CREATURES FROM THE DEEP UMBRA

By "Harlequin" (rmhar4@monash.edu.au) (5 April 1995)

Beyond the Near Umbra, Horizon realms, Shade realms, Shard realms, Paradox realms, Dream realms and others, lies the other worlds of the Tellurian; The Deep Umbra. Home to a myriad of beings in a myriad of worlds, the Deep Umbra truly is the last unexplored reach of existence.

-=[Begin StarTrek Music]=-

Most of these worlds contain creatures, both supernatural and natural who can traverse the Umbra. Each explorer originates in his 'home' world and reality, and if he/she/it stray too far, they will learn that their powers are not always a blessing. This is the story of those who found that the Tellurian can not only be a wilderness, but also a prison.

What most explorers don't realise is that each 'home' reality has a sort of gravitational pull towards itself, as it tries to reclaim a part of itself. But as reality can be broken by a mage's raw energy and will, by the power of a vampire's blood, by faith and spirit, so can this pull on an explorer break. Breaking from one world, they fly into the embrace of the nearest world, and the journey is not always easy. It starts slowly, with the individual feeling cold and detached. Soon the explorer feels lost, and loses bearing. Then, piece by piece, reality dissolves, and the character floats through the random void. Often the characters do not survive, as their very thoughts become concrete reality, the smallest application of will an earthquake. This may last seconds, minutes, or in rare case up to an hour, then comes what explorers refer to as the Rush. The Rush is the reality of a new world sucking in the individual to replace fluctuations in it's own pattern. The world's magnetism is truly awesome in the shapeless void in which the explorer lies. The explorer appears in some place in the host world's reality, where holes appear; magical firefights, gatherings of vampires, Lupine rituals. This also is a trial for the character, but it ensures they are dropped right into the World of Darkness, but not before the host reality has taken its toll...

"I adapt to the unknown..." -- Metallica

The character, coming from another reality is already used to a different environment, but being absorbed from a landscape created by their own psyche into a hole in reality, the are warped to fit into it. Depending on the environment they came from going to the place they materialise radically alters the characters into a new lifeform that is tied to a new reality... Not all places in the Deep Umbra are part of a reality set, in fact, only a minute amount of places conform to any reality.

Creating an altered creature

"Remember, we aren't here, none of this is happening." -- Air America

Determining your character's focus:

The character will have been pulled into a reality disorder created by a being in that reality. Depending on what being created the hole the explorer will be changed to fit it. This is called the character's focus.

Vampire: Blood magic, or similar discipline.
Foci: Compat, Grine, Higant, Bragath, Luffe.

Werewolf: Ritual, gift, or as a side-effect of traversing the Umbra.
Foci: Any, barring Desparil and Escondu.

Mage: Any magic.
Foci: Any

Miracle: Any act of faith that creates a reality vacuum.
Foci: Compat, Luffe.

Spirit: A Side-effect from a spirit, or replacing a spirit in manifestation
Foci: Luffe, Compat, Grine, Higant, Desparil.

No apparent cause: A wildcard, the character remains as he was when in the void (ie: Pretty twisted). These characters become Marauders and cannot be played by characters (See Mage for more details).
Foci: Neanon.

Foci

The character's form is roughly determined by the focus. The options of form are as follows.

7
FormFOCUSStrDexStaChrAppManPerIntWitTotal
Human
DwarfedGrine65944565549
GiantHigant94944455549
StandardCompat66656555549
NormalMundane55555555545
Inhuman
MonsterEscondu7730278849
AlienDesparil66655556549
BeastBragath98932264649
ImmaterialLuffe--755599949
OtherNeanon??????????

The Character's Focus determines his limits, physical nature and appearance. You will notice that almost all the scores listed above are superhuman. This is because in the scheme of things, the mind is the only thing which can remain unwarped, and all other attributes are relative to life in earth as a whole, not just humans. The mundane are included as an example, and although you may chose this focus, it is not recommended.

Attributes: Limits and Strengths

The above table lists the attribute maximums of each focus. They can be modified, providing that for each limit shifted up or down another attribute from the same group (Physical/Social/Mental) is shifted the opposite way. No limit can be moved more than two points. In the case of the Luffe, the physical attributes represent how solid they actually are (if at all), and though they may be bought up, they start at zero, and move up from there. The attribute maximums for the Neanon are determined by the storyteller. If you wish to create your own limits, split 49 levels between the 9 Attributes, for a balance of about 5-6 each.

The chemistry of it all

Thick Skinned +2: Str + Potence vs your stamina for a vampire to penetrate your skin. Only work whilst you are resisting.

Haemophiliac -3: If you get cut you don't stop bleeding without medical help. Kindred will find they can't lick closed a bite wound with a lick.

