Scion Companion - Part 4 - Secrets of The World PDF
Scion Companion - Part 4 - Secrets of The World PDF
Scion Companion - Part 4 - Secrets of The World PDF
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Part Four
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Victor Praedico turned the statue over and over in his wizened, age-spotted hands. Then he placed
it next to the handkerchief and the shield, three objects set off from a clutter of a thousand others in the
claustrophobic bric-a-brac of his tiny curiosity shop in the West Village.
Convincing, he said at last, but in the end, forgeries. All three.
What? the thief and the cop cried in unison.
Thats impossible, said Claire. I know my mothers handwriting
The shield was the real deal began Smith.
Praedico raised a hand to silence both of them, lowering his dark sunglasses to reveal two hollowed-
out eye sockets. I know what I see, he said. These notes and the statue, they all bear the mark of
Miclntecuhtli. This is Aztec magic at work. He replaced the glasses as a lost tourist wandered in,
lowering his voice to a whisper.
Im afraid youve both been had, the old man said, with a chuckle that dripped with schadenfreude. The
Atzlnti lord of the Underworld obviously had some plan for you.
Well, I think its time we made some plans for him. Smith drew himself up to his full height. I dont
appreciate being tricked.
Neither do I, Claire said. What do you say? Feel like letting bygones be bygones, at least until
we find out whats going on here?
Smith adjusted his cap and nodded. Lets do it. Ill pay you back for the bruises later.
Bruises? Hell, you made me ruin a $200 pair of shoes.
Their voices faded into the din of 83rd street traffic, leaving Victor Praedico alone with the wander-
ing tourist. Dressed in a Hawaiian shirt, with a camera slung around his neck like a lei, the Japanese
man peered through enormous square glasses at the shopkeeper. Then he reached into the garish
money-belt at his waist and pulled out a gold coin, then another, then another, until he had produced
an impossible pile on Praedicos desk.
My lord is too generous, Praedico bowed, his crooked spine creaking.
You have a reputation for truth-telling. The tourists voice, despite its low volume, sounded like a
series of thunderclaps. Your lies cost money.
The shopkeeper scooped the pile of coins into a sack beneath the counter. They will, of course,
eventually discover the deception.
The tourist smiled, his teeth looking like small jagged lightning bolts. Perhaps. True enough,
Miclntecuhtli was not the one who forged those letters. But surely he is up to something. It is his na-
ture. In their determination to find that something, those children will track him all the way to Mictln,
and what they see there will be of immeasurable value to me.
He turned the digital camera over in his hands, watched the small videoscreen reveal the two
Scions hailing a cab.
If I may be so bold, Lord Raijin, Praedico interrupted his viewing, may I ask why the need for
such deception? Why not send one of your own noble sons or daughters to the Aztec Underworld?
You are indeed too bold, the tourists eyes flashed, but then, soothsayer, I value boldness. Were
I to send one of my own kin, Miclntecuhtli would know immediately. This way, if no, when he
catches the spies, he will look first to the Loa and the Dodekatheon.
Praedico remained silent. He was privy to many hidden mysteries, yet the schemes of the Gods
were beyond even his comprehension.
S Iklwa +1 +4L -1 4 -
E Weighted-end weapons +1 +4L/B +1 4 -
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t Brass knuckles: This covers a variety of fist-load The shoges chain in particular is long enough that the
weapons like the Japanese yawara and tekko, Greco- weapon can double as a grappling hook.
s Roman cesti and other blunt or sharp objects concealed Iklwa: When Shaka introduced this stabbing spear,
within ones grip to make a punch pack more power. it revolutionized South African warfare and helped the
O Garrote wire: This Roman invention, made Zulu army conquer all its neighbors. Made of wood with
f famous by the French Foreign Legion, is a tightly a long iron point, it can be used for quick, repeated
wound piece of wire used to strangle someone to close-range attacks (as opposed to the more traditional
t death, often employed as an assassination device due assegai, which is thrown like a javelin).
