The Calling - Scene 1

MPS Ratings:

Mental : * * *

Physical : *

Social : * * *

XP : 0 -34

Overview - Scene 1:

Where are we coming from ?

The story is best served having your crew start out from New York, or from Chicago. Either of these will do. If your group is already in or near these two cities, then choose one -- there are hints and resources enough to put you on the right travel line from that point in the material.

If you are not in one of these two, or near them, then you will need to work out how to get there. Doc Henry has been given instructions from his Shaman, for the Path the Sin-Eaters should take to get to their village. This Path is for their own safety, as the group is already being tracked by the Wendigo, using spirit forces. So if the group needs to fly into Chicago, or New York, rent/buy vehicles and begin the journey in that way, Doc Henry will have the tickets, vehicles and route already for travel.

***Note: If it is a toss-up, between these two, choose New York, as Chicago is a little forced in the fitting of the scenes.

Involving the Krewe

There are several ways to involve the Krewe in this run, and since they are already marked and being hunted by the Wendigo, or rather, by its spirit servants, there is little doubt that they would eventually go north to deal with this menace. As said before, however, Doc Henry is on a schedule, and it is a tight one. He doesn't want any more deaths in his tribe or, anyone else for that matter, caused by this horror of a spirit-beast.

It is not that Doc Henry has any queasiness about Death, or the Death of his people; everyone dies, he has no doubt about that part of existence. The fact of the matter is, that the one thing that became perfectly clear to Doc Henry when he Awoke, was the existence of the soul. Since the moment of his Awakening into the world of the Shaman, he has had no doubt that the soul not only exists, but that there is an afterlife when the body of this world dies.

If that were not enough, he has also be confronted with several "Soulless" people in his village. People who the Wendigo attacked, and rather than eating their flesh, the being ate their soul. These people have been daily horrors for Doc Henry, and others in the village. The bodies are alive, the mind is alive, but the soul of the person is no longer there; the eyes are those of the dead, even though the body walks and talks. This Ghost Eating capability of the Wendigo fills the old doctor with terror and rage.

So, if Doc Henry's explanation of this unnatural horror of a spirit beast is not enough to bring the Krewe into packing and Jet-set mode, then...

Best Interest

Your Krewe was not chosen at random. The Spirit guides of the Shaman were very specific about who would be required to bring the Wendigo to ground.

Doc Henry is fully capable of demonstrating this knowledge to the Krewe, by telling each of them their full names, where they were born, what year they were born, what day they died, the name of their Geist, the real name of their Geist, and the day their Geist died.

These answers will ring absolutely true to the Krewe, whether or not the individuals of the Krewe know these facts about their Geist or not. Doc Henry will then tell them that he has no doubt that the Beast that Devours Flesh and Soul (as he names the Wendigo), has this information as well, and it is already hunting for each them.

He will calmly explain that the presence of their Geist is no defense against true, and complete annihilation, as the Beast that Devours Flesh and Soul, will devour their Geist as well.

***NOTE: Doc Henry never uses the name Wendigo, he always uses the title of Beast that Devours Flesh and Soul. He is not doing this to mislead the Krewe in anyway, in fact his purpose is the exact opposite, as he doesn't really believe that these young people would understand the name of Wendigo as he and his people do, so he wants to be very clear about what they are being asked to hunt down, and what will be hunting them down, if they decide not to come with him.

Flat out Greed

Doc Henry is willing to pay each of them $10, 000.00 for the week and a half that this journey will take them from their normal daily lives. He will start out with an offer of $5,000.00, but due to the nature and devastation his people are facing, he will not haggle much if someone raises the stakes to, 7k or 9k.

Nightmare

Anyone in the Krewe, due to their very nature as Sin-Eaters, has been having extremely horrifying nightmares. Dreams in-which their bodies and their souls have been devoured by an unseen and unknown entity. When they wake, not only are they shaken, but they feel the tremors or terror coming through the tactile emotions of their Geist. While they may not have understood these dreams before, or made any comment about them, in listening to Doc Henry, each of them realizes the meaning, and absolute threat (with decreasing range), this Beast that Devours both Flesh and Soul, represents.

If between these you can't find a hook to bring the Krewe into the story with a full commitment, then Doc Henry will not waste his time. It isn't in his character to do so. Just put the story away and wait for another day when your group is more open to this tale.

It is always better to pass on a story, than to force one on a group.

Hey, my Krewe is rich, my man, we have our own helicopter, let's just fly up there, end this Wendigo thing or whatever you call it, and get back here before breakfast.

Of course this is definitely possible. Doc Henry will not be going along with you, because he's certain (while he isn't sure why) that something other than the Bear has been trying to follow him. He's also been in two wars, and he knows what happens to helicopters when they get hit, by just about anything.

He will explain to the Krewe that his Shaman would have seen if that was the quickest way to get back, and he certainly has the means to rent or hire a helicopter if that were the case. The Path the Shaman has given him, is their best chance of getting back to his people, as quickly and safely as possible -- and even with this, there is no guarantee of arriving.

