Welcome!
This is the Online newsletter for
Immortal: The Invisible War RPG.
For those of you who are new to Immortal, check out the official
Precedence Home
Page and find out more about it! For reviews and information on the various
Immortal books (as well as other RPGs) by an independant reviewer who has
followed the line from the very start check out the
Caravan Of Dreams and click on
Role-playing Game Reviews. There is also a MUSH dedicated to Immortal called
Prairie Fire. To learn more about it,
click here
In addition, there is an Immortal mail list, an online e-mail forum for fans
of the game. You can subscribe to this immortal community by sending a message
to immortal-l@lightbearer.com. Just mention in your text that you
want to subscribe. The list offers a venue for rules debates and in-character
roleplaying.
This page is intended for fans of the game, and as such we'd like it to be
fan-driven. Any questions you'd like addressed, comments, or player
insights/ideas you have can be sent to voxnews@aol.com. Fiction
submissions for this newsletter can also be sent here for publication with
the understanding that all Immortal-related material becomes the copyright
property of Precedence Publishing.
Do you have a web-page devoted to Immortal? Let us know and we'll link you
in through this newsletter.
All errata and other information contained in this newsletter is meant only
as a temporary solution to the needs of narrators and players and not the
final authority. The books, as always, are the final word on all rules questions.
The Vox newsletter will be periodically updated with new issues.
Any mention of other games, companies or products are not a challenge to
their respective trademarks.
Retail Inquiries:
Precedence Publishing
P.O Box 28397
Tempe, AZ 85285
Or Norman@eternity.com
Thanks for taking a look!
What Is
Immortal?
In the world of role-play games (and there are many of them) there are strata
of various game forms that have grown in recent years. The pioneer of role-play
games was of course, Dungeons and Dragons and Tunnels and Trolls. These games
focus on a high fantasy setting similar to that of JRR Tolkien's Lord of
the Rings and other books of it's ilk. The setting is a time in a distant
past when magic dominated the land, technology was practically non-existent,
where monsters roam the countryside and are halted in their depredations
only by adventurers brave enough to challenge them. This kind of game is
great fun and points to a simpler time where ethics were clearly defined,
the sword settled most disputes and glorious treasure waited to be seized.
More recently, games of gothic horror have emerged and become very popular.
Examples of this game include the Storyteller Series including Vampire the
Masquerade. This was the first game where you were able to play a monster
and explore the dark side of the psyche. Further, it is set in the modern
era, increasing the gritty realism that often lacks in the more fantasy-oriented
offerings.
There are games set in the far future which meld the gothic and the fantastic
into one venue, such as Shadowrun. This game offers the fantastic races (elves,
dwarves and ogres) as player characters in a world divided by magic and
technology. The cyberpunk element makes the game gritty, despite the fantasy
elements.
IMMORTAL is a game which uniquely endeavors to combine all
history and mythologies and integrate them into a single setting. The setting
is compelling---it shares the modern world with "pocket-dimensions" known
as mantles which contained the surviving, thriving worlds of history and
legend from ancient Carthage to mysterious Atlantis. Living in these mantles
are immortal beings who have evolved from animals and elements such as wind
and fire into human forms, vampires, shapeshifters and angels. Creatures
bearing the weight of millenia on their shoulders, they often leave their
ancient sanctuaries to venture into the human world and influence it's culture
in a vast political game of intrigue. The reason for this intrigue is nothing
so trivial as world domination. Immortals are not interested in ruling the
world, but in saving it from a creature of quintessential evil.
This Beast, which they call the Sanguinary, arrived in this world 65 million
years ago so explosively that it's jewel-like body shattered into many shards.
Alive and possessed of the dim intellect of the the Sanguinary, the shards
invaded the life-forms of the earth. This symbiosis caused the hosts to become
immortal.
Through the ages these immortals developed superhuman intelligence and powers
and eventually came to realize that the shards were cooperating in a single
purpose---to merge themselves back into one body and rejuvinate the Sanguinary.
At present, the enemy has no physical form, but it's intellect survives within
the collective mind of humanity. Thus, humans began as the inherent enemies
of all immortals.
Despite this enmity the immortals also derive sustaining life-force from
humans. Without humans, immortals would eventually become powerless as the
corruption caused by the presence of the Sanguinary in our dimension overtakes
them. To avoid this, the immortals have learned to appear as humans, to interact
with them and influence their history, mythology and politics. In doing so,
they also hope to control their enemy that resides in the mortal psyche.
The power of immortals is quite formidable. Not only are they physically
superior to humans, but they have a number of skills known as serenades,
magical spells in the form of musical tones which alter physics. Add to this,
immortals can assume their more ancient animal forms and the powers.
Because of their powers, immortals have fought many devastating wars with
one another through the ages, wars which have weakened them and thus strengthened
their supernatural enemies (as well as humans, who's power of faith, magic
and psychic ability are very effectively used against immortals.) To prevent
a war such as those in the terrible past, and to prepare themselves for the
eventual rise of the Beast in material form, the immortals have developed
ways to bloodlessly carry out their aggressions while honing their skills
in warfare. They compete in an endless game of intrigue known as the Stratagem.
Immortals expose the weaknesses of one another, destroy corrupted minions
of the enemy and influence mortal civilizations. Each success propels the
immortal closer to a higher state of evolution which ultimately transcends
the shards and frees him from their subtle bondage.
As a player of IMMORTAL, you are a member of these ancient
races. Unlike your ageless brothers and sisters, you entered into amnesia
to better understand humans and to discover what secrets of the Beast that
live inside their dreams. Now you are having flashbacks of memories to the
creature you really are and must learn to integrate yourself back into immortal
society. You are pulled between two worlds.
