The First Hunters
[a rose like 12 pointed star inside a circle]
When it all began?
When was the first time man dared to look into the shadows and reveal what was hidden among them? When was the first time he took the fire and banished the darkness, sending light to the deepest corners of the world? When was the first time he decided to step up, take a stand and stop acting like the naked monkey he was- no more being a cattle, a prey for the monsters, demons and gods which surrounded him and take his fate in his own hands? When was that first time?
No body really knows- many compacts, conspiracies and cults have claimed the title of the "most ancient" hunters in the world through the years. Some have died out. Others have history full of lies and half truths. Few, especially among the conspiracies, have changed their face so many times that their past selves won't be able to recognize them. Among that mess of light and shadows, one group keeps on a low profile. They don't just claim their origin as the oldest conspiracy, or even just as the first- they claim to be the first hunters, descendant from the wise ones who came from the wild times, where civilization was wild and untamed. They say to rise together with the very first sparks which lite the first candle, starting the never ending Vigil over mankind.
Those people- those women- are the Nibiru.
The Nibiru may have their name taken from the Babylonian Astronomy, but they claim an even older origin. The so called "Star of Marduk" say they didn't took the name for themselves- those they have protected from the darkness have given it to them. They had many names trough the years, yet this one has survived through the hardships and crises the group has suffered through the ages. That name has became a legend among the hunters- a story they tell when they try to remind themselves from where they came from- and as such, it stuck. The group don't mind- call them in any name you would like. The only important thing is to carry their ancient duty.
The Nibiru claim to be the descendants of the first hunter on the face of earth- and they mean it literally. According to their myth, the first hunter was not a king, a ruler or a wise man. He (who is usually given the name "Marduk") was a common man, who hunted with his people for prey and fought with his tribe. For many years, the tribe was bound to the will of their gods- powerful beings who walked as both flesh and spirit, for in those times the boundary between the two was not set yet. No one has dared to defy the words of those gods, and their leader- a great monster of chaos and death- birthed many horrors to force the people to serve her. Terrorizing them, tormenting them, mutilating both their bodies and souls to their will- those gods were fearful, and no one dared to challenge their rule.
Until Marduk rose against them.
He, who had enough of the manipulations of the monsters, has managed to gather his people around him and went to battle against those terrible gods. No one is really sure how the battle went on- some say they simply relayed on their numbers. Other say the Marduk was the first strategist, who managed to fool the dark gods into all sorts of traps. Few even whisper that Marduk was a magician by himself, or that perhaps he learned secret rites from the Bird and the Bull themselves, or maybe even that he has simple channeled the spirit of humanity and their desperate hope for freedom. However he won- eventually, he managed to fight face to face against the terrible sea monster, and by using strange artifacts blessed by the gods and nature he bound the monster and sliced her open, chaining her remains in the bottom of the deepest abyss and on the edge of the highest mountain. Yet, the battle took his tole, and few moments after doing the great deed he fall in his place and died- his name becoming immortalized as a god by his people.
Yet his legacy lived on.
Before he died, he gave birth to nine daughters- and each of those nine daughters took an oath to follow their father's footsteps and protect their tribe from future terrors. In order to do so, each have went into the old Pangea and learned the secrets of its denizens- the first learned the art of weapon making. The second learned the ways of spirits. The third ran among the greatest hunters of the wilderness. The fourth recorded the history as it was told be the gods. The fifth wandered to the depths of the underworld and talked with the ancestors of humanity. The sixth learned how to appease the wild ones with song and dance. The seventh followed the movements of stars and earth. The eighth collected occult rites and the way to craft sorcery into form. And the ninth- she learned how to kill.
After nine years, the nine daughters has gathered together once more. Using their collective knowledge, they fought against many terrors, gathering new members around them- and when they died, their own daughters kept the tradition. Even when the Gauntlet fell and the spirit was shattered away from the flesh, they kept their duties- maintaining the seal which bound old evil while sealing new evil using their hidden techniques. More than once they were on the verge of extinction- sorcerer kings took off their heads, blood gods has demanded them as sacrifice, beast men hunted them down as heretics. Even rival hunters who rose attack them to steal their secrets and knowledge. Yet, they survived- they never had big numbers, yet they managed to carry on, daughters taking the place of their mothers (although, from time to time, they did accepted new members- even male ones). Even weirder, it looked like the members of the Nibiru always had enough luck to find their way to the top of the society- once, they were wise women and tribal chiefs. Today, they are CEOs and politicians. Whether that is an expression of them as carriers of the spirit of humanity in their blood, a blessing given by the old gods or a pact made with shady powers is unknown- but what ever the reason, it helps them carry their old obligation: hunting down monsters, protecting humanity and maintain the ancient seals.
The greatest mystery is, however, how exactly did the members of the group managed to conceal their existence so well that most of the people who even know their name believe them to be long dead. That question actually have an answer- for the conspiracy does not operate as a true organization. Instead, they are being separated to many small families who have almost no knowledge about who they are and from where they came from- the only ones to have a complete list of all existing families, their locations and the locations of the seals are the Nine Daughters who operate the conspiracy- or, more exactly, their heads.
