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Chaosium Digest Volume 24 Number 02
Chaosium Digest Volume 24, Number 2
Date: Sunday, March 8, 1998
Number: 5 of 5
Contents:
A Kabbalist's Dream, Part Five (Erick-Noel Bouchard) FRENCH NEPHILIM
--------------------
From: Erick-Noel Bouchard <samedi@colba.net>
Subject: A Kabbalist's Dream, Part Five
System: Nephilim
THIRD SONG: THE AWAKENING OF EVIL
Tiferet
To those who enter its breast, Tiferet appears as a universe of
silvery mists and shadows, where nothing is to be seen beyond an arm's
reach. Not even one's companions can be seen in this confusion of
swirling silver, the air itself shimmering as if brightly lit by an
overwhelming, ever-present, yet hidden light. Beneath our heroes'
feet, immense flat stones of white marble show carvings of the Hebrew
alphabet's letters. Sound strangely echoes here, shuffled yet intense
simultaneously. Despite the eerie gloom of this new world they
entered, our heroes cannot help but feel the immense peace and wisdom
irradiated by this magical land. Indeed, holy must be those grounds
for such power to emanate from them.
Yet from this unreachable purity arises a sour and evil laughter, as a
sulphurous odour evaporates into the air, as if chased away by high
winds in the stillness of the glowing air. Anxious feelings overcome
our heroes as the sinister chuckles' echoes lessen in the overwhelming
light. What treachery is this? Piercing the strange landscape's
silence, a golden voice resonates as would a legion of brass trumpets:
"Come, Veiled One(s), to the golden heart's light, as thy quest is
nearing completion." Far away, and yet deceptively so close, a faint
humming calls while letters shine into a path of luminous
silver. Centuries or seconds later, gloriously parting the mists as if
mere curtains, a tall and mighty figure stands on fiery brass feet
before the heroes' eyes. Immense and yet modest, powerful yet
restrained, the angel (or demon?) opens its hands in a welcoming
gesture, a faint smile overcasting its radiant features. Strange is
the apparition's face, for every hero shall see a face both familiar
and friendly, be it of mother, brother or friend, and yet
incomprehensibly reminiscent of Uriel's unveiled features. The entity
is indeed all of this and more, as it represents each hero's loves and
aspirations, melancholic yesterdays and glorious tomorrow. Sadness,
though, permeates its majestic beauty, as if the world's sorrow would
sleep into its eyes.
As the heroes gather around the Keeper of Tiferet, the powerful voice
rises again from a hundred sources:
"Welcome, Veiled One(s), to what thou seeketh most, the immanent gates
of Splendour behind which lie Intellect, Knowledge, and Wisdom. I am
the Keeper of the Gates, holder of the Keys of Beyond. Thy quest has
been fruitful, yet deception has not escapeth thy heart(s)'
vigilance. As the Keeper's words thou hear, a great evil has been
releaseth into the mortal world. Thy actions have brought the
malevolence of Baal, the corrupter, into the purity of Tiferet.
Unknowingly, thou have made thysel(ves) responsible for Istanbul's
greater sorrow to come. Now, the foul, perverted conscience has
entered the material world with shape and murderous intent. Pity the
poor city! Behold thy crimes, mortals!"
The surrounding mists shimmer and take colours to show the flamboyant
city in the midst of chaos, as warring factions launch themselves
against one another. Days have passed since our heroes entered the
labyrinth, and yet it appeared to them as but a few hours. Burning
fires assault the city's walls, but still an even greater peril
menaces the inner city as the hulking gold idol of a man destroys the
city's temples, walls and buildings, spilling much of the inhabitants'
blood. The Golem! Despite the danger, the Kabbalists have given life
to the murderous construct! Never before has such evil been released
upon the world, as this unliving simulacrum of life neither knows pain
nor death. Great strife and misery awaits Istanbul...
"In thy ignorance, thou brought the consciousness with thee under the
guise of Yusaf, the young one. This one has been corrupted to the dark
ways. As he hosted the foulness of Baal, now the Kabbalist's Golem
houses the damned spirit. Now, time has come for judgement. Three
worlds lie hidden from mortal skries, and yet their harmony thou
feeleth when revelation thou seeketh. Despite thy courage, the Gates
of Tiferet remain closed to thou, but perhaps one day shall thou find
thy own entrance... Hear this, mortals: Darkness is but the
fragmentation of the completed Light. As the world is unity, the
divine is one. Chaos is but fragmented order. To heal the world, unity
must be made whole again. Three questions shall I ask of thee:"
"How does one fight Darkness with Light?"
