Chapter Four: Shades of Black?

A Guide to Playing in the Dark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "You can't always pick the dark you find, maybe I wasn't what you had in mind...". .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - Econoline Crush, Home

How does one play a Darkened, well there are no simple rules to this, if there were it wouldn't really be the Dark. First of all it is important to remember that Darkened are still mortal, most still have to pay the bills and some might actually have families. Most Darkened shy away from this "normal" life however. Jobs are scarce for someone who doesn't care if a customer is insulted, thus most Darkened are into odd and most likely illegal jobs. A lot of the places that they end up cross into the realms of influence of other supernatural creatures, which don't know the Darkened exist. This is an often overlooked aspect of characters, their daily routine and life. This is an important part of the character, his background should be filled in completely to get the most out of the character. For the Darkened most of the important events will occur during his normal daily routine, although for the Darkened "normal" and "routine" are used VERY loosely.

The second thing to realize is that, even for the Darkened, the Dark is virtually unknown. The crossing of the threshold into the Dark is just the first step in a very long, if not endless, voyage. Always keep this fact in mind. This aspect of the Dark is essential for the Storyteller who can use it to keep the chronicle fresh and new. Mystery and Enigmatic is the rule and best theme of stories, use them well.

Finally it is not easy to play groups of Darkened together, just as it is not always easy to play a bunch of different clans in the same group. Players will have different goals, most of the time they will be in opposition to each other, and it is hard to find a central force to bind the group together. As a long time storyteller I have always had trouble with this aspect of White Wolf's games, but don't get me wrong this by no means is a weakness, but one of the strengths of the game. A strong reason for the group to work together will create a cohesive group and make gaming more enjoyable. Even with a coherent group there will always be a conflict of certain interests and even this makes the game better. Some of the best games I ever ran or played in had the players arguing quite often. Although it can destroy any chance of the group accomplishing anything if let get out of hand, a strong coherent group with strong differences of opinion allow different perspectives in situations and allow the realm of the imagination to be more fully explored. It is essential and it is life, not everything flows smoothly. Darkened are the same, no two are the same and thus a group of them should argue as normal. Creating a bond for the group is just as important. Some examples are; a group of wanders endlessly searching to strengthen their understanding of the Dark and the unseen world around them and helping each other through it, or a group of Darkened with a similar view of the other supernatural beings around them and helping each other hunt or help these other denizens of the World of Darkness (see the Ronin Foundation), or maybe even a group of Darkened helping a Reaper hunt and convert the forces of the Wyrm along with the Garou and other shapeshifters. Darkened can also create bonds for crossovers of the other games, the Reaper with group of shapeshifters and maybe a Dream Speaker Mage all fighting the Wyrm, or a Darkened with a group of various supernatural beings bonded together out of disdain for their separate societies (again see the Ronin Foundation). All of these work, and there are a lot more possibilities than this meager serving of ideas.

The Threshold - A Quick Revelation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . One of the most confusing aspects of the Darkened is how they willingly enter the threshold into the darkness. Throughout The Dark, the threshold is described as the dark side of the soul suddenly taking over and the lighter side going dormant. Although this is essentially correct it does sound a lot like whoever attempts it will end up being the dormant psyche and thus will not gain any power, but will actually lose it to his darker psyche. This is both true and untrue. For those that have their dark side eclipsed over time it is more true as the beginning psyche probably doesn't want the dark side to take over, but by the time the dark side is close to control the victim usually has altered his perception of what is happening to him. This new perception is identical to the perception of the mortal who is on the verge of the threshold. This perception of the Dark and the what really happens up to and as the threshold is crossed it the reason that the dark is sought and embraced. As threshold is approached, the darkness within slowly seeps into the psyche as the light side is bled out, thus the psyche of the voyager is not actually lost or dominated, it is slowly changed in accordance of the voyagers new convictions. There are no dormant personalities imprisoned within the Darkened yelling "What the hell, this wasn't supposed to happen, let me the fuck out of here!," or anything like that. The only trace of the light side of the soul is the ever present danger of the Dawn. Of course maybe that is exactly what the Dark wants us to think, one can never really know now can they.

