Shades of Harrowing (Ghosts)

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They laugh at our sorrow, glory in our pain, and revel in our confusion.

Ghosts have passed beyond the physical needs that were once all they knew. Now they strive to make sense

of what they are and why they have not passed on -- if there is anywhere to pass on to. Madness consumes

them as they consume each other. Unexplained imprisonment, never ending, never ceasing, wailing for

eternity.

Within Shades of the Harrowingyou find the unbridled existence of Ghosts detailed with powers and

descriptions of their changing beings. These creatures are the most vitally roleplay-intensive. Unable to endthey merely change from one personality to the next, an incorporeal web of unimaginable proportions.

"Whoever wishes to keep

a secret must hide the fact

that he possesses one."

Goethe

Theatre of the Shadows Playtest EditionEverything included is property of Paul Allen Timm,

1997 Silver Shadows Publishing

This game is primarily about interaction or depending on how you look at it, interference. Since these

creatures have no real life of their own, they relish the myriad ways they can affect the lives of others. After

all if a Ghosts plans are interrupted or altered, it usually only results in annoying them. Rarely are they ever

actually put out by the success or failure of others. Many Ghosts have been known to assist both sides in a

conflict rather then let the situation be resolved. But even this can eventually lead to boredom, which forces

the damned soul to create even more intricate forms of entertainment.

color="gold">Ghosts file:///D:/Documents/Gaming/Shades/Supplements%20-%20Unp

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Ghosts are brought into being in any number of ways, but they all have one thing in common: they are

virtually isolated from everything they once knew. No one has come to ferry these souls across the great river

Styx. Valkyeries have not appeared to escort these creatures to Valhalla. The Ankou has not brought his

carriage to collect them. They are alone.

This is not to say that the afterlife is completely devoid of purpose, it just means that each soul must ascertain

his own raison dtre. As the soul becomes more acclimated to his new state and comes to understand theenergies that continue his existence, he is better able to exert influence on his surroundings.

Once the mortal shell is shaken off and the cares and concerns of existence are found to be unnecessary, a

soul is left with only the core elements of his being. Primarily, there are two components to the soul:

memories and emotions. What would a Ghost be if there werent the memories of his past for him to hold on

to? And since physical feeling is denied the dead, only the strong currents generated by emotions help the soul

maintain a grip on his sanity.

Many Ghosts find purpose and relief from the tedium of existence by participating in the lives of others. This

is one of the most important concepts in the game. A new Ghost who is relatively weak in power cannot do

much of anything. Often he cant even communicate with those he left behind. This isolation and despairbegins to take over the creature, especially if he runs afoul of those stronger than himself. As the Ghost gains

power, he discovers that there areways to affect the physical world. Sure, hell spend time reveling in these

new powers as he wreaks havoc on the mortal population, but within a short amount of time hell see that its

just too easy. Eventually, hell turn his eyes to the others that inhabit the world of Dark Reality.

Without this process Ghosts would simply be mindless souls wandering through the world; never seeking to

accomplish anything, never able to interact with anyone except other mindless souls. Some historians and

researchers have studied wretched, oblivious souls such as this and concluded that all Ghosts are the same;

that they cannot affect the world or have absolutely no interest in it. This is so far from the truth as to be

ridiculous. Its just that as Ghosts develop the power needed to affect the world around them, their sights

gradually become set on more dangerous game. They will not hesitate to interfere with anything and anyone

if it suits their plans to do so. Think of a child and an anthill: normally kids could care less about a mound of

ants, theyre literally beneath notice. But every now and then, some crazed plan seizes the kid and he floods

the hill with a hose, or brings out a magnifying glass, or even pulls the aerosol bug spray and lighter

combination. When asked why he did such a thing, the response usually follows along the lines of, To see

what would happen. Ghosts.

Sometimes a Ghost will play the role of guardian angel and follow a loved one throughout their life, giving aid

and assistance when needed. Other times, the Ghost will latch onto a victim and make their life a living hell.

More often though, a Ghost will jump headlong into a situation and just stir up events in order to keep

things interesting. Boredom and tedium are two things that Ghosts try to eradicate when possible. You try

spending a couple of centuries just sitting around. You get to a point where you can notice the signs of

stagnation setting in.

Ghosts, being reduced to a state that some describe as pure emotional energy, seem to have more control and

influence over a greater range of emotions and feelings than any other type of creature. Most supernatural

creatures can only enjoy and manipulate the most basic forms of feeling: love, hate, sadness, happiness, fear,

and desire. Ghosts have lost most of societys emotional restrictions and tend to act on whatever impulses

they feel at any given moment. It is this constant indulgence of the self that keeps a Ghost in touch with the

finer aspects of feeling an emotion. For example, Ghosts who delve into these things understand the blurry


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line that separates desire, lust, and greed. Although they all seem like varieations on the I want! principle,

there is a distinction between the three that only a Ghost is able to exploit to its fullest.

Nothing is known for certain about the existence of some great plan for the soul after death. Most souls do, infact, move on to something. Whether that something is a paradise of never ending torture is unknown.

Death does not grant anyone assurances about an afterlife even the Fallen do not know what awaits them

when they die. It seems that only those whose transition is interfered with in some way are left to remain here

as Ghosts. And it seems that transition is a one shot deal. If you dont go wherever youre supposed to,

when youre supposed to, you dont go at all; there is no second chance.

It is said that there are many living humans that look forward to the death of their mortal shell: the terminally

ill, those that suffer every day in pain, people who long for something better, those who have simply given up,

and many others. They all look forward to a release, a change. Ghosts are forever denied that experience, and

with complete understanding of that fact, madness is the undeniable result.

Ghosts cannot be destroyed. No matter if their life force is reduced to nothing, they simply discorporate for atime and eventually reform. A little weaker for the trouble, but they do come back. Even those powerful souls

that are able to devour other Ghosts do not actually destroy their victims; instead, they absorb them. The

collected knowledge, personality, and experiences are randomly blended into a new composite creature. This

is why devouring, although an easy way to gain power, is not pursued by wiser individuals. Split

personalities, incoherent memories, and utter chaos await those that seek this path.

It is important to realize that Ghosts do not get a chance to move on; it isnt an option open to them. Of

course, they dont knowthat in the beginning. Some poor Ghost may accomplish his last wish (seeing that a

stolen treasure is returned to its owner) thinking that he gets to pass on. Hes waiting nothing happens.

Maybe, he thinks, I have to atone for something else Ive done. He continues for a while doing what he

thinks are good deeds, but still nothing happens. As he grows in power, he meets other, older Ghosts. Theylet him know that theyve been around for centuries waiting to be set free. But it hasnt happened yet. This

is when he realizes that Ghosts are truly forsaken. In defiance and anger, he sets off on a terrorizing spree. He

has realized a tiny bit of the consequences in becoming a Ghost. He cant pass on, change, or die. The only

hope, held by a small few, is there must be something theyve overlooked. Maybe, the universe does have a

plan for them, but theyve got to wait until the end of existence to find out what it is.

These are the two paths a Ghost has once he truly accepts his fate: either be devoured and continue on as a

fragment of someone elses life, or seek enough power to protect yourself from being devoured and in the

process go insane.

Ghosts do not exist in some metaphysical other world. Ghosts do not travel to a land of the dead; they are

trapped here. Their continued presence on the earth is exactly that on the earth, right here, among us,

everywhere. They see the same things we do, hear the things we hear, and sometimes, touch what we touch.

Remember, these creatures were once mortal. Although they very quickly lose interest in the mortal world,

they still carry with them the passions and motivations they had in life. For this reason you will often find

Ghosts that are greedy, manipulative, vengeful, even power hungry. Of course, there are those that are loving,

giving and full of self-sacrifice but unless theyre strong (or have strong allies) they tend not to last long.

What passes for a Ghosts society is not all that different from the world of mortals. Wars occur over


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philosophies, territories, and insults (perceived and intended). Kingdoms are formed, unite, and are destroyed.

Various Ghosts and their Covens represent all cultures throughout time. There are some Ghosts that rule over

a territory like a feudal lord, with vassals, serfs, and protectors. There are others who exist in small bands that

travel the world telling their stories and performing for any who will listen. Strange, esoteric cabals continue

to research and study the mystical writings of the ages.

