Beast Analysis & Hacks #1: Beast & Primordial Gnosticism (2nd Attempt)

[Cinder]

Premise: Something went wrong when I posted this for the first time. I could not interact with the thread at all, see any replies or edit it to correct format and errors. Had no idea if people liked this or hated it, which is what I care about the most. This is my second try, sorry about that.

Hi there, I'm back around the place and I found myself thinking about Beast a lot lately. Well, more than usual. It's the result of me having strong feelings about the game and managing to process them in a productive way. This in turn translates is a series of small analysis, game hacks and ideas I'm planning to write. All stuff I feel like can show the potential that Beast has. Some will be better than others, some will be more in line with the core game and some will have companion materials (mechanics, Atavisms, critters, rules...) to them, some won't. A bunch of these ideas are things I would not use in a game of mine but I'd still like to talk about. All in order to add fuel to the forum, no matter what.

Here's the first one, let me know what you think about it.

Heresy Rating: 3/5. This alters the core game quite a bit and requires some work, but it's all taken from seeds that are already there in the books

Beast & Primordial Gnosticism

“The sinister, the terrible never deceive: the state in which they leave us is always one of enlightenment.”

-Thomas Ligotti

Gnosticism has been a constant element of the Chronicles Of Darkness since the 1st Edition. Reducing a complex religious and philosophical system to its core, no mentions of things like Sophia, Demiurge or Archons, Gnosticism can be resumed to a simple basic notion: the idea that the world we perceive is merely a shade of the much vaster reality, our minds and eyes unable to perceive The Truth, capital letter one. The way to obtain a superior perception comes through wisdom and enlightenment and is more or less always painted as the transcendent equivalent of breaking out the worst of prisons.

Now, Gnosticism has been around, in a shape or the other, for pretty much the bigger part of of mankind’s history and is by its own nature a sincretic doctrine, meaning all the philosophies that focus on wisdom and esoteric revelations both resonate with Gnosticism and influenced its evolutions and currents. For what’s technically a religion, Gnosticism has always been quite tolerant (well, relatively speaking: we humans are fun that way) to outside influences. After all, the road and the destination are the same, does not matter how you get there. It also evolves constantly, changing with time and civilization. This in turns means that trying to explain it here goes beyond my abilities and is beside the point.

What’s worth keeping in mind is that the CoD took Gnostic elements and put them all over the place. Not everywhere, of course, but it’s not that hard to find them. In some gamelines it’s more evident, deliberately so: Mage is a clear example and the writers said so since day 1, while Demon owes Gnosticism a bit as well when it comes to certain elements of the God-Machine and Its influence over the world. One can argue Promethean has shades of it too, but that’s probably due to the fact alchemist often incorporated certain lines of thoughts in their work.

Different games use different flavor of Gnosticism. Mage is, as much as one can pinpoint Mage with precision, more about Plato, classical Gnosticism and Hermeticism, with some Buddhism and Manicheism in there. Demon owes more to a recent current called Techgnosticism. Which makes sense, since the writers know what they’re doing and take what they can use, use it as a tool to paint their own picture and drop the rest.

All this premise to get to the point that I think there’s potential to exploit Gnostic elements to explore aspects of Beast: The Primordial as well.

Let me explain. I said before that a personal thing of mine is too keep the reminder that monsters, in a general sense, are supposed to embody revelations. It’s not a thing I made up myself, it’s what the horror genre is about. Monsters are the embodiment of ideas, fears and truth about ourselves that we give shape to, consciously or not. Dark mirrors that reflect ideas we would not be able to see otherwise. Or at least, not in the same way. If you think about it, the monsters that survived through the ages and those birthed by modern culture that had success, are those that resonate with something else. Sometimes it’s easier to spot what the deal is about (think about recent successes like Babadook or It Follows), sometimes it is not, but it’s there no matter what.

Without getting too pretentious (a crime this analysis is already guilty of), the great thing about horror is that when it works there’s no need to spell out things clearly. People get it, often without even knowing it. Sure, you can get all artsy and try to make it work like a perfect clockwork but, fact is, it’s not a requirement. Horror can be apparently mindless, easy and just be there to make you have a good time, with the authors not even trying to get more than that, but the monster and the truth it carries along are still there. Slasher movies are all about thrills, fun and scares, but if they click the right way, they stay with the audience. There’s a reason Mike, Jason and Freddie are legends.

