The Age of Apostasy is upon us. The world has forgotten its gods and masters. Humans are a weak creature without Covenants, doomed to insignificance and meaningless lives of restraint and illusory order. You have been chosen to preach this message- to spread it far and wide, so that the meek creatures that call themselves Human are reminded of their place in the Cosmos. The Old Gods will have their spoils once more.
This is a stupid little idea for a semi-minimalist RTD I had. The 5 players will each participate as the founding apostles of a new Cult- not the tranquil or pacifistic kind either. The Cult of the Old Gods has three patron deities, each with their own advantages and disadvantages to worshiping. All of Humanity, save for certain rare alcoves, flock under the Naturalist Conclave's influence. Your goal as a player is to bring the supernatural back, closer to reality in order to remind the decadent Naturalist fools of their meekness in the massive macrocosm.
Standard RTD Rules, save for rolls being invisible to players. (Essence of Fate isn't observable to mere mortals!)
[1]Crit. Failure
[2]Complete Failure
[3]Partial Failure
[4]Partial Success
[5]Complete Success
[6]Critical Failure
Name: (If it's a joke, at least make it clever.)
Gender: (Male/Female/Whatever the hell else you wanna use. Doesn't matter much anyway in the Cults.)
Age: (Somewhat important- age is respected in the Cults.)
Patron Deity: (Any of the three listed. Respective bonuses/penalties apply.)
Injuries and Wounds: (None at the start.)
Inventory: (You all start with your cult robes, the Primeval Scriptures AKA your holy text, an icon relating to your patron and an iron sacrificial dagger. If you feel like you need to start with something else, ask.)
Magicks: (Rituals/cantrips you have been gifted with by any of the Three. You may or may not start with any, depending on your patron.)
Boons/Banes: (Miscellaneous blessings/curses brought by forces divine or otherwise.)
Each Patron God has their own definition of Sin, so the Cult is fractured by nature. Sins require Penance, which also depends on your Patron God.
You may only have one Patron and may only receive their blessings, the other two Gods will mostly ignore you (unless you really offend them).
There are three Patrons, make sure you know about their ups and downs before reaching a decision as your choice of Patron determines your potential.
Domain: Akashir is the youngest of the Three Old Gods, and his spiteful touch expands to all lands (and forms) of Drought. Akashir represents entropy in it's purest form- he has no real opinion of the other Gods, and destroys their creation only because it is his nature. He is the Destroyer in the Old Gods pantheon. Left to his own devices, Akashir would eventually wither his own into nonexistence- this fickle and entropic nature should be kept in mind by all that deal with him.
Granted Boons: Akashir grants his most favored followers destructive magicks of epic proportions. A cultist who starts with Akashir's patronage starts with two basic magicks that the Prince can teach them as a 'sweetener' for the pact they strike with him- these magicks are entirely random and can only be identified after the Covenant between Cultist and God have been struck.
Sins and Penance: To a cold and merciless force such as Akashir, pity upon others is not only a sin but an insult to his work.
All followers of Akashir must end at least one human life per day through, torch a significant public structure to ashes or engage in ritual self-immolation as penance. Failure to do so will bring about His wrath.
Domain: Sierris is a Goddess of both atrocity and beauty, and mother of the Twin Deities Akashir and Ckaeyod. Anything that has blood, flesh, or bone is under her influence- living or dead. She is also the Creator in the Old Gods pantheon. Revelry and torture, carnal love and vitriolic hate are all her product.
Granted Boons: Sierris' most adored will find their mortal bodies and minds refined and evolved into more superhuman forms. Some gifts will leave others in awe at the astounding beauty, while some will invoke a primal terror of aeons past. Some of her followers may also be granted magicks that warp flesh and evoke intense emotion, but these are often saved for only her most beloved and fanatical worshipers. Followers start with a random beneficial mutation.
Sins and Penance: Sierris, while being the most loving of the Old Gods, also holds the greatest potential for ire. Sinners will find themselves twisted into malformed shapes that their pitiful flesh and bone were never meant to achieve. To a passionate and emotional 'artist' such as Sierris, destruction of art and denial of impulses are the greatest sins capable of being committed. Followers must always act upon their dark desires- of which they have many, and vandalizing sculptures or paintings is strictly forbidden for any possible reason. To achieve penance for these, her followers must willingly subject themselves to terrible mutagenic forces (brought about by Sierris herself) or make art pieces with their own viscera as material.