The afterlife is to be explored; there is no certainty here. There are game systems that present everything for

the player in one neat package (This is the world your character lives in). Shades of the Harrowinghas no

such guarantees. One territory could indeed have savage slavers that trap unwary souls and bind them asservants. And yet another could be a simple commune of the dead. One Coven may have strict laws and rules

about associating with Vampires, and another may even include them as members. In this game, you could be

the one who creates a kingdom out of nothing more than a few loyal friends.

First it must be understood that the following descriptions are for the average, generic Ghost; certain powersexist that can alter any or all of these principles. Also, a Ghost is normally completely and utterly invisible to

mortals. Supernatural creatures can detect wispy, ethereal, insubstantial (although identifiable) form, but

mortals remain completely oblivious to the existence of the Ghost.

One of the best metaphors for this concept is the radio. While there are hundreds of different radio

frequencies, a receiver can normally pick up only one at a time. The mortal is exactly like the radio; she is

tuned to one frequency and thats all she can pick up. It is up to the Ghost to shift his own frequency in order

for her to notice him at all. Supernatural creatures are similar to a badly tuned radio; they can perceive part of

the Ghost just like a listener can hear a bit of bleed through from another radio frequency. Again, its up to

the Ghost to shift his own frequency in order to interact with someone in a different frequency. Anyone thats

in the same frequency can interact freely at all times.

For the purposes of Dark Reality, this is considered the natural state of the Ghost. In this state, the Ghost

can interact freely with other Ghosts or those in a ghost-like state. The Ghost can move freely through

physical objects such as walls, floors, ceilings, and people. While insubstantial, the Ghost is also unrestricted

by gravity and most of the laws of physics. Ghosts can fly, hover, and soar through the air at will. They can

also travel inside a car, plane, or subway car just as easily as they can let it pass right through them. Of

course, if the car was insubstantial it wouldnt be able to pass through the Ghost.

Direct, physical contact with any corporeal creatures is impossible. Sometimes a power description will make

reference to touching the intended target; passing a hand through the target can also satisfy this requirement.

The Ghost cannot be involved in any physical interactions and will not take any Normal or Execrated

Damage from a corporeal creature or object. Only powers that deliver Consecrated Damage in a direct

fashion will cause damage to the Ghost (if the power itself is used on an object and that object is used against

the Ghost, it will have no effect). Also unless powers stating otherwise are gained, the Ghost can cause no

direct physical damage to corporeal creatures while in this state.


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Powers used by an insubstantial creature against another insubstantial creature work as written. For example:

A Vampire is corporeal and tries to useEnkindlingon a Ghost. It doesnt work because the

corporeal Vampire cant cause damage to the insubstantial Ghost. Now, if that Vampire shifts into

Ghostly Visageand becomes insubstantial, its a different story. If he now usesEnkindling

against the Ghost, it works perfectly fine. But he couldnt useEnkindlingon a corporeal creature

while hes insubstantial.

Some sort of signal is needed to let other players know that a character is in this state; it would be

rather obvious. We recommend a small strip of gauzy, white material (2 by 6) be pinned to your

shoulder. If you go invisible or corporeal, take it off.

A Ghost can normally only achieve this state through the powers of either the Manifesting, Death,or the

Possessioncharts. While in this state, the Ghost can interact freely with others who are also corporeal.Obviously, the Ghost cannot pass through solid objects in this state. In other words, a Ghost who is corporeal

is treated just like any other corporeal creature.

A Ghost in this state will suffer any and all damage that successfully hits him (Normal, Execrated, or

Consecrated). In this state, Normal Damage will affect the Ghost as follows: For every 30 points of Normal

Damage taken in one round, the Ghosts Reaction Score is reduced by three for one round. So if the Ghost is

hit for 60 points of Normal Damage, his Reaction Score is at a 3 for two rounds, 90 points of Normal

Damage would leave Reaction Score at 3 for three rounds, and so on. Additionally for every 30 points of

Normal Damage the Ghost suffersfrom one sourcein one round, hell be stunned for one round.

Notice that while a Ghost is possessing or inhabiting another creature or an object, he is considered corporeal.Within the limits of the power being used, the Ghost can communicate, touch, and interact with the corporeal

world. Additionally, the Ghost always suffers all forms of damage while in this form.

Though technically not a State of Beingfor a Ghost, visibility/invisibility can be tricky, so it gets its own

section.

As stated, a Ghost is normally always invisible (and inaudible) to the average, witless mortal. A mortal can be

made to see a Ghost through various illusions, manifestations, and possessions. Occasionally a mortal willcome along who can sense the Ghosts presence see her, hear her, or just know that shes there.

As far as other supernatural creatures go, they will most often see the Ghost as a standard, wispy,

insubstantial form. Again, through the use of certain powers, the Ghost can make herself invisible to other

creatures. Depending on the power used, the Ghost can be insubstantial or corporeal when this occurs. If the

Ghost is invisible and corporeal, she will still take damage from other corporeal sources that manage to hit

her. And likewise, if insubstantial, she will still take damage from others in a like state as well as any direct,

targeted Consecrated Damage.


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Before we even get into what is cool and unique about Ghosts in this section, Im going to define the three

types of damage that can occur in Dark Reality. Thisll be real quick, because its covered later in the section,

Roleplaying the Game.

Normal Damage:The result of any normal force or weapon. A gun, a fist, a vase over the skull, a very largetwo by four with nails in it, and so on. If applicable, this damage is subtracted from the Ghosts (Current

Dynamic Point Total) CDPT and can possibly stun him.

Execrated Damage:Any damage caused from a supernatural or mystical source. Powers, claws, sharp pointy

werewolf/vampire/zombie teeth are a few examples. If applicable, this damage is subtracted directly from the

Ghosts CDPT.

Consecrated Damage:This is damage caused from holy sources. Consecrated Damage is always a

percentage that is calculated on the Ghosts DPT. That total is then subtracted from his CDPT.

Ghosts that are insubstantial will never take Execrated or Normal Damage from a corporeal being, only

Consecrated Damage. The Consecrated Damage must be directly aimed at the Ghost. It cannot be a

Consecrated object as the object itself will pass right through the Ghost. Think of it this way, the Consecrated

Damage must go directly from the source that created it to the Ghost, with nothing in-between.

You can also imagine Consecration as water. People can enter water for extended periods and the water itself

does no harm to them. But if you direct a stream of water with enough pressure at a human body, it can cause

tremendous damage. The same thing for Ghosts. Being around Consecrated ground or a Consecrated object is

not a problem. Having pure Consecration aimed directly at you is another story. [This only works for true

Ghosts, not everyone in Ghost form.] Likewise, True Faith does not normally harm a Ghost as true faith in

and of itself is not Consecrated; it just has a nasty affect on Vampires and the Diabolic. There are thoseGhosts who have developed a vulnerability to true faith because of certain powers theyve attained or curses

theyve placed.

An insubstantial Ghost is still affected by any non-damaging effects of any powers that fulfill all the

restrictions of the power itself (eye contact, DPT restrictions etc., but not touch). For example, if a Vampire

uses the Mind & Heart / BeastpowerIgniting the Pool, an insubstantial Ghost in the area of effect will not

take the damage but will be affected by the emotion (if his DPT is less than the Vampires as per the power

description).

Likewise it is incredibly difficult for a Ghost to cause direct, physical damage to anyone not in the same state

(corporeal or insubstantial) as she is. Therefore, those in the same state can interact freely with each other(hit, damage, touch, etc.).

Regarding the effects of powers used against insubstantial ghosts:

Wed love to be able to say, use common sense. However, experience has shown very strongly that

definitions that are common sense are far from common, so here goes. An action that requires a victim to be

physical for any part of its effect wont work on a Ghost. Any form of Normal or Execrated Damage wont

work because theres nothing there to damage. Stunning effects may or may not work depending on how they

are caused: an area suddenly becoming cold wont have any affect, but a sound based attack would stun a


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Ghost as well as anyone. All emotion based, telepathic, and confusion-oriented powers (that dont require

touching the victim) will work. Remember that although two powers may have the same final outcome, how

they accomplish that result is very important in this game.

