Announcement

**Cinder** · 05-27-2014, 10:31 AM

The Brotherhood of the Locust

Beliefs
The Brotherhood of the Locust was born from the words of a dying man. For those who saw the light in his eyes, Hieronymus Gesell could not be mistaken: he was a prophet, not a madman. The secret history he revealed to its first followers is the same that is told to new members nowadays. According to the Brotherhood, their patron Mussughana was born before the Universe itself. During act of creation, for some reason only the Idigam can fully understand, something went irrevocably wrong, the harmony that was before forever shattered and a chaotic, cruel reality was forced to come into being. Mussughana was the only one that noticed the flaws that plagued Creation since its inception and, as the conceptual incarnation of entropy, considered its duty to correct those flaws and bring back the balance. Sadly, it soon discovered the damage was too radicated into the tapestry of reality to be undone. To put an end to all suffering and injustice, the Worm That Feasts would have to eat the universe whole, thus purifying it from the corruption. But some of the most broken and tainted things that inhabit this universe, like the Mad Goddess of the Moon and her radib companion, could not see the truth in Mussughana's actions and exploited its kindness to trick it into a trap, were it was maimed and hurled into the void. The wards of the lunar whore eventually faded, as the taint of reality can only worsen with time. Having spent eons recovering its might, Mussughana managed to contact Hieronymus Gesell, save him from death and reveal that the time of Its coming was near, for it's righteous fury would have not spared anyone aside his faithful servants. The Brotherhood of the Locust were granted the most sacred honor: preparing the way for the return of He-Who-Consumes. It is only a matter of time: Mussughana will eventually destroy all his opponents and consume this rotten reality. Then, and only then, the Great Devourer will be able to give birth to a new universe, a true heaven where all things will exist in harmony and where its faithful servants will be remade as gods among men.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sidebar – Yeaaah...
...that's bullshit. Mussughana is not a force of balance, it is not the misunderstood Savior of the World of Darkness. It does not care about mortal life, it is not kind, noble and certainly has no intention (nor the power) to spawn another universe. Even if it is indeed the personification of Entropy (and that's a big "if"), the Great Devourer gorges on all things on both side of the Gauntlet not only because it has to: no one could deny that the Idigam enjoys it. The doctrine described above it's merely what the members of the Brotherhood of the Locust believe. When they burn the humanitary aid destined to a Third World's country or release an unknown virus in a kindergarten, that's what they use to justify themselves. This world is tainted, and we will do whatever is needed to go back to the drawing board. The fact is, the Locusts are sincere.The Brotherhood of the Locust wholly believes that it does what it does for the betterment of the world. They truly believe that they are the Harbingers of a new and prosperous era. Members would willingly lay down their lives for the good of the organization, and the seeds of this fanaticism are carefully ingrained trough their indoctrination.

The Brotherhood's creed puts great emphasis on the superiority of its members over the average man. They are better not only because they follow Mussughana, but because they have understood the value of hunger. They are encouraged to satisfy all their desires, from the humble ones to the most forbidden. The emptiness they feel inside and the urge to fill it, is nothing to be ashamed for. A Locust is a blessed being, a god among the herd, and thus is above the so called morality of men. Drugs, sex or even killing another man: all is fair and accepted, even expected, as long and the excesses don't interfere with their sacred mission or attract too much unwanted attemption on the Brotherhood itself.

It cannot be ignored that the Brotherhood also offers another thing to its members: power. Each Locust will eventually gains access to the Hunger Gospels if she is successfull enough. Earning such terrible gifts is seen as a confirmation that a Locust is doing the right thing. Arrogance, hubris and degeneration usually follow. By the time a Locusts begins to develop its powers, it's usually too late to show her the horror of her actions and abandon her faith.

Ultimately, the combination of a religious duty to save the world, the almost complete authorization to do whatever one wants to and the access to supernatural powers, is what makes the Brotherhood so enduring. Its lures are as strong today as they were in the 17^th century (some woulds say they're even stronger).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

History
The roots of the Brotherhood of the Locust ared deeply raticated within the 17th century. That period was one of the golden ages of occult societies, when the study of magic (whatever it may mean among common mortals) was praticed along the study of science. It's not like things were better than today, though: violence, poverty and death ravaged the land. People were as desperate and hungry for power as always. It this environment, Gesell's doctrine found a fertile soil to grow and soon he gathered enough acolytes to create a cult. The Brotherhood of the Locust had humble beginnings, not to mention its magus was about to die since its inception, but had a great advantage over its rivals: knowledge. Even with the few confused snippets Gesell was able to decipher from the voices in its head, the Brotherhood collected more truths about the Shadow and the spirits than many other cults put together. Their knowledge was flawed and not even remotely comparable to that of Werewolves, Mages or some older Conspiracies, but impressive nevertheless. With a powerful supernatural patron, considerable resources and a... peculiar sense of right and wrong, the Brotherhood of the Locust grew steadily.

Their first major success, achieved through a careful defilement of Prague's Shadow during the Great Plague of 1681 and the ritual starvation and consumption of 49 sacrificial victims, was to summon a Greater Jaggling of famine and pestilence, Bane of Kings, from the depths of the Hisil. The Uratha were too busy hunting the hordes of Beshilu that ravaged the area to notice. Bane of Kings merged with the human wreckage that was Hieronymus Gesell, and the resulting Duguthim exploited its sympathetic connection to Mussughana to bestow the Hunger Gospels to the secret society. The Locusts then spread across Europe like a ravenous pestilence. They were in France when two millions of people died in the throes of hunger. They were in Scotland when the population was literally decimated. When a terrible famine killed a third of the population of Finland, the Locusts drank wine and celebrated. It would not be fair to consider the Brotherhood of the Locusts the only driving force behind the ruin and diseases that plagued Europe in the following decades, but you can bet they were not helping either. Let's just say that the "Pacte de Famine", a conspiracy theory that held that foods were witheld from the population or contaminated to kill the lower layers of society, might have got something true. The mistake was to believe that all members of aristocracy were into the conspiracy; that's pure paranoia. But those aristocrats that belonged to the Brotherhood were more than happy to do that. Eventually, some Locusts came into conflict with other supernatural organizations, but few recognized them for the menace they truly were: most speculated that the Locusts were just a small hidden cult of foolish Ridden and Claimed individuals enslaved by spirits of death and disease. Those who were savy enough to go beyond the first impression simply cannot eradicate a society that spanned among so many different countries all by themselves. Many chapters were completely destroyed, either by fang, spell or sword, but the Brotherhood survived effortessly.