This leads us to Beast. With the Begotten being both nightmares and teachers of harsh lessons, one has to shift things just a little bit in order to get into Gnostic territory. Without getting into the topic of Lessons, which I’ll save for another time, there are already traces scattered across the books that there’s a deeper degree of truth Beast can explore and guide others to, within the depths of the Primordial Dream and the womb of the Dark Mother.

With the caveat that I think further books will explore this and there’s no way for me to know the approach they’ll take, I believe to have spotted the specific brand of Gnosticism that fits Beast the most. For lack of a better term I’ll call it Primordial Gnosticism, but the overall idea owes nothing to me. I’m just a silly guy pointing out what he thinks he’s seeing.

Within the nature of the CoD setting, the powers that force people into their limited existences and keep them away from the Truth come from without. The World is Fallen and the Exarchs want to keep it that way, the God-Machine turns Its gears hidden from mortal eyes and manipulates everything. The oppression, the Lie, permeates everything, minds, bodies and souls, ground, oceans and skies, because that’s how Gnosticism works, but there’s at least something you can point at as the main source of the problem. Those enlightened enough can effectively become aware of it.

Beast’s Gnosticism is different. The way I see it, it comes from within and not from without. The illusions and lies that cloud people’s mind when speaking in Beast terms are the result of an unconscious, atavistic response to the truths of the world the human mind can’t deal with. Things like monsters being real, to nightmares having substance and for people to live in a, pardon the term, world of darkness. Basically a biological response to evolution in a world of monsters. It’s also, if we want to get even deeper, to humans locking away the bestial parts of their nature away while evolving as a species. The instincts, the primal fears and all those little traces of our primordial heritage we think to have left behind along the road but are still hidden within ourselves. Stuff from a long time ago, when sentience became a thing. You know, the sort of things that sometimes shine through when people lose control, clues to what lurks beneath of the surface of the tormented, deep ocean that is the human mind. Or its most savage yet primordial reflection: the Primordial Dream.

Beasts, being what they are, find themselves in the position to unlock this secret knowledge. Being the scions of the Dark Mother and the Primordial Dream, each Begotten being fear incarnate, Beasts are the only ones who can obtain and process these sort of revelations and, perhaps more importantly, show them to others. It’s pretty much the next step in the evolution of Beasts as holders of dark knowledge. Yes, fears bring enlightenment and lessons, but why are those fears there? What can be done by mastering them? Who really are you beneath those fears? Where can you go if you embrace and accept them?

This is advanced Begotten self-awareness, the sort of things that makes the Dark Mother smile with pride. The big answers lie at the end, but a lesson learned is still knowledge. Fact is, Primordial Gnosticism is both subtler and more direct. It’s instinct instead of reason, blood and roars instead of aether and mantras. There’s no manual, nothing written down. Mom does not emerge from the Primordial Dream to give you instructions, no matter how big your Lair is. Begotten probably won’t even be aware they are looking for enlightenment until it an epiphany happens, having to better chance than to try to understand their nature and that of the world enough to see through the cracks. Which, in all fairness, is what Gnosticism is about.

What happens at the end of the path is open to interpretations. Beast might become dark bodhisattva, trying to act as teachers to members of their Family and explain them the truths about themselves and the terrors they embody, or they might internalize their enlightenment and use it for themselves. Which is fair: it’s selfish, focused on survival. Primordial. Perhaps they’ll join the Dark Mother on Her travels within the Primordial Dream, only to emerge here and there as unholy nightmares. Maybe they’ll transcend into another state of being, having obtained full understanding of the myth, fear and lessons that give shape to their souls and Horror.

So, after all this, how is one supposed to use the notion in a game? Depends. It’s not something worth using in all games, but it can give flavor to Beast as a whole and become the focus of a campaign. Even while only looking at Lessons, Beast is already way more than “a giant spider appeared, traumatized me and taught me that going to explore the sewers alone is a bad idea” (again, Lessons are the topic for another day), but the idea that within the Primordial Dream there’s potential to learn about ourselves and our inner, collective self as a sentient race, that in a setting where monsters hide in the dark and, not less importantly, that some of those monsters (even the players) can be the ones that manage to obtain that knowledge, is something quite cool, if you ask me.