Just remember that if a power requires the user (corporeal) to touch the victim (insubstantial Ghost) then the

power fails. If the Ghost is corporeal, then its almost all fair game. Equally important is that the Ghosts are

never subject to any Shadow dominant powers corporeal or otherwise. That means any power from the

Vampire charts that being with Shadow/.

If a Ghost is ever reduced to zero CDPT, he is not destroyed. Instead he is forced to discorporate for a period

of one week per 25 points of his DPT. While discorporate, he has no awareness of what is going on in the

world. He can take no actions and cannot communicate with anyone. Anyone trying to contact him through

the various mystical means will not be able to reach him and theres a one in ten chance that they will be

stunned for one round due to the overwhelming nothingness that they experience.

When the Ghost manages to recorporate (in the same location he discorporated from) his maximum DPT isreduced by one third. So, a 300 DPT Ghost is discorporated. When he reforms after 12 weeks, his DPT

maximum will now be 200. The Ghost always loses his highest color/shape levels first and he will never

recorporate with less than 30 DPT.

Also, the Ghost will recorporate with a random personality trait as his core trait. This new trait will now

occupy two spaces on the characters personality Matrix (see Releasement).

Although it sounds like Ghosts rarely ever take damage, this is far from the case. Most, Ghosts actually cause

large amounts of damage to themselves. Unless otherwise noted, anytime a Ghost uses a power, he loses 5

points from his CDPT. This expenditure of energy needed to interact with the Ghosts surroundings is called

exaction. Exaction is subtracted directly from the Ghosts CDPT (just like Execrated Damage). There are

some instances, curses most often, where exaction is treated like Consecrated Damage. In this case, the

exaction is a percentage that is figured on the Ghosts maximum DPT and then subtracted from the CDPT.

In most cases, a Ghost must return to his Sanctum and spend time there in isolation before he can recover

these lost CDPT points. There are a few powers that allow for rapid healing or siphoning of DPT.

This extremely dangerous practice is relatively easy to accomplish. All a Ghost has to do is plunge his hand

deep into his victims chest and draw forth her soul (she must have a soul for this to work spirits dont

count). The soul is a tricky object to catch, even for a Ghost, and takes four rounds to pin down completely.

During this time if the Ghost is separated from his victim, he takes 10% Consecrated Damage. If he is

successful however, he has the option of absorbing the soul, in which case he will gain 10% of its DPT as his

own (and those points are immediately added to his CDPT). If he chooses not to absorb the soul, it will be

reabsorbed by its body within five rounds. The victim will be quite groggy for at least three rounds after she

regains her soul. While out of body, the victim experiences a loss of time as well as perception. If there is


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no body for the soul to return to and the Ghost doesnt devour the soul, then the soul begins its new existence

as a Ghost (30DPT).

There are two major conditions to devouring: the victim must be of lesser DPT than the Ghost and the

Ghost must have been in the same state as the intended victim (corporeal or insubstantial, as well as

visible or invisible) for a minimum of three rounds prior to beginning the procedure.

As stated before, if a victim is absorbed in this manner, the Ghost must incorporate aspects of herbackground, goals, and desires into his personality. Even the DPT that he gains can only be used in charts that

the victimpossessed. If the victim is not another Ghost, then he can only use the absorbed DPT to boost

charts he already has points in.

If the victim is another Ghost and has devoured other souls, these other souls are placed further into a passive

mode. Each and every soul involved is aware of what is happening, but these weaker souls are completely

helpless and have no chance of attaining dominance. They are the truly damned for they have the knowledge

that their power and their very essence is being used only to further someone elses goals while they can only

observer what is to come.

There is a fine distinction to be made here. Devouring does not mean the character has actually died;being devoured doesnt set the soul free. The character that is devoured is actually made a part of the

devouring Ghost. Of course that doesnt help the player; hes still without a character to play. Powers

that allow someone to contact the victim will simply not make contact.

There is a limit to how many times a Ghost can withstand the strain of devouring another soul (see

Releasement); the control involved in maintaining a dominant personality is staggering. Once the Ghost has

reached his limit, the sheer volume of memories, passions, experiences and perspectives has overcome the

mental barriers of the character and madness has finally made its claim.

The character is still not dead, not destroyed. There is no restful oblivion for any of the souls trapped in thenow insane Ghost. Instead, all of the trapped souls fight for dominance in a never-ending succession. The only

thing that is comprehensible to the rest of the universe is the horrific wailing that can be felt on a

subconscious, ineffable-level by all beings within 50 yards of the pitiful creature. This baleful, mournful sound

will usually manifest itself as fits of depression, suicidal temptations, nightmares, and severe loneliness to all

that are exposed to it. The Ghost has now become a Banshee.

Ghosts exude an other-worldly presence called the Haunting. Theories abound as to the nature of this force,

but it always surrounds the Ghost and makes his presence known in subtle ways. Rooms get just a bit colder,

animals may act oddly, the air feels heavier, and mortals always seem a bit more edgy than normal. If a Ghost

stays in one area for a time, the area itself begins to take on features of the Haunting as well and becomes

whats called a Sanctum.

One of the oddest aspects of the Haunting, is that it doesnt change. No matter how powerful the Ghost

becomes or how many Ghosts are present, the Haunting remains constant. This has proven very useful to

Ghost Covens who wish to disguise their numbers or their true power levels.

The Haunting is closely related to a Vampires Knowing, but it is not the same thing (even though many


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unfortunate creatures have confused one for the other). The effects of the Haunting are the same for every

Ghost, but the Knowing varies for each Vampire. The Haunting doesnt change with the power of the Ghost,

but the Knowing grows stronger as the Vampire does. They both remain constant within themselves; they

dont get more intense the closer you get to the source.

The Haunting (and for that matter, the Knowing too) does not function as a radar device. Actually, if youre

inside the range of a Ghosts Haunting, then you dont know if one is around. Also, if a Ghost is corporeal in a

crowd of creatures, no one can tell who is the Ghost just be sensing the Haunting. If a creature is already

within one Ghosts Haunting range, they wont detect another Ghosts approach.

Think of the Haunting (or the Knowing) as someone with cologne or perfume. If youre that person and you

smell something thats not you, youre pretty safe guessing its the other guy. If youre in a small restaurant

with a few friends and you detect a whiff of Old Spice, then you know someone in the area has it, but

youre not sure who. If youre in a crowd of people who are all wearing fragrances, its eve harder to pin any

one of them down.

In the case of Vampires though suppose a Ghost is talking to three Vampires and the Knowing and

Haunting levels are pretty stable. If the Ghost suddenly feels a surge in the Knowing level, it might be a safe

guess that someone more powerful is somewhere in the area, but its impossible to tell in what direction, how

far away, who it is, etc.

A Ghost can create a Sanctum by staying in one area (a room, a house, a section of a park, etc) for three days.

To determine the size of the Ghosts Haunting range (which is the same as the maximum size of his Sanctum)

take the Ghosts DPT as the number of feet in diameter of the area. So, a 300 DPT Ghost could have a

Sanctum 300 feet in diameter. This covers a spherical area.

The Ghost can now actually gain strength simply by being in this area. For every three consecutive hours theGhost remains within his Sanctum, he regains 25% of his DPT to his CDPT. Remember that the CDPT can

never be higher than the DPT. There is no credit for partial time spent in a Sanctum; its always in three hour

blocks.

In order to maintain the Sanctums special properties, the Ghost must spend a minimum of three consecutive

hours there at least once every three days. This is called replenishing the Sanctum. If a Sanctum is not

replenished once every three days, then its special properties for that Ghost cease to exist and he will have to

recreate it.

Notice that in order to create one Sanctum, the Ghost must stay there for three days. If the Ghost wanted to

create another Sanctum, he would have to stay there three days (72 hours) and so the first Sanctum wouldcease to provide any benefits. In other words, without specific powers, the Ghost can only have on Sanctum

(plus his place of death/burial) at a time.

The Ghost will always have one place as an automatic Sanctum that does not have to be created and

does not have to be replenished: either his place of death orhis place of burial.