Potent Blood -3/+6: Your blood is unusually potent. All creatures will desire your blood above most other things. They gain two points for every one drunk. At +6, however, you may blood bond people to with three drinks. If you possess a bloodpool an disciplines you can make Ghouls with your blood.

Poisonous Blood +3/+5: Your blood is poisonous to both kindred and mortals, though they will not know this till they drink it. Every blood point drunk causes one point of (non-aggravated) damage. With 5 points spent on this merit, your blood is poisonous on touch, though you may dextoxify it with a few rounds concentration.

Deformity -3: You have some deformity, that raises your social rolls by 2, and raises your dexterity roll by 2 in some cases, depending on the deformity.

Bad Taste +2: Your flesh exudes oils which taste so bad that it anyone tries to bite you, they will become nauseous. The biter must spend willpower each turn, or retch. Note that since vampires don't actually try to rip at your flesh when biting (unless it is a melee attack) this does not prevent them from drinking your blood.

Mute -4: You have no vocal cords, or they do not function. You may not communicate with anyone vocally. You can communicate, via other forms, such as writing, or sign language.

Missing limb -3: You are missing a limb. You lose two dice on activities that normally involve two limbs, provided they can be done with one.

Strict Carnivore -1: You can only eat meat, and preferably raw. This can be an inconvenience in the wild where game is scarce.

Ambidextrous +1: You have a high degree of off-hand dexterity and can perform tasks with your off-hand at no penalty.

Armour +3: You have body armour, either external or internal that protects you from harm. Internal body armour gives +2 Soak and external gives +3. Note the obvious disadvantages of the external armour.

Constricting coils: Your body is unusually long and muscular, giving you greater ability to entrap people. You gain +3 on Immobilise

Fins +1: You have fins, webbed feet/hands, etc. Your speed while swimming is doubled.

Gills +1: You have gills which allow you to breath underwater, providing the water is suitably clear (ie: Not next to a sewage outlet; there is no oxygen in the water).

Fur +1: Your body is covered in warm fur, giving you +2 survival in the cold.

Spiked Tail +2: You have a tail which can be used to lash opponents for Str +2.

Bad Sight -2: Your sight is defective, you have a +2 difficulty to any dice roll where good eyesight is essential. This can be fixed with corrective lenses.

Blind -6: You automatically fail any dice rolls involving vision. You cannot see -- the world of colour is lost to you.

Colour Blind -1: Colour means nothing to you, you can only see in black and white. You perceive everything in shades of gray.

No sense of Taste or Smell -3: You cannot taste food, or smell at all. While this enables you do eat the most vile food, you cannot detect poisons and the like.

One eye -2: You have one eye -- choose which one, or determine randomly during character generation. You have no peripheral vision on your blind side, and lose two dice in missile combat and any situation which involves depth perception.

Hard of hearing -1: Your hearing is defective, and you have a +2 difficulty on all hearing rolls.

Deaf -4: You cannot hear sound and automatically fail any rolls that require hearing

Life Beyond life +5: You do not die when you are reduced past incapacitated. Unless the damage done to you is aggravated, you may heal by any means available to you, but suffer normal penalties until the wounds are healed. You die normally if the damage is aggravated.

Claws +3: You have claws that cause str + 2 natural damage. If they are retractable it costs you a point from the most appropriate pool (Rage, Blood, Will, etc) to activate them. Note that they only do aggravated damage if Fist of God is bought. For an extra +1 they do Str + 3.

Fangs +2: As above for fangs, except they do not require a point from a pool, but they will do more damage if they aren't retractable. This is the difference between vampire fangs and a werewolf's not-so-loving bite. Str + 2 for retractable or smaller non-retractable fangs, Str + 3 for non-retractable fangs.

Alternate forms +3 (Each): You have two or more forms you can change into. These forms are made at character generation, and is just a different set of attributes, and advantages. Note that this cannot change the intrinsic nature of the character, so only 5 attributes may be different from the 'base' form, the skills remain the same in all three forms, and the psychology of the character must remain very similar, with only 1 or 2 points of variation. This is mostly up to the storyteller, who should change these limits if there is a justifiable reason for the character, and it doesn't overbalance the game. You can only do partial changes if you buy mix-morph. The Storyteller should be careful with this, because it is easy to have a number of alternate forms, so the character can mix-morph into a set of advantages appropriate for the time.

Fleet of foot +2: You can naturally run double speed. This does not give the character additional actions.

Mix-morph +5: You can change certain parts of yourself you another of your forms. You must roll your Morphing skill versus the difficulty of that form. See Alternate forms for more.

Longevity: How long-lived are you? Normal aging rolls start at 65 so this is assumed as the default. These are the other options.

MaturityOld AgeCost
18650Normal
16852With Longevity Advantage
183204Revenant
--Unaging6Vampire

Bloodlust -5: You hunger for blood. You lose one point of blood per day, and constantly desire vitae. If you have the beast within it will cause you to frenzy as a vampire.

Silicon physiology +5: Your body is based on silicon materials rather than carbon based ones. As a result of this, you make stamina rolls with a -1 difficulty, and soak rolls with a -2 difficulty.

Don't Sleep +4: Your body is able to sustain itself in constant action without the need to sleep. You fatigue as normal, but have no need to sleep. This is not to say you can't, just that you don't need to.

Ferrous physiology +7: Your body is at least partly made up of ferro-organic and ferrous compounds (Metal), giving you 4 soak dice and -2 on all stamina difficulties (except soak rolls).

Undead physiology +4: Your body has ceased to function as a living body but you still remain alive and able to move. You are invulnerable to radiation, unaffected by gases, immune to disease, etc.

Dormant Circulation +2: For some reason, your blood circulation and lymphatic system are remarkable effective. You hardly bleed when cut, you don't suffer loss of blood wounds. The only problem is that if a wooden stake (or some designated material, be sensible when choosing) pierces your heart, you can no longer move your body. Note that since you don't need your heart to keep you alive any longer, this will not kill you, as it does to mortals. It also means that if your arm is torn off, you suffer only the aggravated damage, rather than dying from shock.

No vital functions +3/+4: Your vital functions no longer determine your health. You don't need to eat, drink, or breath, and can't unless you buy this advantage at +1 (Total of +4).

Heightened Senses +1 (each): You have unusually good senses. Each sense you enhance with this advantage rolls at -2 difficulty.

Social

Ranked Society -8: Your society is ranked, according to accomplishments, honour and wisdom. You must obey Renown rules for your powers, whatever they may be.

Divided Society -1: Your 'family' is grouped into Clan, camps, etc. You are constantly divided, and spend large amounts of time in a powerplay, as different factions try to gain control of the Clan as a whole.

Affinity +3: You have a special rapport with another type(s) of supernatural creature. These creatures like you very much and all social rolls are at 2 less difficulty.

Pack Society -/+ 0: You and your kind (or adoptive kind) run in packs. You may not have come alone into this reality, and maybe there are others like you who run in this pack. In any case, you have the responsibilities and benefits of pack life.

Natural enemies -3 (Each): Your race, or just you yourself are hated and attacked by some of the supernatural races. Their motive is to eliminate you, and only wayward individuals in their group would ever give you any sympathy.

Animal Affinity +1: You have an innate understanding of animals, and they don't fear you because of this. Reduce all roll involving animals by 2.

Adoptive Tribe/Clan +4: If you have the correct powers, you can join one group, and buy powers at their costs, but you inherit any weakness they have.

Powers

Bloodpool +10: You have a bloodpool. You can use blood to build up your physical attributes, power disciplines, etc. Your blood pool starts at 11 and increases if you buy generation, or steal it from someone else (via diablerie). If you have fangs, you drink blood as a vampire (the kiss), otherwise you must extract it from the blood some other way. If you have bought the beast within and bloodlust, you frenzy on sight of blood as per vampires.

Rage and Gnosis +10: These two scores, commonly used by werewolves, are essential for gifts. However, both of them can be used on their own, in combat and the spirit world. Your scores in these two start out as one, but can be increased with freebie points or buying Spiritual Influence. Note that if you have the beast within, you don't frenzy while your Gnosis is higher or equal to your rage.

Regeneration +5: You regenerate one level of non-aggravated damage and one point of aggravated damage a day, in addition to normal healing. This does not work in combat, though, unless the character has the appropriate gifts, or Rage.

Combat Regeneration +7: As above, except you may regenerate one level of non aggravated damage each combat round.

Gifts +8: You have three first level gifts. These are taken from a selection chosen by the Storyteller, or by the character, if the groups of gifts are well defined (Select an auspice, a breed similar to any of your forms, and chose a tribe. These are choices only, they don't enrol you in a werewolf tribe). Additional Gifts can be bought for 7 points each, 1st level only. You must have Rage and Gnosis to use these powers.

Spheres of Magic +10: Your avatar has been awakened. You have one point in one sphere plus one per 5 freebie points spent on this advantage. You have one point of Arete, a Quintessence equal to your avatar background, and are prone to paradox as are all mages. See Mage:TA for more details. You are counted as a Hollow One (Orphan), unless adopted by a tradition. If adopted by a tradition, you gain their special sphere, but must use foci as they do.

Vulnerability -5/-9: You are affected by the presence of a specific substance. While it is near, you suffer one point of damage every other round and all difficulties are +1. Weapons utilising this substance do double damage. At -9, this damage is aggravated.

Weakness -4: There is a particular substance that causes aggravated damage to you when used in a weapon. If the substance cannot be fashioned as a blade or bullet, simply the presence of the substance in the weapon (in the pommel, etc) makes it cause aggravated damage.

Disciplines +10: You can bend reality to your will through blood power. You have one discipline, which can be chosen from any physical Discipline (Potence, Celerity, Fortitude) or clan discipline, but only if you have been adopted by them. Each other discipline costs 7 points each. You must have a bloodpool to utilise them. If the character has not adopted, he/she will buy disciplines as a Caitiff.

Spiritual influence (See Below): Your Rage and Gnosis are affected by some aspect of your host reality. In the case of the werewolves, it is the cycles of the moon. You can buy more than one selection if you wish, though this is unadvisable.

Case 1:Gnosis 2Rage: 5Cost: 5
Case 2:Gnosis 2Rage: 4Cost: 4
Case 3:Gnosis 3Rage: 3Cost: 4
Case 4:Gnosis 4Rage: 2Cost: 4
Case 5:Gnosis 5Rage: 2Cost: 5

Fist of God +7: Your natural weaponry (fists, claws, etc) does aggravated damage to all supernatural creatures. One option is that you must have a specific weapon to use this power. If you have claws and/or fangs, this only costs +3, but your claws, fangs, etc, are your only aggravated damage weapon.

Supernatural

Raphael's Curse -7: Sunlight causes aggravated damage to you as it does to vampires.

Warped Reality -3: Reality can change as you develop negative energy. You suffer the effects of the Quiet if you gain paradox, lose humanity, lose Gnosis, or botch on some powers.

Study points +8: You are able to learn extremely fast through research, and only a small amount of experience. You gain study points for studying in downtime, to speed your acquisition of knowledge and skills.

Delirium -2: For some reason, mortals are terrified by your form. They suffer the effects of the Werewolves' delirium, on page 201 of W:TA.

Veil +4: Normal people don't remember your supernatural abilities as do other supernatural beings. This is different from the background Arcane, in that people do remember you, and your powers can be captured on film, but they tend to rationalise everything (ie: Man in a gorilla suit ran in with a gun).

Patron spirit (See Below): You have been adopted by a powerful spirit. Sometimes called totems, these spirits lend power to their followers, asking one or two small things in return. If you purchase the Totem background, the spirit will intervene periodically. The cost is variable depending on the spirit. See W:TA and/or it's player's guide for details. With the Storyteller's help the character can have an individualised totem.

Step sideways +4: You can naturally enter the umbra with some mundane focus. You must roll your Gnosis versus the Gauntlet as a difficulty, or your Arete dice as in Mage:TA.

Mental

Iron Will +5: You are immune to all types of mind control. You have never submitted before, and you are not going to start now. All willpower rolls are made at -2 difficulty.

The Beast within -5: You have the beast awake within you, and because of this you frenzy like a vampire, or as a lupine is you have rage.

Examples

Garou: Step sideways, alternate forms (4), rage, gnosis, beast within, Spiritual influence, gifts, patron spirit (totem), natural enemies (Wyrm, Vampires, Hunters = 3), regeneration, Potent blood (-3), Ranked society, Pack society, Mix-morph, Life beyond life, Divided society (each tribe has camps), Adoptive Tribe, Agg. Damage from sliver.

+4, +12, +10, +5, +8, +?, +5, +/-0, +5, +5, +4: 58
-5, -9, -3, -8, -1, -2: -23

Total: 35

Vampires (Camarilla): The Beast Within, Life beyond life, Fangs, Natural Enemies (Werewolves, Hunters, Sabbat = 3), Disciplines (3), Adoptive Clan, Longevity (Unaging), Bloodpool, Bloodlust, Dormant circulation, No vital functions (+3), Fist of God (+3) (Claws/Fangs), Raphael's Curse, Potent Blood (+6), Undead Physiology.

+5, +2, +24, +4, +6, +10, +2, +3, +3, +5, +4 : 64
-5, -9, -4, -7: -25

Total: 39

Mages (Tradition): Natural Enemies (Technocracy, Nephandi, Marauders = 3), Spheres of Magic (5), Warped Reality, Adoptive tradition, Study Points.

+10, +20, +4, +8: 47

-9, -3: -12
Total: 30

Other points:

Virtues: 7
Freebie: 15
Attributes: 15 (Split Three ways)
Max Flaws: -7
Backgrounds: 5
Abilities: 12/9/6

The storyteller can and should change any of the above if it is inappropriate for the game.

Since Deep Umbra characters are from a different reality, they may have different values. The following virtues can replace their 'human' counterparts. They do not all have to be replaced however. Optionally you can also replace them with Sabbat, or infernalist virtues, but it is suggested that all virtues be replaced in this event as human and sabbat virtues.

Calibration: (self-control) How you react to circumstances, what you regard as offensive, etc.

* Aggressive
** Unfamiliar
*** Collected
**** Highly tolerant
***** Indifferent to petty 'human antics'

Sentiment: (Conscience) What emotions you possess, or how each of them are triggered by different circumstances.

