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= The Rift = | = The Rift = | ||
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− | A young woman steps into the the sea, the cold biting against her ankles. She takes a deep breath, closes her eyes and plunges her head beneath the surf. She opens her eyes to look upon an empty wasteland, the first thing she feels is a familiarity both comforting and threatening. She smiles as the churning waters force brackish polluted brine down her throat. | + | A young woman steps into the the sea, the cold biting against her ankles. She takes a deep breath, closes her eyes and plunges her head beneath the surf. She opens her eyes to look upon an empty wasteland, the first thing she feels is a familiarity both comforting and threatening. She smiles as the churning waters force brackish polluted brine down her throat. He's old, so very old and so very tired. A fish of enormous proportions, his cilia graciously inhabited by swarms of luminous crustaceans, swims ever deeper. He's returned to the land of his fathers to die. |
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− | He's old, so very old and so very tired. A fish of enormous proportions, his cilia graciously inhabited by swarms of luminous crustaceans, swims ever deeper. He's returned to the land of his fathers to die. | ||
== Getting there == | == Getting there == | ||
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All Leviathans can in theory access the Rift. Water, in its various forms, is a powerful conduit and a Leviathan needs to be submerged in one of its variations to attempt to dive into the Rift. Sea water is the most powerful of these, but in a pinch, clear water, fog or blood can serve. The Storyteller remains final judge of whether or not a Leviathan is "submerged" at the time, but ideally the character should be invisible from those outside the lake, fog bank or other obscuring feature. | All Leviathans can in theory access the Rift. Water, in its various forms, is a powerful conduit and a Leviathan needs to be submerged in one of its variations to attempt to dive into the Rift. Sea water is the most powerful of these, but in a pinch, clear water, fog or blood can serve. The Storyteller remains final judge of whether or not a Leviathan is "submerged" at the time, but ideally the character should be invisible from those outside the lake, fog bank or other obscuring feature. | ||
− | Mechanically, the Leviathan rolls his Sheol + Resolve and spends a point of Ichor and slips into the alternate reality of the Rift. Attempting this in sea water gives a +1 bonus. Blood or natural clear water (lake, river) carries no penalty. Tap water is further removed from the Primordial Waters and therefore carries a -1 dice penalty as does fog or clouds. Water wracked by the fury of a storm is even better, turbulent waters offer a +1 bonus while a true storm or onrushing tidal wave gives +2 | + | Mechanically, the Leviathan rolls his Sheol + Resolve and spends a point of Ichor and slips into the alternate reality of the Rift. Attempting this in sea water gives a +1 bonus. Blood or natural clear water (lake, river) carries no penalty. Tap water is further removed from the Primordial Waters and therefore carries a -1 dice penalty as does fog or clouds. Water wracked by the fury of a storm is even better, turbulent waters offer a +1 bonus while a true storm or onrushing tidal wave gives +2. Other cases are left at the appreciation of the storyteller. The Leviathan can carry other people into the Rift if they are in physical contact with her; one additional success is necessary per extra person. |
− | When diving into the Rift, the Leviathan entirely disappears from the Shore (the real world). He does not carry through any items unless he spends a Willpower point to do so; even then, some items may stubbornly refuse to go through | + | When diving into the Rift, the Leviathan entirely disappears from the Shore (the real world). He does not carry through any items unless he spends a Willpower point to do so; even then, some items may stubbornly refuse to go through. Crossing over creates turmoil: waves, wind, storm or fog may be left behind, possibly making the area (such as a tub of tap water) unsuitable for return. |
− | In some areas, called Gatewaters, the Rift is much closer to our reality. Humans will get sucked in sometimes, and even those who don't are more likely to develop Derangements (these areas give a -1 penalty on all rolls to avoid getting Derangements). Most Gatewaters are in areas deeply associated with water: either on the ocean itself, around certain islands, or in marshes, bogs or river deltas. Crossing through at a Gatewater does not require a point of Ichor. | + | In some areas, called Gatewaters, the Rift is much closer to our reality. Humans will get sucked in sometimes, and even those who don't are more likely to develop Derangements (these areas give a -1 penalty on all rolls to avoid getting Derangements). Most Gatewaters are in areas deeply associated with water: either on the ocean itself, around certain islands, or in marshes, bogs or river deltas. Crossing through at a Gatewater does not require a point of Ichor. |
==Travelling the Rift == | ==Travelling the Rift == | ||
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===The Shallows === | ===The Shallows === | ||