The way to use this is a game is probably something that should start subtle. There’s already a lot to deal with when living as a Beast. Still, keep around clues that there’s more to the Primordial Dream than it might appear at first sight. Primordial Gnosticism works perfectly when used in conjunction with legends about ancient Beasts and the Dark Mother. If characters wish to explore what’s behind lessons, give them a chance. They won’t see any kind of answer soon, but trying to obtain enlightenment is the whole point. Eventually you’ll have to give them something, either in the shape of dreamlike vision quests, Burrows that open in deep corners of the Primordial Dream, ancient artifacts and Horrors or apparitions of the Mother Of Monster herself, but it’s a slow, if constant, escalation to the ultimate result.

If they decide to drop the search, it’s perfectly fine. It fits the themes. Unless, of course, you want to lead them that way. Depends on the style of Storytelling that’s at the table.

In the end, Gnosticism is at is always has been: a difficult, winding path that’s easy to abandon. But it’s still worth it to reach the end.

[Cinder]

And that was my first entry of the ones I plan to make. I might have more to add later and I'm absolutely open and eager to discuss (fueling discussion is the whole point of this series) but, for now, that's it about this topic. Next one will either be about the search for the Dark Mother or the pervasiveness of the Mythic Cycle

[Teatime]

I'm reading this thread with interest, but I must ask... Could you give an example scenario showing this theme work as intended? That would help further illustrate your point. If on top of that you could also give an example of failing to apply the theme that would be ideal.

[SunlessNick]

Monsters are the embodiment of ideas, fears and truth about ourselves that we give shape to, consciously or not. Dark mirrors that reflect ideas we would not be able to see otherwise.

The words monster and demonstrate come from the same root.

[ajf115]

The words monster and demonstrate come from the same root.

'Monere', yes? I came across it a while back when I was doing a project on the Odyssey.

[Cinder]

The words monster and demonstrate come from the same root.

Indeed. In fact, in my language, "to show, demonstrate" and "Monster" are the same word. Perks of being Italian.

I'm away from home and can't write much, but I'll write example of the theme in action as soon as possible

[21C Hermit]

Aww, but I was the first to Like this!

Anyways, I feel like this could work as a Taoist heresy as well. Something to muse about.

[Cinder]

Aww, but I was the first to Like this!

Anyways, I feel like this could work as a Taoist heresy as well. Something to muse about.

That's...a really good point too, not gonna tiptoe around it. Yeah, there are some elements, especially the mastery of self, the awareness of the primordial state of the world and the honest, "true" nature of things, that do feel like appropriate as well. My knowledge of Taoism is not as much as rich as the Gnostic one, but it's evident even for one like me. Thanks for bringing that up. Guess one "How to reconcile being a Beast with human religions and philosophies" is another topic for my list now.

Also. I've been taken away by work, my birthday and a couple days of fever, but I should be able to post a list of "Gnostic" plot hooks for Beast later this evening.

[21C Hermit]

That, and from the Daoism-as-political-science approach, Daoism specifically counters and rebuts Confucianism. And since Confucianism focuses on educating ourselves to elevate us to our better natures and building the norms of civilized society...

(What early Daoists really proposed is closer to either Machiavellianism or anarchism, but hey, heresies)

EDIT: Wait, not Machiavellianism. What’s the word for being the secret manipulator whose machinations are so subtle that everyone sees what happen around you as ‘natural?’

[Cinder]

That, and from the Daoism-as-political-science approach, Daoism specifically counters and rebuts Confucianism. And since Confucianism focuses on educating ourselves to elevate us to our better natures and building the norms of civilized society...

(What early Daoists really proposed is closer to either Machiavellianism or anarchism, but hey, heresies)

EDIT: Wait, not Machiavellianism. What’s the word for being the secret manipulator whose machinations are so subtle that everyone sees what happen around you as ‘natural?’

Oh, I see. It's fitting indeed, and plays with my overall idea of accepting your impulses and hungers in order to grow and change with them as an important step in the lives of the Begotten.

Words seem to fail me at the moment, but I get what you're describing.

[Cinder]

I'm reading this thread with interest, but I must ask... Could you give an example scenario showing this theme work as intended? That would help further illustrate your point. If on top of that you could also give an example of failing to apply the theme that would be ideal.