* Steel-hearted
** Disoriented
*** Human
**** Sincere
***** Caring

Morale: (Courage) how you react to danger. You tend to follow other's lead in relation to danger. This is exactly the same as the Sabbat virtue.

Backgrounds

Any background can be bought providing you have the scores, abilities, etc, to use it (ie: You need a bloodpool to buy generation). The Storyteller may wish to rule some backgrounds out however.

Preludes

This can be tricky for Deep Umbra characters, as few of them are the same. The following are a list of questions and possible answers, that may help you.

How did you become an explorer?

1) You were a supernatural creature on another world.
2) It was part of a military experiment.
3) You discovered an artifact that permitted you to step sideways.
4) Totally by accident. You were randomly plucked from your life and deposited in this reality.

How have you adjusted to your new life?:

1) You hate it. It is your driving ambition to return to your own world and it consumes all your time and energy.
2) You do not understand what is happening, but the life you left was one you do not care to go back to.
3) You wish this had never happened to you, nevertheless, you were drastically changed by the rush, and fear to go back because of your 'freakish' nature (At least by your perception).
4) You realise exactly what has happened to you, and labour to find a way back. You are forced, however, to interact with society in order to fund your research.

How did you appear, has anyone taken you in or adopted you?

1) You appeared in the middle of a vampire congregation. After they realised you were not a spy, they gladly sheltered you, in return for your talents. (Or did they?)
2) Your presence filled a gap created by a magical firefight. Already badly wounded from your ordeals in the void, you almost did not survive. A mage from the scene might have helped you, or perhaps a rival...
3) In the void, you saw a shimmering portal open. Hoping for an escape you plunged through it, only to find yourself looking at some rather surprised Lupine summoners. Depending on the tribe they might have explained to you what had happened and what this reality is. Alternatively they might have tried to kill you, believing you to be a Wyrm emanation.

Did you come alone?

1) You strayed to far from your group, and were pulled out alone because of that. Your compatriots presumed you dead when you did not return.
2) Your whole group wandered too far, pursuing a trivial matter when you were all pulled out. Your friends may have been scattered over the globe, or appeared all at once. In any case you will have some of your own kind to relate too.
3) A friend of yours started to get pulled out, and you ran to save him. Unfortunately you were both pulled out and deposited together.
4) A hated enemy of yours lured you into a trap, one which would have ended your life if you had not been pulled out. Now you and your rival have come into this reality, and have no intention of letting your grudges slide

On purpose?!

As you can see, characters from the Deep Umbra do not have an easy time of it. They are thrown into the most dangerous circumstances with little or no preparation for the psychological and physical changes the Rush forces them to endure. But what if the jump between realities was intentional? Where better to hide than another world? The chances of finding a single person in the farthest reaches of the Umbra is infinitesimal. Your character might be one of these people, someone forced to leave their world due to crimes committed there, or forced out by the regime there. You might be a hunter, looking for one of these escapees. It's obvious that this is the perfect excuse for the 'Warlock' style game, where that character is tracking down an evil mage/whatever that has come to this dimension to wreak havoc.

People who are employed to traverse realities, will usually be trained up by their sponsoring organisation. They should get a variant of the following list to prepare them:

Basic abilities

Enigmas: 2
Etiquette: 2
Intuition: 2
Subterfuge: 3
Awareness: 3
Mindblank: 3

Total: 15

Complimentary abilities

Survival: 2
Investigation: 2

Total: 4

Hunter abilities

Stealth: 3
Melee: 4
Brawl: 3
Dodge: 4

Total: 14

You may take all the above abilities instead of the 5/9/13 ones, for the cost of 5 freebie points. The character also has one skill at 5 as an area of expertise and 3 points to allocate to remaining abilities. The player should explain how his/her character became a hunter. It need not be for reasons of tracking someone down, it could be that the character was trained for a recon mission or a research expedition.

Hunters tend to have powers that will aid them in their journeys, and so tend toward the following: if the hunter is awakened, they prefer Correspondance, and life. If they have disciplines, they value physical disciplines and auspex. It they have Gifts, they tend towards those of the Silent Striders tribe.

A sample character, race and organisation

Kethra

A Deep Umbra Race

Focus: Neanon

Attribute limits: 6/6/6 5/5/5 5/6/5 Total = 49

Physical

+5 Life beyond life
+6 Longevity: Unaging
+4 Don't sleep
+4 No vital Functions
+2 Dormant Circulation (Iron/steel stake)
+5 Silicon Physiology

Mental

-5 The beast within

Supernatural

+35 Spheres of Magic (6)
+7 Combat Regeneration
-3 Warped Reality
-4 Weakness: Mercury

Social

-12 Natural Enemies -> Technocracy -3
-> Wyrm/Nephandi -3
-> The Marauders -3
-> Werewolves -3<

+4 Adoptive Tradition/Clan
-> Akashic Brotherhood (For purposes of magic foci, etc, not linked to the earthen guild.)
-> Home Clan: Ventrue/Tremere

Total Weaknesses: -24
Total Merits: +64
Total: +40

Description: The Kethra are a magickally advanced society, where, through a process of evolution and a society free from the restraints of a Technocratical organisation has flourished into a strong, moral race. Similar in mentality to the samurai of Ancient Japan, the Kethra value honour highly and believe that it is up to each individual to master themselves and strengthen their family name. Knowledge of the sphere of Forces is common amongst their society but spirit magick is reserved for military only.

A hundred or so years ago, a dominant clan of the Kethra, the Anasail, developed spirit magick, believing it to be that of correspondance. When they started hitting civilian targets plague bombs, a rival clan, the Eli-Macharad infiltrated the Anasail's army to discover how they achieved this devastating result. Later they were conquered by the Anasail and forced into subservience, but not before a high ranking master of forces finally discovered that there was a rift in the Anasail's land, in their gateway to the deep umbra. Soon the Anasail found it's exploring party had been lost into the gateway. All spirit research grinded to a halt, and only a few mages study the rift, in the hopes of turning it into a two way portal. In this they have very nearly succeeded, and can already send messages to their lost legion. They now hope that their operatives can subvert the Legion and return to liberate the Eli-Macharad.

The (Lost) Legion

The original pioneering expedition that was lost into the rift was a party of three hundred Keth, all of whom were not affected very much by the rush. Although largely unaffected, the initial shock of their arrival was enough to spark panic amongst them, and they fired upon what turned out to be a group of students, protesting in Tianamon Square, China. Their leader, Gejio Amachi, though fast on his feet and instructed a withdrawal to the mountains nearby, leaving only minutes before the armed forces showed up to control the riotous mobs on the streets. They trekked up across China and into tibet, seeking as safe haven. They came across a large, but remote Zen Buddhist temple, under 'protection' by Chinese authorities. Gejio, determined to contact these monks who seemed somehow familiar, entered the monastery alone, and at night. He met a lone monk, meditating through the night, and approached him. The monk opened his eyes as if he had been watching through his eyelids, and spoke in the language of his clan, not that of the Anasail, for he was a spy, but in the language of the Eli-Macharad. They conversed to the morning, Gejio intrigued by the monk's zen philosophies, and the monk just glad he had someone to talk to.

Second-in-command of the expedition, lieutenant Meya Sabine, decided to move in on the temple once dawn came, fearing Gejio had been taken captive. In truth, he had. A Chinese patrol of the monastery found him with the monk and knocked him unconscious. The Chinese had taken the monastery into their not-so-loving hands because it was a martial arts school, one which now only trained Chinese soldiers. Once past the guards at the front of the building, Lt. Sabine found no guards with firearms. A team of Chinese soldiers did in fact find her while she was searching, but the unfortunate reality that kung-fu does not prepare you for hand-grenades. After Meya had dragged Gejio back to safety (Something to which he still won't admit to), ten strike teams gutted the temple and surrounding mountains of Chinese troops. It was during the attack on the temple that one of the Anasail commandos found that one of the oldest monks was, in fact, a mage. Though he was a member of the Akashic Brotherhood, he was a master of the sphere of correspondance, something which was like the Holy Grail to the Anasail.

With no way back, the Legion started to create a new life for themselves. The temple was translocated via magick to a floating island in the Pacific ocean. Unfamiliar with the populous, they were unable to create any social connections. Later it was discovered that the rift which had brought them to earth was still open, and though still a one-way portal, they could receive messages through it. It was a great shock to them to discover that what they received was unwarped by the rush, and totally incomprehensible to them. A few off the Legion's linguists have been able to decipher and relearn their native language, but, since it is so alien to them, they have had great trouble sending messages back.

Soon vampires heard of these newcomers, though they did not know from where they came, and sought them out. The legion learned that they could establish a strong powerbase by hiring themselves out as mercenaries. Now they are the hatchet-men of the Ventrue/Tremere/Toreador Justicars, though they do subscribe to other causes. Usually members of the legion can be found amongst the anarchs of a justicar monitored city. They do all this in exchange for money, contacts, social ties, allies, and influence. The Anasail plan to seise control of China and force all other supernatural creatures away so that they can bring through an invasion force. The Eli-Macharad spies amongst them plan to subvert the Anasail in the legion and lead a supernatural army to liberate their kin.

Vampire: The Masquerade
Mage: The Ascension

Name: Gejio Amachi     Nature: Visionary     Generation: ---
Player: NPC            Demeanour: Cavalier   Haven: Penthouse
Chronicle: Legion      Tradition: Akashic    Concept: Business
                                  Brotherhood         man

    PHYSICAL                 SOCIAL                  MENTAL
Strength.....***oo    Charisma........****o    Perception....****o
Dexterity....***oo    Manipulation....***oo    Intelligence..****o
Stamina......*****    Appearance......***oo    Wits..........****o


    TALENTS                  SKILLS                  KNOWLEDGE        
Acting........****o   Animal Ken......**ooo   Bureaucracy....**ooo
Alertness.....***oo   Drive...........**ooo   Computer.......*oooo
Athletics.....***oo   Etiquette.......***oo   Finance........**ooo
Brawl.........****o   Firearm.........***oo   Investigation..***oo
Dodge.........****o   Melee...........***oo   Law............*oooo
Empathy.......**ooo   Music...........ooooo   Linguistics....*oooo
Intimidation..**ooo   Repair..........ooooo   Medicine.......***oo
Leadership....****o   Security........**ooo   Occult.........***oo
Streetwise....ooooo   Stealth.........***oo   Politics.......**ooo
Subterfuge....****o   Survival........***oo   Science........**ooo


Spheres             BACKGROUNDS              VIRTUES
Forces.......****o  Destiny.........*****    Conscience....***oo
Mind.........***oo  Influence.......**ooo    Self-Control..***oo
Life.........**ooo  Allies..........**ooo    Courage.......****o
Crspndnce....*****  Resourses.......**ooo  
.............ooooo  Avatar..........*oooo          HEALTH
                    ................ooooo      Bruised       O
Other Traits        ................ooooo      Hurt       -1 O
.............ooooo  ................ooooo      Injured    -1 O
.............ooooo  ................ooooo      Wounded    -2 O
.............ooooo  ................ooooo      Mauled     -2 O
.............ooooo  ................ooooo      Crippled   -5 O
.............ooooo  ................ooooo      Incapacitated O
.............ooooo  Quintessence     Willpower      Humanity
.............ooooo  OOOOOOOOOOOO     0000000OOO     000000OOOO
.............ooooo  O  (12)
.............ooooo Experience        Arete: 5
.............ooooo                   Paradox: 3

Note: This is not a starting character.

Background

Gejio was brought up as a simple farmboy in the Eli-Macharad homeland. At age ten, he met a young soldier, who had recently enlisted. Stationed in Gejio's town, the soldier spent quite some time with the young Keth who took so much interest in him. Over the course of the summer, the soldier became like a brother to young Gejio, who wanted so desperately to follow in his footsteps. But as autumn came, the Anasail invaded the boarders, and the soldier, Sung Zail was called to war. News came later that year that the soldier had been captured in combat, and his fate was neither known or investigated. Gejio was heart-broken, his life never seemed the same. Though only from a poor rural family, his parents saw he would never be able to work the land as they had, and sent him to a city for education. Gejio buckled down at school and before long had a scholarship to a prestigious university. He spent ten years learning there and became a force technician, working for a small power board company. Once again the Anasail made a new press on the boarders, and reluctantly, the Eli-Macharad government put conscription laws into effect. Gejio was drafted into the intelligence department, and was trained in infiltration.

Gejio found his new tasks much more satisfying, and rewarding, as he helped storm biological warfare installations. He had seen the effects of a jumping-jack plague bomb, and had no problem killing its creators. The raids were directed at a ruthless Anasail tyrant, Shen-tsu Norichi, the main exponent of disease warfare. The Eli-Macharad armies repelled all border attacks and forced all but this sole warlord onto the defensive. He had mastered what he called correspondance magic, and could place plague bombs in the midst of attacking armies. The Eli-Macharad were terrified of him, their men went out to repel his incursions and returned as monsters, driven mad by chemical poisoning. Gejio was assigned to strike out at his residence, deep in the iron mountains, a reddish brown set of summits, reputed for avalanches and volcanic activity. Gejio was to trek across land to Shen-Tsu's palace and assassinate him.

It took Gejio, now Lt. Amachi, three weeks to reach the town that had grown up around the despot's throne. Mostly peasants, he found most of them sympathetic to his cause, but unwilling to aid him. So he and a five man squad snuck into the palace at night. They were found almost immediately, by correspondance mages, they encountered very heavy resistance, till only he and his sergeant were alive. Gejio knew he had to eliminate the mage at very least, so that the Eli-Macharad armies would have some chance, so he headed to the most logical place: The turret with the greatest view of the surrounds. He and his sergeant broke down the turret door after an exhausting climb, only to find the mage, and beside him, the now not so young Sung Zail he had known in his village, dressed as one of Shen-Tsu's generals. Sung instinctively levelled his gun and shot Gejio's sergeant before realising who had burst through the door. The mage sprang out of his seat, yelling "He's the one! Get him!". Zail put a bullet through the mage's head and screamed at Gejio, asking why he had come. Zail had been planted amongst the Anasail by the government, and not captured in battle as he was told. Footsteps up the tower stairs could already be heard. Zail instructed Gejio take of his clothing and bent over the dead mage. He put Gejio's cloths on the man and warped his face to resemble another. Acting on Sung Zail's commands Gejio hid and shot the first guard to come through the door, one of Shen-Tsu's lieutenants. Within minutes the scene was arranged; Gejio's sergeant had rushed in and shot the mage, and was in turn killed by Zail. Gejio was now the brave lieutenant who saved Sung Zail from the terrorist leader.