Description:

It's late, it's dark and the traffic of the city is on full blast, but not for any reason, it is just another day in the city. It's Tuesday, and that means, there's nothing going on.

As you park your car, you notice a man near your doorway, squatting with his back against the wall. He notices you at the same time, and stands, rolling his shoulders as he does, and flexing stiff legs without making a presentation of it, from his posture and movements, he is use to squatting against walls for long periods of time, and waiting.

He meets you at the sidewalk as you step off the street. "My name is Doc Henry, I've come a long way to see you."

You tell him your name, and take his offered hand, though he seems to already know your name. "Is it ok that we step inside? I believe I'm being followed, and do not wish you to be in anymore danger than you already are."

"Followed by what?" You ask.

The man named Doc Henry, looks down the street. His eyes are intelligent, his accent, though heavy with a native Indian that you can't place, has the feel of education. He is possibly in his late forties, his long black hair has only a few strands of gray which catch the streetlight's yellow glow. He stands strait, nearly proud, though right now there is a bone deep weariness which he was unable to shake off earlier when he stood up from the wall. As straight as his posture is, he still stands only five feet tall, his shoulder width is about the same dimension.

His eyes return from his searching of the dark street, and he looks at you with clear, solid, rock-like brown eyes, "By a bear."

The Twilight Network

If your characters decide to access the Network, or if you as the Storyteller wish to bring into the Pre-Story events to bring the characters information and insights which are unique to the Sin-Eater, here are some events and rumors they might learn

Six months ago, a Sin-Eater named Larry Talbot, originally from Seattle was involved in the burglary of a home in Boston, the home of Ronald Barris, a Mage of Moros. The Mages of Moros identified Larry Talbot through the mark left on wards by his Geist, Samantha "Axe Blade" Tome, and leaked into the Network that they are searching for him, and there is a reward for the objects which were taken. However, a list of what those objects were, was not given. Most of those in the Network, have ignored the Mage of Moros.

Four Months ago, the Krewe in Seattle, of which Larry Talbot was a founder, broke out in civil-infighting, several artifacts were missing after the attempted coo. Larry Talbot has also been missing since that time.

*** If the character's connection to the Network is very good (or you feel that they would have a way to get their hands on the note from the Background), it may add to their understanding of what is going on, as well as help to begin the storyline with the idea that this story is not limited to the Geist mythos, but brings in both the Mage and the Scion areas of the World of Darkness.

Three Months ago : A shudder hit the World of the Dead, which was more or less the equivalent of a Noir Tidal Wave of energy, came out of the North, felt by Seers, Sin-Eaters, Psychics, Necromancers, Spirits, and Ghosts as far away from the "epic-center", as Chicago. Rumors of this massive disturbance, have interpreted it as everything from -- the death of one of the death gods, to the birth of a new death god, to a gate to the underworld erupting from catastrophic failure.

Two months ago: Several necromancers and mages have gone north to investigate the disturbance of the World of the Dead, and thus far, no word of any of them returning has been reported. A great deal of the Network is littered with messages either looking for, or reporting persons missing from Krewes and cabals.

One month ago : A little known and obscure Mage of Moros noted on the Network, in an equally obscure area, that of all the names he has come across, listed as missing, which could be tied to 'last seen heading north to investigate...' none of them appear to have passed into the Lands of the Dead, either...

On the Regular News and Internet

Three Months ago -- the first reports of killings attributed to some wild beast or insane person start coming in from the North of Ontario.

Two Months ago -- Authorities are now sure that there is a serial killer involved with the killings, and that he (or she) is viewing her murders as part of some type of lunar ritual, the killings only happening between the first phase and the full moon. Local authorities have given the case over to Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The RCMP has not disclosed any information yet on the progress of their investigation. So far, 23 people are reported as dead or missing, which is the largest number of victims in such a short time, of any known serial killer.

One Month Ago -- Another 13 victims have been attributed to the Beast of the North Serial killer. It is clear that the killer is also a cannibal though the RCMP has made no comment on this factor of the case. The RCMP has also not responded to any of the rumors that this may be a rampaging Big Foot.

Fifteen Days Ago -- The Canadian Rangers and the RCMP have both agreed that the large bear being reported around the Great Lakes area, is not tied to the Beast of the North Serial killer case in any way. Several witnesses have reported, what the Rangers say is probably a very large Kodiak, around the Great Lakes. Sightings and bear tracks have lead the Rangers to believe the Bear is heading south, and possibly into the United States.

The Alaskan Rangers and Canadian Rangers both agree that it is very odd to see a Kodiak bear so far east, and efforts to track it in order to determine what has sent the bear on its journey are underway.

So far, there have been no reports that the bear is dangerous, or has disturbed any community it has come close to, however, those that have seen it, all report that it is larger than any bear they have ever seen before.

The Canadian Rangers, along with the United States Fish and Wildlife department would like to remind all hunters and sportsmen that hunting the Kodiak Brown bear without proper license is a major offense in both countries and that the Kodiak is protected under the laws of both countries. License to hunt the Kodiak in Alaska cost in the range of $10,000, to $25,000.00 USD.