Immortal is a unique setting with a number of unique immortal races whose
appearance and politics have earned them reputations as the gods, demons
and spirits of the world's mythologies. The Anopheles are ancient leopards
and bats who worship blood and physical sensation, the ancient archetypes
of vampires. The Banjax are believers in the One Soul, makers of mummies
in ancient Egypt and champions against tyranny around the world. The Arachne
are terrifying spiders and insects whose patience and single-mnded purpose
makes them not only the most feared assassins, but also the guardians of
time itself. These and a variety of other groups vie with one another to
become the rulers of immortal society and the leaders of the final battle
against their ancient demon.
If you haven't seen or played Immortal, it is worth your while checking it
out. You will find it unlike anything you have ever played. The setting is
full and realized in great detail. The upcoming Player's Guide reintroduces
IMMORTAL with a quick and easy understanding of the combat
system, a solid variety of character choices and insight into the war immortals
must eventually fight at the end of time.
Scheduled release for the book will be in early 1997. For now, the Immortal
Main Rules and a host of other products (including two scenario books, a
magic resource book, a shape-changing book and a guide book to one of the
immortal races is available from Precedence Publishing. We hope you'll give
it a try!
Ran Ackels, Creator
Let me know what you think about my page. Send mail by clicking here.
Precedence Stuff
The Morrigan and The Lightning Man
Radio Eternity News
Perpetual Society Member List
Aliens/Predator Collector Card Game
In partnership with Harper/Prism, a leading publisher of fantasy and
science-fiction books, and Twentieth Century Fox, Precedence will launch
the Aliens Predator CCG this summer. Fast-paced and fun, this combat
game is set in the far future of the Aliens universe where colonial marines,
aliens and predators are battling it out for control of a distant outpost.
Each position offers a unique victory condition to win and is fully customizable.
The art is taken directly from the Alien and Predator movies, with some
interesting surprises thrown in. Check out upcoming industry magazines such
as INQUEST and SCRYE for more details.
Art Of War, A sourcebook for Immortal
In stores any day now is the new combat sourcebook for Immortal, the Art
of War. Written by Brianna Von Gries, the book streamlines combat and offers
new combat options, such as martial arts and an expanded weapons list. While
traditional martual forms are detailed, the Art of War also offers insights
into the Shian Rhi, a dreaded art used by the Solitaires, as well as Himsati
katas. The book also offers a view of the Stratagem and the Slayer calling
in it's opening fiction piece.
PDN 1301 $14.95
Immortal Player's Guide
Immortal Player's Guide has been moved back because of its size and production
requirements. It will be our most ambitious book to date, unravelling many
mysteries as well as making the game accessible to most anyone. Look for
exerps in upcoming VOX issues. There is still no hard release date, but we're
working as fast as we can!
T-shirts
There has been a number of requests for Immortal t-shirts. Anyone interested
in the possibily should send a note to voxnews@aol.com and let us
know. Ideas for design are welcome!
A guide to the Scepter
Pride
"I am the ultimate warlord. I do not fear death, oblivion or the terror of
the enemy. I am without mercy to my enemies. I bloodied my hands in the chaining
of Loki and hunt his misbegotten children. That I suffer his curse is
inconsequential, as are my detractors opinions of me. My shout brings war,
and storms to sweep away corruption in its flood. With each brick of the
immortal soul, I build Valhalla for those brave enough to follow me and survive
Ragnarok. I prepare a table for them to feast on the Sanguinary's ruined
remains!"
Stronghold and Influence
The Morrigan's chief fortress is a vast city, some call it a ship, floating
in the sky. It is known as Magonia. Built for the Morrigan by the Peri, the
lofty minarets rise around a vast well which looks down on the earth below,
a yawning hole serving as a gate for those exiled to the earth below. The
jeweled beauty and gray alabaster splendor of this garden-fortress is beyond
compare and humbles all who walk its precincts.
Magonia is itself only the core of a network of flying fortresses around
the world, collectively known as Asgard. Thus, Magonia grows in size each
time another "city-ship" docks around her. The towers of Magonia, however,
drawf those of her satellite vessels. Within the vault's of Magonia lies
Bifrost, a ley bridge into the Morrigan's vast mantle of Valhalla and across
which only the Valkyries, Odin or anyone in their company may travel in
preparation for Ragnarok---the Morrigan's term for the final battle with
the Sanguinary.
The Morrigan have few terrestrial holdings. Because they are the Scepter
Pride, they come and go as they please, and when they do arrive force themselves
upon the hospitality of the Prides in control. The quiet cultures of the
Morrigan hold the power for their Lords on earth. Scandinavia and Iceland
are the chosen territory of the Morrigan, and they tolerate no competition
here. Their mortal servants hold the same status here that immortals of other
Prides hold in other regions. In the view of the Morrigan, even the majesty
of their mere mortal servants is the equal to those immortals they rule.
The Morrigan recruit their quiet cultures from those who seek after the sky,
especially pilots and other thrill-seekers. They loathe all humans who do
not show a heroic demeanor.
Appearance
Himsati: Morrigan Himsatis are always winged. The vast majority
of the Pride is comprised of birds of every imaginable species. Ravens and
crows, the most ancient of the breeds, dominate the Pride. Predatory birds
such as hawks, eagles, ospreys and falcons are highly honored as warriors
while songbirds support the Pride endeavors as Emissaries and Jugglers. The
Owls control the Probe calling. The bird form of a Morrigan is always of
the giant variety. It's plumage shimmers with color and majesty.
More rare and considered to be blessed by nature are those Morrigan's whose
Himsati form is air or cloud itself. These Himsatis are encouraged to enter
the elite Aesir, warriors who do battle with the Silhouette wherever it
manifests.
Rarer still are winged creatures from other Prides who have proven themselves
loyal and courageous to the Morrigan. They are recruited as the companions
and mounts of the Valkyries, the handmaidens of Odin whose Himsatis are lightning
itself.
The renegade Sons of Loki have Himsatis of elemental winter, twisting bands
of frost glittering like diamonds in great winged shapes.