Domain: Ckaeyod is a God of raw strength, martial prowess and superior resolve. He is the Father of Generals and Progenitor of the Sword.
Compared to the others, Ckaeyod is the most 'stable' of the Old Gods- unwavering stoicism and strength being his gospel.
Granted Boons: Ckaeyod grants to his followers 'resistances' to various forms of damage, as well as martial prowess and lightning reflexes. Their equipment will also be refined just as their form is, runes invoking his steely resolve adorning their weapons and armor. Rusty blades will become glimmering masterpieces once more, and in fact may become more potent than they ever were. It is commonly said that those most favored by Ckaeyod become living suits of impenetrable armor and that their blades are honed enough to slash the Earth itself in twain. Followers start with an extra weapon of choice, imbued with a random Rune of Ckaeyod.
Sins and Penance: Ckaeyod, being the living bastion that he is, abhors nothing more than weakness and submission. Followers who surrender or yield in combat will be regarded as cowards, forced to hammer themselves thrice for each cowardly impulse obeyed. Maintenance of arms and armor are also a part of Ckaeyod's gospel, and those that willingly let their equipment rust or be otherwise blemished must immediately clean it less they wish to invoke His wrath. Ckaeyod also hates magick for the coward's pursuit that it is, and those that follow him are forbidden from ever learning it.
So that's all, for now folks. About 6 characters should do us.
Name: John "Knobody" Doe
Gender: Male
Age: 24
Patron Deity: Ckaeyod
Injuries and Wounds: dissolved arm(healing), major chemical burns on face(almost healed), damaged eyesight(permanent)
Inventory: cult robes(a little damaged), the Primeval Scriptures, an icon relating to Ckaeyod, an iron sacrificial dagger, gleaming runed chain-blade[Rune of Projection - Slashes can be projected as ranged attacks]
Magicks: Nope. Nope. Nope.
Boons/Banes: Antidote Rune (Resistant to most poison. Engraved on forehead, sticks out like a sore thumb.)
Name: Valith Sa'roka
Gender: Male
Age: 46
Patron Deity: Sierris
Injuries and Wounds: N/A
Inventory: A selection of different cloths, cult robe, iron sacrificial dagger, the Primeval Scriptures, icon of Sierris, an 8-shot revolver(5 left), another 8-shot revolver(5 left) partly torn face of Cassius, bloodied silken cloth(Cassius), eyes of a sulfuric homonculus
Magicks: None
Boons/Banes: Attractive(Uncannily youthful looking and handsome. Easier social rolls.) Clawed hands(Natural edged weapon. Very hard to dull or generally harm.) Chameleonic Skin (Can change the color of their skin and blessed robes to match the backdrop. Effectively invisible so long as Valith doesn't move too fast or get too close.) Cannibal (Difficulty controlling self around raw flesh. May eat nearby corpses partially or entirely. Immune to diseases that originate from raw flesh.)
Background: Valith Sa'roka was originally a promising and intelligent hunter-gatherer in a small, rural town known as Grandlich. He eventually won the position of Mayor, and spent a few good years managing the town in peace. In recent years, however, he has become acutely aware of his own mortality, and believes that he is destined for something more than simply shepherding a hundred-odd dirt farmers. Thanks to his innate charisma and strength of will, it did not take long for him to start a cult to the Old Gods, and sacrificing nearly all of Grandlich to Sierris, Mother of All, for the sake of defiling their local chapel by hanging up a grotesque tapestry made of almost every villager's flayed skin sewn together in a circle, their bodies connected around the perimeter to form a solid ring keeping it all in place. Valith now seeks one thing and one thing only: Immortality, by any means and any depths and depravities necessary.
Name: Erescal
Gender: Unknown
Age: Unknown, seems to be of middle age but face is concealed behind a mask of black cloth
Patron Deity: Akashir
Injuries and Wounds: I'm fine as can be
Inventory: Black robes, primeval scriptures, small figurine of flame, sacrificial dagger, cloth mask (purely flavor), matches(9 left)
Magicks: Heat Exhaustion(Inflict severe fatigue on targets in a cone area with possibility to inflict heat stroke) Disintegrate(Bolt of magic that tears things apart on a molecular level), Necrotic Touch(Inflict a horrible wasting disease on organic beings. Requires physical contact.) Corpse Puppetry(Inconspicuous control over a recently-dead body. Body behaves like it did in life, but is controlled by Erescal. Connected by ethereal and invisible magical thread that may be spotted by wary magicians.)