A Sanctum must be affixed to the Earth. Portable objects like cars, necklaces, or a sword are not valid

locations for a Sanctum. It must be a physical place in the generic sense of the word.

Sanctums can be Consecrated and in that way they will lose their benefit to the Ghost. If a Vampire is

destroyed on a Ghosts Sanctum, it will need to be recreated. Note that the Consecrated area doesnt do any


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actual harm to the Ghost, it just wipes out the benefits of his Sanctum. If any individual with true faith

actively blesses a Sanctum, it can also wipe out the benefits to the Ghost. Consecrated areas are highly fought

over as Sanctums by Ghosts who are trying to avoid Vampires. This is because the Ghost could easily enter a

Consecrated area but a Vampire would suffer greatly in that area.

Many theories exist to explain why Consecrated areas cause discomfort and pain to Vampires but not Ghosts.

One of the more prominent is: Consecration fills the physical space that the Vampire occupied because the

worlds natural state is a Consecrated one. Ghosts are mortal souls who are also in their natural state and

therefore the area doesnt harm them. Only when Consecration is directly aimed at a Ghost does it damagethem.

Coven Sanctums are special areas that all members of a Coven have spent at least three days in. Once an

initial Sanctum is created, each Coven member must spend three days with her Haunting range overlapping

the initial Sanctum. After that, the combined area is considered Sanctum for all members of the Coven. The

entire Sanctum only needs to be replenished by any one of the Coven Members in order for everyone to

benefit from it. Often, Covens will capture a lesser Ghost and bind him to the area in order to keep it

replenished.

Another example: Malcolm [150 DPT] creates a Sanctum 150 feet in diameter. Another CovenMember, Illume [75 DPT], comes along and camps out right on the edge of Malcolms Sanctum.

After three days, both Malcolm and Illume can claim the entire area as Sanctum as long as one of

the two stops by for three consecutive hours once every three days.

The mournful sound of the Ghosts wail is legendary and persists throughout many of the worlds cultures. In

the world of Dark Reality this horrific cry is caused by a combination of the Ghosts emotional and mental

controls threatening to break down as the Ghost approaches Releasement.

When the Ghost lets this torrent of pain escape her control temporarily, its enough to stun everyone within

her Haunting range for one round per trait in the Ghosts Matrix. Those whose DPT is 100 or more points

greater than the users are unaffected. This can only be done one time a day plus one time per 100 points of

the Ghosts DPT (a 300 point Ghost could use the Harrowing four times a day).

Curses are often seen as the most powerful weapons a Ghost has. These special powers have long-term

affects that can seriously impact on the game. There are a few things common to all curses:

The Ghost who places a curse can remove it whenever he feels like as long as its affects have not run their

course. Someone cursed to become a Ghost when they die could have that fate lifted before they actually die.

If they do die and become a Ghost, then its too late.

Most curses require either an activating or a terminating trigger. An activating trigger places the curse in a

stand-by mode, waiting for the trigger event to happen before the curse goes into effect. A well known

example of this is the popular mummys curse. The archaeologist isnt actually cursed until he opens the

tomb. That sort of thing.


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A terminating trigger will release the victim from the effects of the curse. You know the type: You are

doomed to ride your horse over the bridge at midnight every Halloween until your head is reunited with your

body. Once his head and body are put back together, the curse will be lifted. The Story Guide will be the

final arbiter of what triggers are acceptable. They have to be able to be achieved or can be interpreted

loosely. When monkeys fly out my ass, should probably be disallowed.

Almost every curse requires an exaction cost figured as a percentage of the users DPT. This is not the same

as the CDPT. A 50% exaction curse placed by a 300 DPT character will cost 150 DPP. It doesnt matter ifthe user is at full strength or not; the exaction is calculated on the maximum DPT of the character. If the user

doesnt have enough DPT to place the curse, then there is no effect.

True names can have great power over individuals. Any power that requires them sets that forth in its

description, but they most often come into play when binding a spirit or Ghost. A true name for a Ghost is the

name his mother wanted to name him when she was pregnant. This may be different from his legal name

throughout his life. A true name is limited to the individuals first name. This system works exactly the samefor Vampires. God gives fallen Angels true names to them, and Witches are given their true names when they

come of age into the Illustia (the Machiavellian society of the Witches).

Whenever the Ghost is forced to reveal his true nature, his form becomes visibly transparent (whether he is

corporeal or not) and a pale blue aura appears around his form. Those creatures who can assume a Ghost-like

state will show their own true natures and will not show signs of being a Ghost.

Twilight is an important time to Ghosts as it is a period of change, of transition. Just as Ghosts see themselves

as being stuck in a perpetual period of transition, so they are affected by the transition of the world they exist

in. As day turns into night and night into day, many of the powers of the Ghost are either diminished or

cancelled outright. For the purpose of this game, twilight is considered to be the 17 minutes of sunrise andsunset. During this time, none of the powers of the Ghost may be initiatedand he will fade from the sight of

everyone except other Ghosts.

Candles are said to burn with a blue flame when in the presence of Ghosts. There have been many myths to

explain why this occurs as well as an equal number of attempts to scientifically validate this phenomenon.

One hypothesis that has recently gained popularity, though no real belief is that the candle itself is a


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representation of the Ghosts existence. Something plain and corporeal (the candle) is turned into something

ephemeral and insubstantial (the flame). The point where this transition occurs (the wick), normally burns

blue, the flame turning bright yellow-orange. Because the Ghost is stuck in perpetual transition, the flame

itself never moves past the transition stage and therefore stays blue.

Ghosts are not normally able to communicate with those friends and loved ones left behind; this is often a

source of frustration and despair for those who were intimately connected to their previous lives. Mortals

cannot hear (or see) Ghosts unless powers or abilities are brought into play. However, other mystical

creatures are able to hear and communicate with Ghosts on a normal basis.

As Ghosts can shift the frequency they operate on, they can also alter the way they communicate with each

other. Often this is referred to as Spirit Words or Shroud Speech. The level that this communication takes

place on is audible only to other Ghosts or those that can communicate on this level; this is not a form of

telepathy or mind linking. Since this frequency is so innately tied to a Ghosts natural state, conversation in

this medium tends to drown out any normal or mundane methods of speaking. To those that can hear it,

Shroud Speech has an almost lilting, hypnotic, and soothing quality about it (one theory is that this is wherethe phrase speaking directly to someones soul comes from). Over time, it tends to become rather seductive

to Ghosts and many stop speaking in any other form.

Ghost and shadows do not intermix, in any way, at all, period. Ghosts never cast a shadow and this is one of

the telling signs that a target could be a corporeal Ghost theres no shadow. Ghosts cannot affect shadows

and shadows cannot affect Ghosts. Additionally, none of the Vampire powers that are Shadow dominant will

affect Ghosts at all, and no Ghost powers will affect a shadow (see Shades of Nightfall). This continues to the

point where a Ghost cannot even enter the Shadow Realm. Even with powers that would allow him to follow

a victim anywhere, he cannot interact with shadows.

Other creatures in shadow form count as shadows. The Ghost can no longer interact with the shadow as

long as it is in shadow form. This prevents any form of communication, power usage, combat, etc., even if the

Ghost is fully corporeal. On the flip side, the creature cant interact with the Ghost at all either. Likewise, a

Ghost cannot be turned into a shadow no matter if hes in corporeal form or possessing a host, or even in

control of a corpse. If a situation arose where a shadow was involved with a Vampire (or some non-shadow

entity), the Ghost could interact with the Vampire just as he normally could.

Other examples of non-interaction include: not being able to Followa shadow, a shadow being able to ignore

aDynamic Barrieror aBarricade, a Ghost walking right through a field of Onyx Flames, and so on. This

ability even transfers to individuals who are in a Ghost-like form (including the limitations). The Shadow

Realm and its influences are completely incompatible with the energies that give a Ghost his existence.

Although there are a few Ghosts who have gained devastating powers in exchange for being vulnerable to

true faith, most are able to ignore its affects. Some point to this as proof that there is no reprieve awaiting


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these damned souls; that they are forever outside the sight of God. Others say that Ghosts arent affected

because they are now in their true state as created by God, and since God commanded Angels to show

reverence to the souls of man, faith doesnt work on them as a weapon.

