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Book of Bone and Ebony

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When engaging in physical attacks, the stillborn are<br />

extremely talented users <strong>of</strong> the martial arts <strong>and</strong> inflict<br />

lethal damage with both h<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> feet. During combat,<br />

once per turn, the fetus can extend from a stillborn’s body<br />

<strong>and</strong> inflict aggravated damage on an opponent by opening<br />

a maw that is so tiny it is only visible due to the<br />

glimmering <strong>of</strong> the sharp set <strong>of</strong> teeth within. The fetus<br />

drain <strong>and</strong> bite are additional attack that the stillborn may<br />

perform for free, <strong>and</strong> it imposes no dice-pool penalties on<br />

martial-art attacks.<br />

When the fetus extends from the body, it’s connected<br />

to the stillborn through a rotten umbilical cord. Should<br />

this be severed (any successful attack aimed at it that does<br />

damage will sever the cord, but it must be taken on the<br />

initiative tick when the fetus is extended), the shock the<br />

stillborn experiences paralyzes it for three turns. Naturally,<br />

all the powers that the fetus made use <strong>of</strong> are forever lost to<br />

the stillborn in question.<br />

VENGEFUL EXILE<br />

Vengeful exiles are ghosts that have lost the capacity<br />

to feel <strong>and</strong> think for themselves. The exiles roam the<br />

Labyrinth in search <strong>of</strong> both the living <strong>and</strong> the dead to slay,<br />

<strong>and</strong> they are especially hostile to Exalts. Vengeful exiles<br />

have a humanoid appearance — in fact, the very same they<br />

had when they were normal ghosts. However, their bodies<br />

radiate the chilling cold <strong>of</strong> Oblivion, <strong>and</strong> none can behold<br />

them without knowing they are servants <strong>of</strong> the Final End.<br />

Their aura affects animals in the same way as Dawn Caste<br />

animas affect mortal opponents.<br />

Whenever one <strong>of</strong> the vengeful exiles comes within<br />

five yards <strong>of</strong> an Exalt (with the exception <strong>of</strong> Sidereals <strong>and</strong><br />

Infernals), its hatred reaches out as a animated anima <strong>and</strong><br />

attacks the higher soul <strong>of</strong> the being. Unless the victim’s<br />

player succeeds on a Temperance roll, the Exalt’s temper<br />

flares, causing the hero to go berserk for a number <strong>of</strong> turns<br />

equal to the number <strong>of</strong> successes the vengeful exile received<br />

on the attack roll. The Exalt’s player must make a<br />

successful Willpower roll, or his character attacks the<br />

nearest enemy without reserving any actions for defense.<br />

The player <strong>of</strong> a character outside <strong>of</strong> combat who is affected<br />

must fail a Valor roll for his character not to take violent<br />

<strong>of</strong>fense at the tiniest slight while under the exile’s effect.<br />

A Temperance roll must be made every turn a character<br />

is within five yards <strong>of</strong> a vengeful exile. If an Exalt<br />

manages to withst<strong>and</strong> the creature’s power, each success<br />

on the roll adds one Limit or Resonance or other appropriate<br />

negative Trait. Ghosts must also try to avoid bursting<br />

into a fit <strong>of</strong> rage when they are in close proximity <strong>of</strong> the<br />

creature, but they also suffer lethal damage at the same<br />

time. Whenever a ghost’s player fails her Temperance roll,<br />

the ghost must also soak 3L damage as if she was struck with<br />

a weapon (i.e., armor soak applies).<br />

163<br />

CHAPTER SIX • CREATURES OF THE UNDERWORLD<br />

LESSER PLASMICS<br />

Borer: Borers are large molelike creatures with six<br />

spade-shaped claws on each arm. They move inside the dry<br />

areas <strong>of</strong> the Labyrinth <strong>and</strong> are <strong>of</strong>ten food to spectres <strong>and</strong><br />

other plasmics. Although borers may appear harmless,<br />

they have an extremely aggressive nature, <strong>and</strong> their claws<br />

inflict aggravated damage<br />

Cerement: Cerements are creatures that consist only<br />

<strong>of</strong> muscles <strong>and</strong> dried veins inside a translucent cover.<br />

Cerements drain memories from their victims, eventually<br />

leaving confused individuals to roam the Labyrinth. These<br />

memories can never be regained <strong>and</strong> should be considered<br />

sacrificed to Oblivion. In order to drain a year’s worth <strong>of</strong><br />

memories from a victim, a cerement must succeed with a<br />

clinch attack during three consecutive turns. It is only<br />

possible to protect oneself from their memory absorption<br />

by one’s player succeeding on a Conviction roll, difficulty<br />

3, on the fourth turn <strong>of</strong> the drain. The draining effects do<br />

not change the character’s Traits. Characters lose one<br />

year’s worth <strong>of</strong> memories on the fourth turn <strong>and</strong> on each<br />

subsequent turn the clinch is maintained.<br />

Whisperer: Regardless <strong>of</strong> the location inside the<br />

Labyrinth, there are whisperers. Some are the remains <strong>of</strong><br />

nephwracks that have become incorporated into the walls<br />

<strong>of</strong> the Underworld. Others are sessile creatures that imitate<br />

the insane bl<strong>and</strong>ishments <strong>of</strong> the nephwracks as a form<br />

<strong>of</strong> hunting lure. Both types appear as translucent masks<br />

that are stuck to the wall, ground or ceiling <strong>of</strong> Labyrinth<br />

tunnels. Whisperers emit constant Essence vibrations —<br />

perceived as a dim whispering — that confuse those who<br />

travel inside the Labyrinth. After rolling a whisperer’s<br />

attack, count the successes, <strong>and</strong> have the Labyrinth guide<br />

roll Temperance, difficulty 2. Should the roll fail, deduct<br />

as many dice from the next navigation roll as the whisperer<br />

had successes on its attack.<br />

WINTER’S DAY<br />

Long has it been since the Mask <strong>of</strong> Winters first<br />

conceived his plans <strong>of</strong> conquest, the Green Lady’s words<br />

forever echoing in his mind. With the aid <strong>of</strong> his mighty<br />

fortress, Juggernaut, the Deathlord conquered Thorns <strong>and</strong><br />

established a vast, controlled shadowl<strong>and</strong> in the Threshold.<br />

Yet, that was the mere beginning <strong>of</strong> his gr<strong>and</strong> scheme.<br />

Ever since the night he erected his stronghold on the<br />

back <strong>of</strong> the corpse <strong>of</strong> the creature, the Mask <strong>of</strong> Winters<br />

knew that a day would come when the maggots feeding on<br />

the dead behemoth would emerge as powerful monsters<br />

that could turn the tide <strong>of</strong> his plans, for better or worse<br />

depending on who gained control over them. He used his<br />

sorcery to bind the maggots into his service while his<br />

ghosts possessed them to provide defense to the fortress.<br />

No matter what happened, the Mask <strong>of</strong> Winters would

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