− | In the Shallows individual thoughts take life. The | + | In the Shallows individual thoughts take life. The verity is staggering, every creature is unique and range from entirely natural looking sea life to alien forms never scene outside the tribe. Similar thoughts band together in enormous schools, shoals and colonies ranging from a few dozen members to swarms that stretch for miles. |
− | At a first glance the Shallows are beautiful, with brightly coloured creatures, graceful kelp fields and multihued piles of rocks and sand arranged in dazzling patterns all lit by a roiling light which seems to come from the water itself. Even at this low depth this beauty is just a façade (a popular theory says that like the minds that form it, the Shallows | + | At a first glance the Shallows are beautiful, with brightly coloured creatures, graceful kelp fields and multihued piles of rocks and sand arranged in dazzling patterns all lit by a roiling light which seems to come from the water itself. Even at this low depth this beauty is just a façade (a popular theory says that like the minds that form it, the Shallows try to put it's best face forward). In the Shallows, the real dangers lay hidden in crevasses or disguised amongst the seaweed. |
Of all the Rift it is the shallows that closest resembles the web of life found in the ocean. Here thoughts of rest, of contentment or of safety form vast coral reefs floating free through the depths. Predatory swarms born from thoughts of hunger are a persistent danger while schools of fear and secrecy watch from hidden recesses. | Of all the Rift it is the shallows that closest resembles the web of life found in the ocean. Here thoughts of rest, of contentment or of safety form vast coral reefs floating free through the depths. Predatory swarms born from thoughts of hunger are a persistent danger while schools of fear and secrecy watch from hidden recesses. | ||
− | A “rift biologist” could spend lifetimes charting the interplay of species, wondering if understanding the ecosystem would reveal the inner workings of the mind | + | A “rift biologist” could spend lifetimes charting the interplay of species, wondering if understanding the ecosystem would reveal the inner workings of the mind but to most Leviathans the Shallows, for all it's teeming forms of life, is an empty place lacking the ancient lore and secrets found deeper within the Rift. |
− | ===The | + | ===The First Depth === |
As a Leviathan swims deeper the light begins to dim. Here impulses make their home, it's a hostile dangerous place for the Tribe's impulses are cruel. Here a Leviathan must beware creatures that embody the tribe's desire for conquest, domination or combat. And yet not everything at this Depth is wicked, the impulse to nurture children, to forge community or find a higher purpose in life than the daily struggle to eat or be eaten, these are all represented here. | As a Leviathan swims deeper the light begins to dim. Here impulses make their home, it's a hostile dangerous place for the Tribe's impulses are cruel. Here a Leviathan must beware creatures that embody the tribe's desire for conquest, domination or combat. And yet not everything at this Depth is wicked, the impulse to nurture children, to forge community or find a higher purpose in life than the daily struggle to eat or be eaten, these are all represented here. | ||
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Those Leviathans who seek this layer of the rift usually seek meditation on the impulses that drive them. They hope that by watching each impulse in isolation they will be able to recognise it in themselves and learn to master it; or they seek a positive impulse they can learn to copy and incorporate into their own being. For some it's a religious or spiritual endeavour, for others it's a desperate attempt to regain control over their lives. A successful voyage could justify buying a dot of Resolve, Composure or even Tranquillity. | Those Leviathans who seek this layer of the rift usually seek meditation on the impulses that drive them. They hope that by watching each impulse in isolation they will be able to recognise it in themselves and learn to master it; or they seek a positive impulse they can learn to copy and incorporate into their own being. For some it's a religious or spiritual endeavour, for others it's a desperate attempt to regain control over their lives. A successful voyage could justify buying a dot of Resolve, Composure or even Tranquillity. | ||
− | ===The | + | ===The Second Depth === |
− | Going deeper into the Rift a Leviathan will encounter self images, if not his own than another's. It's a weird place where individual facets of a Leviathan's personality are distorted through perceptions and given form. | + | Going deeper into the Rift a Leviathan will encounter self images, if not his own than another's. It's a weird place where individual facets of a Leviathan's personality are distorted through perceptions and given form. The link between the mind and the rift creatures it creates is strong here, and the tendency towards maritime life isn't absolute. At this Depth one Leviathan's inflated self image becomes a living monument, a statue in the classical style that pulses and contracts as though it's marble skin was the flesh of a beating heart. Another imagines himself to be a just ruler of a noble heritage as so appears as a elegant sea serpent with a crown of golden scales, but he knows this image to be false and so the serpent is marked with weeping diseased sores and it's eyes have the glint of madness. |
