year period, the"Church of Twilight" evolved fromrevival meetings into a fullmovement. The cult was rebornand grew too quickly for Beddowsto control.

Among the desperate and thedowntrodden was a dangerousman named Simon Clarke. Clarkewas a serial rapist who "foundhimself" while doing hard time forthe State of Alabama.

Simon bought the con man'spatter and worked as his assistantfor four months before he figuredout that the boss wasn't a believer.Enraged by the betrayal, Clarketook Beddows' head with a scythe.The Harvest had a new leader.

Under Clarke's guidance, theBlack Harvest grew in size andscope. Clarke was not driven solelyby racism and actually believedthat the wicked should bepunished. He directed the Harvest

to kill any who matched hisdefinition of "wicked" or "corrupt."Under close scrutiny, there werefew who could not be foundworthy of his blade.

Hundreds were killed by robedfigures wielding scythes. Whenfederal agents captured SimonClarke and six members of his"inner circle" in 1936, the cultgradually died out. By 1950, theiractions were an unpleasantmemory.

Pop culture resurrected theBlack Harvest in the late 1980's.Clarke's image adorned the T-shirtsof teen idols and quotes from hismanifesto crept into the lyrics ofgarage bands looking forsomething controversial to givethem an "edge."

Fortunately, the renewed interestin Clarke has not sparked a newHarvest, but a few individuals haveemulated his methods, committingatrocious crimes inspired by hisinsanity.

Most infamous of these were aseries of beheadings in CookCounty, Illinois. Billy Conroymurdered at least 15 women beforehe was captured. In his confession,he claimed that the words of Simon

Judgement is coming and you best be ready or theLord will find you wanting and the gates of paradise

will be locked up tight. You come here tonight to askforgiveness for your sins and you are chastised for yourfaith. Look around you – where are your neighbors? TheLord is coming and your neighbors are out on the townlooking for a good time. There is wickedness all aroundus and there must be a reckoning before it is too late...

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Clarke "made sense of an insaneworld." Amidst the resultingpublicity, the Black Harvest wentout of vogue.

In 1996, Gordon Kellermurdered his wife and a manpicked at random using themethodology of the Conroykillings to intentionally inspire aseries of copycat killings.

This obscured the details of hiscrime, which looked like the workof a serial killer and helped him evadecapture for twelve years, until hissixty-second year. He died in policecustody two days after his arrest.

THE ORGANIZATION

All of Black Harvest's incarna-tions have been led by a singlecharismatic leader. Like manycults, this leader's desires arecarried out by an "inner circle" oftrusted acolytes, some of whom seehim as he actually was. Most,however, are blinded by him.

• OPERATIONS

The agents of the Harvest arededicated to the destruction of thewicked. The leaders dictate whoand what is wicked at any giventime. Ironically, the cult believesthat "black magic" is one of thegreat evils and devotes much oftheir efforts to finding anderadicating its practitioners.

• MISCONCEPTIONS

They call Stalkers "Reapers" andbelieve them to be the agents of thecoming Apocalypse. As such, theysee the Stalkers as their allies,regardless of how they may viewthe organization.

MAGIC USEOnly the Depression-era incar-

nation of the Black Harvest hadaccess to real Magic. Their spellsand rituals were kept in a singlevolume called the "Revealed Cat-echism," a reference to the Book ofRevelations. The Catechism wasnever copied and was only madeavailable to Clarke's "Inner Circle."

Most of the Catechism isuninspired rhetoric whose onlypurpose was the reiteration ofClarke's beliefs. The importantmaterial is contained in the finalfive chapters, collectively called the"Mouth of Righteousness."

• SEE THINE OWN TRUTH

The Black Harvest believes thatthis spell confronts their victimwith their "wickedness" forcingthem to repent their evil deeds.What it actually does is instill inthem a feeling of utter hopelessnessand despair, which leaves themweakened and shaking. This isusually all the proof they need.

The spell requires "proof" of theevil deed which is used to confrontthe accused. An apparent adulterermust be shown a picture of himentering a hotel with his mistress, analleged embezzler must be shownhis doctored books, and so on.