What if?: Non-Mortal Darkened . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . "The Other was free. And there was going to be Hell on Earth to pay.". . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . - Sonja Blue, A Dozen Black Roses by Nancy Collins.

What if? The most powerful question a player can ask, and the most annoying for the storyteller. Yet from this question can lead and endless amount of reinterpretation, and creativity. This very book is in existence because of the very question. What if? In this section the question will be asked again, what if a kindred becomes Darkened?, what about a Garou?, etc. Originally I had planned on exploring most, if not all, of the denizens of the World of Darkness, but after a bit more consideration I concluded that for those that are not explored, tuff shit, make up your own mind. Besides, some things are best left undisturbed.

The Wassail. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . The interpretation of the Kindred's dark side is a tough call. The Beast is the seat of total instinct and reaction, yet as its name implies this is instinct without true intelligence. Thus my reaction is that no Kindred may become Darkened by themselves. If they tried it would simply be like losing their Humanity, a total rampaging animalistic monster with little thought except for gratifying its hunger and running from what it is afraid of.

But that does not mean the Kindred can not be the target of the Eclipse. A Kindred's Beast may be molded and shaped by a skilled Darkened over time. This slow period of molding leads to the threshold of darkness. When reached the Kindred enters Wassail, the final release and last frenzy. Usually Wassail occurs when a Kindred loses his humanity and falls into madness, and if the threshold is unsuccessfully crossed or the dark side is still too bestial this is exactly what occurs, but if the threshold is crossed and the Darkened has sufficiently molded the Kindred's beast then the Kindred enters Wassail with his sanity intact and becomes Darkened.

Because the Kindred enter and never fully leave Wassail the few Darkened Kindred have taken the title as their own, the Wassail. The Wassail are few and are a sort of secret society within the society of the damned. A true Wassail is rare as all Darkened Kindred have been shaped by the use of the Eclipse by another Darkened, which more than likely had a servant in mind while doing it, and thus most become a sort of thrall to the mortal Darkened that has created them. Those that are their own masters become Wassail.

Wassail are powerful beings with access to both Kindred disciplines and Darkened vespers, and they are accepted by Kindred, who know nothing of their new status, and Darkened, who don't give a fuck if they breath or not. Quick Note: the Vesper of Obscurity still masks the Darkened, but does not mask the fact that he is still Kindred. And other powers may have different effects because of the Wassail's unique status, but are up to the Storyteller to explore. Wassail have all the advantages of being Kindred, such as immortality, the power of their blood, etc, as well as all their flaws, sunlight, stakes, etc. Because Wassail are quite powerful, to create one as a character is a 10 point merit. The most important aspect of the Wassail is the melding of the cycle of disposition and the frenzy.

The Volatile: The Wassail enters a near frenzy like state of total indulgement and instinct. The character is conscious of his actions and can control himself to a point. If anything happens that would cause a frenzy in a Kindred then the Wassail enters frenzy immediately. If the Wassail wishes to resist then he may roll Self Control as normal, but the diff is at least three higher or more. If the roll fails he enters the Regressed after the frenzy and if it is botched he enters the Regressed and losses a permanent point of Willpower after the frenzy (resistance failed frenzies tend to last for a LONG time - storytellers have fun and be creative). Rotschreck may be controlled by rolling courage with a penalty of +1 difficulty, but no other penalties. A Volatile Wassail may enter frenzy at will, still gains the bonuses and penalties Volatile Darkened and may try to force himself into the next disposition like mortal Darkened. The Volatile is the longest and most common disposition for Wassail.

The Stoic: The Wassail enters a state in which frenzy becomes near impossible. While in this state the only way to frenzy is to force himself into the next disposition, with the normal risks. If the Kindred possess the merit of Berserker then he may roll Willpower (diff = Self Control) to enter a frenzy, but if this roll botches he enters the Regressed. All normal bonuses and penalties of this disposition remain the same for the Wassail. For Wassail the Stoic is extremely short.

The Endured: The Wassail enters a state that is as close to normal as he can get and may enter frenzy like normal, but difficulties to resist are one extra.