Exorcism applies primarily to Demons and other Diabolic creatures, not Ghosts. Ghosts and spirits can bebound, trapped, banished, and enslaved with the appropriate powers and precautions. Witches are said to be

especially skilled at finding ways to control Ghosts.

It is true that many Ghosts are solitary creatures who prefer to travel the world trying to find a cause or

purpose that they can devote their time and energy to. They will often seek other kinds of creatures to support

or terrorize depending on their nature. But there are times when Ghosts will form small groups on their own

called Covens. Usually these groups form between younger Ghosts who are in need of protection from

Witches and other, more powerful Ghosts who seek to gain strength through devouring younger souls.

Each Coven is composed of anywhere between three and twenty-five Ghosts. Usually, all members of the

Coven share a Sanctum in order to provide better protection and a greater area of defense. Oftentimes an old

building will serve as the Sanctum, but it is not unknown for Covens to occupy very eclectic locations: a mall,

the courthouse, even a park or two.

As stated before, these Covens usually form because of the need for protection. As individuals grow in power

or curiosity, they leave the Coven and strike out on their own. In this way, standard Covens are relatively

short lived (a few decades) and their membership fluctuates.

However, as is more often the case, the concept of eternity begins to take its toll on the minds of these souls.

As the ingrained truths they were taught in their mortal lives begin to erode, they develop unusual

perspectives regarding the various facets of existence. And the passions to which these creatures are driven

will take root swiftly and strongly.

Ghosts who develop similar long term goals will seek each other out. These Covens sprout from philosophical

seeds and rapidly begin to develop, grow, and twist along the lines of cults. Small variations in doctrine resultin splits and a new Coven is formed. They may travel, spreading their views and revelations or they may hide,

secreted away while their plots and schemes are carried out by assistants. These are the Spectral Cults:

Covens whose members have a strong, almost fanatical devotion to a specific set of beliefs. Some of these

cults have grown so large, that theyre formed of many Covens throughout and area, region, or even the

world, and they all fall under the direct command of one Coven Master.

Here are a few descriptions of some of the more (in)famous Ghost Covens and the philosophies theyve

engendered. These are only meant as an example of how Covens can grow so large that they transcend


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traditional status and become Spectral Cults.

This Coven, which has its roots in antiquity, believes that it is their duty to protect the mortals of the world

from any outside influences. In the early days of the world, these Ghosts believed that they were meant to

look after and care for their mortal descendants, and not much has changed about their philosophies since

then. Often they are referred to as guardian angels, ancestral guides, or sometimes, invisible friends. They willassist morals in making their lives as trouble free as possible.

Each member of this huge, international Coven works together to negate or combat the influence of Witches

and other supernatural creatures over mortals. To that end, theyve established a network of spies and

informants who supply information to the Covens main Sanctum. Usually, the Coven prefers to work with as

much secrecy and subtlety as possible. After all, it works to their advantage if the enemy doesnt know that

theyre doing anything. But occasionally, more direct measures are called for, and so a plane goes down over

the Midwest; miraculously, only three passengers are killed. Unknown to the press, these three were the Bey

of a Canon and her two daughters.

Although officially discouraged, many members of the Praetoria have specific individuals that they take extracare to look after and protect. Often a direct descendant, this mortal is usually chosen while still a child, and

they will remain under the watchful eye of their guardian until they can take care of themselves. This

practice is not openly declared because it conflicts with the Covens greater view that all mortals lives should

progress unhampered by outside forces. Even worse, if opposing forces learned of any specific family ties,

they could be used against members of the Praetoria and emotions could run extremely high. Possible

bringing about great devastation to the society they try to protect.

All mortals let alone all Ghosts do not subscribe to the concept of Heaven or Hell. After all, there are those

few souls who have been bound her longer than those folktales have existed. They tend to believe that

Angels or Demons are simply spirits of one kind or another whose jealousy (or curiosity) about our world has

grown so great that they are trying to quench that longing. Humans, in their solid state and wishing for a

feeling of purpose, built a religion around nothing more than a few travelers. Of course, these Ghosts are

often treated like mortals who still believe the world is flat, regardless of the proof theyre shown.

Those who expound this philosophy point to the fact that no one who has truly passed on for more than

three days has ever been heard from again in any fashion. Even those Fallen who say they can bring back a

spirit that has died are only indulging in some sort of illusionary chicanery. To these Ghosts, they themselves

arethe afterlife and deserve to be acknowledged as such. The strongest adherents to this doctrine are a cult

know as the Suigen (soo-ih-jen).

These cultists strongly believe that Ghosts are the only ones who have survived the transitions from mortal

larvae into an advanced form of life known as the Rusalka (or Ghost). Their doctrine believes that mortal life

is simply the state of being that must be endured before one undergoes the change into what mortals are

destined to be. This explains why mortals have known about the survival of the soul even longer than they

have held their superstitious belief about Angels, Demons, and the like.

Vampires are simply those dead mortals who did not actually survive the transition. Because they were

unworthy, their souls were meant to be obliterated at death; instead, they have found a way to usurp some of

the power that rightfully belongs in the hands of the Rusalka. The Suigen believe that Vampires should be


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destroyed as soon as possible. Although, there are a few that are worth keeping around but only as proper

Ghosts.

The Fallen are simply invaders who have ruined whatever chance mankind had by teaching magic to living

mortals. Send them back from wherever they came.

Mortals are the young of the Rusalka race. As only the strongest or most cunning will progress to this

advanced state, they should not be interfered with but should be left to advance or die on their own.

But the foulest of all, are the Witches. Those horrific mortals who have stolen powers that are meant only for

the souls who have survived the transitions to this higher level of being. Not only do they wield the energies

that are reserved for true Rusalka, but also they are infamous for devising ways to bind and capture any

unwary soul. If any of the Suigen finds another of his kind locked in some perpetual servitude to a Witch, he

will stop at nothing to gain both the release of the unfortunate Rusalka and the ultimate destruction of all

those involved in his capture.

At the other end of the scale are the Questors. These Ghosts are a fringe group of those who do believe in ahigher creator who sits in judgment of us all. These tortured souls firmly believe that they have committed

some sort of eternal sin that damns them to this existence. If, when they are finally judged they are found

worthy, they may be allowed to pass on to their great reward. But if they are found lacking eternal

damnation and torment are to be their only companions. No matter what earthly religion these creatures

belonged to when breathing, they now see Angels, Demons, and the Fallen as the harbingers of their deity.

Fear, guilt, and madness has driven a few individuals to take the extremist point of view and form their own

Coven in response to these creatures.

The Questors claim that the Fallens true purpose on Earth is to seek out those that are hiding from

judgment (Ghosts) and bring them to trial for their sins. In order to protect themselves and other Ghosts who

would rather not move on just yet, members of this bizarre Coven actively (though secretly) seek out theFallen first and find ways to gain their destruction. This could be as subtle as tipping off a Cove of Witches as

to the location of a Chandala or two.

The Keres are decadent and hedonistic, bordering on being truly evil. These are people who lived lives of

self-sacrifice and blind acceptance of fate thinking that it would provide them with a better afterlife. Now that

they are in their present condition they have rebelled in an extreme way. They feel that religion and other

forms of self-help were only ways of controlling their lives, so now their lives shouldnt be controlled in any

way. If they want to do something, they do it. If a member feels like recreating a scene from The Exorcist on

a bus in broad daylight, he does it and damn the consequences. Members of this Coven travel a great deal and

look for situations that they feel could use their help.

Due to the amount of rage in these creatures, they tend to stay in Covens and dont often travel alone. Where

else could they find people who share their intense hatred of the living? It does happen that one or two

individuals will break off from the main Coven, but only to form a smaller Coven in a city thats ripe for their

special kind of treatment. These are truly frightening creatures simply because they have no goals. Theres no

way to predict their actions or find ways to supplicate them. They are a virtual embodiment of chaos.


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In the CovenMaster series, the main characters of the game universe fall into one of two categories, either

they are Immortal, as Ghosts and Vampires, or they are Ageless, as Witches and Fallen Angels.

