VOX

December 1995 : Volume 1.4

Big Thanks

This is the December Issue of Vox, and as you can see, we're trying to go to a monthly format so that more of your questions and comments can be heard and addressed.

I've been getting a great deal of mail about IMMORTAL and have enjoyed speaking with all of you that drop me a line. I would like to see a more interactive venue for players and Narrators of the game, and there are a number of ways this can be achieved.

IMMORTAL has its own Web page, designed and maintained by a fellow named Loa (Scott Boding.) You can find it on the Internet like I did by doing a search on the word "IMMORTAL." While this is not an "official" page, I highly recommend you scope it out. Thanks to Scott for putting all that effort forth simply for the love of the game. Below is the address of the Web Page:

http://www.ecst.csuchico.edu/nvghost/immortal/imm.html

Loa also runs the Immortal E-mail list. You can subscribe to it simply by sending a query to Loa at :
majordomo@anthrax.ecst.csuchico.edu
Be sure the words "subscribe immortal" appear somewhere in the text.

I'll soon be back on AOL, and when I am, I send my address.

Among the other exciting things going on is the creation of an IMMORTAL MUSH by Stormy (Christina Sholtz). I am personally awaiting this with a great deal of anticipation. We'll let you know more as things develop. Lastly, I want to thank Rick Don, Dan Hegedus, and special thanks to Shane Alford for all of their input. Keep the faith all and Happy Holidays!!

After a fun vacation in the shark-infested waters off of Daytona Beach Florida, we have returned to our usual feverish pace of producing products. Not just products for Immortal, mind you, but also our first collector card game in cooperation with the Upper Deck Company.

If you like CCGs and you like football, you will love UPPERDECK GRIDIRON FANTASY FOOTBALL. Set in a dark future where the Teracorps and World government vie for control, football has become the gladiatorial arena that hopeful athletes flock to in order to move up the social ladder. This game plays like real football, but has a comical side that puts it over the top. Such cards as Awesome Cheerleaders (who distract your opponents) Blimp Disaster (which blows up on the field and takes out you opponent's team) and UFO Abduction (which snags a rival coach) are just a few of the action cards that make this game a blast to play. Designed by Paul Brown, Dave Hewitt and John Myler, it is a must buy. Ran's art appears on 30 of the cards in the set.

As far as IMMORTAL goes, the Shapeshifter Manual is printing and will be available soon. You can check out a preview of the artwork on LOA"S WEB-PAGE as well as the new logo. Rules on the Himsati, the power of the Moon, the powers of the Form That Injures as well as the viewpoints of the various Kingdoms is explored. The book should be around 96 pages and retail for 13.95.

The first of the player/narrator sourcebooks on the Prides, Pride Dracul, whose cover appears on this page. If you are a member of Pride Dracul or a Narrator, this is a handy book to have. It discusses famous members of the Pride (such as Dracul) and reveals the Secret Serenades of the Pride.

The Player's Guide is also in the works, and will clear up rules questions as well as giving more information on the IMMORTAL universe. The release date is to be announced. 50 new Attentions will also be released.

Also planned soon is the Immortal Gossamer sourcebook, what it means to play a spirit and the rules that apply to Immortals who have left their bodies and journeyed into the Blue Air. At this point the book will be 64 pages and should retail for around 10 bucks.

Next year we'll have more products hitting with greater regularity. You'll see the other books on the Prides such as Banjax, Eremites, Magdalen, Morrigan, Nimrod, Peri, Phoenix, Terat and Tautha coming out as well as the comprehensive book Immortal ADVERSARIES, which details the enemies of Immortals in this world and beyond.

It goes without saying, you hafta have 'em.

New Attentions

Lost Trinity has been out for some time and I've received a lot of mail on the book. Almost everyone likes it. In fact, in Shadis #22 (I'm told) there will be a review of Lost Trinity. I've read the review, and it is very complimentary. We also received a good review in the premier issue of the British magazine Arcane.

Lost Trinity mentions some Serenades that haven't been detailed yet, so as a member of Club Eternity, you get the first shot before these Attentions are detailed in the Pride Guidebooks coming out next year.

Elan (Anopheles Secret) Transforming Predilections
Target Halo: Red
Complexity Rank: 5 (Anopheles Only)
Ally Hostile: N/A
Duration Rank: Variable
Other Hostiles: Instincts.
Anopheles use this secret to literally transform the predilection of an individual for a time determined by the rank of the Serenade. This personality alteration colors the choices and decisions of the target until the Serenade wears off. If the Anopheles does not roll the Instinct Hostile, the person will know his personality was altered, although he may not necessarily believe it to be supernatural in origin.

Anopheles can also use this on themselves to help them better infiltrate other groups, usually having a trusted companion quiet the Serenade when the mission is done.

Note: This will not cause a target to place himself into unnecessary danger or tamper with his memory.

Rank 1 Change lasts for the clash and causes opponent to hesitate, losing all actions.

Rank 2 Change lasts for the scene

Rank 3 Change lasts for the entire episode.

Rank 4 Change lasts for the series

Rank 5 Change lasts for an indefinite time, broken by traumatic event. (Narrator's discretion.)