h to its silent operation. Weighted-end weapons: From the South American
Flexible weapons: This refers to blunt or edged bola to the Japanese manrikigusari (strength of a thousand
e weapons that are swung on a chain or flexible rope, using men), these easily-concealable weapons consist of two small
centrifugal force to add power to the blow. Examples weighted ends along a flexible cord. They can be used as close-
w include the Viking-derived medieval French flail (or range instruments of blunt attack, or as thrown weapons to
o morningstar) and the Japanese nunchaku and shoge. ensnare a foe and louse up her maneuverability.
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Weapon Accuracy Damage Range Clip Speed Tags
Boomerang +0 +1B 10 - 6 -
Discus (razor) +0 +2L 30 - 6 P
Pepper-Spray +1 +3S 5 30 - -
Shuriken -1 +2L 10 - 5 P
Taser -1 +6S 20 1 2 7 P
Boomerang: A curved wooden or plastic throwing Shuriken: Small sculpted metal weapons designed
stick used to great effect by warriors from around for throwing, they include not only the popularized
the world including Australia, Africa and the Indian star-shaped pieces but also small lancets or even coins.
subcontinent. It can deliver incapacitating blows to the Contrary to Western lore, shuriken are seldom deadly
head, neck or legs. When thrown properly, a miss simply but rather used for distraction or the infliction of
returns the weapon to the throwers hand. disabling pain.
Discus: An ancient Greek piece of sporting Taser: The Taser is a small hand-held electronic device
equipment that can be deadly in the right hands. The capable of delivering an incapacitating (but usually not
stats in the table refer to a discus that whose edges have fatal) charge of electricity. It does this by firing two small
trimmed to razor-sharpness. darts tethered to the device by conductive wires that
Pepper spray: A small, easily-concealable device that bury themselves with barbs into the targets clothing or
delivers a fixed number of emissions of a skin and eye skin. The charge is sufficient to ignore up to 3 levels of
8 irritating compound, usually oleoresin capsicum. body armor (hence its Piercing quality).
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Hazmat suit: While it offers scant protection expensive synthetic weave feels like wax paper and is
against physical attacks, a properly sealed hazmat suit composed of tightly packed, high molecular weight
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grants immunity from nuclear, biological and chemical polyethylene. Advertised as ten times stronger than t
damage (the smallest breach, however, negates this steel, these composite fibers disperse most kinetic force s
protection). They also offer some protection from applied against them.
temperature extremes. Assume two hours of oxygen is Yoroi: Samurai armor. Lightweight, flexible, designed o
available from the attached oxygen tanks (which are for maneuverability as well as protection, samurai armor f
highly flammable if breached). uses a fish scale model where bamboo and leather
Ishlangu: A Zulu war shield made of lightweight ox- plating cover the body except in the most vulnerable
hide around a wooden base, a skilled wielder uses its areas, where metal is employed. Armored samurai could s
unique shape not just for protection but for hooking make full use of ju jitsu, laido and swordsmanship t
and robbing an opponent of his own weapon or shield. while suffering only minimal movement penalties. In r
Composite (UHMWPE) Armor: Developed by the addition, many breeches in the armor can be repaired e
US Army when Kevlar proved insufficient protection by mundane sewing tools, as opposed to having to visit n
from improvised explosive devices, this extremely an armor-smith.
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Vehicles h
Vehicle Armor Mass Maneuverability Health Levels
ATV 4 1 +3 10
Bicycle 1 0 +0 3
Canoe 1 1 -1 2
Hang-glider 1 0 -1 2
Helicopter 5 5 +2 20
Jet (commercial) 15 15 -3 60
Jet (private) 10 10 -1 25
Plane (single-engine) 5 5 +1 20
Racing Car 5 2 +1 15
Segway PT 1 1 +2 4
Sloop 5 4 -1 20
Speedboat 6 2 +1 15
ATV: A small, maneuverable ride-on vehicle for Canoe: Although modern Americans use them for
recreation or specialized tasks. Use these stats for jet skis sport and leisure, many island cultures have used canoes and
and snowmobiles as well. kayaks effectively for long-range exploration or combat.
Bicycle: Human-powered locomotion, fragile but Hang-glider: A one-person glider composed from fabric
easy to fix and able to go where cars cant. stretched across a large aluminum or composite wing, the 9
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The boat, already the handiwork of a giant, was There is a cost, of course, to these powers: the
w now splattered with blood from the Midgard Serpent. Midgard Serpent always knows where Hymirs boat is.
o Whoever finds this humble-looking, oar-driven For now, its humiliation at Thors hands makes it wary
r vessel will find it capable of amazing feats. On sea it of approaching the vessel again, but should it become
will never sink, no matter how much water it might aware of the boats new ownership it might well decide
l take on. Furthermore, it can traverse hundreds of to wreak its vengeance on the new owners in lieu of the
d nautical miles in mere seconds, so long as the rower God. Finally, Hymir is out there, somewhere beneath the
keeps a clear picture in her mind of where she wants waves. Should he return and give the boat a command, it
to go. Possession of the boat also grants access to the will always obey him instead of any other owner besides
Water Purview. Thor himself.
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Companions c
Gilgamesh had Enkidu and Beowulf had Wiglaf. The subject gains a Legend score of 1 and o
With every use of their Legendary powers, Scions pull a Legend point pool of 3. They also gain one dot m
the people around them into Fatebindings that ensure in each of the Virtues of the Scion companions p
pantheon, as well as three additional dots.
their continued meetings, for good or ill. Yet sometimes a
a Scion may choose take the process one step further,
strengthening the bond between him and a Fatebound
The subject is never treated as an extra. n
mortal through the sharing of the very ichor that runs
This boost lasts about a week, after which a new i
in his veins.
injection must be administered. Multiple injections o
within a week do not confer any cumulative benefits. n
Is heroism a transmittable condition? It was only
However, like any drug, this process comes with the
after sharing a bed with Shamhat, Scion of Ishtar,
price of addiction. Mortals who repeatedly partake in this
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that Enkidu developed his own heroic prowess.
process begin to experience withdrawal symptoms as the
But when Icarus accepted knock-off wings from
heroic powers wear off at weeks end, symptoms which
his heroic father, it didnt end so well for him. The
become increasingly debilitating the longer they have been
benefits and the dangers of hand-me-down heroism
using. The Scion suffers no penalties herself at this stage,
are equally dramatic.
although having an addicted sidekick utterly dependent
In game terms, there are three ascending levels
upon her ichor may well cause all sorts of complications
of connection that Scions can establish with their
in her life.
Fatebound companions. Each brings increasing
Do not forget, either, that the two parties remain
benefits, and increasing risks not only to the companion
Fatebound. Just because they are no longer sharing ichor
but also to her Scion benefactor.
does not mean that the Fates have not entwined the two
Stage One: Ichor together. Just the act of sharing ichor (at any stage of
Cocktail the binding) increases the strength of their Fatebinding
by +1 for every month they do so, and these increases
The ichor of a Scion, much like a giants heartblood never go away.
(or eitr, Scion: Hero, p. 315), can confer temporary
powers upon mortals when injected into their veins. Stage Two:
The Scion must actively will this to happen during
the distillation process otherwise, the mortal is just
Sympathetic Link
If a mortal companion continues for several
freebasing ordinary blood. The Scion could also choose
months to partake in heroic ichor in this manner, he
to use sexual intercourse as a vector, but once again,
and his benefactor proceed to this stage. Alternatively,
this must be a conscious act; no one accidentally picks
the Scion donor may initiate this stage right from
up heroic powers from a one-night stand. Free will is
the get-go through conscious act of will, as enacted
a required ingredient; a Scion cannot be mentally
by a ritual appropriate to the pantheon of her divine
compelled through the supernatural powers of another
parent. Scions of the Atzlanti, for example, may
being to activate the process.
perform an elaborate blood-sharing ritual involving
Effects can include, at the Storytellers discretion,
plenty of slit veins and offerings to the sun, while a
some or all of the following:
Scion of the Aesir could swear a blood oath upon her
Up to three dots may be distributed across the weapon, mixing her blood and her partners across
subjects Physical Attributes, up to a maximum of the blade.
five dots in any Attribute. Two of these dots can Stage two works like stage one, except fresh infusions
be used to purchase one dot in an Epic Physical of ichor are no longer necessary. The boosted attributes
Attribute. now last indefinitely, but a sympathetic link is also
The subject gains +2 bonus dice for Join created between the Scion and her sidekick, affording
Battle rolls. the following abilities:
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Arnie Bank
Faithful companion
History: Forty-something, unmarried and in a dead-end accounting job, Arnies apartment had
become a mausoleum to his unfulfilled dreams a failed Army physical, a failed police exam
and a stack of old fantasy and science fiction novels gathering dust. Arnie had given up
his childhood dreams of adventure until one day Fate finally called upon him: Davey
Gleason (Scion of Thor) and a titanspawn came crashing through the walls of his
cubicle farm. As his coworkers fled in terror, Arnie bravely held his ground,
raised his letter opener high and plunged it into the shoulder of the monster.
The titanspawn laughed off Arnies heroism and hurled him through several
layers of cloth-covered anodized aluminum, but the distraction was all Davey
needed to gain the advantage and smite his foe. Impressed by the unlikely
hero before him, Davey helped heal Arnies wounds, and ever since, Arnie
has served as Daveys faithful sidekick.
Office-supply-wielding skills notwithstanding, Arnies best resource
now is time: at home collecting workmans comp, lacking friends or
relatives to compete for his time, he has near-limitless free hours in which to
do internet research for Davey or to do drive-by reconnaissance and tailing.
Whatever Davey needs, Arnie procures through the many channels, legal or
illegal, that the online world affords.
Appearance: Look up unassuming in the dictionary and Arnies picture
would be there except even that would be too distinctive. Overweight and
balding, Arnie dresses in drab collared shirts and khakis. He owns one pair of
dress shoes, one pair of loafers and one pair of horn-rimmed glasses which he
needs to wear when he uses the computer.
Roleplaying Notes: After waiting your entire life, your dream has come true
you are a part of a heroic story. Your role is important, and youre sure Davey knows
that, but still, you do everything you can to prove that youre useful. You try and
anticipate his needs before he asks and deliver three times more than youre asked for.
Occasionally you daydream that youre the one out there fighting evil with your fists,
but youre more than grateful enough for what youve got. You see more adventure
than most big tough hero types could ever dream of, and you now carry that secret
pride inside your chest every time your troubles press upon your self-esteem. 19
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Creating a Pantheon
Wherever man treads, he does so beneath the For our example, well create an ancient Russian
w watchful eyes of some Gods or other. Every civilization pantheon. Russian mythology extends back thousands
o has created (or credited its creation to) its own pantheon of years and combines elements of pagan Norse,
r of deities, indigenous to their region or borrowed Wendish and Danish mythology (among others) before
and modified from those of other cultures. This gives being further transformed by Christianity by the 1300s.
l you plenty of precedent for creating, borrowing and There is no agreed-upon formal name for the Russian
d reshaping your own pantheons for use in Scion. pantheon, so well call them The Rus, after one of
Gods arent just like any character, created as a set of three mythological brothers who went on to found the
statistics. They are more than just characters they are three great Slavic peoples. Rus, as his name suggests, is
also ideas and concepts personified. For all their power, the mythological progenitor of the Russian nation.
