By Jason Koelewyn (githraine@aol.com) and Dave Forby
I have reverted to the masculine pronoun throughout this work, and the reason is 'he' is one less letter then 'she'. I'm lazy, sue me. A note on Quicklings: One of the reasons I have changed from Driskill's Gift-like powers to a more Discipline-like power is that Immortals have more in common, power wise, with Kindred than with the Garou. They are both immortal. With limited time, a Gift (once learned that's it) makes sense. But for Immortals, powers that can grow with time make more sense. Also please note, there is a certain ambiguity and redundancy with some of the terms used. This is due to the fact that the Immies generally do not have a 'standard' lexicon like many of the Others. Different Immortals may use the same word with different implications. If this is confusing, so is Highlander. Deal.
Storyteller Note: Immortals are the Kings (and Queens) of Kick-Ass. They can easily overbalance a game. They make great NPCs, and if you can manage them, wonderful assets to any group. When play testing these rules, my ST used such ploys as grenade-wielding enemies and Umbral demons, as well as the threat of Discovery. Immortals will guard their secret more closely then any other supernatural. They have more to lose, and no secret society to fall back on if they slip. If a player tries to ignore this, bring in the Inquisition, the Hunters, or even DNA or pesky inquisitive Mages. Remind them that one well placed bullet can put them out of the action for hours, possibly awaking in the morgue with no belongings. They will get the hint.
If you don't like a particular rule, don't use it! If you want to, send me the changes you made, I might incorporate them if I like them. This is a work in progress. Please tell me what you think.
I hope this supplement will bring a new dimension to your World of Darkness games, and will provide even more enjoyment for both ST's and Players.
Who knows the true origins of the Immortals. The oldest of their race don't even have legends of an origin. They have always been here. It is thought that during the Impergium they were the Leaders and Protectors of the Mortals, warriors against the creatures that lived in the night. Their roll has changed much since then.
Like all peoples, the Immortals have their legends, stories of a time long past. Only many of these 'stories' are still alive. Like the Methuselah Stone, a crystal that magnifies its possessors Power, or makes a mortal, Immortal nNow lost in the Seine River), It was owned Methuselah, who lived to 900 and later by his son, Noah. Or the Army of Darius, an army with many Immortals in its ranks, that nearly took control of Europe 2000 years ago until Darius killed the (at the time) oldest living Immortal and turned his back on War. Or Methos, the world's oldest Immortal, once one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Unlike other denizens of the WoD, Immortals have no conclaves or Moots to discuss these things, so stories of other Immortals become Legends, and spread slowly.
Immortal prophecies are usually known to only a few, and are usually even more twisted than Mortal prophecies. The one prophecy that every Immortal knows is the Prophecy of the Gathering. "There can be only One. A Time will come when the number of Immortals will dwindle. Those few who remain will be drawn to a far off land, where they will compete in the Gathering. The one who remains will gain the Prize". But where is this 'far off land'? The Umbra perhaps? And what is the Prize? Most believe it will make the last Immortal a God, others a doorway to mortality. Some Immortals believe the Gathering is just a myth while others link it to the Shapeshifters' Apocalypse.
The first things all Immortals learn from their Mentors are the Rules. There are only two rules for Immortals. Things like hiding your nature and never leaving your sword behind are merely good survival tips.
"Do Not Duel on Holy ground." A form of the 'Buzz' will warn an Immortal when he steps on to Holy ground. Holy ground is defined as any place that holds a Node, Caern or the like. Immortals will not Duel in religious places; out of fear or Tradition, even those religious places that are not places of Power are exempt from Dueling. The reasons for this are in the section "The Quickening."
Again the reason is detailed in "The Quickening" section. Some evil Immortals will employ mortals to aid in a Duel, but they are quickly Hunted down when it is learned what they are doing.
Immortals do not spend much time in the company of others of their kind, as a general rule. They do form long friendships, but if you see a good friend for a week every century . . . . The major exception to this is the Mentor. When a latent Immortal suffers his First Death, one or more older Immortals will be drawn to him. One will become his Mentor. Even evil Immortals will take Younglings under wing. No one wants the Secret revealed. A Mentor teaches the new Immortal the Rules, how to fight, and the tricks to survive in mortal society without divulging their nature. The bond between Mentor and Student is often the longest lasting between Immortals. On rare occasions, Mentor and Student will 'fall out'. This bad blood often results in a Duel. Also, it is not uncommon for an enemy of a Mentor to use his Student as bait or a goad.