The Regressed: This disposition is the same for Wassail as mortal Darkened. If the Wassail enters the Dawn and losses his dark side he has no instincts or wants and soon enters Torpor, it is unknown if they ever wake and what they are if they do, but the words thrall and zombie come to mind. Thus the Dawn is twice as horrifying to the Wassail.

OK so a Kindred that is Eclipsed into a Darkened becomes a Wassail, so what happens to a Darkened that is Embraced? After some deep contemplation I have come to a conclusion after a few insights. First of all is the fact that a Darkened has already willed the dark into dominance, so there is no Beast that comes roaring out of the Kindred's subconscious, but at the same time the blood that carries the curse of Cain carries the Beast with it. My second realization is the fact that a Kindred siring a progeny usually blood bonds it, thus the Darkened is again affected as all young Kindred are. In conclusion the Embraced Darkened become the same as a Reborn Kindred, a Wassail. The beast flows into the Darkened's veins and mixes with the dark already there. Embraced Darkened will have different Wakes, Kindred that become Darkened are part of the Reborn Wake, and the effect of having a sire must come into play. In terms of rules they are identical except that the embraced Darkened don't spend quite as long a time in the Volatile as do the Darkened Kindred.

Character Creation for Wassail is fairly simple. For a Reborn Kindred, create a normal Kindred character, spend 10 freebie points for the Merit of Darkened and come up with some sort of new funky character sheet. For an Embraced Darkened create a normal Darkened and spend the 10 freebie points for the merit of Embraced and again come up with some sort of wiggy character sheet. After this it is time for some major background writing, make it good!

The Caulgrim . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . The Darkened known as the Reapers are bound together by the shared experience of touching the pure seed of entropy upon committing suicide. Those that somehow return become the mortal Darkened named the Reapers. Those that do not return become the Caulgrim, a true Darkened Wraith, untouched by the taint of Oblivion. Caulgrim is the joining of two terms, Grim which is obviously taken from the Reaper title of the living and Caul, which is the membrane that covers a Wrath when it first enters the realms of the dead. Caulgrim take this title to represent the fact that they are born into the restless dead as Darkened, and that they unfortunately did not make back to the lands of the living like their counterparts, the Reapers. A few Caulgrim come to resent their counterparts because of this, although it is said that this reaction comes from falling to the temptations of Oblivion.

From the experience of touching the pure force of death, the Caulgrim along with the Reapers believe that the currant force of death and entropy, the Wyrm for the living and Oblivion for the dead, is corrupted and tainted. It is the duty of the Reapers to battle and convert the forces of the Wyrm, while it is the duty of the Caulgrim to do the same against the forces of Oblivion. What makes the Caulgrim different from other Wraiths comes from this interpretation as Oblivion being tainted. A normal Wraith has a Shadow, his dark side, awaken upon his death, but for some reason all shadows have a sort of "death wish", well death for the dead or Oblivion. Shadows either succeed in erasing the Wraith or taking it over and becoming a Specter, in servitude to Oblivion. This "death wish" of a normal Wraiths shadow is the work of the tainted influence of Oblivion. Caulgrim do not have this as they are born into death at the same time that they are born to darkness, and in touching the seed of pure entropy they become protected against the taint of Oblivion.

Caulgrim do not have a shadow, they ARE the shadow, and thus they are not in a constant battle with themselves. But they are in a constant battle with the corruption of Oblivion that continuously assaults them throughout their existence. As dark dominant Wraiths they may never truly transcend, and if they ever succumb to Oblivion's taint, somewhat like the Dawn but called The Erasure, then they may become regular Wraiths, or become consumed by Oblivion by losing. Other than that character creation is similar to a normal Wraith, 10 point Merit of being Darkened, there is no shadow and when creating the character remember that as Darkened most passions and such will be more shadow like. All Caulgrim have the Wake of The Reaper.

Mortal Darkened that die may remain Darkened throughout the transition into the Shadowlands, but how this is done is up to the Storyteller. If a Darkened does remain Darkened he becomes a Caulgrim instead of a Normal Wraith.