Sure. Wrote a couple pages about that I hope help illustrate the point:

Here’s more about the theme in action. I’m not going on a tirade about Gnosticism as a whole again because that’s a huge, multifaceted thing and I admit it might have made me lost focus in the first post, making it less clear than it needed to be.

Let’s speak in Beast terms, about what I think this Primordial Gnosticism is.

The basic doctrine, the idea to keep in mind, is that the way we see the world is far from being the Truth because of millenia of conditioning, both self and culturally inflicted. There’s more out there than meets the eye and, in Beast, the way to discover it has to come from within. The first step is to accept that your impulses and hunger are not wrong, at least in an abstract, non-moral sense. They are something you have to embrace because they’re part of you. Trying to deny them would mean going against nature, your nature and the true Nature of the world that’s trying to emerge through yourself. It would mean to keep up with the Lie because it’s easier, because it gives you an excuse. No, screw that, you’re a monster and have monstrous urges. Everyone does but yours are undeniably more dangerous. Accept it, every single day of your life, no matter how how hard it might get. That’s the starting point from which everything else comes.

So, your instincts guide you to do bad things. You need to be ok with that? Not necessarily. But the idea that what you want and do might need to be corrected and altered must again from within. It’s not something the others must impose on you. They have no right to do so because the only road to enlightenment can be found inside yourself. It’s a matter of self-awareness and balance: if you’re aware that a parts of you wants something but another does not agree the pain and damages your actions may cause are not what you want, you need to find a balance between your ideas. One might win, one might lose or perhaps you’ll find a compromise, and all is valid, as long as it is a decision that belongs to you.

It’s a dangerous and problematic way to look at the world that, in all fairness, has all the potential to go wrong but encapsulates the struggle of Beast well. It’s a primordial, technically selfish and chaotic way to relate to the world, one that eschews civilization as a whole and focuses on self, but it does not mean it excuses Beasts from anything. Hurting people is still hurting people, and Beasts have to be aware of this. They need to realize that their actions and instincts have consequences. The point is, whether they’re ok with this or not, should be entirely up to them. They’re the ones who need to look at themselves and, if they don’t look what they’re seeing, find the power to change and evolve on their own terms. Be true to themselves enough to be able to look at the tapestry of their mind and souls and change it. All while never forgetting that your thoughts are what define you and can never be discarded.

Whether this means people (and, as we all know, in the CoD monsters are people), lean towards Good or Bad is something that people several times smarter than me have pondered about for ages, but the idea is that everyone has different kinds of urges within, unless fundamentally broken. So there’s room for endless combinations of perspectives and ways a Beast can behave and act.

The parallel struggle to that one is perhaps more advanced, but still there: Beasts are made of fear and nightmares. Knowledge of self inevitably leads to the knowledge of the terrors that haunt the minds of men. If you’re made of the Primordial Dream, look within yourself and you’ll find yourself looking at it. And since Gnosis means “knowledge” and knowledge is power, achieving it allows you to see the patterns that govern Fear and the hidden, atavistic sides of the human mind made manifest. It gives you understanding. Or rather, you gift yourself with understanding. What you’re gonna do with that is up to you.

In the end is all about self-enlightenment and looking for knowledge. Mages ascend alone and Demons earn their Hell. Beasts are little different, if only for the fact their road to transcendence is less refined and more primal. But it’s the individual that gets to decide where the road ends.


Here I wrote some scenario flavored to fit the theme, plus a Denial one where it is rejected. The naming is kinda Christmas themed because it’s December the 20th and I can be really silly at times. Some directly oppose others, deliberately so, but I tried to give different examples overall. Kept it fairly mundane, not "Lair 9/10 endgame, crazy parts of the setting" content. Let me know if this is what you were asking for or you were looking for something else,