The Major difference between Immortals and other inhabitants of the World of Darkness is Age. While all other groups recommend starting with a fledgling, the strength an Immortal brings to a party is experience, knowledge, and Humanity. Oh, and a few combat skills as well. Despite the occasional elder-with-a-God-complex, Immortals are more in touch with Human kind then most other 'supernaturals'. But beginning as an older Immortal would seem to be an easy way to get a "Super" PC. The ST must thus be strict with this rule. As part of Character Creation, the player must write a detailed history of where the Immortal was, when, who he met, Mentor, friends, etc. Most Power Gamers are more willing to try to diablerize an Elder than detail a 1000 year history. This is also necessary because the player needs to know what happened in the character's past to determine why he is who he is today. If a player has a well detailed background, he can provide information on the time and places in which he lived. If information is needed about a specific time and place, such as a History roll might be called for, and the Immortal was known to have been in that place, at that time, The Immortal can call on his memories in the form of three phantom History dots.
| Age | Freebie Points | Max Dots |
| 0-100 | 20 | 5 |
| 101-300 | 35 | 6 |
| 301-600 | 75 | 7 |
| 900-1500 | 120 | 8 |
| 1501-2000 | 140 | 9 |
| 2000+ | 165 | 10 |
This may seem excessive, but the ST can limit Age, and remember, Immortals are usually active for most of the time they are alive. You learn a lot that way. Also few Immortals live long without mastering something. (Any guesses on how many dots Amanda has in Grand Theft?) All Immortals begin with one level of Quickening, but more levels can be bought with Freebie points. Also, All start with one dot in Melee, to represent the training their mentor gave them, and the fact that every Immortal has some idea how to fight. (Unless you want to play an unmentored Immortal). Finally, they also get three dots to spend on Quicklings.
| Trait | Freebie Point Cost | Exp. Point Cost |
| Attributes | 5 | Current level x5 |
| Abilities | 2 | Current level x2 |
| Quickening | 7 | Special |
| Quicklings | 6 | Current level x7 |
| Backgrounds | 1 | Current level x1 |
| Willpower | 1 | Current level x1 |
One word, many meanings. It is the Power that grants immortality, it is a measure of an Immortal's strength; it is the transfer of power from one Immortal to another (covered in the next section). In short it is the sum of what makes an Immortal different from mortals and Others. That's nice, but what does that mean? In game terms, Quickening itself is distilled Quintessence, and lots of it. One point of Quickening is equal to ten points of Quintessence. Every Immortal has a Quickening rating (permanent score). This represents how powerful the Immortal is. It is used like Rage, a dice pool for special rolls. It is also a store of Power, temporary points that are spent to power Quicklings. Like Rage or Willpower, an Immortal's Quickening pool can never exceed his Quickening rating. Others with supernatural sight can see the Quickening in an Immortal. Due to the sheer power they hold, an Immortal with more than 5 temporary points of Quickening can blind these Others. It is assumed that most of these Others rationalize this away (something like the Delirium, see Delirium in the Others section), else more would be Hunting Immortals. Contrary to popular belief, Immortals do die, and often. When they die, the Quickening in them flares up, holding their soul to their bodies as it heals. (See Healing). Immortals can also get sick, they just heal it before it can become more than a nuisance. "I can catch cold, I just can't die from it" Duncan Macleod to Anne, third season Testimony. They are affected by drugs, poison and alcohol just like any Mortal. One Immortal was known to have gone insane from his Absinthe habit, while another had built up such a tolerance from over abuse that he needed to snort a handful of coke to get high. Also, they can drown and starve; they can be poisoned or knocked unconscious. They recover. When they leave the water, they can breathe again (too many examples to quote), and if they starve they heal, only to starve again until they find food (a long painful process Reunion 3rd season, I think). Immortals die almost as easily as mortals do; it just is not as permanent.