"How should be restored the world's unity?"
"Who shall bear the Divine Crown?"
"May wisdom and intellect guide thy paths, mortals..."
Slowly, the misty surroundings take on a more solid shape. Colours get
brighter as our heroes' journey into Tiferet leads them back to
Malkuth. As the apparition fades away, the image of a golden crown
solidifies before their eyes, brightly shining. Anyone grasping it can
feel its powerful and warm touch, rich in spiritual power and
harmony. In truth, the Keeper has given a powerful artifact... for one
who guesses its use.
The Final Confrontation
What now? Prisoners in the fury of an assaulted city, our heroes are
left with many unanswered questions. Is this another test? Are they
truly out of the labyrinth? What was the purpose of this quest? What
to do now? Faced with the dilemma of saving their lives or saving the
city, the heroes still have to manage how to resolve one or the other,
preferably both.
Fleeing the city to save one's skin is certainly not heroic, yet can
be understood when terror overcomes morals and determination. On this
path, the game master is on her own. The task should be feasible yet
difficult, as cowardice has its price. On the other hand, should the
heroes prefer to fight the invading warriors from the city's walls,
evidence shall be clear that the city's defence is greatly impaired by
the Golem's assault, as panic strangles the militia's morale and
ability to fight back the intruder. Clearly, the Golem is the main
menace to overcome, but how?
The Keeper's questions provide clues for ingenious heroes:
"How does one fight Darkness with Light?"
By reunification. Using one's wits is the key here: Light dissipates
darkness, and through it should victory be found. But how? The Crown
is the key. Fighting fire with fire here leads nowhere, as the Golem's
assaults cannot be opposed by mere physical might. Its strength is
immense, its golden body knows no pain, and its heart knows no
fear. With Baal's essence animating the powerful body, any warring
ability is useless against its overwhelming power. Traps and tricks
can only delay it for brief periods of time. Physical methods are
hence pointless. The answer is surely symbolic... But how can one be
fought by Light?
"How should be restored the world's unity?"
Finding the Kabbalists would be the wisest solution here. The
remaining thinkers (those few not already slain by Baal's murderous
assaults) could answer, if calmed down, questions about the meaning
and sense of the heroes' journey into the labyrinth. In their science,
the wholeness of the universe is represented by ten perfect spheres,
each one corresponding to a body part, Keter (the ultimate and most
mysterious one) being associated with the crown of kingship. Still,
the confused philosophers are not much use to find a solution for
halting the rampaging automaton. They would know that the crown's
meaning is unity and lordship, and that such a crown's power would lay
powers and might beyond any mortal's dreams. Wearing such attribute of
royalty, short of being the messiah, might be considered a blasphemy
though...
"Who shall bear the Divine Crown?"
In the answer to this question lies the salvation of Istanbul. Baal is
the corrupter, imperfection made physical, a hulking doom to any and
all life. And yet... "Chaos is but fragmented order. To heal the
world, unity must be made whole again." Baal should be the one to wear
the crown, reunification transforming his corruption into a wholeness
and perfect completion in all points to the world's unity. Crowning
the savage entity is now but a technical problem, yet one complex
enough to keep our heroes' brains productively active. Any intelligent
stratagems should be encouraged by a kind game master here.
On the other hand, naive or utterly ambitious might think themselves
as worthy of wearing the golden crown. The game master should be
severe yet just in applying his sentence upon the foolish. An innocent
yet impulsive adventurer should get away with a mere memory wipe-out
and the feeling of reaching toward a perfection she cannot fully
remember. Another, more egoistic one should face death by the flames
of justice, her evils burnt away from her mortal shell, her spirit
free of some sin but also free of mortal existence...
EPILOGUE
The heroes' actions, wits and wisdom shall determine the epilogue's
outcome. If the Golem destroyed the city, his soul shall return to his
native realm on the seventh day, as his body crumbles to dust. Baal,
despite his efforts, shall return to his outerworld captivity, but not
without leaving much sorrow behind, though. The Templars shall know of
his fury and their strengths tossed away like mere moths. The invaders
have lost but so has the city. Many months shall it take for Istanbul
to rebuild its beauty, and a long time shall it take for the
kabbalists to reconstruct their fallen community.