Boons/Banes: None (yet)
Background: Erescal has always sought three things. Power, with which to satiate his lust for blood. Respect, to make his enemies fear him.
Chaos, to end the blighted race of humanity.
What better way is there to get power, respect, and the ability to sow chaos than by forming a pact with the patron of chaos itself? Erescal would cause death and destruction simply to satiate his own desires, so why not do it in exchange for magicks of unimaginable destructive power?
Name: Azur
Gender: Male
Age: 39
Patron Deity: Sierris
Injuries and Wounds: None
Inventory: Cult robes, Primeval Scriptures, icon relating to Sierris, iron sacrificial dagger.
Magicks: N/A
Boons/Banes: Poison Glands(Wrists hold hidden stingers that inject a deadly neurotoxic venom) Insect Control(Mentally dominates insects within 90-ish foot radius.)
Uncanny Intuition (Can feel the intentions of those around him. Rarely surprised by traitors or sucker-punches because of this.) Sadist (Experiences urges to inflict pain on others. May be forced to 'toy' with those he attacks for a while before killing them, and has a small chance of involuntarily harming a heavily wounded ally.)
Name: Johny Boy
Gender: Male
Age: You know that its under a mask,thats it
Patron Deity: Akashir
Injuries and Wounds:
Inventory:
-Cult Robes
-The Primeval Scriptures
-Icon of Akashir
-Iron Sacrificial Dagger
Magicks: Barbed Chains (Summons edged chains from the Plane of Torment to attack enemies) Blazing Sight (An invocation to Akashir temporarily gifts you with His eyes, allowing you to burn targets by staring at them) Exploding Rune (Engraves a rune at a targeted location that explodes whenever the caster wills. Strength of explosion may vary.) Burning Mantle (Akashir's fire wreaths your body, cloaking you in a burning mantle. You become more resistant to cold and may burn whatever you come in contact with.)
Boons/Banes: N/A
Name: Sapphire
Gender: Female
Age: 35
Patron Deity: Sierris
Injuries and Wounds:
Inventory:
Cult robes
Copy of the Primeval Scriptures
Icon of Sierris
Iron sacrificial dagger
Primitive surgical instruments
Magicks:
Boons/Banes: Bone Spikes (Sharpened blades protruding from the elbows and knees. Can be used as strong natural weapons) Gaze of Confusion (Can willingly overload the senses of a target provided they can make eye contact, leading to problems like vertigo, fainting, etc)
WAITLIST:
Name: Porok
Gender: Male
Age: ~75
Patron Deity: Ckaeyod
Injuries and Wounds: None
Inventory: Cult Robes
The Primeval Scriptures
Rope necklace bearing a metal rune of Ckaeyod
Iron sacrificial dagger
Magicks: Fuuuuuck that, yo
Boons/Banes: None
Backstory: Porok has lived a harsh life, without a home or family to shelter him. He has been trod upon for decades by those who considered themselves better than him. No more. No one shall tread on Porok ever again.
Appearance: An old, old man, stick-thin with ragged white hair and eyes of flint.
Name: John "Knobody" Doe
Gender: Male
Age: 24
Patron Deity: Ckaeyod
Injuries and Wounds: N/A
Inventory: cult robes, the Primeval Scriptures, an icon relating to Ckaeyod, an iron sacrificial dagger, and a Chainsaw Sword.)
Magicks: Nope. Nope. Nope.
Boons/Banes:
Name: Erescal
Gender: Unknown
Age: Unknown, seems to be of middle age but face is concealed behind a mask of black cloth
Patron Deity: Akashir
Injuries and Wounds: I'm fine as can be
Inventory: Black robes, primeval scriptures, small figurine of flame, sacrificial dagger, cloth mask (purely flavor)
Magicks: Not until I strike a deal with Akashir himself shall I receive the knowledge bestowed in the form of magicks.
Boons/Banes: None (yet)
Background: Erescal has always sought three things. Power, with which to satiate his lust for blood. Respect, to make his enemies fear him.
Chaos, to end the blighted race of humanity.
