Alternative to Boasts

Working on something else, but still unhappy with XP or milestones as normally constructed.

Improvement

There are three criteria for improvement - only the highest is considered. Each ‘rank’ grants +1HD and +1 to-hit. For example, a character with 200 loyal men, wearing 3000sp of equipment and knowing 1 technique gains +3HD and +3 to-hit.

Lordship

For each 100 soldiers loyal to the character. Lords who are loyal contribute half their fighting force to this number. For example, if Lord Gearing commands 200 soldiers and swears loyalty to the character, they have the loyalty of 100 soldiers for the purposes of Lordship.

Heroism

For each 1000sp of value worn by the character. Trophies, armours and weapons taken from monsters count as 500sp per HD they had in life - if taken by force.

Esoterism

For each esoteric technique known.
These are both martial and magical.

Esoteric Techniques

Stance of the Destroyer

Remove one of your hands to assume the Stance of the Destroyer. Twelve arms, six maimed, six bearing weapons, surround the warrior like a cloud of flies. Those in this stance make 7 attacks per turn, and all successful blows deal maximum damage. Once their enemies lay dead and cooling, the stance is exited.

The Infinite Grace of the Patient Lord

By taking pilgrimmage to the three Golden Temples, one is able to experience some small glimpse of the Infinite Grace of the Patient Lord. A gentle benediction is carried in their breath when next speaking the sacred syllable - those receiving this blessing having their wounds sealed and bodies purified. All breathed upon heal 2d6 damage and are purified of all natural diseases and poisons. By speaking the syllable, the Infinite Grace is lost - the pilgrimmage must be repeated. The pilgrim does not benefit from this Technique.

The Gnawing

The sorcerer must first keep upon them a sealed container, filled with carnivorous ground-beetles. This nascent swarm must be fed a sliver of ginger-root each day for at least 2 months. When the sorcerer identifies their target and releases the swarm, they seek the unfortunate and burrow into their orifices. They must make a Physique save: those successful taking 4d6 damage, and those failing dying. The progeny of the swarm, laid within the corpse, will seek the sorcerer in 3 days. They cannot cross water.

Banishing Strike

This technique requires a whip made from a stingray tail, torn from the living creature by the prospective wielder. When in the presence of a malicious spell, the whip twitches. The wielder may attempt to strike the spell from the air, treating it as AC 3. If successful, the effect is cancelled. Alternatively, the wielder may try and reverse the spell back upon the caster - this requiring a strike against AC 0. The whip can only be used once per day.

Warding Strike

This technique requires a whip made from a stringray tail, left for a week in a shrine or temple. When successfully striking supernatural beasts, it deals 1d3 damage and causes them to test Morale.

Pariah Session 9 - Play Report

Use the tags to find previous and for some more details.

This session mostly consisted of a dungeon - a localised “solid” in the sea of the Beyond. With the completion of this dungeon, the players voted to start a new campaign.

Having fled from the hollow man, the party elected to move through the only unexplored route. They found a chamber filled with hollowed-out human husks - as if peeled off some alien core. Moving carefully again, they skirted the strange bodies and moved on.

Purple Point lit a torch, tiring of the strange sourceless grey light that filled these passages. The darkness recoiled as if made of snakes, but the torch burnt on. From the passage ahead, a voice, muffled and metallic, beckoned them to “approach and prostrate yourselves.” They found an emaciated figure wearing a full-head mask of gold, crafted to appear as a stylised sun. Around them were draped skins, covered in a crawling script reminiscent of insects feasting upon a corpse. Once again, the figure demanded they kneel. Purple Point refused, attracting the figures ire - a beam of golden light fell from the mask, driving Purple Point to the ground and locking their muscles entirely. Charging after their friend, Blue Fallen was struck by the same strange power. Blue-Grove swept in to try and help his friends stand whilst Golden Other verbally denigrated the masked man, distracting him from the attempts to help. Unfortunately, both were locked solid, unable to move. Golden Other charged, resisting the strange beam of light and cutting into the figure who bled as a normal mortal. Cunning Mountain aided by throwing their staff in to the mêlée. The figure commanded his new worshippers defend him.

Effects like mind control can be really boring - so I let the players follow the command to the letter - allowing for some resistance. This tends to give much more fun, chaotic results as well as stopping players feeling unengaged.