During the 18th century, a considerable number of Locusts left the Old Continent and founded new chapters across the world, especially in the european colonies. Aside from that, during this century there were not many achievements on the Brotherhood's part. Quite the contrary, in fact: the Brotherhood of the Locust was, by virtue of its strictly pyramidal structure, difficult to direct efficently once its size increased too much. Sure, its most important members could always travel around, but only a handful of them were Duguthim and even fewer were long-lived as Gesell. That means that most of the cult's leaders, the only ones which properly mastered the Hunger Gospels, could die like a normal man, which in turn caused a costant state of turmoil and disorganization among the various chapters. This weakness made the Brotherhood increasingly vulnerable, and caused a huge amount of defeats, betrayals and foolish acts. Hieronymus spent a lot of his time travelling the world, solving problems, killing enemies and dining with disappointing Locusts.

The 19th century was the time of the Great Reorganization. First of all, the improvements in technology and communications made it easier to organize the activities of the Brotherhood of the Locust. More importantly, several years of frustration and the countless efforts of many members of the Brotherhood's Inner Circle, the Circle of the Weeping Moon, convinced Gesell that it was time to change its beloved society and grant more autonomy and leeway to the chapters worldwide. They still answered to the inner circle (and Gesell), but they could freely arrange their own operations. The access to the Hunger Gospels became wider, allowing their knowledge to survive the death of an elder Locust even in the most isolated chapters. Slowly but steadily, all chapters changed their image from that of a sinister secret society to that of a gentlemen's circle, pseudo-Masonic organization or an esoteric-flavored hellfire club. The Brotherhood of the Locust hid in plain sight and, at the same time, became a stronger presence in to the upper echelons of the world. The Brotherhood could now boast the membership of magnates, enterpreneurs and politicians all around the world.

The seeds planted in the previous decades bore fruit during the first years of the 20th century. With its resources and influence, the Brotherhood of the Locust was able to achieve many important successess, found several new chapters and reinforce the existing ones. This strong international presence is what allowed the Brotherhood to survive the turbolent years of the World Wars. Ironically, the devastation caused by the Spanish Flu and the poverty had few to do with the Brotherhood of the Locust itself; as saying that the Locusts completely underestimated the World Wars would not be too far from true. Both times, the Locusts thought that they could exploit the hostilities for their own purposes without getting involved too much, but could not imagine the sheer size and violence of the conflicts. The members of the Brotherhood saw the destruction around them and became bold and careless. They wanted to fight hidden holy wars against their supernatural rivals, but got caught up in the human ones as well. European chapters suffered heavy casualties during those years. Today's Locusts narrate of legendary feats and amazing triumphs, but the truth is far less appealing. The Brotherhood's activities were drastically reduced, as its members hid and tried to survive. Those few Locusts that managed to do something without getting killed caused significative havoc, but they were a small minority. The World Wars were simply perfect to spread death and diseases but, their mystical prowess notwithstanding, the Locusts were still human beings.

During the second half of the 20th century, the Brotherhood rebuilt itself once again. While many countries remained a breeding ground for famines and diseases (and far too many still are today), the economic growth and scientific innovations made other countries difficult to affect on a wide scale. Additionally, times were changing, and hellfire clubs became too much old fashioned to attract new adepts. Most of the new cultist were those that simply were born into the Brotherhood, those whose families already belonged to Mussughana, but different recruitment methods were needed as well. The Brotherhood of the Locust had a presence in colleges and private schools since the 19th century, but such presence grew to alarming levels during the Fifties and Sixties. A few chapters infiltrated agents into groups of the emerging counterculture and slowly inducted some of them into the Brotherhood.

The Locusts spent a considerable amount of resources to finance both the American and the Sovietic space programs. They had hoped that sending a man to the moon would have allowed Mussughana to evade his lunar prison and return to Earth. They were eventually correct, but could not know that their patron was not the only spirit imprisoned on the satellite's surface, for the Brotherhood's knowledge was far from perfect. Some ancients transcription of ancient dialogues with Mussughana's consciousness contained tidbits and odd references to other Idigams, but putting them together in a coherent and comprehensible way was almost impossible. Gesell himself was silent on this matter. For the Locust, Mussughana obviously had to be the strongest among the Moon-Banished, if not the only one, and quite a few were disappointed to not see it return to this planet along Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. The Brotherhood's prayers were finally answered in 1970 during the Apollo 13 mission. As Mussughana was entering the atmosphere, those unlucky Locusts who tried to contact it were struck by the ephemeral scream of the entity and at least one of them withered and died in a matter of seconds.

The last forty years have been extremely important for the Brotherhood of the Locust. With the Great Devourer becoming an active presence in the world, the Locust's activities increased as well. They still try to cause diseases and famines, but now they do so to allow their patron to manifest and feed. Being able to witness the impressive devastation caused by the Idigam, even from afar, is a powerful religious experience for the Locusts. The Brotherhood is not always aware of Mussughana's position, but they are not arrogant enough to expect so. The Locusts, on all levels, are not aware of the Idigam's ban: they only know that their patron prefers to appear in areas that resonate with its nature, but justify this as part of an inscrutable divine plan. The Brotherhood has thus resorted to trying to follow the erratic movement patterns of their patron and attempt to contaminate the Shadow accordingly. They see the advent of Mussughana as a sign that the end of this reality is approaching and began to devise several convoluted plans in order to trigger the Apocalypse. The effectiveness of these plans may be debatable, but it does not stop the Brotherhood from trying, causing death and terrible sufference in the process.

