Chapter Two: Emerging from the Shadows

Denial: The First Voyage. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . "Don't let the dark into me." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - Gary Numan, Dark (Dark City Soundtrack).

We all have a dark side, one that we repress so that we can live in "comfort" and acceptance. We live in denial of a part of our selves. We all say that we are good and decent, but when tv shows such as When Animals Attack come on we watch in mock horror and say "that's terrible!", yet we continue to watch and some of us actually laugh. Jerry Springer is the worst talk show on the air, yet it has one of the highest ratings. Action flicks make millions at the movies, we all love them, but at the same time we delude ourselves with the title of "action flick" when it should truthfully be called a "violence flick". Come on, it is a bunch fighting, guns, death and destruction. But let me make my point clear, the movies, the shows and everything else just like them are not bad and I don't want them to be taken off the air or anything like that, it is our self delusion that I wish to focus on, our lighter psyche. It can be just as destructive as the darkest heart. It represses the spirit, subdues the spark that makes life worth living, and makes us lumbering zombies, stuck in a repeating cycle of banality. Cultivating this dark side doesn't have to be a bad thing, it may help one be happier and more true to themselves. For us in reality it must be accepted carefully and not too fully. The dark is a fictional game that explores those mortals that say "fuck that!" and go all the way over the edge.

All Darkened start as normal mortals, whatever normal is, but something happens to them and they start the voyage into the dark. This voyage is extraordinary in that it's goal is not to allow the dark to coexist with the light, but to will it into total dominance. Something happens, some event that causes the mortal to reject his brighter side, a complete reversal of his view of the world. There are many different paths that a mortal may take, and this beginning of the voyage leaves a lasting effect, a wake, on the Darkened that will determine his relationship to, and understanding of, the dark. The Wake describes the characters journey into the dark, how it happened, what started it, and how it has effected his outlook on the world and the dark. It is important to note that the Wake is just that, something that the character has already been through and left behind, it does not necessarily describe what the character has become, although it does guide him a little. All characters must choose a Wake.

The Disciples. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. . "I am the darkness that crawls into you.". . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - Gary Numan, Dark (Dark City Soundtrack).

Worshipers of the Dark as a sentient being that will grant them power in exchange for their total obedience. Most are older mortals who have spent their lives searching the occult for power. They are usually over achievers and have, along with occult knowledge and power, substantial mortal influence and power. A very few worship the Dark out of faith alone and follow the Dark as a true religion, accepting any power they gain as a secondary benefit.

The beginning of this wake usually starts with a normal mortal, young and ambitious, the perfect example of a parents pride and joy. Yet these mortals find that the power rush of success fades quickly and they race for more power to fill the empty feeling they have. It is this ambition and hunger for fulfillment that leads the mortal to more unconventional means of power. They usually turn to the arcane. Not new age shit, but the powerful, realistic, and usually the least moralistic. This first taste of darkness causes them to feel true freedom for the first time, and sometimes this is enough. At this point they may find some little measure of power, some Numina that they pick up, but again this leaves them empty. Some start to see through the illusions that these bogus rituals and cults create and they leave, seeking more. Most never find it, but for those that happen on some great secret or revelation the voyage is well under way. This revelation is up to the player to create, but it is must somehow be related to the supernatural. A freak encounter with a Vampire or some other creature, or finally finding a bit of arcane knowledge that is pure and real.

Mortals on this wake slowly begin to open up to their own personal darkness and find a spark of fulfillment as all the repression that they experienced in pursuit of mommy and daddy's dreams begins to break away and they can start to express and experience their own truth. This slow realization, influenced by their occult experiences, leads them to the threshold of darkness. When Disciples become Darkened they not only receive the trinity of insights, but also they receive the basic insight to the Vesper of the Prayer. Thus as they cross the threshold they are filled with the undeniable impression of a sentience that watches over them and has guided them throughout their voyage.

Many Disciples believe that their new found happiness is a gift from the Dark and they continue to serve it for more power, joy and fulfilment. A few Disciples realize the reasons they were unhappy in the first place and believe the Dark simply pushed and guided them in the right direction and serve it out of gratitude and further guidance. Fewer still come to believe in the Dark as a God and worship it unquestionably and form their own religion that may attract others. Regardless of a Disciples beliefs all Disciples have one thing in common, their worship and love of the sentient Dark.

Bestowments: All Disciples start with the Basic Insight of the Vesper of the Prayer and may continue learning the Prayer without instruction. Many may continue and start to learn the Vespers of the Dark Providence without instruction. Disciple characters may also have True Faith and other Numina.

The Torpid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... "Normal? Anyone normal is hiding something!" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - The Stick Man, while flipping the bird to some dip-shit preppie suit.

Deranged, mad, crazy, and insane are all accurate descriptions of the Darkened known as the Torpid. A typical inmate of an asylum is your typical Torpid and it may be that most asylum inmates actually are Torpid Darkened, the rest of the Darkened just don't know for sure, nor would they really want to.

Torpid start out as mortals with a strong, or in most cases a suddenly stronger, dark side and without the strength of will to resist it. The start of a Torpid's voyage occurs with a sudden shift in dominance and then a trip beneath the waves of sanity. Most on this voyage become lost in the madness or are killed for their common psychopathic frenzies, but a few somehow resurface and become true Darkened. This is not how the Eclipse works, the Eclipse is another Darkened's deliberate molding of another's dark side so that it slowly emerges, the Torpids voyage is a sudden slip from the heights of sanity into the depths of the void and it is quick, unexpected, and totally mind shattering.

As the Darkness takes over, violently in all cases, the mortal finds his humanity bleeding from him just as fast as the blood did from his latest victim. When the mortal loses all his humanity the mortal's psyches battle for permanent dominance. Although it would be nice to think that the lighter side might win and the mortal restored, this in not the case. Even if the lighter side does win, which always happens at least once, the mortals humanity is restored only to one, and the mortal gains a derangement which only helps to fuel his next fall. The sooner the psyche gives it's place to the darkness the better off. The harder it fights the worse the mortal becomes until he emerges in a shopping mall a raving lunatic with a few running chainsaws strapped to his body and heads towards the most crowded section merrily laughing and skipping the whole way. These are quickly gunned down by the local law enforcement or anyone else nearby with a gun and half a brain.

The Torpid that make it past the threshold of darkness and become Darkened are the strangest, and sometimes the most normal, of the Darkened. Most have a knowledge and understanding of the darkness that even other Darkened would have great difficulty comprehending without losing it. The drawback of course is that the Torpid HAVE lost it, and wether or not they have actually regained it is open for debate, WAY open! Regardless of the many questions that this group of Darkened raise and the fact that every one of them is different they do share one common trait, madness. All Torpid have at least one major derangement, and most have more.

Bestowments: All Torpid have at least one major derangement and most have at least two. Most derangements are subtle in nature, as is the Dark, but this is not the rule, just the recommendation. All Torpid have the secret of the Pentacle within them, but to access it they must journey through the Vesper of Madness, which again opens them up to the waves of insanity. The further they journey into the power of the pentacle the further they slip from reality and sanity. Specific rules for this are up to the storyteller to make up.

The Prodigy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "Born of Lust, Turn to Dust; Born of Sin, Come right In." . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - Advertisement for Steven King's Storm of the Century T.V. Movie.

When we were children we were uninhibited, well at least we were not as restrained as we are now. Carefree, without thought of consequence, and without care for anything but ourselves, true innocence. What the hell happened? Parents, school, the colorful phrases (reform, shape up, behave better, think about what you have done young man, we have heard them all), etc. All that freedom, unrestraint, and innocence. . . lost.

Not for the Prodigy. The dark side that becomes dormant from years of discipline still glows in these children. All Prodigy start off as troublemakers, brats, little devils, class clowns, etc. Most are in special classes and are on the edge, or beyond, of manic-depression caused by the euphoria of just being themselves and the punishment that they are gifted with for it. All Prodigy have an undeniable innocence, even the meanest brat is still a kid and can turn from brat to prince in the blink of an eye, although this weakens as they fall further into depression.

The voyage for the Prodigy is a short one, for they are all still children (5 - 14). All have grown with a confidence and will that can rival most adults, and because of this strong will they have resisted all efforts to institutionalize them. Their dark sides are very close to the surface, and are closely messed with their psyche. But even the most confident kid is still a kid and the years of punishment and discipline weaken them. Most drown at this stage.

For those that continue to fight and be true to themselves mood swings begin, a mild form of manic-depression. One moment they are children having the greatest time creating whole imaginary worlds and adventures with an empty box, then they stop, sinking into a deep depression triggered by a stray memory that last time they played in an empty box they knocked over mommy's fancy jar (priceless vase) and got sent to their room for the night without supper, and then grounded for a week from playing with their friends or watching tv. In the world of darkness not as many Prodigy-to-be are developed or destroyed by caring parents as by uncaring parents. Prodigy-to-be at this stage are in danger of falling into total depression and must confront their parents in some manner to escape this stage. The threshold for the Prodigy is a final confrontation or resolve by the child, most run away, some have even killed their parents. The Prodigy crosses the threshold and becomes Darkened after or even during this final confrontation.

The Prodigy are powerful in their connection to the dark, they never truly lost it, and are the true children of the Dark. Unfortunately all Prodigy have a strange case of manic-depression that causes them to shift their disposition directly from Stoic to Volatile, and of course they are still children. Of all the Darkened this group reflects an innocence that no other group could ever hope to have, an innocence that comes from the darkness itself.

Bestowments: All Prodigy are children (see the Flaw of Child) and may never enter the disposition of Endured as they flow through their manic depressive mood swings. All Prodigy display a powerful aura of innocence (see the Merit of Sanctity) and as they cross the threshold of darkness they gain the basic insight of the Vesper of the Adept as well as the basic insights of the Trinity.

The Reapers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. "I am the ghost that reminds death of you." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . - Gary Numan, Dark (Dark City Soundtrack).

Dealers in and lovers of nothing more than Death itself. These are the most rare of all Darkened, the Harbingers of Death. Hidden within the depths of the dark is rumored to be a seed of the destroyer of reality, preserved in it's true form. This destroyer, named the Wyrm by some, is at the moment mad and is attempting to destroy all of reality. This hidden seed carries the Wyrm's true purpose, the recycling of reality so that it does not become stagnant, or simply death. From this seed comes the Darkened known as the Reapers. Their purpose is two-fold: Take over the corrupted Wyrm's duties and bring death to that which needs it & Destroy the corrupted Wyrm so that it may be reborn pure once more.

All of these Darkened start their mortal lives as morbid and necro-obsessive mortals. Murderers, assassins, doctors, morticians, and grave keepers or robbers are all examples of mortals that may become Reapers. Usually their interest in the dead lead them to illegal activities and the study of the arcane. In this way the mortal begins to strengthen the darkness within, but even if this leads the mortal to the threshold of darkness he does not simply become a Reaper, all Reapers have tried ( truly tried, not just attempted ) to commit suicide, and most succeed. Those that fail for some odd reason become Darkened Reapers, while those that die become Darkened Wraiths, the Caulgrim. Dead and living Reapers may communicate to each other across the veil at will. This final threshold is the tie the bonds all Reapers together and their touch with death infuses them with the truth and charge that they must then carry out. If any Reaper drops his duties then he ceases to be a Reaper and all other Reapers that meet him will instinctively know it.

Bestowments: All Reapers must carry out the duties given to them by death (see the Flaw of Driving Goal), but to give them help in battling the forces of the Wyrm they receive the basic insight of the Vesper of the Deliverance. Reapers may continue to learn the Deliverance and other Vespers of the Many Faces of Death without instruction.

The Reborn .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . "I am the Demon that waits inside you" . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. ... .. - Gary Numan, Dark (Dark City Soundtrack).

The Darkened are by definition enigmatic and unknowable. For this reason a final Wake exists to group all Darkened that cannot be grouped. These are named the Reborn, the unnameable Darkened, with odd and rare voyages into the darkness. Many of these Darkened were victims of The Eclipse, but most have crossed the threshold and have become Darkened in there own special way. Players that wish to create a completely original voyage have this Wake, or with the Storytellers help may create a new one. The relationship that these Darkened have to the dark is unique to each of them . . .

Last Notes. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . You might notice that unlike other character descriptions in the World of Darkness series there is no real hard description in The Dark of the different wakes, just a bare boned skeleton. The reason is simple, the Darkened are all individualistic, absolutely no two Darkened are alike and even though the Wake does influence them in similar ways it by no means categorizes them with easy labels and descriptions. The Dark is meant to be ripped apart and reconstructed as the user wishes. Used loosely The Dark will accomplish it's highest goals of gaming.

Acceptance: The True Voyage Begins.. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . "Don't let the light shine on me." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . - Gary Numan, Dark (Dark City Soundtrack).

Once the mortal has become Darkened the true voyage begins. Repressed emotions, urges, behaviors, and habits come flooding out of the Darkened for a while. This first period of time is called the flood, for a good reason. When it is over and the Darkened is more stable he enters a three part cycle. This cycle is called the Disposition. All Darkened follow it, although never at the same speed. The Disposition is the cycle of the Darkened's release of his repression. It allows the Darkened to revitalize and strengthen the darkness within himself. All characters must choose a Disposition to start with.

The Endured . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . This is the longest of the dispositions, coming before the Volatile and after the Stoic. It is a time of balance and stability, as stable as a Darkened can get that is. Darkened in this stage don't repress anything, but they don't go on too many "week long" rampages or "twenty to one" orgies. Their emotions and urges are neither repressed or amplified.

The Volatile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . This disposition of the cycle is a return to the flood, although it is shorter and not quite as bad. The flood gate is suddenly flung open and every urge, emotion, and whim is amplified and acted upon without a single thought of consequence. A dangerous, but exciting time of rampage and excess. It should be noted however that Darkened are not stupid during this part of the cycle, just extremely impulsive. During this time if a Darkened wishes to resist his urges for some reason they can, but they must take care for this can lead to the Regressed and even into the Dawn. Of all the Dispositions this is the shortest one.

Bestowments: All Actions requiring a clear and calm mind or enduring concentration loose a success automatically, but the Volatile Darkened gains an extra point of Willpower for the duration of the disposition (this may increase the Darkened's willpower beyond the normal limit of 10).

The Stoic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . This disposition of the cycle follows the Volatile and is a time of recovery and inner speculation. All of the emotions and urges have been released to such a degree that there are none left. Left in a state of withdrawnness and emotionlessness the Darkened becomes meditative and without motivation. It is also a time of intimacy to the dark, and many revelations are discovered during this time. The Darkened may stir himself from this reverie, but risks the Regressed and even the Dawn by doing so.

Bestowments: All Actions requiring a clear and calm mind or enduring concentration gain an automatic success, but the Stoic Darkened losses a point of Willpower for the duration of the disposition. If this reduces the Darkened's willpower to equal the Darkened's Self Control he enters the Dawn as usual. Stoic Darkened are also prone to sudden unsought insights and revelations while in deep meditation, especially when in a place favored by the Dark.

The Regressed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . There is a fourth disposition that is not part of the normal cycle, the Regressed. This disposition is entered when the Darkened fails in his convictions and begins to doubt himself, see Willpower. It may also be entered if the Darkened tries to contain himself during the Volatile or rouse himself from the Stoic dispositions. A Willpower point is spent and Willpower is rolled when the Darkened attempts this (diff is up to the Storyteller, but should be around 6 or 7) if succeeded the Darkened moves from his currant disposition to the next. If failed the Darkened enters the Regressed Disposition, and if botched the Darkened enters the Regressed and loses a Willpower point permanently.

During the Regressed the Darkened is in constant doubt over himself and must face his fears to move past this stage. The Darkened will be tempted to repress the urges that he feels as he is unsure of himself and the dark. If he succeeds in acting on those urges he will sone enter into the Volatile disposition, if he represses these urges he will continue to loose willpower until he faces the dawn, a reversion to his former self. This disposition is a sort of voyage, each temptation and urge must be faced. Each successful acting on an urge makes it easier for the next roll or a regaining of lost WP (but not WP lost permanently), and each repression of an urge causes the loss of a Willpower, any botch causes a permanent loss of a WP point. See the Dawn for more details of falling into Regression. It is possible for a character to start in this disposition, but the player would be crazy to do so as he may loose his character before he has a chance to actually play it.

Character Creation. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . "Well in order to make an omelet, you have to break a few eggs." . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . - Usually someone who just broke your fucking eggs.

Character creation is similar to any other White Wolf Game, with a few slight adjustments listed below. Feel free to bend, mold, and twist any of the rules listed below, or anywhere else in this book, to suit your own unique vision, that is what the imagination is for, go hog wild.

Concept . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . All players should choose a concept to base their character around. It should be done before the rest of the generation is done, but if the player does not have anything really specific in mind he can base a concept around what he chooses for now. Choose a concept, nature, and demeanor. Note that it is not uncommon for a Darkened to have their Nature and Demeanor either the same or completely opposite and that especially during the Volatile disposition it is not uncommon for the Darkened to completely change their Demeanor or possibly even their Nature.

The Dark. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . All players must choose a Wake and Disposition to start with and make adjustment notes to reflect the disposition chosen. All characters must also choose something to put in the "The Dark" position on the character sheet. This is open to the character, but should sum up how the character sees The Dark. For example if you are playing a Disciple you might envision The Dark as a sentient god, thus you can put that, or even have a title or name for it. This is entirely open and should be unique and personal to the character.

Traits . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. All players start with Attributes 7/5/3, Abilities: 13/9/5, Vespers: 1, Backgrounds: 5 (choose and adapt ones from other White Wolf games), Virtues: 5, and Freebie Points: 35 (should spend at least 14 on Numina or on the three or four Vespers that the character starts out with basic insight to). Note that Darkened must always start with a higher rating in Willpower (should be at least two higher) than in Self Control.

Finishing Touches. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . Choose merits & flaws, specialties if any, powers and other Numina. A good character should also have an in depth background including a story of his or her voyage into the darkness that corresponds loosely with his or her Wake.

Freebie Points and Experience Points. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . Vespers require 7 freebie points for a dot, but only Vespers that the character begins with may be bought, no new ones. To gain the basic insight of a new Vesper the character must spend at least a month in meditation and training with someone who has at least three dots in the Vesper. At the end of the month, if the meditation was not interrupted, the character gains the basic insight and may begin to spend experience on improving the Vesper. Vespers of the Trinity of Insights cost 5X currant level to improve, all other Vespers cost 7X currant level in experience points. The rest of the different character traits correspond to the same traits in other White Wolf games.

A Final Recommendation. . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . The preceding rules for character creation are the basic, storyteller system equivalents. In my vision of the Darkened they have access to much more power, but with little or no control or knowledge of such. Therefore I recommend adding this rule to character creation, although it is ultimately up to the individual storyteller wether or not it is used.

When the mortal crosses the threshold and becomes Darkened he is gifted by the Dark with a large amount of power. There are a number of reasons for this. One, all Darkened are the product of a long and arduous voyage and therefore deserve a reward for their efforts. Second, because the Darkened are so unique and rare (only about one for every hundred Kindred, or one for every 100,000 normal mortals) the Dark bestows them with more power so that they are not accidently destroyed by the hoards of other night creatures. To implement this without overbalancing the power of the character in relation to other characters the powerful but still fledgling Darkened gains extra dots in Vespers and other Numina, but doesn't know what they are. The newly born Darkened must slowly discover and learn their other powers.

After the character is done the Storyteller looks over the character and makes a few notes so that the assigned power fits the character concept. Then he assigns an extra 10 dots in Vespers and other Numina to the character, but does it on his own sheet. These extra powers should be in powers the character doesn't already possess and should be limited to three or four new powers at most. Vespers gained should be in a division that the character already has access to, such as the Disciples and the Dark Providence. This information must NEVER be shown to the player, he must figure it out for himself. These powers come out in stages of control before the character may control them well.

Stage 1: Whenever the storyteller wishes (usually in times of high emotion, stress or dire need) the player may suddenly find strange and unknown powers bursting forth from within. Unless this happens during meditation the storyteller must drain Willpower from the character, and inform them of this, but only needs to drain a Willpower point for every level accessed (to access a level five power costs 5 Willpower, not 15). The storyteller then rolls any appropriate rolls to determine the outcome. At this stage the only way the character can attempt to control the powers is by spending a Willpower point and rolling ½ his Willpower (diff = 4 + level of power). If this roll botches the power either fails utterly or flares wildly out of control, and the character enters the Regressed disposition. Stage two is entered after the character has successfully controlled each of his extra powers at least 10 times.

Stage 2: At this stage the character may attempt to summon his powers, he has experienced them enough to understand what they are and basically how they work. To do this he must spend a Willpower point and attempt to access a specific level of power as normal (normal meditation time and Willpower expenditure), then roll ½ Willpower (diff = level of power ). If this roll is botched the character enters the Regressed disposition. Characters may attempt to harness and control an outburst of power the same as in stage one, but doesn't have to spend a Willpower point. Stage three is entered after the character has successfully controlled or summoned each extra power a total of twenty times.

Stage 3: At this stage the character may summon or control an extra power by rolling ½ Willpower (diff = 5). After successfully summoning or controlling each power a total of 30 times the character gains each extra power as normal. Powers of the Adept must be handled a little differently. Any power that the storyteller deems appropriate to the character may be given as long as the Darkened (probably a Prodigy) has the same level in the Adept. All powers must be looked at and revised to fit with the stages and mechanics of the Darkened. It should be just as hard to access these other powers as it is to access and control extra Vespers.

Chapter Three

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