The central irony to this spell isthat the Black Harvest uses it as aproof, but its effects never fail, sothe victim is always "guilty." Thosewho have noticed this unfortunatefact have been silenced orconvinced they are mistaken. Afterall, how could a spell provided bythe Catechism be wrong?

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ARTIFACTS

The Inner Circle have knownspecial rituals of enchanting formany years and have used them tocreate three Artifacts that are used bycertain agents of the Harvest whenthe wicked must be punished.

•THE NIGHT SHIELD

Most common of the Artifactsused by the Harvest, the NightShield is a talisman used to wardoff "black magic." To create thetalisman, a magician must obtainthirteen pennies, a hot flame, andthe blood of a guard dog that hastorn flesh from a human.

The pennies are heated, beateninto a copper disk about three inchesin diameter and then tempered in theanimal blood. This disc must be assmooth and featureless as possible.When the disc is ready but before ithas completely cooled, the magicianrecites a brief verse and makes asmall cut near his left temple,allowing a single drop of blood tofall onto the metal.

When complete, the Shield mustbe worn over the heart and must betouching bare skin to functionproperly. So long as the character isDriven by his beliefs, the Artifactincreases his Resolve Attribute by 2points for purposes of resistingmortal magic and the powers of theUnseen. In addition, it lowers theDie Cap of Rend attacks by 2.

• THE REDEMPTION SCYTHE

Like the Shield, the Scythe is apersonal weapon that onlyfunctions for the magician whocreated it. A Sensitive is able to tell

• RETRIBUTION

This ritual is used to exactvengeance against those whohave opposed the Harvest. It israrely used against those theorganization views as wicked, asthey must be dealt with directly.

The magician constructs aScarecrow from clothes stolenfrom his intended victim. Theclothes may be stuffed withanything, but objects withnegative emotional resonancework best (such as burial clothes,newspaper clippings of murdersor mass deaths, and so on). Clarkehimself discovered the potentialof using explosives as stuffing.

The Scarecrow's Attack, Defend,Initiative, Perceive, and ResolveAttributes are equal to the ResolveAttribute of the magician whocreated it. All Scarecrows have aFortitude of 8 and Vitality of 12and regain any lost Vitality whenthe victim sleeps.

When the Scarecrow is investedwith Essence, it becomes a creatureof Essence like a Shadow. It cantravel unseen through the physicalworld and can only be noticed bySensitive characters or it's victim.It will only manifest when it hasfinally found the victim.

The Scarecrow has 20 points ofarmor which is subtracted fromdamage caused by anyone but thevictim. The Scarecrow inflictsdamage equal to the victim'sPerceive Attribute on everysuccessful hit. It is only killed ifthe intended victim delivers thekilling blow. If not, it will returnthe next time the victim sleeps.

that there is magic present on it, butas far as anyone else is concerned,it seems to be an ordinary, thoughsomewhat intimidating, tool.

When wielding the RedemptionScythe, the character uses hisResolve score in place of his AttackAttribute, doing 3 Dice of Damageif he hits a mortal victim and 5 Diceagainst creatures of Essence. Thereis a down side however. If theattack misses, the wielder loses apoint of Vitality so it is only usedwhen deemed truly necessary.

• SEEDS OF SORROW

These are created from awidow's tears and are used totorment the wicked. The seedsmust be created in the light of thenew full moon. Up to six seeds canbe created at any one time.

Each seed, when planted on theproperty owned by a "wicked"person, gives that individual ter-rible dreams of being chased by afearsome beast through fields ofwheat. Each night of this nightmarereduces the person's Resolve andVitality by 1 point each.

The seeds actually produce ablack flower that grows andblooms all in one night. It emits aterrible odor that can only bedetected by animals. The odormakes them irritable anduncomfortable. If the flower iseaten, the consumer is immediatelytrapped in the dream and remainsthere until the intended target diesor regains all of his lost Resolve (ata rate of one per day).

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When Lynn Prentiss met Herbert George Wells in her mother’s parlor, shefell madly in love. She was seduced not by the man but by his vision of

the future. She and Wells would speak for long hours about man’s future hopesfor survival. Wells convinced her that man’s future depended on his ability tounderstand science and overcome his base desires. She developed her owntheories and soon became a prominent “futurist,” founding the Better DawnSociety, an organization dedicated to “improving tomorrow by examiningyesterday.” Her research led her to an ancient Sanskrit text that parted the Veiland revealed the Unseen menace that threatened the promised Utopia.