What better way is there to get power, respect, and the ability to sow chaos than by forming a pact with the patron of chaos itself? Erescal would cause death and destruction simply to satiate his own desires, so why not do it in exchange for magicks of unimaginable destructive power?
Name: Siri Alki Iller
Gender: Female
Age: 29
Patron Deity: Akashir
Injuries and Wounds:
Inventory:cult robes, the Primeval Scriptures, an icon relating to Akashir, iron dagger
Magicks: TBD
Boons/Banes:
Name: Azur
Gender: Male
Age: 39
Patron Deity: Sierris
Injuries and Wounds: None.
Inventory: Cult robes, Primeval Scriptures, icon relating to Sierris, iron sacrificial dagger.
Magicks: N/A
Boons/Banes: N/A
ew irl friends that's gross
Perfect.
Spread the fire. Flick around a few well-placed matches, watch the smoke rise.
Erescal looks around for a good point to start the fire at. Glancing over a few nearby buildings, he notices that most of them are at least three-fourths wood or other flammable material. With the Hermits at the top of the hierarchy, technology had been growing asymmetrically as of late. Buildings were still wood and sometimes stone blocks, but motorized transportation and other similar technology running on the principles of Hermetic science. Erescal soon has lit fires on three different wooden buildings in the local area. The fire is slowly climbing up the structures, still too small to be of great notice. He revels in the blossoming smoke coming forth from the burning oak planks... Akashir will become increasingly elated in a few turns time.
"Well, not that that's done, might as well check out the place the Elder talked about."
Head to the "The Lucky Bottle" and check to see if there are any other acolytes there.
Morticia heads to the same tavern the other Acolytes were advised to visit. Immediately entering upon arrival, she scans the inside for any other hooded figures.
Some signs of a struggle- Smallish blood spatters, shattered bottles of alcohol, et cetera decorate the bar itself and the area around it. Most of the crowd that was here before is gone now, all save for a few dozing drunks that would have normally been thrown out by now. Seeing as nobody is in the front of the tavern, Morticia decides to search elsewhere. She walks to the back of the bar through a door (which is, oddly enough, ajar) and arrives in a room full of barrels and crates. John Doe is standing over a man who appears to be the barkeep. The barkeep in question is thrashing rhythmically while bubbles of blood and drool seep from his frothing, damaged maw. Azur is also standing near the body of the barkeep with some sort of pinkish liquid dripping from the sleeves of his cult robe. I wonder what happened here...
Take both items, then high-tail it. Think about what I could do next would please Akashir.
Siri grabs the switchblade and copper piece before taking a moment to contemplate what she could do to please Akashir.
Well, there's always murder... arson... vandalism... anything destructive, really. Maybe burn down a couple buildings or two? Break into a house and mercilessly slaughter its inhabitants? Decisions, decisions.
Ok, someone else ended the idot, and Looking for a Secret door isn't working, So I'll MAKE a door.
Draw my chainblade, and since the alchemists are suppose to be in the back, Hack a hole through the wall.
John sighs, slightly annoyed by the barkeep's tenacity but relieved by the fact that he is down for good this time. He reaches into his large robe and pulls out a sword with a blade that is slightly longer than his arm. Somehow he keeps it concealed in there- probably something to do with Ckaeyod blessing his robes.
There are edged chains coiled around the blade itself horizontally and as he holds it they begin to wriggle and writhe before reaching full speed and running across the the blade while never leaving its surface. John swings it at a particularly suspicious looking wall. The sound of wood splitting can be heard as a (little more than) human-sized hole is carved into the wall. A dark passage can be seen inside. This has to be the entrance to the Alchemists' lab.
Valith takes the poor bastard into the shut-down inn, and makes sure no one is watching. Then, he utters a prayer to Sierris, grins madly, and slits the guy's throat with his dagger, making sure to muffle any scream. He then quickly takes one of his cloths, and soaks it in the blood; these make great memorial pieces, after all. Now, Valith rifles through his pockets, looking for anything useful, or something that would identify just who this guy was; it'll enhance the eulogy to be done after all this, you know. "A poor, sad spy, lost in a haze; Valith's cruel point ended his days."