**Cinder** · 05-27-2014, 10:33 AM

- The Enemy

The Brotherhood of the Locust is not a Hunter Conspiracy; they don't actively go out looking for monsters. Hell, many members are capable of committing even worse atrocities than quite a few of the so called monsters that inhabit the World of Darkness. Still, given their goals and methods, the Locusts regularly come into conflict with all kinds of supernatural beings.

Werewolves are by far the Brotherhood's most fierce enemy. It's kind of inevitable: the Locusts exploit dangerous spirits and methodically spread plague and famine on both sides of the Gauntlet to increase their power, not to mention they venerate an ancient and ravenous entity who holds a grudge against Father Wolf and his sons since prehistoric times. The Brotherhood, aside from the occasional comments their spiritual allies sometimes make, is not aware of the distinction between Forsaken and Pure. They do know plenty of things about Luna and her connection to Werewolves (Mussughana ranted a lot about her during the centuries) but most of what they know about the Uratha and the Shadow dates back to what the Idigam experienced in Pangea before being imprisoned on the Moon. The Brotherhood has corrected and filled a lot of the holes with time, but their knowledge is far from perfect.
Generally speaking, the Locust try to avoid Werewolves unless strictly necessary, but if circumstances suggest that conflict will be inevitable, they'll try to strike preventively, at first in subtle ways, like investigating about the Uratha's identities and exploit all the weaknesses they manage to find, and even directly if needed.

Spirits are a bit easier to handle than most monsters, mainly because the Brotherhoods knows more about the Shadow inhabitants than about any other kind of supernatural creature, they have a considerable amount of allies among their kind and, most importantly, can use the Hunger Gospels to control them. Too bad that the Locust ignore a lot of things. The Locusts are a arrogant bunch of fanatics that simply believe their patron is the biggest, baddest "god of the Shadow" around. They may be prepared to handle ordinary spirits, but don't know what to do when a rarer threat emerges. For example, a lot of Locusts still refuse to accept the fact that Mussughana is not the only existing Idigam (to be honest, they don't really know what Idigams are), let alone the fact he may not be the strongest. The Brotherhood is surprisingly naive when it comes to the Shartha, believing them just to be animalistic Claimed. The Srizaku are the only exception, as they obviously must be something more than mere Dughutim since they were spawned by He-Who-Consumes. Perhaps the most baffling of the Brotherhood's mistakes, is the fact that they completely ignore the existence of the Maeljin and the Bale Hounds. The Locusts are aware that dark and corrupt spirits delve in the depths of the Shadow, but don't know anything about their unholy hierarchies and the extent of their powers. Apparently, Mussughana decided too keep a lot of informations to himself for motives unknown.

The Brotherhood of the Locusts loves vampires. Their unlife is plagued by an eternal hunger which cannot be sated, and they spread death and despair across the world every time the sun sets. What's not to love? Some Locusts even like to think that vampires were somehow created by their patron, as they seem to be the living (well, unliving) embodiment of the Brotherhood's doctrines. Too bad most vampires ignore how blessed they are and even who Mussughana is. If it's not too much trouble, Locust support vampires, directing the attention of their enemies somewhere else. If they manage to convert a vampire to their cause along the way, that's even better. Sadly, sometimes a vampire becomes a menace to the Brotherhoo'ds operation. If that's the case, the Locust take care of the problem without thinking too much about it, a bit disappointed that things had to degenerate this way.

The Brotherhood of the Locust clashes with mages more often than it would like to. For some reason, Mages seem to easily understand what the Brotherhood is up to, its methods and way of thinking, which means they are irritatingly hard to fight. Mages represent a reality that Locusts prefere to ignore. Most Locusts like to consider themselves the most enlightened representatives of mankind, but when they witness the sheer power Mages hold, they can't help but to wonder if they are weaker than their beliefs suggest. The Hunger Gospels are powerful, but Mages are able to replicate their effects, perform mystical feats a Locust may only dream of and make it seem all so painfully easy. The result is, Locust profoundly hate all Mages, even those that don't oppose them. If they have the chance to strike a witch, most members of the Brotherhood will happily do so. Even with all their supernatural powers, they still are ordinary humans at their core, and still possess the aspect of the human soul that interferes with magic. Locusts ignore this, and since they are used to the fact that their spells require a harsh price and sometimes just happen to misfire, they like to reason that even witches have to deal with their own kind of limitations.

After Werewolves, the force the Brotherhood more frequently has to deal with are certainly Hunters. Locusts, after all, match the description of "evil cultists" and it should not be forgotten that most of their time and energy is devoted to spread death, pain and misery among the innocent population. On one hand, Hunters are easier to handle, since the Brotherhood has plenty of politic influence, money and connections that can be used to make a Hunter's life a real hell, but Hunters can be really determinated and sometimes they belong to other organizations more than capable of proving to be a worthy opponent. What's worse, some Hunters wield powers not too different from the Hunger Gospel, a fact which always takes some Locust by surprise. In a way, it can be said that some Locusts consider Hunters, and not Werewolves, their true enemies. The conflict between them is somewhat more personal: Werewolves may be Mussughana's sworn enemy, but the real opponents of the human members of the Brotherhood, a foe the average common cultist may consider as a rival, are Hunters.

- Factions

The distinction among the Brotherhood's factions is not based on a difference of beliefs, but rather on the field of action they specialize. The cult's dogma is absolute and omnipresent, and all Locusts know a thing or two about the most useful tools the Brotherhood may use to increase Mussughana's grip around the world, so the degree of separation among the different factions is given by the place they choose to inhabit into human society and their general attitude about what they consider the best method to achieve their goals. Some factions are traditionally composed by members with a certain social background, but as time goes by, such attitude is slowly fading.

The Tongue
Free Specialty: Politics (Corporations)
Members of the Tongue move across the upper echelons of society, manipulating those who have the power and the money to make the difference in order to help the Brotherhood's goals.
The world of politics and economy is their playground, and they know it. They boast among themselves several sons of the "old-money" and even those who aren't had to prove themselves worthy and sophisticated enough to become part of the Tongue. They are those who subtly corrupt human civilization from within, promoting cruel apathy and selfishness.