Malekin (Banjax Secret) Call Spirits
Target Halo: Red
Complexity Rank: 5 (Banjax Only)
Ally Hostile: N/A
Duration Rank: 2
Other Hostiles: Familiarity
Malekin allows the Banjax to make Gossamers corporeal, according to the rank of success. The higher the rank, the more "physical" a spirit becomes. The Gossamer need not be present in the area of the immortal to fall under the effect of the Serenade as long as the immortal rolls the Familiarity hostile in addition. Otherwise, the spirit must be present.

Rank 1: The spirit's presence leaves a palpable taste in your mouth. Whether the taste is good or bad depends on the nature of the spirit (corrupt of pure) as well as their personal closeness to you.

Rank 2: The spirit's presence leaves a distinct odor in the air according to his or her Himsati form (a rose himsati smells like flowers, a wolf has the distinctive canine smell of fur).

Rank 3: You can hear the movements, breathing, and voice of the spirit. Any sound a corporeal person would make is detectable by you.

Rank 4: You can see the spirit.

Rank 5: You can physically touch the spirit. Any combat against the spirit occurs as if between two corporeal persons, unless the Jeopardy Hostile is failed.


Syrinx (Phoenix Secret) The Mood of Pan's Pipes
Target Halo: Red
Complexity Rank: 5 (Phoenix Only)
Ally Hostile: Orenda (Gray)
Duration Rank: 2
Other Hostiles: N/A
Created by the Phoenix during their conflict with the Magdalen during the Trojan War, Syrinx is the ability to take normal music and transform it into a powerful mental force. In the modern age where music has become more sophisticated, the use of the Syrinx Attention has also gained power. It was devised by the female core of the Phoenix, the 9 Muses.

Music must be present for the Attention to function. It is most often used in nightclubs. or concerts. When a Syrinx Serenade is voiced, it's target is filled with such awe that they fall under a hostile when attempting to anything other than listen. Alternately, the Phoenix can use the music to actually set up a vibration that will break glass or warp metal, according to the hardness of the targeted material. (Check the hardness table in the Main Rule book on page 191.) When chorused with the Allure Serenade, Syrinx can create stage productions that can blow away the very best mortal concert light-show. Note: The vibration of Syrinx will not harm living things or objects not of a rigid nature.

Rank 1: Awe hostile of 3, can destroy rigid objects with a hardness of 3 or less.
Rank 2: Awe hostile of 6, can destroy rigid objects with a hardness of 6 or less.
Rank 3: Awe hostile of 9, can destroy rigid objects with a hardness of 9 or less.
Rank 4: Awe hostile of 12, can destroy rigid objects with a hardness of 12 or less.
Rank 5: Awe hostile of 15, can destroy rigid objects with a hardness of 15 or less.

Playing A Gossamer

I've seen lots of questions concerning Gossamers on the Mailing List, and rules are forthcoming to clear up the spiritual side of IMMORTAL. I'd like to address a few cursory rules for playing a spirit, especially if your persona has been---gasp---slain.

At the point of death (that is, the separating of the head from the body, an immaculum spill occurs. This spill is in the form of orange and violet motes of the immortal slain. These will cleanse taint if there are tainted immortals in the area (unless they are members of the Sanguinary's Droves, who are protected from being cleansed and thus losing their own powers.)

The Immortal now reverts to her Himsati's Prime Aspect, that is, the animal or elemental form and enters into the Blue Air into a whirlpool of spiritual energy known as the Vortex. The Gossamer may be lost in the depths of the Blue Air for quite some time if the Vortex flings them deep enough. It's up the decision of the Narrator to determine this, but if he decides he wants his players placed deep in the Blue Air, he'd better be prepared to have some interesting story and setting planned out.. By the way, any immortal who becomes tainted to the point where he makes the Crossing also enters the Vortex, and can end up in nearly any of the Dominion Worlds that are spread throughout the Universe. Some unfortunates who Cross end up trapped in the Vortex, and since they are not spirits, feel unspeakable agony while there from the coursing spiritual energy (Weird) that spins through the Vortex. Not fun. Once in the Blue Air, the Gossamer now makes her way back to the Habitat via the Shallows, thin boundaries in the Vortex that allow her to exist in the Blue Air and the Habitat simultaneously. Within these Shallows, a spirit manifests corporeal at will, but is unable to retain this physicality when they leave the area unless they use their own Free Immaculum to manifest. More on manifesting outside the Shallows in a moment.

Thus, within the Shallows (i.e. "haunted places" ) the spirit seems real enough. Combat with the spirit can occur at this time; the only way a spirit can avoid combat in the Shallows is to withdraw herself into the Blue Air. If she remains in the Shallows, she is subject to damage.

Since she has no Orange and Violet immaculum in her motes, the Gossamer must divide her Free Immaculum between those two for purposes of inflicting damage or absorbing it. At the beginning of combat, the Gossamer's Free Immaculum is allocated to the Orange or Violet as desired (and prohibited by Himsati Tier.) She may want to keep enough Free Immaculum held back to power her Himsati Natures (you'll learn more about them from SHAPESHIFTER.)