Purple Point commanded their wind spirit to levitate the figure, lifting them from harm, whilst Blue Fallen threw open the nearest door, aiming to defend it from intruders. On the other side was the hollow figure the party had just fled, who began advancing with their husk-like minions. Meanwhile, in the room, Blue Grove threw a lasso at the now-levitating man. An initial miss was followed with success as Cunning Mountain quickly reeled in the rope for a second attempt. Golden Other clung to the figures feet as they were dragged to the ground. This fall snapped the held band-members out of control - Blue Fallen slammed the door shit whilst Purple Point pulled the mask free. A trail of slime fell from the mask, the head beneath revealed as a shrivelled, rotted husk. Within the mask was a fleshy mass, the hollow space filled with seeking, crawling slug-like bodies. Idle-Quiet drove their blade into the mass, drawing quicksilver blood and putting an end to the squirming mass.

Moving on, the band found a strange pool, appearing as hundreds of oil-slicks stacked upon one another. Tossing some debris in, the vapour released danced like flames, never quite congealing into recognisable form. Golden Other, taking up rope, leapt easily across the chamber, entering a new space beyond.

They were immediately aware of being watched by an entity hidden behind the bright white light of a distant star brought close enough to touch. It approached slowly, like a curious dog before attempting to pounce. Golden Other slid beneath it whilst the Band launched their weapons - causing a strong enough hit to cause the thing to flee.

I give animal-like intelligences pretty low morale scores - this feels more accurate and gives a nicer feel in my experience.

The band opened the pair of doors to find the terrible bird-being that had stolen Idle-Quiet’s true name towering over a shimmering, translucent vision of the same man. Asked to return the name, it demanded something in return. The mask was immediately offered, which it happily took - bidding Idle-Quiet’s name/soul return but asking it “Be sure to remember what I told you.” With this, the band tugged on the silver threads, each awakening in their own bodies. Idle-Quiet suffered with a strange duality, aware that they were two presences re-forming into a single cohesive whole.

Upon their return, the Band were in awe at Idle-Quiets new abilities - able to swallow the mind and soul in a relentless ocean of will, possession the body of any mortal being with no resistance possible. Idle-Quiet began to tattoo their own head with a hundred eyes as the Band agreed he was now a figure of reverence. He possessed nearby animals and brought them willing to the slaughter, the Band planning how they would convert others to the worship of their new immortal godling.

The players voted to end the campaign, feeling like leaving the stone-age cult to the imagination rather than playing out the no-doubt-awful bloody rise of the proto-religion. The Spirit Touched ability, combined with Idle Quiets Psyche value of 29, meant that no mortal could stop their possessions attempts. Whilst this would have been fun to play out, we decided to move on instead. At some point I’ll type up the hexcrawl notes.

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Lime

The Swallowports stud the Dislinear Curve upon the hubward edge of Troika. Where each leads is a closely guarded secret of the centipede-like Tlixnean within. From the walls they scuttle to caress, handle and guide Golden Barges laden down with goods illicit and intense requirements for secrecy - the Swallowports impregnable.

Once a month the Unbroken Dawn docks with Swallowport 8, the hull filled with off-grey powder. Upon the deck, watching the crew, are 7 Enforcers with their cut-down fusils. Their leader, Kammani, has tattoos of serpents crawling up her neck. They bear their fangs when Kammani hides her anger. She does not know where her wife has gone, and will never look for her.

The Tlixnean guide the vessel deep beneath the city, where the powder is offloaded and sold to students at the local magically inclined campuses. They have taken to calling it Lime. The college administrators, usually unperturbed by the habits of their customers students, are concerned at the number of magical incidents linked to users of Lime - clean-up runs expensive. Additionally, the families of students are noticing more requests for money.

Parachuted, snorted or gummed, Lime is largely inert in non-spellcasters, giving only a mild depressive effect. Magic-users, however, feel any magic deeply and tangibly - as if molding a physical material rather than moving with the abstract currents of the Universe. This approach is easier, and riskier, than traditional methods: those taking Lime add +2 to their Skill for casting, but cause an Oops! if either (or both) dice roll a 6. Having only been on the streets for 6 months, the long term effects are not general knowledge.

Street dealers purchase their Lime from a six-tentacled tree-octopus, Slmiloomis, who is directly employed by Eilbroon. Slmiloomis moves through the subterranean sections of Troika with ease, dragging a high-powered shoulder-mounted fusil-cannon. They are terrified of heights and refuse to explain how they lost two of their tentacles, their skin turning black-purple when asked. Slmiloomis only delivers Lime in dead-drops, using local homeless to deliver parcels. They are paid well to not look in the packages, not to ask questions and not to talk to anyone about the work. Slmiloomis loves them like a parent - until something goes wrong. Every Friday, Slmiloomis delivers 90% of the profit to the Wellington estate.