Self-Improvement and Acceptance

Nice: you’ve struggled with it for months. You saw how others do it, picking on the defenseless and weak ones, all in order to get a quick meal and sate the Hunger. Almost thought it was the only way to do it, but now, while you look at a hospital bed and see clearly what it leads to, you know you need to find a solution to it. If nobody is gonna teach you how, fine, fuck them: you’ll sort it out yourself, no matter how painful it will be.
Naughty: the rules of the Brood have been clear from the start. Feed this way, avoid that place. Don’t mess with the werewolves living in the mill out of town because we have a deal with them. Anyone that you want to get into the Family has to be approved by the whole brood before. If you screw up, you gotta clean that mess yourself. All things that makes you feel constrained, weak and powerless. This is not what you are. It’s time to strike before they can notice. Hard. Then you’ll be free to do as you want.
Transcendent: things used to be easier once, when they all told you “choose a Lesson and try to carry it through, it helps”. Yeah, it helped, made you feel better about feeding and all, but things are not that simple. One cannot only be, say, “fear of bears” or “getting hit by a car when you’re not looking”. Things are more complicated than that. It’s a revelation that came to you slowly, but now it’s there and won’t leave. You have no idea what all this talking with people who’ve survived a brush with the supernatural is doing to you, but it makes you feel like you’re onto something. The fact it turned out you’re a good listener and you giving them someone that believes their tales and helps the recovery does not hurt.
Denial: the Devouring seemed like a good idea at the time, but turns out you’re not okay with sharing your soul with a chitinous horror from beyond the wall of sleep. The others, your “Family”, are decent people for the most part, but you’d rather not get involved in anything they do or go hunting with other monsters, no matter how it helps to deal with your Hunger. Problem is, you Starve yourself over and over because of this, and the resulting mess only aggravates your hate for yourself. Perhaps those Heroes were right: you are a monster that needs to be put down. Next time you’re not sure about whether you’ll fight back or not



Guide the Family and Teach

Nice: the little community of changelings your Brood mates became a part of insist they know how to deal with the problems of their own. You used to think that too, encouraging both of your friends to give them a chance, given they were going through issues you had no idea how to solve, but now you can’t disagree more. It might have helped with the little things and taught them some tricks, but now their sleep is more restless than ever. They just told them to be afraid, not how to use that fear properly. Good thing you know a thing or two about that.
Naughty: Poor little vampire. You saw many going through the same struggle, but usually leave it to others to help them sort it out. This time it’s clear it’s not working. He doesn't even know you’re keeping an eye on him, but you saw too much to not act. Perhaps once his mortal family is gone, he’ll find it easier to accept what he has become. You don’t mind taking the matter into your hands, after all, and their blood is better on your hands than his.
Transcendent: Devourings are never easy, especially if they happen spontaneously. The young Begotten you spotted some weeks ago on the street must have endured one only to find herself without any kind of guidance. Problem is, you know for experience that the other members of your Brood are anything but good teachers, especially when it comes to unruly teens, so you’ve volunteered to lead her into the Family yourself. You play the part of the eccentric teacher, mostly making questions while hoping she’ll get to the answers herself. It’s not perfect and the others are getting impatient, but she’s the one that has to tell you she’s ready. Your little sister was not much different and you know all too well how that ended.
Denial: After a brutal accident that resulted in your Mage friend getting hurt, you try to clean up the mess and discover in the process that her elders put a limitation on her powers in order to train her better and keep her in check. They ask you to not reveal the secret for her own good and just wait. You just saw what happens when she lost control and you gotta admit it might be the safest option. You accept and don’t tell her the truth. She’s safe for now and won’t get angry at those she trusted since Awakening, but you deprive her of her choice and trust others to not give her a chance to make her own mistakes and learn from them.


Missing Mom

Nice: On one hand, there’s an artifact dating back to when mankind lived in caves which warlocks, faes and shamans agree to be a key to the depths of the Primordial Dream, best chance you’ll probably ever get to talk with the Dark Mother. On the other, your Family is in danger and you’re the only one that can help. Without much time left, what’s your priority? ...awww, screw that: that piece of stone has lasted for millenia. You’ll find it again and rip it out of the dead hands of those scavengers, if you try hard enough. Family needs you now, Mom will understand.
Naughty: see Tales Of Dark Mother, Beast Core page 197. Better example than whatever I could come up with.
Transcendent: leaving your house, your Brood and your safe place in order to go looking for the Dark Mother might be exactly as insane as it sounds. If She’s not a legend as some say, it’s clear She does not let others find her easily. In fact, since you began travelling, you heard many stories but never actually saw her yourself. Still, you learned more on this journey about Beasts, Heroes, dreams and yourself than in all the rest of your life. And the places you’ve seen! Whether you find the Dark Mother or not, if a Hero manages to strike a killing blow before you find what you’re looking for...well, it still was a beautiful ride, was not it?
Denial: The Dark Mother appeared in your dreams last night. Or least you thought she was Her. She told she was happy with you, that there’s no need to complicate things further. You won, mastered your urges and don’t have to think about it anymore. It’s a victory. Then again, why it feels so empty and meaningless?