The Maw
Free Specialty: Persuasion (Indoctrination)
The biggest of the three factions, the Maw is the main source of the Brotherhood's new initiates. Members of the Maw specialize in recruitment and indoctrination. They are those who go on the streets and preach against the unfairness of life and the foolish limitations society forces upon the common man, hinting that happiness, enlightenment and a higher purpose can be found within the Brotherhood's ranks.

The Fang
Free Specialty: Firearms (Rifle)
The Fangs are the smallest faction, but they remain extremely dangerous, if nothing because they are the Locusts that, more than any other, love to get their hands dirty. The Fangs main tool is violence. They're not subtle; they don't need to. Most of them stroll across the hotter regions of the world, burning villages, sparking revolts, poisoning dwells and slaughtering children, but their attitude does not change too much even in more "mundane" environments, where they exploit connections to the criminal underground to sate their bloodthirst, in a way or another.

- Status:
• You are now an initiate of the Brotherhood of the Locust and have been told its true purpose. You know the legend of its foundation, assisted to the hidden rites and gained access to the cult's libraries. You get a free Skill Specialty, either the Occult (Spirits), Medicine (Diseases) or Survival (Foraging).
••• You have killed several other beings in Mussughana's name and prepared the way for its Coming. You may spend Merit dots in the Hunger Gospel Endowment.
••••• You now belong to the Inner Circle of the Weeping Moon. You’ve met with Hieronymus Gesell on a number of occasions and he has even given you jobs to do, personally. The old man is scary as hell, completely mad and sometimes you fear that he will bite you if get too close, but he sure knows a lot about the occult world and he promised you immortality if you keep doing well. Gesell is a four-dot Mentor.

- Stereotypes

Ashwood Abbey
They are what we would have become without our holy purpose. Feel free to keep an eye on some of them and try to understand if the're worthy, but don't count too much on it. Let them play their juvenile games: we have a more important duty to follow.

The Loyalists of Thule
We are, in a way, born from the same roots. The difference is we were ultimately chosen by a higher power and lifted from the mud, while their human weaknesses dragged them down even further. Now they waste their time trying to make amend for their stupidity. That's what happens when you put your faith into the hands of men instead of gods. Just be aware they know plenty about us since we shared our birthplace with them. Take that knowledge back and teach them a valuable lesson, if you have the chance.

The Promethean Brotherhood
Look at them: pathetic parasites that desperately cling to embers of stolen power. We were there when they were born and we let them survive because, in a way, they remembered us of our humble origins, before the Great One spoke to us. Now they have stopped being funny. It's time to show them true power.

Aegis Kai Doru
Don't get me wrong, I'm loyal to the cause, but on the few occasions I've met these guys...well, the things they say, the stories they tell and all those mystical objects they carry around...they sort of give me the idea that we there's a bigger picture we don't see. Just don't tell that to the Magus.

Cheiron Group
Be careful when you thread the corporate halls. We're not the only ones playing that game. If you pay attention and look beyond the front logos you'll notice a pattern that leads to the same source. And, believe it or not, they have more money, they have more power and I suspect they've been at this for far longer than we have. You can't be sure where they have extended their influence: watch out.

Les Mysteres
What? No, don't believe what they're saying. And no, I don't care what you think you saw. The Great Devourer is the only one who can grant powers upon the ephemeral world to the mortals. They only use parlor tricks or, at best, happen to be in the right place at the right time. Carry on.

- Cultists
You're old money. Ivy League, fast car and frat houses. One of the wings of the college has your name on it. Then one day you discover that your heritage holds more than you thought, something that dates back to when your great-great-grandfather met an old German man in London just before WW1. The same man you saw at a soirée the last week. You weren't too eager to become a part of this thing, but then you went to one of their parties. After all, what are they asking from you? To do what you want and take what you want without worrying about the others may think? To be freed from the constrictions of society? If all you have to do is to worship a caring God for that, that's a price you can pay.

You're not weak anymore. Before finding the Brotherhood, you were stuck in a dead end job while your wife ran away with her yoga teacher. One day you cut your veins, but that didn't work either. When you woke up in the hospital though, one of the doctors told you that there was a higher purpose for you, if only you had the courage and devotion to accept it. Now you're strong, firm and feared. With the Lord's help, you'll soon be able to perform true miracles and become a god. You'll never be afraid of anything again.

You wanted to be loved, you wanted to be famous. You should have been the voice of your generation, but those worms of the record houses ruined your life. They said there were plenty of other artists like you and that you were nothing special, just another talentless hack. They were wrong: after trying all the drugs you can find, you somehow found the only one wise enough to recognize your valor. You now understand the true nature of the World. The Great Devourer speaks to you and He showed you how to reforge this corrupt existence. You teach the doctrine to the weak and the misunderstood and they are finally listening to yours, and His, voice.

Being discharged with dishonor from the army didn't stopped you. The world is full of people who can appreciate a natural-born soldier like you without whining about things like human rights or the Geneva Conventions. That's not how the world should work. It should only be a matter of strength: if you're strong enough to do what you want, then the weaklings shouldn't even be able to open their mouth. The herd is simply afraid of the wolf among them and they know it. So you've travelled to the darkest corners of the world, offering your talents to those wise enough to see them. After a while, you made yourself a name and the Locusts came looking for you. About time.

**Cinder** · 05-27-2014, 10:37 AM

New Endowment: Hunger Gospels.

THE HUNGER GOSPELS (• - •••••, Special)
The Hunger Gospels Endowment is broken up into distinct categories, each of which must have individual dots assigned to it. The three categories of Hunger Gospels represent the revelations about the nature of the world as seen trough the ten-thousand eyes of Mussughana. Each of the three Gospels is rated from one to five dots, each with a different power associated with it. A Brother of the Locust may never have more than five total dots in Hunger Gospels without suffering negative effects. If a player buys his character more than five dots, each dot above the fifth halves the time he can survive without water and food before suffering damage. Thus, some choose to focus on a single Gospel, mastering its tenets completely, while others prefer to spread out and learn the basics of all three. Some go for broke and accept the ravenous hunger that comes with power. Whenever a Hunger Gospel’s power calls for a character’s “Hunger Gospels” dots, use the total dot rating he possesses (up to a maximum of five) not the dots assigned to the specific Gospel. The experience point costs for Hunger Gospels are based on the total number of Merit dots the cultist possesses. Buying the fourth dot of Hunger Gospels costs eight experience points, whether that dot is the fourth dot of a single Gospel or the first dot of a new one.