The operation is financed by Eilbroon. Formed by the abortive consumption of a tomb-robber by a lobster-like construct from deep within the Hollowed Rocks, they use the huge wealth of their Lime empire to research what has happened to them, and if it can be reversed. Any threat to this, either directly or financially, is dealt with ruthlessly. They lair in a manor near the Downgate Arches, coerced from Ambleth Wellington, a would-be Public Investigator. Eilbroon collected reams of compromising material, and promised silence for the use of his ancestral home. Ambleth lurks in shame in one of the micro-spheres orbiting Troika proper. There are always 8 Enforcers in the home, although Eilbroon prefers violence to be done far away - or at least quietly. They have the money to hire assassins after playing nice with visitors.

Lime is mined in what appears to be a lifeless sphere of barren stone. In truth, it is the fossilised bones of a floral species, their minds distributed and shared amongst their root systems. As Lime is used, some of these roots are reconstituted in the users brain. After 6 months of continuous usage, the roots will develop enough for some of this mind to return. It will subtly explore the psyche of their host, learning to nudge them towards its own goals - the consumption and spreading of more Lime. Once enough are infested, they will charter a Golden Barge and plant themselves in some distant sphere to flower, cracking the skull and feeding upon the buried bodies of their hosts.

Those mining the Lime are the stranded crew left from shipwrecks and failed smuggling operations. They are nominally paying off a debt to leave this nameless sphere. Eilbroon has no intention of letting any leave alive - occasionally a troublemaker is ‘allowed’ to leave, killed aboard the Unbroken Dawn and their body left to drift in the warm nothing of the void.

The first roots are beginning to take hold. In two months, enough will be infested for the Great Migration to begin.

The Street Dealers

• Elmer Hodge, an aging man described as a ‘tweed elemental’. He sells in the many, many pubs frequented by students. Always asking people if they have any pipe tobacco. Mostly likes this as a way to meet people.
• Chiara Perla, a student at a satellite campus of the College of Friends, selling Lime between lectures to (barely) afford tuition.
• GRUND!, a Thinking Engine who is thinking about making some serious cash. Always on their grind, seeing as they do not require sleep or food.
• Feyza, low on prospects but high on ambition. Wants to replace Slmiloomis, but unsure how best to do it.
• Rahmat, a failed Wizard Hunter. He really, really doesn’t want to talk about it.

Stats

Enforcers
Skill 6
Stamina 8
Initiative 2
Armour 0
Damage as Weapon (Fusil)

Slmiloomis
Skill 7
Stamina 13
Initiative 3
Armour 1
Damage as Fusil+1

Eilbroon
Skill 10
Stamina 22
Initiative 4
Armour 3
Damage as Gigantic Beast

Points of Entry

• Hired by a concerned family, worried that their child has been acting strangely recently.
• Hired by a consortium of mage-colleges to stop the Lime epidemic.
• Hired by a cartel to break up Eilbroon’s Lime Empire.
• Hired by Ambleth Wellington to destroy the compromising material Eilbroon holds.
• Hired by Susanna, Kammani’s wife, to break her out of the criminal life.
• Start play earlier, and have a spellcasting character use Lime.

Bullet Points vs Prose

Because reasons, I’m working on rewrite of Behind Closed Doors. A lot of this involves de-bullet pointing the text. Below I’ve given a side-by-side for each. Obviously (hopefully?) I’m a better writer than I was three years ago, but I think it’s worthwhile seeing the same material both ways. Obviously, even my bullet-points are more prose-based than a lot of other examples I’ve seen. I find this only exacerbates my issue with them.

1) Entrance Hall
This wide room, the floor hidden beneath a mouldering bearskin, is dominated by a huge portrait of the late Lord Howard von Deiter. He appears domineering and batrachian, seated in an indeterminate void. Beneath the stairs, hidden behind inconspicuous doors, are five sets of coats with matching shoes. One set is made of much finer material, and cut to the style of the distant cities. Two are child-sized.

• Entrance Hall - dominated by a portrait of the late Lord Howard von Deiter - domineering and batrachian.
  • Five sets of various sized boots with matching coats.
    • Highlight: one set nonlocal look and material.

2) Drawing Room
Filled with chairs and low tables, lined with dusty bookcases. Much of the floor is covered with plain, simple rugs. Beneath these rugs are fresh scrapes and marks, made with knives and forming no pattern. Chalkdust is abundant beneath these rugs. One of the bookcases is slightly less dusty than the others - several holy books number amongst its collection. Each has been subtly defaced throughout. Between them, scant few ruddy hairs can be found, coarse to the touch.

• Drawing Room - filled with chairs and low tables lined with dusty bookcases. Austere rugs cover most of the otherwise plain floor—used for tuition.
  • Fresh scrapes and marks beneath rugs
  • Abundant chalk-dust in corners and beneath rugs
  • One book-case is less dusty:
    • Highlight: Fibres of rusty-red hair on the shelves - matching the beastman hair found in Althufe.
    • Several holy books are subtly defaced.