Break The Cycle

Nice: You want to kill this guy so much. He has stalked you and the others for months, hurting several members of the Family in the process. Yet, you feel like giving him the satisfaction of fighting back would only confirm the opinion he has of you, and that’s a satisfaction you’re not willing to give him. You’re more than that and he’ll have to look at that side of you whether he likes it or not.
Naughty: the rules of the game are quite clear. Heroes come and you fight back. It easy to get personal, no surprise. But this time you know the Hero and are quite sure you would agree on a lot of things if it was not for this whole "slay the Beast" deal. Perhaps she’ll be willing to listen to you so you can point her towards the real monsters, especially those who keep messing with your plans for the city’s development. It’s a risk, but one you’re willing to take for once.
Transcendent: they got you thanks to her, but you noticed she was manipulated just as you were, if not more so. You lost counts of the days they kept you trapped in the lab, playing with knives and syringes and, even if she pistol whipped you the first time you tried to ask for help, it’s clear she’s not enjoying this. It was awkward when you started to talk to each other, but now those moments are the brightest one of the whole ordeal. As insane as it sounds, it seems you two might be kindred spirits. Probably something more, considering she helped you escape and, after a long kiss, joined you while on the run. The cycle does not mean anything to any of you, not anymore.
Denial: you and your Brood finally caught the bastard that killed your old friend. After tearing apart all his friends, you tracked him to his house. Now he’s just waiting for the final blow, accepting death as long as you spare his Family. Truth is, you’re not exactly ok with killing innocent wives and children, but the others are eager for blood and won’t be ok with you going against what the group wants. Let’s just get it over with.

[Teatime]

Some directly oppose others, deliberately so, but I tried to give different examples overall. Kept it fairly mundane, not "Lair 9/10 endgame, crazy parts of the setting" content. Let me know if this is what you were asking for or you were looking for something else

It's exactly what I hoped for. Now I just need to sit down and digest it all...

[Cinder]

Huh, seems like people liked my the second part as much as the first one, perhaps even more. Good, that counts as a lesson learned for me to chill and keep the focus on the topic and how it relates to actual games. I appreciate when I manage to learn about where I'm lacking and what I should do to improve, thanks everyone.

While we're at it, can you possibly rate which topics are you most interested to see next? I'm eventually going to write for all and probably (read: certainly) come up with some more, but if you have preferences I don't mind giving you people what you think you'd like more. Otherwise I'll just go by my mood. Here are my plans for this series, the size of each post will be kinda the same (excluding mechanics, which will be as long as needed):

- Dark Mother Chronicles. Inspired by the "The Tales of the Dark Mother series, it's about trying to find Mom. Involves archeology, echoes from past ages, buried secrets, fears and lessons that manifest as separate entitities/sentient beings/visions (working on a name for those) that you earn when the Dark Mother feels you've learned enough and also give you power-ups (think Interlocks, except you need to hunt and eat them first)
- Monster with a Thousand Faces. Aka me taking the mythology side of Beasts and Heroes and going crazy with it. Inheriting an Horror, acting like a monster of old, all that sort of stuff. Plus what happens when myth begins to get in the way of characters. Also includes an Astral race of critters called Mythophagi that latch on people and force specific mythic patterns upon them. Considering I'm a huge mythology geek, it should be fun.
- Beasts, dreams and Jung. Me talking about archetypes, symbolism and recurrence, all in Beast terms
- The Hero thread. Me giving a lot of thoughts to heroes, something I actually never did in a coherent sense. Basically me talking about how I see Heroes and think it's the best way to use them and the ways one can explore their potential
- Beasts and Lessons. When, Why, What and How about Lessons. Whether they're something real, a social construct or a bit of both. Also how the need for those came into be and became fundamental to all Begotten. Heavy on personal canon but hey, let's be honest, all this stuff is like that.
- Reconciling being a monster with a life spent at being a regular person. Looking back at things like daily life, religion, philosophies, friends, family and all that.

[21C Hermit]

Preference in the following order; Mythology - Jung - Reconciliation - Lessons - Heroes - Dark Mother

[Teatime]

I vote for Reconciliation and Mythology, in that order.