Feeding the Beast.
Tapping into the power of He-Who-Consumes is not easy. Mussughana is a harsh master, and while its gifts are powerful, there's a price to pay. Besides to the normal activation cost of the power, the Worm that Feasts demands something more in exchange, be it the lifeforce of the caster, the blood of a sacrificial victim or the debasement of a soul, otherwise it won't help the Locust. A Locust has two ways to pay this price: either with a ritual or her own blood.
Many chapters of the Brotherhood use elaborate rituals, but to be honest the specifics of a ritual do not matter: it only has culminate with an act of death or consumption. Many groups kill and devour a prisoner, other slay a goat under the full moon, some starve a sacrifice to death and quite a few hold debased orgies and grotesque meals.
The negative side of rituals is that they usually require time and resources, luxuries that a Locust sometimes does not have, especially when facing a pack of raging Uratha. In such occasions, the caster may simply use his own life to fuel the Hunger Gospel. Mechanically speaking, this translates in a level of aggravate damage in addition to the activation cost.

A Locust that can't or is not willing to feed Mussughana may try to use a Hunger Gospel, but they suffer a penalty on the activation roll equal to that particular Gospel's rating.
Example: Mortimer, a hotel manager with a predilection for the human flesh, has four dots in Hunger Gospels, all focused on the Revelation of Famine. When he uses the three-dot power of the Revelation of Famine, Command, the activation roll calls for his Presence + Hunger Gospels. He would normally have a dice pool of six dices (2+4), but because he has not made a proper ritual or took a point of aggravated damage, he suffers a – 3 penalty to his roll.

- The Gospel of Famine
The name of this Gospel is actually misguiding: it does not spread hunger or causes famine, at least not in a direct way. Instead, this Gospel focuses on summoning and controlling spirits. Of all the Hunger Gospels, it's the one most directly connected to Mussughana, because it allows to commune with its servants and the Great Devourer itself. The Gospel of Famine is the most common Gospel among the Brotherhood of the Locust, because many members find it easier to control and more rewarding than others. That said, those who master it are few and a not a negligible number of Locust who have delved too much on the mind of the Idigam have lost their own in the process.

SPIRIT SIGHT •
The Locust can see, hear and speak with spirits. She can also detect their unseen presence they are hiding or have chosen to not reveal themselves. Unless the caster has some means peering across the Gauntlet or affecting the Shadow World, he can converse only with Twilight spirits. The Locust can see ghosts, too, but they appear hazy and indistinct and she cannot hear them
Cost: None
Dice Pool: Perception + Hunger Gospels
Action: Instant
Duration: One Scene
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: the caster loses one point of Willpower
Failure: nothing happens
Success: the power works.
Exceptional Success: the power lasts for a hour per success rolled, rather than just for a scene.

EVOCATION ••
The Brother calls out to a spirit, either summoning a specific spirit or sending out a general call to the nearest one within sensory range. He may either call one or more spirits personally known to him, or he may specify any type of spirit of his choosing (tree spirits or bird spirits, for example), or even send out a general summons to all spirits within his range (by spending one Willpower; the closest spirit responds). The spirit comes to the caster with as much speed as it can muster. The call may be a gentle request for audience or it may be an irresistible compulsion, at the caster’s discretion. Many spirits do not appreciate being called in the latter fashion and may become hostile, though some are too mindless to care and others may actually esteem the mage’s boldness in demanding their presence in so unhesitating a manner. A curious spirit usually answers a general call or personal summons, but a reflexive and contested roll is made if it does not wish to respond. This power does not allow the caster to command the spirit or force it to manifest. The summoned spirit must remain near the summoning mage for the rest of the scene, unless the caster allows it to leave.
Cost: None
Dice Pool: Presence + Hunger Gospels
Action: Instant and contested; target rolls Resistance reflexively
Duration: One scene
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: a spirit answers to the summoning, but is actively hostile towards the caster.
Failure: nothing happens
Success: the power works.
Exceptional Success: the summoned spirit is particulary willing to listen to the caster's request.

COMMAND SPIRIT •••
The Locust may now command spirits to do her will. This power only affects spirits that have already been summoned or are in the immediate vicinity. A single, simple command (“Attack!” “Flee!” “Stand there!”) can be issued per success. Complex commands require multiple successes and the expenditure of 1 Willpower. If the spirit has not completed the action by the time the Duration expires, it does not have to finish the job. The number of successes also indicates how enthusiastically the spirit undertakes its quest. One success means the spirit is unwilling and performs a lackluster job while five successes completel subjugates the spirit's will.
Cost: None or 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Presence + Hunger Gospel
Action: Instant and contested; target rolls Resistance reflexively
Duration: One scene
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: the power does not work and the spirit cannot be targeted for the remainder of the day.
Failure: nothing happens
Success: the spirit follows the caster's orders
Exceptional Success: the spirit becomes completely subservient to the caster and performs the task to the best of its ability.

