By Anders Sandberg (nv91-asa@void.nada.kth.se)
Normally Terror resides in the High Umbra, only manifesting in the minds of people when it is invited by circumstances. But it has for a long time sought entrance into the physical world to truly bring terror to everyone. The rise of panic anxiety is partially its work, a sign that it moves closer to the real world now than before. Another region of the mind it has always prowled is the deepest dreams. It hides outside the dreamworlds and its smaller nightmare cousins, in the grey limbo of dreamless sleep where it causes night terrors, the formless horror that occasionally brings children and adults screaming awake, still filled with terror but with no clear threat. But the Guardian of Dreams has always prevented it from using this avenue -- so far. If given a chance it will manifest to cause widespread terror.
Terror has one main weakness: it cannot directly hurt anybody who doesn't fear. But that doesn't mean it can't make others run amok with terror carrying heavy firepower or lead the fearless into a trap. Its strategy is to fill as many people with terror as possible; killing is just a way to achieve it. If it can induce terror better in some other way it will use it: Terror is completely impassionate about who gets hurt as long as people fear.
Darkness (Power cost 5): Terror can fill an area with total darkness, where no sight is possible at all. The darkness is cold and impenetrable, and seems to cling to people like heavy mist. If the victim is claustrophobic it will feel like it is closing in on him, while agoraphobes suddenly feel all alone in a huge threatening openness.
Terrify (Power cost 5): This power allows it to fill anybody inside its aura of influence with terror; in the Umbra it uses its Rage, in the physical world Charisma + Intimidation against a difficulty of 6. The victims roll their willpower against 6 to resist the overpowering fear they feel. If Terror wins they will be terrified; a botch will lead to complete catatonia and perhaps post-traumatic stress disorder (Terror gains 5 points of power from such breakdowns). A multiple botch might cause derangements.
Hide (Power cost 5): Terror can hide inside a terrified mind, like smoke pouring back into a bottle. The victim will not notice anything amiss, although his or her nightsleep will be a sequence of truly awful nightmares which are very hard to awake from (actually they are the creations of Terror and not true dreams; the fear generated by them will feed Terror even more at a rate of one point of power per hour's sleep). Terror can slightly influence the host in this state, but not really control his or her actions. When needed (especially when the host is frightened) Terror can re-manifest in the physical world.
Manifest (Power cost 33): Terror can, if allowed into the physical world, manifest physically. Its exact shape is undefined as it hides in total darkness, but it is a towering presence with huge claws able to disembowel a werewolf that moves soundlessly through the darkness, impossible to stop or escape. In this form Terror is practically unstoppable, and will if wounded just hide away.
Str: 7 Sta: 7 Dex: 7 Cha: 6 (terrifying) Man: 6 (cunning) App: - Per: 6 (omniscient) Int: 6 (warped) Wit: 6 (sudden)
Alertness: 4 (ready) Brawl: 6 (claws) Intimidation: 6 (total terror) Stealth: 6 (unexpected)
Claws: Str+2 difficulty 5
Since the manifested Terror always surrounds itself with darkness and lacks well defined shape it is quite hard to hit with anything (+3 to all difficulties to hit it). Bright beams of light don't damage it, but forces it to strengthen the darkness, costing it power.