Accursed: The Emptiness

By Kris Newton (newton@wcinet.net)

Prologue

"I do not know why I am before you, Prince: I want only information before I leave this town. Perhaps you do not understand who I am? I am no one: I do not belong in this world and I do not want to belong. Like you and your kind, I have lived for times unheard of by mortals, but I am still one of them. A Curse on my life keeps me from leaving this mortal coil, and tortures my every moment: I think you may be able to grant me my wish, that I may die.

"You have heard of my kind? I assure you, we are not all alike. I am a Seeker, believing that somewhere, in the minds of the Garou, the Kindred, the Fey, somewhere, there is a Cure. I hate the warlike Hunters, who seek to destroy others that they might destroy themselves, and the Tainted, who were paid for their misery by the forces of evil.

"Is it payment that concerns you? I believe we can arrange something. I have many unique skills, a hodgepodge of pursuits gleaned from centuries of experience. If you seek something more exotic, my special talents may be of service. My Curse is a burden to me, but it grants me powers that are unique to my kind.

"So you know nothing. I expected as much. I am sorry to have disturbed you. But . . . Perhaps one of your associates can help me . . . ."

Introduction

Before the age of reason and its strict limit on magi, only a fool or a desperate man would slight or harm a mage. There were always fools and desperate men, however, and they paid their price. Most magi had no interest in punishing their attackers: they were too busy furthering their knowledge of their esoteric art. But a few vindictive magi were known to make examples of those who harassed them with cruel curses. The cruelest curses came with a diabolical gift: Immortality.

Curses so powerful are no longer possible, but their effects remain. Those who are so cursed still exist today under the power of "the Curse." The Accursed, as they are commonly known by their supernatural kin, are some of the most hopeless and depressed of all creatures; however, they have achieved wisdom that few others can match. Even this wisdom barely holds in check their insanity, the result of being torn from the human race and living an existence without any companionship for centuries at a time. Indeed, the Accursed are dangerous even to their own kind, unlike the Garou or Kindred.

Ask any of the Accursed what the worst part of their Curse is, and they will describe the Emptiness. This is the flat, bland history of each Accursed: the endless cycle of kingdoms and rebellions that have lost meaning for the character. The Emptiness is a void during which the Accursed struggles to keep sanity. It is occasionally broken by a time of meaning and activity, much prized but feared for its ability to snap the weakened minds of the Accursed with sudden stress.

The closest thing to a society that the Accursed have is school: There are four primary schools of thought that are used to define and separate the Accursed. While the Accursed are highly individual, perhaps more so than any other creature, they have developed a bad reputation among all that know of them. They are all people who have done something annoying enough to a mage to warrant the Curse. This makes it all the more difficult for the Accursed the find the Cure.

The first person to be cursed, a mythical figure among the Accursed, carved instructions for the Cure into stone tablets. Only a few of the tablets have been recovered, but they are enough to cause a great debate among the Accursed. The tablets say nothing explicit: they only insure the reader that "the hidden people of this earth, the brothers of magic and the bizarre, hold the secret of my Cure."

Most of the Accursed will be found searching for the Cure. Only the very lucky or very dedicated have found any hint about where the Cure truly is. Obviously, no cure for the Curse is currently known.

Character Generation

"My body is shaped by my curse My mind shaped by my peers. But my soul is my own."
-- Jean Laczon of the Seekers

The usual rules for Attributes apply. However, two points are added to the character's Mental Attributes. This reflects the Accursed's greater experience with life. Charisma is limited to two dots for starting characters. This reflects the generally detached mood of the Accursed. No attribute may ever exceed five dots.

Decide on character age when the character is created. Each 50 years of life beyond 100 years results in an extra three points to primary, two points to secondary, and one point to tertiary abilities. However, each 50 years beyond 100 years adds one point permanent Insanity and permanent Wisdom. No ability may ever exceed five dots unless the character has a curse that says otherwise. The character starts with normal freebie points (15).