Terrene: The Morrigan's Terrene form tends toward the pale
beauty of Scandinavia---pale skin, sky-hued eyes (including the hues of a
sunset), fair hair of red or gold except for the Ravens and crows, whose
hair and eyes are the brooding hues of a stormy sky. Valkyrie have electric
blue eyes which flicker when they are angry.
Morrigan attire consists of armor over brilliant clothing (though the Ravens
and Crows always dress in subdued shades of black and gray and the Valkyries
always pure white.) The style of their armor encompasses every conceivable
cultures, although Nordic style predominates. Certain groups within the Morrigan
wear the samurai armor as they did in the days when they were the Shoguns
of medieval Japan. The splendor of the armor is always hidden under illusions
when Morrigan have to walk the streets of the ground. Feathers adorn all
Morrigan attire. The Sons of Loki wear black cloth with armor of enchanted
blue glass.
Circlets are the distinguishing attire that binds the Morrigan as one. The
circlets are each unique and set with a gems according to the rank of each
individual. The circlets of the Valkyrie are always silver, the Ravens and
Crows always iron, those of the Aesir platinum and for all leaders of the
Morrigan houses, including the Paragon, gold. All others wear bronze. Newly
uplifted members of the pride are granted circles of leather and only earn
metal after proving themselves in battle. The Sons of Loki wear circlets
of glass.
All Morrigan under Loki's Curse wear gloves to minimize the chance of their
bare skin touching anything on the ground.
Morrigan are always beautiful to behold and their vanity is legendary, even
more so than the that of the Anopheles.
Gender Ratio
Male: About 60% Female: About 40%
History
Some individuals within the Morrigan are arguably as ancient as the Arachne
and the Anopheles, but the Pride did not become a cohesive alliance until
after 6 million BC. The famous quarrelsome nature of these immortal birds
led them to become the slaves of the Rime, the first avatar of the Sanguinary,
for over 5 million years. During this time, they gathered conundrum for their
master and served as the Rime's personal guards.
They soared through the sky, using their sharp eyes to spy for their master.
This ability allowed them to locate the Trees of Light scattered through
the Nadir worlds, allowing the Tautha, land-bound troops of the Rime, to
cut them down.
As the other Morrigan accumulated conundrum shards, an individual, Loki,
learned of the Rime's plot to recreate the shattered body of the Beast, a
plan to absorb the living being of the Tautha for it's body and the Morrigan
as its mighty wings.
Warning his people, Loki was betrayed by those he sought to protect. The
Morrigan chained Loki to the ground while a great serpent poised above him
drooled venom into his eyes that he may not see the beloved sky. Later, the
Morrigan Thor learned of the same plot by the inhuman Rime and warned his
people. This time, the warning was heeded.
The Rime was gathering all the conundrum brought to her into a receptacle,
the Ark of the Conundrum. This nest pulsed with the power of the shards which
were combining themselves into a single conundrum heart---the Malice Shard.
Through her hellish lore, the Rime also used a Come-hither serenade to draw
shards from the other worlds of this universe to earth. Inexorably, the heart
of the Sanguinary grew.
The Sanguinary would need a body as well. A giant bestial frame, constructed
of bones and flayed muscle from the Tautha who had fallen against the Sunedrion,
was also being constructed. It was this macabre obscenity Loki, and later
Thor, discovered.
Thor spoke of the plot to the others and assured them that it was a dread
reality. Loki was unchained, but his hatred for the Morrigan who betrayed
him had already taken root and would forever drive him to vengeance.
Other immortals outside the Rime's dark land observed the Rime's plan as
well. The Anopheles mustered their forces and clashed in battle against the
Rime's fortress in Sheol. The Morrigan, in confused disarray from Thor's
discovery and fear of the Rime, attempted to rebel, but the Rime exerted
all of her control over them, forcing them to battle the invaders. The Tautha,
horrified by what they had done to the forces of Light, deserted, led by
a group of water Primals, the Norns, who took pity on them and broke the
Rime's control. The Tautha hid in the wilderness as the war between the Anopheles
and the Rime's enslaved Morrigan raged for 20,000 years.
A mighty meld of power from the Anopheles, led by the Rukshasa, shattered
the Malice Shard into a thousand glittering fragments as they gained foothold
in the Rime's fortress. The rest of the universe was forever cut off from
the Earth as the Ley-lines of the Rime, drawing shards from space, tangled.
The Red Shard, containing the soul of the Sanguinary, was destroyed as well,
but the Beast's essence fled into the collective dreaming unconsciousness
of mankind. Weakened and sleeping, it nonetheless survived.
The Ark of Conundrum, still pulsing with the power of what it had contained,
was stolen away by the Morrigan as their Cold Lady deserted them to the victors.
Loki, loathed to remain with those who betrayed him, instead followed the
Rime. Bent on revenge, Loki remained with his master for over 300,000 years,
determined to place the Morrigan back into captivity as they had done to
him. Over these many millennia, for his service, his winged form was turned
into the same bitter frost as his mistress. In his lust for power and vengeance,
Loki sired children on the Rime and became the father of the first three
Droves, Fenris, Jormundgard, and Hela.
His power greatly increased under his apprenticeship to the Rime, Loki returned
to his people under the auspices of helping them, slowly and carefully seducing
them back to the Rime by manipulating their arrogance and vanity. He attempted
to recover the Ark of Conundrum and it's awesome powers over weather, but
failed. The Ark's original thieves hid the relic in a mantle within the wilds
of Africa and themselves there as its guardians. No longer under the Rime's
direct control, but manipulated to her purposes by Loki's silky lies and
the Morrigan's guilt for having chained him, the Morrigan searched for the
still elusive Tautha.
In their search they came upon a powerful primal and subdued him at Loki's
bidding. This creature, the Horned Lord, gave token resistance against Loki's
Rime-bestowed powers. Once the primal was in his custody, Loki demanded from
him the powers of fire to add to his ice. The Horned Lord refused. Instead,
he taunted Loki with silence and indifference, even under pain of torture.
In a blind rage, Loki lopped off his head.
The resulting spill of pure immaculum swept through the assembled Morrigan
and through Loki himself as the body of the primal burst into incandescent
flame. The Rime's last hold over the Morrigan was utterly burned away. Loki's
hate evaporated as the spilling spirit of the Horned Lord moved through him,
shaming him for all he had done. The Morrigan, now aware of Loki's treachery,
now considered themselves and Loki to be even for what they had once done
to him. Both had succumbed to the Rime's seduction. He was permitted to remain,
but warned that the Morrigan no longer owed him a debt of guilt. As for Rime
and Loki's unholy spawn, the Pride swore eternal vengeance.
The Morrigan searched for the Tautha once again, this time in hopes of alliance.
At length they found the Tautha and cemented an alliance between them, the
Anopheles and the Morrigan.
In 144,000 BC, the welled-up power of the slain Trees of Light erupted from
inside the earth. This bloom of Light reincarnated the Horned Lord, whose
ashes had been buried near it's site. Other beings of Light stepped from
this bloom as well, including an entity the Morrigan found irresistible,
Namergon, the Lightning Man. They followed Namergon, who taught them how
to use voxes as part of their armor to ward them against the powers of the
furiously breeding Droves. He taught them a war cry to frighten their enemies
and how to taunt the enemy into forgetting it's tactics while attacking them.
The Lightning Man's teachings centered around the shattered body of the
Sanguinary, a source of power to all the Morrigan if their hearts remained
true against the Beast. He bid them build Valhalla, a mantle to one day encompass
the real world and protect it from the final war with the Sanguinary. Once
complete, Valhalla would be the final battleground on which the Invisible
War would be fought.
Namergon also sired a number of immortal daughters on a number of Morrigan,
not only keep his teachings alive, but to gather the voxes of the slain and
take them to the mantle of Valhalla where they would be reborn for the final
battle as warriors against the darkness. The daughters, known as the Valkyrie,
inherited the lightning Himsati of their father and vowed to support his
only son, their brother Odin.
Only a few thousand years later, the Morrigan began meeting the first of
the Droves. These dark creatures, ferocious Nightmares bred from Loki's children
and the dreams of mankind, threw themselves against the alliance of immortals.
When defeated, the Droves retreated underground to hide themselves in utter
darkness. From the depths they issued forth into human communities, eating
human flesh so that they could take on physical forms that would hide them
from their enemies. Mortals in Scandinavia would call them Trolls.
The Morrigan discovered the underground havens of the Droves. Their fear
of the underworld, however, prevented them from making any good assaults.
During these attempts, the Morrigan met the first of the Peri. Constructed
of metals and gems the earth, the Peri saw the splendor and war-like nature
of the Morrigan and became their fast allies. The Peri had already been fighting
the Droves in their underworld with mad ferocity.
A terrible loss came to the Morrigan when the Lightning Man was slain while
simultaneously slaying the Rime, who had possessed a human immortal known
as Anath. The death of Namergon and the Rime together encompassed the entire
planet in storms which did not abate for nearly half a year. The world was
flooded. This first deluge would later lead the Morrigan to create a second,
more famous one in later years against mankind. The immortals of the alliance
banded together in an massive effort to save humankind from the deluge. The
Peri used their powers to dig a deep shaft into the earth, allowing enough
water to drain away from the Mesopotamian Valley for a mortal haven to be
created. This cauldron led to a vast underground cavern which filled and
became a sea where the Peri would eventually build their greatest cities.
Loki, one of the few Morrigan unafraid of walking beneath the earth, became
the liaison between the Morrigan and the Peri. Here he met the Peri Sif,
a creature so beautiful he fell deeply in love. He took her among the Morrigan
to show her the splendor of the sky and she became the Peri ambassador to
Asgard. Loki's love for Sif was later spurned for the attentions of a
warrior---Thor. Loki became insanely jealous and his old hatred of his brothers
was rekindled with a passion. He returned to his duties in the underworld
where he determined to poison the Peri against the Morrigan. Not only did
he use the Peri to build Magonia, he seeded rivalries within the Peri which
ended in one faction of the Pride turning ultimately to the Sanguinary. When
he was finished visiting his animosity against the peoples of Thor and Sif,
the alliance was rent out of being. For his crimes, he was exiled from the
Morrigan forever. His faction within the Pride, the Sons of Loki, were exiled
as well.
The Morrigan joined the Eremites and the Tautha in the Shouting War against
the Anopheles and their allies, the Arachne. The Peri entered into an uneasy
alliance on the side of the Morrigan, but fought only half-heartedly. In
the end, the Morrigan were weakened by strife caused by Loki. Odin and the
Valkyries, devoted to Namergon and his teachings for a unified Morrigan,
urged the Morrigan not to join in the Shouting War, but were ignored.
Heartbroken, they deserted the quarreling Morrigan. Eventually, like the
other prides, the Morrigan were imprisoned in Sheol with Loki and his faction
by Nimrod.
The Zuzog Tree, a tree of darkness spread its branches through the prison,
draining life-force from all immortals. The Morrigan themselves, their arrogance
crushed, nested in the tree in suicidal despair. Loki, ever determined to
increase his power, whispered to the darkling tree to levy a curse upon his
people. Forever after, the Morrigan would suffer if their skin ever touched
the ground or anyone born on it. The tree reached out its power, fueled by
Loki's hatred, and smote the Morrigan with Loki's Curse.
This curse was the last straw to the Morrigan. They chained Loki to the Zuzog
tree as they had so long ago, and through the ages, the tree swallowed him.
The Morrigan would never see him again.