In fact, he even earned a promotion, and was posted into the correspondance experiments, as way of reward. He became leader of the Deep umbra explorations, and persuaded all the correspondance mages to join the Eli-Macharad cause against their unscrupulous warlord. Days from his planned escape with Shen-Tsu's technology, Lieutenant Meya Sabine, one of the warlord's dazzling and ruthless relatives was assigned to help Gejio, something which fouled his plans completely. No longer was he able to speak privately with Zail and the mages, but he began to fall for Shen-Tsu's lovely but heartless niece. Plunging into a deep umbra assignment he hoped to lose himself for a couple of days, to relax from the constant strain of his facade. He headed for the deepest, darkest corner of reality he could find, with the Legion at his heels. They became lost, disoriented, and then they felt the Rush, their very meaning being ripped into another world.

Gejio took well to his new world, especially to such disciplines as Zen, and correspondance, both of which he learnt whole-heartedly. He remains committed to converting the legion, and has has some success amongst the higher ranks, but has yet to subvert the ultra-extreme soldiers who support Lt.Sabine. Both Gejio and Sung Zail have been working on Meya to undo her mean exterior, but in spite of this, she only seldom shows and form of hesitation or emotion. The Legion has been split in two, Zail's half dealing with clients, Meya's half completing the contracts. Whilst Gejio oversees both sides of operations, he senses that Meya is concealing some of her actions.

Roleplaying Tips

Everything is a deadly serious game to you. It does not matter whether you win or lose, but how you do it. Of course you don't lose, you never lose. You appear calm and detached to those around you, but you are actually quite high strung, especially when Meya is close by.

Quote

(Said with a wry smile) "I'm not infamous, i'm notorious."

Powergamers, shallow characters, loop-hole seekers and the order of the monumental coincidence

"Mellow out or you will pay!" -- DK, California Uberalis

Reality check time! What backgrounding do the PCs have? Have they come to find person X? Have they come to battle 'evil'? Hey, they might even have come as tourists and got emotionally involved with earth and it's people. What would DC comics do without caring aliens? The point is, that without a good storyline, Deep Umbra characters are very shallow. My suggestion is that you come up with a raw sketching of powers/strengths and compile a list. From that, create an image, the appearance of your character. Then create an attitude, the way your character does things, how she makes her mark. Take this case example; you could either say that your character walks into a police office and asks if a certain person has been apprehended, and leaves when told 'no', or, the character stalks in dressed in black, asks, and when told 'no', looks them levelly in the eye, and says 'I'll be back.' (Recognise this?). Nothing too definite, just look for a style, a look, and a way. Don't be too precise, you'll want to leave that for when you create the character. A note on attitude: you get a hell of a lot more respect if you have one. A friend of mine was asked why he was wearing black (He's a goth to the core) and he said he was mourning the death of society. Word spread. He's infamous now. Even the wording is important, for example, Hitler didn't sit in a seat, he occupied it. You need to develop their past life, their journey into this world, their establishment and new life here. Without this, and a good deal of thought, they become two dimensional and uninteresting.

All Storytellers beware of power-gamers who want to create their ultimate character, of course one that in their minds is perfectly viable, given only a few amazing coincidences. Possibly the first thing a power-gamers will do is look at the cost of getting gifts, magic and disciplines all in the one package. Then they'll look at possibilities of vampires with rage and gnosis. Most probably the Storyteller will have to hold a heavy brick poised above their heads and make growling sounds before they'll make a simple character. The best idea is not to let them have a Deep Umbra character, no matter how sensible or simple, because with each new character type comes a whole set of new holes in the rules. For example; using elemental thaumaturgy to turn yourself to titanium, and because of this, immune to damage. Or using telepathy to hold someone in place. If you have Bardo, you can slaughter, slay, hack, maim and morris dance without fear of ever losing long-term humanity, because with an hour's mediation, you can get it all back.

All in all I think the rules presented here are a little shaky, and it would be advisable to do this all under storyteller guidance, or work out your character's concept during the prelude. In future versions of this, i'll add rules for Wraith, Faerie, and hopefully a full psychological construction as well. Please contact me on the Realm of Kings, +(613)-739 6112, as Harlequin, or on the internet as rmhar4@cfs03.cc.monash.edu.au or Harlquin@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au and give me your comments and possible advantages, rules additions, etc. Don't be shy!