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Chaosium Digest Volume 14 Number 08
Chaosium Digest Volume 14, Number 8
Date: Sunday, May 12, 1996
Number: 1 of 1
Contents:
Mythos Starter Adventures (Shannon Appel) MYTHOS
Arcanum II: The High Priestess (Timothy Ferguson) NEPHILIM
Editor's Note:
This time around: Mythos and Nephilim.
The Mythos article contains a set of four more brand-new adventures,
ready to scribe onto those Create Your Own Adventure cards.
The Nephilim article is a reprint from the Nephilim ML. In the last
couple of months, several Arcanum writeups have been sent to that
list. I plan on reprinting them all here, as space and time allow.
Though the _Major Arcana_ book is being worked upon, there are
currently few good guidelines for the Arcana in Nephilim. Timothy's
article contains one view on one of the Nephilim tribes. It will
likely be at least partially contradicted by the eventual publication
of _Major Arcana_, but remember that the Arcana are large
organizations, and that there is room for many views within them.
With that said, I have a few requests from Chaosium Digest
subscribers.
Ethan Parker (bparker@falcon.cc.ukans.edu) is looking for some help on
putting together some CoC scenerios. He has some basic adventure
ideas, but is still working on rationalizing the background and
setting. If anyone would like to lend Ethan a tentacle, send him a
message at the above address.
Juan Jose Gonzalez Martin (jjgm@esi.us.es) is looking for copies of
_Hawkmoon_ and _The Shattered Isle_ since they aren't available in
Spain. If anyone has copies available for sale, drop Juan a line.
And that's about it for now. After several months of high volume, the
Chaosium Digest has finally quieted down. The only things I still have
left to print are a few more reprints from the Nephilim ML. So,
submissions are desired more then ever. Send them this way and they
will be gratefully accepted.
Shannon
NEW RELEASES:
* Call of Cthulhu - _Ye Booke of Monstres II_ (Chaosium, 64 pg.,
$11.95) picks up where the original Aniolowski collection left off,
presenting over two score more blasphemous Cthulhoid beasties. While
many creatures are reprinted from various CoC supplements, about
half of the beasties are new, including B'Moth, Sebek, the beings of
Ib, the voors and more.
RECENT BOOKS OF NOTE:
Actually, a magazine this time.
* Call of Cthulhu - "Worlds of Fantasy & Horror #3" marks the return
of an old tradition. Back in 1988, Weird Tales, the magazine that
printed many of the earliest tales of Lovecraft, Howard, Smith and
others, was resurrected. It brought to the modern day many wonderful
new tales of horror. In seven years, 19 issues were published, and
the magazine won a World Fantasy Award before things came to an
abrupt end in 1994. At that point, the modern Weird Tales lost use
of the WT trademark, and became Worlds of Fantasy & Horror. Two
years ago, the first issue of WoFaH was published. It was over a
year ago that the second issue oozed out, and after that, it seemed
that the modern Unique Magazine had died. But, as of Summer, 1996, a
new issue of WoFaH is available. At a quick glance, there isn't
anything specifically Mythos in the newest issue of WoFaH, but I've
always found that the the mood of many WT/WoFaH stories is very
similar to what one would find in a more proper Mythos tale. There's
a Lord Dunsany reprint in this newest issue as well. Take a look.
--------------------
From: Shannon Appel <appel@erzo.org>
Subject: Mythos Starter Adventures
System: Mythos
I've played a few games of Mythos against people with just a starter,
or a starter and a few boosters. Although the games went quite well,
when played with the Basic rules, I got to thinking that it would be
even more fun if there was some additional adventures based on the
more common Starter cards.
So, that's the purpose of these new adventures. All of them are based
solely on Starter cards, and should not require anything but Common
and Uncommon cards, thus increasing the likelyhood that you'll be able
to use one, even if you don't have many Mythos cards. If you like one
of these adventures, just make sure your opponents don't mind these
special adventures, jot down the important points onto a Create your
Own Adventure card, and slide it into your deck.
Thanks to Eric Rowe for double-checking the point values, to make sure
these new adventures are balanced with the published ones.
THE GRINNING GHOULS
Mythos Experience
+5 Points, +1 San
It was at the PRESS LOCATION that you first learned of the horrors
that dwelled with the dead. Shaken, but driven by a morbid curiosity,
you could not stop yourself from investigating THREE different
CEMETERY LOCATIONS during the darkest NIGHT. Your worst fears were
confirmed when you found an awful MONSTER within the graveyard (it
must either be a ghoul or living dead). Thank Nodens you brought your
STEADFAST ALLY and a WEAPON, or you might have been dragged down
beneath the dirt, to live among the dead things.
THE RETURN OF THE SORCERER
Corrupt Adventure
+6 Points, +2 San
Knowledge of the Mythos brings power, and you are not afraid to wield
it. To graduate from apprenticeship, and become a true sorcerer, you
must learn to cast FOUR different SPELLS, call down a STORM, induce a
PHOBIA and cause an EPIDEMIC. Finally, to make your status official,
you must take a token of power (any ARTIFACT that costs at least 1 San
except a non-enchanted weapon).
A TRIP TO THE SPEAKEASY
Corrupt Adventure
+5 Points, +1 San
When the business day comes to an end, you're ready to head out to
your favorite speakeasy (either THE LOWELL STREET CAFE or THURSTON'S
TAVERN). These gin-joints aren't just places to have a quick drink.
You can also meet new contacts (any THREE different ALLIES, at least
one of whom must be corrupt), and barter in black-market goods (TWO
cards, which must be ARTIFACTS or TOMES). When the POLICE
INVESTIGATION comes, you have to flee, but it's just a short
interruption. No mythos horrors here, but when they do come, you'll be
better prepared.
WITCHES' HOLLOW
Mythos Experience
+6 Points, +2 San
You had thought your TWO different STEADFAST female ALLIES to be
upstanding members of the community, but then, under the crescent moon
(either a WANING MOON or a WAXING MOON) in the COUNTRY (any country
location other than a sanitarium), you learned their awful secret. A
CORRUPT ALLY had taught them the ways of the Mythos. He convinced them
to form an evil coven, and showed them how to a summon a MONSTER, read
a blasphemous TOME, cast a SPELL and use a powerful ARTIFACT (that
must cost at least 1 SAN). Only the light of DAY allowed you to escape
with this awful knowledge.
--------------------
From: Timothy Ferguson <Timothy.Ferguson@jcu.edu.au>
Subject: Arcanum II: The High Priestess
System: Nephilim
The High Priestess
(Arcanum II)
The High Priestess, along with most other Arcana, has many internal
divisions. Those presented below are the most common divisions
recognized by outsiders.
The Card: The card shows a woman in flowing robes between two pillars,
with a cresent moon at her feet and with a scroll, marked "TORA" in
her hands.
Philosophy: The High Priestess Arcanum believes that the preservation
of magical knowledge is important. Beyond that, there is no unifying
philosophy. The largest group, the Children of Anubis, believe that by
hoarding magical equipment in stockpiles they accelerate the
development of global conciousness, drawing all of the mundane realm
closer to Agartha. The group who most often trade with outsiders are
the Daughters of Thoth, who have a far more individual and
personalized approach to the problem of reaching Agartha. As both
groups agree that their aims are best served by the recovery and
replication of Nephilim magic, they are able to work effectively
together. Lesser sects of High Priestesses generally refer to
themselves as the descendants of some other divine being, usually,
although not always, an Egyptian Goddess.
The Anubian's philosophy indicates that the stain of Orichalka is what
separates Nephilim from Agartha, but that natural forces are gradually
eroding that barrier. The steady diminishment of Orichlka in the
world, as well as the continued increase in the amount of the useful
material litharge, gives the Anubians some hope that regardless of
what the Secret Socities do, the Earth will heal itself from the
meteor strike given sufficient time. Anibuians are suprisingly
impatient concerning this, however, and seek to hasten this process.
To an Anubian, all magical items have a certain "power" which can be
expended to mutually destroy the item and an equivalent amount of
Orichalka. It has been found, however, that the "power" in some items
grows if they are placed together, somehow increasing through a
synergistic process. This insight was of vital significance in the
creation of the first Athanors, which are devices which, on their own,
exceed the synergistic growth threshold and are thefore able to become
increasingly powerful without reconstruction. The main flaw in most
Golems, say the High Priestesses, is that they do not exceed the
threshold of growth and therefore are mere devices.
A more ancient application of these techniques was the collection of
magical items to reservoirs of power, which in turn could be used to
alter the surrounding environment. The best known reservoirs were the
Pyramids, which were designed to create artificial plexi within
themselves and, when the final Pyramid was placed into the pattern
determined by the position of the stars in the belt of the
constellation of Orion (or Osiris) to create a permanent nexus. The
High Priestesses claim that the energy of the Pyramids leaked out
before they were ready for the opening of the nexus, instead creating
the age of Akhenaton and allowing the formation of the Arcana Tribes.
Many other Arcana scoff at this idea, but do conceed that in terms of
sacred architecture the High Priestesses are the most learned of the
Arcanum.
After the discovery of the New World and the Aztec pyramids, the
Anubians began to formulate a global structure of such reservoirs. It
was and is their belief that once they can create a certain amount of
"power" on the Earth, through the synergistic growth of magical
energies in their reservoirs, that the Ka fields on this planet will
become more ordered, flowing more purely along easily predictable
courses. Once this has occured, magical objects will be far easier to
create and plexi will be far more common. Following this, the world
itself will exceed its synegistic growth level, like a huge athanor
and the magical fields will eventually merge into a consistent pattern
of permanent Nexi and Plexi, whose power will wash away the remaining
stain of Orichalka and will lift all Nephilim on the planet into the
KaIm state. This global enlightenment is called the Coadunation [with
thanks to Julian May].
For some, this dream was shattered by the deaths or thousands of
Nephilim beneath the knives of the Thule Bunderschaft during the
Second World War, but others see that as a time when much of the
world's Orichalka was expended, so that it was merely a setback which
can be recovered from using the new technologies and oddly close
Awakenings of this century. Many see the fact that there have been
four major Awakenings within a single century as a sign that the Final
Awakening and the Coadunation are near.
The Thothians really don't care about all that Coadunation business.
They are willing to go along for the ride on it, but they feel that
the fastest way to Agartha to to travel on their own. They store and
replicate Nephilim magic for various reasons, such as a desire to stop
Secret Societies from having the items and self-interest. The
Thothians have a complex system of bartered favours that each keeps
track of through Thothians within the Second Circle of the Arcanum.
Items do not tend to be traded so often as access to items, so, for
instance, two High Priestesses might arrange for copies to be made of
two spells and trade those copies, with one having some residual
credit if its spell was of greater power. Anubians see this as a
disgusting way to go about things, but do see the Thothians as the
most effective way to deal with other Arcanum. The Anubians are also
buoyed by the fact that, as the keepers of reservoirs, they are the
bankers within the Thothian system.
Attitudes to other Arcanum:
Fool (0): The process of the creation of the Embyronic Simulacrum is a
matter of immense academic interest to the High Priestess Arcanum, as
it would allow them to do all sorts of interesting things, like place
some poor Devil into an embyro and see if cryogenic freezing caused it
harm, or, alternatively, see if cloning the embryo created alterations
in the final humans.
Magican (I): They make it, we store it.
The Empress (III): Manipulators who are handy at times and pulled the
fat out of the fire during the Crusades.
The Emperor (IV): As the co-creators of the humans, they may know a
great deal that is useful. Their Empires are very useful places, as
they tend to be stable and allow the construction of reservoirs in
their public buildings. The British Museum, Crystal Palace, Pyramids
and parts of the garden of Versallies, as examples, are reservoirs.
Colonialism was a handy cover for High Priestess acquisition agents on
other continents. Many Roman forts were built with two main streets
precisely North-South and East-West. This is an old High Priestess
trick first practiced in pre-historic Ireland, where roads are used to
channel magical energy.
The Hierophant (V): Hierophantic cults often clash with the more
acquisitive High Priestesses. At other times, though, they are
terribly handy as servants, since if you are not after their sacred
objects, they are more than willing to cut a deal on the sacred
objects of the Cult Down the Lane.
The Lovers (VI): Not worth bothering about. We'll take them with us
when we go, though. Some of them are valuable due to their knowledge
of the minutiae of obscure historical periods.
The Chariot (VII): Excellent chaps. Their new materials make sacred
architecture so much easier.