With the release of all immortals from Sheol, the Morrigan flew to Atlantis,
living in their reclaimed city of Magonia in the sky above the island paradise
and nursing their wounded pride. Attempts to return to the human world proved
disastrous. Loki's curse caused a number of Morrigan to enter ennui and attacks
from the Apocrypha stirred the Pride to rage. After Atlantis sank into the
waves, the Morrigan began a war against mankind himself, determined to wipe
out Man and the Sanguinary's presence within him. They summoned storms in
great shouts throughout the fertile crescent, where human civilization was
just beginning. The Roane, the Scepter of the Perpetual Society, rose from
the waves and took control of the floods; the power of the Morrigan was not
nearly as devastating as the destruction of the Lightning Man. Still, many
human settlements were destroyed. The Peri created their Cauldron to drain
off the flood. The Roane issued a command to Morrigan to cease their attempt
to destroy mankind, or face retribution from all immortal kind.
Angrily, the Morrigan obeyed and plotted to unseat the Roane from their high
station of Scepter Pride.
Their chance came in 536 BC when, at the Olympic Games, a Morrigan sponsored
athlete, Milo of Crotona took the laurel for the sixth consecutive time.
It was at this convocation that, amidst the festivities, that the Morrigan
revealed the presence of corruption at the very top of Pride Roane. The Roane
Paragon, Dagon, was exposed to be a Drove. The magnitude of the coup was
astonishing. The Jury, in fact, awarded the Morrigan visage taken from every
member of Pride Roane. The Morrigan walked away from the games the Scepter
Pride.
The Morrigan played their final trump of revenge by casting the Roane out
of Perpetual Society, against the vehement protests of the Pride Terat who
had themselves been Droves and knew of the awful seduction of the enemy.
Their objections were ignored because the visage of the Roane was so dim
that the Morrigan's edict fell within the law of the Stratagem.
The Morrigan kept to themselves in their newfound authority for centuries
to come, but were without real purpose. Their refusal to deal with humanity
led in 100 BC to their loss of power. The Eremites, glorified by the spread
of Rome, a terrestrial empire of impressive stature under Julius Caesar,
became the Scepter. The Eremites only held this position for 400 years, during
which time the Morrigan were forced to deal with their internal problems.
Rising among them was a voice which declared them fallow and unworthy to
regain power unless they forced themselves to change their ways and return
to the old path of the Lightning Man. This immortal, Morgana , gained a number
of supporters in the old Raven and Crow circles of the Pride. Her movement
gained such support that a renaissance occurred in Asgard. Morgana's ultimate
campaign was to capture the attention of Odin and his Valkyries, still isolated
within the mantle of Valhalla. For the right to speak with Odin, she challenged
the mightiest of his Valkyries, Brunhilda, to personal combat. With her victory,
the talks were held and the breach repaired. Odin returned to the Pride with
his sisters.
During Odin's absence, the former Magdalen Zeus had achieved the Paragon
seat in the Morrigan. Odin's return immediately threatened this seat, for
the visage of Zeus and Odin were equal. Their rivalry began and ended in
a single century after which Odin prevailed after defeating Zeus in personal
combat.
Odin commanded that the Morrigan spread themselves through the world to
accumulate temporal power, an area of the stratagem so badly neglected in
the past. Since Loki's Curse was upon them, they were required to wear gloves
in order not to suffer the fate of those who had succumbed to ennui. Only
Odin and the Valkyries were immune to Loki's curse, having been within Valhalla
and never prisoners of Sheol. The Morrigan concentrated their power in three
places: Scandinavia, the British Isles and the Islands of Japan. In these
places the Morrigan sponsored human leaders and began creating their quiet
cultures.
The culmination of Morrigan political intrigue came on the Isle of Britain,
between the fourth and fifth centuries AD, when the Morrigan struggled with
the Tautha, Peri and Amaranth over a single human being---King Arthur. This
struggle so weakened the Morrigan in Britain, they were forced to remove
themselves to the northern forests of Gaul (Germany) where they formed the
Teutonic Knights.
The Vikings in Scandinavians went on to be feared in all of Europe from their
lightning raids and martial ferocity. The Viking power even spread to the
shores of North America, where the Tautha and Terat held sway. Eventually
the Vikings were diluted by those peoples they once conquered and by AD 1200,
had ceased to wield the Morrigan's influence.
Japan was, by far, the most successful of Morrigan endeavors. They fought
bloody civil wars with the Peri for a period of over 700 years until the
seventeenth century. The Morrigan gained final power in the islands. This
power was enduring until their greed for mainland China caused them to overextend
it. Their Japanese empire ended in 1945 under the atomic retaliation of the
United States.
At the end of World War I, spawned from the vast cloud of human death, arose
the Sanguinary's third avatar, the Silhouette. This entity, the corruption
of the storm and clean rain, became the executioner of the Morrigan everywhere
until they were able to rally themselves against it in World War II. Thought
this rally cost them their greatest mortal empires, the Morrigan concentrated
all their efforts against it and have continued persecuting it wherever it
manifests.
The Morrigan Character
The Morrigan are first and foremost, warriors. Even their Rooks and Sleepers
are competent soldiers. While the Morrigan take their leadership over the
rest of Perpetual Society seriously, they reserve their fury for the Droves.
As a Pride, they have slain more Droves than any other. This hunting record
no doubt keeps them in their current position as the Scepter Pride.
The Morrigan are allies and friends to other immortals. Whereas most Prides
are concerned with the state and destiny of mankind, the Morrigan are concerned
almost solely with the fate of the undying races. A Morrigan will lend aid
to another immortal before a human every time, unless the human shows himself
heroic and truly impresses the Morrigan. When this happens, the Morrigan
trains him in the art of warfare with hints of making him an immortal warrior
against the Beast in Ragnarok if he is loyal and brave. This is a rare
occurrence.