Still, there is another reason- that for many years, the hunters of the Nibiru didn't had to go out and hunt from their primary prey. Sure, they did killed a vampire or a werewolf from time to time, but with most of the ancient horrors of their past being locked away, all they had to do was to maintain the bindings and make sure that no one would disturb their rest (something which is easier to say than done). Yet, lately, things has changed. Mankind has did the impossible, and reached for the stars- and by doing so, he brought things back. The same type of dark spirits Marduk once fought, which were exiled by the greatest of the spirit lords.
The idigam are back- and it means the Star of Marduk may need to rise again for all to see.
Status:
0- you have been informed about your lineage and have joined the ancient conspiracy. You may buy dots in the Bans Endowment. Plus, you get a 1 dot of Status which you may use for any organization, as people recognize the mantle of Marduk's blood.
000- you have fought against the dark evils of the world and lived, and you have focused your skills around one of the First Daughters' crafts. Get a free Specialty of the following- Craft (weapon making), Occult (spirits), Survival (hunting), Academics (history), Occult (ghosts), Performance (dance), Academics (astronomy), Occult (rituals) or Weaponry (ambush). Plus, your free Status dot rise to 2 dots.
00000- you have rose to greatness and met up with he heads of the Nine Daughters, hearing their ancient prophesies. The heads serve as a 5 dots Mentor, and your free Status rise to 3 dots.
Endowment- Bans (1-5)
The Nibiru's greatest duty is maintaining the ancient chains of ancient beasts and bind new ones, and their ancient knowledge allows them to "hack" into the fluid nature of the supernatural and transform it to their will. Every time an hunter meets a new monster, she may try to force a Ban upon it. Doing so requires rolling Endowment+Occult against the supernatural's Supernatural Resistance. In case of Success, the hunter may force a number of Bans which their total Rank is no more than they dots in the Endowment (that is, 5 dots in the Endowments allow either 5 Bans of a Rank 1 entity or 1 Ban of Rank 5 entity), with every ban dots may be replaced from a single Bane. The hunter gets +2 modifier if she uses a special crafted item during the ritual as a the future Ban/Bane, and +1 for each member who cooperate with the ritual (who can not do anything but closing their eyes and whispering the words of the rite). An exceptional Success means she can force Banes as if they were Bans. A Dramatic Failure means that the powers of the enemy reject the hunter's petty attempt to force it to submission, dealing one level of Lethal damage to the performer and one level of Bashing damage to any other hunter who participated in the ritual.
[a rose like 12 pointed star inside a circle]
When it all began?
When was the first time man dared to look into the shadows and reveal what was hidden among them? When was the first time he took the fire and banished the darkness, sending light to the deepest corners of the world? When was the first time he decided to step up, take a stand and stop acting like the naked monkey he was- no more being a cattle, a prey for the monsters, demons and gods which surrounded him and take his fate in his own hands? When was that first time?
No body really knows- many compacts, conspiracies and cults have claimed the title of the "most ancient" hunters in the world through the years. Some have died out. Others have history full of lies and half truths. Few, especially among the conspiracies, have changed their face so many times that their past selves won't be able to recognize them. Among that mess of light and shadows, one group keeps on a low profile. They don't just claim their origin as the oldest conspiracy, or even just as the first- they claim to be the first hunters, descendant from the wise ones who came from the wild times, where civilization was wild and untamed. They say to rise together with the very first sparks which lite the first candle, starting the never ending Vigil over mankind.
Those people- those women- are the Nibiru.
The Nibiru may have their name taken from the Babylonian Astronomy, but they claim an even older origin. The so called "Star of Marduk" say they didn't took the name for themselves- those they have protected from the darkness have given it to them. They had many names trough the years, yet this one has survived through the hardships and crises the group has suffered through the ages. That name has became a legend among the hunters- a story they tell when they try to remind themselves from where they came from- and as such, it stuck. The group don't mind- call them in any name you would like. The only important thing is to carry their ancient duty.
The Nibiru claim to be the descendants of the first hunter on the face of earth- and they mean it literally. According to their myth, the first hunter was not a king, a ruler or a wise man. He (who is usually given the name "Marduk") was a common man, who hunted with his people for prey and fought with his tribe. For many years, the tribe was bound to the will of their gods- powerful beings who walked as both flesh and spirit, for in those times the boundary between the two was not set yet. No one has dared to defy the words of those gods, and their leader- a great monster of chaos and death- birthed many horrors to force the people to serve her. Terrorizing them, tormenting them, mutilating both their bodies and souls to their will- those gods were fearful, and no one dared to challenge their rule.
Until Marduk rose against them.
He, who had enough of the manipulations of the monsters, has managed to gather his people around him and went to battle against those terrible gods. No one is really sure how the battle went on- some say they simply relayed on their numbers. Other say the Marduk was the first strategist, who managed to fool the dark gods into all sorts of traps. Few even whisper that Marduk was a magician by himself, or that perhaps he learned secret rites from the Bird and the Bull themselves, or maybe even that he has simple channeled the spirit of humanity and their desperate hope for freedom. However he won- eventually, he managed to fight face to face against the terrible sea monster, and by using strange artifacts blessed by the gods and nature he bound the monster and sliced her open, chaining her remains in the bottom of the deepest abyss and on the edge of the highest mountain. Yet, the battle took his tole, and few moments after doing the great deed he fall in his place and died- his name becoming immortalized as a god by his people.
Yet his legacy lived on.
Before he died, he gave birth to nine daughters- and each of those nine daughters took an oath to follow their father's footsteps and protect their tribe from future terrors. In order to do so, each have went into the old Pangea and learned the secrets of its denizens- the first learned the art of weapon making. The second learned the ways of spirits. The third ran among the greatest hunters of the wilderness. The fourth recorded the history as it was told be the gods. The fifth wandered to the depths of the underworld and talked with the ancestors of humanity. The sixth learned how to appease the wild ones with song and dance. The seventh followed the movements of stars and earth. The eighth collected occult rites and the way to craft sorcery into form. And the ninth- she learned how to kill.
After nine years, the nine daughters has gathered together once more. Using their collective knowledge, they fought against many terrors, gathering new members around them- and when they died, their own daughters kept the tradition. Even when the Gauntlet fell and the spirit was shattered away from the flesh, they kept their duties- maintaining the seal which bound old evil while sealing new evil using their hidden techniques. More than once they were on the verge of extinction- sorcerer kings took off their heads, blood gods has demanded them as sacrifice, beast men hunted them down as heretics. Even rival hunters who rose attack them to steal their secrets and knowledge. Yet, they survived- they never had big numbers, yet they managed to carry on, daughters taking the place of their mothers (although, from time to time, they did accepted new members- even male ones). Even weirder, it looked like the members of the Nibiru always had enough luck to find their way to the top of the society- once, they were wise women and tribal chiefs. Today, they are CEOs and politicians. Whether that is an expression of them as carriers of the spirit of humanity in their blood, a blessing given by the old gods or a pact made with shady powers is unknown- but what ever the reason, it helps them carry their old obligation: hunting down monsters, protecting humanity and maintain the ancient seals.
The greatest mystery is, however, how exactly did the members of the group managed to conceal their existence so well that most of the people who even know their name believe them to be long dead. That question actually have an answer- for the conspiracy does not operate as a true organization. Instead, they are being separated to many small families who have almost no knowledge about who they are and from where they came from- the only ones to have a complete list of all existing families, their locations and the locations of the seals are the Nine Daughters who operate the conspiracy- or, more exactly, their heads.
Still, there is another reason- that for many years, the hunters of the Nibiru didn't had to go out and hunt from their primary prey. Sure, they did killed a vampire or a werewolf from time to time, but with most of the ancient horrors of their past being locked away, all they had to do was to maintain the bindings and make sure that no one would disturb their rest (something which is easier to say than done). Yet, lately, things has changed. Mankind has did the impossible, and reached for the stars- and by doing so, he brought things back. The same type of dark spirits Marduk once fought, which were exiled by the greatest of the spirit lords.
The idigam are back- and it means the Star of Marduk may need to rise again for all to see.
Status:
0- you have been informed about your lineage and have joined the ancient conspiracy. You may buy dots in the Bans Endowment. Plus, you get a 1 dot of Status which you may use for any organization, as people recognize the mantle of Marduk's blood.
000- you have fought against the dark evils of the world and lived, and you have focused your skills around one of the First Daughters' crafts. Get a free Specialty of the following- Craft (weapon making), Occult (spirits), Survival (hunting), Academics (history), Occult (ghosts), Performance (dance), Academics (astronomy), Occult (rituals) or Weaponry (ambush). Plus, your free Status dot rise to 2 dots.
00000- you have rose to greatness and met up with he heads of the Nine Daughters, hearing their ancient prophesies. The heads serve as a 5 dots Mentor, and your free Status rise to 3 dots.
Endowment- Bans (1-5)
The Nibiru's greatest duty is maintaining the ancient chains of ancient beasts and bind new ones, and their ancient knowledge allows them to "hack" into the fluid nature of the supernatural and transform it to their will. Every time an hunter meets a new monster, she may try to force a Ban upon it. Doing so requires rolling Endowment+Occult against the supernatural's Supernatural Resistance. In case of Success, the hunter may force a number of Bans which their total Rank is no more than they dots in the Endowment (that is, 5 dots in the Endowments allow either 5 Bans of a Rank 1 entity or 1 Ban of Rank 5 entity), with every ban dots may be replaced from a single Bane. The hunter gets +2 modifier if she uses a special crafted item during the ritual as a the future Ban/Bane, and +1 for each member who cooperate with the ritual (who can not do anything but closing their eyes and whispering the words of the rite). An exceptional Success means she can force Banes as if they were Bans. A Dramatic Failure means that the powers of the enemy reject the hunter's petty attempt to force it to submission, dealing one level of Lethal damage to the performer and one level of Bashing damage to any other hunter who participated in the ritual.
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