As a Stalker, Lynn has become theembodiement of the future as sheimagined it would be. A gracefulunion of flesh and metal, Dawnsteelis the living embodiment of theprinciples she expoused in life.

Dawnsteel's Domain is a shiningmetropolis of metal and glass whosemulti-leveled streets are filled withworker drones and whose skies arefilled with airships. She lives beneaththe city in an enormous chamber filledwill dials and levers that control everyaspect of her brave new world.

ArroganceCompassionObsessionNaiveteHope

DAWNSTEEL

Richard Case was a street kid who ran errands for a bookie on New York’sLower East Side in the late 1940s. When he was 16, he left the rackets and set

out on his own to make his way on the grift. Richard first encountered theUnseen while traveling with a tent show where he worked his cons. Anacquaintance operated a sideshow called the “Carnival of the Bizarre.” Thefeature attraction turned out to be an Awakened Shadow that had been capturedin Bangladesh. Watching the creature struggle against its bonds inspired anunhealthy fascination with the Unseen. Living on his wits, the young mantravelled the world in search of curiosities like the Shadow. When he realizedtheir true nature, he sought out a Circle of Stalkers and offered them his services.

Richard's Avatar is as twisted as hismortal life. His desire to atone for hissins has manifested in the strange identityof “Father Figure,” a warped side-showfreak dressed like some sort of priest.

The good father ’s Domain is alabyrinth of tents filled with side-showattractions. Father Figure lives in thelargest of the tents where a revivalmeeting is always in progress.

Father Figure's Keys have taken theform of a string of prayer beads that heplays with whenever he is nervous orpondering his long-lost mortal life.

CrueltyCompassionCuriositySensibilityRegret

FATHER FIGURE

Talon was born into a tribe of nomadic hunters who lived in the Arctic Circlebefore the dawn of recorded history. During a hunt, Talon found the mutilated

corpse of a beast that had been slaughtered by something whose tracks he didnot recognize. He tracked this strange predator to its lair and came face to facewith an Unbidden spirit in a wounded Vessel newly arrived and starved forEssence. Weakened from its transition, the creature was no match for theprimitive and fell quickly to his stone axe. A Circle of Stalkers arrived on thescene almost immediately. Impressed by Talon's purity and strength, and awareof his true potential they readilly recruited him into their ranks.

Talon's Avatar reflects his primitiveoutlook and untamed brutality. He hasthe body of a powerfully muscled Ne-anderthal, topped by a oversized lion'shead maned in light. Talon serves hisCircle as a warrior. Despite his Enlight-ened consciousness, he chooses tocling to his savage ways, making hima truly dangerous opponent.

Talon's Domain is a lush valleysurrounded by glacial peaks. It ispopulated by countless birds and beastsfrom Talon's era. The Stalker lives in asmall village in the center of the valleywhere he is both shaman and chief.

AngerEmpathyLustHonestyCompassion

TALON

DISCIPLINES

___________ y / n___________ y / n___________ y / n___________ y / n___________ y / n___________ y / n___________ y / n___________ y / n

SERVITORS

___________ y / n___________ y / n___________ y / n___________ y / n___________ y / n___________ y / n___________ y / n

AWARENESS SKILLS

Mending +__Perception +__Sensitivity +__

INSIGHT SKILLS

Deduction +__History +__Occultism +__

PRESENCESKILLS

Banish +__Bind +__Charm +__Evoke +__Intimidate +__Mask +__

DEXTERITY SKILLS

Attack +__Defend +__Stealth +__

FOCUS SKILLS

___________ +_____________ +_____________ +_____________ +_____________ +_____________ +__

VESSEL ATTRIBUTES

Dexterity ___Fortitude ___Strength ___

AVATAR ATTRIBUTES

Awareness ___Insight ___Presence ___Willpower ___

VITALITY KARMA

Mastery?

Mastery?

EXPERIENCE