This is the sensation that an Immortal feels when in the presence of another. It is unmistakable and will even wake an Immortal from a deep sleep. The range of the Buzz is up to the ST, but it should be fairly dramatic. The Buzz remains as long as the two Immortals are in 'range' and both will know when the other leaves this range. The buzz does not tell an Immortal where the other is, just that he is near. A form of the Buzz will warn an Immortal when he is on Holy ground, as well as the approach of latent Immortals. Mages and Garou, due to the power they hold can be detected as supernatural on a roll of Quickening + Perception, difficulty 12-(current Gnosis Pool OR 1/2 current Quintessence Pool). The ST can also allow Kindred to be detected in this manner.
Some say it is the reason d'être of Immortals. When one Immortal takes the head of another, the result is The Quickening. As Immortals Duel, part of their power flows between them. When the Duel is over, each, if alive, pulls their power back. When one looses his head, the loser's power flows away and is pulled in as the victor's power returns to his body. As the victor absorbs his enemy's power, some of the power leaches away in the form of electricity and heat kinetics, providing the infamous 'Light show'. The two Rules all Immortals live by stem from this system. (Please note, neither show or movie support this system, but it is the most logical reasoning for WoD game terms)
When a Quickening occurs to close to a Node or Caern, it takes the power, and some of the victor's as well. This results in a loss of one permanent Quickening level. As well, if a third is involved in the Duel, not merely close by, whomever takes the loser's head gets some of the third's Quickening as well. This results in the victor getting a Quickening one level higher then the loser's Quickening, and the third Immortal loses one permanent level of Quickening. No one is sure what this release of energy would do in the physical world, but it is thought that the eruption at Pompeii was caused by a Quickening on Holy Ground. Needless to say, very few would allow that, even for a good friend. Also, should a Mortal or Other take a head while another Immortal is within Buzz range, that Immortal can roll his Quickening (diff 7) to take the Quickening. Any Immortal close to a Quickening will sense the event and at ST discretion can tell whose head fell.
Systems: When an Immortal takes a head, he gains the power and knowledge of his enemy. In game terms, he gains Quickening experience equal to twice his opponent's Quickening level. This xp can only be used to increase his own Quickening level. In addition, the Immortal can gain one dot in up to three Abilities for Abilities where the loser had a higher rating than the victor. If there are more than three available, the ST can let the player decide or randomly determine which Abilities are gained. He also totally fills his temporary Quickening pool, and heals all damage. The Quickening leaves the Immortal weakened for a number of turns equal to 3x (Quickening level / victor's Quickening level). If the loser was of lower level then the victor, he is weakened for 2 turns. During this time, all dice pools are reduced by 3.
Quicklings are the powers an Immortal has to help him in the Game. In general, Immortals have fewer dots in Quicklings than other denizens of the WoD have in their powers. This is a good thing. The Quicklings an Immortal does have are generally very powerful, and nearly all combat-related. These powers are what let Immortals go toe to toe with a Raging Crinos and come out on top. Immortals do not have to spread their Power over Combat, Social, and Relational abilities. The list of Quicklings is divided into two sections. The first contains the common Quicklings, those any Immortal might know. The second section contains those Quicklings known to only a few, sometimes only one Immortal. This is often an 'M.O.' power. No Immortal should ever have more than one of these powers. STs are welcome to design their own special Quicklings and send them to me to be added to this listing. Remember, Immortals are primarily warriors. Their powers should reflect this. If you submit a power that is not combat related, please include why it is appropriate for your character. I do reserve the right to refuse any power I feel is inappropriate or too powerful.
An Immortal can never have a Quickling at a higher level than his Quickening Score.
| * | Difficulty on all combat related rolls using the weapon are -1 |
| ** | All attacks do aggravated damage, Initiative difficulty -1 |
| *** | One extra attack die and one extra damage die |
| **** | One extra attack per turn |
| ***** | Difficulty on all combat related rolls are -1, one extra attack die |
| * | Aggravated damage can be soaked as Garou. Spend 1 Quickening to ignore wound penalties. |
| ** | No cost, roll Quickening, diff 8. For each success, convert one pt of aggravated damage to normal damage. Can only be used when the damage is first done. |
| *** | No cost. No Roll Treat all Aggravated damage as normal damage. |
| **** | 'Lay Hands'. Spend 1Q, roll Quickening, diff 6. Heal one health level in another being. Works on Aggravated damage, only once per scene per person. |
| ***** | Healing from death takes half the normal time (See Healing section, heal one level per success) |
| * | Spend 1 Quickening, roll Quickening, diff 6, add 1/2 successes (round up) to Strength |
| ** | Spend 1 Quickening, roll Quickening, diff 7, add successes to Strength or Dexterity |
| *** | Spend 2 Quickening, roll Quickening, diff 7, add successes in any combination to Str, Dex, and Stam |
| **** | Spend 2 Quickening, roll Quickening, diff 7, add 1.5*successes (round down) in any combination to Str, Dex, and Stam |
| ***** | Spend 3 Quickening, roll Quickening diff 7, add 1 point to each Physical Attribute plus 1.5 * successes (round down) in any combination to Str, Dex, and Stam. |
| * | Inoffensive to Animals: Domestic animals immediately like the Immortal, and wild animals see him as a potential ally. This includes shapeshifters in non-homid form. |
| ** | Call the Beast: Spend 1 Quickening, Roll Quickening. Local animals respond to 'a friend in need'. Number and type are dependent on the area and are at ST discression. |
| *** | Command the Beast: You can convey simple concepts to animals. Domestic animals obey unless the command goes against major training (i.e., a guard dog). Trained and wild animals require 1 Quickening and a Quickening roll (diff 7) to enforce. |
| **** | Speak to the Beast: Spend 1 Quickening. The Immortal can communicate empathically with any animal. This can be used to Command with greater understanding, but remember the limits of animal intelligence |
| ***** | Teach the Beast: An Immortal can use this Power to impress training on an animal. Such an animal will always obey commands from its Trainer, and the Trainer can always communicate as with Speak to the Beast, as above, at no cost. The animal will resist any supernatural commands, but not natural ones. (The old 'Bitch-in-Heat' ploy still works). The Immortal must know how to train animals (at least 2 dots in training or ken). When training begins, the Immortal must Roll Quickening (diff 8) once each day until 10 successes (15 if wild animal) are accumulated, spending 2 Quickening per day (3 if wild). If the Immortal has enough Quickening to last this period, he may begin normal training at this time. If not, he can try again, after regaining his power. This power will not allow an animal to be trained against its nature. |
This is one of the only Rituals Immortals possess. It is one of the last things taught by a Mentor before the Youngling goes off alone into the big bad world. If the Mentor makes a gift of a weapon, this Ritual is taught when the blade is given. The Ritual allows an Immortal to link the blade to himself, allowing him to exert his Quickening on the blade. It is also what allows an Immortal to carry the blade unnoticed while wearing a T-shirt and jeans. (See Delirium in the Others section). The Ritual costs one point of Quickening and takes four hours, during which the Immortal slowly works the power into the blade, oiling it with his blood (1 level of damage, not Aggravated). An Immortal can only have one blade linked to him at a time, and a blade can only be linked to one Immortal at a time. An Immortal can willingly break the link by spending 1 Quickening and spitting on the blade. Otherwise, a bonded blade can be 'overbonded' by spending 2 Quickening points and taking 8 hours to complete the ritual. If a bonded weapon is not held by its Immortal for one full year, the link is broken. The game effects of bonding a weapon are threefold. One, allowing the Quickling of Weapon Dance to be used with the weapon. Two, allowing the Delirium to encompass the weapon. Third, the weapon will hold its edge and not take damage, even when contacting stone or steel. (How else do those weapons last so long?).
Most of what I wanted to say here has already been said, so I'll be brief. All of the special rules have been covered. I recommend using the Klaive Dueling rules or the Advanced Combat system from WoD Combat. Try to make these Duels exciting, the Immortal's existence and purpose is tied to it. Try to work them into the story line; no one will enjoy it if every few sessions an Immortal pops up to let the PC keep up with the group. They make wonderful antagonists. "He walks around in the day, but I saw him take three silver slugs to the heart!!" Remember, even in a friendly party, few will actually know what the Immortal is. Use that fact.
The most obvious ability of Immortals is Healing. Immortals Heal so fast that many normally fatal wounds (like evisceration) will heal before they can 'kill' the Immortal. So long as the structural integrity of the Immortal's neck is not disrupted, wounds are not to much of a concern to Immortals. All Immortals heal normal damage at a rate of 1 health level per turn and Aggravated damage at 1 health level per 4 turns. In non-combat situations assume one turn is about 1/2 a minute to a minute. Aggravated damage for Immortals is any damage done by the 'natural' weapons of supernatural beings, intense fire, or the empowered blades of other Immortals. This damage can not be soaked (see Quicklings for the exceptions), and takes longer to heal than normal damage. Unlike Kindred and Garou, Aggravated damage does not represent an attack on their very nature, just damage that sticks around a little longer.
Fatal wounds are a different story. The actual number of health levels damaged must be calculated (It can get very high). Consider any instantly fatal but not mass damage wounds (a shot to the head, a dagger in the heart) to be 8 levels of damage. Only the total number of health levels matter in Death Healing, Aggravated and normal damage are treated the same. To all appearances, the Immortal is dead. His soul lies dormant while his Quickening repairs the damage to his body. Every turn (~10 minutes) roll Quickening, diff 7. For each two successes, heal one level of damage. For each full two hours spent Healing, spend 1 point of Quickening. When the immortal reaches 'Injured', he can spend two points of Quickening to wake immediately. Otherwise, he must wait until he is fully healed to wake, at a cost of 1 Quickening point. If an Immortal runs out of Quickening points, he gets one point after 8 hours (which gives him another 12 rolls). Young Immortals tend to take a long time to recover from massive injuries. Even Duncan took a full day to recover from a cliff dive (Mountain Men, Season I). If something prevents healing, the dagger is still in his heart or he is buried or under water, the Immortal will heal all other damage but then must wait until that block is removed to heal the rest. This is considered rest and the Immortal does get his one Quickening point every 8 hours he 'waits'. When an Immortal wakes from 'death', it is with a violent deep breath as their soul regains control of the body. While healing in this manner, raw Quickening races through the Immortal's body. Should a Mage try to use Prime to probe the Immortal at this time, he takes three levels of Aggravated damage, flies across the room, and gain two points of Quintessence. (In the chronicle these rules were playtested, a Son of Either Mage decided he would learn just how my Immortal did it. He went flying across the room a lot.)
For the Spark to flare, a latent Immortal must die by violence. A natural death, by age, will not lead to eternal life. Who knows how many potential Immortals are lost this way? Wounds dealt before First Death heal normally, but diseases are very rare. Healing the wounds of First Death are dealt with just like any other Immortal, based on a Quickening level of one, and no temporary Quickening points. First Death draws other Immortals, so a Mentor is usually nearby when the Youngling awakes. A PC Youngling with no Mentor is not going to have a good survival rate, but I know someone out there will want to try.
This section discusses how Immortals are likely to interact with the other supernatural beings in the World of Darkness, as well as other individuals and organizations, such as the Inquisition.
Werewolves: Immortals are more likely to join the Garou than the Kindred. The Garou fight for a simpler time, a time the Immortal may well remember. The Garou also fight against the desecration of Gaia, and, as PC Immortals are likely to follow in the hero mold of Connor and Duncan MacLeod, it is extremely likely that Garou and Immortals would consider each other to be brothers. Fighting on the same side, against the destruction of a mother earth the Immortals have watched being desecrated over the centuries. Add to this the fact that Garou Caerns are Holy Ground, and a refuge for Immortals, and it becomes obvious that the Garou and Immortals are very likely allies.
However, there is a possibility that some Immortals may come up against the Garou, especially if they have amassed great wealth, and control portions of man's world which the Garou do not appreciate. Such Immortals may be considered by the Garou to be agents of the Wyrm. It is also possible that an Immortal might remember the Impergium, had a mentor that did, or have Quickening memories of that time. Immortals are immune to the Delirium of the shapeshifters, but are not unaffected by the sight of a Crinos. Any Immortal with a Quickening greater then two may have memories of the Imperegium awakened the first time they see a shapeshifter in Crinos. What might ensue is anyone's guess. In general, however, Immortals are much more likely to form friendly relationships and allies the Garou than anything else. Besides, the Garou respect anyone who can go toe-to-toe with an Ahroun in Crinos, and give as good as he gets!
Mages: Immortals and Mages don't mix well. This isn't because of any direct conflict, but because Mages will often wish to acquire the Immortal's Quickening, in order to empower their own nodes. In addition, Mages, like the Kindred, are often distrustful of that which they can't control: an Immortals' immunity to magic of both the Prime and Life spheres makes her a danger. On the other hand, Immortals make useful allies, powerful and yet not beholden to any Clan, Tribe, or Tradition. Also, the Mages' Nodes are Holy Ground, like the Caerns of the Garou. However, what Immortal is likely to feel comfortable in a place surrounded by people who might think to gain a lot of power for themselves by beheading him? Pity the Immortal who gets attached to a Mage who just wants to find out how he does it!