Basically, Immortals are defined as creatures that have returned from the dead. Because Immortals are

already dead, they cannot be killed by normal means. Immortals can usually only be destroyed through arcane

or mystical means.

There is always a price for Immortality, such as having to spend energy to accomplish virtually anything or

drinking blood and avoiding sunlight. All Immortals are supernatural beings, and therefore exude an other

worldly presence that has an effect on the real world in one-way or another. That effect may or may not be

consciously noticed by mortals.

Ageless creatures are those who have invested their mortal bodies with mystical powers in such a way as to

avoid any conventional means of death. These creatures are basically mortal, but they do not age and cannot

be killed as easily as mortals. An Ageless creature must guard against harm more than an Immortal has to, as

its body is not naturally defended the way an Immortals is. The advantage is that the Ageless blend in much

easier with mortals and mortal society.

Immortal creatures have a very hard time relating to the mortal world, or even wanting to. Human society

becomes more of something they live with rather than something they are actively a part of. Ageless

creatures, on the other hand, have no trouble existing with mortals, and spend much of their time doing so. It

is possible for an Ageless creature to live closely with mortals and never be suspected, whereas an Immortal

in the same situation could remain undiscovered for only a small amount of time.

This is the largest difference between the Immortals and the Ageless creatures. While the Ageless seek to

move amongst, be around, help, or control mortal populations to further their own ends, the Immortals stalk

humans as playthings, with no other interest motivating them than the instant gratification of their various

whims.

Creatures who are considered Immortal are: Vampires, Ghosts, Phoenixes, Zombies, Drones, Shadows,

Faceless Ones, Hags, and Dream Creatures.

Creatures who are considered Ageless are: Fallen Angels, Witches, Werewolves (in pure cases), Djinn, and

some forms of slaves possessed by Immortals.

The CovenMaster series consists primarily of four kinds of creatures, of which Ghosts are only one. The game

universe that Shades of the Harrowingis played in is haunted by the other types of creatures as well, and

together they make up what we define as Dark Reality. Ghosts and other creatures must coexist in this world,

and that makes for some very strained conditions at times, as natural rivalries are inherent.

Use the following short descriptions of the other creatures to add some spice to your games. [Until Shades of

Midnighthas been published, we suggest that you simply assign powers from this book to Witches.] You

should limit them to Blue or Red level powers only, and alter the powers to fit into the type of character that

is being played.


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Remember that all other creatures have DPTs just as Ghosts do (see rules section), and for the most part they

all exist in groups (often called Covens).

The offspring of a Fallen and a mortal is called a Grimori. In ages past these creatures in turn gave birth to thevarious royal bloodlines of the Witches. The Grimori are called pure Witches by the Witches themselves,

and those that are still alive are highly respected in Witch society. The Grimori are large, sometimes nearly

twice as tall as a human man, and are monstrous in appearance. They are humanoid, hairless, and green

skinned with Hagish features; they are often mistaken for Hags by the uninformed. Because the Fallen have

an extreme hatred for these creatures (above all else in the world), Hags are usually set upon with great

violence by the Fallen who think them to be Grimori.

The Grimori are naturally evil in a mortal way that lacks any Diabolical nature. They serve only them selves

and rule over the Witches in a loose form of society that remains mostly hidden, even amongst the Witches.

The Grimori are adept at changing their forms by catching and skinning a creature that they wish to look like,

then adorning the mangled skin over their disgusting bodies. This sick practice makes them look exactly likethe creature whose skin they are wearing. In this way, the Grimori stay hidden in the folds of the Witch

society. This spell is complete in its mimicry, except for the fact that the skin can be pulled off of them easily

enough, revealing the creature beneath in stunning, life jarring detail.

There is no major city in the world that does not contain a population of Witches. They are extremely well

organized and very modern. They have a stranglehold on the words governments, and more importantly, the

worlds religions and media, puppet-mastering them from behind the scenes. Witches stand on the very edge

of taking control of mortal society at large.

The incredible power they wield in world affairs, however, is plagued by their own inner struggles for

dominance. The Illustia (their secret society) is a dangerous and demanding world of vice and evil in whichthe weak quickly fall by the wayside. Those who manage to claw and back stab their way to the top without

making any noticeable waves win all the prizes. This tormenting stage of intrigue works to streamline the

Illustia into a very dangerous organization.

There are several Covens of Witches in a city, each one its own political faction. The Witch Covens in a city

are called a Cannon, and the leader of a Cannon is a Bey. The Beys, in turn, serve a regional leader

called a Sultana, and the total of Cannons under her are known as a Cantatrice. Above the Sultanas lurk

the High Witches, sometimes referred to as a Strix.

The Illustia is most definitely a matriarchal society. There are few male Witches (called Malvu-Sahy), as the

Witch bloodlines rarely produce male offspring who survive. Within the Illustia, the Malvu-Shays roles arelimited to servants, assassins, or more commonly, slaves. Daughters are prized above all else because it is the

daughter of a Witch that will help secure her power in the Illustia. The greater her line of daughters, the more

powerful she will become in the Illustia.

The Witches accept their roles as masters of the mortal world with much pleasure. They keep a tight grip on

the worlds media to limit the amount of information that passes in the mortal world about supernatural

creatures, and also to monitor news reports of anything that may point them in the directions of Fallen Angels,

whom they hate.


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There is one small insurrectionist faction of the Witches, known as the Holy Order of White Witches,

which will try to aid the Fallen whenever they can. This strange cult of Witches must remain deeply hidden

from the ever-seeking Illustia, which is always trying to destroy the outcasts. It is rumored that at least one

major Ghost Coven has contacts within this organization, and that the two help one another.

Ghosts hate Witches for many reasons, not the least of which is because the Witches try at every chance to

destroy and enslave them. Ghosts see Witches in their true nature at all times which is often hideous, and this

may be part of the reason for their dislike. Witches will often take extreme measures to protect themselves

from Ghosts because they are fairly vulnerable to them. Very often the rituals and spells of the Witches endup producing Ghosts who naturally have a hatred for the Witches because of it. It is this same fear and

paranoia (rightly deserved) that has forced the Illustia to create many ways of binding, banishing, and

enslaving Ghosts. Many a headstrong Ghost has lost his freedom in his unheeding quest for revenge on the

Witch who created him.

The Witches are elegant, sophisticated, and deeply entrenched in the etiquette of their beloved Illustia. The

Diabolical nature of their endless existence is masked completely behind a thick veil of creature comforts,

insulating wealth, and consummate machinations.

By and large, most Ghosts care little of the Vampires in the world. The ones to be wary of tend to dabble in

ways and means to interact with Ghosts. There is some occasional jealousy felt toward the Vampires due to

their ability to leave this world for whatever waits beyond.

Vampire Covens are always led by one older and stronger Vampire, and many times the members of the

Covens will be his Scions (those that the master has created). There does not seem to be any far-reaching

hierarchy or grand organization in the Vampire society. Mainly they gather together in Covens for safety from

those Vampires who would hunt and devour their own kind.

Vampires have a strange aura that affects the world around them, and Ghosts are subjected to this whenever

they are in the presence of a Vampire. This aura is called the Knowing, and while Ghosts dont suffer the

disorienting affects as strongly as mortals, they are aware of its presence. This works in a very similar way as

a Ghosts Haunting. In mortals, the effect seems to bring their emotions to the surface while making them

sluggish. The Knowing grows in intensity and range with the number of Vampires in the same area and the

individual age of the Vampire(s) present (see Shades of Nightfall). A ghost can always consider the quality of

the Knowing as two levels below that which the Vampires Knowing quality usually is (minimum of

Gentle).

Vampires have an aversion to sunlight, which starts out as mild, but the older they get the worse it becomes.

Young vampires may even walk in the light of day, though they are powerless at this time. Eventually thesunlight becomes so offensive to Vampires that it will destroy them if they are caught out in it. To avoid

sunlight, Vampires (who are in reality dead) return to a state of death they call the Sleep until the sun has left

the sky.

Also called simply the Fallen, these Ageless creatures wander earth in exile. They were at one time true

Angels and immortal. However, circumstances arose, and after all was said and done, an entire legion of


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Angels was banished from Heaven and forced to live out their expulsion in the form of mortals on earth.