Wraiths that are reborn into darkness from the use of The Eclipse by another Darkened are similar to the Caulgrim. They choose the Wake of Reborn and do not have the shadow anymore. The major difference is that Oblivion's taint has touched them and thus they find it harder to resist its temptation. More details on the different traits of Wraith and combining them with the traits of the Darkened will not be forthcoming as I have not actually played Wraith in a LONG time and my focus is exploring the Darkened in the lands of the living. I'll leave it up to you to make your own decisions about these little details.

Mage . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mage cannot become Darkened and are not effected by the Eclipse, nor can Darkened really become Mage. The reason is simple, the Darkened squashes the lighter psyche of it's soul and becomes dominated by the dark side and to be Awakened requires a unified soul, the Avatar. There are rumors that a Darkened can transcend to become a Mage of Darkness through mastery of the Pentacle, but it is unknown if anyone has ever achieved this.

What Now?: Wandering Around After Dark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "Where the hell?" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - Ash, Army of Darkness.

Wakes, Voyages, Cycles, Dispositions, Vespers, Darkness and the Dawn. You've been through just about all of it, and have emerged reasonably unscathed, no permanent scares anyway. What else is there? Well this is just a few ideas, now don't get your hopes up to much, these are not well developed or anything. There just some ideas that you can use to soup up your chronicle a little bit. Feel free to use them in anyway you want, I have no currant plans to expand on any of them. Although it is not recommended, a Darkened may be a member of more than one of these groups, but no character should start as a member, let them earn it in the chronicle.

The Cult . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . Mentioned vaguely throughout this text is an organization of darkened called the Cult and that is exactly what it is, a huge Cult. No other name is appropriate for this Disciple dominated group as there are almost as many sects within the Cult as there are members. The only thing that binds them together is a shared respect and ritualistic worship of the Dark. All religious ideas and theories are tolerated and may be expressed or followed. Largely this group meets informally quite often and the different sects fluctuate in size constantly as members flow from one speaker to another. This is somewhat like a fad, young followers flowing from one speaker to another, following the newest idea like a bunch of teens running around the mall in a hurry to be the first to try the newest in thing. But what else can you expect from the most impulsive mortals on earth.

Behind all the fads and ideas is a somewhat organized and thoughtful think tank of truly religious leaders constantly pondering the mysteries of the Dark and it's purpose. These elite Cultists have been dubbed the Faithful. Most are Disciples, a very few are other Darkened, but they all have one trait in common, True Faith. They are not seekers of power for power's sake, but seek truth and thus have found power in it's discovery. The Faithful are composed of the most intelligent and wise of the Darkened, and also of the most calm. True Faith seems to allow the Darkened to lengthen the periods of the Stoic disposition, allowing deeper meditations and clearer thinking on the mysteries of the Dark. It has been said, however, that a Faithful's Volatile stage, however shorter than normal, is a hell of a lot wilder too. Among the Darkened these are the wisest of the sages, and the most tolerant of beings. If knowledge is sought, seek it here.

The Beloved. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . Creatures of the night, lovers of the fathomless depths of the deep, passionate romantics and enigmatic artists of the strange and disturbing. These are the Beloved of the Dark, those that embrace the very essence of impulsiveness in a very strong and warm fashion, like a blanket that they wrap themselves in at all times. Beloved usually find themselves drawn to the Dark very quickly in their lives and are usually young upon becoming Darkened. The Prodigy have the most Beloved among them.

Beloved are expressionists, and the only thing they like to express is the Dark. Like the Cult this group of Darkened has many different divisions. There are those that express themselves in the dark arts of love, lust and passion. There are the artists, bringing their darkest visions to solidity and form in painting, sculpting, music, and other forms, some not as acceptable as others. There are also a group that call themselves the Smoke Jumpers, named after the firemen that jump into unaccessible areas to battle forest fires. Like the Smoke Jumpers these Darkened jump straight into the flames of danger, riding the rush that accompanies it. All Beloved share a few traits, they start to become nocturnal, spending the day sleeping and the nights involved in their passions. These passions, however start to consume them, as it does normal mortals that become too obsessed with their vices. However the Dark seems to value these Darkened, it is said that the Dark feeds on the potent energy generated by the Darkened's obsessive behavior. Thus the Dark sends power back to the Darkened, fueling the basic needs that become neglected by the obsessions that occupy their minds every moment. This power has been harnessed by some creative Darkened, creating new Vespers that allow them to express their passion in new ways that surpass any normal mortals obsessive creativity.