After pocketing the bloody cloth, Valith gets to work. Knowing that he and his fellow apostles still have a job to do, he forgoes a full job -- at least for now. Instead, he settles for slicing the skin of his face off from neck to forehead. This will make a perfect centerpiece when affixed to a wooden mask or mannequin; hell, he might one day start his own shop that deals in deluxe skins! I can only imagine what he'll be able to do with this once he has the proper time.
Alright, better get moving. I wrap another of my cloths around his ruined face, then set him facing away from the door, lying on the floorboards. If I can find any alcohol nearby, I sprinkle some over the body, to give the impression to casual observers that he simply passed out. Hell, that could come in handy later, so if there is alcohol, let's take it and pocket it along with the face-skin!
Now let's get the hell outta here. Of course, that probably took my whole action, but meh.
Valith drags the unconscious Watcher into the worn-down inn, certain nobody else is seeing him. There in the dark lobby he mutters a prayer to Sierris before slitting the Watcher's throat. Soaking one of his cloths in the blood and grinning madly, he pockets the reddened silk and begins searching for anything useful on the spy's person.
In the pockets of his coat, Valith finds an envelope with a broken wax seal. It looks familiar, but he can't quite put a finger on who's seal it is. Pulling out the letter in question, he scans over it for information on who he was or who employed him. The letter is rather brief and concise.
Cassius,
It has been a while since I last wrote you as a friend, and I regret to inform you that this letter's purpose is strictly "business".
As you may be aware, Archon Oteron is becoming more and more concerned about these so-called Revivalists. Despite the other Council members' attempts to quell these worries, he is still convinced that they are a danger that must be hastily dealt with. The Council refused to mark a menace that is likely illusory In morte. Archon Oteron made me swear I'd employ someone to look into it though, and that is why I am seeking your help.
You will be rewarded plentifully regardless of your findings- Archon Oteron swore he'd make sure of it.
Your old friend,
E
In addition to this, he finds a pistol (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_G-EWSfJ1PwE/TAlcEwRWfAI/AAAAAAAABbs/rR1ookhtNBE/s1600/_DSC1666.jpg) of sorts fully-loaded with 8 rounds and a spyglass. The spy (Apparently named Cassius) was well-prepared, but in the end his firearm did nothing to save him.
Valith stashes both the letter and the firearm within the inside of his pocketed cultist robe. The Adored Valith also cleanly slices off the face of Cassius, storing it away for future use in some grotesque beautiful display of art. He covers Cassius' face and sets him face-down so that he draws less attention before stepping back out into the cold night air, sighing with satisfaction.
Sierris eagerly awaits the creation of Valith's next piece.
Azur keeps searching for that den. If he encounters anyone liable to give away his position, the standard procedure of poisoning them and then using bodily fluids to paint terrifying images on the hilt of his dagger applies. Really a shame we aren't supposed to leave any identifying marks, or he'd begin work on a larger canvas.
Azur was prepared to do some searching, but his Steelborn friend appears to have found the entrance through less graceful means. It's to be expected from those like the brutish thugs of Ckaeyod to do such tactless things. Azur needs to decide if he is ready yet, or if he wants John to go in first.
Name: Johny Boy
Gender: Male
Age: You know that its under a mask,thats it
Patron Deity: Akashir
Injuries and Wounds:
Inventory:
-Cult Robes
-The Primeval Scriptures
-Icon of Akashir
-Iron Sacrificial Dagger
Magicks:
Boons/Banes:
Name: Sapphire
Gender: Female
Age: 35
Patron Deity: Sierris
Injuries and Wounds:
Inventory:
Cult robes
Copy of the Primeval Scriptures
Icon of Sierris
Iron sacrificial dagger
Primative surgical instruments (If allowed)
Magicks:
Boons/Banes:
Name: Porok
Gender: Male
Age: ~75
Patron Deity: Ckaeyod (I may be misspelling this)
Injuries and Wounds: (None at the start.)
Inventory: Cult Robes
The Primeval Scriptures
Rope necklace bearing a metal rune of Ckaeyod
Iron sacrificial dagger
Magicks: Fuuuuuck that, yo
Boons/Banes: (Miscellaneous blessings/curses brought by forces divine or otherwise.)
Backstory: Porok has lived a harsh life, without a home or family to shelter him. He has been trod upon for decades by those who considered themselves better than him. No more. No one shall tread on Porok ever again.
Appearance: An old, old man, stick-thin with ragged white hair and eyes of flint.