The Fallen, as a whole, have splintered into several different camps, based on bitter disagreements over

philosophies. The Fallen exist in small packs (called Covens) or on their own and many of them simply

wander the world as if in search of something. These Covens may adhere to one of the differing philosophies,

or may just be trying to avoid their own kind and the conflicts that have been created.

Whatever the case, all Fallen share some common threads. They all have true Faith, the level differs in the

individual, but they all possess it and dont need symbols to project it. It is impossible for a Fallen Angel toallow any act of true evil to happen in front of them without doing something about it.

The Fallen possess mortal bodies, but do not consider themselves human in the slightest. Thus, they are not

held down to what the mortal world has come to define as morally correct. A Fallen can see the difference

between what may seem evil to the frightened human and what is truly evil. Fallen Angels have no second

thoughts about destroying true evil outright.

It is important to understand that the Fallen are notsome kind of perpetual do-gooder, floating around and

smelling the flowers. These creatures are very downcast in both mind and spirit. They are more of a rogue

type character, your basic dark-knight, who would prefer the smoke filled bar of the honest and real to the

gold filled churches of the hypocritical.

They have no care or concern for human morality. However, the Fallen value Innocence above all things and

will try to protect those who possess Innocence whenever they can. Mortals who make up their minds to

stand outside of the light of innocence, lose their license for aide from a Fallen. If a human wants to play, then

they have made it clear they are also willing to pay.

Whether or not Ghosts and Fallen can get along is on an individual basis. However, there is an element of

conflict between certain groups on both sides, specifically between the Ghosts tat are hiding from judgment,

and those Fallen that are trying to reach it again.

Hags are Witches who have been embraced by a Vampire. In theory, this would allow the already Ageless

Witch to become Immortal and thus even more powerful. In a way, that is somewhat true. However, once a

Witch has been embraced by a Vampire, she loses all of what once had made up her personality, and she

becomes a creature of evil, bent towards her own ends completely. Of all the creatures, it is the Hags who

earn the most hatred from a Ghost. On this one point Ghosts and Fallen see eye to eye. But where the Fallen

hate Hags because of what they represent in terms of an undead Witch, the Ghosts have a far more basic fear

of Hags. Hags exist by feeding on Ghosts, and since Ghosts are plentiful, the Hags tend to be able to hunt

them down and absorb them without much problem.

The Illustia has declared it a sin to become a Hag, and any Witch found in such a state is to be slaughtered

immediately. This amazing twist means that oftentimes the Witches and Ghosts will be hunting down the same

creature, because Ghosts see a Hag a the worst form of Witch, they will strive to destroy them even more so

than they would strive to destroy a normal Witch.

Hags are evil to the core, but completely self-serving. They generally work all by themselves toward their

own goals. Hags do sometimes form in small groups of three called a Covey. A Covey will have no

apparent leader, and the members simply work together to further their own evil goals.


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When a Vampire manages to embrace a Fallen, a strange creature results that is called a Faceless One. When

this happens, the nature of the Fallen is stripped from him and in its place remains only shadow. The Faceless

ones lose all of whatever made them an individual, and instead become mindless creatures of darkness that

seek only to server their master (usually a Vampire).

They are called Faceless Ones because they lose all of their facial features and their entire body becomes a

corporeal shadow. They exist by attacking and devouring weaker shadows. Faceless Ones are pitch black in

color, like that of the deepest, darkest shadow, and they are unable to communicate with those who cannot

speak to shadows (see Shades of Nightfall). All of what they once were as a Fallen Angel is completely lost

to them, and they only know what they have become and who they serve.

Faceless Ones are virtually ignored by Ghosts because neither one can interact or communicate with the

other. A Ghosts telepathic powers (if she has any) will not contact a shadow or a Faceless One. They spring

from completely incompatible realms and cannot interact.

For this game, a Faceless One is considered to have one half of the DPT that it had as a Fallen Angel,

and is only allowed to gain powers from the Nezrix Realm (see Shades of Divinity) and the Shadow

Realm in Shades of Nightfall(see powers section).

Over the centuries, the animal kingdom has become more or less domesticated in favor of one or the other of

the various Immortals and Ageless creatures. Animals are always able to sense the presence of mystical

beings, and accordingly this prompts reactions in them. Mortals have long since allowed society and religion

to take away their senses and so are unable to do this.

Usually, an animal will only work with a Ghost if that Ghost can communicate with the spirit of the animal.

Regardless, all animals can see Ghosts, though its nothing special to them since they see Ghosts all the time.

The traditional animal allies of the Fallen Angels are doves, locusts, dogs, and horses.

Witches have toads, cats, ravens, and rats as their particular allies.

Vampires seem to get along best with wolves, bats and spiders.

Why are you stuck here as a Ghost and how does that affect you now?


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What did you do when you were alive?

How long have you been a Ghost?

What one word defines you best?

What do you look like now?

What powers best suit your personality?

The first step is finding out why it is that you did not pass on. This step is considered the most vital part of

character creation even more so than what the character did while alive. After all, why and how you are aGhost will profoundly affect the way you view your place in the supernatural afterlife. There are quite a few

ways that a soul can become a Ghost; some of the more common within the world of Dark Reality are:

Some sort of power that forces the victim to become a Ghost

A curse placed on the victim

An intensefeeling of regret or longing at the time of death

Death occurring before the appropriate time

The great desire to accomplish some task

Being unwilling to let go of existence

Violent and painful death

Having the body die while the soul is not within itThere are also the cases of those who have never died becoming Ghosts. While alive, these poor

unfortunates keenly felt a sense of isolation from those around them. The intense understanding that

whatever they did, it didnt matter. These are the ones who believed that they were shut out from

society and that they could not make a difference in any way. These people did not die; they simply

faded out of existence. And no one marked their passing

Whichever you choose for your character, remember that your transition will profoundly mark your

characters attitude towards existence. The band of many a soul has been to stay behind to look after and

protect a loved one. Once that cherished person dies and is not reunited with the Ghost, the poor soul is leftwithout a cause. They do not move on to be with their love for all eternity. Rather, they are still here and

now have no knowledge of where their love has gone.

Your characters life is almost as important as her death, and both should be written up and given to your

Story Guide. Be sure to create as much of the background as necessary for you to get a real feel for your

character. Your background should get more and more detailed as you reach the point where your character

actually dies. Those last few moments of life, and your characters attitude during those instants, will go a

long way toward establishing her as a unique individual.

But beware, for those who die a traumatic death often lose portions of their memories. This safety mechanism

is a direct influence of the brain trying to prevent the total horror of what is happening from paralyzing thesoul. Often the memories of those last few minutes will be indistinct faces might be blurry, details would be

lost or only vaguely remembered. Sometimes its better to leave those memories as lost

When naming your character, remember that the true name of a Ghost is the first name given to her by her

parents at birth. Someone can have great power over a soul or spirit simply by knowing its true name. Almost

all forms of banishment and binding require the true name of the individual to be affected. Because of this,

most Ghosts will use a false name or only allow a nickname to be used.

There are special considerations involved when a Vampire or a Witch dies that usually prevents their souls


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from remaining as Ghosts. Primarily it is the rush of Consecration that fills the space previously occupied by

the creature that prevents it from remaining as a Ghost. The only way that Vampires and Witches can become

Ghosts upon their death is through some sort of previous intervention usually a curse or ritual placed on the

creature before its final demise.

Now that you have your characters general history and personality written down, spend some time distilling

all of that information into one word. We all know that any three-dimensional character is going to exhibit

differing characteristics at different times, but in this case you are to search for the gestalt; the overall theme

of the character. Boil your entire character down to one word.

Notice the large grey spider web on the character sheet in the back of this book; this is called the Matrix.

Write that word in the very center of the web. This is your characters core personality trait. The inner and

outer rings of the web come into play most often whenever your character devours another soul. With each

soul that is devoured, the Ghost gains power as well as the personality aspects of someone elses existence.

These additional personality traits, likes and dislikes, and so on become part of the Ghost characteristics.