COMMUNION ••••
Effect: The Locust is capable of connecting his consciousness to that of Mussughana itself. The experience is usually deeply personal and highly religious — one does not communicate directly with the Worm That Feasts without being changed by the experience. This power allows a Locust to reach out to the its patron deity and open the way for the Idigam to communicate directly with him. Although Mussughana usually focus on matters different from what the character asks and its consciousness is too chaotic to be understood properly by a mortal mind, its revelations generally consist of warnings against particular courses of action, orders, promises of power and life, or suggestions that will aid the goals of the Locust.
The greatest challenge to a Storyteller here is presenting knowledge gained by Communion in a thematic light. Try to keep in mind the nature of He-Who-Consumes. More importantly, remember that the Great Devourer is a spiritual figure with an intellect that works according to rules alien to humanity, and that its answers are likely to stretch the understanding of a thaumaturge to its limits. The wisdom granted in a single ritual may take years to fully comprehend or for its intended effects to be realized. Perhaps each communion should be recorded so that its full meaning may someday be discovered by future generations.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Composure + Hunger Gospels
Duration: One scene
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The Locust dives too deep into the mind of the Great Devourer. He suffers a severe derangement.
Failure: Mussughana is not pleased. The Locust suffers the effects of a mild derangement for the rest of the day.
Success: the power works as specified above. In terms of game mechanics, the wisdom transmitted means the Locust may choose to treat an action of your choice as a rote action (see the World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 134), provided the character begins that action before the expiration of this ritual’s duration (one scene). If the action is extended, the rote-action rule applies to each roll in the process.
Exceptional Success: The communion results in particularly significant information, or is unusually clear. The Storyteller decides what that means in the game.
Drawback: Receiving communication from divine power is life-changing. The will of the patron is inscrutable and vast. Mussughana may becom displeased with a follower who ignores the wisdom it has shared. Displeasure may be expressed by refusal to answer, repetitive demands or “magnanimous” attempts to reform the Locust. It can even cause the power to suffer dramatic failure at will.

RAVAGE •••••
This horrible power allows the Brother of the Locust to summon a swarm of ravenous famine spirits down upon her foes. Angry spirits literally descend upon the target, racking it with fearsome force and damaging it's core being. Entire crop fields have been razed by this power, and no few enemies of Brotherhood of the Locust have met their ends at the talos of angry spirits.
Cost: 1 Willpower and 1 lethal damage, 1 additional point of damage (optional)
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Hunger Gospels
Action: Instant
Range: Sensory
Roll Results:
Dramatic Failure: the spirits devastate the body of the caster. He suffers one point of aggravate damage per point of remaining Willpower.
Failure: Nothing happens.
Success: The subject, whether an individual, an area or an ininimate object immediately suffers a number of lethal damage equal to (the success rolled + 1). Each additional point of lethal damage taken increases the damage amount by one.
Exceptional Success: Nothing beyond tremendous amount of damage.

- The Gospel of Pestilence
The Gospel of Pestilence grants power over plagues and diseases. This Gospel is extremely dangerous and a misguided use of even its lesser powers can lead to devastating consequences. Many Locusts choose to overlook this Gospel, but the few who develop it become fearsome opponents indeed. This Gospel calls for some subtley, lest werewolves and even human authorities track down the unwary Locust. The practical uses of this Gospel are limited to hostile acts, because each power spreads infections or death. Few Locusts are virtuous enough to not abuse of these powers for their personal gain, while slowly losing their sense of morality and self even faster than other Locusts.

BLIGHT •
This power is some kind of signature for the Locusts that study the Revelation of Pestilence. They use it kill entire cultivations and corrupt the land, preparing the way for famine and plague.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Action: Instant
Dice Pool: Stamina + Hunger Gospels
Duration: Permanent
Range: Sensory
Rolls Results:
Dramatic Failure: the power does not work and the caster takes two point of bashing damage.
Failure: nothing happens.
Success: For each success gained on the casting roll the Locust can affect a 30’ by 30’ area. Plants or animals inside the area affected begin to sicken and waste away; they develop disgusting weeping lesions or a flesh-colored creeping mold, at a rate of two points of bashing damage (or Structure) each day. For purposes of this power, healthy crops are considered to possess three to six points of Structure.
Exceptional Success: nothing beyond the wide area of effect.

FEVER ••
The Locust inflicts a person with a minor disease. Diseases inflicted by this Gospel are more inconvenient than life-threatening, with cold or flu-like symptoms. The victims suffer from a variety of normal symptoms such as pounding headaches and double vision to more bizarre maladies like phlegm the color of bread mold or spontaneous painful cysts that form on the tongue and genitals. All these symptoms fade when the spell expires.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Stamina + Hunger Gospels; subtract target’s Stamina
Action: Instant and Resisted
Duration: Scene
Range: Sensory.
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: the Locust loses and additional Willpower point.
Failure: No effect.
Success: The target suffers a -2 penalty on all actions for the remainder of the scene.
Exceptional Success: the penalty lasts for one day.

CORRUPTION •••
Cost: 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Stamina + Hunger Gospels, subtract target's Stamina
Action: Instant and Resisted
Range: Touch
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: the power works, but its effects are pointed at the caster. For the purpose of damage, consider it as the caster rolled five successes.
Failure: No effect
Success: The target becomes infected. The diseases caused are supernatural in origin and have no names, unless given a name by the afflicted. Lack of a proper medical descriptive certainly doesn’t diminish the virulence of the disease. For each success on the casting roll, the witch inflicts a set number of disease stages on their target (see below). Each stage of the disease causes either bashing or lethal damage and requires a certain number of successes on Stamina + Resolve rolls to overcome. Checks to overcome disease are rolled once daily and any damage caused by the sickness is dealt after the check. Once the victim has overcome a stage, he moves down to the next stage of the disease until he overcomes the sickness completely. Proper medical attention can also assist in overcoming the disease in the form of bonus dice to the Resolve + Stamina roll. A victim tended by a nurse or physician (or a successful Intelligence + Medicine roll) adds +1 dice and hospital care adds +2 dice.
Exceptional Success: With an exceptional success on the casting roll, the caster has infected her target with a communicable disease. Anyone (including the witch) who spends more than fi ve minutes in close proximity to the target (or comes in direct contact with body fl uids of the target), without protective equipment, must succeed on a Stamina + Resolve - disease stage roll, or contract the disease themselves at that stage.