The Nihilistic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . Evilness, Destruction, Madness, and Foulness may be some of the nastier aspects of the Dark, but they are still aspects of it and thus there are the Nihilistic. Psychotic, murdering, mad, insane, and just plain evil are these Darkened, following their every immoral impulse. They do so without thought of consequence or reaction and are known to murder without hesitation or the thought that maybe a cop is nearby. This usually means that Nihilistic do not last long, only the most cunning last for any real length of time. The flame that burns twice as strong lasts only half as long.

There is a purpose to their madness however, they believe that by taking away that which someone takes for granted that person awakens, or becomes enlightened. This is an extension of the Reapers goals, to take away those that are truly dead in spirit so that they may return to real life. The Nihilistic are teachers, the lesson is destruction, misery, and finally realization. It is unfortunate for those that are being taken for granted, for they are usually the objects that are taken away from the Darkened's new student. Of course this explanation for their horrendous actions maybe just an excuse, for it is evident that they feel no remorse for what they do and take great pleasure in the chaos.

Because of their strong actions in a world of quick and brutal justice, these Darkened don't usually last a long time, and are not recommended as characters. The Dark does seem to sanction these mad Darkened and their actions. In times of dire need, happens often, they may call upon the Dark for assistance. This assistance is up to this Storyteller, but I recommend using a system somewhat like a Wraith may call upon his Shadow for help, shadow dice. If a character is created as one of the Nihilistic it is recommended that the Storyteller throw all he can at them, for it is what they thrive on.

The Zealots. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . There is rumored to be a militaristic organization of Darkened that bands together to battle whatever nemesis the Darkened have. The most notable foe that this army battles is the Wyrm and as such most of its members are Reapers. As with most military organizations and like all other Darkened groups there are different sections of this group. These different groups are the different specialist operatives that make up the whole army. Demolitions, Covert Ops, Snipers, Command, and Marines are all examples of the different specialists. Each specialist gains power from the Dark in the area of his specialty to the point of becoming a new Vesper, but this may only be used against the nemesis that the Zealots have banded together against. Any Zealot Vespers a Character has may not be used anytime, only within an operation of his specific field against the Darkened's nemesis. Although there have been numerous reports of this group in action, although no real proof of its existence has been presented. Its effectiveness in dealing with it's enemies has made it a major target of the Wyrm and other agents that the Zealots are in conflict with, thus they have become a very secretive organization, even to the point of hiding their affiliation to the group from other Darkened and even from their closest friends.

The Ronin Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A large, resource rich and enigmatic organization founded and directed by a mysterious figure. The Ronin Foundation is an odd and rare gem of hope in a world that is inhabited only by various degrees of self interest. The Ronin Foundation is involved in a project called New Dawn. Although this may seem to be in the least interest of Darkened, there are those that do wish to help the unprotected masses of mortal lives that are in constant peril of the unseen forces flowing around them. This is the New Dawn project's goal, to help those in need, those that cannot help themselves.

To achieve this goal the Ronin Foundation was created. All are accepted by the foundation, Ronin Garou, Caitiff Kindred and other Pariahs are all welcome to join. They are placed in small groups with a director as the only link to the rest of the organization. This is to protect the core of the foundation and project, so that it cannot be sabotaged by infiltrators. As mysterious as this organization is, it's purpose is clear and it's small groups are surprisingly effective, mostly because of the accuracy of the intelligence information that is given the group from it's director from the foundation. The Ronin Foundation is my favorite concept for use of the Dark in the World of Darkness. It will allow a group to play all Darkened, with a common bond or it can be used as an effective base for a crossover game, creating a potpourri of supernatural creatures in one well bonded group. It's major drawback is that members will most likely be outsiders to their separate societies, and if they are not they are in jeopardy of becoming so. Still it is a good idea, one I recommend for a chronicle.

Chapter Five

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