Like all immortals, Morrigan are enamored with the beauty of humans. Often
they will induct their human lovers into the Calalo quiet culture to serve
as liaisons between themselves and other humans. The Calalo are an important
buffer between the two, since Morrigan still carry such a high disdain for
mortals.
Like the Dracul, the Morrigan scrupulously maintain obedience to their superiors.
Disobedience of a superior is harshly punished. Morrigan maintain a code
of chivalry adopted by many of their quiet cultures. Their code requires
that they only accept battle from immortals of equal or higher status than
themselves (excluding Droves, of course.) This code often becomes a blind
spot for the Pride, who often ignore lesser targets who come back later to
haunt them.
Whenever the Morrigan travels to the ground, he is always clothed to minimize
any skin contact with anything directly touching the ground. As such, he
will always wear gloves, boots and long sleeves. Generally, only his head
and face is revealed, and these are often hidden under helms. Morrigan under
Loki's Curse are well aware of this weakness, but pass it off as simple distaste
for all things bound by chains of gravity. Many Morrigan appear in bizarre
life-support suits while visiting the courts of other Prides. See Loki's
Curse under Morrigan Disadvantages.
Morrigan rarely allow immortals from other Prides to join them. Those who
wish to join face a number of obstacles and tests of their prowess as warriors.
They are hounded without mercy by the human warrior cults of the Pride to
help prepare them for their uplifting.
All Morrigan are singly dedicated to destroying the Misbegotten, Loki's monstrous
children. To destroy any one of these three obscenities would bring great
status to the Morrigan who did so, or a place for non-Morrigan in the Pride.
Along the same lines, the Morrigan seek out the Silhouette. Most young Morrigan
invariably hear, after their uplift, of plans devised by the Morrigan to
destroy the Silhouette forever. Those who wish to share in this glory are
encouraged to join the Aesir, an elite hunting force dedicated to the
Silhouette's destruction.
Life as Morrigan is a life of political intrigue, even within the Pride.
Factions continually vie for influence with Odin. Morrigan often wager their
own visage with others within their Pride on outcomes of political rivalries.
This shifts power around the Pride constantly without losing it to outsiders.
One of the primary responsibilities of a Morrigan is to hoard conundrum shards.
Other Prides often joke that all Morrigan are magpies attracted to sparkling
things, but the Morrigan's use of voxes and conundrum increases their already
extreme power. Odin and his Valkyries used the conundrum to increase Valhalla,
their battlefield for the last confrontation with the Sanguinary. Voxes are
also gathered to enchant Morrigan armor.
The Regine
One of the most famous members of the Morrigan is Morgana (also known as
Morgan Le Fey.) Past rivalry with the Morrigan, who believed her too close
to Odin, led her to leave the Pride (although the Pride itself does not
acknowledge that Morgana has left them.) As a defacto member of the Pride,
Morgana and her sisters Sebille, Camille, and Annowyr believe that a battle
with the Sanguinary---Ragnarok---need never come. Rather, she advises, the
immortals should use all their resources to expunging the Droves from existence.
Now known as the Regine, the sisters still continue to pursue their own genocidal
policy, instead of the plan of Odin to prepare for Ragnarok. Despite this
thorn in their side, the Morrigan are restrained by Odin from dealing harshly
with Morgana. Though he does not allow her and her sisters any support, he
ostensibly would like the dread battle to be circumvented by the efforts
of her and the other Regine.
Morgana is said to maintain a number of castles around the world. Her primary
holding (Castle Chariot) is believed to exist in a mantle within Bryce Canyon,
Utah. She strikes out against Droves from this fortress with a frightening
ferocity. Rumor has it that Morrigan, Macha and Babd, the three founding
sisters of the Morrigan, invisibly support the cause of the Regine.
The Sons Of Loki
Held in awe and fear normally reserved only for the Regine are the powerful
Sons of Loki. Shunned by the Pride for their devotion to their ancient enemy
Loki, these immortals still maintain their identities as Morrigan under the
laws of the Stratagem. Most Morrigan believe the Sons wish to raise their
powerful lord back into rulership of the Pride although the group patently
denies this. It is their intention to create a Pride of their own.
Because the Sons of Loki do not show themselves to serve the Droves, the
Morrigan are forced to accept their presence among the Perpetual Society,
having had to rescind their decree of exile. Morrigan Probes constantly search
for proof of their collaboration with darkness, but have thus far been able
to find a link. Still, the Morrigan Regency cites the Sons as being secret
allies to the Misbegotten the progeny of Loki---the wolf-thing Fenris, the
serpent-thing Jormundgard and the half-corpse daughter Hela. With amusement,
the Sons deny this.
The Sons of Loki have a reputation of being dark, frosty ravens who walk
the street of the mortal world, dealing death and searching for Loki wherever
they walk. Unlike the majority of the Pride, they are immune to Loki's curse.
In fact, the Sons possess the power to renounce the Curse of Loki on any
Morrigan they wish. They use this Carnal as a major bargaining chip with
their Pride.
Anyone playing a Son of Loki must remember that their character will be
distrusted by the rest of the Pride. Although members of every calling, the
Sons hang together in perfect loyalty to one another. As such, they resemble
more a large single cadre. Infiltrating the Sons of Loki is difficult in
the extreme. Their bond is absolute and strife among each other is unheard
of.
The Valkyrie and Their Sons
Composed entirely of the sisters of Odin, these warriors are the daughters
of the Lightning Man. Because they were not present on earth with the rest
of the Morrigan, Loki's Curse never reached them. Thus, they walk about on
the earth freely and without reservation. In fact, the Valkyrie do not share
the typical disdain of the earth common through the rest of the Pride. Only
the Sons of Loki share this trait with them.