3) Dining Hall
This chamber is bisected by a dining table far too long for the room, requiring a shuffle to get around the edges. This barren waste is set for five, spread equidistantly around the table. Above the head of the table, the family crest leers: a stag, head pierced by three arrows. Each is labelled: honour, duty and humility.

• Dining Hall - dominated by the family crest and a comically long dining table.
  • Set for five
    • Those exposed to nobility know staff eating with a family is highly unusual.

4) Kitchen
The old bricks of the kitchen are stained black with soot. The smell of cold grease fills the air, despite the gleaming cookware hung upon the walls. The knives are old and cared for lovingly - each sharp enough to go through bone.

• Kitchen - the cold hearth’s bricks are stained soot-black. The smell of cold grease permeates.
  • All items are meticulously cleaned and organised—yet the smell remains.

5) Servants Rooms
Filled with eight cots and chests, all but one are clearly unused. Belonging to Matilda, the only occupied bed is kept tidier than the rest bed. Within the chest are her clothes, a series of shiny stones threaded onto red string and a much wider strap of leather set with tiny silver bells.

The other, partially hidden behind a sheet hung from the ceiling, belongs to Johan. On the inside of this sheet are sewn devotional hymns, dedicated to the spiritual benefits of hard labour. Hidden beneath his pillow, a fine silver letter-opener, sharpened to a razor edge. Inscribed upon the blade, “For Service and Sacrifice - HVD”

6) Butler Room This “room” in separated only by a sheet nailed to the ceiling, creating a false wall. Within, the walls and sheet are covered in devotional hymns, dedicated to the spiritual benefits of hard labour. Atop a nightstand, a fine silver letter-opener, sharpened to a razor edge. Inscribed upon the blade, “For Service and Sacrifice - HVD”. A small polishing cloth rests there too. A chest contains three immaculate sets of clothes, each identical - and identical to the clothes currently worn by Johan.

• Servants Rooms - a series of cots and chests - two aren’t vacant.
  • In the corner, Matilda’s cot
    • Highlight: Within the chest :A passable love poem, written by Leffe
    • Curio: shiny beaded stones.
    • Folk Instrument: A strap of leather with tiny silver bells
  • Behind a privacy curtain: Johans cot
    • Devotional hymns of labour nailed to the walls
    • A fine silver letter-opener, keenly sharpened
      • “For Service and Sacrifice - HVD”

In this instance I split the single room up, just to note.

7) Pantry
Much of the pantry is filled with a pair of deer, hung from their hind legs. The shelves are reasonably supplied with good quality ingredients - nothing is obviously missing nor anything unusual present.

• Pantry - decently supplied, dominated by a pair of deer hung by their hind legs

8) Wine Cellar
The stink of fear fills this claustrophobic, unlit space. Within a cage squats Bets, awaiting judgement. Left alone without light, the dark has rushed in and filled him up. Something inside him is broken. Around this scared, lost child are generations of fine wines, many thickly coated in dust.

• Wine Cellar - a dark space, stinking of fear
  • A caged Bets awaits judgement. In the dark. alone.
  • Surrounded by generations of fine wines accumulated by the (sober) Von Deiters.

9) Master Bedroom
A transplant into the mouldering shell of the house, the walls of this room are rich, dark wooden panes - installed professionally, and showing no sign of decay nor age. Much of the chamber is filled with a huge four-poster bed, the sheets all rich fabrics. One set of pillows is fresh and seemingly unused, whilst the other is heavily crinkled with a restless nights sleep. Two wardrobes sit against the wall - one filled with aging clothes in the regional style, whilst the other overflows with imported fashions from the heart of the realm.
A large dressing table sits before the window, with two locked drawers. Within them is 250sp worth of jewellery in gold and silver with low-value stones. One piece with a large central stone is hinged - the main stone opening up and revealing itself to be hollow. Within this is set another stone, carved deeply with the Sigil of Seeking - used in occult circles to indicate a desire for tuition.

• Master Bedroom - a spot of luxury in the crumbling, aged house—rich, dark imported woods line the walls
  • Dominated by a four-poster bed
    • Examining the pillows reveals only one was recently used
  • A wide dressing table against the wall
    • Locked Drawers:
      • 50 GP in unremarkable jewellery.
      • One piece’s silver chased central gem bears a strange sigil deep within—research or occult knowledge discloses it as a Sigil of Seeking: worn by candidates for deeper induction into the mysteries.
  • Wardrobe filled with quarter-century outdated noble fashions.