Strength (VIII): Very handy to have around, as they keep the Devils at
bay.
The Hermit (IX): Co-operation on individual projects is common.
The Wheel of Fortune (X):The Wheel of Fortune perfects Sacred
Geometry in a similar fashion to the High Priestess, but they tend to
use it based on astrological influences. The High Priestesses,
however, contend that the actions on Earth are more important than
those of the stars and that the celestial only reflects the local.
Justice (XI): Useful for preventing theft of sacred objects.
The Hanged Man (XII): Descendants of the Theban Priesthood. We duped
them with the whole Pyramid thing and could do so again, as their
Intelligence is subsumed by that of the host.
The Unnamed (XIII): The precise effect of the Coadunation on the Black
Moon is not known. It is, however, known that the Priestesses like
collecting Selenim artifacts and encourage the formation of Realms.
Temperance (XIV): A necessary remedy to the ills of the time. When all
comes together they will no longer be needed.
The Devils (XV): Egocentrism taken to the destructive extreme. Most
are barbarians and would destroy us for our "treasures" as they see
them. Some few, however, are magical theorists with exteremly
interesting and individual perspectives.
The Tower (XVI): This Arcanum has often destroyed that which we could
have used. At times we are able to co-operate, so that they give us
the spoils of their battles, but this is comaratively rare. The
Priestess has still not officially forgiven them for the destruction
of many of the magical sections of Paris during the Commune.
The Star (XVII): If they had more evidence...
The Moon (XVIII): They make little of value.
The Sun (XIX): The most dedicated seekers of Agartha. Sometimes, their
discoveries aid us.
Judgement (XX): Either frantic for personal development or fatalistic,
their view is the opposite of ours. We see a world thawing after
winter, they see only autumn.
The World (XXI): When the Coadunation occurs, the World will be filled
with energy and all Nephilim will be part of this Arcanum, as once we
were.
Relations to Secret Societies:
The High Priestess Arcanum has never forgiven the Templars for the
battle in the House of Life. They are particularly annoyed by the
Obedient Rosicruican Cross of the Temple, whom they see as the
descendants of the Cathedral builders. The High Priestess has close
links with the Church of England, which they aided. It liberated vast
numbers of relics for placement in reservoirs and destroyed
Catholicism without damaging many of its buildings. Afterwards, the
buildings could be altered to act as focus-points by replacing the
symbolic stases, the gargoyles, with real ones and through a bit of
tinkering with the windows.
Other Societies tend not to favour the High Priestess if they are
artifact based, as they see the Arcanum as a fraternity of immortal
kleptomaniacs.
Attitude Toward Incarnation:
Thotians see humans as a device to get them to Agartha and incarnation
as the First Ritual to be performed on each Awakening. The Anubians
have a somewhat different approach, seeing the rise of Solar-Ka level
due to widespread education as aiding the Coadunation. They are
slightly reminiscent of the Hierophants, in that they advocate
widespread development of the higer faculties in humans. They point
out that Black Star magicians are part of the Coadunate Mass and that
Secret Society members tend to make the best Simulacra.
Benefits:
* Those benefits general to all Arcanum, such as provision of a stasis.
* Access to those documents which are in resoviour, either freely, if you
are an Anubian meeting another Anubian, or through a complex system of
barter if a Thothian is involved.
* Access to unusual magical items, some created by non-European Nephilim
and collected during the colonial period.
* Access to Athanors dating back to the beginning of the Alchemical
arts, or which have unusal functions.
* Knowledge of the sacred geography of your surroundings and an
awareness of the presence of artifical plexi, nexi or null points
created using sacred architecture. This will often give away Temlpar
connections to a building, especially a skyscraper.
* Use of those Plexi and Nexi that the Arcanum maintains.
* Prioritized searching for your Stasis by highly-trained operatives if your
incarnation ceases.
Duties:
* Aid in the curatorship of a resoviour, if an Anubian of status.
* Co-ordination of all projects with the Superior Chiefs to prevent
duplication of effort.
* Duplication of materials in your possession for the use of the
Superior Chiefs, should they request it.
--------------------
The Chaosium Digest is an unofficial electronic 'zine about Chaosium's
Games. In no way should it be considered representative of the views
or beliefs of Chaosium Inc. To submit an article, subscribe or
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