Stage 1: 1 success is needed to overcome, the damage is 2 bashing points
Stage 2: 1 success is needed to overcome, the damage is 3 bashing points
Stage 3: 2 success are needed to overcome, the damage is 1 letal point
Stage 4: 2 success are needed to overcome, the damage is 1 letal point
Stage 5: 3 success are needed to overcome, the damage is 2 lethal points

PLAGUE CARRIER ••••
This power infects a animal with a disease and turns it into a carrier, which the Locust may use against its enemies, especcially when subtlety is preferable to a direct confrontation.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Stamina + Hunger Gospels
Action: Instant
Duration: Lasting
Range: Touch
Roll Result:
Dramatic Failure: the animal becomes infected, but dies immediately and this power cannot be used for the rest of the day.
Failure: No effect.
Success: with success on the casting roll the caster prepares an animal for use as a disease carrier. Once the animal is prepared, the caster then embeds a casting of “Corruption” (see above) into the animal. This particular casting of “Corruption” is contagious regardless of successes rolled and will spread as described in the “Corruption” listing. The “Corruption” spell becomes active within 24 hours at a time set by the witch during the casting. Until the spell becomes active, the animal seems completely healthy and shows no signs of illness
Exceptional Success: the disease is particulary strong. Add one to the number of successess needed to overcome all of its stages.

YELLOW DEATH •••••
This horrific power allows the Locust to infect a target with a slow disease. The power name comes from the tint the skin assumes once the illness shows its symptom and the dust-like substance that an infected constantly coughs when the disease worsens. The target sickens over a period of days, and, unless treated quickly and expertly, dies in less than week. Yellow Death can even be fatal to Uratha, though with their regenerative powers they are usually able to shake it off before death occurs. Though the disease is not normally transmittable, an exceptionally skillful or malicious Locust can make it so. The disease caused by this power is alarming and bizarre, and the authorities won't let it spread unchecked without investigating if too many case start to appear in the area.
Cost: 1 Willpower and 1 lethal damage.
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Hunger Gospel
Action: Extended; 10 successes required
Range: Personal (see below)
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The caster contracts the non-transmittable version of the disease, and suffers as described below.
Failure: No successes are accumulated.
Success: Progress is made toward the goal. If the caster reaches 10 successes, he becomes a carrier for the disease. The next person he touches becomes infected with the disease. Human beings cannot resist infection; they can only try to stave off the effects. Werewolves can resist with a contested action; the werewolf’s player rolls Stamina + Resolve, while the Storyteller rolls the Locusts’s Stamina + 5 dice for the disease. Infected characters, Uratha or otherwise, suffer three points of lethal damage per day. A character may resist this damage by rolling Stamina + Resolve, but if the roll doesn’t result in three successes or more, the character suffers full damage (see “Disease” on p. 176 of the World of Darkness Rulebook). While infected, characters suffer a –3 modifier to all actions. Damage from the disease can be overcome normally (which is why werewolves seldom die from it), but the modifier persists for as long as the disease does. Fighting off the disease requires an extended Stamina + Resolve roll. Uratha characters need 10 successes to fight off the disease, while humans require 20. One roll can be made per day, but the –3 modifier applies to this roll. If the character is under the care of a doctor or healer, successes from Intelligence + Medicine rolls (again, one roll per day) can be added to the total.
Exceptional Success: The character makes considerable progress toward the goal. If the character reaches the goal with 15+ successes, the disease is contagious. It spreads like the common cold. Casual contact allows a Stamina + Resolve roll to avoid infection, but intimate contact (include prolonged physical contact, sex or a bite) means automatic infection for humans.

- The Gospel of Despair
This Gospel is often underestimated. It may not grant the transcendent enlightnment of the Gospel of Famine nor the sheer might of the Gospel of Pestilence, but its practitioners would advocate that the results more than compensate the lack of blatant power the other Gospels offer. The Gospel of Despair exploits the negative sensations that reverberate within the Shadow, allowing the Locust to feed upon these energies and use them to torment her enemies.

AGONY LEECH •
This power channels the influence of a pain spirit into the body of the Locust. While she still feels the pain caused by her wounds, somehow the suffering does not hinder her actions.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Resolve + Hunger Gospel
Action: Instant
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The power goes horribly wrong. The player suffers a –1 wound penalty even when unhurt, and all other wound penalties are increased by one for the remainder of the scene.
Failure: No effect.
Success: For the remainder of the scene, the character suffers no wound penalties.
Exceptional Success: For the remainder of the day, the character suffers no wound penalties.

HOPE DEVOURER ••
A Locust may use this power to drain positive energies from the surrounding area and to sap the will to live from the nearby living beings. It can also use these energies to empower himself and become more imposing.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Hunger Gospel
Dramatic Failure: The character becomes suffused with the positive energy in the area, but instead of reflecting the energy, she absorbs it. The character must immediately check for degeneration, even if she manages to pass it, she feels nauseated for the remainder of the scene (–1 on all rolls).
Failure: Nothing happens.
Success: The character siphons off the positive and life-affirming energies and feelings from those in the immediate area. This grants him an extra die per success on all Social interactions for the remainder of the scene, but also drains Willpower from any ordinary humans within a radius equal to 10 yards per dot of Hunger Gospel. The Willpower drain affects those with the lowest Willpower ratings first (so if the Locust has two successes for the power and there are three people within the radius with Willpower 3, 5 and 8, the first two lose a point of Willpower). If the drain would afflict someone who is currently out of Willpower, the power inflicts a point of bashing damage instead. The Locust gains no Willpower or Health by using this power. The drain is merely a by-product of the Gospel’s effect. The player cannot gain more dice to Social rolls than he drains Willpower; if he uses this Gospel in an area where only one human is within range, he gains only one die to his Social pools. Supernatural entities are not affected by the draining effect of this power. The Gospel may be used only once in any 24-hour period.
Exceptional Success: No effect beyond a greater Social bonus.

DEMENT •••
This power assaults a person’smind with a cavalcade of nightmarish imagery, breaking down his sanity in the process. Such images are often personal and culled from a victim’s own memory, although the user sometimes applies images from its own history or “memory” to decide such visions.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Composure + Hunger Gospel versus Intelligence + Supernatural Tolerance
Action: Instant
Roll Results:
Dramatic Failure: The Locust fails to handle the power and is afflicted by the very derangement he sought to inflict upon his victim.
Success: If the player rolls the most successes, the victim gains a mild derangement of the Storyteller’s choice (usually depression) for a number of days equal to the successes rolled. If the victim already possesses a mild derangement, the derangement becomes severe rather than possessing another derangement.
Exceptional Success: the derangement becomes permanent.