10) Study
Austere. Uncurtained windows let the gloomy light of Drinshire illuminate a huge, pitted desk of black wood. A veneer of dust sits upon a large collection of papers - all detail the minutiae of managing an estate. Taking the time to read through them, one thing is clear - the family von Deiter are destitute.

• Study - austere and spartan filled by a single heavy pitted desk.
  • Desktop papers concern management of Althufe and it’s surrounds
    • These papers haven’t been touched in a week

11) Bathroom
A claw-foot tub sits the centre of the room, kept meticulously clean. A candle-holder sits upon a small table nearby - the candles themselves absent.

• Bathroom - dominated by a huge, central, bronze claw-foot tub.
  • Candle holder lacks candles

12) Twins’ Room
No physical barrier divides this room - but a stark contrast exists between them. The left is filled with candles as if by some waxy fungal infestation, clustering atop stacks of books detailing aristocratic heroes - many of whom make unsavoury deals for the good of their bloodline. The candles are in all different hues, and show signs of heavy use. The right side of the room is filled with canvases, paints and sketches, organised meticulously. The art would be good in an adult - promising in a child. The most recent pieces are landscapes and family portraits - notably including Grigoret oddly fusing with Tabitha, their colours running into one another.

Beneath both beds, discarded and forgotten children’s toys.

• Twins Room - room is cleanly divided by aesthetic, absent any physical barrier
  • The Sophia’s (left side): filled with books, candles and small knick-knacks
    • mostly fiction books concerning aristocratic heroes and subtle imitations of dark bargains
    • A pandemonium of multihued candles (some scented) sprout like fungus from every surface.
  • The right side - Brunhilde’s - is filled with art and art supplies.
    • Impressive art for a youth.
      • landscapes and figures from the Manor—Grigoret and Tabitha tend to be oddly fused, as if painted as a continuation of one being
    • Beneath the art are discarded and seemingly forgotten children’s toys.

13) Guest Room 1
The smell of slow, dry decay wafts through the devastation of this chamber, filled with piled stacks of detritus - each stacked in such a way that any disturbance is sure to bring the entire edifice down in a huge crash. Nothing of value is within them. At the foot of the bed is a large locked travelling chest. Within it are 4 heavy theological works, filled with marginalia noting deviations from “Primal Worship.”

• Guest Room 1 - used by Grigoret is bursting at the seams with clutter.
  • A huge (locked) travelling chest sits against the South wall.
    • Contains numerous serious theological works
      • filled Grigoret’s marginalia decrying deviations from “Primal Worship”

14) Guest Room 2
Pristine, kept in readiness despite the decay of the home. A small, tasteful landscape painting sits upon the wall. Beneath the bed, a small locked box of iron. The interior of the box is split in half - the left side containing a handwritten grimoire, bulging with inserts. It details many heretical magical experiments, passages copied from dark tomes in alien alphabets. !!new spells. The right side has a collection of magical components - newt eyes, frog hearts, crow beaks, dessicated earthworms, red beastman fur, corpse-salts, liars tongue and more.

Smashing open the box has a 60% chance of ruining the contents.

• Guest Room 2 - pristine and spare—bed and a small tasteful landscape painting
  • Beneath the bed, a small locked box:
    • Split Interior:
      • Left side: a fat handwritten grimoire
        • Details heretical magical experiments with diagrams and copied passages in strange tongues, all in a mix of inks but the same handwriting. The language is incomprehensible without magical assistance.
      • The magically gifted know these are spells of some strange providence, unknown to conventional schools of magic.
    • Right Side: filled with sorted small magical reagents and components
      • Newt eyes, frog hearts, beaks of crows, dessicated earthworms, the rusty-red fur of a beastman, corpse-salts, etc.

Lord Harald von Deiter (38) - A hard, cruel man. He still remembers his life of frivolity and thrill-seeking, abandoned a decade ago when his father died. Despite this, his love for his daughters is genuine, although he harbours a deep ambivalence about his wife. He offers 500sp to any willing to determine the truth of the murder - during which he was meeting with Bjorn to discuss rumours of activity in Arnake Forest.

• Lord Harald von Deiter - 38 - a hard, cruel man who abandoned a life of thrill-seeking and frivolities a decade ago when he inherited the estate.
  • Deeply loves his daughters
  • Is ambivalent about his wife.
  • he offers travelling bands questioning him about the murder 100GP ( Holy Writ or no) to determine the truth—such strangeness is beyond his ability to resolve.
  • During the murder he was meeting with Bjorn, discussing the rumours of activity in Arnake Forest.