Wraiths: It's likely that Immortals and Wraiths do not normally interact very much, due to the simple fact that while Immortals inhabit the mundane world, Wraiths dwell in the Dark Umbra and rarely manifest themselves on Earth. It should be noted, however, that because of the manner in which the Quickening binds an Immortal's being together, Immortals can not be possessed.
Changelings: Like the Garou, the Sidhe are likely to form strong alliances with Immortals, as they are, in many ways, kindred spirits -- human, and yet wielding powers which no mortal can possess. Both Immortals and Changelings strive towards a goal that is their destiny to pursue -- Immortals strive to win the Prize, while the Sidhe dream of returning to Arcadia, to join with their Faerie kin. The Sidhe's relationship with the Garou (especially the Fianna) is also likely to result in Changelings and Immortals becoming friends and allies. Many Immortals may remember Fae from before the Sundering. Certain members of the Fey may also hold clues to the origins of the Immortals . . . .
The Wyrm: Minions of the Wyrm, such as Fomori and the Black Spiral Dancers are very likely to attempt to kill any Immortals they come across. Immortals are likely to be considered to be of neither the Wyld nor the Weaver alone, but of both -- their role as wildcards and mavericks, as well as their Power, are traits of the Wyld, yet the Weaver holds their body and spirit together across time. Suffice to say that the Wyrm would consider Immortals to be enemies.
Governments: It is highly unlikely that the Governments know, or even suspect, that there are Immortals out there. Although there may be a section of the FBI or some similar organization which is carrying out an investigation into the possibility that there is a serial killer going around, chopping people's heads off. Witnesses of Immortal duels are likely to be given the same amount of credibility as the ex-Marine was in the movie (i.e., none at all). On the other hand, Immortals are likely to have to tread carefully, and take extra care, when trying to hide their Immortality from individuals in government departments, and so on. However, Immortals are much more likely to run into trouble when trying to deal with the police. Particularly if they are murder suspects. An Immortal had better make sure that his cover is unshakable if he comes under investigation by the police or FBI.
The Inquisition: The Inquisition is likely to have encountered Immortals during the Dark Ages, when they would have been considered to be witches, or "in league with Lucifer". The punishment for such heresy was burning at the stake, and at least one Immortal has been known to have survived such an ordeal. It is very unlikely that the Inquisition knows of the existence of Immortals. However, see the information on the Watchers and Hunters below.
The Watchers: The Watchers are a group that predates the Arcanum, perhaps as far back as the end of the Impergium. Although they have links with the Arcanum, the Arcanum proper is unaware of the existence of Immortals. The Watchers are. They have spent centuries studying the Immortals, chronicling their exploits, but not interfering. They keep accurate records of all new Immortals, who has taken who's head, and (like the Immortals themselves) wonder as to who will gain the Prize, and what this Prize is. Watchers are mortals, and are chosen to appear nondescript. They don't stand out in a crowd, they blend. They don't trigger the Immortal's senses, and are trained to observe. Their only distinguishing feature is a tattoo on their wrists, a circle with the holy symbol of their order within. This allows them to easily recognize one another, and to remind them of their mission.
The Hunters: In recent years, a rogue branch of the Watchers has formed. This group has links with the Inquisition. Fueled by paranoia, its members have decided that they cannot wait and hope that the Immortal who gains the Prize is a good person. They actively hunt and kill Immortals, removing their heads and allowing their knowledge and power to be lost to the Ether. In this way, they seek to stop any Immortal from achieving the power of the Prize. These "Hunters" view Immortals as the greatest danger ever to face humanity. Both the Watchers and the Hunters are detailed in the series, and some of the main characters from the second season on are members of these groups. Although the other supernatural beings, such as Werewolves and Vampires aren't mentioned in the series, it's possible that in the World of Darkness their mission may have expanded to include Vampires, Magi, and any other beings they perceive to be a danger. Their creed is "There is no greater Power then the Power of Man". To them, anyone not a 'normal' human does not qualify as 'Man', and must be destroyed.