Fifteen Days Ago -- (Obscure) An astronomer working at the Palomar Observatory recently noted in a trade-publication that an unknown Celestial event is blocking our view of the star Merak. No follow up of this report has been made, though the star named Merak is still not visible in the night sky from any point of the globe.

Storyteller Goals:

• Gather the Krewe to hear Doc Henry's story and request
• Get them on the road within a day's time
• Present the "Soul Scream" from the Wendigo

Character Goals:

• Hear Doc Henry out
• Decide if they go on with him now, or try to stay out of it, and face the Wendigo on their own later
• Find out as much as they can about the Wendigo and why they were chosen

Actions

This is basically a social scene. Doc Henry isn't going to hide much from them, as he believes strongly that if people are going off to face near certain death, they should know why, and every bit of information they can, in order to survive the ordeal. However he isn't long-winded, and doesn't expound answers -- simply because he himself rarely feels the need for expounded answers himself.

The Wendigo attack might have different actions coming from the players, the primary one being along the lines of "WTF! Was That!"

The Wendigo Bitch Slap

Description : At some point in the discussion of the evening with Doc Henry, the Wendigo manifests in front of Doc Henry, and hits him hard enough to send the old man through a wall. It then turns and tells those gathered, it will be coming for them soon, ... and then vanishes.

Seeking to Identify what exactly that was...

References : The Japanese Ikiryo is the manifestation of a living ghost, projected and directed by the rage and anger of the person directing it's actions. For the Wendigo, generating the required rage is a small effort. This action is called the Ghost Scream.

The manifestation is of the actual ghost of the person. Verbal and physical attacks can be made by the Ikiryo once manifested. The manifestation lasts only seconds.

Hindrances : No one in the group present during the manifestation of the Ikiryo with Research or Lore attributes, -2

Help: Anyone with Japanese or Asian lore knowledge +2 in coming up with the nature of the attacking manifestation of the Ikiryo.

Consequences :

Dramatic Failure : The character believes that Doc Henry created the manifestation himself, using an illusion spell of some type. Completely distrusts Doc Henry until proven wrong about this outcome.

Dramatic Success: Realizes the power and strength of the rage required to manifest a Ikiryo for that long, and give it the power of physical attack. Good insight into the nature and power of the Wendigo which will help in later scenes where questions and research on the Wendigo arise.

Doc Henry

Quote: "......... yes."

Background: Doc Henry is indeed a medical doctor, graduating top of his class. He is 53 now, has served in two wars, during both of them he was a triage medic on the front lines. He had a profitable practice in Quebec, but after his Awakening, he moved back to his people. He was 47 when he awakened, and still hasn't been able to reconcile his Awakening, with his scientific training, though this has changed drastically in the last two months, with the coming of the wendigo.

Doc is slow to divulge information about the spirit and arcane realms. While he is highly intelligent, this will make him seem slow, even dense when talking about these matters. It is simply that he doesn't believe anyone outside his tribe (and very few in his tribe), can really understand these matters.

Also these long pauses are caused by his exceptionally intelligent mind, as it tracks down the paths of knowledge before answering, like a master chess player tracks out the possibilities of answering a chess move, twenty moves ahead.

Appearance: Doc Henry wears tough clothing, the kind that will last him for years of walking (or being chased) in the tundra. Wool, canvas, and leather are preferred. He will have a hunting knife most of the time, which is as sharp as his scalpel. While he could easily survive on his own (for the rest of his natural life), in the wilds and tundra, his medical background, years of scientific training and a pride in his heritage, keep his shoulder's straight, his eyes clear and his manner refined.

Storytelling Hints: Let long periods pass, before having Doc Henry answer some questions, especially questions regarding anything about the spirit world -- Pass the point of comfort. He is a deep thinker, and thinks much to deeply for clear and quick social action. His answers will typically be short, clear, intelligent, and insightful once they are released from his mind.

He is strong, quick and agile, despite his almost rock like shape and appearance. He will be very slow to act with his Mage abilities, and will likely charge a Kodiak with a knife, before resorting to his Mage defenses. (So it is unlikely you will require to be up on his Spell skills, and he won't divulge them to your group). It is very likely he could stare down the Kodiak anyway.

Though he understands, from his Shaman, that your group is comprised of Sin-Eaters, and has been told what this means, he still isn't convinced that anyone in your group really understands, or could accept the idea of spirits, magic, or the over-world... this is mainly because a large part of his own mind doesn't accept it, which is common among those who awaken so late in life.

Path: Thrysus (Mage the Awakening p. 68)

The Adamantine Arrow p.38 MtA

(you might find some quick spells that Doc would use on p. 208 Mage of the Awakening, as well as

Abilities:

Survival -- (Dice pool 6) -- you get good, or you don't eat

Research -- (Dice pool 6) -- you get good, or you don't sleep.

Intimidation -- (dice pool 5) -- if you dealt with head nurses, and old Indian women, you wouldn't even question this.

The Calling - Scene 2 To be Posted Soon.