Lady Tabitha von Deiter (36) - Born in the interior of the empire and raised in a metropolitan city, she is filled with boredom by rural living. Her fancies have been many over the years - slowly converging on the esoteric and occult. This was noticed by powers malign, and after a year of searching she found Grigoret, filled with promise and power. She immediately had him replaced Artur as the children’s tutor - an excuse for him to stay as he further inducts her into the mysteries. Her loyalty to him is total - she reports everything to him at the first opportunity. If questioned about the murder, she is genuinely concerned about the effect it might have on Sophia - but shows little concern for Brunhilde. She shows even less for the victim or Bets, to the point of forgetting their names.

• Lady Tabitha von Deiter - 36 - born in a far grander foreign city, rural life utterly and completely bores here. Hence her exploration of anything to escape the drudgery—increasingly esoteric and occult matters. She was noticed by servants of such dark powers and, a year ago, Grigoret appeared, making the secret signs Tabitha had learnt would liberate her from boredom. She insisted he replace Artur as the children’s tutor as Grigoret slowly inducts her into the deeper mysteries.
  • Questioned about the murder, she convincingly pretends to be distraught, worrying about its effect on dear Sophia. She will forgets the victim’s name, and avoids being pressed for the name. She demonstrates disregard for Brunhilde or the ramifications amongst Haralds men.
  • After questioning, she relays all interview details to Grigoret.

Sophia von Deiter (10) - The smaller of the twins, ever given to flights of fancy and filled with the arrogance endemic to noble lineages. Showing a stronger aptitude for Grigorets heretical teachings, her aristocratic pride was transmuted into loathing for those ungifted and unawakened to the occult nature of reality. She bewitched Bets into murdering Roger, keen to use her newfound powers. If asked, she bursts into tears and claims to have seen nothing, her back turned. Calmed, she does mention the Brunhilde has always been jealous of her friendship with Bets.

• Sophia von Deiter - 10 - the slightly smaller twin, Sophia shows a stronger aptitude for Grigoret heretical teachings. He quickly transmuted aristocratic pride Harald instilled into loathing for the ungifted masses. She bewitched Bets into brutally murdering Roger with one of his sorceries.
  • She bursts out into tears and claims to not have seen anything having had her back turned.
  • If calmed, she notes Brunhilde was always jealous of her friendship with Bets.

Brunhilde von Deiter (10) - Taller and more serious than her sister, Brunhilde pines for the liberties of adulthood. She has shown no aptitude for Grigorets teachings, but is jealous of the attention heaped on Sophia by their tutor and mother. Left to her own devices, resentment festering, she paints. Increasingly, she paints Grigoret and Tabitha fusing into a single being, although she cannot say why. She believes Bets could never hurt anyone - to those she trusts, she mentions only that she no longer trusts her sister. She did not see anything, but knows a little of her studies.

• Brunhilde von Deiter - 10 - slightly taller and somewhat more serious, Brunhilde has shown no aptitude nor interest in Grigoret’s teachings—although jealous of the attention Sophia receives from Grigoret and her mother. In absence of proper tuition, she spends time painting. Her subjects vary wildly, although some seem to be of Grigoret and Tabitha fusing into one. She cannot articulate what any of the paintings mean.
  • She professes Bets’ innocence—he could never hurt anyone.
  • She does not know the truth but suspects Sophia’s involvement.

Matilda (19) - A maid, hailing from Drinharrow. She took this job to escape the brewing political upheaval, sending some small packets of money to her family in !!. She despises Johan, thinking him a brown-nosing lickspittle. She throws herself into her work to not think about the murder.

• Matilda - 19 - household maid from Drinharrow. Throwing herself into work to avoid thinking about what’s transpired. Despises Johan.

Johan (50) - Severe and dour, laconic in speech, the epitome of butlering. He has run the household since Harald was a boy, and in truth despairs at the steady decline of the property and family. He would never admit to this. If questioned, his priority is to protect the family at all costs - even personal humiliation. If sufficiently convinced that the investigation is for Harald’s best interest, he reveals “inconsistencies” in the sleeping arrangements between the Lord and Lady, as well as strange odours lingering after Grigoret’s tuition of the twins.

• Johan - 50 - the butler and head of the household since Harald was a boy. Severe and dour, the absolute picture of professional butlering.
  • Will deny knowledge of anything and everything—protecting the client at all costs.
  • If sufficiently convinced the investigation is good for Harald, reveals “inconsistencies” with the sleeping arrangements as of late, as well as strange odours lingering after the Twins tutelage under Grigoret.

Grigoret (270, appears 60) - A warlock, soul cut up and parcelled out to the Powers Beyond. He seeks a new vessel, his decrepit body twisted by sacrifice and sorcery and time. He allowed himself to be found by Tabitha, knowing her curiosity could not resist what he offered. He has no interest in her - Brunhilde, however, is perfect for his requirements. He deliberately ignores her, stoking the flames of jealousy to make her more easily manipulated. He plans to transfer his mind into her body, denying his unspeakable masters their share for another generation.