Take the Ghosts DPT and subtract the victims DPT. If the difference is between 1 and 100 points, then the

victims personality exerts a strong influence on the Ghost. The victims core personality is placed in any

available space on the inner ring of the web.

If the difference between DPTs is 101 points or more than the victims DPT, then the personality is further

removed from the Ghosts core aspect. In this case, the word is placed on the outer ring.

If there are no spaces of the appropriate kind available on the web, choose any empty one. As more spaces on

the Matrix are filled, the Ghost begins questioning what is real and what is not. The most frightening aspect of

this is that the Ghosts dont know what is going on; they slowly but surely start having frequent and intense

feelings of dj vu, flashbacks, and incoherent memories and feelings. The Ghost has finally lost his tenuousgrip on reality when the last space is filled. This horrific process is called Releasement.

This web/Matrix is a visual guide to your characters overall personality make-up. Its usually helpful to write

the victims name along with their core personality trait and notes about that victims idiosyncrasies gained

from devouring that poor unfortunate soul. Any time that a Shift in you Matrix is called for, the Story Guide

will choose one of your personality influences to become dominant for the amount of time determined by the

current circumstances. The previous core trait switches locations with the new core trait, becoming either a

weak or strong influence depending on where its located.

Whenever a Ghost is discorporated by losing all of his CDPT, he will reform with a randomly chosen corepersonality as the new base. That will remain his core until such time as another Shift is called for. Whichever

trait he reforms with will now be in two places on the personality Matrix: the center and a space on the inside

ring. If not space is available, then one on the outside ring is taken. What this means is that every time a

Ghost discorporates due to CDPT loss, he is one step closer to Releasement.

Its important to mention that the Matrix isnt a full-blown split-personality kind of thing. Normally, your

character has his own core personality and all of the additional traits exert varying degrees of influence on

him depending on their location on the web. For example, he might take up tennis for no reason at all (if one

of his victims was an avid tennis player). Or all of a sudden, he might have a stronger than average fear of


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fire. A victims memories might haunt him during his trips to others dreams or simply give him a vague sense

of dj vu, but they wouldnt grant him direct access to any concrete kinds of information (an enemys name

and location, for instance). Above all, remember that these influences are subtle and the character doesnt

know or really question why he has these impulses, insights, and or interests.

Its only when a Shift is called for that your character will take on a different core personality. Shifts can be

temporary or permanent and usually occur much more frequently as a Ghost gains in power. Although the

Ghost never has direct access to a victims memories, a traits influences are strongest when it becomes the

core personality. An example of the most direct form of influence from a new coretrait is this:

You spot a Vampire walking toward you. The thought crosses your mind, Havent I seen him

somewhere? And then you get the strong feeling that this guy was somehow involved in the

destruction of your Coven. But wait, your Coven isnt destroyed, theyre all back at the park.

You mustve been away from the Coven Sanctum for too long or something, youre starting to

hallucinate.

Your character doesnt gain access to any new powers when a Shift occurs you only have whats on your

card. Its just that the core personality has shifted to a new one. Instead of the dominant factor in his

personality being shyness, its now greedy, paranoid, or whatever. Its still the same character; hesjust acting a bit different now. Again, make these changes subtle (as the new trait takes dominance). It

shouldnt be a blatant type of thing.

Remember, depending on circumstances, certain powers, or the Story Guides crazed sense of the dramatic,

your Matrix can Shift randomly on either a temporary or even a semi-permanent basis. This is the ultimate

game of roulette.

Every character in Shades of the Harrowingshould try to create the full effect of his or her character.

Costuming and general appearance isnt just about getting into your character, its also a powerful way to help

others get into and maintain their characters as well.

When putting together a costume for a Ghost, youre limited to what the character was wearing when she

died at least at the beginning. Several powers allow a Ghost to change her appearance and this includes

clothing as well. Theres at least one power that allows the Ghost to make a corporeal item insubstantial

instant wardrobe. And so on. Dont look at this as a limitation; see it as a challenge. If you want your

character to wear something different find a way to make it happen. Remember, its very difficult (almost

impossible) for a Ghost to change as the world does.

The main thing to remember is that you are you. If youre five foot seven inches tall, its going to be a stretch

for players to imagine you as a six foot four hulking behemoth. Yes, we know that many of the effects of the

powers are up to the players imaginations, try to make some of it realistic. If you can create the effect you

want through costuming and make up, go ahead. Theres very little that can upset a games atmosphere more

than hearing a player say, Im not really wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Sasha is wearing a low cut, sequined

evening gown.

Of course, if youre a phenomenal roleplayer, it wont matter much. Great players can take a character in

jeans and a t-shirt and still make them come off as the elegant hostess of a formal dinner. But imagine that

player in the right costume! Thats when the players can actually slip out of the mundane and truly enter the


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world of Dark Reality if only for a few hours.

Dynamic Power Points (DPP) measures the power of a character in the CovenMaster series. These points are

a rough indicator of how much control the Ghost has over her surroundings, the raw power of the creature,

her age, and her ability to withstand the dangers of Dark Reality. This type of control can only be gainedslowly, through exposure and understanding of her new existence. This is why those Ghosts who find

themselves bound to objects or places, never gain power as long as they remain trapped.

Dynamic Power Points can be gained through a variety of ways. Often, at the end of a gaming session, a small

number of points (3-5) are given to each player and added to their characters total amount. Members of the

various national Silver Shadows Gothic Horror Society organizations gain points at a rate of 30 per chapter (a

three month period of play). Ghosts can also gain points through the risky practice of devouring souls.

The total amount of DPPs a character has is called the Dynamic Power Total (DPT). All characters start with

a DPT of 30. This is standard for all characters in the CovenMaster system. The game is only that much more

enjoyable if everyone starts at the same level and actually has to work his or her way up. In that manner, youlearn your characters powers inside and out instead of being bombarded with 12 different things tot try and

balance at one time.

Your characters DPT helps define her place in what passes for a Ghost society. As a whole, Ghosts do not

have a hierarchal caste system. Each Ghost looks after herself or those she specifically allies herself with.

Those with the desire to lead others and command respect, do so as their power allows. Usually someone

will come along and knock them back into place in a short order. In this existence, it is usually best to be

polite to everyone until youve gauged their power level.

That said, there is a loose classification of Ghosts that exists based on their relative DPT levels. Whether this

system is a parody of the one used by Vampires or the true creation of Witches (who study Ghosts as often asone can be caught) is unimportant. A Ghost who actually went around claiming one of these titles for herself

would be treated like a mortal who constantly referred to herself and others as Homo sapiens. All a Ghost

needs to know is that the strong control, the weak are controlled period.

30 90 DPT Benighted

91 180 DPT Sustained

181 360 DPT Ascendant

361 720 DPT

721 1440 DPT

1441 - ???? Perpetual

The actual DPT of a Ghost rarely, if ever, changes during a game session; this number represents the

characters maximum potential at all times. However, the absolute power level of the Ghost can change

radically depending on powers used, damage incurred, time spent in the Sanctum, and other conditions that

can affect the Ghosts ability to interact.

The actual precise amount of power that the Ghost has available at any given moment is called the Current

Dynamic Power Total (CDPT). The DPT is the total potential power of the Ghost, but the CDPT is exactly

how much of that power she can access at any one point in time. In the best of circumstances, the DPT and

the CDPT are equal. If the Ghosts CDPT reaches zero, she discorporates.


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Just a reminder, if the Ghosts CDPT reaches 50% of her DPT, she loses access to her Black level

powers. At 25%, her Red level powers are no longer available. She always has access to her Blue level

powers, as long as she can pay the appropriate exaction.

Once you have a good idea of just how your character fits into the world of Dark Reality, youre ready to

choose the powers that best complement your vision of what that Ghost is to be. The five traditional power

Realms for Ghosts are weighted heavily toward meddling and interfering with the plans, affairs, and the very

existence of other beings. Ghosts may not easily be able to destroy anyone, but they can definitely make their

enemies beg for such a release from torment.

The five Realms of Ghosts are as follows:

Essence- That intangible and ineffable quality of life. Some would call it the soul but it encompasses more

than just that. It is also how the soul interacts with its host, others of its kind, and its surroundings.

Quelle- These powers involve those energies which are n