Should the Golem be destroyed through an act of violence, by removing
the Aleph letter on his forehead, the Templars' assault shall know
fury far greater than in the former situation. After months of siege
and assault, their numbers shall finally retreat from the city but not
before causing damage that would drive Istanbul to its knees. This
time, Istanbul' reconstruction shall require years.
On the brighter side, perhaps the heroes discovered wisdom and crowned
the Golem, uniting his physical and intellectual aspects with the
greater glory of the Unnamed. As the crown takes its long awaited
place, a golden light shines from the creature, bathing everyone and
everything miles around with the full glory of his reunification.
Everything glows in the magnificent light of the Golem. Calmness and a
peaceful joy arise in all that know its light. Conflict and perversion
disappear from their hearts, as if a great burden had been taken of
them. The original sin, the forsaking of humankind's divine nature, is
revoked as all know the harmony of creation. Sinners, murderers, and
thieves contemplate the sorrow of their ways; even the Templars see
through the hatred of their desires. As all feelings of hate pass away
from the belligerents, armies dissipate and return home, longing for
their beloved ones' presence.
For the Nephilim, this unique moment is a taste of the awaiting
Agartha, their reunion with the forces that gave them birth. As the
growing light blinds them, they fully contemplate their metamorphosis,
returning for a brief instant to the power and greatness they once
knew as KaIm. In a way they cannot tell, they feel the call of Arcanum
XXI, the World's unity once again restored and purified.
Symbolising the world's transformation through the joining of what was
separated into unity, the Golem's form shall change into the luminous
form of a bird, its feathers made of the purest light. Then, without a
sound, it rises into the air and flies toward the sun, never to be
seen again. As the light slowly disappears, everything progressively
returns as it was. In silence, every man in the street returns home.
Shop keepers close, merchants pick up their baubles to leave. The
Templars themselves silently pick up their war attire and return
home. In silence, the city goes to sleep, dead of speech but rich in
its inhabitants' hearts. This night, Istanbul shall dream like it
never has before.
The Nephilim have lived an enlightening experience like they never
knew before. Not only have they visited many of Kabbalah's hidden
secrets, they beheld their true selves, patiently waiting for the
times to come. What each and everyone learned is for the players to
tell. Let them speak, storyteller, and tell you one by one what they
experienced and discovered through this story. Was it the greater call
to unity? The mysteries of Kabbalah? The completeness of their
metamorphosis? On their testimonies shall you then decide what each
one has won and deserved.
What of the future? In but a few months, history has it, the Templars
and their allies shall force their way through Istanbul and shatter
the hope of local Nephilim. Disenchanted by Kabbalah, Symeon the
hermit and his kin shall engage their wars against the
philosophers... But this is another story.
Erick-Noel Bouchard Copyright 1997
APPENDIX ONE: ELECTRONIC LINKS
Byzantium: The Byzantine Studies page
http://www.bway.net/~halsall/byzantium.html
Kabbalah
http://marlowe.wimsey.com/~rshand/streams/scripts/kabbalah.html
The Assassins
http://marlowe.wimsey.com/~rshand/streams/masons/assassins.html
The historical Humble Knights of the Temple of Salomon
http://marlowe.wimsey.com/~rshand/streams/masons/mysteries.html
The Canaanite god Baal
http://marlowe.wimsey.com/~rshand/streams/scripts/baal.html
The biblical Nephilim
http://marlowe.wimsey.com/~rshand/streams/scripts/nephilim.html
APPENDIX TWO: THE HOLY ORDER OF TRINITY
As an appendix to the Crown of Keter chronicle for the Nephilim game I
include here a brief description of the Nephilim society to which
Maitre Etienne belongs, as it might help to illuminate the actions of
this strange sect.
The following text is copyright Erick-Noel Bouchard 1996. It may be
copied and distributed freely as long as proper credit is given.
Nephilim is a registered trademark of Multisim and Chaosium.
History and goals
The order is a somewhat heretic and secret offshoot of the mainstream
Nephilim groups, as it holds views about mankind, order, and the
nature of things somewhat opposite to that of mainstream Christians.