When warned of Witch-Hunters, he takes no chances - fleeing for a month, claiming a death in the family which must be attended to instantly. He hides in Drinharrow for this month, laying low.

When unable to flee, he moves quickly. Using foul sorcery, he changes his appearance to that of Harald von Deiter, instructing Tabitha to murder the original, allowing Harald to take his place. He feigns at illness until the Witch-Hunters leave.

Caught unaware and questioned, he claims to be a travelling tutor “of the Old School”, lucky enough to find work here and intending to stay here til the twins have finished their learnings. He happily explains his heritage from a lineage of librarians from the distant West. In truth, he remembers nothing of his origins. Regarding the murder, he only expresses sadness at the wasted potential of a young man so clearly bewitched by his own mother.

• Grigoret (270, appears 60): a warlock, soul blackened and parcelled out to Powers Beyond. He seeks a new vessel, his decrepit body twisted by sacrifice and sorcery. Seeking out those unfulfilled with their lot and found Tabithia— herself of no use to Grigoret; Brunhilde, however, is perfect. He deliberately ignores her, hoping to inflame her with jealousy, opening her up to manipulation—shaping her to become his mind’s new vessel and cheating his unspeakable masters of their share for another generation.
  • If warned of Witch-Hunters, he takes no chances fleeing for a month claiming he must attend to family matters in the West.
  • If not warned, he moves quickly. Using a spell to consume Harald Von Deiter instructing Tabitha to murder him with Grigoret taking his place. Feigning illness and playing at being bed-bound until he feels the coast is clear.
  • If caught unawares and questioned, he claims to be a travelling tutor of “The Old School,” who found work here and intends to stay. He claims descent from a family of librarians from the cities of the West. Truthfully, he has long since discarded any memories of home or family.
    • He speaks of great regret and wasted potential regarding Bets. Noting the child was clearly bewitched by the absentee mother.
  • If cornered, he assails the Cryptdiggers with his full magical arsenal.

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Pariah Session 8 - Play Report

Use the tags to find previous and for some more details.

This session mostly consisted of a dungeon - a localised “solid” in the sea of the Beyond.

Their companions set to guard their forms, the Band imbibed the puffball tea once more. Each felt their skin dissolve layer by layer, their muscle fibers unspooled and their bones ground to dust before being reconstituted after an age in a void broken by only pinpricks of cold burning light. Between each member of the Band was a vibrating silver thread, connecting each to one another. From Blue Grove extended another thread leading away and into the darkness - intuitively, he knew it would lead them home.

Amongst the stars, they saw a globe of solid reality, seemingly cast by a campfire. Gathered around it were six figures, human at first. As they approached, they saw each was skinless, raw and bloody, draped over with skin stolen from various entities known and unknown. The band negotiated with their leader, draped in scaled hides and calling themselves Lizard-Skin. It revealed that they had been severed from their silver threads, and wished to return “home” - in exchange for travelling home with the Band, they promised to lead them to where Idle-Quiet’s name - and a piece of their soul - was being stored. Using a nonchalant walk, they penetrated into the darkness and took the band with them.

They found themselves in a narrow corridor of flat grey stone, unmarked and ageless, unbitten by tools. The Skin-Wearers promised to guard the Bands silver thread, leading to a confrontation - they were unwilling to trust such strange beings. Eventually, they were convinced to accompany them into the complex of chambers and corridors.

Within, they saw found two directions - one with walls made of a material resembling a black plastic bag filled with meat and bleeding a dark silvery serum, the another stone corridor terminating in a flat surface, split vertically by a thin crack. Checking the floor, they found strange dog-like prints leading towards the stone corridor, and elected to follow them. As they approached the split stone, it slowly ground itself open, acting as a door allowing entry in a large chamber. The ceiling of the room was lost to darkness, strange pillars simultaneously bending and straight reaching upwards as if seeking something. To their left, another intrusion of the strange plastic-bag-flesh formed a passage, whilst opposite them was another door. Electing to continue following the tracks, they found a chamber filled with fleshy aquatic stumps, each about knee-height. Each was crowned with finger-length tentacles ringing a fist-width opening. The Band elected to work their way around the perimeter of the room carefully, aiming for another door opposite their entry point.