SCREAM OF THE SWARM ••••
With this Gospel, the Locust can momentarily replicate the maddening droning and horror of Mussughana itself and direct its full intensity toward a specific mortal, causing her to collapse into quivering terror. Targets are usually completely unable to stand against the horrific presence of the Locust in any way.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Hunger Gospel – Composure
Action: Instant
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: the Locust loses control over the energies conjured, and the player loses all his remaining Willpower.
Failure: The attempt to activate this power fails.
Success: The target is gripped by an overwhelming fear. For each success the player rolled, the target suffers a -1 penalty on all rolls for the remainder of the scene. Even attempts to flee are hampered, as the target runs in a blind panic and is more likely to trip or to run away from help. Targets in the grip of this terror cannot initiate attacks against the Locust unless they spend a point of Willpower per turn of attack. (They do not also gain the three-die bonus that Willpower expenditure normally provides.) They can still defend themselves from attack without needing to spend Willpower, though.
Exceptional Success: The target is completely paralyzed with fear for the duration of the scene. Her player must also reflexively roll Resolve + Composure. Failure triggers a derangement that lasts for the duration of the day.

HARROWING DESPAIR •••••
The strongest Gospel of the Book of Despair is a a monstrous curse that shuts down all the senses of the victim, violently cutting him away from its surrondings. This nightmarish experience imposes a heavy burden on their mind.
Cost: 1 Willpower and 1 point of lethal damage.
Dice Pool: Wits + Hunger Gospel versus Composure + Primal Urge
Action: Contested; resistance is reflexive and unconscious.
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The Locust falls unconscious as the power reverses itself upon her.
Failure: Nothing happens.
Success: The target loses all sensory input, becoming blind, deaf and unable to smell or feel the world around him. This is disturbing enough for human beings, who typically flail and scream incomprehensibly when afflicted by this power. Werewolves, though, must immediately check for Death Rage and continue doing so every minute. These rolls incur a cumulative –1 penalty, meaning that in five minutes the Uratha has a –5 penalty to avoid Death Rage. The sensory deprivation lasts for one minute per success on the Locust’s roll.
Exceptional Success: When the Gospel's effects wear off, the target must immediately check for a derangement (Resolve + Composure; failure means the target develops a new derangement).

**Flyboy254** · 05-27-2014, 08:52 PM

Got any stereotypes these guys would have on other hunter groups?

**Cinder** · 05-28-2014, 12:09 PM

Originally posted by Flyboy254 View Post

Got any stereotypes these guys would have on other hunter groups?

In fact, I do. Yesterday I was in a hurry and I skipped a page when copying it here. I've just added them and the usual "Hunters" paragraph immediately after the Status. Thanks for making me notice!

**Seidmadr** · 05-29-2014, 03:54 PM

Dude. This is AWESOME.
I had intended to tie the swarm Idigam to the Locust Hosts and have it be the badguy for a Werewolf chronicle. But these fit even better!
May I steal this for a game?

**Cinder** · 05-29-2014, 05:29 PM

Originally posted by Seidmadr View Post

Dude. This is AWESOME.
I had intended to tie the swarm Idigam to the Locust Hosts and have it be the badguy for a Werewolf chronicle. But these fit even better!
May I steal this for a game?

Sure, that's the main reason I post my stuff after all

If you need it I've also expanded the Locust Host and made a complete list of Aspects and powers to introduce the Shartha in your game. It can be found here: http://forum.theonyxpath.com/forum/m...he-locust-host

Let me know how things work out and thanks for the appreciation!

**Seidmadr** · 05-29-2014, 07:54 PM

Originally posted by Cinder View Post

Sure, that's the main reason I post my stuff after all

If you need it I've also expanded the Locust Host and made a complete list of Aspects and powers to introduce the Shartha in your game. It can be found here: http://forum.theonyxpath.com/forum/m...he-locust-host

Let me know how things work out and thanks for the appreciation!

I think I'll steal that too then!
Was it you who had the idea that after the mutation they could leave the host, and then return to it later? Going back and forth into a swarm being.

**Leetsepeak** · 06-14-2014, 01:18 AM

Out of curiousity, have you ever designed or thought about a symbol for these guys? Do you have any suggestions?

**Flyboy254** · 06-14-2014, 11:10 AM

I'd imagine that this group would use a locust centered on a sheaf of wheat, wings outstretched as if in flight.

**Cinder** · 06-15-2014, 01:04 PM

Originally posted by Flyboy254 View Post

I'd imagine that this group would use a locust centered on a sheaf of wheat, wings outstretched as if in flight.

That would work well. I imagined something similar too. The other idea I had is a sickle with a locust perched upon it and a stilyzed full moon in the middle, as it's about to be reaped.

**Leetsepeak** · 06-29-2014, 07:03 PM

Another question! I'm not sure what if it even needs to be done, but are these guys fully GMC Compliant? I noticed that Hieronymus uses the old Virtue/Vices. Are his Aspects in a particular book?

**Cinder** · 06-29-2014, 07:22 PM

Originally posted by Leetsepeak View Post

Another question! I'm not sure what if it even needs to be done, but are these guys fully GMC Compliant? I noticed that Hieronymus uses the old Virtue/Vices. Are his Aspects in a particular book?

No, they were all written before the GMC update. Sorry! For Hieronymus I would personally pick Devoted and Cruel as GMC Virtue/Vice. As for his Aspects, they are all written in the second chapter of Predators, where you can find detailed rules for creating Claimed.

**Leetsepeak** · 06-30-2014, 12:43 AM

In the Gospel of Famine, Evocation lets the Locusts summon Spirits. Does this just bring the Spirit to their location in the Shadow, or does it pull them into Twilight?

If one were converting them, would it be fair to say that the successful use of Evocation creates the Resonant Condition tagged for the summoned Spirit and then compels them to answer the summons. Not sure if this needs to inflict a Condition on them.

If it pulls them from the Shadow into Twilight, would it be fair to call it equivalent to the Gauntlet Breach Manifestation?

Announcement

[Conspiracy Idigam Cult] The Brotherhood of the Locust

[Conspiracy Idigam Cult] The Brotherhood of the Locust

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment