The Serpent's Grave
[an hieroglyph of Apep, the Chaos Serpent]
Once, there were nine sisters. Travelling through the world out of old sense of duty, they bound ancient gods to eternal sleep so humanity would be safe from harm. For ages the foremothers of the nine have kept the old bindings and maintained their traditions, keeping an eternal vigil over things who, if they'll awake, would spread chaos and destruction through the world and devour it with their rage.
Once, there was a arrogant king in an ancient kingdom. Motivated by his desire for eternal life and manipulated by a a cunning monster, he destroyed centuries and traditions and searched to eat the gods themselves. Despising the nine sisters, he locked them in prison beneath his castle, stopping them from preforming their duty for insulting his rule over men and nature.
Once, there was a serpent. Buried beneath red sands, it slept for longer than any man could remember. In restless sleep, it dreamed about devouring the sun itself and all the souls which enjoyed its light- yet every year, nine sisters would come and give it a name and a face, so it would never rise from its grave. One year, the sisters didn't came. One year, he was free.
No one knows how Apep, the Chaos Serpent, the bane of the sun and the bringer of destruction, was defeated. All records of that time were destroyed, either intentionally or by chance. No one knows how much that battle cost, or how many people were killed by the tyranny of the Serpent. All that is known is that Apep was, somehow, defeated (or else there would be no sun in the sky right now) and that the fight most likely required the cooperation of men, monsters, beasts and gods in order to slay the terrible demon. While that war over the very existence of the world took place years ago, back in the ancient middle east, the shadow of the Serpent still lingers over the world. Its malice and hatred are as strong as they ever been- and its venom runs deep, flowing among the blood of humanity and corrupting it with its touch.
Apep may be gone- either sleep or dead- but his children are still here.
Apep has never meant to sire children. Such legacy would be unethical to its very existence, as he wished for oblivion- not eternity. Yet, as the height of battle, just as the greatest of mortals and gods managed to hit the fatal blow against it, its very Essence has shattered. A storm blew through the desert, gathering dark clouds and terrible winds. Rain has started to drop, carrying the poison of the Serpent with it as a form of one, last vengeance. Many of those exposed to the rain died in agony. Others survived, their souls too powerful to be touched the the corruption of chaos. But some- few among the few who were touched by the venom and lived- weren't truly healed. Their souls were scarred by it, the blood was poisoned by its. The chaos found shelter in them, and so they- and each of their descendants- became a living graveyard, a tomb were the chaos would sleep for all eternity...
Or those who would awake it into life.
Ages has passed since the ancient battle, yet the Hrt Isfet are still here- their old sense of duty and the burning venom of the serpent in their veins has kept them going, motivating them to hunt after the creatures of chaos and protect the innocents from the destruction they spread. Once, they took place as the "Shadow Hand of Re", a secret organization in the service of the Sun God's priesthood, serving them in hunting down evil spirits and hungry dead. While the old faith has died through the ages, the poisoned blood never failed, maintaining the organization and its old traditions. Up to this day, even as many of their members were born to christian or muslim traditions, they still follow the old 42 Laws of Maat, rules which were meant to bring order to the world and protect it from the powers of chaos- beings who, like Apep, could transform the very essence of the world to their will, reshaping souls and flesh as if they were clay.
Perhaps because of the strange nature of their creation, unlike other demon blooded there is no true pattern to how one may awake to the dormant powers of chaos inside of her. There is no ceremony, no ritual, no oath or blessing. There isn't even some supernatural power which governs them and maintains their numbers like the famous Lucifuge. While those who come from a long legacy of Serpent Blooded do have higher chances to awake to their cursed legacy, it seems that the essence of the Chaos Serpent just defies any logical prediction method. It is not unknown for a descendant of thousands of generations of hunters to never come to his powers, while someone whose only connection to the organization comes from a single, ages old ancestor would. Many of the more scholarly members of the conspiracy has created countless models based on the Chaos Theory, and many of them gave quit good results- but the mechanism itself remained hidden, unknown by all but the sleeping god in their blood.
While the influence of the Hrt Isfet has waxed and waned through the ages, its power has always remained strong in North Africa and even beyond the Sahara- from the jungles of Nigeria to the Swahili shores, from the traditional lands of Egypt to the new nation of South Africa, the Serpent's Blood has fought demons, spirits and ghosts- and most importantly, those beings who were twisted and transformed by the powers of beings as their "father" whose soul they carry in their blood, eldritch godlike horrors who transform and corrupt the world, bring chaos to the natural order and disrupt all of creation. However, since humanity has reached to the moon, something seemed to change- for the worst. The number of Chaos Demons has risen drastically, spreading through the whole world and forcing the Hrt Isfet to go out of Africa and travel the world. Worse, few years ago a sudden rise at the number of cults was noted, and ancient gods has returned to life. And if it wasn't all bad enough, since the strange pattern which awakened the gods showed up in the sky, something in their blood has started to stir- Apep has started to awake, and it was hungry as ever. Since then, the number of deserters who fell under the Serpent's influence has grew, forcing one hunter to fight against her brother in arms- and all that while the Serpent whispers in her ears, leading her to break her rules and allow it to return.
However, failing is not an option- one wring move, one too many members who fall to the Serpent's influence, and Apep would be free once more, and the Hrt Isfet can't allow it to happen. The world is not ready for such horror to get loose, and unlike them, Apep can allow itself to die countless times. It only need to win once- and darkness would cover the world, starting an age of a black sun.
And as everyone know, that can't be a good thing.
Status:
0- you have awakened to your poisoned blood, signing you as a child of Chaos. You may buy dots in the Metwet Endowment. However, you are also forced to follow the old 42 laws of the conspiracy. In case you break one of them, you suffer from the Whispers Condition.
000- you have fought twisted spirits and servants of faceless gods. You have learned to control the basic tricks of controlling such beings and banishing them out of sight. You get the Hardened Exorcist merit for free.
00000- you are a lord over the shapeless and a bane over the nameless. Your authority have burned into your blood, granting you power. By expanding a Willpower point, any attack to preform in that Scene against an Idigam or someone who was shaped by it, your attacks deal Aggravated damage.
Endowment: Metwet (0-00000)
The poison of Apep corrupts and changes, and those touched by it may channel that chaotic power against their enemies. In order to use Metwet, the hunter must first spend a single Willpower point to allow the poison to go up the surface. Doing so would allow her to interact with beings in Twilight state, and use any of her Metwet powers. Each time the hunter buys a new dot in Metwet, she gains one such power for free, taken from the Essence Shaping power list for Idigam. Any call in such a power for a Rank instead reference to the hunter's Status: Conspiracy, while rolls are made using Metwet+Attribute (choose the relevant one). In case the power has a lasting effect (such as stealing a werewolf's Gift or changing a ghost's memories), the effect lasts for one day per Metwet. The ST may allow Forge Servants powers as Metwet powers, but if he does they take 2 dots instead of one, and it limits the hunter's Status by one (as it is a social taboo). The hunter may not have more than 5 total worth of powers at the same time, but they may be swapped by a meditation roll and self inflicting one level of Lethal damage at its end. The hunter, however, doesn't have to pay the cost of her powers when she is in Metwet mode- yet once the Scene is over, she suffers from a number of Bashing damage levels equal to her Metwet rating or the number of times she used a Metwet power in the Scene, whatever is higher. While in Metwet mode, the hunter's very body changes and transforms- her body grows scales, her tongue turns black and split, her eyes turn snake-like or perhaps her shadow moves funny or smoke rise from her mouth. The stronger the poison in her blood, the more twisted her form becomes. While in Metwet mode, the hunter suffers from -Metwet modifier to all Social rolls other than Intimidation.
Condition: Whispers (Persistent)
You have a demon inside of you. Perhaps it is a shadow of your passion given life. Perhaps it is in your very blood. Perhaps it is a being from another dimension bound to your flesh and soul. Perhaps it doesn't even exist- just a fake voice imagined by your broken mind. Whatever the case, that voice is there to stay- slowly corrupting and devouring your mind. While under this Condition, every time you suffer a Breaking Point, you get a -3 modifier for that roll. In an addition, once per Chapter the Storyteller may call for a Composure+Resolve roll as the demon tries to force its will upon you. In a case of Failure, you must do whatever the demon wish you to do.
Possible Source: breaking the 42 Laws of Maat, making a pact with a demon, failing a Breaking Point.
Resolution: going through an exorcism, ritual or therapy meant to silence the "demon".
Beat: the character fails a Breaking Point because of the Condition or is forced to preform the demon's desire.
[an hieroglyph of Apep, the Chaos Serpent]
Once, there were nine sisters. Travelling through the world out of old sense of duty, they bound ancient gods to eternal sleep so humanity would be safe from harm. For ages the foremothers of the nine have kept the old bindings and maintained their traditions, keeping an eternal vigil over things who, if they'll awake, would spread chaos and destruction through the world and devour it with their rage.
Once, there was a arrogant king in an ancient kingdom. Motivated by his desire for eternal life and manipulated by a a cunning monster, he destroyed centuries and traditions and searched to eat the gods themselves. Despising the nine sisters, he locked them in prison beneath his castle, stopping them from preforming their duty for insulting his rule over men and nature.
Once, there was a serpent. Buried beneath red sands, it slept for longer than any man could remember. In restless sleep, it dreamed about devouring the sun itself and all the souls which enjoyed its light- yet every year, nine sisters would come and give it a name and a face, so it would never rise from its grave. One year, the sisters didn't came. One year, he was free.
No one knows how Apep, the Chaos Serpent, the bane of the sun and the bringer of destruction, was defeated. All records of that time were destroyed, either intentionally or by chance. No one knows how much that battle cost, or how many people were killed by the tyranny of the Serpent. All that is known is that Apep was, somehow, defeated (or else there would be no sun in the sky right now) and that the fight most likely required the cooperation of men, monsters, beasts and gods in order to slay the terrible demon. While that war over the very existence of the world took place years ago, back in the ancient middle east, the shadow of the Serpent still lingers over the world. Its malice and hatred are as strong as they ever been- and its venom runs deep, flowing among the blood of humanity and corrupting it with its touch.
Apep may be gone- either sleep or dead- but his children are still here.
Apep has never meant to sire children. Such legacy would be unethical to its very existence, as he wished for oblivion- not eternity. Yet, as the height of battle, just as the greatest of mortals and gods managed to hit the fatal blow against it, its very Essence has shattered. A storm blew through the desert, gathering dark clouds and terrible winds. Rain has started to drop, carrying the poison of the Serpent with it as a form of one, last vengeance. Many of those exposed to the rain died in agony. Others survived, their souls too powerful to be touched the the corruption of chaos. But some- few among the few who were touched by the venom and lived- weren't truly healed. Their souls were scarred by it, the blood was poisoned by its. The chaos found shelter in them, and so they- and each of their descendants- became a living graveyard, a tomb were the chaos would sleep for all eternity...
Or those who would awake it into life.
Ages has passed since the ancient battle, yet the Hrt Isfet are still here- their old sense of duty and the burning venom of the serpent in their veins has kept them going, motivating them to hunt after the creatures of chaos and protect the innocents from the destruction they spread. Once, they took place as the "Shadow Hand of Re", a secret organization in the service of the Sun God's priesthood, serving them in hunting down evil spirits and hungry dead. While the old faith has died through the ages, the poisoned blood never failed, maintaining the organization and its old traditions. Up to this day, even as many of their members were born to christian or muslim traditions, they still follow the old 42 Laws of Maat, rules which were meant to bring order to the world and protect it from the powers of chaos- beings who, like Apep, could transform the very essence of the world to their will, reshaping souls and flesh as if they were clay.
Perhaps because of the strange nature of their creation, unlike other demon blooded there is no true pattern to how one may awake to the dormant powers of chaos inside of her. There is no ceremony, no ritual, no oath or blessing. There isn't even some supernatural power which governs them and maintains their numbers like the famous Lucifuge. While those who come from a long legacy of Serpent Blooded do have higher chances to awake to their cursed legacy, it seems that the essence of the Chaos Serpent just defies any logical prediction method. It is not unknown for a descendant of thousands of generations of hunters to never come to his powers, while someone whose only connection to the organization comes from a single, ages old ancestor would. Many of the more scholarly members of the conspiracy has created countless models based on the Chaos Theory, and many of them gave quit good results- but the mechanism itself remained hidden, unknown by all but the sleeping god in their blood.
While the influence of the Hrt Isfet has waxed and waned through the ages, its power has always remained strong in North Africa and even beyond the Sahara- from the jungles of Nigeria to the Swahili shores, from the traditional lands of Egypt to the new nation of South Africa, the Serpent's Blood has fought demons, spirits and ghosts- and most importantly, those beings who were twisted and transformed by the powers of beings as their "father" whose soul they carry in their blood, eldritch godlike horrors who transform and corrupt the world, bring chaos to the natural order and disrupt all of creation. However, since humanity has reached to the moon, something seemed to change- for the worst. The number of Chaos Demons has risen drastically, spreading through the whole world and forcing the Hrt Isfet to go out of Africa and travel the world. Worse, few years ago a sudden rise at the number of cults was noted, and ancient gods has returned to life. And if it wasn't all bad enough, since the strange pattern which awakened the gods showed up in the sky, something in their blood has started to stir- Apep has started to awake, and it was hungry as ever. Since then, the number of deserters who fell under the Serpent's influence has grew, forcing one hunter to fight against her brother in arms- and all that while the Serpent whispers in her ears, leading her to break her rules and allow it to return.
However, failing is not an option- one wring move, one too many members who fall to the Serpent's influence, and Apep would be free once more, and the Hrt Isfet can't allow it to happen. The world is not ready for such horror to get loose, and unlike them, Apep can allow itself to die countless times. It only need to win once- and darkness would cover the world, starting an age of a black sun.
And as everyone know, that can't be a good thing.
Status:
0- you have awakened to your poisoned blood, signing you as a child of Chaos. You may buy dots in the Metwet Endowment. However, you are also forced to follow the old 42 laws of the conspiracy. In case you break one of them, you suffer from the Whispers Condition.
000- you have fought twisted spirits and servants of faceless gods. You have learned to control the basic tricks of controlling such beings and banishing them out of sight. You get the Hardened Exorcist merit for free.
00000- you are a lord over the shapeless and a bane over the nameless. Your authority have burned into your blood, granting you power. By expanding a Willpower point, any attack to preform in that Scene against an Idigam or someone who was shaped by it, your attacks deal Aggravated damage.
Endowment: Metwet (0-00000)
The poison of Apep corrupts and changes, and those touched by it may channel that chaotic power against their enemies. In order to use Metwet, the hunter must first spend a single Willpower point to allow the poison to go up the surface. Doing so would allow her to interact with beings in Twilight state, and use any of her Metwet powers. Each time the hunter buys a new dot in Metwet, she gains one such power for free, taken from the Essence Shaping power list for Idigam. Any call in such a power for a Rank instead reference to the hunter's Status: Conspiracy, while rolls are made using Metwet+Attribute (choose the relevant one). In case the power has a lasting effect (such as stealing a werewolf's Gift or changing a ghost's memories), the effect lasts for one day per Metwet. The ST may allow Forge Servants powers as Metwet powers, but if he does they take 2 dots instead of one, and it limits the hunter's Status by one (as it is a social taboo). The hunter may not have more than 5 total worth of powers at the same time, but they may be swapped by a meditation roll and self inflicting one level of Lethal damage at its end. The hunter, however, doesn't have to pay the cost of her powers when she is in Metwet mode- yet once the Scene is over, she suffers from a number of Bashing damage levels equal to her Metwet rating or the number of times she used a Metwet power in the Scene, whatever is higher. While in Metwet mode, the hunter's very body changes and transforms- her body grows scales, her tongue turns black and split, her eyes turn snake-like or perhaps her shadow moves funny or smoke rise from her mouth. The stronger the poison in her blood, the more twisted her form becomes. While in Metwet mode, the hunter suffers from -Metwet modifier to all Social rolls other than Intimidation.
Condition: Whispers (Persistent)
You have a demon inside of you. Perhaps it is a shadow of your passion given life. Perhaps it is in your very blood. Perhaps it is a being from another dimension bound to your flesh and soul. Perhaps it doesn't even exist- just a fake voice imagined by your broken mind. Whatever the case, that voice is there to stay- slowly corrupting and devouring your mind. While under this Condition, every time you suffer a Breaking Point, you get a -3 modifier for that roll. In an addition, once per Chapter the Storyteller may call for a Composure+Resolve roll as the demon tries to force its will upon you. In a case of Failure, you must do whatever the demon wish you to do.
Possible Source: breaking the 42 Laws of Maat, making a pact with a demon, failing a Breaking Point.
Resolution: going through an exorcism, ritual or therapy meant to silence the "demon".
Beat: the character fails a Breaking Point because of the Condition or is forced to preform the demon's desire.
(on a related note, I'm going to write the Avici Sutra around today, although I'm yet to decide about the exact name of the Usij.)
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