As the door slid open, Purple Point peered through. Within were four creatures resembling mobile anatomical diagrams of dogs - two walking on their hind legs, heads held high, whilst the other pair walked on their front, bodies hanging above them with the heads limp. From the opened chest and bellies of each a plethora of entrails and organs acted as limbs, caressing one another and their environment. Purple Point tried to give them meat, opening his pack and finding the nuggets of meat dried and hard, reduced to coal-like nuggets. Attempting to feed these to the Unfolded Dogs only angered them - the party defeating them without losses, although two of their number were injured. As the creatures were struck down, the bodies continued to twitch and growl.

The Skin-Wearers had a conversation with the Band, discussing the corrupting nature of the Beyond, and how some of the Band already bore its blessing. Shedding such taint in a bid to return home is how they ended up skinless, taking on fragments of new names manifested as their borrowed skins.

Opening the next chamber, they beheld an emaciated cow with a long silver-grey blade emerging from its ribs. The Skin-Wearers explained that the being was infested, and only appeared as a cow to them - assuming a form comprehensible to mortal eyes. Cunning Mountain approached to remove the blade, which followed them like a snake. Seemingly puppeteered by the blade, the cow stood and broke its own neck to face Cunning Mountain side-on. Its mouth opened slack, and a malicious whisper emerged from within - it asked for a challenge, denying any to pass by before it had been defeated. This back-and-forth continued until Golden Other challenged the being - asking who had the most fingers. Twelve digits erupted from the spine of the cow - only to be met by the 60 of the entire band. Defeated, the blade tore itself free, leaving the cow to die. It asked each to wield it as they based, and each denied it.

Continuing along their way, they found another fire, sat at by a single figure who bid they join it. Each time it spoke, strangle gurgles and croaks escaped the form. As it conversed, they slowly realised it was many smaller segments of skin, seemingly hollow and puppeted from within. Backing up in fear, they found nine figures approaching from behind - each of these further hollowed-out hosts. Blue Fallen threatened to kill themselves with their axe, denying the thing a name and form to steal if the band was not let free. The being acquiesced, and the band beat a hasty retreat.

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Pariah Session 7 - Play Report

Use the tags to find previous and for some more details. Hex fills used this session:

• Llama herds, predated upon by Nameless One in wolf pack.
• Alpine Apes, 22, carry a Stone of Degeneration. Bitter, envious.

As most of the pariahs came-to after their horrifying experiences, they realised Idle Quiet had not returned with them, leaving a near-automaton in his stead. After some experimentation, they determined some part of him had been left behind, and vowed to journey back to that other realm to return it. However, they decided to examine the clearing they had spotted the night before first - figuring they had come this far.

Travelling down the mountain stealthily, they soon found themselves in dense alpine forest. In a clearing, they spied a pair of white apes, foraging in the undergrowth and speaking to one another in deep, grunting voices. Silently, they determined to not talk to the apes - something Purple Point took to mean they would attack them. He launched one arrow wide, following with another that struck one of the apes which bellowed in pain - answered in turn by alarm calls from throughout the forest. The other apes charged Purple Point, the rest of the band springing out of hiding and attacking, slaying the ape after Blue Fallen stopped it with a mighty blow to the shin. Prior to the engagement, the listless Idle Quiet had been told to attack the apes - and so he charged the injured one, which counter-charged and smashed him to the ground with a single huge fist. This strike flung his conciousness out of his body, and so it sought safety - possessing the body of the ape. Hollowed out and free of emotion, Idle Quiet took in this new experience calmly, picking up their erstwhile body and carrying it back to the band - Cunning Mountain hit them ineffectually with a stick before the others determined something unusual was occurring. Able to intuitively understand the alarm calls echoing throughout the forest, he called out an “all-clear” to the others. This effort allowed the mind of the ape to drive the invader out, driving their body forwards to kill one of these murderers. Their fist went wide, and they joined their companion in death.

Idle Quiet, having lost their name in the nightmare dimensions of The Beyond, is now considered Spirit-Touched - able to project their mind-soul and possess the bodies of other. The player and I agreed this would be triggered in a high-stress situation - a near lethal hit the perfect opportunity.

The forest was now silent of alarm calls. The band gathered the corpses and dragged them up to their cave, covering their tracks before feasting upon ape flesh and making themselves vests from their torsos. This done they camped, uneventfully. The next day too was peaceful as they crossed the mountain and found a cache of the puffballs which had enabled them to travel so far from the material plane. They discussed the metaphysics of giving Idle Quiet a new true name to be bartered for his old, wondering if the newly-named identity would be willing to be destroyed in such a way. Eventually, they determined instead to travel to The Beyond, find the captor of Idle Quiet’s name, and take it back by force. They settled in for another monstrous trip.

This session ran short as we like to start and stop with major events - in this case, it also gives me a chance to prepare a horrible journey through The Beyond, rather than the roll-and-write trips we’ve used previously.

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