The damage the Gossamer will deliver now depends on what she allocated to her Orange Halo, and her resistance depending on her Violet halo.

Taking Damage

Gossamers do not possess wound boxes as do corporeal creatures. Instead, wounds delivered against a Gossamer destroys her Free Immaculum. For every rank of wound her opponent causes (figured the same as normal combat) the Gossamer loses 1 Free Immaculum permanently. When the combat ends, any lost Free Immaculum motes lost are replenished from the other halo colors as life-force flows into the void.

For example: Tazhia faces Allyns in combat and sustains from him a Severe Wound. .She loses 3 of her Free Immaculum permanently. The motes that are gone are replenished as other colors (red, yellow, green or blue) motes fill the void. So, the forte motes are depleted to refill the dwindling Free Immaculum.

What happens when a Gossamer sustains damage that drains her halo to 0 motes in any color and 0 Free Immaculum? You guessed it---Oblivion. To kill a spirit is to utterly destroy an immortal.

It's interesting to note that Gossamers can take multiple Mortal Wounds (losing 5 Free Immaculum at a whack) until they are drained sufficiently to be destroyed. It is an advantage in a world of disadvantages.

Healing

Healing for a Gossamer simply means growing stronger. If she has lost any other halo motes since becoming a spirit, she must replenish these before she can rebuild her Orange and Violet halos.

Manifesting Outside the Shallows

The Blue Air encompasses our entire Universe, stretching from galaxy to galaxy and encompassing the many Dominions the immortals left behind at the end of the Shouting War. Although a fantastically beautiful place, the Blue Air is without substance. The Gossamer cannot smell, hear, taste, or touch anything there. The senses are utterly deprived.

Even when entering the Shallows, Gossamers gain none of these senses, even though they are physical. They can move an object, but not feel its touch. They can bite an apple, but not taste it. This makes the Habitat even more maddening to the Gossamer.

Gossamers can leave the Shallows and manifest these lost senses with a temporary expenditure of Free Immaculum. For every 1 Free Immaculum she expends, the Gossamer manifests 1 sense, according to the following:

Remember, outside the Shallows, Spirits are blind and deaf to the physical world. By using their Free Immaculum, they "create" their own personal Shallows. The duration of this manifesting can last up to 1 scene, or can be extended by the Narrator. The Free Immaculum motes expended to manifest are unusable for any other purpose (including gaining extra actions in combat) during the duration of the manifestation and for 5 hours per mote used. Thus, a Gossamer who expended 5 FI to be able to have all 5 senses would have to wait 25 hours before the 5 motes returned.

Note that, for every sense a Gossamer manifests, she can choose to allow a corporeal (living) creature perceive her. She can elect to remain unseen while having these senses, although an immortal in the same room as a Gossamer can detect her with a scan.

Scanning

Scanning involves seeing the aura of another living thing through the clear, untinted Free Immaculum halo instead of the blue halo associated with normal senses. Through scanning, an immortal can determine an number of things about the person he is looking at.

System: Roll a D10 (any color will do) and add to it your FI rating as well as a +1 for every Visage mote your persona has. The resulting number gains you the following knowledge.

Note that, on a roll of 49, the immortal who scans with such intensity has a flash of insight into the universe so profound that he severs forever the link between himself and the Sanguinary, literally transforming the conundrum within his body into the pure form of liquid Palladium (known as Mead) and gaining perfection.

By the way, before you ask me, you cannot increase the Scan by any type of Meld on Serenades which give bonuses to other dice rolls.

Try this stuff out and let me know what you think. As always, it is subject to change and is superseded by upcoming books.

Radio Eternity News

D Adeline Los Angeles

A Lighter of unknown configuration left a Na-Gate from the Blue Air and entered the Habitat outside the city of Angels, where it crashed into the Pacific. The craft has sank, and immortals of various Prides are attempting to salvage the craft. D'Arcade's House Oni have determined the Lighter's origin was the Dominions.

New York: Black roses left at the scene of a string of murders in the city have prompted a major hunt for what the perpetual Society believes is another of the Dracula Scions. Our sources cannot verify if a Dracula Scion is involved, but caution is urged.

Alice Springs, Australia: A battle was fought between members of the Terat and members of what we believe are Drove Lamia. The Terat claim clear victory and are launching more Lighters into the air to patrol the Outback.

Seattle, Washington: Political maneuvering between the Arachne and the Roane have left the Arachne in control of the city. Although no one can predict how long Arachne control will last, the fact that the power struggle was so swift to begin and end suggests the Arachne have planned the venture for some time. The Jury were spotted in the city, clear signs that the Arachne gained Visage while the newly-vested Roane will lose big. Keep your eye closely on this arena ; it's certainly not over.

Bangkok, Thailand: The Anopheles are rumored to have a change of heart about giving up the city to the Dracul as agreed upon by Pride Scourges some years ago. We have it on good account that the Anopheles plan to retain hold of the city despite the deadline set for the exchange. Dracul Scourges are reportedly entering the city in force to "facilitate" the agreement.