The Valkyrie wear white to symbolize the purity of their ideal to the Lightning
Man's plan---to take the battle of the Rapture away from the innocent earth
and place it on the great plains surrounding the halls of Valhalla. They
are the caretakers of the mantle. They make certain it is maintained by a
number of trysts. These trysts, trained by the wise and enigmatic Odin, are
always the children of the Valkyrie by heroic mortals.
These maidens constantly search battlefields of the earth where immortals
battle other immortals. Mostly this occurs when immortals clash with Droves.
Valkyrie are sworn to destroy any Drove they can find and use their voxes
to make mortal humans immortal for the final battle, which Odin has named
Ragnarok. Although the other Morrigan do not like this practice, they do
not challenge the might and determination of these fierce women.
In addition, Valkyrie keep their eyes open for mortals who prove themselves
to be heroes, and as such generally observe firefighters, police, and other
rescue personnel. When one seems to be about to die, the Valkyrie will save
his life, place him in a deep sleep and take him to Valhalla. Here he will
sleep with other heroes from the ages for the day when he will be awakened
against the dark forces of the Sanguinary.
Valkyrie characters are almost always women. A small number of male children
sired by Odin himself exist, making up a distinguished group of warrior princes
in service to their father. They carry themselves as somewhat aloof from
the rest of the Pride, being more concerned with their own purposes than
with Pride politics.
All Valkyrie have sworn to obey and protect Odin with their own lives.
Valkyrie are present in all callings. Because of their long and positive
association with the Tautha, they are allowed to travel to and from Tautha
holdings at will. Through their alliance, they hope to purify the voxes of
Droves they have collected in the Well of Mimir, preparing them for human
warrior hosts. The Valkyrie work tirelessly to repair the rift between the
Morrigan and the Peri.
Valhalla
The mantle of Valhalla is constantly being fortified by conundrum shards.
It is the intention of Odin and the Valkyrie to extend this mantle to cover
the entire earth and the heavens above it, protecting the Habitat for the
time when the Sanguinary rises, when it's minions boil out from the underworld
and the dreams of man. Only the Valkyrie and those escorted by the Valkyrie
are allowed across the rainbow bridge Bifrost into the mantle.
The mantle consists of a large battle plain surrounding the fortress of Valhalla
and it's soaring walls studded with a glowing mosaic of conundrum shards.
Here Odin and his Valkyrie sisters dwell. Any Morrigan who enters Valhalla
enters holy ground and is required to render total respect. It is an
awe-inspiring honor to be brought across the rainbow bridge and to stand
in the presence of such majesty as radiated by the fortress, plain and Odin
himself.
The Misbegotten
Loki sired three powerful children during his alliance with the Rime. Each
child grew to become a hideous monster devoted to the Sanguinary.
Jormundgard is a dream of serpents and reptile evil, a creature who has inspired
fear of snakes in the human psyche for uncounted centuries.
Fenris is a nightmare of wolves and other hunters in the night. It presence
in the mind of man has created a fear of wolves as evil and it's servants
are prowlers of lonely places who howl in pain under the pain of a silver
moon.
Hela is the dream of corpses, a queen of rotted putered flesh. Fascinated
with eyes, she adorns her body with the eyes of her victims. All who close
their eyes in despair enter her nightmare world.
Each of these beasts has sired an entire Drove, the first nightmares brought
into the world and form the three most powerful cells of the Beast today.
The Morrigan despise and constantly search for means to destroy these creatures
and their offspring. The Sons of Loki search for them as well, some say to
absorb their powers.
Morrigan Taboos
The Morrigan is afraid of mortal cats and will flee them as soon as possible.
(rank 4)
The Morrigan must bathe several times a day or feel filthy (rank 2
Glittering objects fascinate the Morrigan, causing her to be distracted with
a hostile whose rank is equal to the taboo's.
A fluttering of wings is constantly heard in the Morrigan's presence. (rank
3)
The Morrigan must sleep during the night hours, awakening only at dawn (rank
4)
Feathers are left in the area where the Immortal is present. (rank 1)
The Morrigan is compelled to migrate to a certain place during the warm months.
He must remain in residence there until spring (rank 4)
The Morrigan is terrified of heights. (rank 5)
Eggs hatch with strange objects inside when touched by the Morrigan. (rank
3)
The Morrigan is aroused by certain colors or patterns of color worn by members
of his preferred sex. (rank 4)
Attitudes
Amaranth :They are kin to us, although they are bound to the earth. While
we search for heroes, they make them. There has always been a harmony between
birds and the green life of the world. We watch them with interest and aid
them in their endeavors. Under our wing they are protected by those who would
damage their works.
Anopheles : Dangerously sensual and ancient, yet we have been their allies
in the past. They are competent warriors and far more clever than many give
them credit for. We must remain diligent to defend our high seat from their
political machinations. Beautiful creatures. Make love to them, and admire
them, but never fall in love with one!
Arachne: Like all insects, they are bound in their logic and fail to understand
passion. It is the age-old argument. Their collective nature is much like
our flock mentality, yet short-sighted. When all of them think alike, what
benefit, outside moving as one, can they gain? Perhaps that is enough to
make them fearful warriors in the end. We shall see.
Banjax: Rabble-rousers who have no respect for authority. Hierarchy is
everything, something they cannot understand. When those beneath us falter,
we all suffer. Would chaos make it easier for all of us to defeat the Sanguinary,
or make the Beast's guerrilla tactics all the more effective? Their study
of death is, however, their saving grace. If their One Soul exists, what
a power it could bear against the darkness!
Infernum :Demons who play too close to the their own hell-fires. They had
better take care that the Religarum they seek out does not plunge them into
the same inferno others of our kind still endure. The consequences of their
actions are watched by our Probes, balancing them all on the precipice. If
they should endanger other immortals with their "show" they will pay an awful
price in blood.