New Abilities

The Accursed have certain abilities that are difficult or impossible for mortals to attain. These are listed below:

Culture: The ability to adapt quickly and efficiently to new cultures. This skill can be used in any new society, from foreign countries to the Camarilla.

*	You can figure out which spoon to use. The fork, on the other hand....
**	You can pick up the common niceties.
***	You can go through the motions and sometimes understand a little.
****	You can convince people that you're a native (a stupid native, but a native.)
*****	You can impress natives with your mastery of culture.

Ancient Weapons: An affinity with long forgotten weapons. This skill should be used whenever very ancient weapons (ballistas, nunchaku, bokkens, etc.) come in to play. Swords and other weapons that are still used occasionally do not require a roll on this ability.

*	You can define Daisho on a good day.
**	You learned a thing or two about "farming" from the Okinawans.
***	You would be a competent mentor in ancient weapons.
****	You've had a chance to wield a Malaysian weapon on occasion.
*****	If any punk with a gun makes fun of you, he'll be sorry.

Creature Lore: The Character has learned a lot about mystic creatures and society. Roll on this skill to determine exactly how much the character knows about any given aspect of the supernatural realm. When it is established that the character knows nothing about a supernatural people, the character should not roll on this skill to adapt: that's what the Culture talent is for.

Remember that unlike other races, the Accursed is not necessarily thrust into the supernatural world when he is cursed: in fact, many Accursed are just as secluded from the supernatural as they are from the mundane.

*	"All vampires are descended from one man... I think his name was Abel or something."
**	"The werewolves believe in the Weaver and the Wyrm. The Weaver's the good guy, the Wyrm's the bad guy."
***	"Don't bother bringing that crucifix; it won't help."
****	"Lunch? I'd love to, but I have to be in the Shadowlands this afternoon."
*****	"You think the prince of New Jersey is a jerk now, you should have seen him when he was a neonate."

Nomad: As one of the Accursed, the character is virtually forced to avoid human connections. Almost all of the curses can be detrimental to mortals who get too close. The Nomad skill is the ability to eke out an existence in a given environment without attracting attention or establishing relationships.

*	You could change apartments and your boss would never be the wiser.
**	You could live in the dump or the sewers and your friends wouldn't know.
***	You can live in a town without making more than a couple acquaintances.
****	You could switch countries without any of that customs crap.
*****	You could live in an apartment building without informing the landlord.

Cure Myth: The character knows many of the cure myths and may have even read a little of the Tablets at one point. This does not reflect what the character has learned about the veracity of the cure myths, merely what he has been taught.

*	You have heard that a vampire's fangs can ward off the Curse.
**	You know a few basic myths (the blood of Caine, the skin of a White Howler, etc.)
***	You've heard most of the common myths and have a recipe for a Gypsy potion stored away somewhere.
****	You've talked with some seekers and heard a few of their unique theories (mix a vampire in mist form with a priest's blood, for example.)
*****	You are thoroughly interested in the field, and have started a myth or two yourself.

Insanity and Wisdom

Insanity and Wisdom are two of the most important ratings for the Accursed: Together, they represent the mental pain and anguish of the character from his curse and the unique wisdom the Accursed has gained from looking at humanity objectively.

When a character does anything that distances him from humanity (such as conferring with animals, spending time in environments uncomfortable to humans, etc.) the Accursed gains a temporary insanity point. An hour of action in mortal populated areas or a fifteen-minute meeting with a personally known mortal drains all temporary insanity points. When the character has accumulated ten temporary insanity points, he or she gains one permanent insanity point. This point may not be eliminated by the usual means.

One temporary wisdom point is gained per adventure that the character interacts somewhat with humanity. One temporary wisdom point is lost whenever the Accursed goes for an entire adventure without interacting significantly with humans. When the Accursed amasses ten temporary wisdom points, one permanent wisdom point is gained.

Every day that permanent insanity exceeds permanent wisdom, roll against insanity (difficulty 4.) A failure means that the character is not affected. A success results in temporary withdrawal. The character will hide away to sulk in whatever environment is most comfortable. Until permanent wisdom exceeds permanent insanity, the character remains insane.

When the character reaches ten points of permanent insanity, he or she faces permanent withdrawal. Make a Willpower roll (difficulty 9) to determine if the character goes permanently insane. If the roll fails, the character withdraws from society forever. If not, permanent insanity is reduced to 9.

Merits and Flaws

Many of the merits and flaws from other White Wolf games are applicable to the Accursed. It is up to the Storyteller to decide which merits and flaws can be selected. Merit and flaw maximums and freebie point rules are unchanged.

There are certain merits and flaws that are available only or mostly to the Accursed. They are listed below.

Ancient Weapon (+2): The character possesses a high-quality weapon from some ancient source. The weapon must be at least one hundred years old and does the normal damage of a weapon of its type plus three. In addition, all damage from the weapon is aggravated.

Blackmail (+2-5 Storyteller discretion): The character knows something damaging about a powerful figure. A plus two Blackmail merit applies to a relatively small indiscretion from a sheriff or mayor, while a plus five merit indicates knowledge of a major crime on the part of a vampire prince or major mortal figure (major politician, CEO of large company, etc.) At the Storyteller's discretion, this merit may be raised to plus six or even seven for truly extraordinary knowledge (saw the president of the United States with a mobster and has pictures, spotted Bill Gates with his horns out, etc.)

Treasure (+3): The Accursed has accumulated great wealth over his long life. This is different from normal wealth in that the assets are not fluid; they are in the form of relics or old currency. While the wealth garnered from such items can be impressive, it is always necessary to find a buyer. Also, the player should remember that the character is not necessarily itching to go out and blow his fortune on nifty weapons and armor. It is entirely possible that the character may wish to save his treasure, either for his own enjoyment or to wait for it to gain greater value. The actual value of the treasure always depends on the buyer and the seller, but hovers somewhere around $100,000.

Blessing (+4): The Accursed has tried several times to cure his Curse through mystical means. Though these attempts have failed, they have left the character with some mystic advantages. The advantage is equivalent to a mystic effect or rote. The effect is constantly engaged, and is equal in power to a rote of no more than seven dots of spheres total. Only magic that affects the state of the character is possible: No fireball blessings unless the character is going to be in a state of constantly shooting fireballs.

Intimidated (-6): The character is thoroughly intimidated by mundane society. He or she can deal perfectly well with the supernatural, but the rigors of mortal life is just too difficult to cope with. This is usually a result of a horrific curse that makes the character ashamed or an unstable personality that makes the character more comfortable with animals or in confinement than with mortal peers. The character can never roll more than one die on social rolls involving normal mortals or human society.

Attachment (-2): The Accursed has, over the course of his long life, formed an intense attachment to some object or person. This object or person must be at least fifty years old and it is suggested that the object of the attachment be able to survive along with the character. If the object is destroyed or taken from the character, all rolls are minus one for a month.

Old Ways (-2): The Accursed is very resistant to change, especially in the fields of technology and medicine. The character will use old ways (which can vary depending on age) whenever possible, cannot start with over one dot in any ability involving modern technology, and rolls one less die on rolls involving modern technology.

Curse List

"These unholy rites, My all seeing eyes, these are but diseases. Truly Cursed is he who faces loneliness and despair such as I do."
-- Leonardo DaVinci of the Skeptics (lost in the Deep Umbra)

Each Accursed must choose at least two curses and automatically receives the curse "Curse of the Immortal Flesh." No character may start with a permanent insanity greater than six.

The Accursed is incapable of death. Attacks do normal damage and the character has no special regenerative powers, but aging ceases at whatever age the curse was set. In addition, if the character ever dies, he or she becomes a wraith for a number of days equal to the levels of aggravated damage inflicted on the body. The wraith is incapable of penetrating the Horizon or the shroud, but can travel normally in the tempest, shadowlands, and near umbra. After this time, the wraith reinhabits the body. The character gains one additional permanent insanity point.

Insanity: 0
Wisdom: 0

The Accursed is invulnerable to fire and heat, and in fact gains one health level per turn submerged in flame. He can also control (though not create) existing fires. However, all humans who touch the Accursed (either skin to skin or through clothing) immediately begin burning (ten levels aggravated damage per turn.)

Insanity: 4
Wisdom: 1

The Accursed sees things as they truly are from all subjective realities (this often means several superimposed images, as the truth is somewhat subjective.) When the Accursed sees something, he automatically sees its appearance in the Skinlands, Shadowlands, the Umbra, its impression of its own true form, and any faerie seemings. The character is unable to function around insane people without a Willpower roll (difficulty 8.) If the character is blind, this Curse is unavailable.

Insanity: 2
Wisdom: 4

The Accursed has one phenomenal talent, skill, or knowledge (7 dots!) However, the Accursed has a sensory flaw that prevents him or her from enjoying the product of his/her work. If the talent is art, the flaw is blindness. If the skill is music, the flaw is deafness. Only skills that apply may be chosen (no melee fighting or driving.) Your talent is such that it soothes those who observe it (Willpower test difficulty of seven to avoid becoming peaceful and contemplative) and actually addicts people over time (after ten exposures, observers will become fascinated with the talent's product and will seek to be around it at least once a week. Inability to do so will results in poor temper and insomnia for 1D10 days.)

Insanity: 1
Wisdom: 0

All whom you like or love will die within a month of recognizing you. No disguise will aid in this situation, so even if the person who sees you does not know your identity, the effect will still take place. This effect will not harm any supernatural creature besides ghouls. Any person whom you truly love, upon a successful Willpower roll (difficulty 9), can break the curse. In this event, subtract two insanity points from your total.

Insanity: 4
Wisdom: 2

The Accursed has a deep desire to spend time in the ocean. He/She must make a Willpower roll (difficulty six) every hour that he/she is not in the ocean. A failure means that the Accursed must return to the ocean as quickly as possible. The character will spend all or most free time in the ocean, contemplating the sea. He/She is an excellent swimmer (five dots) and is capable of speaking to sea creatures.

Insanity: 2
Wisdom: 1

The Accursed is very lucky at some times, but very unlucky when it is important. Any unsuccessful roll in relaxed or unimportant situations is made a success by adding as many successes as is necessary. The Storyteller keeps track of these successes, however. In any stressful or important situation, the Storyteller finds the highest addition used in the story so far and subtracts it from all rolls. The character will be invaluable to the group, but nearly powerless in critical situations. Note that important can mean important to the character, and the Storyteller may call for rolls that would not normally be made (don't offend your girlfriend, don't blow the interview) when the character cares about the situation.

Insanity: 3
Wisdom: 1

The Accursed has a variety of debilitating diseases. These diseases are highly contagious to everyone around, though they do not affect non-humans (including animals, but not ghouls.) The diseases are permanent to the character, but those who catch the disease are affected for 2D10 days. The penalties are:
• All physical attributes are one third of normal.
• Appearance and Charisma are down by one point (one point minimum.)
• Perception and Wits are down one point due to confusion (one point minimum.)
• Exertion for more than five minutes reduces all physical attributes to one until at least a twenty minute rest is taken.
• All health levels of damage count as two and all damage is aggravated.
• All who are around the Accursed must make a stamina roll (difficulty six) each time they encounter him/her. A failed roll means the disease is caught. It is entirely possible to catch the disease more than once. The character is invulnerable to all diseases besides his own and adds three points to his Medicine knowledge (he has learned a great deal about treating symptoms.)

Insanity: 3
Wisdom: 2

The Accursed is totally non-technological. This means that he or she is incapable of using any device more complicated than a simple machine (level, inclined plane, etc.) In addition, any such device that attempts to affect the character or record his or her presence will malfunction in such a way that the effect will not take place or the data is lost. This is not a radius effect: a gun will not work on the character, but is perfectly capable of hurting any of his allies. If the Accursed jumps in front of a bullet, it will hit him because the bullet itself is not a machine. On the other hand, any kind of laser would stop when he walked in its path because the machine would cease to function. As a rule, think about whether a machine failure would affect the outcome of an event to determine if it affects the Accursed.

Insanity: 1
Wisdom: 2

The Accursed occasionally sees into negative future possibilities. Whenever the Storyteller chooses to do so, he or she may give the character a vision of a terrible possible future. This vision often provides some clue about how to avoid that possible future, but is also terrifying. Negatively adjust all rolls by two points for an hour after the vision and during any critical point in deciding if the vision will take place. The Accursed will tend to be nervous and somewhat moody due to years of these visions.

Insanity: 2
Wisdom: 3

The Accursed is magically connected to some sort of immortal being (a vampire, mummy, immortal, fellow Accursed, etc.) The Accursed takes health levels equal to the connected character, shows the symptoms of any diseases the connected character has, and feels any unusual pain the connected character feels. The connected character is usually the Accursed's enemy in some way, but this is not always the case.

Insanity: 1
Wisdom: 0

The Accursed is not accepted by humans as a human. It will never occur to any human to treat the Accursed any different from an animal, and no human will ever have a greater attachment to the character than one might have to a pet. However, the Accursed is fully accepted by an animal species that treats him or her as one of its own. The Accursed is capable of speaking with that type of animal and tends to be more comfortable around those animals than around humans.

Insanity: 4
Wisdom: 2

The Accursed does not look like a normal human. He or she instead looks like a bizarre monster. Claws add two levels of damage to punches, while teeth can be used for a Strength+3 level attack. Appearance is zero. Mortals require a Willpower roll (difficulty 7) to avoid fleeing at the sight of the Accursed.

Insanity: 3
Wisdom: 1

The Accursed feels the emotions of all those around him or her. The Accursed will instantly notice any ill intent from anyone around, but must make a Willpower roll (Difficulty six) to avoid becoming overwrought with intense hate, love, worry, or peace when it is present in someone nearby. All emotional or physical pain is also felt: All health levels inflicted upon any person nearby is results in -1 to all rolls for the rest of the scene for the Accursed. It is simple for the Accursed to sense the emotions of anyone whom he or she sees (automatic success.)

Insanity: 2
Wisdom: 4

The Accursed is a master of bladed or projectile weapons (six dots in either guns or melee weapons.) However, the Accursed must kill at least one person each week with the weapon. When this time limit is exceeded, the character begins to hunt for prey in his sleep, pursuing the nearest target while in a trance. The character has intense insomnia and hallucinations when he is not able to access his weapon easily. If the character sleep-hunts and cannot attain his weapon, he will kill with his bare hands. If locked away, the character will harm himself as best he can.

Insanity: 3
Wisdom: 2

The Accursed has a pair of shackles on both his wrists and ankles. These shackles (which have no chains attached) are impossible to remove. Chains instantly appear and tie the character to the spot when the character attempts to move beyond the bounds of a specific city. The chains are unbreakable. The chains also prevent the character from being affected by any unnatural transportation (this makes the character immune to any magic that would move him, even within his home city.) Add one die to all die rolls within the area that the character is allowed to use. This reflects the Accursed's experience with this area.

The Accursed does not become a wraith when he loses all health levels, but remains in stasis in his body. The Curse travels with the mind of the Accursed, like all curses.

Insanity: 2
Wisdom: 3

The Accursed is tied very loosely to reality, and therefore drifts to different realities unless he makes a specific effort to stay in one. Anytime the character is hurt, scared, botches, or has magic cast upon him, roll against Willpower (difficulty 4.) A failure means that the character is transported to the next lowest reality to the one he is in (refer to the list below):

Skinlands
Shadowlands
Near Umbra
Tempest
Deep Umbra

The character can sink no deeper than the Deep Umbra and no higher than the Skinlands. To advance into higher realities requires a secret ritual. The ritual is always something distasteful (animal or human sacrifice is popular, hence the name of this curse.) The Accursed's body always remains in the Skinlands: when the Accursed advances beyond the Skinlands, the body drops unconscious and is treated as being dead. The character is treated as a normal wraith when he is in any reality beside the Skinlands. All curses travel with the character.

Insanity: 4
Wisdom: 3

The Accursed emits a small amount of acid at all times. This acid is ineffective against organic materials (no damage to characters, only uncomfortable irritation) but is very potent against wood, cloth, and metal. Any cloth or metal item that contacts the characters skin and has some pressure behind it will slowly burn away. Holes will open in it and steam will rise from it. It takes only seconds for holes to open up in clothing or metal armor, about a week for them to be reduced to nothing. Smaller items (ones that you can hold in your hand) will be burned in two turns. This does not affect one's hair, plastic, or acid-resistant materials. Neither does it affect vampires or any being who has shifted into the form of a non-living thing.

Insanity: 3
Wisdom: 1

The Cure

"Though we are separate, we are not without hope. The ancient heard our plight and wrote an answer. The first of the Accursed found the Cure. He wrote that it was held by one of the races that stalks the earth Vampire, Mage, Shapeshifter, Wraith, or Immortal It remains hidden from us, but there are myths And the Cure cannot stay hidden forever...."
-- Kaltom of the Seekers to his first Student

Long ago, the first man to be afflicted with the Curse discovered the Cure. The Seekers have found only a precious few of his writings, and they suggest that one of the supernatural races holds the key to the Cure. All of the Accursed have long debated about what the Cure could be, and many brave Accursed have tried to discover the Cure by trial and error, as they believe the first Accursed must have. Some of the more popular myths are listed below. Whether they are fact or fiction is not known, and is ultimately up to the Storyteller.

• A potion made of the flesh and blood of Caine can cure the Curse.
• Any Accursed who wears the skin of a White Howler under a lunar eclipse will be Cured.
• He who is properly mummified by a mage of the Order of Hermes will not arise again.
• The Accursed who penetrates into the deep Umbra will be freed of the earthly sway of the Curse.
• An ancient potion of the gypsies is the true Cure.
• Decapitating the last Immortal will release the Cure.

Schools

"Do not delude yourself that I seek life without the Curse. Nothing less than sweet death will placate the Accursed."
-- Malone of the Skeptics to a critic

"Death is not my goal. You say that I forfeit my soul To save my life. I say that only eternal life can save my soul From the darkness of the grave."

-- Oberi of the Tainted to an angel

Though the Accursed are not nearly as organized and well regulated as the vampires or as neatly divided as the Garou, there are four prevalent schools of thought in their loosely bound society. These schools are not so much defined groups as common stereotypes that the Accursed share about their own kind. Each school is based on the most important factor in the life of an Accursed, the mythical Cure. Few of the Accursed exactly fit any stereotype, but most hold an association with one group.

The Seekers believe that the Tablets refer to some mythical cure involving the knowledge or power of some supernatural race. This wide definition of the Tablets causes them to search the world over for the most exotic and knowledgeable of the races to help them. The Seekers are usually desperate Accursed who have searched for years. Though very jaded and somewhat cynical, these are usually the most pleasant of the Accursed (especially to supernatural creatures: Why let poor manners or revulsion get in the way of the Cure?)

Bonus: +1 Wisdom, add a total of three dots to Skills of your choice.

Role Playing Ideas: The Seekers are typically the most open-minded, optimistic, and easiest Accursed to play. Remember that the Seekers are just that: Seekers of the Cure, not passive observers of other character's lives. If a Seeker is involved in a chronicle, it is because he or she believes that it will ultimately lead to the Cure. Play Seekers as very motivated, proactive people who take every opportunity to learn. Many of the Seekers were cursed because they were invading the secrets of magi.

The Hunters interpret the Tablet of the Accursed to mean that the specific form of some species or sub-species holds the cure. Thus, the Hunters are constantly seeking to kill and use the form of unique creatures. This hones the Hunters' combat skill over time (and gives them some impressive trophies) but leaves them very hardened to killing and hated by many a supernatural creature. The Hunters do not kill all supernatural creatures on sight, and may in fact befriend creatures who allow themselves to be used. However, all non-humans would be wise to watch their backs around a Hunter: Who knows when a new Cure myth will start, and who will die for its sake . . . .

Bonus: Add three dots to both Melee Weapons and Guns (this may raise the ability to up to six dots.

Role Playing Ideas: The Hunters can be difficult to play simply because the other characters will probably not trust them (and rightly so.) Expect a Hunter character to be on the outside of many situations, especially those involving fey or vampires in large numbers. Remember that though the Hunters are very hardened individuals, they have a human side: use this to establish a good reason why your character has no interest in experimenting upon the other PCs. An old debt, a renewed relationship, or pangs of remorse all work well. Hunters work best in chronicles with magi (who are more valuable alive) and wraiths (who open up the Umbra to the character.)

The Skeptics totally dismiss the Tablet of the Accursed as superstitious nonsense. They adamantly believe that modern science is capable of producing the Cure, though most keep their condition a secret simply out of shame or protection of others. The Skeptics are almost entirely Accursed who were cursed sometime after the Renaissance. Most are on the cutting edge of technology and keep very close track of all new medical techniques. They are sometimes inventors or doctors themselves. The Skeptics are less friendly to supernatural creatures than most of the Accursed, but they also tend to be the closest to human society.

Bonus: +2 to Wisdom

Role Playing Ideas: The Skeptics are perhaps the most difficult of the Accursed to play. Their very nature precludes their having a great deal of interest in the lives of other PCs. It is best to team the character with characters who can debate with him or her and serve as a counterpoint to the science conquers all mentality. Magi work well here, as do Gypsies and other Accursed (especially Seekers.) On the other hand, an entire team of technology oriented characters can be interesting, and the Skeptic fits in perfectly (Virtual Adepts can round out the party.)

The Tainted are the only Accursed who had some part in their Curse: They took the Curse along with immortality from some supernatural source (often the Wyrm.) A few of the Tainted are happy with their trade, but most are miserable due to both the Curse and their required service to whatever power gave them the Curse. The Tainted will often be the first to strike out at evil supernatural creatures, but most of the Accursed (and practically everyone else) steers clear of them. After all, they did sell their lives, if not their souls, to something evil, and no one knows if those who are Tainted ever really change.

Bonuses: At the cost of service to some Supernatural evil (this can vary from occasional assignments to a lifestyle of destruction) the character can remove one curse (besides immortality.) Characters can have less than three curses total using this bonus. Those who have abandoned their Cursers have the normal number of curses.

Role Playing Ideas: The Tainted are all evil characters, which can pose a problem: What is it that has changed the character, and if nothing has changed the character, why are the other PCs hanging around with him? Of course, centuries of living can change the perspectives of a character, and so the Tainted are not universally evil and malicious. In fact, most are merely greedy and unwisely bold. Remember that some evil force has a hold on the Tainted, even if he has tried to leave it behind. The Tainted can be played as a sympathetic character or even as a hero, but there will always be something not quite right about him.

Relationships to the World of Darkness

Vampires: Vampires are most likely of all supernatural creatures to have heard of the Accursed. Many a vampire has been approached for the Cure, and not a few have been killed by Hunters attempting to use vampire fangs, blood, or flesh to mix a Cure. In general, vampires who know about the Accursed are very distrustful of them, especially Hunters. Vampires who care a great deal for tradition (especially elder vampires) will tend to hate all of the Accursed because of the widely held myth that the blood and flesh of Caine will Cure the Curse. Younger vampires and those who are less concerned about tradition can often find companionship with the Accursed, who are incapable of hurting the vampires with their Curse and who are among the few who live as long as the vampires. About half of all vampires are aware of the Accursed's existence. A fourth know about the four schools and the specific traits of the Accursed. Note that vampires who try to feed on the Accursed are in for a surprise: It carries no life force. The character is kept alive by magic, which makes his blood useless to vampires for anything, including survival. It does, however, fill up the vampire's blood pool. Because the character does not derive life from his or her blood, being Embraced has no effect.

Werewolves: Werewolves are mostly ignorant of the Accursed unless one approaches them personally. The exception are the Tainted, who are a part of the werewolves' mythology. Few realize the true nature of the Tainted, but they believe in their existence and hate them for their Wyrm-given powers. Only a fifth of werewolves know of the existence of the Accursed beside the Tainted. Only a handful are aware of the schools and traits of the Accursed.

Magi: Magi are aware of several legends about unbreakable curses and mortals who gained immortality from the Wyrm, but few if any know how to cast such curses and more often than not do not believe they are possible. There are those in the Order of Hermes who have studied Egyptian mummification as a favor for personal friends, but they are few and far between. Mummification is very hard and even its most diligent students have attained nothing more than mediocre proficiency at it. Many of the original casters of the Curse were of the Euthanatos, and many of the Accursed harbor a hate toward that house. Some of the Accursed are distrustful of magi (for obvious reasons) and deal with them as little as possible. About a third of the magi (mostly from the Order of Hermes and the Euthanatos) know about the Accursed, and they know about the schools and traits as well as the Cure myths.

Wraiths: Wraiths are typically not interested in the Accursed, but Seekers often try to contact wraiths to learn the secrets of the Umbra and perhaps find the Cure there. Wraiths will sometimes become interested in the temporary wraiths of the Accursed. Moral wraiths sometimes inhabit the bodies of the Accursed during the Accursed's temporary death. The body is invulnerable to permanent harm beyond dismemberment and will not be missed by its owner, who is absent anyway. In fact, a few of the Tainted who have not learned their lessons make agreements with wraiths to leave their bodies for a time in exchange for favors in the Deep Umbra. Only a few wraiths are aware of the existence of the Accursed.

Fey: The fey do not usually care about the Accursed, except for those who can see the Dreaming. These are prized allies and victims for pranks. Because the fey have a great deal of variety and are somewhat easy to trap (especially before being awakened) the fey are very suspicious and hateful of the Hunters. Muses have helped a few brilliant Seekers to make advances in the magical field, but the fey usually stay away from Skeptics, whom they find unbearably banal.

Immortals: The Accursed are often very jealous of Immortals, who have the power to commit suicide if they do not want immortality. The Tainted are jealous of the Immortals because they have free immortality without any cost to them, and special abilities to boot. The Accursed and Immortals are often ancient rivals, and seldom get along because the desire of most of the Accursed is to die, while that of most Immortals is to survive at all costs. The Hunters who seek and destroy Immortals are a totally different group from the Accursed school of Hunters, though many Accursed Hunters have joined the group to obtain an Immortal corpse. Only two or three Immortals know of the Accursed, but Immortals are a favorite topic of debate among the Accursed.

Angels/Demons: Angels and demons take equal interest in the Accursed as they do in mortals. However, some of the Tainted have a strange tie to demons. Demons can possess them at any time, and angels do not try to save them. All Angels and Demons are aware of the existence of the Accursed.