It shares many principles in common with Plato's philosophies as well
as a kinship with Mazdeism, from which it derives many of its
principles. The society was founded fifty years ago by a wandering
Spanish nun of Ste-Jeanne d'Arc named Claudina who revoked her vows in
the pursuit of a higher form of morality. After facing for years
suffering and genocide at the hand of Christian inquisitors, Claudina
realised that the efforts made by the society of Ste-Jeanne d'Arc were
meaningless in that there would always be more suffering inflicted
than cured, and that healing is useless if torment keeps being
inflicted upon the miserable. While praying in her chambers for divine
inspiration, Claudina had a vision in which she saw a society kf
perfect order, where everyone had their place and role and suffering
had no place. She saw Christians, Jews, and Arabs working in harmony
to build a world of equality and peace where all could work for the
common good. In short, Claudina had a vision somewhat similar as that
of Marx, albeit more spiritual, as well as set in a different time and
place.
So Claudina convinced some of her fellow sisters to follow her in her
quest of conversion to the holy cause of Trinity, for such she called
her new dream. She believed in a new order governed by the three
principles of Equality, Fraternity, and Justice, which were to be
applied as justice of mind, justice of society, and justice of
action. Abandoning her weak and uninspiring patron, Claudina and her
nine apostles turned to the worship of the holy Triad of Binah (the
logical spirit), Hod (the unifying order of society by tradition), and
Geburah (the unifying order of action and retribution, the action of
Justice). Together these form the right side of the Tree of Life in
the Hebrew science of Kabbalah. Though magic and alchemy are known by
a few of the Nephilim leaders, most are practitioners of the
kabalistic art.
For years and years the nuns roamed across Spain and France, preaching
their religion to Christian and Hebrew, man and woman, prince and
peasant alike, as they believed it was their sacred mission to
announce to the all peoples of Europe that all sentient people were
created equal and that all have their place in the New Order that was
to come. Magic was a thing of Darkness, unpredictable and dangerous,
and as such was to be proscribed. Despite their efforts and martyrdom,
little attention was paid to them, as clergy branded them as heretics,
and politicians as anarchists and agitators. Only the poor, the
helpless, and the unloved found light in Claudina's words and accepted
her as their messiah. Ten years after her vision of the Trinity,
Claudina was murdered by wizards and nobles fearful of their
privileges. Most of her flocks and nuns were assimilated back into
Ste-Jeanne d'Arc's ranks and all traces of her heresy were to be
destroyed. Nowadays, but a few scattered followers still revere the
ways of Claudina, mostly Hebrews and crippled of all nations in
northern Spain.
But, not all of Claudina's apostles were to become martyrs or converts
after her brutal demise. Others would follow, as she claimed herself
during her wanderings. A small group of them was to reform, albeit in
a more secret and militant form, in the hope of someday make her dream
come true and create the first Trinitist State in Europe. They
believed the cause for Claudina's failure was the imprisonment of Hod,
principle of tradition, which prevented the holy Trinity from being
united and thus gathering its whole strength. So, in the utmost
secret, the Holy Order of Trinity was created with three goals in
mind, representing the three branches of the society:
I) To uphold the world of law;
II) To promote social and philosophical evolution in Europe
(principally Spanish) cities and kingdoms;
III) To undermine the power of the Minor Arcana, heirs of the
Saurians, and destroy all sources of dark moon magic. All
traces of the Saurian and Promethean heresy are to be
exterminated.
Ways and beliefs
The society holds a very secret agenda and functions within a very
strict hierarchy. Each branch is under the responsibility of an
Adeptus, with three direct subordinates under him (Novus). Each Novus,
in turn, holds responsibility and authority for three Initii (singular
Initius). So at all times twenty-seven members work fervently for the
good of the sect, with many more profane hirelings, mercenaries and
servants at their commands. So, despite their small numbers, the
followers of Santa Claudina hold a very discreet but significant
influence over the politics of Europe. Maitre Etienne, the mysterious
merchant appearing in the Crown of Keter Chronicle, is himself an
Adeptus. His true nature is much more mysterious...
