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 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 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 unsubscribe, mail to: appel@erzo.org. The old digests are archived on ftp.csua.berkeley.edu in the directory /pub/chaosium, and may be retrieved via FTP.