Gods are bound to specific roles that define them. Their To incorporate the Rus into the Scion cosmology, well
personalities are intrinsically linked to these roles, and play upon their Norse roots, including belief in the World
they create Scions in large part to further their ambitions Tree. The Slavic Gods were also multi-headed fusions, so
and goals in the World. When you are designing a lets wrap that into the canon of the Titan war.
pantheon, you are also not only creating its Gods, you Example. During the ancient battle that bound the Titans,
are establishing the flavor of all their Scions. the Aesir defeated the Titan Rods two chief avatars (the three-
So how do you begin this ambitious act of theogenesis? headed Triglav and the four-headed Svantevit) by splitting them
up into component Gods. These Gods, now liberated from the
Step One: oppressive group mind of their Titan parent, changed sides
Establish a History in the war and joined the battle against the primal deities,
becoming the Rus. Ever since, the Rus have struggled with
Maybe you are inventing your own pantheon entirely,
based upon the religious beliefs of a society designed issues of dual and paradoxical identities. As a reward for the
entirely by your imagination. If so, thats terrific you Rus bravery, the victorious Gods gave over the realm of Mount
are adding whole new dimensions of creativity to the Meru to become Svarga, the Slavic pantheons new home.
game and giving your players a unique experience. Think about who your Gods are, how they came to
It is likely, though, that you will base your pantheon be and where they live now. There will be stories behind
on an existing culture or belief system. Even a cursory all of that, and as you learn or create those stories,
browsing through encyclopedias and online sites can you will come to understand your pantheon better.
help you become familiar with thousands of human Once youve done that, think a little bit about how
cultures, both ancient and modern, and the Gods in your Gods have adapted to the modern World and the
20 which they believe. reality of the war with the Titans. Some details might
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require you to flesh out which Gods are in your pantheon
Step Two: o
first (in step three, p. 22), but you can get a sense of where n
you want the history to go, and go back to fill in details Determine Virtues
later. Heres a completed version of the Rus modern Here we come to another important part of designing
history as an example. a pantheon: deciding their philosophical outlook (and
Example: No event has scarred the Rus as much as the Russian thus, their Virtues). The Pesedjet are defined by their
Revolution. Perun and Veles had been locked in competition since devotion to social order, while the Aesir are consumed by
their genesis: Perun ruled Svarga from atop the world tree, while preparations for Ragnark. Even Gods need something
the serpentine Veles crept up and down the trunk, harassing the to believe in. What beliefs guide your pantheon?
Thunder God by stealing his cattle, children and occasionally his In creating the Rus, we can look over the old myths as
wife. Perun, his patience at an end, defeated Veles in personal well as Russian history. The universe is a cruel place, and
combat and hurled him to the base of the tree. Veles spent the lot of humanity is particularly cruel, but the Rus did
millennia plotting his vengeance, and finally brought his scheme not make the universe they just have to live in it. They
to fruition when he invaded the dreams of Vladimir Lenin while are at once a passionate and melancholy group of Gods,
disguised in Peruns form, convincing him that communism would bitterly conflicted with one another and yet intensely
transform Russia into a land of honor and justice. The revolution social and bound by family ties.