Keepers might wonder why such a powerful sect has not made itself
known before and how it can operate despite its immense area of
influence. First, it should be known that the large majority of those
who work for the Order have no idea whom they really work for. All
members have a side occupations that put them in places of power or
responsibility. Secondly, as it has been shown that direct influence
results in retribution from Darkness, the society prefers to work its
ways subtly and gain popularity over time. It seeks primarily
popularity among the ranks of the scholarly, the poor, the uneducated,
and the just. Already, in the city of Istambul, many of the workers
uphold the dream of Claudina without even knowing it. Thirdly, just
give a thought at the awesome power secret societies like the
Freemasons bear today without anyone knowing...
Although centred in northern and western Spain, the society has agents
about everywhere in western Europe and holds a slight but growing
influence in southern France. The Ottoman city of Istambul is under
heavy influence of the sect, as it mostly poses as merchants' guilds
and pawnshops all over the Middle-East.
No temples or churches exist, as the sect wishes to be secret.
Reunions are held in cellars owned by the society; regular worship is
by secret meditation and readings. Many members hold secret covers and
pretend to have faith in other religions, notably Christianity and
Islam, where much recruiting is done.
The Holy Order of Trinity is indifferent to the other Nephilim groups
and hides its existence from them. At worst, it considers them as
fanatics, at best as pawns in the fight against Darkness. As the
adepts of the Trinity prefer thought over might, they tend to feel
contempt for warlike groups such as the Teutons, the Templars and the
Hashishin, but is not above using them as pawns or even recruits if
they show promise. The Catharses are considered with defiance, as they
oppose the principle of unity in rule. As the Holy Order of Trinity
considers the use of magic by man as an heresy, all sorcerers and
heretical groups are considered dangerous. The Minor Arcana are the
first enemies of this society. The Selenim, adepts of the dark moon,
are viewed as enemies, fallen to Darkness. Those that cannot be freed
must be annihilated. Even those among them who pretend to follow the
journey to Agartha are viewed with suspicion, as magic is a tool prone
to Darkness when put in their hands. In such, the Holy Order of
Trinity shares the view of the Tower of Destruction, though it most
often parallels Justice. It easily lures the naive and the foolish.
As the sect has no racial prejudice, many of its members are not
Christian. One of the Adeptus is in fact a black Egyptian; many others
are of Arab or Jewish birth. Insofar, the society has not gained
popularity amongst the Orientals and does not trust them much. As the
society prefers conversion over destruction, only followers of
Darkness are deemed unsalvageable and destroyed on sight. Most of the
times, this means Selenim, especially the large Selenim families of
Istanbul and their masters. In practice, though, compromise is more
sought than war. All servants of Darkness, spiritual descendants of
the Saurians, are enemies to be destroyed, preferably using other
groups or mercenaries. Of all their enemies, the Templars are the most
powerful and dangerous.
Members of the society
Members of all races are welcome, but very hard trials must be passed
to become one of the Initii. No one who practices wizardry may be
admitted into the sect, except converts, and then all magic weaving
must be abandoned. Only the Nephilim are allowed such, and only in
secret, for but a small minority knows the society's leadership to be
inhuman. These few form an elite among the society, much more
temperate than the low-ranking fanatics. Faith in the dream of
Claudina and total loyalty to the sect are mandatory from all. Higher
ranking members are almost all Nephilim, often members of Arcanum
VIII.
Many strictures must be obeyed by those who follow Claudina's dream:
* Pursue the great dream of Claudina by whatever means necessary
* Always behave justly and equally in all things, as all humans are
created equal
* Remain faithful to the sect and its leaders no matter what
* Never reveal the secrets of the sect even before death and torture
* Oppose Darkness wherever it is found, but without endangering the
sect
* Oppose the use of magic by mortals, not using yourself magic unless
against wizards or Darkness and then only as last resort
* Fight social injustice and uphold Equality, Fraternity, and Justice
for all
Trials are imposed upon those suspected of lacking in faith. These are
conducted by the adept's superiors and always include advancement for
the sect and opposition to the emotions of greed, ambition and lust.
Those who betray the sect are slain in a most painful manner, inspired
from the inquisitors' practices.
The triangle and the clover, cleverly disguised, are used as
reconnaissance symbols by members. As the number three is considered
sacred, this element tends to be repeated often in the works and
attires of the members. The pyramid is also a very common metaphor to
the unity of the three worlds of Spirit, Mind and Body.
--