Cur : The possibility for a truly powerful and noble breed of immortal lies
in this Gentry. We have given them time to win their right to coexist with
us. Yes, it is a short measure of time, but they will not require longer,
such is their potential. We will welcome them at the end of the century and
reap great visage for our foresight.
Dracul :Competitive under their veneer of balance. Do not trust in the harmonious
nature of these immortals. They have an agenda and prosecute it with the
same fever as all other Prides. Their tranquil faces and soft words only
causes their rivals to feel secure before the coup falls. Even so, they are
a brave people. Who else in our society would seek to redeem the unredeemable
Sanguinary?
Eremites: Proficient soldiers who we respect with utmost sincerity. After
all, did they not take the Scepter from us, even for a short time? We watch
them with admiration and fierce rivalry. Most intriguing too this belief
in God and Heaven. We hope that they are right! But they must be careful
not to place hope higher than common sense, for if God does not save them,
their lack of preparation for the end will lead only to Hell.
Magdalen: Powerful, learned and wise, yet their lust for power exceeds even
the Anopheles. They have created weapons out of mankind against us, a crime
for which they can never truly be forgiven. Until the last of the Apocrypha
are stamped out on the dust that gave birth to them, the Magdalen will endure
the fury of all Prides, including us. If they deviate from their current
road to make right their past mistakes, we will have them destroyed.
Nimrod: Our allies and enforcers on the ground. We listen to their counsel
and support their endeavors. Past transgressions against us are forgotten,
for the Nimrod's harsh treatment of us all was nothing compared to the war
we fought against one another. We would have destroyed this world if not
for their stopping us. This balancing factor continues to this day.
Peri: Our closest allies at one time, but for the poison words of Loki and
the corruption of the Ivaldi line of their own people. A great rift now exists
between us all. We do what we can to repair it, but we cannot give up our
leadership to do so. It seems we must forever remain indifferent to one another's
pain.
Phoenix : Hunters supreme. We cannot help but admire their fierce spirit.
Unfortunately, they are a young pride and have much to learn about their
place in the grand scheme of things. Fire is useful only when controlled,
and we will be certain they Phoenix do not rage our of control until the
proper time comes.
Roane: Evil. Nothing more, nothing less. We oppose them in every way, even
if we must remain within the law. They should never have been allowed to
return.
Shonelkidar: Strange and too dangerous to allow to flourish. We will tolerate
them no longer than necessary. We watch for a chance to exterminate them.
Solas: Tormented souls who must hear the cry of human curses and hasten to
make them become reality. We would expunge them from the world if we did
not hope to release them. They have suffered too much. We must do what we
can to help them escape.
Tautha: Faithful to us, we bow to their purpose to heal the wounds of the
world suffered by our eternal struggles with the Beast. No one commands such
nobility as the Tautha. We welcome them to our cities among the clouds, but
curb their ambition when it becomes necessary. How amusing that most immortals
do not realize how deeply clever they are within the stratagem. They burn
you and you end up thanking them for it!
Terat: Admirable for their passionate hatred for the beast. They can teach
younger breeds the true evil of the Sanguinary as few others can, having
lived in the madness of the Beast. They are all mad, of course. We have to
watch and direct them and hope their dream-works do not become a danger to
us all. Otherwise, Man will have to be destroyed and the Terat rendered
inert.
Morrigan Convictions
Sanguinary: We battle the Sanguinary in the air where it's avatar eats a
whole in the blanket of the clouds. Only in our supremacy can the Beast be
slain.
Silence: Preserve it at all costs! We've witnessed its effectiveness, the
diminishing of the Sanguinary's overt manifestations during recent centuries.
One day it will be so deeply asleep it will forget about us all. Then we
can kill it while it lolls in ignorance.
Habitat: No better a place than the Dominions were. Barbaric and full of
fools. Only the sky is clean. We regret that the evil of the world, mankind,
was not washed away in the flood we sent so long ago.
Dominions: They are gone behind us. No loss. We have made a place far
superior.
Crucible: Oblivion. We laugh at the foolishness of those who seek after it.
Morpheum: The place of dreams is no place for our kind. We enter the Morpheum
only to keep track of campaigns underway to eradicate the Sanguinary's
influences.
Stratagem: We are proof that the Stratagem is integral to immortal survival.
We will surely punish any who try to undermine it.
Profane: They are the playthings of the Sanguinary. Whenever they impede
us in the slightest, we must destroy them.
Ingenue: Doomed, like the mortals they live among. Do they think they are
more clever than the Sanguinary or immune to its subtle influence? We need
to find them and wake them to the Stratagem as quickly as possible lest we
lose some history's greatest heroes.
Conundrum: Obscenities. We'd shun them entirely but for the power they have
to keep us aloft.
Sinning: We do whatever is required to survive, just as mortals do. That
the act is named sin is only an attempt by our enemies to discourage us from
maintaining our full strength.
Himsati: Our Himsatis never touch the ground. We've learned the ultimate
control of ourselves in all forms.
Humanity: At first, merely our competition, but now our sworn enemies. We
preserve them only to preserve ourselves, just as they care for their cattle.
Here are a summary of transmissions gleaned from the Solitaire's illicit
Radio Eternity broadcast.
LA, California
A number of bizarre serial murders are occuring within the city which the
Perpetual Society is scrambling to cover each one, so far with success. Ever
the avergers of the innocent, the Cur are massing in the city in a hunt for
the murderer. Likewise, the Anopheles are eagerly searching for a madman
whose psychotomy they can add to their collective madness. Victims of the
murderer share a single trait in common: Their left hand is missing.
St. Augustine, FL
An underground crypt was discovered within the picturesque city. It's contents
are unknown, but a number of Tautha Keepers are guarding the perimeter.
West Bank
Violence escalated on Easter in the mideast between Israeli and Palestinian
soldiers. Suspected influence of the Eremites is unconfirmed, but rumors
of a conflict between them and the spidery Arachne continue to pour in.