gave birth to a new God: The Citizen, the spirit of the people. The closest matching Virtues in the Scion books would
Just as the Russian people were swept up in overthrowing the seem to be Courage, Expression and Valor. Yet Slavic culture
old authority, The Citizen turned upon Perun and the other Rus. tends to incorporate these values into a thoroughly fatalistic
Several of the Gods in the pantheon transformed into their darker worldview that denies the possibility for such things, to the
aspects: Belobog became Chernobog and Dievas became Marzanna. point of ridicule, so the Rus should embody that aspect
Together, with the secret aid of titanspawn, they managed to as well. Thus the Rus are at the same time wonderful
overthrow Perun, sending him and the remaining Slavic Gods into company and implacable enemies, to each other and to the
exile. Although The Citizen sat on the treetop throne, Veles secretly World. The war with the Titans is just one more struggle
ruled as the God of corruption, twisting the Citizens noble values. in an eternal series, to be born with both dignity and black
Svarga soon fell into shambles. Perun, drunken, fat and disheveled, humor. Endurance would seem to be an appropriate Virtue
is trying desperately to get back into shape, reassemble the pantheon to capture this idea. As such, we decide that the Virtues of
and restore justice and order to the realm. the Rus are Courage, Endurance, Expression and Valor. 21
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Your Mythic World know what theyre in for ahead of time, they will likely
Once your pantheon is ready, populate its take up the mantle of your new pantheon and be ready
universe with heroes and monsters. Slavic mythology for epic questing in no time.
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Creating Titanspawn
What are heroes without monsters to fight? In As a Storyteller you shouldnt necessarily hit your
epic tales, monsters are more than just opponents; players over the head with this symbolism sometimes a
they define the heroes who face them. How can we bunch of ogres to beat up is just a bunch of ogres to beat up
understand Beowulfs fealty and determination to but Scion gives you the opportunity to design titanspawn
defend his people without comparing him to Grendel, with an eye towards the larger themes of the game.
the embodiment of antisocial rage? Snow Whites purity
and innocence are better understood by contrast with Step One:
the vanity and calculating nature of the Black Queen.
But a good monster also darkly reflects the heros own
Decide on a Concept
The story youre telling will likely dictate the kinds of
traits. Beowulfs second opponent, Grendels mother, titanspawn youll want to create. A desert scenario is perfectly
is fighting to avenge her son, just as Beowulf has been suited for giant sandworms, scarabs and carrion birds. An
fighting to avenge his kinsmen. underwater mission may call for some kind of multi-tentacled
The Titans, the ultimate enemies of the characters in horror or seductive-yet-deadly mermaids. Of course, you dont
Scion, are nothing but metaphysical concepts. Although want to just play to stereotypes (your players have probably
your players will tackle their minions (the titanspawn) on seen all the same movies you have). Instead of the unstoppable
a physical level, even the minor monsters among them man-eating shark, why not throw them some kind of evil
should be more than just a collection of claws, jaws and dolphin? Dolphins are mischievous, highly intelligent and
tentacles. Sure, the players should enjoy bashing frost able to communicate silently over vast distances they could
giants thats part of why they come to your gaming table. be diabolical nemean creatures in the right setting. Or maybe
But what the giants represent on a symbolic level should you already have a monster in mind from existing mythology.
matter as much as the stats on their page. That way, Books or websites can help you find all sorts of traditional foes
when the players defeat them, they have not just racked associated with any pantheon. For our sample titanspawn,
up experience points and looted the corpses; they have well plumb the depths of Russian and Eastern European
triumphed over some metaphysical challenge as well. mythology, and there we find the Indrik.
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Relic Design
Relics are very freeform in design, but sometimes its question and add the dots together. Note that these are
a little unclear on how many dots a particular aspect of just suggestions some of the Relics weve created may
the Relics powers are worth. Below is a list of various not conform to this list because it was felt that the Relic
aspects of a Relic and suggested dot amounts. Simple in question should have more or less dots. Feel free to
26 choose which aspects are appropriate for the Relic in adjust your Relics in the same way.
Story Ideas
You have read everything weve put out for Scion. The So what do you do now?
Aztec gods names now roll easily off your tongue and you Any roleplaying game is only as good as the tales
can rattle off the Ranged Weapons table from memory. You its Storyteller weaves, and even the most experienced
have a great, well-rounded troupe of players chomping at the of Storytellers has her dry spells or needs some
bit to don the robes and weapons of Epic Heroes and set off occasional garnish to her otherwise well-prepared
on quests that bards will sing about for centuries to come. feast of adventures. This section provides a panoply 27
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