− | Usually a Leviathan's self manifests as many independent beings, one is how | + | Usually a Leviathan's self manifests as many independent beings, one is how she sees herself as a ruler, another is how she sees herself as a fighter, or a lover, or a scholar. Sometimes though a Leviathan's entire self image becomes one creature, these creatures vary hugely but always seem to be the sum of many parts. One looks like a ancient and predatory turtle, not too unlike the Leviathan who created it: The shell shows how he sees himself socially, hiding away from others, the jaws represent his guilt for the times he killed and are chipped, rotten things. Another composite takes the form of organs wrapped around a granite skeleton with flayed strips of flesh reaching out like tentacles to seek and devour. These composites are stronger and smarter than the other creatures of this Depth. |
The practical benefits for a Leviathan to find his own self image are limited though ripping apart a bad image might provide catharsis. Finding a rivals self image however can provide useful leverage, the roll to examine one is Wits + Empathy which may be contested by Resistance. This cannot reveal any information except how a Leviathan sees (this facet of) himself but in the hands of a crafty Leviathan that alone can be invaluable. Seeking out your friends can be just as useful, if they see themselves as alone or surrounded by hidden knives then maybe they might not be as friendly as you thought. Other Leviathan's look for family, with the family dynamics of the tribe discovering how your parents viewed their abilities as parents could be the closest thing to closure a Leviathan can get. | The practical benefits for a Leviathan to find his own self image are limited though ripping apart a bad image might provide catharsis. Finding a rivals self image however can provide useful leverage, the roll to examine one is Wits + Empathy which may be contested by Resistance. This cannot reveal any information except how a Leviathan sees (this facet of) himself but in the hands of a crafty Leviathan that alone can be invaluable. Seeking out your friends can be just as useful, if they see themselves as alone or surrounded by hidden knives then maybe they might not be as friendly as you thought. Other Leviathan's look for family, with the family dynamics of the tribe discovering how your parents viewed their abilities as parents could be the closest thing to closure a Leviathan can get. | ||
− | A rare possibility is for a Leviathan to seek out the self image of long since dead members of the Tribe. It is rumoured that the Progenitors themselves have left remains here, | + | A rare possibility is for a Leviathan to seek out the self image of long since dead members of the Tribe. It is rumoured that the Progenitors themselves have left remains here, islands formed from fossilised pieces of an identity still guarded by the psychological complex that once gave it worth. But even the fossils or still living identity of a more recent ancestor can offer a glimpse of life in an earlier era. A successful discovery can provide a bounty of information or even the revelation about one's ancestry needed to increase Sheol. Few trips are successful for here every creature is unique and in this dangerous environment lifespans are not long. If a living Leviathan's self image is destroyed it will soon reform but a dead Leviathan's is lost to history. |
− | ===The | + | ===The Third Depth === |
− | The | + | The Third Depth is the Rift's treasure trove, or perhaps it's garbage dump. While some of the greatest discoveries have been found elsewhere, it is the third depth which consistently delivers it's spoils into the grasping fins of the tribe, at least those who can tell treasure from trash. Here the roiling light found above has faded to a dim twilight. Under this faded glow memories take form, but they're not alone. The strongest memories, the ones with great emotional worth are found alongside the psychological complexes that give it value. The desire to keep a guilt ridden memory a secret snaps its jaws and spreads clouds of ink to protect it's charge. Treasuring a memory of happier times forms symbiotic creatures who polish and cherish their charge. |
− | The memories themselves are slow | + | The memories themselves are slow sedentary creatures, markers of the turtle, the shellfish and the coral are common. A memory's size is directly linked to how much information it contains, while the memory of a single Ritual will not be very large a single creature can hold a bounty of closely related information. An old and experienced Leviathan's entire library of rituals could form a immense beast, teaming with symbiotic life, gracefully cutting through the depth. |
− | The largest and most prized memories, long since fossilised after the death of the Leviathan who created them, are invaluable treasure troves of knowledge and even the smallest memory may contain a priceless nugget of information. It is for this reason that Leviathans brave the Tempest. If you can find what you seek and defeat the creatures which guard it everything from occult knowledge, a taste of day | + | The largest and most prized memories, long since fossilised after the death of the Leviathan who created them, are invaluable treasure troves of knowledge and even the smallest memory may contain a priceless nugget of information. It is for this reason that Leviathans brave the Tempest. If you can find what you seek and defeat the creatures which guard it everything from occult knowledge, a taste of day to day life in the Tribe to the location of hidden temples is just waiting to be found. |
− | + | == The Tempest (note really rough atm, needs fluffing)== | |
− | The | + | The Tempest has Ferocity. The minimum Ferocity outside a Doldrum is equal to Depth + 1. The tempest gives a penalty to perception rolls equal to half its Ferocity and risks harm to a Leviathan. Every Sheol minuets Roll Ferocity - Armour - Stamina. At Ferocity 5 this becomes Lethal damage, at Ferocity 10 the Tempest deals Aggravated Damage. Perception is also penalised by Ferocity - Sheol. |
− | + | Because the tempest is a physical threat, despite its psychological underpinnings, you can physically protect others. If you're at large enough than positioning yourself upstream of incoming rocks will do the trick. Some areas are noted to lack direction, in these nothing short of carrying people in your mouth will protect them. | |
− | + | === The Waves === | |
− | + | The default form of the Tempest is a churning mass of water. | |
− | + | === The Glow === | |
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− | + | The tempest here is a red glow which seems to come from all directions. Though deceptively tranquil Leviathan's not strong enough to face the Glow risk having the flesh boiled off their bones. The glow lacks direction. Because it is well lit and tranquil the Glow has no perception penalty. | |
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=== The Brine === | === The Brine === | ||
− | + | The tempest here is a sickly mass of churning brine poisonous even to Leviathans. Leviathan's instead resist the Tempest with Stamina + Resolve with +2 bonus from Toxin Resistance. The tempest's usual rules for damage apply. The Brine lacks direction. | |
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=== The Ice === | === The Ice === | ||
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=== The Sandstorm === | === The Sandstorm === | ||
− | + | A fast moving current of water so thick with abrasive sand, silt and mud that you can't see past your own face. Double the Perception penalty. | |
=== The Volcanic Region === | === The Volcanic Region === | ||
− | A thick cover of ash spreads through the water from an unreachable volcano. Small superheated rocks and cooling magma are the threat of the day. Volcanic regions of the tempest are never found below Ferocity 5. To survive a Leviathan must avoid rather than endure. Roll Ferocity + (Size - 5) - Defence | + | A thick cover of ash spreads through the water from an unreachable volcano. Small superheated rocks and cooling magma are the threat of the day. Volcanic regions of the tempest are never found below Ferocity 5. To survive a Leviathan must avoid rather than endure. Roll Ferocity + (Size - 5) - Defence. |
=== The Lightning Fields === | === The Lightning Fields === | ||
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One of the most dreaded and rarest manifestations of the tempest, never seen with a Ferocity less than 10. The Lightning Fields are deceptively calm yet covered with an intense feeling of approaching danger. The lightning strikes are rare but deadly, when they strike there is no escape and no defence. Leviathans take Ferocity dice of Aggravated Damage. While entering the lightning fields is essentially suicide the Rift follows normal Geometry well enough that a Leviathan who finds the lightning fields can simply turn around and look for another route. | One of the most dreaded and rarest manifestations of the tempest, never seen with a Ferocity less than 10. The Lightning Fields are deceptively calm yet covered with an intense feeling of approaching danger. The lightning strikes are rare but deadly, when they strike there is no escape and no defence. Leviathans take Ferocity dice of Aggravated Damage. While entering the lightning fields is essentially suicide the Rift follows normal Geometry well enough that a Leviathan who finds the lightning fields can simply turn around and look for another route. | ||
− | Some modern minded Leviathans have attempted to build physical armour to protect themselves but this too is futile. At this level of Ferocity the Tempest deals Aggravated Damage even without the effects of electricity on the Tribe and Aggravated damage bypasses mundane Durability while the pesudo-electricity bypasses any Durability the Tribe's supernatural abilities might confer rendering this protection temporary at best. A Leviathan who truly wishes to explore the Lightning fields is best advised to seek an Atoll's protection. | + | Some modern minded Leviathans have attempted to build physical armour to protect themselves but this too is futile. At this level of Ferocity the Tempest deals Aggravated Damage even without the effects of electricity on the Tribe and Aggravated damage bypasses mundane Durability while the pesudo-electricity bypasses any Durability the Tribe's supernatural abilities might confer rendering this protection temporary at best. A Leviathan who truly wishes to explore the Lightning fields is best advised to seek an Atoll's protection or supernatural protection from outside the tribe. |